Yes, if you’re in a fixed-rate annuity and the insurer is stiffing you with a truly rotten rate—say, 3 percent in a 4.5 percent world. Switch to a CD-type annuity instead. Yes, if you’re in a high-cost variable annuity and…

If you inherit a tax-deferred annuity from your spouse, you have all the same withdrawal options that your spouse would have had. You can keep the annuity, switch to another one (in a tax-free exchange), or take the money out…

If you think you are a candidate for an annuity, go low-load. Their costs are small, compared with the rest of the products on the market, and you can take out your money whenever you want, without paying a penalty.…

On the surface, variable annuities (VAs) seem heaven-sent to anyone who buys mutual funds. You generally start the annuity with $10,000 or $15,000, depending on the company. That money is invested in mutual funds—subaccounts, in an annuity, speak—and accumulate tax-deferred.…

It is recommended that you buy only CD-like, multiyear annuities that pay a fixed rate over a specified period of time. This is because you know exactly what you’re getting. At the end of the term, the insurance company has…

When you go to purchase an annuity, the annuities are listed by term and show the insurance company’s financial soundness rating, the minimum purchase, the guaranteed interest rate, any bonus rate, and the yield to surrender, which is the yield…

Motion attracts visitors at trade shows. Sales increase up to 50% when motion is added to point-of-purchase displays. Trade show booths can also benefit from the use of motion. Use materials that attract light, like metallic foils and neon colors.…

Business insurance is an easy expense to cut—since it doesn’t directly contribute to the bottom line like merchandise or raw materials. But cutting insurance can become a costly blunder when a major catastrophe occurs, and the business is not adequately…

Ask for a discount if you have had your homeowners’ insurance with the same company for at least three years. Many companies reduce premiums by 5% for policyholders who have been with them for three to five years, and 10%…