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

The definition for retainer agreement: work for hire contract that provides a client with a fixed number of work-hours from freelancers or lawyers. Even a real estate lawyer uses this type ...

Aggregate amount of insurance policies that are paid-up (or are being paid) that a life or health insurance company has on its books. The size of a life or health insurance company is often ...

Method of determining reimbursement from medical insurance according to diagnosis on a prospective basis. It originated with the medicare program. ...

Premium charge for a policy that is going to be in force for less than the normal period of time. ...

A valuation of risk of an individual or organization. ...

Unsecured bond. The only protection for the lender is the credit and reputation of the borrower. The method of evaluating the quality of debentures is to analyze the earning power, overall ...

Option in a participating policy under which dividends are used to purchase fully paid-up units of whole life insurance. This option deserves careful consideration by young families since ...

Indemnification for the loss of profits and the continuing fixed expenses. Business interruption insurance is available in these forms: contingent business interruption FORM, EXTRA EXPENSE ...

Modified guaranteed investment contract (GIC) in which the underlying assets of the synthetic contract are owned by the plan itself rather than the insurance company as is the case with the ...

Popular Insurance Questions