Annuity Rates

Today’s Best Annuity Rates

• 2-Year: 5.00%
• 3-Year: 5.10%
• 4-Year: 5.00%
• 5-Year: 5.30%
• 6-Year: 5.00%
• 7-Year: 5.35%
• 8-Year: 4.80%
• 9-Year: 5.00%
• 10-Year: 5.10%

Best Fixed Annuity Rates This Week

Multi-year guaranteed annuities, or MYGAs, are a type of fixed annuity that guarantees a fixed interest rate for a specified time period — usually three to 10 years. Like traditional fixed annuities, MYGAs are subject to fees called surrender charges, which an annuity holder must pay if he or she withdraws money from an annuity before the specified time period is over.

Because MYGA rates change daily, Annuity.org and its partners update the following tables frequently. Therefore, it’s important to check back for the most recent information.

How Annuity Rates Work

Annuities are insurance products that exchange an upfront premium for a stream of income payments beginning at a later date. Deferred annuities undergo an accumulation phase during which the contract’s value may increase before being converted to income payments.

The percentage by which the annuity grows over time is called the annuity’s rate. As Jason Ball, a Certified Financial Planner^TM professional, told Annuity.org, “This rate determines the size of the regular payments that the annuity holder will receive once the annuity starts paying out.” 

“Annuity rates can either be fixed, meaning the rate stays the same over the life of the annuity, or variable, which means they can fluctuate based on the performance of underlying investments,” said Ball.

The guaranteed interest rates for traditional deferred fixed annuities and MYGAs make these two types of annuities easy to understand when it comes to interest rates and the return these products can provide over the course of the contract term.

Variable, income and fixed index annuities are more complicated. Because their returns are not calculated according to a guaranteed stated interest rate for a set period, consumers will not find rates for these products when searching for the best annuity rates.

Additionally, it’s important to note that fixed annuity and MYGA rates change daily. To keep you informed on the current fixed annuity rates, Annuity.org and its partners update the following tables every week.

Fixed annuities are among the safest investment instrument retirees can invest, assuming the financial wherewithal of the issuing insurance company is superb. In the right circumstances, these instruments are just as safe as Treasury securities and certificates of deposit.

Thomas J. Brock, CFA®, CPAInvestment, Corporate Finance and Accounting Expert

Thomas Brock, CFA®, CPA, is a financial professional with over 20 years of experience in investments, corporate finance and accounting. He currently oversees the investment operation for a $4 billion super-regional insurance carrier.

How Do You Compare Rates for Different Types of Annuities?

Annuity rates are tricky to compare because, as previously mentioned, different types of annuities earn interest in different ways. For example, traditional fixed annuities guarantee an interest rate for a one-year term, whereas other fixed annuities guarantee rates for anywhere from three to 10 years. These multi-year term contracts are called multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGAs).

Conversely, variable annuities don’t guarantee interest rates because their earnings depend upon the performance of an underlying stock portfolio.

And yet another type of annuity, the fixed index annuity, employs unique crediting methods based on the performance of a stock market index.

This can be perplexing to the average consumer. It helps to understand that annuities fall into specific buckets.

These buckets correlate to

The way the annuity earns interest

Fixed annuities, including MYGAs, earn interest at a set rate for a guaranteed period. These are the most straightforward annuity types in terms of interest rates. The rates presented on this page are fixed annuity rates for the specified terms — for example, 5-year fixed annuity rates.

The point at which the premium is annuitized, meaning when the lump sum is converted to a payment stream

Immediate annuities, also known as income annuities or single premium immediate annuities, convert premiums to a stream of income instantly. This doesn’t mean that the annuitant must begin receiving income payments immediately. In fact, deferred income annuities (DIAs) are annuitized immediately, but payments begin at a specified future date.

The length of the accumulation period, meaning the number of years between the date of purchase and the date that income payments will begin

Not to be confused with the time frame for annuitization, the accumulation period is the third bucket annuity carriers use to classify these products. Immediate annuities have no accumulation period. The sole purpose of an immediate annuity is to generate a guaranteed income stream. Deferred annuities, on the other hand, have an accumulation period during which interest is credited according to the contract.

In addition, many annuities have pricing levers — interest rate floors, caps and participation rates — that affect their growth potential.

The interest rates for indexed and variable annuities fluctuate with the stock market. Therefore, people who purchase one of these annuity types must review either the variable annuity prospectus or the strategy options and rate sheet for the specific indexed product they are buying.

Income annuities (FIAs and DIAs) are typically quoted using either the monthly income payment amount or an annual payout rate that represents the percentage of the premium amount that the annuitant has received in income payments.

This leaves deferred fixed annuities and MYGAs, which — as we’ve established — are the least complex products. Their guaranteed interest rates make them easy to understand when it comes to interest rates and the return they can provide over the course of the contract term.

Fixed annuity rate quotes are useful when choosing among annuities offered by different carriers.

“Consumers should determine how much they would like to invest in an annuity, then shop around to various highly rated insurance companies (look for at least an A- rating) to see what their rates are, and do comparison shopping, like you would when you buy a car,” Certified Financial Planner™ professional Rubina Hossain told Annuity.org.

Many carriers offer penalty-free withdrawal provisions that allow the annuity holder to make partial withdrawals before the surrender period ends without incurring fees. For example, some contracts allow annuity holders to withdraw up to 10%, starting in the first year.

Contracts with less generous withdrawal provisions may have higher rates. If you want the possibility of higher rates than fixed annuities offer and are willing to take on more risk, you can explore fixed index or variable annuities.

Consumers should determine how much they would like to invest in an annuity, then shop around to various highly rated insurance companies (look for at least an A- rating) to see what their rates are, and do comparison shopping, like you would when you buy a car.

Rubina K. Hossain, CFP®Client Advisor for MEIRA

Certified Financial Planner Rubina K. Hossain is chair of the CFP Board’s Council of Examinations and past president of the Financial Planning Association. She specializes in preparing and presenting sound holistic financial plans to ensure her clients achieve their goals.