{ "dataset": "AnnuityScore Annuity Glossary", "publisher": "AnnuityScore, operated by Omnia Capital Partners USA LLC", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "licenseName": "CC BY 4.0", "attribution": "AnnuityScore Annuity Glossary, https://annuityscore.one/glossary", "canonical": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary", "retrieved": "2026-09-12", "count": 26, "terms": [ { "term": "Annuity", "slug": "annuity", "category": "Basics", "definition": "A contract with an insurance carrier designed to provide tax-deferred growth and, optionally, guaranteed income.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/annuity" }, { "term": "MYGA (Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity)", "slug": "myga", "category": "Annuity Types", "definition": "A fixed annuity that credits a set interest rate for a defined term, commonly three to ten years.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/myga" }, { "term": "Fixed-Indexed Annuity (FIA)", "slug": "fixed-indexed-annuity", "category": "Annuity Types", "definition": "A fixed annuity whose interest credits are tied to an external index, subject to caps, spreads, or participation rates, with principal protected from index loss.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/fixed-indexed-annuity" }, { "term": "Variable Annuity", "slug": "variable-annuity", "category": "Annuity Types", "definition": "An annuity whose sub-account values fluctuate with underlying investments; principal is not protected from market loss.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/variable-annuity" }, { "term": "Immediate Annuity (SPIA)", "slug": "immediate-annuity", "category": "Annuity Types", "definition": "A single-premium contract that converts a lump sum into a stream of income payments beginning almost immediately.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/immediate-annuity" }, { "term": "Deferred Annuity", "slug": "deferred-annuity", "category": "Annuity Types", "definition": "An annuity that accumulates value over time before income begins.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/deferred-annuity" }, { "term": "GLWB (Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit)", "slug": "glwb", "category": "Riders", "definition": "A living-benefit rider that guarantees a defined withdrawal amount for life, regardless of account value.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/glwb" }, { "term": "Income Rider", "slug": "income-rider", "category": "Riders", "definition": "An optional feature, often carrying an annual fee, that provides guaranteed future income separate from the account value.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/income-rider" }, { "term": "Benefit Base", "slug": "benefit-base", "category": "Riders", "definition": "A bookkeeping value used to calculate guaranteed rider income; generally not an amount available on surrender.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/benefit-base" }, { "term": "Excess Withdrawal", "slug": "excess-withdrawal", "category": "Riders", "definition": "A withdrawal above the amount a rider guarantees, which commonly reduces or resets the rider benefit base.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/excess-withdrawal" }, { "term": "Enhanced Death Benefit", "slug": "enhanced-death-benefit", "category": "Riders", "definition": "An optional rider that pays beneficiaries an amount greater than the contract value, typically for an added annual cost.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/enhanced-death-benefit" }, { "term": "Surrender Charge", "slug": "surrender-charge", "category": "Contract Mechanics", "definition": "A declining fee applied to withdrawals above the free-withdrawal amount during the surrender period.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/surrender-charge" }, { "term": "Surrender Period", "slug": "surrender-period", "category": "Contract Mechanics", "definition": "The defined number of years during which surrender charges apply, after which the contract generally becomes fully liquid.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/surrender-period" }, { "term": "Free Withdrawal Provision", "slug": "free-withdrawal", "category": "Contract Mechanics", "definition": "The portion, commonly up to ten percent annually, that may be withdrawn each year without a surrender charge.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/free-withdrawal" }, { "term": "Market Value Adjustment (MVA)", "slug": "market-value-adjustment", "category": "Contract Mechanics", "definition": "A contract provision that raises or lowers the amount received on early withdrawal based on interest rate movement since issue.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/market-value-adjustment" }, { "term": "Cap Rate", "slug": "cap-rate", "category": "Crediting", "definition": "The maximum interest an indexed strategy can credit in a given period.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/cap-rate" }, { "term": "Participation Rate", "slug": "participation-rate", "category": "Crediting", "definition": "The percentage of an index gain used to calculate the credited interest.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/participation-rate" }, { "term": "Spread / Margin", "slug": "spread", "category": "Crediting", "definition": "A percentage subtracted from the index return before interest is credited.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/spread" }, { "term": "1035 Exchange", "slug": "1035-exchange", "category": "Tax", "definition": "An IRS provision, Section 1035, permitting the tax-free exchange of one annuity contract for another.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/1035-exchange" }, { "term": "Qualified Annuity", "slug": "qualified-annuity", "category": "Tax", "definition": "An annuity held inside a tax-qualified retirement account such as an IRA; distributions are generally fully taxable.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/qualified-annuity" }, { "term": "Non-Qualified Annuity", "slug": "non-qualified-annuity", "category": "Tax", "definition": "An annuity funded with after-tax dollars; only the earnings are taxable at withdrawal.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/non-qualified-annuity" }, { "term": "RMD (Required Minimum Distribution)", "slug": "rmd", "category": "Tax", "definition": "The minimum annual amount the IRS requires you to withdraw from qualified accounts beginning at the applicable age.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/rmd" }, { "term": "A.M. Best Rating", "slug": "am-best-rating", "category": "Carriers", "definition": "An independent measure of an insurance carrier financial strength and claims-paying ability.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/am-best-rating" }, { "term": "State Guaranty Association", "slug": "state-guaranty-association", "category": "Carriers", "definition": "State-level backstops that provide limited protection to annuity owners if an insurance carrier becomes insolvent.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/state-guaranty-association" }, { "term": "Sequence-of-Returns Risk", "slug": "sequence-of-returns-risk", "category": "Retirement Planning", "definition": "The risk that poor investment returns early in retirement disproportionately damage a portfolio ability to sustain withdrawals.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/sequence-of-returns-risk" }, { "term": "Income Floor", "slug": "income-floor", "category": "Retirement Planning", "definition": "A base layer of retirement income covering essential expenses that does not depend on market performance.", "url": "https://annuityscore.one/glossary/income-floor" } ] }