How To Sell Your Annuity Payments For Cash [ info ]

What Are My Options for Selling My Payments?

Once you decide how much money you need, you can opt to sell the entire value of the annuity, a portion of the total value for a lump sum, or a specific portion of a specific number of payments.

Option 1: Sell My Annuity in Its Entirety

Selling the full value of your annuity contract liquidates the asset. This eliminates all future income payments. However, you’ll have access to the full amount you agreed to with the buyer.

Option 2: Sell Some of My Future Annuity Payments in a Partial Sale

If you decide to sell only a portion of your payments, you’ll continue to receive periodic income and retain the tax benefits. In the event you need immediate cash, you can sell some payments in exchange for a lump sum. For example, you can sell years one through four of your annuity payments for a lump sum. After the four years have passed, periodic payments will resume.

Option 3: Sell a Dollar Amount of My Annuity Payments for a Lump Sum

Similar to a partial sale, a lump-sum sale allows the annuity owner to sell a portion of their annuity payments in exchange for a lump sum. This means they receive a specific dollar amount, which will be deducted from future annuity or structured settlement payments.

Gain the Flexibility You Deserve Selling your future payments can better prepare you for whatever financial situation comes up in your life.

How Will I Benefit From Selling My Annuity?

Selling your annuity can be a suitable option for you to gain liquid cash and financial flexibility if your needs change.

Having direct access to your funds can allow you to pay off debt, put a down payment toward a new home purchase, replace a broken vehicle or cover any other immediate financial need. No matter your reason to sell, having the flexibility to use your money can help reduce your financial stress.

Selling all or some of your future annuity payments may also be less costly than taking a 401(k) loan or IRA withdrawal. Be sure to speak with your financial advisor to compare options for your cash flow.

How Much Will I Receive for Selling Annuity Payments?

Selling an annuity is a business deal. Factoring companies intend to profit from their purchases. This means you’ll be offered less than the total worth of your annuity.

Account for the Discount Rate

The difference between what your annuity is worth and what you’ll receive in cash is called a discount rate. According to various reports, the average discount rate ranges from 9 percent to 18 percent. And it’s not unheard of to encounter even higher percentages.

The discount is essentially the tradeoff for the ability to tap into your money immediately. It can also offset the purchasing company’s administrative costs and lost earnings.

Understand Present Value

The present value of your annuity is the total cash value of all future payments after factoring in the discount rate.

A lower discount rate means a higher present value, and vice versa. For example, you would keep more of your money if one purchasing company offers a 10 percent discount rate compared with 14 percent from another company.

Factors that can influence your discount rate include: * Total value of payments being sold

* Number of payments being sold

* Payment arrival dates

* Economic conditions

* Interest rates set by the Federal Reserve

* Fees and charges

Some factoring companies may charge higher discount rates and fees than others, resulting in the annuity owner receiving less of the contract’s value. For this reason, it’s important for you to be savvy about your sale and to consider several quotes.

Consult with a Professional Before You Accept an Offer

Although it may cost you a little bit of money, sound advice from your lawyer or financial planner may save you thousands of dollars during the selling process.

Your advisor can warn you about a low-ball offer or save you money in taxes.

They can also clear up confusion about the process or explain misleading terminology, such as the fictional “structured settlement loan” that some companies use when referring to the sale of payments.

Annuity Sales Versus Structured Settlement Sales

Annuity sales don’t need court approval. If you purchased or inherited an annuity, the selling is an agreement between you, the buyer and the insurance company. The whole process takes roughly four weeks. You can prepare for the sale with our answers to the frequently asked questions specific to the transaction.

In contrast to selling annuities purchased through insurance companies, selling the rights to structured settlement payments is a legal process that requires court approval.

Offering another layer of protection for sellers, Structured Settlement Protection Acts — the state and federal laws that safeguard the rights of settlement holders — govern the practices of purchasing companies.

Learn more about the process of selling a structured settlement

Frequently Asked Questions About Selling Annuity Payments

How do you sell your annuity? You can start by researching annuity purchasers who can buy all or some of your remaining payments. Next, obtain and compare quotes. Then submit your paperwork to initiate the cash-out process. If your annuity is a structured settlement, there is one additional step: court approval. How long does it take to cash out an annuity? It may take 45 to 90 days to receive your cash when you sell a structured settlement due to the associated court approval process. Other annuity types can typically cash out within four weeks.