What Does the SECURE Act Mean for Annuities and Your 401(k)?
Your retirement plans require review and tweaking from time to time. Sometimes, you need to take a step back and review because of life changes on your end. Other times, outside factors, like changing retirement legislation require your attention.
If you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably heard about the SECURE Act. This is a proposed retirement reform that’s poised to be signed into law and will have an impact on some of your retirement planning activities, should it become law.
While there are a few main areas where the SECURE Act will make a difference in your retirement planning, one big component of this reform is how it’ll impact annuities and 401(k) planning. If you’re curious about how this could change your retirement portfolio or open new investment opportunities, read on to see how you may be able to anticipate the effects of this reform.
Annuities and the 401(k) Mix
Currently, many 401(k) providers don’t add annuities to their plans because annuities are considered a riskier investment and place an unwelcome amount of liability in the provider’s hands. Annuity payouts can fail to materialize, which hurts the investors relying on them as part of their retirement package. Under current laws, plan providers have the fiduciary responsibility to cover the loss of an annuity, which makes them an unpopular part of the 401(k) mix.
Under certain provisions of the SECURE Act, the responsibility for a failed annuity shifts from the retirement plan provider to the insurance company that offers the annuity. With this shift in liability, we may see more annuities pop up in different retirement packages.
What are the Prospective Benefits to Investors?
If you’re looking to add new investments to your retirement portfolio or are investing for the first time, you probably want to know: what’s in it for me?
Annuities can be an option for investors looking for a long-term plan to payout over a certain period of time. Investors who don’t have a whole lot set away in retirement accounts may enjoy the prospect of reliable monthly income, especially if they don’t have other investments that may provide a similar payout.
What are Some Potential Problems to Look For?
As an investor, you want to be aware of the investments that comprise any retirement package that you invest in. If your employer offers annuities as part of your investment options, you should be able to trust that they are worthy of your consideration. However, there is a certain risk that employers will not have the insight to provide annuity options that are particularly beneficial for you as an investor.
There’s also a likelihood that annuities as part of the 401(k) mix will incur extra fees on the investor’s end, as annuity plans tend to come with certain expenses that are often passed onto the consumer. Additionally, as part of the 401(k) mix, annuities may add more limitations to the amount of money you can draw from your retirement account or the age at which you can take these withdrawals.
Have You Reviewed Your Retirement Plan?
An essential factor in choosing your retirement portfolio mix is understanding your options and making decisions that are best suited to meeting your future financial goals. There’s never a bad time to review your existing retirement plan to monitor its performance and change your investment mix, if necessary.
If you’re new to retirement planning and want to learn more about how to invest for your long-term financial planning, contact Jacob Sturgill Financial today for a consultation!
Fixed and Variable annuities are suitable for long-term investing, such as retirement investing. Gains from tax-deferred investments are taxable as ordinary income upon withdrawal. Guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing company. Withdrawals made prior to age 59 ½ are subject to a 10% IRS penalty tax and surrender charges may apply. Variable annuities are subject to market risk and may lose value.