| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 721.1 | | TLE::FELDMAN | Software Engineering Process Group | Mon May 09 1994 11:46 | 18 |
| I don't know of anything on line here. CompuServe has
FundWatch. Your best bet, though, is probably to go to
a good public library and check out the Morningstar reports.
I expected IDS to be an average performer, but they actually
have some good funds. Not necessarily the best, but good
enough to justify reasonable claims by their sales reps.
Whether they've made those funds available in the annuity is
another question.
Don't be afraid to shop around. There are plenty of other
choices, including annuities from the big houses (Vanguard,
Fidelity). In fact, one way to achieve diversification within
the shelter of an annuity is to have several annuities, each
with a different company. This presupposes that investing
in a variable annuity is right for you.
Gary
|
| 721.2 | Kiplinger's | CADSYS::CADSYS::BENOIT | | Mon May 09 1994 11:47 | 4 |
| within the last couple of months did a comparison of Annuities. You might
want to look for it in the library.
Michael
|
| 721.3 | WSJ, of course | TLE::JBISHOP | | Mon May 09 1994 14:49 | 6 |
| Wall St. Journal has fund performance data. Each day of the
work week has a different set (e.g. 1, 3, 5 year data one day,
3,6,12 month data the next [approximate example]). It's all
explained on the first page of the mutual fund listings.
-John Bishop
|
| 721.4 | exit | POBOX::PATEL | | Wed May 11 1994 00:40 | 27 |
| I agree with 1st reply.
There is a publication that rates Variable Annuities that I have seen
in some "better" libraries. That gives the ratings of the insurance
companies behind these Mutual Fund companies + the ratings of the
mutual funds that are offered through the annuities, that are usually
not listed in most common mutual fund sources - value line (funds),
morningstar (funds), lipper (funds), wsjournal, i.b.daily, money etc
etc...
So, look into that first.
After you do so, make sure that the company you go with offers the most
selection of funds esp if you are the type who wants to switch in and
out of them. Secondly, make sure that the expenses that the mutual
fund company + annuity manager + insurance company charges is NOT TOO
HIGH (what ever to means to YOU, personally). Lastly, make sure that
you are aware of the withdrawl rules of the company you go with and
agree with it.
My personal opinion: I shy away from adding any more TAX-DEFERRAl
investments in my life since I do not know "WHAT MY MARGINAL TAX
BRACKET IS GOING TO BE WHEN I WILL PULL THIS MONEY OUT". Now think
about this carefully.......
Good luck and good investing.....
Ken
|
| 721.5 | Take advantage of 401k and IRA first! | DTRACY::ROYAL | | Wed May 18 1994 09:49 | 15 |
|
Before getting into an annuity, make certain you're taking full
advantage of your 401k and IRA. Annuities have much higher expenses
associated with them and of course a back end load (for withdrawals
less than 5 or 7 years depending upon the annuity). These expenses do
an affect on your overall return. In a self-directed IRA you'll do
much better than a similiar type of investment in the "accumulation
phase" of the annuity. If you are taking full advantage of 401k and
IRA, then do your research before buying. I can recommend looking at
Nationwide Best of America IV, it has several good growth funds (4)
that have outperformed the market.
Good luck.
-- Phil
|