Deck 14: Annuities and Individual Retirement Accounts

Question 1

Bridget started to fund a variable annuity.Three years later,she experienced financial difficulty.She called her agent and cancelled the contract.The insurer returned all but 4 percent of the account balance.The 4 percent kept by the insurer is a(n)

A)account administration fee.
B)investment management fee.
C)front-end load.
D)surrender charge.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following statements regarding the taxation of individual annuities is (are)true?
I)The exclusion ratio is the percentage of the annuity income that is taxable.
II)After the net cost of the annuity has been paid to the annuitant,the total annuity payment is taxable.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Answer 2

B

Question 3

During the funding period,the premiums paid for a variable annuity are used to purchase

A)annuity units.
B)immediate participation shares.
C)mutual fund shares.
D)accumulation units.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Juanita paid a life insurer $45,000 in exchange for an immediate life annuity.Juanita will receive $500 per month from the insurer,and her life expectancy is 15 years (180 months).Assume that Juanita receives 12 monthly payments of $500 the first year.How much taxable income must she report?

A)$3,000
B)$4,000
C)$4,500
D)$6,000

Question 5

Stan paid an insurance company $50,000 for a fixed annuity when he was 50 years old.At age 62,Stan plans to begin to receive payments from the insurer.There are no guarantees on the number of payments he will receive.Based on the description provided,this annuity can be described as a(n)

A)deferred annuity.
B)life annuity with guaranteed payments.
C)immediate annuity.
D)variable annuity.

Question 6

Life annuity payments are made up of all of the following EXCEPT

A)return of premiums.
B)interest earnings.
C)unliquidated principal of annuitants who live too long.
D)unliquidated principal of annuitants who die early.

Question 7

Under an equity-indexed annuity,what name is given to the percentage increase in the stock index that is credited to the contract?

A)the expense rate
B)the exclusion ratio
C)the indexing rate
D)the participation rate

Question 8

When selling life annuities,what risk is the insurer pooling?

A)bad investment performance
B)premature death
C)bad expense experience
D)excessive longevity

Question 9

Insurers offering variable annuities charge a number of fees and expenses.One category of fees and expenses is charged to cover the cost of record keeping,paperwork,and periodic reports to annuity owners.This expense is the

A)investment management charge.
B)surrender charge.
C)administrative charge.
D)front-end load.

Question 10

Insurers offering variable annuities charge a number of expenses.One category of expenses is to pay the fund manager and to pay brokerage fees.This expense is the

A)investment management charge.
B)administrative charge.
C)surrender charge.
D)front-end load.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is (are)true with respect to the cash (lump sum)annuity settlement option?
I)The taxable portion of the distribution is subject to federal and state income taxes.
II)The option results in adverse selection against the insurer as those in poor health are more likely to take cash than to annuitize the funds.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 12

Which of the following statements is (are)true with respect to an equity-indexed annuity?
I)The maximum percentage gain is usually capped.
II)There is no downside protection against loss of principal if the annuity is held to term.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 13

Cassie,age 62,paid a life insurer $100,000 in exchange for a life annuity.If Cassie dies before receiving 120 monthly payments from the insurer,the remaining payments will be made to a beneficiary.If Cassie dies after receiving 120 payments,no additional payments are made by the insurer.Cassie has purchased a(n)

A)life annuity,no refund.
B)life annuity with guaranteed payments.
C)installment refund annuity.
D)cash refund annuity.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is (are)true with respect to annuities?
I)Annuities are the opposite of life insurance.
II)The fundamental purpose of annuities is to replace lost income in case of premature death.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 15

Which of the following statements about variable annuities is true?

A)The periodic payments received by the annuitant are fixed.
B)Variable annuities typically provide a guaranteed death benefit payable to a beneficiary if the annuitant dies prior to retirement.
C)Insurers offering variable annuities are not permitted to charge administrative fees.
D)Although the value of annuity units fluctuates,accumulation units have a fixed value.

Question 16

Brad funded a life annuity through installment payments.At age 60,he decided to elect an annuity settlement option and to begin to receive payments.Which of the following life income options will provide Brad with the highest monthly income?

A)life annuity (no refund)
B)life income with payments guaranteed for 5 years
C)life income with payments guaranteed for 10 years
D)installment refund annuity

Question 17

With an equity-indexed annuity,what name is given to the method of crediting excess interest to the annuity?

