Equity-Indexed Annuity Sales - Seniors Retirement Savings Stability Burned, Any Steak Left?
Seniors Retirement Savings placed into an equity-indexed annuity was burned. Do financial representatives have enough steak and credibility left to alter an equity-indexed annuity into safer senior retirement savings? With stability absent, should a senior's shaky annuity foundation still be indexed on an equity basis or changed?
Equity-indexed annuity sales seemed like the perfect solution to insurance companies trying to gain ground on total assets maintained in relation to their competitors. Financial representatives are be paid highly rewarding commissions, while the insurers maintain a good profitability margin. Consumers, especially the wealthy and elderly were easy to convince hold fast their retirement savings could increase. Past performance history showed saving stability and better returns than other investment opportunities. Seniors took the bait, financial reps reeled in the cash, and insurance companies profited from the catch. However seniors were never explained the crushing economic effects of surrendering all or part of their EIA policy.
An EIA, equity-indexed annuity, is similar to a hybrid mixture of mixing together features from fixed annuities and variable annuities. A guaranteed interest rate is paid out by fixed annuities. This is a similar concept to bank certificates of deposits, which many seniors had their retirement savings stability banked on. However, fixed annuities could provide higher rates and add on attractive riders than plain CD's could not. Variable annuities use sub-accounts; similar to choosing mutual fund portfolios to invest in, where you invest in the stocks of many companies.
The advantage of the equity-indexed annuities is taking the best features of fixed and variable, and allowing you to accumulate retirement savings or receive a monthly income from the accumulated values. So not only is the participant receiving a minimum interest rate, but share in the stock market, which tends to gain in value. Now it became possible to without the associated risks, earn stock market returns. Until recently, some insurance companies proclaimed it almost sold itself.
The financial representative could earn up to 10% in commissions for finding someone to invest. Selling one of these annuities with a face amount of just $50,000 could result in $5,000 commissions. Before the economic downturn, over 120 billion dollars were invested in indexed annuities, many sold to seniors who are usually not the most suitable purchasers if they are seeking retirement savings stability. Combining the tremendous stock market plunge, with initial fees, and high surrender charges EIA, equity-indexed annuity products have badly burned the wealth and the seniors.
WHAT SHOULD THE FINANCIAL REPRESENTATIVE DO? If you talk to a senior that current has an EIA, ask them personally about their feelings. Would getting out of the EIA, despite the surrender charges imposed be a true solution? The potential client has true feelings about stability, and being asked again to take risks is not right. If the equity-indexed annuity was sold to them by an inexperienced insurance/financial representative, that person is probably already out of the business. A lifetime income annuity also recognized as an immediate annuity could be solution. A guaranteed income sure beats one based on an EIA chance. This chance taken, is sending too many semi-wealthy individuals struggling to now adjust to a middle-income lifestyle.
For the future of annuity salespeople who have experience, honesty, and trust building qualities this economic disaster should be viewed as a great opportunity for gaining clients and a strong reputation. For agent trainees of improperly titled financial pretenders both are losing clients they never should have pursued. These imposters are getting a permanent kick out the door. This is just treatment for them and the insurance company that hired them for taking advantage of so many seniors and transferring the wealth of many people's assets and retirement savings into a devastating nightmare.
Well published author, Don Yerke likes to concentrate on what you don't know or what no one else dares to print. Tell it like it is.
Watch for his new paperback book debuting on Amazon this summer. It is loaded with great insurance marketing, brokerage, sales, and recruiting information.
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