Category: Annuities

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Complaints Over Hybrid Annuities What Are Hybrid Annuities? Hybrid annuities, often called buffer variable annuities or structured variable annuities, are complicated combinations of fixed and variable deferred annuities. Equity-indexed or Fixed-indexed annuities are also hybrid annuities.  Agents and issuers sell hybrids as “buffers” against market downturns with higher caps […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER What Duty Does An Agent Owe You? Putting You First We at Evans Law Firm litigate the question of an insurance agent’s duty to his clients, particularly when it comes to life insurance and/or annuities. We have written on the subject in this column.  As life insurance and […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER  A Closer Look At Variable Annuities Variable annuities are hybrid investments with securities and insurance features. Unlike fixed annuities, returns on variable annuities fluctuate with the market. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) both regulate sales of variable annuities.  The complexity and […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The High Cost of Surrender Charges If you are over age 60, live in California, and have fully or partially surrendered a deferred annuity, you may have paid a surrender charge also called a surrender penalty or withdrawal charge. California law has very specific rules about surrender charges […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Lincoln Financial Deferred Annuities The annuity attorneys at Evans Law Firm Inc. have experience representing clients who have suffered losses on all types of annuity contracts, including fixed, indexed, and variable deferred annuities. All of these contracts charge penalties on full or partial surrenders. Lincoln Financial issues fixed, […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Understanding Income Riders What Are Income Riders? Deferred annuities are insurance policies where the policyholder pays a premium today to receive a series of payments back at some future date. Growth on the dollars paid, if any, is tax deferred.  Income riders are attachments to deferred annuities that […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Surrender Charges and Taxes Full or Partial Surrenders Whenever an insurance agent pitches a replacement of your existing annuity, think surrender charges and tax consequences. Surrender charges may be imposed on partial or full surrenders for up to ten years and beyond during the life of a policy. […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER  FINRA Cracking Down on Faulty Annuity Replacements Cracking Down on Exploitation The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is looking closely at brokers who churn their clients’ variable annuities. Recently, FINRA announced it disciplinary measures against two brokers who churned client annuities.  The churns (ore replacements) resulted in heavy […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Understanding Annuities Tying Up Savings and Hidden Costs Annuities are insurance contracts sold to provide guaranteed income for life. Deferred annuities defer that income (and possibly taxes) until a future date. Insurance agents and advisors promote annuities as retirement savings vehicles. We at Evans Law Firm do not […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Be Wary of Annuities in Any Form What are Deferred Annuities? Tax deferral is the key to successful retirement savings. Annuity salesmen advise consumers to invest in deferred annuities to maximize tax deferral. We at Evans Law Firm counsel caution, especially for senior consumers. Our attorneys have years […]