Monday, August 30, 2010

Contacts For Selling Annuities


Annuities are fast becoming a big part of a person's retirement program. While a lot of people are actually using them for the future, there are also others that avails of an annuity plan and then sell it off to others. These individuals have two ways to sell it. They can sell the product by themselves or they can ask a financial agent to do the job for them.

Retirement annuities can be obtained also in two ways. It can come in the form of your employer's 401(k) or it could come from your own Individual Retirement Account or IRA. Generally speaking, retirement annuities can't be withdrawn until after the owner reaches 60 years of age. While it is possible to get all your money before such time, the proceeds are subject to a penalty of ten percent.

For people who know how to handle their money and resources, they would avail of multiple retirement annuities for themselves with the sole purpose of selling the others to other parties. They would just leave a good portion for their own use. Selling annuities connection is a good way to ensure yourself that you have enough money for your own retirement and still earn a good amount from some of it as well.

Selling retirement annuities by your lonesome sounds like a good idea. For starters, you would be getting all the proceeds by yourself. You can also increase or decrease the asking price of your annuity. The last call is on you and you'll be solely calling the shots. The final decision whether you will sell your annuity or just let is stand for your own use depends up to you.



However, selling annuities through a respectable financial company has its advantages as well. First and foremost, it would relieve you of all the legalities and paper work associated with the transfer. Your chosen financial company would be preparing all of them for you. They would assume all the legwork and you'll just sit in your corner and wait for the sale to materialize.

Furthermore, the burden of looking for buyers is on them. Financial companies who are an expert in selling retirement annuities have a long list of interested clients that they can call anytime. The whole transaction would be much faster with them on the helms primarily because they have the right connections. If you try to sell your annuity on your own, you might have to wait several months before a genuinely interested buyer would come by and seal the whole deal.

If you choose to sell your annuity through a financial company, there will be no effort or worry exerted on your part. On your perspective, everything would go smoothly because somebody else is doing all the hard work for you. You will be notified right away if a sale would transpire. All you need to do is to sign a few papers and you will receive the check real soon.

However, you can't really increase or decrease the total sale amount of your annuity if it is sold through an agent. The annuity will be sold according to it current market value. And you'd pay a certain percentage of the sale to your chosen financial agent as commission.

You might end up with lesser amount than you have expected, but it still is way above what you have initially invested.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

ROI Of Annuities


Many of us are baffled when it comes to dealing or understanding numbers. Lack of interest in learning our numbers is understandable as not everybody is gifted with the knack of comprehending the intricacies that involves calculations, computations and permutations of numeric variables. We oftentimes yawn and grow tired trying to understand the process of how some solutions are arrived at.

However, this lack of interest and understanding sometimes lead us to unwise decisions that involve losing a considerable amount of money. Oftentimes, it is already too late when we realize we made a huge mistake in investing or selling our investments, such as selling an annuity, for example.

Do you know how to compute the rate of return on selling an annuity to make sure you are doing the right thing? It is also this lack of knowledge that gives fake companies the leverage to prey on unsuspecting and trusting investors who do not know better. The number of scammers wouldn’t be increasing if only we know our numbers, even at least the basics.

What is a Rate of Return?

Rate of Return, also called return on investment—ROR or ROI for short, is the ratio of money gained or lost in relation to the initial amount of investment. Also simply called as return, it is the rate of profit or income you earn from your investment measured in percentages. It is oftentimes measured in annual or annualized rate of return on a specific calendar or fiscal year. This is your tool in determining how much your investment is gaining or losing, if it is appreciating or depreciating.

How to Compute Rate of Return

The rate of return is measured in percentages because monetary values cannot show a comparative relation of the gains and losses with the initial investment. For example, if you measure the gains of a $1,000 intial investment through a $50 interest and compare it with a $100 investment through its $20 interest, the $1000 investment would seem to be earning much more that the $100 investment.

However, further computation using percentage of the rate of return would prove otherwise. The $50 you are earning from your $1,000 investment is only 5% of your initial investment while the $20 you are earning from the $100 investment is 20% of your initial investment. In the long run, your rate of return from the $100 investment would prove much more beneficial coming from only a small investment.

To compute your rate of return for a period of one year, simply calculate the percentage of your monetary return in relation to your initial investment. Just like in the example above. This is called the Annual Rate of Return.

If you want to determine your rate of return for a period if less or more than a year, multiply or divide your monetary return to arrive at a comparable one-year return. This is what is called Annualized Rate of Return.

