Variable Dollar Annuity
Definition of "Variable dollar annuity"
Annuity in which premium payments are used to purchase accumulation units, their number depending on the value of each unit. The value of a unit is determined by the value of the portfolio of stocks in which the insurance company invests the premiums. At the time of the payment of benefits to the annuitant, the accumulation units are converted to a monthly fixed number of units. The variable element is the dollar value of each unit. For example, assume that the annuitant pays a monthly premium of $100. If the accumulation unit value during one month is $50, two units are purchased. In another month, if the value of the accumulation unit is $25, four units are purchased. In a third month, the value of the unit is $10, resulting in the purchase of 10 units. This allows the market use of the investment strategy of dollar cost averaging. Accumulation units are credited to the annuitant's account, a procedure that is similar to purchasing shares in a mutual fund.
When income benefits are scheduled to begin, total accumulation units are converted to assume 100 income benefit units per month. The value of the income unit will vary according to the company's stock investments; in one month the annuitant's income might be $1000, in another month $500, in another month $1200. Changes in the investment experience by the insurance company are passed on to the annuitant, but the company absorbs fluctuations in expenses and mortality experience.
Popular Insurance Terms
Income supplement program under Social Security to provide a minimum monthly income to aged, blind, and disabled persons. The SSI payments, which were introduced in January 1974, make up ...
Aggregate amount of insurance policies that are paid-up (or are being paid) that a life or health insurance company has on its books. The size of a life or health insurance company is often ...
Time frame during which an annuitant makes premium payments to an insurance company. The obligations of the company to the annuitant during this period depend on whether a pure annuity or ...
Act that prohibits employers from discriminating against employees in employee benefit plans, regarding contributions or benefits based on race or gender. ...
Statistical term indicating the central value of a frequency distribution, such that smaller and greater values than this central value occur at an equal rate. For example, given the ...
Same as term Original Age: insured's age at the date a term life insurance policy is issued. An original age or retroactive conversion option permits the insured to convert the term policy ...
Federal law, effective February 4, 1989, that requires company notification of employees prior to laying them off or closing a plant or an office. Workers covered under WARN are to include ...
Insurance for which (1) an application has been filed but the first premium has not yet been paid or (2) a life insurance policy that has not yet been delivered to an insured. ...
Federal legislation passed in 1988 (repealed November 23, 1989) that significantly increased the benefit amounts provided under medicare, both Part A and Part B, in the following manner: ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.