The Top Three FIA Articles from 2015

2015 was a big year for Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs). From FIAs having their highest sales to-date to millennials displaying an increasing interest in the product, consumers are seeing FIAs more and more as a product they can fit into a balanced retirement portfolio.

USA Today noted that millennials are more interested than any age group in the investing strategy behind annuities, as also noted in the study IALC conducted earlier in the year. Bankrate explored ways to ensure that women are equally prepared for retirement as men, noting some of the topics explored in the IALC’s Women’s Panel, and LifeHealthPro took an in-depth look at the truths about FIAs.

Below is a list of the top three FIA articles from 2015:

Millennials want in on annuities

USA Today

“The nation’s youngest batch of retirement savers are more interested than any other age group in the investing strategy behind annuities, even though most of them have likely never heard the word ‘annuity,’ according to a survey just out from the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council…

Fixed-index annuities, a type of annuity that benefits from market gains, have become more popular in recent years as investors wary of stocks sought more stable options. Sales of fixed-index annuities have jumped in the past two years and were up nearly 5% in the first quarter of 2015 compared with the year-ago quarter, according to analytics firm Wink, which surveyed 49 indexed annuity providers.”

Gender inequality for retired women

Bankrate

“A panel presentation, ‘The State of American Retirement — Navigating the Gender Imbalance’ sponsored by the IALC in Washington, D.C., this week addressed the troubling topic…

Jennings said that retirees already may have insurance policies and annuity contracts with provisions for declining health and long-term care needs, and to review those policies to understand coverage.
What’s my takeaway from attending the presentation?

It’s never too soon to stress financial literacy and the importance of a woman planning for and managing her finances, as part of her family and for when she’s on her own. Health care and long-term care are major concerns in retirement and planning is required to meet those needs.”

FIA facts: 10 fixed index annuities truths

LifeHealthPro

“Annuities offer an array of benefits to those nearing or planning for retirement. The biggest advantages is that annuities are an investment vehicle that serves as a complement to other retirement income sources such as Social Security and pension plans, that enable individuals to save a larger amount of cash and defer paying taxes.

And unlike other tax-deferred retirement accounts such 401(k) s and IRAs, annuities do not have an annual contribution limit. All invested money compounds year after year. When an individual wants to cash out of an annuity, he or she can withdraw a lump sum or withdraw in the form of payments for a specific period of time, providing a steady and reliable income stream.”