index annuity

Can index annuities provide stock market returns?

For several years, I have written in-depth annuity reviews because there is little information about these complex products. Many retirees are being enticed by free dinner seminars and promises of huge returns with no risk. I give an A+ to insurance companies for producing a product that they claim to be “no fee” (are you kidding me? Fees are simply hidden so you can't see them), no downside risk (yes true) and still has the potential for stock market returns (too good to be true). Let's take a look at that last piece and the topic of this blog post: can index annuities provide stock market returns?

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What is the Allianz 222’s extra premium bonus worth?

The Allianz 222 annuity has been one of the best-selling index annuities for several years now as I wrote my first review of the product in May 2014. For two months through September 17th, they have increased the premium bonus from 22% to 30% (25% in NJ and OR) which gives the protected income value a nice espresso shot from day 1. Because this is being sold by agents extra hard, I have received several calls from people looking for advice. Given that many seem confused as to how the bonus works, and no it doesn't give a boost to your account value, I thought it would be a good idea to have a stand alone blog post for this topic. So let's take a look at how it works, I will walk you through some of the numbers so you know what you are buying before signing on that dotted line.

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An impartial review of the Allianz 222 Annuity – updated August 2021

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Editor's Note: This post was originally published in May 2014 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

Through September 17, 2018, the premium bonus has increased from 22% to 30%. Read more in my latest blog post “What is the Allianz 222's extra premium bonus worth?”

The annuity business has grown in popularity as investors, especially those nearing retirement, look for options to protect themselves from stock market volatility and give them a decent income stream in retirement. With over $200 billion in annual sales, the annuity industry is big business with lots of salesmen trying to persuade you to make a purchase.

Today I will dig deep into the Allianz 222 Annuity which was launched in January of 2013 and was one of the best-selling indexed annuities in the industry for the 4th quarter of 2013. Sales of indexed annuities, a fixed annuity that provides a minimum guaranteed rate of interest combined with an interest rate tied to the movement of an index, increased to $39.3 billion in 2013, a 17% gain year over year. This is the biggest percentage increase of any form of annuity.

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An impartial review of the Allianz Core Income 7 Annuity

The annuity business has grown in popularity as investors, especially those nearing retirement, look for options to protect themselves from stock market volatility and give them a decent income stream in retirement. With over $200 billion in annual sales, the annuity industry is big business with lots of salesmen trying to persuade you to make a purchase.

Today I will dig deep into the Allianz Core Income 7 annuity which has been requested by several readers in recent weeks. It currently is one of the top 10 best-selling annuities on the market. Sales of indexed annuities, a fixed annuity that provides a minimum guaranteed rate of interest combined with an interest rate tied to the movement of an index, increased to $54.5 billion in 2015, a 13% gain year over year. This is the biggest percentage increase of any form of annuity.

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The 3 Biggest Fixed Index Annuity Myths

Transcript:

The Runnymede blog has become one of the most visited sites for annuity reviews with over 100k views. Since 2013, I’ve been writing independent annuity reviews to help buyers like you understand the complexities of annuities and truly understand what the products can deliver. Today I’m going to talk about the 3 biggest fixed index annuity myths.

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An impartial review of the American Equity Bonus Gold Annuity

The annuity business has grown in popularity as investors, especially those nearing retirement, look for options to protect themselves from stock market volatility and give them a decent income stream in retirement. With over $200 billion in annual sales, the annuity industry is big business with lots of salesmen trying to persuade you to make a purchase.

Today I will dig deep into the American Equity Bonus Gold Annuity which has been requested by several readers in recent weeks. It is one of the best-selling indexed annuities of all-time. Sales of indexed annuities, a fixed annuity that provides a minimum guaranteed rate of interest combined with an interest rate tied to movement of an index, increased to $39.3 billion in 2013, a 17% gain year over year. This is the biggest percentage increase of any form of annuity.

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