ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Money In Deferred Annuities Is Illiquid
Loss Of Personal Control Over Investment
Don’t Be Rushed Into A Sale
Deferred annuities are long-term insurance contracts which require you to lose control over your investment, and some annuities may earn little to no interest. If you try to exit the annuity contract, you will be penalized Evans Law Firm, Inc. generally recommends against deferred annuities for older consumers because of these very characteristics; deferred annuities are expensive and complicated and tie up a senior’s money for years. As an industry saying goes, “Annuities are sold, not bought.” Don’t be one of the people who gets sold. Agent tactics for selling deferred annuities to older persons may be aggressive and agents may try to rush a senior into a transaction or fail to provide all the information necessary to understand how a policy works. Unsuitable policies and deceptive or aggressive sales tactics may also violate legal protections for older consumers in particular. Cal. Weld. & Inst. Code § 15610.30 (definition of financial elder abuse); Cal. Ins. § 790 et seq. (Unfair Insurance Practices Act). Senior victims may sue for damages and other relief including awards of attorneys’ fees and expenses for bringing your case. Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657.5. If you are over 60, live in Carmel or elsewhere in California and own a deferred annuity, call us today at 415-441-8669 (or toll free at 1-888-50EVANS) for a free review of your policy.
Questions For The Agent
If a life insurance agent approaches you about an annuity, don’t be rushed into a purchase. At a minimum always slow the process down, get a second opinion (from a professional with nothing to gain from sale) and be sure to think about a few very important things:
- Ask your producer, or the company for an explanation of anything you do not understand. Make sure that the person you talk to answers your questions to your satisfaction.
- Ask for a complete listing of fees and commissions before agreeing to buy anything presented as an “investment product”. Understand contract restrictions, such as surrender penalties or administrative fees.
- Compare similar products from several companies using the criteria presented above. Remember, even though you have a meeting with a producer, you have no obligation to buy anything.
- Avoid repeated or unsolicited contacts from particular producers that make you feel pressured.
- Check the rating of the company’s finances through Standard & Poor’s, A.M. Best Co., Moody’s Investors Services, etc. Annuities are not government-insured investments like bank deposits and CDs. The promise to pay is only as good as the insurer’s ability to do so.
- Take notes about what the producer tells you and keep copies of all documents, correspondence, notices, special offers and payment receipts.
- Ask for and read Disclosure Statements offered by the producer or the company and make sure you understand what the statements say about the annuity you are being sold.
Contact Us
If you are over 60 and live in Carmal or elsewhere in California and have a deferred annuity or universal life insurance contract, we can review your contract for free. You can reach Ingrid M. Evans at Evans Law Firm, Inc. at (415) 441-8669, or toll free at 1-888-50EVANS or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>.
Some significant issuers and distributors of fixed, variable and fixed indexed deferred annuities in California are listed below. We are not in any way suggesting that any of these carriers or distributors has done anything wrong. The list is provided solely as a reference for our readers.
AIG/American General Life Insurance Company
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company
American General Life Insurance Company/AIG
American International Group, Inc. (AIG)
American National Life Insurance Company
Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company
Athene Annuity and Life Company
Athene USA
Aviva Life Insurance Company
AXA Equitable Financial Services, LLC
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company/AXA US
AXA Advisors, LLC
Brighthouse Financial, Inc./MetLife
EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company
Genworth Financial, Inc.
Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company
Genworth Life Insurance Company
Guggenheim Partners, LLC
Guggenheim Partners/Security Benefit Life Insurance Company
ING USA Annuity and Life Insurance Company
Jackson National Life Insurance Company
John Hancock Life Insurance Company
Lincoln Benefit Life Company
Lincoln Financial Group
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Metlife/Metropolitan Life Insurance Company/Brighthouse Financial, Inc.
Minnesota Life Insurance Company
Nationwide Investor Services Corporation (NISC)
Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company
Nationwide Life Insurance Company
New York Life Insurance Company
Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
Pacific Life & Annuity Company
Pacific Life Insurance Company
PacLife
Security Benefit Corporation
Security Benefit Group, Inc.
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company/Guggenheim Partners
Security Investors, LLC
Security of Denver Life Insurance Company/Voya
Transamerica Life Insurance Company
Voya Financial Advisors
Voya/Reliastar Life Insurance Company
World Financial Group Insurance Agency, Inc.
