What is a Fixed Index Annuity (FIA)?
A fixed indexed annuity (FIA) is a contract between you and an insurance company. FIAs offer the opportunity for tax-deferred growth based in part on changes in a market index, plus the option to convert your annuity into a steady, guaranteed*, lifetime income stream, all while helping to protect your hard-earned principal from the uncertainty of market volatility.
When purchasing an FIA, you agree to pay for it in either a single lump sum or multiple payments over time. In return, the insurance company takes the risk of market downturns helping to protect your annuity value and also promises to make payments from the annuity to you in a single payment or series of payments, over a fixed number of years.
Money in an FIA earns interest based on changes to the index. Interest is calculated using a formula based on changes in the performance of stocks (such as S&P, Dow Jones, NASDAQ), bonds (example: Capital Markets Bond Index), or commodities (example: CBUE). The index is used as an external benchmark – you do not actually invest your funds in it.
