Is It Safe? AIG Crisis Could Affect Annuities

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As American International Group (AIG Quote) fights to stem billions of dollars in losses and survive the worst economic decline since the Great Depression, investors should think hard before buying the insurance company's annuities.

The government, viewing AIG as too important to fail, has committed more than $200 billion to prop up the ailing company, which lost a record $61.7 billion in the fourth quarter. AIG has worked hard to reassure worried consumers, reminding them that its insurance subsidiaries are "well capitalized." The National Association of Insurance Commissioners even offers a resource page on its Web site to let consumers know that AIG annuities are safe, even if the company becomes insolvent.

AIG annuities, insurance policies that serve as investment vehicles, might seem like a safe place to stow money until retirement, but the company is prone to instability this year and investors might want to consider other options. While its insurance units are capitalized now, they could face problems later this year if premium revenue continues to slow.

On the face of it, AIG seems like a solid company. It had more than 6 million annuity contracts at year-end totaling $131.7 billion, and policy reserves of $184.6 billion to support them. It took in $53 billion in premiums in 2008, returning 16% in pre-tax operating profit compared with the 13% average loss of its peers.

AIG kept expenses under control and paid commissions that were 30% lower than average. Among its bond holdings, 5.9% were junk status, compared with to 6.4% for the industry.