Guaranteed Investment Contract

Guaranteed investment contract (GIC)

 A pure investment product in which a life company agrees, for a single premium, to pay at a maturity date the principal amount of a predetermined annual crediting (interest) rate over the life of the investment.

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guaranteed investment contract (GIC)

An investment product sold by life insurance companies that guarantees a return for a specific length of time on a large, lump-sum premium. Most GICs are funded by transfers from some other pension plan. The return of principal is dependent on the insurance company's ability to satisfy its obligation.

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Guaranteed Investment Contract

A pension plan purchased through a bank or an insurance company for a lump sum in which the principal is guaranteed by the issuer. One may receive payments from a GIC either in installments or as a lump sum after retirement. A GIC provides the pensioner with a small interest rate that is not guaranteed, but the fact that the principal is guaranteed makes it a relatively low-risk investment.

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Guaranteed investment contract (GIC). A guaranteed investment contract, or GIC (pronounced gick), promises to preserve your principal and to provide a fixed rate of return when you begin to withdraw from the contract, typically after you retire.

You can invest in a GIC through a salary reduction plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b) sponsored by your employer, provided that investment option is offered.

Because of their fixed rates, GICs are vulnerable to inflation. And you may have to pay a penalty if you decide to change from a GIC to a different investment.

Insurance companies that offer GICs assume the risk that the rate they earn on their investments will outperform the rates they've guaranteed on the GICs.