Saving for Retirement With Variable Annuities

Variable annuities, extremely popular retirement investing vehicles, have taken a beating in this bear market. Companies like Hartford (Stock Quote: HIG) and Principal Financial (Stock Quote: PFG) have suffered tremendous losses. The underlying investments of variable annuities—known as mutual fund subaccounts—have lost value right along with the broader market. The one saving grace to owners of variable annuities have been what are known as guaranteed minimum income benefit or guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit riders.

Despite their beating, variable annuities could still be a viable alternative in your retirement planning if you buy them for the right reasons...

The Street: Saving for Retirement With Variable Annuities