Annuities - What Are They ?

By buying a Pension Annuity means that you are converting your pension fund into an income that will be paid for the rest of your life. A Pension Annuity is a Secured Pension because the income amount is guaranteed for life, unlike a Drawdown plan which is an Unsecured Pension (USP).

A Pension Annuity can be purchased with the entire pension fund that is available or it can be from funds after the tax-free cash (usually 25%) that you are entitled to has been taken. The amount of income you are entitled to will depend on the Pension Annuity rate at the time of purchase. The Pension Annuity and its terms are fixed at the outset whereas a Drawdown plan allows you to vary the income payments.