Death Benefit
If the annuitant dies during the accumulation period, before the insurance company has begun payments, if the contract so specifies, a beneficiary will receive the payments. This is called a death benefit. The payment the beneficiary receives will equal the total amount invested and any additional earnings from the annuity. If the annuity lost money, the beneficiary will receive the total amount invested. The beneficiary is responsible for paying income taxes on the earnings.
The annuitant may a