On the actuaries, are you really sure they are on my side? Just kidding on that really, you may be correct that they want a win-win.
On the small something to get nothing, what do you mean? On paying the less than 1%, what am I getting that actually has value to me? I just want ot understand.
VA's are not complicated to me, the riders are. I opened my Prudential prospectus, there were 277 pages, lot's of it dealing with riders. That's not complicated?
I don't complain about commissions. I have an Acura MDX and a Honda Accord. Tell me why that matters?
If you currently have a VA, you are paying an insurance expense for something that is probably useless now. If it's an old policy, you're probably paying a small cost for them to insure that your heirs receive at least as much as you invested minus withdrawals. So, if you've had it a while, it's probably up a large enough percentage that you're paying an insurance cost of something you could do, just by picking up the phone and telling them to move you to cash.
However, with the new living expenses, it is possible you can insure your income for life, which based on your responses, is something you'd greatly value. Now at 53 you're not going to be getting 7% yet, but there's a chance you could in the future, AND (this is the big part), you can sleep at night knowing it won't be any less EVER than what you're currently able to get, but it could go up. Is peace of mind worth anything? 1%??
As to the 277 pages of prospectus...some useful info, but a lot of legalese. Do you read the side of a tuna fish can before eating it? The sodium will surely kill you one day! No one reads it.
Anyway, just curious about the car you drive because it seems so many here are so concerned here with expenses, but then they drive a Lexus when a Chevy will get them where they want to go just as well.
This is just my opinion, but I'm willing to pay a bit more for service and peace of mind. It may be stupid, but I'd rather buy a quality suit than to buy junk from Walmart where I'm assured of getting no service and low quality that won't last. AND, if I can reach my goal of earning what I need to earn, and like you say, "it's clean" then I don't care what my costs are, just as if I get the price on my car that I consider to be fair, then I don't resent my car salesman making his commission.
Sorry for the rant, I'm not attacking you, just trying to understand. I appreciate your honesty.