Variable Dollar Annuity
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.
Popular Insurance Terms
Bureau insurer that files its statistical and underwriting experience with a rating bureau. ...
Agreement prepared by an insurance company and offered to prospective insureds on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. If the contracts are misinterpreted by insureds, courts have ruled in their ...
Independent agency supported by the insurance industry that tests a variety of materials, products, and devices, such as appliances and electrical equipment, to assure that they meet safety ...
Coverage for persons whose medical history includes serious illness such as heart disease or whose physical condition is such that they are rated below standard. A policy may specifically ...
Percentage of income required by a retiree to maintain a desired standard of living during the retirement years. ...
Commission paid to an agent after the first year commission has been paid to that agent. Renewal commissions generally form a substantial portion of an agent's income after four years in ...
Five primary sectors of insurance coverage. Their purposes are: LIFE INSURANCE provides income to a beneficiary in the event of the death of the insured. HEALTH INSURANCE provides two types ...
Health insurance plan where a group of physicians and dentists provide medical services to a group of individuals for a predetermined fee. It is a basic type of HEALTH MAINTENANCE ...
Circumstance in which there is a probability loss to personal property or real property resulting from property damage, destruction, or disappearance. ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.