Annuitization

Annuitization

The reception of monthly payments from an annuity after an accumulation period. Depending on the type of annuity, one may annuitize payments for a period of time or for the remainder of one's life.

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Annuitization. Annuitization means that you convert part or all of the money in a qualified retirement plan or nonqualified annuity contract into a stream of regular income payments, either for your lifetime or the lifetimes of you and your joint annuitant.

Once you choose to annuitize, the payment schedule and the amount is generally fixed and can't be altered.

If you have a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k), you generally have three major options when you retire. You can annuitize, roll over the account balance to an IRA, or take the money all at once as a lump sum distribution.

If you have a nonqualified deferred annuity, you have a choice of annuitizing, taking a lump sum, setting up a systematic withdrawal plan, or arranging some other payout method that the contract allows.