Articles by Steven Hart on ArticleSnatch.com

VUL Insurance Options

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:04:47 -0500

Variable Universal Life (VUL) is a form of permanent insurance. Like whole, universal, and variable life policies, VULs are cash-value life insurance policies. The term “universal” in the name comes from the fact the premiums associated with this type of policy are flexible. The variable term refers to the choices that the policy owner has. With a VUL policy, the owner can direct the investments in the policy creating variability in the cash value. The cash value of the policy can be invested in equities or fixed-interest products depending on the options that are available. However, most purchasers migrate toward a VUL product because they want to use the equity investment options. There are greater risks associated with a VUL policy than a universal policy. If the performance of the investments is particularly poor, the premiums may need to be increased to keep the policy active. VULs, like whole-life policies, experience tax-deferred growth that can be borrowed against. The tax-deferred growth is what attracts some customers to the product. Owning a VULs is comparable to being able to buy life insurance and to invest money in a mutual fund at the same time. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

Life Insurance and Medical Exams

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:59:06 -0500

Private life insurance policies typically require medical examinations. This applies to both temporary and permanent policies. Group life insurance offered through a person’s employer does not usually require an exam. Private customers are required to attend medical examinations so that the insurance company can determine the correct premium level for the policy. For example, if the medical exam shows that the client is likely to die at an early age, the company will want to charge higher premiums at least initially to make sure they cover all of the financial risks associated with this condition. The medical information needed for a policy to go into affect is acquired in two parts – Part I (sometimes called Part A) and Part II (sometimes called Part B). Part I is the information that the customer supplied to the insurance company to answer the medical questions on the application form. Part II is the section that is completed by the health care professional as part of the medical exam. Licensed health professionals, typically paramedicals, conduct the examinations themselves. Often, the insurance company hires an outside firm of paramedicals to come to the customer’s own home. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

Comparing Temporary and Permanent Life Insurance

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:41:20 -0500

There are two general types of life insurance – temporary and permanent. Term insurance is another name for temporary insurance which means it is only in force for a limited period of time, typically ranging from 10-30 years. Permanent life insurance, on the other hand, offers lifelong protection. The beneficiaries receive a payment when the policy holder dies. Term policies are only in place for a certain amount of years, and a cash value is not accumulated with the product. This type of insurance is typically purchased when the buyer has a financial need that will eventually go away. For example, a mortgage or a child’s education fees can fall into this category. Three main items should be considered when looking for term insurance: • Death benefit • Premium • Term of the policy The death benefit can remain constant or it can decline as the term progresses. The premium has the opposite options; it can either remain level or increase. Finally, the term of the policy can be for one or more years. One option that is available with a term policy is a return of premium. This feature usually comes with more expensive premium payments; **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

Advantages of Index Universal Life Insurance

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:19:54 -0500

Equity Index Universal Life (EIUL) insurance allows a holder to have the flexibility to adjust their premiums as well as benefit from the performance of the financial markets. An EIUL policy is a form of permanent life insurance that ties the cash value of the policy to a financial index. The policy has a fixed interest rate portion as well as the indexed account. Overall, it combines the benefits of a universal life policy with an indexed investment. The S&P 500 Index is used by most companies as the underlying index for the product. Typically, EIUL policies will have a ceiling as well as a floor established for the returns. In this way, the policy will never lose money. However, if the financial index is doing better than expected, an investor could potentially not see all of the benefits. With the flexibility that a purchaser gets from an EIUL policy, they also have additional risk. On average a traditional universal life policy will increase 4 to 6% per year. An EIUL can achieve index-linked gains as high as 18%. However, there can also be years when the return is less than 4%. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

