Variable Dollar Annuity

Definition of "Variable dollar annuity"

Irene Poole real estate agent

Written by

Irene Pooleelite badge icon

RE/MAX Select

Annuity in which premium payments are used to purchase accumulation units, their number depending on the value of each unit. The value of a unit is determined by the value of the portfolio of stocks in which the insurance company invests the premiums. At the time of the payment of benefits to the annuitant, the accumulation units are converted to a monthly fixed number of units. The variable element is the dollar value of each unit. For example, assume that the annuitant pays a monthly premium of $100. If the accumulation unit value during one month is $50, two units are purchased. In another month, if the value of the accumulation unit is $25, four units are purchased. In a third month, the value of the unit is $10, resulting in the purchase of 10 units. This allows the market use of the investment strategy of dollar cost averaging. Accumulation units are credited to the annuitant's account, a procedure that is similar to purchasing shares in a mutual fund.
When income benefits are scheduled to begin, total accumulation units are converted to assume 100 income benefit units per month. The value of the income unit will vary according to the company's stock investments; in one month the annuitant's income might be $1000, in another month $500, in another month $1200. Changes in the investment experience by the insurance company are passed on to the annuitant, but the company absorbs fluctuations in expenses and mortality experience.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Replacement for the earlier Family Automobile Policy (FAP) with these nine basic coverages: Coverage A Liability, The company pays damages for which an insured becomes legally obligated ...

Same as term Dividend Addition: option in a participating policy under which dividends are used to purchase fully paid-up units of whole life insurance. This option deserves careful ...

Ratio of authorized control level risk-based capital of an insurance company to its total adjusted capital. This statistic determines regulatory action taken by the state's insurance ...

Modified endowment insurance policy under which the insured receives one-half the death benefit as the maturity value of the policy. ...

Specified requirements of minimum age and years of service to be met by an employee before the individual's benefits are vested. For example, under the ten year vesting rule, "n employee ...

Exchange of a new policy for one already in force. ...

Court-appointed or commissioner of insurance-appointed custodian to manage the affairs of an insurance company whose management is deemed unable to manage that company in a proper fashion. ...

Form of marine insurance that covers mobile equipment of a contractor, including road building machinery, steam shovels, hoists, and derricks used on the job by builders of structures, ...

Same as term Basic Limit of Liability: required minimum amounts of coverage that an insurance company will underwrite. For example, for auto liability coverage the minimum that many ...

Popular Insurance Questions