You know all the articles you read about annuities that have extremely high fees? And the ones that people lose a lot of money in? Well, these are better known as variable annuities. yes, they do have some advantages. They do offer market upside potential, have a guaranteed death benefit, and offer tax deferral...but they have a lot of downside also.

Now don't get me wrong...I am an annuity advocate for the right situation and for the right candidates...but I am wildly opposed to variable annuities in MOST situations. For starters they have high fees. Over time, the market may average 8-10% but if you look at the fees, ranging anywhere from 2-5%, then your returns start to look pretty dismal. I mean for the amount of risk you take, it is often not worth it.

The other problem I have with variable annuities is that they have too many bells and whistles that are often deceiving and extremely costly. One of these "features" is the living benefit. I marvel at the fact of how many agents propose the living benefit and can't explain to their clients how they really work...(or won't because when you understand it, you find out it's really not a great feature at all). So for the most part, I think variable annuities don't offer enough to justify purchasing them.

So is there a good situation where variable annuities would be appropriate? Well, there may be...And I suppose you want to know what those situations might be? Well, for that, you will have to get it from the book...What book? It is called Annuities: The Shocking Truths Revealed--found at http://www.AnnuityMD.com. It is an in depth look at the different types of annuities, what they can and can't do, how people make mistakes when they buy annuities, and what they can do to avoid them. You think that's valuable? It sure is. And I don't hold back...It is the truth and nothing but the truth. It talks about all the hidden truths that nobody ever tells you about annuities...especially when they are trying to sell you one. You may think education is expensive, but try ignorance..there's no comparison. Because remember...

Ignorance is not bliss...