For a less than a year rate of return, say for example a 2% one-month rate of return would represent a 24% rate of return by simply multiplying 2% with 12 months. On the other hand, over a year computation of rate of return could be computed by dividing the sum of the monetary earnings by the product of the initial investment.

And the period of time it was accumulated, that would give you your Annualized Rate of Return.

Friday, August 27, 2010

What You Should Know About Selling Annuities


The Benefits of Selling Annuities. Selling annuities offer potential for a lot of profit and sales opportunities for today’s financial advisors. You may choose to sell annuities for a lump-sum payment if you are going to make a big purchase such as paying for a huge investment or perhaps a property. Through this, you can spread your assets around and get profits for it in the process.

Why People Avail of Annuities:

• Continuing Fund

One of the most common reasons why people avail of annuities is to guarantee a stream of funds throughout their lifetime. They purchase annuity plans and then manage these annuities to sell for profits.

• Benefits to Your Heirs. Buying an annuity plan can be used to secure income for beneficiaries. Upon the death of the annuitant, the beneficiaries will have the right to the proceeds of the plans. This will secure a good future to heirs.

• Tax Advantage. Purchasing annuities has a tax advantage. Interest generated from annuity plans is not taxed until the funds are withdrawn. The tax deferred will be paid throughout the term of the payout.

Differnt Kinds of Annuities...

As to how many deposits a client pays into the annuity:

• Single-Premium Annuity – allows only one deposit in an annuity contract.

• Flexible-Premium Annuity – allows policy owners to require additional contributions at any time during the duration of the contract.

As to when the payment starts:

• Immediate Annuity – requires an immediate payment in a contract, usually within a year of the contract date.

• Deferred Annuity – does not require an immediate payment, rather, a future-payment usually beginning a year after the contract date.

As to the type of money placed in the annuity contract:

• Qualified Annuity – the money placed as payments in an annuity contract is pre-taxed.

• Non Qualified Annuity – the money placed in an annuity contract has already been subject to income tax.

As to how interests are credited to the annuity contract:

• Fixed Interest Rate Annuity – offers a fixed interest rate (comes with a guaranteed minimum) over a certain period of time to the annuity owner.

• Indexed Annuity – offers an interest rate that is tied to an outside index.

• Variable Deferred Annuity – offers the annuity purchaser to participate in investments of annuity funds.

Parties to an Annuity

• Annuity contract owner – a person or a legal entity who purchases an annuity contract. The person or entity that acquires the annuity will have all the legal rights to the contract. He pays the premiums, chooses which optional policy features included in the contract, and has the right to withdraw or surrender the annuity he purchased. He also has the right to designate the annuitant and the beneficiary of the annuity contract.

• Annuitant – the person who holds the contract and to whom the title was designated. Proceeds of the contract are given to the beneficiary upon the annuitant's death. An annuitant should be a living person. He is not given legal rights to the annuity contract. The owner and the annuitant may be the same person.

• Beneficiary – the person or the legal entity that will inherit the annuity proceeds upon the death of the annuitant. He, too, has no legal right to the contract and can only claim the right to the proceeds after the annuitant’s death.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Guide To Sell Your Annuities


Selling your annuity involves a lot of planning. You will need to devise a plan that will not only help you sell an annuity, but to create a lasting relationship between you and your prospects. Here are brief discussions of the basic processes and steps of successfully selling your annuity.

The Preliminary Planning Process:

1. Finding and Identifying Your Prospects. The planning begins with finding and identifying your prospects. Just who are you looking for? You will have to find prospects that need and want your annuity and are able to afford it. And since you are working towards creating along-term relationship with them, you will also have to identify people who would most probably make repeat purchases and referrals for your annuities.

2. Approaching Your Prospects. The next step is to approach your prospects. This involves contacting and setting up appointments with them. You can talk to them over the phone, through e-mails or face to face. You can also set up a seminar where they can learn more about what you are offering. Remember that first impressions, last. So make a good one. If you have a successful start towards building a good relationship with your prospect, chances are, you will generate sales and gain all-important referrals to other prospects.

The Business Establishing Process

3. Gathering Information from Your Prospects. When you meet with your prospect, you should try to gather as much related information as you can. This will create an impression that you are working towards giving them the best possible offer you can give. Do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions. These questions will help you learn about your prospects needs, wants and what their plans are.

