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

Group whole life insurance policy designed to reduce an employee's exposure to income tax on the value of life insurance provided by the employer. The policy separates the term element from ...

Same as term Captive Agent: representative of a single insurer or fleet of insurers who is obliged to submit business only to that company, or at the very minimum, give that company first ...

Approach advocated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in its 1979 life insurance cost disclosure report. It calculates the rate of return earned by the savings element of a life ...

Situation wherein the agent's conduct causes a client or prospective insured reasonably to believe that the agent has the authority to sell an insurance policy and contract on behalf of the ...

Legislation that provides for the inclusion in the estate of the decedent of lifetime transfers that involve a retained life interest in the following manner: decedent sells or gives to ...

Federal statute that permits the self-employed a 100% tax deduction for the family health care expenses to include health insurance premiums, disability INCOME insurance premiums, and ...

Essential part of an insurance policy. It names the individual (s) covered, property and locations covered, perils covered, the time a policy goes into force, and its termination date. ...

Requirement that a retired worker can have annual earnings of no more than a stipulated amount in order to receive a full retirement income under Social Security if under age 70. There is a ...

Method of reducing an employee pension according to IRS procedures: Offset method restricted to a DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN under which a mandatory percentage of the monthly Social Security ...

Popular Insurance Questions