Browsing: MetLife annuity

Q. I am a Postal Service employee under FERS. I am going to retire soon with 26½ years at age 60. Do I have to take the special retirement supplement, or can I waive it? If I take it, do I have to start taking Social Security at 62, or do I have an option to wait until I am older? If I decide to purchase an annuity with my Thrift Savings Plan balance from MetLife, is that annuity protected if MetLife folds? A. Mike: A MetLife annuity is backed by MetLife. Your state may also offer some backstop in…

Q. I am 70½ years old and about to retire under CSRS. If I use my Thrift Savings Plan account to purchase a MetLife annuity, how are the required minimum distributions handled? A. Life annuity payments satisfy the RMD for the amount of money used to buy the annuity.

Q: In a recent response, you recommended a reader not take out an annuity using Thrift Savings Plan funds. Do you consider these annuities unsafe? I am thinking of taking an annuity when I retire to guarantee an income (along with my regular annuity and Social Security). I’m not sure that I would get enough through taking a set amount each month, or that it would last for the rest of my life. What do you see as the problems with the MetLife annuity? Are there fees for administering the account? A: Because it is an irreversible action, I generally…