Single Premium vs. Flexible Premium Annuities

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:34:56 -0500

There are two different ways that a premium payment can be made for an annuity. The payment can be a single lump sum, or it can be in multiple installments. The terms used to describe the available payment schemes are single premium and flexible premium. Single premium annuities are purchased with a single deposit amount. The contract can be a deferred or immediate. A flexible premium annuity is, however, purchased with multiple amounts of money over a period of time. This type of account is always a deferred policy – i.e. payments to the purchaser could be a long time in the future. Investors in flexible premium annuities are looking to create a savings over a long period of time. They would rather have the flexibility associated with this product and do not need the income from the policy immediately (typically for retirement). Immediate annuities are annuities that start their payments within a year of the policy’s purchase. These annuities must, therefore, be purchased with a single premium payment. The contract is often referred to as SPIA (Single Premium Investment Annuity). SPIAs are ideal for providing instant income to retirees. SPIAs offer the investor simplicity. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> To compare rates on actual annuity products from brand name companies, visit Annuity Rates .com. To determine potential premiums, check out Stevenâs Annuity Calculator . To learn more about the pros & cons of variable annuities, visit the Variable Annuity Guide.

Provider Overview: MetLife Annuities

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:00:01 -0500

MetLife was founded in 1868, but the origins of the company actually go back five years earlier to 1863. It was then that a group of New York businessmen founded the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company. This company insured Civil War veterans against disabilities due to wartime incidents. After several reorganizations, the company’s leaders decided to focus on life insurance to be sold to the middle class. MetLife, or under its full name Metropolitan Life, was born. The name Metropolitan was used in the new title because the former business had been the most successful in New York City, the “metropolitan” area. By 1909, MetLife became the insurance company with the largest number of life insurance agents in the United States. The company still holds this position in North America. Today, MetLife offers a variety of financial and insurance products. In addition to annuities, the company provides mutual funds, estate planning, education planning, and portfolio management to its customers. The company has over $3 trillion in assets under its management. It provides financial services to millions of individual and institutional customers in the United States. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> To compare rates on actual annuity products from brand name companies, visit Annuity Rates .com. To determine potential premiums, check out Stevenâs Annuity Calculator . To learn more about the pros & cons of variable annuities, visit the Variable Annuity Guide.

Provider Overview: MassMutual Annuities

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:38:02 -0500

MassMutual was originally established in 1851 by George W. Rice. Rice was an insurance agent for a Connecticut life insurance company wanting to open a similar business in Massachusetts. He started the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company which became a true mutual company – a company owned by its policyholders – soon after it was started. Today, the company is based in Springfield, Massachusetts and Enfield, Connecticut and has grown from a personal insurer to an international financial services firm. It has approximately thirteen million clients worldwide and over $500 billion in assets under its management. In addition to its operations in the United States, MassMutual has subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China, Macao, Argentina, Chile, Bermuda, and Luxembourg. The total number of offices for the company numbers over 1200, and the firm’s full marketing name is MassMutual Financial Group. MassMutual is still run for the benefit of its members and policyholders. They provide life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, mutual funds, money management, and trust services in addition to annuities to their clients. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> To compare rates on actual annuity products from brand name companies, visit Annuity Rates .com. To determine potential premiums, check out Stevenâs Annuity Calculator . To learn more about the pros & cons of variable annuities, visit the Variable Annuity Guide.

How to Shop for Variable Life Insurance

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:10:26 -0500

Variable life insurance was created to combine the benefits of permanent life insurance with the benefits of other diversified investment products. Purchasers are able to decide which portion of the premiums is allocated to investments and how much is put into the permanent life insurance side of the product. When a variable life policy is purchased, the investor is allocated a cash value account which can be invested in sub-accounts. Purchasers can chose from various financial instruments that are offered by the insurance company in the investment portion of the contract. Usually, purchasers have access to stocks, bonds, equity funds, money market funds, and bond funds. Some policies offer fifty different sub-account options. The more options the better. The advantage to a variable life arrangement is that earnings in the investments are not taxed until the policy is terminated. Earnings can also be applied towards future premiums to reduce the total cost of the policy. However, this set up does work in the opposite direction. If the investments are performing poorly, the policy holder may need to pay more to keep the policy active. Poor investment performance also means that the death benefits available to beneficiaries may be lowered. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

Shopping for Annuity Quotes Online

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:18:58 -0400

As everyone knows, the Internet allows easy access to information and the ability for someone to remain anonymous while they search for the exact piece of information that they need. The search for annuity information and quotes online is no different. The Internet can be very helpful to an investor who is looking to obtain annuity quotes and tips. However, as with all Internet searching, there are a few things that every potential annuity purchaser should consider before getting any annuity quote online: 1- Is the company/website legitimate? A big advantage to the Internet is also a big problem. Anyone can put any information they want online, including people who are looking to commit fraud. Make sure that the life insurance company or annuity quote website is legitimate before the information obtained from the site is used in any purchase decision. To verify the insurance company, contact the state department of insurance to check the company’s standing with the agency. 2- Is the company that is offering the annuity financially stable? Most insurance companies are financially stable, but it does not hurt to check the financial ratings of a company that may be of interest. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rate s.com. To learn about the differences between fixed and index annuities, visit Fixed Annuity Rates or Equity Indexed Annuities .

