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- Phone : 1-888-469-4940
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- Global Rating
- Very Good
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Established in 2016 by Terry Heys, Annuity Gator offer some of the best reviews of annuities products American investors can ask for. The team has been working on its mission to help investors retire earlier and with more safety and security than ever before by facilitating fantastic deals with insurance companies to provide you with great options for annuities.
Take a look at the review charts and the content we’ve crafted and see if Annuity Gator is right for you.
Pros:
- Free virtual consultations
- Great reviews
- Transparent advice
Cons:
- No publicly listed commission rates
Terry Heys and his staff have done a great job of branding Annuity Gator and helping him become one of the top annuities companies in America. There are plenty of products to choose from and they fit into the four specific categories.
The company’s website does a very good job of educating consumers about annuities in the different options that are available.
That’s why we here at Sophisticated Investor invite you to take a look at this review. You’ll learn more about the team behind the company, more about the motivation behind the company’s approach to educating you, and more about which kind of annuity suits you the best.
You’ll also get a sense of what real customers think about working with Annuity Gator so that you can make the most informed decision possible.
Table of Contents
What is Annuity Gator?
Annuity Gator educates investors on the benefits and advantages of choosing to invest in annuities. The company is not an annuities broker and it’s not an insurance company. Annuity Gator prides itself on allowing consumers to search for the best products, provide users with in-depth reviews on annuities products and ultimately helps you make a purchase.
Annuities Gator is not a financial institution in the truest sense. Like most companies that are focused on building a brand in the industry, they sell annuities contracts to investors like you through major insurance companies like Fidelity Investments, Prudential and other large American brands.
Still, the team at Annuity Gator is supported by a large staff and it’s one of the best resources to check out in terms of doing your own research and understanding whether or not annuities investing should be part of your broader investment portfolio.
Founder and Management Team at Annuity Gator
Terry Heys is the President and CEO of Annuity Gator.
Terry Heys, President and CEO, Annuity Gator
Terry Heys, President and CEO, Annuity Gator
Heys is leading a team of annuity advisors at the company. Is committed to educating investors on how annuities work and how they can be a beneficial an important part of any robust retirement strategy. He’s not just talking about it, Heys has 25 years of experience in retirement planning and is often featured in various media outlets as an expert on the subject.
Working alongside the rest of the staff, Terry leads a countless number of annuities advisors giving investors the best deals they can get across America.
Jessica Brown, Operations Manager, Annuity Gator
Jessica Brown, Operations Manager, Annuity Gator
Brown make sure that everything Annuity Gator does on a day-to-day basis is running smoothly whether it’s online or off-line. She provides high level support with regard to content creation and marketing, human resources and the company’s management systems.
Francisco Durazo, Director of Technology, Annuity Gator
Durazo does everything possible to make sure Annuity Gator is able to integrate automation and real people into the businesses day-to-day processes. Ultimately his job is to do with any technology specialist does. That’s to optimize processes and implement them to make the business function better. He also supports advisors who need access to information and the best technology tools related to investing.
Francisco Durazo, Director of Technology, Annuity Gator
Cynthia Gonzalez, Client Happiness Manager, Annuity Gator
Gonzalez is the first line of contact for prospects and existing customers at Annuity Gator. She answers questions and guides people through the technical aspects and commonly asked questions they have about annuities. Prior to joining the company, Gonzalez spent six years working as a teacher, so she’s able to help the company plan out an educational journey for prospects that ultimately turns them into annuities investors.
Cynthia Gonzalez, Client Happiness Manager, Annuity Gator
Types of Annuity Investments Offered at Annuity Gator
There are four different types of annuities that annuity gator promotes. The types of annuities themselves fit into these distinct categories regardless of which provider you are going through:
- Immediate annuities
- Deferred annuities
- Fixed annuities
- Variable annuities
Immediate Annuities
An immediate annuity allows you to invest your money using a lump sum and experience income benefits right away, meaning that you can do paid within 30 days of investing. This kind of annuity is ideal for somebody who is already retired are just about to start retirement wants to guarantee themselves monthly income for an extended period of time.
Deferred Annuities
A deferred annuity allows you to defer receiving income until a specified period of time. This kind of annuity is ideal for someone who might be a few years away from retirement, but wants to let their income benefits accrue over that time in a tax-deferred manner. Inside any tax-deferred investment instrument, you only pay taxes when you withdraw or benefit from your income. The added advantage to a deferred annuity than is the fact that you continue to compound the interest and only start to withdraw a few years from that point when you’re ready to use the income.
Fixed Annuities
Fixed annuities offer you the opportunity to earn the same interest rate year-over-year. This is perfect for somebody that knows they need a set amount of money every month or every year and doesn’t want to take too much of a risk. One of the key benefits of any annuities product is the fact that you don’t have to deal with the downside of the market and you’re guaranteed a certain rate, and a fixed rate annuity also guarantees the upside. This means that you can earn 3% per year if you want to or 5% per year if you want to as long as you agree to the terms and conditions, such as any surrendering fees that may apply. The downside of this kind of annuity is that annuities companies typically don’t pay out more than 5% for this kind of an annuity.