A)the capitation method
B)the indexing method
C)the distribution method
D)the earnings method

Question 18

Which of the following statements is (are)true with respect to a joint-and-survivor annuity?
I)Some joint-and-survivor annuities reduce the income payment after the first annuitant dies.
II)No payments are made after the first annuitant dies.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 19

Which of the following statements is (are)true with respect to variable annuities?
I)The price at which accumulation units can be purchased fluctuates during the funding period.
II)The value of annuity units fluctuates over time.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 20

Juanita paid a life insurer $45,000 in exchange for an immediate life annuity.Juanita will receive $500 per month from the insurer,and her life expectancy is 15 years (180 months).What is the exclusion ratio in this case?

A)33.33 percent
B)40.00 percent
C)50.00 percent
D)66.67 percent

Question 21

Juanita paid a life insurer $45,000 in exchange for an immediate life annuity.Juanita will receive $500 per month from the insurer,and her life expectancy is 15 years (180 months).If Juanita is alive 20 years later,how much of the $6,000 received during the year is taxable?

A)nothing
B)$3,000
C)$4,500
D)$6,000

Question 22

An immediate life annuity offers all of the following benefits EXCEPT

A)Immediate annuity payments are entirely exempt from federal income tax.
B)Simplicity for the purchaser as he or she does not have to manage investment funds.
C)Security for the purchaser as stable lifetime income that cannot be outlived is provided.
D)The principal is safe as the funds are guaranteed by the assets of the insurer.

Question 23

Which of the following is a permissible IRA investment alternative?

A)mutual funds
B)fine art
C)antiques
D)life insurance

Question 24

Daryl,age 42,quit his job.His employer offered a defined contribution pension plan,and the balance in the account was $30,000 when Daryl quit.He can avoid immediate taxation of these funds by

A)taking a lump-sum distribution.
B)using an IRA rollover account.
C)receiving the money through four equal installments.
D)using the funds to purchase common stock issued by the former employer.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about the withdrawal of funds from a traditional IRA is true?

A)Withdrawals of deductible contributions between the ages of 59.5 and 65 are subject to a tax penalty unless they are withdrawn because of specified circumstances such as death or long-term disability.
B)Amounts attributable to nondeductible contributions are fully taxable as ordinary income when received.
C)Withdrawals must begin no later than April 1 of the year following the calendar year in which an individual attains age 70.5.
D)Withdrawals must be taken in the form of an annuity.

Question 26

Donna is single and earns $30,000 annually.She is covered under her employer's retirement plan.Donna would like to start a traditional IRA and contribute $3,000 this year.Which of the following describes her ability to establish a traditional IRA and the tax treatment of her contribution?

A)Her contribution is fully tax deductible.
B)Her contribution is partially tax deductible.
C)No portion of the contribution is tax deductible.
D)Donna is not eligible to establish a traditional IRA,so no contribution can be made.

Question 27

All of the following are circumstances under which withdrawals from a traditional IRA may be made prior to age 59.5 without incurring a substantial penalty EXCEPT

A)The withdrawal is in substantially equal installments paid over the individual's life expectancy.
B)The withdrawal is used to pay living expenses after unemployment insurance benefits cease.
C)The distribution is to the beneficiary of a deceased IRA owner.
D)The withdrawal is because of income needed due to the individual's disability.

Question 28

Rita is 66 years old.She earned $20,000 this year working part-time at a store and her modified adjusted gross income was $28,000.Rita is considering making a $3,000 contribution to her traditional IRA.Which of the following statements is true regarding this contribution?

A)Rita cannot contribute to her traditional IRA because she is over age 65.
B)Rita can make a $3,000 contribution to her traditional IRA,but it is not tax deductible.
C)Rita can make a $3,000 contribution to her traditional IRA,but it is only partially tax deductible.
D)Rita can make a $3,000 contribution to her traditional IRA,and it is fully tax deductible.

