Group Annuity Contract

A group annuity contract is an annuity that’s purchased by a company on behalf of its employees. Many employers include annuities as part of a retirement benefits package to offer their employees a guaranteed stream of income once they stop working.

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APA Annuity.org (2023, November 10). Group Annuity Contract. Retrieved September 5, 2024, from https://www.annuity.org/annuities/types/group-contract/

MLA "Group Annuity Contract." Annuity.org, 10 Nov 2023, https://www.annuity.org/annuities/types/group-contract/.

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What Is a Group Annuity Contract?

A group annuity contract is similar to an individual annuity in that it is designed to offer guaranteed retirement income based on the growth of an initial premium. In the case of a group annuity, the contract itself is held by an employer rather than by the individual who will receive the annuity payments.

Group annuities were initially created as a way to help companies meet the obligations of retired employees who were receiving pensions. The first group annuity contract in the United States was issued by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) in 1921. Before long, employers all over the country were purchasing group annuities to provide for their employees. By 1955, group annuity contract sales totaled over $900 million.

Guaranteed income contracts like group annuities have become even more popular in recent years in the American workforce. The 2021 Lifetime Income Survey from the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America found that over 70% of workers “would choose to work for, or stay with, a company that offers access to guaranteed lifetime income in retirement over one that does not.”