Image Credit: Alex Nabaum
By Jason Zweig | Dec. 6, 2019 11:00 am ET
One of Wall Street’s hottest investments lets you participate in most of the gains on stocks while sidestepping some of the losses.
The most important word in that sentence is “some.” If you buy a so-called buffered annuity, your satisfaction will depend on how well you understand that you are protected against some losses, not against all.
These variable annuities are a form of insurance linked to a market index. They trade away a portion of your upside in exchange for protection against some of the downside.…
To read the rest of the column:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-nervous-investors-are-buying-to-feel-brave-11575648002
For further reading:
Books:
Benjamin Graham, The Intelligent Investor
Jason Zweig,The Devil’s Financial Dictionary
Jason Zweig, Your Money and Your Brain
Jason Zweig, The Little Book of Safe Money
Articles and other resources:
Joe Halpern, “Buffered Annuities: Buyer Beware”
Joachim Klement, “The Virtuous Investor: Rule 16”
“Downside Protection Has Its Downsides”
Dreaming You Can Get the Returns of Stocks Without the Risk? Dream On