Question 29

Which of the following statements is (are)true with regard to Roth IRAs?
I)The portion of a Roth IRA distribution that is attributable to investment income is taxable.
II)There is a maximum income level above which Roth IRA contributions are not allowed.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 30

Which of the following statements is (are)true with regard to IRAs?
I)Contribution limits are higher for workers aged 50 and older.
II)A spouse who does not work outside of the home may make a fully deductible contribution to a traditional IRA even if his or her spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 31

Which of the following statements is (are)true with regard to the inflation-indexed annuity option?
I)The initial monthly payment is lower than the initial payment a fixed annuity would have provided if purchased at the same age.
II)Periodic payments to the annuitant are adjusted for inflation.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 32

All of the following statements about traditional and Roth IRAs are true EXCEPT

A)Traditional IRA contributions may be fully,partially,or not income tax deductible.
B)Qualified distributions from Roth IRAs are received income tax free.
C)Contributions to Roth IRAs are made with after-tax dollars.
D)Traditional IRAs are exempt from the penalty tax on premature distributions.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA is (are)true?
I)Such conversions can be done with no income tax consequences.
II)Qualified distributions from a Roth IRA after a conversion are received tax-free.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 34

Which of the following statements is (are)true regarding the taxation of distributions from individual annuities?
I)Individual annuity distributions are never taxable.
II)Once the annuitant has recovered the premiums he or she paid for the annuity,the entire annuity distribution is taxable.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true concerning traditional and Roth IRAs?

A)The investment income portion of Roth IRA distributions must be reported as taxable income.
B)Roth IRA contributions are tax deductible.
C)There are minimum distribution requirements for traditional IRAs.
D)There are no limits on the tax deductibility of traditional IRA contributions once the account owner has reached age 50.

Question 36

Which of the following statements regarding individual retirement accounts (IRAs)is (are)true?
I)If an individual's only income during the year is from investments,he or she cannot make an IRA contribution.
II)The funds in the IRA can be used to purchase life insurance on the owner.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 37

Which of the following statements is (are)true regarding the Roth IRA?
I)Roth IRA contributions are tax deductible.
II)Roth IRA investment income accumulates income-tax free.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 38

Which of the following persons can establish a traditional IRA?
I)Persons whose only income received is from investments.
II)Employed persons under age 70.5 who are not active participants in an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 39

Which of the following statements is (are)true concerning the joint and survivor annuity settlement option?
I)Under this option,payments begin after the first annuitant dies.
II)This settlement option is often selected by married couples.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II

Question 40

The fundamental purpose of a variable annuity is to

A)provide funding flexibility to the purchaser.
B)provide a hedge against inflation.
C)fund the purchase of cash value life insurance.
D)guarantee a fixed-dollar benefit throughout retirement.

Question 41

Which of the following is an advantage of longevity insurance?

A)Death benefits are paid to a beneficiary if death occurs during the deferral period.
B)The interest rate credited to the cash value is higher than what is earned on traditional life insurance.
C)Monthly benefits begin at an advanced age when other assets are likely to have been depleted.
D)The policyowner has unrestricted access to the funds during the deferral period through loans and cash withdrawals.

Question 42

Some insurers offer a single-premium deferred annuity that does not begin paying benefits until an advanced age,such as 85.This product is called

A)endowment insurance.
B)equity-indexed annuity.
C)life income with guaranteed payments annuity.
D)longevity insurance.

Question 43

Traditionally,tables have been prepared showing how long IRA funds will last based on rates of return and annual withdrawal rates.These tables,however,assume constant returns over the projection period.Many financial planners are now using a technique that allows for fluctuations in market returns.A computer is programmed to estimate how long funds will last under many different return scenarios and to determine the probability that funds will last until a specified age.This technique is called

A)decision-tree analysis.
B)sensitivity analysis.
C)computer simulation.
D)cost-benefit analysis.

Question 44

Which of the following statements is (are)true with regard to the adequacy of IRA funds during retirement?
I)To assure lifetime income,the IRA funds can be used to purchase a life annuity.
II)The duration of IRA benefit payments depends on the rate of return earned on the invested assets after retirement and the withdrawal rate.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)Neither I nor II

Question 45

Which of the following is a characteristic of longevity insurance?

A)payment of the face value of the policy at age 100
B)forfeiture of the purchase price if the annuitant dies during the deferral period
C)cash value can be borrowed or recouped through a nonforfeiture option
D)high-cost annuity compared to other life annuities

Question 46

Which of the following statements is (are)true about longevity insurance?
I)If the annuitant dies during the deferral period,the purchase price of the annuity is forfeited.
II)Longevity insurance is an example of an immediate annuity.

A)I only
B)II only
C)both I and II
D)neither I nor II