Make sure that you speak in a friendly but professional manner so as to gain their trust and confidence in you. You have to listen carefully take down notes to help you in doing the next step.

4. Analyzing Your Information. Analyze what will work and what will not work for your prospects from the information you have gathered from them. Look at their financial position, their needs, their wants and their plans.

5. Establishing Your Goals. Once you have analyzed your information, you should then establish your goals for your prospects. This involves organizing the information generated into a potential plan that will benefit you and your prospect. If your annuity plans do not seem to fit your prospects’ plans right away, suggest courses of action that will meet her plans.

Because you aim to create a long-term relationship with them, even though they are not availing of your annuities now, they may do business with you in the future after they have met their wants.

6. Setting Up an Implementation Plan. For your prospects that fit in your annuities, you should create a plan that will be both beneficial to them and yourself. You should present them your plan, explain what needs explaining and ask for their feedback and confirmation, if they permit. Clarify any misunderstandings your prospects have to settle into an agreement.

The Implementation Process

7. Implementing the Plan. After agreements between you and your prospects, you are now ready to put the plan into action. Complete the necessary matters and paperwork. Inform your prospects if they are required to do something in order to implement the plan. When they are already account holders, you should try to convert them into clients. Send your plans and policies to them and sell them on the benefits you can provide.

8. Creating Good Client Relationship. Lastly, you should aim to create a lasting relationship with your clients. You can do this by continuously guiding your clients with your ongoing service. This is also an opportunity to offer them other annuities you have and gain referrals.

Always remember to give a hundred percent (and more) in every service you need to provide for them to obtain their trust and loyalty to you.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Selling Annuity Tips


What is an annuity?

An annuity is a regular income flowing monthly that a person receives through an investment. You can get this series of payments after your initial investment of money. Annuities are usually related to a contract between you and a life insurance company, but a charity or a trust can also be contracted for this same purpose.

Why would you want to sell annuities?

You are probably wondering what possible reason you can get from selling annuities. Here is a reason why. Annuities are, in general, highly safe investments. But considering the long run, they have relatively low returns compared to some other alternatives. So what you can do is to make it a short-term investment.

Selling an annuity will give you a lump-sum payment. Doing this is a way of spreading your assets around, reducing financial risks and increasing your potential of getting good profits from these assets. This can be especially useful if you are in need of money for a large purchase such as purchasing a property or settling a loan.

What are the ways that you can sell annuities?

Annuities come in many forms such as a single-premium or flexible-premium annuities, immediate or deferred-payment annuities, qualified or nonqualified annuities and fixed-interest, indexed, or variable deferred annuities. It is important that you learn everything you can about these before purchasing and selling annuities of your own. Research on annuities can favor you the most. Pick out the ones which you think you can manage and you will be confident enough to sell to get optimum results.

When you have already learned a lot about the different annuities, you are now ready to sell them. Here are a few ways to do it:

• Find a reliable selling company to do it for you. The easiest and most convenient way of selling annuities is to find a reputable company that will do the selling for you. Hiring a reliable third party can assure you that your annuities will reap maximum benefits when sold because they have the sources and experiences to do so. But of course, you will not get the whole profit for the sale. You will have to pay them fees.

• Directly sell your annuities. You can also sell your annuities directly to someone who wants to buy them. This is not a popular choice of selling annuities because of all the legalities involved. You can research on what it takes to sell your annuities personally or online annuity selling opportunities that will help you to sell your annuity plans easily.

• Exchange annuities for other annuities. Another way to sell your annuities is through exchange. You can exchange, for example, your annuity that pays-off a smaller monthly income in a long period of time and another person’s annuity that pays-off a larger income in a shorter amount of time or vice versa. This will benefit you if you can not sell your annuity in a single lump-sum payment because of the terms of your annuity. You can, in effect, have a better chance of selling your newly acquired annuity in the market.

•Using annuities as collateral for loans. This works like the exchange of annuities for other annuities only that it serves as a security for your loan. It is an option you can take that may give you a higher yield on your annuity.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Sell Annuities Focused On The Client


Selling annuities is yet another way to earn good money. This is especially useful for people who no longer want the low monthly income and get huge lump sum revenue. For some, they are good short-term investments—buy and sell since they do not really give huge monthly payouts.

Client-Focused Selling

If you are going to make a sale in today’s world, there is only one principle that you should always stick with: good customer service. Nobody would like to buy something from an unprofessional and unaware seller. That is why it is important to build a client-focused approach to selling.