Provider Overview: Pacific Life Annuities

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:18:48 -0400

Pacific Life has been providing insurance to customers since 1868. The company's first president, Leland Stanford, was issued the company's first ever life insurance policy. Leland Stanford also founded Stanford University, and his wife used the payment from his life insurance policy to ease financial constraints at the school. It is also interesting to note that the company was one of the first in America to computerize its data-entry operations, in the 1950s. Today, Pacific Life is a leading financial and insurance institution in the United States. The company has over $96 billion in assets and over $5 billion in policyholder equity. In addition to its annuity products, the company also offers its clients life insurance products, mutual funds, and other investment options. Pacific Life prides itself on offering a variety of innovative, consumer-focused products that it can quickly adapt depending on the changing market demands. They also offer award-winning customer service. In keeping with their market leading technology moves in the 1950s, Pacific life allows clients to access their accounts through a number of technological means. For the past twelve years, Pacific Life has been using the humpback whale in its advertising. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rate s.com. To learn about the differences between fixed and index annuities, visit Fixed Annuity Rates or Equity Indexed Annuities .

Provider Overview: ING Annuities

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:33:38 -0400

The ING Group is based in Amsterdam and offers 85 million customers in over 40 countries banking, investments, life insurance, and retirement products. The ING Group also offers services to individuals as well as corporate and institutional clients. ING is a relatively new company in the insurance world. It was founded in 1991, as a result of a merger between Nationale-Nederlanden and NMB Postbank Group. ING is recognized as one of the largest companies in the world, and it is one of the 20th largest financial institutions. The ING operations in the U.S. offer annuities, retirement plans, life insurance, mutual funds, managed accounts, and direct banking services to individual customers. The company is the fifth largest life insurance and retirement services provider in the country. ING’s brand promise of “Your future. Made easier.” is becoming more and more recognizable in the U.S. because the company has put in efforts, including sponsorships of major public events, to increase awareness of the brand. In terms of annuity products, ING offers fixed, variable, index, and immediate annuities through ING’s Retail Annuities Group. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rate s.com. To learn about the differences between fixed and index annuities, visit Fixed Annuity Rates or Equity Indexed Annuities .

How Annuities Are Regulated

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:16:52 -0400

There are three fundamental different annuity types: fixed, variable, and indexed annuities. Many people believe that all annuities are regulated the same way. However, they are not. The annuity regulation involved depends on the type of annuity product. If you’re considering purchasing an annuity, it is important to understand how the different types of annuities are regulated. Fixed annuities earn interest at a set rate during the accumulation period of the annuity. During the payout period, again, the income payments are made to the investor at a fixed rate. With a variable annuity, the investor uses their contributions to invest in mutual funds or another underlying investment vehicle. The variable annuity payouts are then based on the underlying investment vehicle’s performance. An indexed annuity is designed to mirror the performance of a financial index. Variable annuities and some indexed annuities are considered securities and are, therefore, regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Association of Security Dealers (NASD). Indexed annuities usually combine some of the features of a security and some of the features of a traditional insurance product. Depending on this mix, an indexed annuity may be considered a security and regulated by the SEC. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rate s.com. To learn about the differences between fixed and index annuities, visit Fixed Annuity Rates or Equity Indexed Annuities .

