When you buy an annuity, you put your money in a contract with an annuity provider, usually an insurance company. In return, they give you a guarantee^{See note1} that they'll return the money plus interest or in the form of a reliable income stream.

Read more about the products we offer on our annuities page (opens new window).

Though people often think about annuities as investments, they're actually insurance products. Insurance is all about transferring risk to someone else. When you buy an annuity, you essentially transfer the risk of outliving your money to a life insurance company.

You can fund a USAA annuity with any of these:

• An electronic transfer from a bank account
• 401(k) rollover
• IRA transfer
• A 1035 exchange from an existing annuity

Note that you can't fund an annuity directly with stocks, mutual funds or other investments. You'll have to cash those in first and then have the cash balance sent to USAA to fund the annuity.

After you complete our annuity application, download one of the following forms to fund your USAA annuity:

• Direct Rollover Instructions (Opens in New Window)
• IRA Transfer Form (Opens in New Window)
• 1035 Exchange Form (Opens in New Window)

If you live in New York, use these:

• IRA Transfer Form (Opens in New Window)

Each form will tell you how you can get the completed form and funds back to us.

If you're using a wire transfer to fund a USAA annuity, please be aware that your external financial institution may charge a wiring fee to send us the money. But we don't charge a fee for receiving a wire transfer from an external financial institution.

You can fund it with a transfer from a bank account, 401(k), IRA or existing annuity. Or you could use the cash value of a life insurance policy.

The interest rate credited to your account is based on the performance of the S&P 500® over a particular time period. Dividends aren't included.

If the percentage of the change is positive, we'll credit that percentage to your account up to a maximum amount, which is called the cap rate. If the S&P 500® hasn't gone up, your account value remains the same.

The participation rate for the USAA Fixed Indexed Annuity is 100%. That means you'll receive 100% of the index return percentage up to the cap rate.

On the anniversary of your annuity, the cap rate on your indexed account and the interest rate for your fixed account may change. At that time, we'll also determine any rate changes for the following year. Rates will be at least as high as the guaranteed minimums

You can view our highly competitive rates on our fixed index annuity page.

An immediate annuity, sometimes called an income annuity, lets you quickly turn some of your savings into a reliable stream of income. You put in a lump sum and start receiving payouts within a year. You can choose to get guaranteed payouts for life, a set period, or both (opens new window).

To find out if an immediate annuity is right for you, read more about USAA's single premium immediate annuity (opens new window).

Like its name indicates, an immediate annuity starts paying out right away or within a year.

No. An immediate annuity starts paying out within one year. You can't change, delay or defer payments once they've started.

People often use an immediate annuity to generate enough fixed income to cover their basic monthly expenses. This fixed monthly income can help you pay your bills and avoid running out of money in retirement.

If you're already retired or getting close to retirement, an immediate annuity could be a great option for you. Read more about USAA's single premium immediate annuity.

It depends on the funds you use to buy the annuity. If you buy the annuity with pre-tax funds, then you'll pay federal income tax on all your payouts. But if you buy the annuity with after-tax funds, the IRS recognizes that you've already paid taxes on that money. In that case, you'll only pay federal income tax on the portion of your payouts that's considered earnings. You won't pay taxes on the principal.

A deferred annuity allows you to grow money tax-deferred that you could turn into income in the future. Your money will grow at a fixed rate or a combination of a fixed and market-based rate, depending on the annuity (opens new window). Then, when it comes time to retire, you'll have the option to start receiving guaranteed payouts.

To explore the products we offer, visit our deferred annuity page (opens new window).

A deferred annuity is designed for guaranteed tax-deferred growth. This allows you to accumulate retirement savings and in the future you have the option to turn it into income. An immediate annuity lets you quickly turn some of your retirement savings into a reliable stream of income. Read more about the different products we offer on our annuities page (opens new window).

You can view our highly competitive deferred annuity rates on our deferred annuity page (opens new window).

Yes. After owning your deferred annuity for one year, you can use it to generate income.

One benefit of saving in a deferred annuity is that your money grows tax deferred. Once you withdraw money from the annuity, the earnings will be taxable.

USAA currently offers annuities that are single-premium only. That means you acquire them with a lump sum payment. You could open several single-premium annuities over time. Our Retirement Income Specialists can talk to you about options that might be right for you. Call them at 800-833-9847.

No. Annuities are issued by life insurance companies. They aren't insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC. But there are state-sanctioned guaranty associations in every state that can help protect annuity owners if an insurance company can't pay their debts or bills.

USAA has been providing financial products and services to our members for more than 60 years. With us, you'll get more than just competitive rates. You'll get financial strength and exceptional service too.

We maintain top-tier grades from all three key rating agencies.^{See note2} And we consistently achieve some of the highest scores in customer satisfaction for annuities. Our dedicated Retirement Income Specialists are ready to help you prepare for the retirement you've worked so hard for. To speak with one, call 800-833-9847.

Yes. You can use IRAs to fund an annuity. For example, you can use a traditional IRA to buy an annuity with pre-tax dollars. To learn other ways you can use IRAs to fund an annuity, call a USAA Retirement Income Specialist at 800-833-9847.

It depends on your plan. If you're leaving your employer's plan, you may be able to convert all or part of the funds into an annuity. You can do this by holding it in an IRA that can fund the annuity.

For more information, talk with your employer's retirement plan administrator.

The Critical Care Waiver allows the annuity owner to withdraw funds to pay for qualifying critical care expenses without a surrender charge. After the first contract year and before the annuity date, you can withdraw the lesser of $100,000 or 50% of the annuity's value without a surrender charge. See your contract for additional details. The details of this waiver may vary by state.

Yes. Our annuities come with a joint and survivor payout option. If you choose this option, your annuity—whether it's deferred or immediate—will pay out to both you and your spouse for as long as one of you is alive. Payouts are slightly lower than they would be for just one person because they'll likely last longer.

You can choose your beneficiaries.