Global Atlantic ForeCertain is a single premium income annuity that converts an amount of retirement savings into a guaranteed income stream for a set period of time, your lifetime, or a combination of the two. The Forecertain is both an immediate annuity and a deferred income annuity.
You’ve spent years saving in preparation for retirement, but shifting from planning to actually live in retirement can be complicated.
To retire successfully, you need to ensure that you have enough income to replace your paycheck.
Much like your employment paycheck, your retirement income must meet two needs.
Let’s call them essential and lifestyle.
Essentials
To sustain your life in retirement, you first need to be able to afford the basics.
These are your essential needs, and they require income you can count on, such as Social Security, a pension, or other reliable income sources.
Let’s focus on your essential income.
It needs to be reliable, and you need to be certain it will last as long as your retirement does.
Income sources designed to last your lifetimes, such as Social Security and pensions, are often not enough to cover these basic expenses, and safely drawing from your savings can feel like rocket science at times.
How much is too much?
How long will my savings last?
The ForeCertain income annuity is an option that can:
- Provide a reliable income stream simply and certainly using a portion of your savings
- Supplement your lifetime income needs and/or
- Serve as a bridge to delay and help maximize other income sources.
Lifestyle
Dollars for your lifestyle cover the things that are nice to have, but you could do without them, if necessary.
These needs may vary from year to year and can possibly be addressed with one-time withdrawals from savings.
You nurtured your savings; now take care of your income.
It’s simple and certain.
You simply pay one premium and receive guaranteed income based on your age, needs, and elections.
Global Atlantic converts the lump-sum immediately or in the future, your choice.
This annuity is solely designed for income.
It has no account balance, and there are no fees and charges.
Keep in mind, based on how long you live and the income option you elect, the benefits you receive may be more or less than your premium amount.
Use an annuity payment calculator to calculate your retirement income payments.
Which option is right for you?
Guaranteed Payment Period
You choose the duration (5-30 years) for your income (annuity payments).
Income for the period is guaranteed and will continue to a spouse/designated beneficiary if you die during the payment period.
Life Annuity Option
You receive guaranteed lifetime income for you (single) or you and your spouse (joint).
There is no residual value to be passed as a death benefit, regardless of how much income has been received.
Lifetime Annuity with death benefit options
If you are interested in the Life Annuity option and would like to include the potential for a death benefit to be paid to your beneficiary, there are three options available.
All provide the lifetime income benefits of the Life Annuity option for you or you and your spouse with the addition of death benefits payable to your beneficiary under certain circumstances.
Life Annuity with Guaranteed Payment Period
Alongside a Life Annuity, you also elect a period of 5-30 years during which, if you die (if you and your spouse die, when joint), your beneficiary will receive the remainder of the payments for the guaranteed period as a death benefit.
After the guaranteed period, your income continues for life, but no beneficiary payments are made upon death.
Life Annuity with Cash Refund
With this option, the cumulative return of your premium is guaranteed.
If you have received less than your premium amount in total income when you die (when you and your spouse die, if joint), your beneficiary will receive a lump-sum death benefit equal to the difference between your premium and the total income you have received.
No death benefit is paid if the total of the income you have received exceeds the amount you paid.
Life Annuity with Installment Refund
This option pays the same death benefit amount as the Life Annuity with Cash Refund option but pays the beneficiary in installments over time, as opposed to a lump sum.
The frequency of payments will equal the frequency of income in life until the benefit is exhausted.
Related Reading: What is considered to be a characteristic of an immediate annuity?
Flexibility for life’s changing circumstances
Have a temporary need for more income.
Accelerate three to six months of annuity payments up to two times with the Advanced Payment Option.
Income payments will resume once the accelerated period has expired.
Need to change the date you want your income to begin.
Elect to move your start date one time, and your income will be recalculated based on the new date.
This feature is called the Annuity Commencement Date Change.
The start date can be moved up to start immediately or be deferred up to five years, subject to limitations.
No longer need income or have a one-time lump-sum need for at least $5,000.
Advance all or a portion of the guaranteed-period annuity payments at present value through a feature known as Commutation.
After a partial commutation, your annuity payments for the remainder of the guaranteed period will be recalculated and continue on their regular schedule.
A complete commutation may terminate the contract.
Optional benefits allow further customization.
Help keep pace with inflation.
Choose to increase your income annually by 2, 3, or 4% by electing the Annual Increase Option.
Initially, your income will begin lower if you elect this benefit, and it will rise steadily over time.
Protect your premium amount if you die before you begin receiving income.
Ensure that your beneficiaries will receive a death benefit equal to your premium amount by electing the Temporary Return of Premium option.
Including this option will result in a lower level of income provided.
Ensure your annuity benefits are not transferred and remain as you intend today.
Prohibit the assignment, sale, or other transfer of rights of your annuity by electing Assignment Limitation.
This option also restricts the ability to defer, accelerate, advance, and commute income.
Delay the age at which the IRS requires you to start drawing income from the annuity.
Postpone your mandatory income, known as Required Minimum Distributions, from age 72 to as far as the first day of the month after you turn age 85 by electing a Qualified Longevity Annuity Contract (QLAC).
Pension-Alternative
If you’re seeking a pension-like income in the future, but want more flexibility, check out an income rider. Annuities with an income rider provide guaranteed income for life with a death benefit for beneficiaries along with much more flexibility, access, growth potential, and control.
