Immediate annuity

You buy an immediate annuity contract with a lump-sum purchase. You begin receiving income from the annuity either right away or within 13 months.

A fixed immediate annuity guarantees the amount of income you'll receive in each payment, based on the claims paying ability of the insurance company selling the contract.

A variable immediate annuity pays income based on the performance of the annuity funds, or subaccounts, you select from those available through the contract.

Immediate annuities appeal to people who want to convert a sum of money to a source of regular income, either for themselves or for another person. One way they're frequently used is as a source of retirement income.