Comparing Variable Annuities with Mutual Funds

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:31:07 -0400

Variable annuities are not the only retirement planning investment option. Actually, there are many alternatives, such as mutual funds, the stock market, a 401(k), a money market, or CD. It is recommended that investors keep a level of diversification in their investment portfolio so that downturns in one instrument can be mitigated by another. One investment alternative that is often compared to a variable annuity is a mutual fund because of its similarity. Both products allow the holder to manage their risk tolerance. Variable annuities provide payments over the lifespan of the investor that are tied to the performance of the underlying investments in the annuity (which often include mutual funds themselves). Diversification is achieved by investing in multiple sub-accounts. Mutual funds achieve risk mitigation in a different way. With this product, several investors pool their resources to buy many different underlying securities. Funds are administered by a fund manager who actually does the investing. Individuals are given access to a broader range of diversification than they would be able to achieve on their own. They are, therefore, able to maximize the performance and minimize the risk of their investments. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rate s.com. To learn about the differences between fixed and index annuities, visit Fixed Annuity Rates or Equity Indexed Annuities .

Comparing Equity Index Annuities to ETFs

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:08:19 -0400

Equity index annuities (EIA) earn interest based on the performance of another financial instrument. Usually this is a stock or an equity index. The most commonly used index for an EIA is the S&P 500. An alternative to investing in an equity index annuity is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). ETFs, like EIAs, are securities that track indexes. Or, at least most ETFs are. They can also be set up to track commodities and sectors. ETFs offer the same diversification benefits of equity index annuities and mutual funds, but have the flexibility and transparency of a stock. With an equity index annuity, interest is credited to the annuity based on a formula that is linked to the performance of the equity index. The interest rate of the policy will not necessarily match the performance of the index exactly. The performance of an EIA is based on the indexing method and the participation rate that is used. In addition, an EIA will pay investors a minimum interest rate in case the index performance for the accumulation period is not above a certain threshold. ETF pricing is more straightforward and transparent. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rate s.com. To learn about the differences between fixed and index annuities, visit Fixed Annuity Rates or Equity Indexed Annuities .

Annuities as Life Insurance

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:39:30 -0400

Although annuities are sold by companies that also sell traditional life insurance policies, often from the same website or brochure, it does not mean that annuities and life insurance are the same. In fact, many consider annuities to be the reverse of pure life insurance. However, there are certain options that are available in annuity contracts that allow them to have some life insurance benefits. Life insurance is usually purchased to insurance someone against an unexpected death, and subsequently, loss of income. The person that is insured has beneficiaries that he wants to provide money too. For example, the holder may only want to insure that a beneficiary has enough to cover burial expenses. On the other hand, an insurance policy can provide funding to beneficiaries, such as a spouse or child, to cover debt and cost of living expenses. As the reverse of pure life insurance, a basic lifetime annuity is not designed to protect against the unexpected death of the owner. Instead, it is designed to protect against the investor living longer than expected. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rate s.com. To learn about the differences between fixed and index annuities, visit Fixed Annuity Rates or Equity Indexed Annuities .

How to Shop for Universal Life Insurance

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:24:03 -0400

Universal life insurance is a relatively new insurance product. It was developed in the 1980s to provide a flexible alternative to whole life insurance. Universal life is a hybrid product that combines the low cost protection of a term policy with the savings element of a whole life policy. Universal life is considered flexible because each element of the policy can be altered as the circumstances of the policy holder change. Premiums are variable and are split into insurance and savings portions. The owner can shift funds between the insurance portion and the savings portion. Smaller or larger premium payments can be made as the financial circumstances of the owner change. They are also allowed to use the interest from the savings portion of the policy to help pay the premiums and lower the overall costs of the product. How the policy actually works is that during the early years of a policy holderâ€™s life, the risk of their death is low, and a larger portion of the premiums is paid into the savings portion. During the later stages of life, the risks are higher. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

Comparing Types of Life Insurance

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:56:48 -0400

In todayâ€™s market, there are many different types of life insurance. Term, whole, universal, and variable policies all offer different benefits for different circumstances. Some policies are cheaper than others, and some are more flexible policies than others. Because every person is different, the individual needs of the client are important to understand before a particular type of insurance policy is selected. Whole life insurance provides guaranteed protection for the life of the policy holder and is known as permanent insurance. Whole life policies have a cash value portion to the policy that grows tax deferred. The amount of growth is guaranteed. The premiums for this type of policy are usually kept at a level amount throughout the insurerâ€™s life and the death benefit is guaranteed. A universal life insurance policy is a flexible version of a whole life policy. It is also a permanent policy that has a cash value portion included with it. The difference between a universal policy and a whole life policy is that the premium can be adjusted as the financial situation of the policy holder changes. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

