Consider a hypothetical example of how a DIA might work under different market conditions.
Imagine a 60-year-old couple with a hypothetical retirement portfolio of $500,000 who wants to generate income starting at age 65. The example below illustrates 2 different ways of creating income:
Option 1
The couple decides to invest their $500,000 in a balanced target asset mix (TAM) (50% stock/40% bonds/10% short term), then starts taking income at age 65. The plan is to use only a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP) with an initial 4% annual withdrawal rate and payments increasing 2.5% on each payment anniversary thereafter.
Option 2
The couple decides to diversify and splits the $500,000 as follows: (1) $250,000 is invested in a balanced TAM for 5 years; then, at age 65, income is taken using a SWP with an initial 4% annual withdrawal rate and payments increasing 2.5% on each payment anniversary thereafter; and (2) $250,000 is used to invest in a joint life deferred income annuity contract with a cash refund and Consumer Price Index (CPI) cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), with payments starting at age 65.
One of the strongest reasons to buy a DIA is the foundation it provides for your retirement income plan. You establish a guaranteed level of income no matter what happens over the next several years, and are one step removed from the anxiety of watching the markets move every day with your retirement in sight.
Another consideration with deferred income annuities is the ability to invest incrementally over time by making additional payments. While most income annuities only allow a single investment, DIAs allow you to make additional investments to the annuity before your income payments—each additional investment subject to the interest rates available at the time of purchase—so you can increase your retirement income stream. By building your income plan in increments, you can stagger your investments with a range of interest rates and possibly take advantage of higher interest rates.
In next blogpost, we will discuss how does DIA work.