Posts

Annuity Quotes Can Be Very Easily Found From Comparison Websites

/in , /by

Although some people have the benefit of final salary pension schemes guaranteed by their employer, most people who wish to ensure they have more retirement income than the state pension provides, save using either a private pension plan (PPP), or an occupational defined contribution pension scheme. The funds put into the scheme are invested by the pension fund manager. For younger people there can a major proportion of the fund invested in equities, as these provide the best opportunities for long term growth, but as the person approaches retirement age the fund manager will change the balance of the fund to emphasize cash and government bonds, protecting the growth that has already been achieved. On retirement, part of the pension fund may be taken a lump sum, and the remainder is either used as an unsecured pension (USP), or an annuity may be purchased to provide a guaranteed life-time income. Annuity quotes may be very easily found online, as there are now several comparison websites in operation.

When a person is approaching retirement age they must make some choices about what to do with the contents of their pension fund. According to current regulations the pension fund cannot be touched until age 55, and if the fund owner survives to age 75, purchase of an annuity becomes compulsory.

A lump sum can be taken from the fund after age 55. This can be up to 25 per cent of the fund’s value, and no tax is charged on this sum. In the case of small pension funds the government allows 100% to be withdrawn, under the so-called triviality rule.

The remainder of the fund can either be used to purchase an annuity, or it can be left in the fund where it can provide an unsecured pension (USP). Note that USPs are sometimes called income drawdown.

Income drawdown, or unsecured pension, is not suitable for all retirees. One benefit of this option is that the fund will remain invested, and it may continue to grow in value. Additionally if the retiree dies the fund will form part of the estate, and can be inherited by the beneficiaries of the will.

The danger with income drawdown is that if the retiree has a long life after retirement, then the fund will become exhausted. Actuaries can calculate the point in a person’s life at which income drawdown becomes a worse option than annuity purchase, and it is always recommended that those using drawdown employ an independent financial advisor to conduct regular reviews.

Annuities are an insurance instrument, purchased from a life assurance company. The life company takes the pension savings, and guarantees the retiree a life-time income. The life company is, in effect, assuming the risk that the person may live for a long time, in which case the company would lose money on that particular annuity sale. This is however simply the trading of individual risk for collective risk, which is inherent in all insurance business.

Annuities can be bought from any life assurance company, there is never any obligation to buy from the pension fund manager, although they will normally make an annuity offer. Annuity quotes from many companies can be very easily found, as there are now several comparison websites in operation.

Annuity Rates can find you the best annuity quotes from the entire annuity market. We can also find you the best over 50 life insurance.

More Digital Marketing Plan Articles

SmartlockReviews.com Launches New Smart Lock Comparison Chart

/in , /by


Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 01, 2013

SmartlockReviews.com, a website that offers in-depth smart lock reviews, has just announced the launch of a new smart lock comparison chart. The site is devoted to putting an end to buyer’s remorse, at least when it comes to one techie-gadget in particular—the smart lock.

Wikipedia describes the phenomenon of buyer’s remorse as a sense of regret experienced after making a purchase. Although the feeling is frequently associated with the purchase of an expensive item such as a car or house, it can also be related to electronics, technical gadgets, and other retail items. According to an article by AARP, the average American experiences some level of regret with about 80 percent of the stuff they purchase within the first year of buying it. SmartlockReviews.com is dedicated to solving this problem with smart lock purchases.

Recently, hands free automated smart locks have rapidly increased in popularity. Unikey officially started it all off with their brainchild, the Kwikset Kevo lock. Soon afterward, Lockitron, August, and Goji popped up with their own versions of this remote locking technology.

Smart locks basically allow users to lock or unlock their deadbolt electronically in an automated fashion, by using a smart phone, accessing the website, or by using a key fob or similar remote device. Smart locks not only allow keyless access, but also provide the ability to grant access, or send an electronic key, to an individual without having to go through the trouble of physically handing them a key.

For example, if the in-laws are coming to town, smart lock owners can simply send an electronic key to their phone. The same is true for the plumber who is scheduled to fix that leaky sink—people can just send him or her an electronic key. Users can grant one time access, or schedule an electronic key to expire after a certain amount of time.

So, why would consumers need an entire website devoted to the pros, cons, and explanations of the different smart locks? As the editors of SmartlockReviews.com explain, “The average consumer has the ability to research almost every gadget out there. Just by comparing the features of each brand, they can generally determine which one best fits their needs. With smart locks, the scenario is quite a bit different. All of the brands may seem similar upon first glance, but the details reveal huge differences, which will definitely affect consumer satisfaction, and could potentially affect their safety.”

SmartlockReviews.com has gone, and will continue to go into great lengths to investigate the details of the latest smart lock products, which have taken the gadget world by storm. They lay out the details with insightful articles, as well as the newly-launched easy to read chart, which is the result of weeks of product research and company investigations.

Unique topics covered on this chart include safety, potential for the manufacturer to fail on their production promise, and situations which could leave the consumer wishing they had opted for a different brand.

“Only Unikey has been picked up by a major manufacturer,” the editors of SmartlockReviews.com report, in reference to Unikey’s partnership with Kwikset, a leading manufacturer of residential locks, “and at least one of the companies offering a smart lock is a crowd funded start-up, without any real experience with large scale, retail manufacturing. If the consumer has the facts, they can decide for themselves which product is right for them.”

Currently, the brands covered in the chart include Kwikset Kevo powered by Unikey, Lockitron, August, and Goji. The chart is available at http://www.smartlockreviews.com/smart-lock-comparison-chart/.

About SmartlockReviews.com:

For consumers who are looking to buy a smart lock for their home or business, but don’t know which solution to choose, SmartlockReviews.com is their one stop destination for smart lock reviews. It provides a comprehensive comparison chart, features and benefits of the technology, as well as other pertinent information that will help people when making a purchasing decision. For more information, please visit http://www.smartlockreviews.com/.