At the simplest level, the way an annuity works, is that when you retire you use the pension fund you have accumulated in order to buy an annuity. This annuity is bought, essentially in exchange for an income that you will receive for the rest of your life. An annuity calculator can be useful here. An annuity can operate both as an investment and as a way to effectively manage your money.

This all relies however on the proper functioning of the annuities market, which like all other markets at the moment, is not at its most stable. Logically then, you may feel a bit more apprehensive about the choice to take out an annuity and then of course, which annuity product to decide on.

Finding the right annuity is really about good educated research and knowing what your options are. There are many websites and experts that can help you make an informed decision but you might like to know what you can expect. And this is where an annuities calculator comes in. An annuities calculator can provide a quick bit of information on the level of income that you can expect based on what the size of your pension fund is as well as other factors mentioned later. The choice to take out an annuity is a very popular one in the UK.

What you want then is the best possible annuity rate and this will take some shopping around, where the annuities calculator can also be helpful is to see how including and excluding certain options can change the annuity rate. For example increasing your income or adding a period of a guaranteed minimum payment can change the annuity rate.

The annuities calculator will ask for a few necessary details. These will include your age, gender, fund size and then all you have to do is to click the calculate button. The income you will receive from your annuity will be founded on choice that will give you the highest income; however, you can play around with the options to see what other choices you might have such as a single life annuity or joint life annuity.

An annuities calculator is not the be all and end all in the quest to your annuity rate, it is used as a preferred guidance tool and to give you an idea of the best annuity rates that you can find, and the options that you have available to you. It is a research tool, not a guarantee and the same is true of calling in a query.