Investing in Fixed Indexed Funds Can Restrict Your Capital Growth

Annuity investing is grabbing the headlines a lot these days as it seems to be an uncomplicated, systematic and lucrative investment opportunity, but only until the facts disguised are made public. So, here's a detailed guide for those who want to know what are the negatives of investing in a fixed indexed annuity before they buy into the words of their investment advisors and salespersons and gear-up to invest their money in a proposition beset with pitfalls and downsides. At the time of signing the final application for a fixed indexed annuity investment, often investors do not pay heed to the terms and conditions column, and pencil in their unique signatures, in turn, finalizing the contract. However, there are several negatives which are intentionally or unintentionally kept secret during the entire process. Let us take glimpse at the most important ones.

Unfolding Untold Story of Capped Returns

A fixed indexed annuity locks your principal amount for a long term, say 15 to 20 years. To top that, the returns earned are capped by the insurance companies; holding you back from having complete access to your own money. Certainly, the investment plan has been designed to fetch returns the way indexed markets do, however, some limitations have been imposed, cutting down the investors' profits. Moreover, a fixed indexed annuity is designed with emphasis on fund management, no matter how far capital growth is neglected.

Don't Ignore Taxation Trouble

Returns from a fixed indexed annuity are subject to income tax, unlike other indexed instruments that enjoy the benefit of paying much lower capital gains tax. This doesn't just confirm a higher rate of taxpaying; it also makes the nominee/survivor of the applicant liable to pay a part of the return from this scheme as income tax. However, this instrument enjoys deferred tax treatment; still the taxation policy takes it far away from being an ideal annuity instrument. Procedural Fees may Rob your Returns The procedural fee, operational cost and the fees of the fund manager collectively come out to be 1-3%, depending on the internal and some external factors. This further drops down the return for the investor and most of the time, the return underperforms indices.

Ouch! Does That Withdrawal Fee Hurt?

With a fixed index annuity, the investor is liable to bear a 5-10% early withdrawal fee for the amount beyond the set threshold or the maximum penalty-free annual amount. Once you know your withdrawal limit, and know how to stay within the brackets, things go smooth, but if the annual withdrawal amount crosses the limit, things might turn topsy-turvy. You might not be looking for a fixed indexed annuity, but chances are that it's been sold to you! If this is the case, someone who understands your present and future financial needs and can well plan out a scheme for you and your heirs can probably act as a shoe-horn in this situation, guiding you to mold your annuity and get at least something beneficial out of it.