Best Term Life Insurance Companies

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:37:35 -0400

People select term life insurance if they have a cost that will eventually go away such as education fees or a mortgage payment. Term life insurance policies are usually less expensive than a permanent insurance policy. When shopping for term life insurance it is important to go to a good company. Therefore, below is a list of the best term life insurance companies in the market. Jackson National: Jackson National Life Insurance Company was formed in 1961. Today, the companyâ€™s sales are over $14.5 billion, and the total assets are close to $75 billion. The group offers individual life insurance, institutional products, fixed and variable annuities, asset management, retail mutual funds, and retail brokerage services to its clients. Jackson National offers term life insurance policies in durations of ten, fifteen, or twenty years. The policy, called JNL Protector Term Life, is guaranteed for renewal until the policy holder reaches the age of 95. A term policy through Jackson can be converted to a permanent policy until the age of 80. Lincoln National: The Lincoln Financial Group was founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1905. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

Top Annuity Companies

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:23:40 -0400

Annuity products are available from multiple providers. It is important for anyone that is considering purchasing an annuity to know who the top annuity companies are. Below is a list of five top annuity companies and a description of their products and services. MetLife: MetLife was founded in 1868 in New York City. MetLife offers a variety of financial and insurance products, including annuities, mutual funds, estate planning, education planning, and portfolio management, to its customers. MetLife offers three fixed annuity and eight variable annuity products, and has the following ratings from the independent rating agencies, as of July 8, 2009: â€¢ A.M. Best: A+, 2nd highest â€¢ Standard & Poors: AA-, 4th highest â€¢ Fitch: AA, 3rd highest ING: The ING Group is based in Amsterdam and offers 85 million customers in over 40 countries banking, investments, life insurance, and retirement products. It was founded in 1991, as a result of a merger between Nationale-Nederlanden and NMB Postbank Group. ING offers two deferred fixed annuities. In addition, the company offers three types of variable annuities, six types of fixed indexed annuities, and one immediate annuity. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rates .com. To learn more about the differences between variable and index annuities, visit the Variable Annuity or Index Annuity Guides.

Provider Overview: Jackson National Annuities

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:21:20 -0400

Jackson National Life Insurance Company was a family-owned company that was formed in 1961. The company was named after Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States. Although it is a young company, when compared to some of the other insurance giants, it has had many accomplishments that it can be proud of. Amongst its many achievements is the fact that the company introduced an early version of universal life insurance eight years before another company offered a similar product in the marketplace. Today, the companyâ€™s sales are over $14.5 billion, and the total assets are close to $75 billion. Jackson is owned by Englandâ€™s Prudential PLC which is the worldâ€™s 8th largest life insurance company. Over the years, Jackson has extended its product range. The group now offers individual life insurance, institutional products, fixed and variable annuities, asset management, retail mutual funds, and retail brokerage services to its clients. The company prides itself on acting responsibly and with integrity. At its foundations, the organization also believes in contributing to the communities in which they operate. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rates .com. To learn more about the differences between variable and index annuities, visit the Variable Annuity or Index Annuity Guides.

Provider Overview: AXA Annuities

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:03:04 -0400

AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company has been in business since 1859, when it was started by Henry Hyde. It was formally known as The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and was set up in New York City. The company claims to have been an earlier developer in annuity concepts because it introduced a deferred annuity product called tontinesâ€ in 1868. Today, it is a leading financial company that offers life insurance and investment products and services in addition to annuities to clients in the United States. The company is still based in New York City. Its corporate headquarters are in midtown Manhattan, and it is still making business achievements. For example, AXA was the first insurance company to pay death claims immediately and the first to sell variable annuities and variable life insurance. These are just a few of the firstsâ€ for the company. AXA offers products to financial professionals, to the financial services market, and to corporations and their employees. Since its creation, the company has been committed to helping people with their financial future. In the United States, the insurance group; **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rates .com. To learn more about the differences between variable and index annuities, visit the Variable Annuity or Index Annuity Guides.

