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Annuity Reference
Twelve plain-English reference pages covering every term you will meet on an annuity contract, quote or illustration. Each term is defined once, with the thing to watch for and, where numbers help, a worked example. Each one is linked everywhere else it comes up.
Start here
The ten terms people ask us about most.
The pages
Annuity fundamentals
What an annuity is, who the parties are, and the values every contract tracks.
38 terms
Fixed annuities and MYGAs
Declared-rate fixed annuities and multi-year guarantees: rates, interest, renewals and ladders.
36 terms
Contract provisions and waivers
Surrender charges, MVAs, free withdrawals, waivers, death benefits and ownership changes.
38 terms
Fixed index annuities
How index-linked interest is credited: indices, caps, participation, spreads and crediting methods.
52 terms
Income riders
Guaranteed lifetime income riders: benefit base, roll-ups, payout percentages and fees.
35 terms
Immediate annuities (SPIA)
Turning a lump sum into guaranteed income now: payout options, pricing and liquidity.
34 terms
Annuity taxes
How annuity money is taxed going in, growing, coming out, at exchange and at death.
47 terms
Deferred income and QLAC
Buying income now that starts later, including QLACs inside retirement accounts.
12 terms
Buying and owning
How annuities are sold, the rules that protect you, the buying process and servicing.
31 terms
Carrier strength and ratings
How to read insurer ratings and financials, and what MAS looks at before recommending a carrier.
27 terms
RILAs and variable annuities
Registered index-linked and variable annuities, explained so you can compare them to fixed products.
23 terms
How to use this reference
- Searching: the search box at the top filters the page you are on. The glossary is the fastest way to find a term when you do not know which page owns it.
- Linking: every term has a stable address you can copy from the heading, such as
/reference/contract-provisions/#surrender-charge. - Examples: every worked example uses round numbers and is labeled Illustrative. None is a quote. Rates change daily; call for current figures.
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No entry on this page matches that search. Try a broader word, check the glossary, or call 855-277-8088.
