An annuity insurance policy is a savings product generally aimed at people over 60 years of age who want to have a financial supplement to the retirement benefit they receive. A periodic annuity that is earned for life, i.e. for life.
When this annuity insurance is taken out, the policyholder makes the payment, known as a premium only. The beneficiary will gradually receive a fragmented part of this contribution plus the corresponding return it is producing.
How does annuity insurance work?
Depending on the total contribution made and the return being earned (or agreed upon), you will receive a periodic amount (monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual) determined.
As the name suggests, the annuity is received as an annuity. until death, when a percentage of the income can be earmarked for the beneficiaries. In addition, life annuity insurances usually have the particularity that the capital contributed is available to be recovered by the holder.
This all depends on the conditions offered by each bank or insurance company.
What happens when the beneficiary dies?
Here it is important to note that there are two types of annuity.
- On the one hand, the annuity with return of premium paid provides that upon death the heirs or beneficiaries receive the remaining amount or another amount agreed with the company.
- On the other hand, there are also the non-refundable annuities. What is your advantage then? The monthly income is higher. However, if death occurs earlier than expected, the loss is large. Because of these risks, only people without heirs usually opt for this formula.
We insist that a correct study and advice is necessary before taking out a life annuity to avoid compromising situations. For example: a person dies prematurely and, having taken out a non-refundable life annuity, their heirs do not receive any benefit.
In other cases, the beneficiary dies while the annuity is being paid out. Then, what is received by his heirs and what the beneficiary received gradually adds up to more than the initial premium that was contributed at the time.
Taxation: the favourable tax treatment of annuities
The periodic income received by the holder is treated for tax purposes as income from movable capital. The taxation is particularly beneficial for some taxes such as the IRPF, the Inheritance Tax (taxed as life insurance) or the Wealth Tax.
In personal income taxation, this annuity is taxed on a part of the annuity and not on its total amount.
This takes into account the age of the insured person when he/she started to receive the annuity. And this assumes that, the older the age, the greater the exemption.
Do you think annuity insurance is a good option to ensure your standard of living after retirement? Then, we invite you to consult the information about our annuity insurance in Zaragoza. We study each case so that you can achieve the desired flexibility and profitability thanks to a product with a high level of security and very advantageous taxation.
