Annuities are issued by Insurance companies as a type of investment contract. They use Insurance agents and/or brokers to offer these policies to investors, who pay into the annuity. After a set period of time, the investor gets a return on his investment. When the annuity is fixed, the principle is guaranteed. Annuities are a safe way of investing to accumulate wealth, they are tax-friendly and are often used as retirement savings plans.

Several factors are used to structure annuities such as changing the time period of money deposit, changing the number of income payments and others, etc. A fixed annuity offers security to the investor as the issuing company confirms a minimum interest to the investor for a set period of time beforehand. Often, with a fixed annuity, owners can get a minimum benefit payment as well. Thus, in the case of a fixed annuity, the investor already knows the expected interest from the annuity before signing the contract.

A fixed annuity offers you a predictable rate of growth for your investments, and guaranteed future cash flow. You won’t experience the swings in value that you would see if you put the same money into the stock market. And, you have the choice to make one single upfront payment, or to make fixed payments over time.

There are options for how fixed annuities are paid out. With immediate payment annuities, the investor makes a lump sum premium deposit and immediately receives fixed monthly returns. This is a good way for an individual to turn a lump sum into a retirement income stream.

When investing in a deferred payment annuity, you may choose to deposit a lump sum at the beginning which builds interest over time. Or, you may deposit money into your annuity over the course of time, and your returns will be paid out to you after a set period. This type of fixed annuity is commonly used by investors as a savings plan for retirement. The annuity value continues to grow and compound while in deferral. When additional income is needed, the investor can choose a payout structure to suit his needs.

- Kenneth Nuss