It is imperative, both ethically and financially, for a financial advisor to work towards the satisfaction of his prospect or client. He must therefore understand what they need and want and start from there. Consultative planning or selling is a good strategy to use in building good relationships with clients.

Consultative planning is the process of gathering information about the prospect (their needs, wants, goals, interests, assents and plans among others), putting them together, and creating a single plan that will best meet the prospect’s satisfaction. Financial advisors should attack this by listening and analyzing the information that they have generated. Then, they should translate these to find the best product and service that their client needs.

Steps in Consultative Planning:

Successfully selling annuities require a step by step procedure. You will have to do a preliminary planning by assessing your resources at hand. You will then begin to start your planning tailor-made to your prospect’s needs. Lastly, you will need to put your plan into action and try to build a lasting relationship with your client. Here are the more detailed steps in a client-focused selling:

1. Find the right prospects. A right prospect is someone who has a potential to do business with you and has the financial means to do so.

2. Approach your prospects. Set up an appointment with your prospects.

3. Meet your prospects and gather information about them. Make a good impression and ask related questions that you will need.

4. Analyze the information you have gathered. Look at what will work and what will not for your prospect.

5. Establish your custom-made goals for your prospect. Organize your analysis and create a goal to meet your prospect’s need.

6. Create an implementation plan that will best meet your prospect’s needs. Make your plan focusing on the goal you have set. Remember to get your prospect’s approval before implementing your plan.

7. Implement your plan or suggest courses of action. Put your plan into action. Guide your client if there are requirements.

8. Build good client-advisor relationship through good service. Always give the best service you can. Continuously guide your client through the contract term and offer them new plans that will both benefit you and your client.

You can also employ a reliable company to sell your annuity plans for you. This is the most convenient and easiest way to sell annuities. This is because these companies have the necessary sources and experiences to make good sales. Make sure though that you hire a reliable (preferably reputable) third party can assure you that your annuities will reap maximum benefits when sold.

But of course, there is a downside to it. You will have to pay them fees thus, not getting the whole profit of the sale.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

The Benefits Of A Good Annuity Selling System


What is an annuity?

An annuity is a contract or agreement under which one or more persons receive periodic payments in return for prior his or their payments. It can also be defined as an investment in which a person receives payment for a specific number of years.

There are several types of annuities: single-premium or flexible-premium annuities (depending on the number of deposits to be made), immediate or deferred-payment annuities (depending on when payment is required to start), qualified or nonqualified annuities (depending on the kind of money you pay—pre-taxed or after-tax) and fixed-interest rate, indexed, or variable deferred annuities (depending on how interest payments are to be accounted for).

Annuity Selling Success

If you want to achieve your annuity selling successful and sustainable for a long period of time, you must have the right system that can get your name out there. You have to create value for yourself to your annuity prospects. The right annuity selling system can help them to know more about you. These are systems that can generate high quality prospects through endorsements and referrals. Also, these should also help you to give quality service your current clients so as to build good client-advisor relationship and generate repeat sales.

When will you know that you got it right?

You will know that your system works when you:

• Have a continuous stream of people eager to make an appointment with you.

• Find prospects that do not come with financial advisors with them.

• See sales flourishing using quick and painless sales approach.

• Are in a situation where you are not being asked for future time commitments by your clients.

How will you get it right?

You will get the system right by:

• Finding a good prospecting system that all the other annuity sellers are dying to know of. Finding this system is the key to your business success.

• Narrowing down your target prospects into prospects without other financial advisors attached with them. To develop a good system, you should get high quality prospects that do not have financial advisors that may contradict you. Your system should also target a group of prospects in a certain finance bracket (those who can afford financial advising).

• Improving my sales techniques through trying out different approaches that works. You should also employ marketing strategies that can convince your prospects to sign up with you.

• Making a point that you have done your job well enough that your clients do not bug you with any follow up services. It is important that you do your best service in every engagement you are involved with to create lasting customer relations. And there is nothing better than doing this without the need for future time commitments to your clients.

Tips in creating an annuity selling system that works:

• Write a business plan

• Set your goals

• Settle on a target market prospect (seniors are a good group target)

• Think on how you will approach them (be cost conscious)

• Construct pre-made plans readily available for prospects that can fit in on them.

• Devise good impression techniques when you meet with your prospects

• Outsource the marketing of your annuities (if you are not good at it)

• Believe in what you are sell (Annuities are great!)