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With the diversity of investment options available for retirement savings, the most common mistake that many consumers make is selecting the wrong investment vehicle for their particular retirement needs. While an annuity is an attractive option, in order to maximize its effectiveness, consumers should adhere to a few simple, yet crucial, points.

Understand What an Annuity Is

An annuity is a specific type of investment designed to supplement an existing retirement plan; it will never provide an investor with wealth, but it can prevent an investor from poverty. At its heart, an annuity is essentially a reverse insurance policy. Investors purchase an annuity for a specific amount in order to ensure a consistent, yet relatively modest stream if income, in the event that something adverse occurs; in most cases, "something" is usually an economic downturn, or outliving their existing portfolio.

Consult an Investment Agent

Many investment options are inherently simple, with complications only arising in particular instances or corner cases. Unfortunately, based on their extremely complicated nature, annuities do not fall into this category. Annuities are available in a variety of different combinations, based on payment method, type of annuity, and payout type, as well as specific taxes and associated fees. While many investment options are easily managed by investors on a personal level, selecting the correct annuity package usually involves seeking the advice of a financial professional.

Be Wary of Exchanges

An exchange is the practice of replacing an existing annuity with an entirely new annuity. While there are unique situations in which this might be an attractive option, for the most part, this is simply not beneficial for the policy holder. Unfortunately, it is an extremely easy way for unscrupulous financial advisors to generate a fast and easy commission. Depending on the terms of the exchange, policy holders may lose overall value, or even be subject to an array of additional charges and fees, depending on the terms of the initial policy.

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