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
Effective proprietor of a business. Under the tax reform act of 1986, a uniform accrual rule prevents a qualified pension plan from being weighted in favor of the substantial owner of the ...
Arbitrator who settles disputes over the amount of loss when an insurer and an insured do not agree. ...
Will written totally in the handwriting of that individual whose name appears on the will. ...
Expectation of illness or injury. The probability of such occurrence is shown by a morbidity table, which is important in determining the premiums for health insurance policies. ...
Same as term Expense Allowance: payment to an insurance agent in addition to commissions. Expense allowances, that differ from company to company, vary with the amount of business agents ...
Coverage for business firms operating abroad to insure them against loss due to political upheavals including war, revolution, confiscation, incontrovertibility of currency, and other such ...
Payment of an employee's employee benefit insurance plan benefits to the employee's individual retirement account ( IRA) or to another plan maintained by the employer. ...
Decision in the absence of a plaintiff or defendant at the specified court time. ...
Coverage for items that are on consignment, including exhibits, goods up for auction, and goods awaiting someone's approval. The stipulation for coverage is that these items cannot be under ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.