Blended annuities

"Reintroducing the with-profit annuity: There is another type of life annuity that is making somewhat of a comeback at the moment, namely the with-profit annuity. Commentators single out Just SA, Liberty, Momentum, Old Mutual and Sanlam as the main life insurers in the with-profit segment," says FA NEWS

The next DAILY MAVERICK op-ed by Bruce Cameron says by adding five years to your working life, you can improve your retirement savings by about 20-30% and reduce the time you will spend living off your savings. Just CEO Deane Moore provides an example of how delaying retirement can help you.

Bruce Cameron's latest DAILY MAVERICK op-ed says: "Those retirement funds offering default annuities, which include the hybrid option, are probably offering you the best retirement option, particularly if you have not saved enough for retirement."

“This [a blended living annuity] provides the best of both worlds allowing for the important aspects of the living annuity, with its legacy, income flexibility and market participation; and the with-profit annuity with its income security that ensures your income if you die, even well into the future” says John Anderson, head of research at Alexander Forbes in Bruce Cameron's most recent DAILY MAVERICK op-ed.

As part of its response to the COVID-19 crisis, National Treasury announced a change in living annuity drawdown restrictions where pensioners will be allowed to temporarily adjust their drawdown rate to as low as 0.5% or as high as 20%, even if it is not the anniversary date of the living annuity. But current market conditions present a unique opportunity to improve the sustainability of your retirement income. And this does not require you to reduce your drawdown rate. To take advantage of this opportunity, you may want to consider some choices.

“Hybrid annuities will help to optimise the pension benefits to balance the competing objectives pensioners face. Hybrid annuities provide a sustainable income on the one hand, versus having flexibility for unforeseen events and the ability to leave an inheritance on the other,” says John Anderson in Bruce Cameron's DAILY MAVERICK op-ed on hybrid (blended) annuities.

[Related article: HYBRID ANNUITIES: SOME OF THE CHOICES]

Amid the market instability brought on by COVID-19, retirement income specialist Just has reported record demand for life annuity solutions from South African pensioners looking to lock in an income for life. Sales for life annuities have doubled relative to 2019 since the COVID-19 market crash in mid-March 2020. CEO Deane Moore attributes this growth to attractive annuity rates and pensioners seeking to de-risk their retirement income in an unpredictable financial climate.

In his latest op-ed for DAILY MAVERICK, Bruce Cameron says that the best way to overcome the disadvantages of living annuities and guaranteed annuities is to use both. This becomes even more important with COVID-19 and the downgrading of South Africa’s credit rating.

A volatile financial climate has seen many South African pensioners in living annuities looking to increase their withdrawals to cover current cash shortages. However, retirement income specialist Just advises strongly against this, recommending instead that they find ways to trim their spending, or else they run the risk of their money drying up sooner.

Life annuity rates have increased by 10-15% since the beginning of the year, which offsets the reduction in market values most people in or close to retirement have experienced in the recent market crash. In other words, you’re currently able to get a higher income from each Rand of your retirement capital if you invest it in a life annuity today than you were three months ago – in fact 10-15% higher. However, this window of opportunity won’t last forever.