ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Annuities Are Expensive, Complex, and Illiquid
Big Fees, Modest Yields, and Withdrawal Charges
Annuity carriers and agents use fear tactics to push annuities. One agent recently claimed on the radio that “It could take a lifetime to make up your losses in the stock market.” Not really. The market fully recovered from the Great Recession in just five years. Getting sucked into buying an expensive, complicated annuity out of fear may be the biggest mistake you can make as you approach retirement and old age. We recommend avoiding deferred annuities of any kind, including variable, fixed or equity indexed annuities, especially for seniors.[1] At a minimum, take a close look before you buy. If you’re over 60 and already purchased a contract here in California and have suffered a loss due to cancellation, replacement, full or partial surrender or high fees, call the San Francisco and California financial elder abuse and annuity attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. today at 415-441-8669 for a free review of your policy. A list of major carriers in California appears below.
Annuities are sold as fixed, indexed or variable policies, and offer immediate or deferred income plans. Whatever the type, the principle is the same: the policyholder pays a large sum of nonrefundable cash upfront or in periodic payments in exchange for a promise of income in the future. Unlike bank deposits, the premiums are not insured by any government agency so the repayment obligation is only as good as the carrier’s word. If you need to withdraw money you will pay a surrender penalty while your policy is in the “surrender period,” which can last up to 15 years in some contracts. The penalty may be as high as 15%.
That’s what makes deferred annuities so risky for seniors. Your money will be tied up for a long time, subject to annual fees (often 3.5% or more if you elect some “riders” to your policy) and expenses that may increase over time. Any early withdrawal will be subject to surrender penalties and forfeiture of any “extra” return or bonus promised in your policy or rider. Withdrawals will also be subject to tax at ordinary rates. Even if you hold out to the end and refrain from early withdrawals, commissions and other fees erode your return. Always consult a qualified professional who does not stand to gain from any purchase and your tax advisor before making any purchase, replacement or surrender.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has suffered loss on an annuity in San Francisco or elsewhere in California, contact San Francisco and California annuity and financial elder abuse attorney Ingrid M. Evans and the other attorneys at Evans Law Firm at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have experience with complex financial contracts and large insurance companies. We can help guide your case through a jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
Annuities and life insurance produce large sales commissions for brokers but are often inappropriate products for consumers, especially seniors. Leading providers and distributors of life insurance and 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. Rather, 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 National Life Insurance Company
Ameriprise Financial/RiverSource Life Insurance Company
Ameriprise Financial/Securities America, Inc.
Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company
Athene Annuity and Life Company
Athene USA
Aviva Life Insurance Company
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company/AXA US
Bankers Life Insurance and Casualty Company
Brighthouse Financial, Inc./MetLife
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
Crump Life Insurance Services, Inc.
CUNA Mutual Group/CMFG Life Insurance Company
EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company
Forethought Life Insurance Company/Global Atlantic Financial Group
Genworth Financial, Inc.
Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company
Genworth Life Insurance Company
Global Atlantic Financial Group/Forethought Life Insurance Company
Guardian Life Insurance Company
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
Merrill Lynch Life Agency Inc.
Metlife/Metropolitan Life Insurance Company/Brighthouse Financial, Inc.
Minnesota Life Insurance Company
National Western Life Insurance Company
Nationwide Life Insurance Company
New York Life Insurance Company
North American Company for Life and Health Insurance
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
Oxford Life Insurance Company
Pacific Life Insurance Company
Principal Financial Group
Prudential Life Insurance Company
Raymond James Insurance Group
RiverSource Life Insurance Company/Ameriprise Financial
Securities America, Inc./Ameriprise Financial
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company/Guggenheim Partners
Symetra Life Insurance Company
Transamerica Life Insurance Company
Unum Life Insurance Company of America
Voya/Reliastar Life Insurance Company
Wells Fargo Advisors
World Financial Group Insurance Agency, Inc.
[1] We do not provide investment or tax advice but our litigators represent senior policyholders who lose money through cancellations, surrenders or fees on these contracts.