Benefits of Fixed Annuities

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:15:36 -0400

Fixed rate annuities offer many benefits to investors. For example, they can provide someone who is retired or close to retirement a guaranteed income. To understand the benefits of fixed annuities in more detail, it is important to first understand the details of how annuities work. Fixed annuities are set up as single premium investments that guarantee the purchaser a minimum rate of interest for the annuityâ€™s term. Two basic types of fixed rate annuities are available to purchasers life annuities and term certain annuities. Life annuities pay a fixed amount at regular intervals until the annuitant dies. They allow the purchaser to have a secure source of income that they do not have to worry about outliving. Term certain annuities, on the other hand, pay the set amount until the contract expires. Distributions from fixed rate annuities can be either immediate or deferred. Immediate distributions usually start, at the maximum within one year, of the contract being initiated. Deferred annuities pay out at a point in the future. A fixed annuity is considered a low-risk investment because of the stable interest rate component of the policy. Investors benefit if interest rates fall, but not if they rise. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to invest in annuities, their pros & cons, and common investment mistakes, visit Free Annuity Rates .com. To learn more about the differences between variable and index annuities, visit the Variable Annuity or Index Annuity Guides.

How to Shop for Mortgage Life Insurance

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:14:39 -0400

Mortgage life insurance is a policy that pays off a personâ€™s mortgage in case they die before the mortgage is fully paid. It is actually not something that is nice to consider. However, it is important that a personâ€™s loved ones are insured against such a tragedy happening. With a mortgage life policy, the familyâ€™s home is protected. In general, life insurance comes in two different forms. Permanent and term life policies are available. Permanent policies are for the life of the policy holder. They are considered more of an investment plan for the personâ€™s beneficiaries. Term life policies, however, are only for a set period. They only make a payment if the policy holder dies during the term of the policy. Mortgage life insurance is a form of term life insurance designed for a subset of the population those that have a mortgage. Mortgage life insurance policy coverage can decrease as the principal balance on the home loan declines. This is called a decreasing term policy. Or, alternatively, level term insurance can be selected and the amount of insurance coverage does not decrease as the policy ages. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

How to Shop for Whole Life Insurance

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:16:01 -0400

Life insurance comes in two basic types: permanent and term. Permanent insurance is when the policy holder has lifelong protection as long as they continue to pay their premiums. The policyâ€™s beneficiaries receive a payment when the person dies. Term life insurance means that a person is only covered for life insurance for a specific length of time. Usually this is ten, twenty, or thirty years. People select term life insurance if they have a cost that will eventually go away such as education fees or a mortgage payment. Permanent insurance is also called cash value insurance because the policy builds up a cash value over time. If the policy holder cancels the contract before their death, the amount available to them is the cash value. Cash value insurance comes in the form of whole life, where a savings account portion grows at a fixed rate, and variable life, where the policy holder can choose different investment options. Whole life insurance plans are in general more complicated than term life which means the process of finding the right one is more involved; interest rates and other factors must be considered. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.

How to Shop for Term Life Insurance

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:00:32 -0400

There are two basic types of life insurance term and permanent. Permanent is commonly whole life, but also includes variants like universal and variable life. Permanent insurance means that as long as the purchaser continues to pay the premiums they will have lifelong protection. The beneficiaries receive a payment when the policy holder dies. Term life insurance means that the purchaser is only covered for life insurance for a specific length of time. Usually the term is between one and thirty years. Term insurance comes in three different categories. They is standard term, level term and decreasing term. Standard term features premiums that increase every year. With a level term policy, premiums remain the same throughout the duration of the policy. A decreasing term policy, however, means that the death benefits are lowered, usually in one year increments, as the policy ages. The majority of term policies are standard or level term. People select term life insurance if they have a risk that will eventually go away such as education fees or a mortgage payment. Term life insurance policies are usually less expensive than a permanent insurance policy. **End Summary** Topics: Annuity]]> Investment]]> Retirement Planning]]> Finance]]> Insurance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information from Steven on how to buy life insurance, visit Best Life Insurance . For a list of brand-name life insurers see, Life Insurance Company Ratings. To learn about the advantages of Term Life, visit the Term Life Insurance Guide.