Many investments (such as annuities, cash value life insurance and B share mutual funds) have surrender charges; a fee that is imposed if you cash in your investment before the required amount of time has passed.
These products can be useful tools, when used appropriately, but unfortunately they are often sold by an insurance person or financial representative who is around for a few years and then moves on to a new type of sales job.
Frequently someone will come into my office a few years after having purchased such a product, wondering what to do with it now that their sales-person-disguised-as-financial-advisor has left the business.
We take an objective look at the situation, but rarely, rarely, rarely does it make sense to cash in the investment while you still have to pay a surrender charge.
Why?
The surrender charge is subsidizing the commission that was paid to the salesperson. If amortized over many years, the charge has a minor impact on the overall investment performance, but if you have to pay a large surrender charge after only a few years, it has a large, unfavorable impact.
Any time someone suggests you pay a surrender charge to get out of one investment or insurance product and move money into something new I’d suggest you get a second opinion; an objective opinion from a fee-only advisor who accepts no commissions.
In conclusion, 97% of the time I would wait it out. Perhaps 3% of the time I encounter a situation where it actually makes sense for someone to pay the surrender charge.
What Would I Do… Pay The Surrender Charge Or Wait It Out? originally appeared on About.com Money Over 55 on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 21:29:15.
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