Life Insurance and Annuities

16 Finding a Good Buy Guarantees A fixed deferred annuity always contain guarantees. For example, it might guarantee that the interest rate on the funds accumulating in your policy will be at least 2%. The guarantees are conservative, so that the company will be able to pay you the guaranteed amounts, even if conditions are very bad. Today, most companies pay greater amounts than they guarantee, but do not promise to continue to do that indefinitely. If you are shown any tables of numbers illustrating how the annuity might grow in the future, you should keep in mind that the non-guaranteed numbers could turn out to be lower or higher than those shown. You should also ask questions about the amounts you will receive if you decide to surrender your annuity, and find out the difference between the accumulation value and the amount you will receive. It is important to make sure that you receive all guarantees in writing for both life insurance and annuities.