Variable Annuity
A variable annuity gives you exposure to high growth opportunities but limits risk. You get the benefits of being exposed to the market through index funds, but you don’t have to pay commissions to stockbrokers. Instead the insurance company servicing your annuity takes care of you. Annuity Gator gets paid through those insurance companies, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Pricing and Fees
As is always the case with companies specializing in selling annuities to investors like you, Annuity Gator doesn’t charge customers and upfront commission fee. They don’t even list pricing and fees on their website, which is also very common. Although they promise not to pressure prospective customers into buying, they also promise to be upfront with you about the features, advantages, benefits and fees for the specific annuities products you choose when you’re on the phone with them.
Since insurance companies are responsible for backing annuities and guaranteeing the rates that come with the specific product, they are also the ones responsible for paying out commission to the annuities dealer and thus, the dealer doesn’t draw their fees from you the investor. Instead, they take their fees from the insurance company.
But still, no matter how you slice it, you should know that Annuity Gator charges some of the lowest fees in the industry based on the great relationships the organization has built with insurers.
Customer Reviews
Annuity Gator rates very well when it comes to customer reviews. As of Q4 2023, the company has garnered no less than 359 reviews on TrustPilot and ranks a 4.8 out of five stars. That’s a very good rating for the company especially in the annuities niche. It’s an industry and a sector of finance that very few people understand how to utilize. Of those 359 reviews, no less than 81% of reviewers rate Annuity Gator a perfect five out of five and an Excellent in every aspect.
RetirementLiving.com rates Annuity Gator a 4.6 out of five stars.
Annuity Gator does not have an updated Better Business Bureau profile or a Business Consumer Alliance profile. That’s okay in this case, because most of the annuities companies being reviewed here at Sophisticated Investor don’t have profiles on either site. Those particular review sites are more popular in other niches like precious metals or Bitcoin investing. Annuity Gator also has an active social media presence, with LinkedIn blog posts published as recently as summer 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions investors have about dealing with Annuity Gator for their annuities investing. Remember, you always have the option to get in contact and ask more questions before you do business with the company.
How do I know annuity investing is right for me?
The only way to know if annuities investing is right for you is to have a financial professional help you conduct a proper financial review. Most people should undergo a financial review at least once a year if not every six months. In order to do some sort of self-evaluation, you need to ask yourself some questions and answer them honestly.
- How many years are you away from retirement?
- If you’re currently in retirement, consider what kinds of things you plan to do and how much you need every month to make all of those things possible financially.
- How is the rest of your investment portfolio performing and how is that affecting your decision to look at annuities?
- Is your portfolio diverse?
- What do you want to leave behind financially after living out your golden years?
How are fixed annuity rates guaranteed?
Insurance companies pay a commission to companies like Annuity Gator just for selling you the annuity. They engage in computing profits based on complicated mathematical formulas that enable the insurance company to guarantee itself a profit while serving a large number of investors. They are able to guarantee annuity rates because they do what most insurance companies do best. They manage their risk and consider yours.
Is an annuity locked in for a pre-determined amount of time?
The answer to this question is it depends. Some annuities let you withdraw and surrender without a fee and others don’t. The more flexibility you’re willing to give up and investing, generally speaking the better your rates of return will be. That makes sense because anytime you give money to an investing company or insurance company, their job is to try to make themselves some money off of your money and also give you a return.
Generally speaking annuities pay between 3%-5% per year and they may or may not charge you to get out of your agreements early
Will Annuities Lower My Income Tax?
Since growth in an annuity is tax deferred, you can save on taxes in terms of continuing to earn compound interest on your principal year-over-year until you’re ready to withdraw money and actually use it for your retirement.
Lowering your income tax via contribution means investing within an IRA account. So by extension if your annuity is contained within an IRA account, you’ll be able to lower your income tax. Keep in mind however that we are talking about a vehicle that is tax deferred, meaning that when you’re ready to use your money you will have to pay out a chunk of it to the IRS.
Should You Invest with Annuity Gator?
There’s no question about it, Annuity Gator has certainly done a fantastic job of securing the confidence of consumers through its offerings. The leadership team clearly has its sights set on being the best annuities provider it can be.
Annuity Gator also has a significant number of positive reviews on multiple review platforms. It’s always a bonus one word-of-mouth advertising drives new business for a company, but it’s also beneficial for people like you reading up on information and looking to see what real customers think about Annuity Gator.
So it’s with that being said that we provide our stamp of approval on investors looking to pad their nest egg with a solid annuity product. But as always, we recommend taking a look at other reviews before you make your final decision.
- Phone : 1-888-469-4940
- URL :
- Global Rating
- Very Good
User Rating
- 0 No reviews yet!
Established in 2016 by Terry Heys, Annuity Gator offer some of the best reviews of annuities products American investors can ask for. The team has been working on its mission to help investors retire earlier and with more safety and security than ever before by facilitating fantastic deals with insurance companies to provide you with great options for annuities.
Take a look at the review charts and the content we’ve crafted and see if Annuity Gator is right for you.
