I am still considering an immediate, fixed, lifetime annuity although now, due to my changed financial situation, it doesn't seem prudent in my case any more.
Exactly! The problem with comments on "annuities" (IMHO) are that people make statements on the "suitability" of the product, without understanding (or investigating) the product as related to "their situation".
A couple of examples:
- Some folks do not segragate SPIA's from deferred annuities. While I would not consider a deferred annuity, in some situations, for some folks (who are still wor*ing and have exhausted their annual contributions) it may make sense.
- Some folks don't understand that you don't necessarily "loose if you die". These are often the folks who want to ensure they have an estate to pass on to the "next generation". I understand this concern, however there are SPIA's that address this concern. As a disclaimer, my/DW's remainder estate is going to charity, so even though I ensured that our SPIA would have "value" for at least its 28+ year term, it was not a major consideration in our decision to "buy" the product.
It's sort of like buying a car. Does everybody purchase the same car? Of course not. Some buy new, some used. Some foreign, some domestic. Some luxury, some not. Some fuel efficient, some not.
If you are still working, in construction, and need to have a heavy-duty vehicle, you will probably buy a HD pickup/SUV.
If you work in an office, some miles away from where you live, you may want a sub-compact.
If you are retired (like me
) and drive limited mileage, you may want a luxury SUV (like my Caddy
).
Everybody dosen't need the same vehicle. Everybody dosen't an annuity (any type).
It all depends what works best in your situation and to meet your end-goals.
Regards,
- Ron