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Independent Review of the Massachusetts Mutual Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA Annuity

What’s Covered In This Review

In this review, we will be discussing the following details on the Mass Mutual Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA annuity:
  • Product typeIndependent Review of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Stable Voyage 5 Year Single Premium Fixed Deferred Annuity
  • Fees
  • Current rates
  • Realistic long-term return expectations
  • How this annuity is best used
  • How it is most poorly used

Annuities can be complex. That’s where having an Annuity Investigator who loves math comes in. We make the complex, simple.

If you have been considering the purchase of an annuity so that you can experience tax-advantaged savings, as well as an ongoing income in retirement – regardless of how long you may need it – then the Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA annuity from Mass Mutual could be a viable option for you. But, prior to running out and committing to this annuity – or for that matter, any annuity – you really should have a more in-depth knowledge of how the product works, and how it may or may not fit into your overall financial situation. For the past several years, we have seen a vast increase in the demand for annuities. Part of this is due to the volatile stock market, which could render your hard-earned savings lost if a “correction” occurs. In addition, because annuities can provide a lifetime income in the future, they can alleviate the worry about running out of income when you need it. However, due to the increased popularity of annuities lately, many insurance companies have been coming up with new products, which will oftentimes include a long list of features and benefits – as well as confusion, both for consumers and financial advisors who offer them. So, unless the financial or insurance advisor you work with has a key focus on offering annuities, you should really read over the “fine print” before making a long-term commitment.

Annuity and Retirement Income Planning Information You Can Trust

If this is your first visit to our website, then please allow us to personally welcome you here to AnnuityGator.com. We make up a team of annuity pros who focus on offering very comprehensive – and unbiased – annuity reviews. We have been at this for quite a few years now – longer than our competitors. And, because of the in-depth reviews that we provide, we have become a highly trusted source of annuity information.Independent Review of the Massachusetts Mutual Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA Annuity Over the past several years, however, there has also been a number of “copycat” websites that have popped up on the Internet. While some of these can give you information about annuities, what you are likely to find is that they are oftentimes just simply reiterating what our information already clearly shows. As you’ve been reviewing annuities online, you also may have come across many conflicting details about these products. This, however, is not really all that surprising, as there are a myriad of annuity products, along with just as many – if not more – opinions about them. In doing so, it is probable that you have encountered some of the annuity marketing sites that, for the most part, will try their best to lure you in by making some pretty bold claims, such as:
  • High Annuity Income Payouts
  • Guaranteed Income for Life
  • Top-Rated Annuity Carriers
  • Low Fees
Sound familiar? Yet, as enticing as claims like these may be, it makes it all the more necessary that you first make sure that they are valid before you plunk down a large chunk of your hard-earned retirement savings. Otherwise, it could be extremely difficult, and costly, if you try to take your money out if you change your mind. If you have been seeking additional details about the Massachusetts Mutual Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA annuity, then you are in the right place. In fact, we dare state that this is the only place where you can get all of the information that you need for making a well-informed buying decision about this annuity. In order to be perfectly clear, we want to state for the record that we believe annuities can be a good financial option for some people – provided that they fit in with your other short- and long-term financial strategies. So, if you are ready to begin, let’s dive in!

Massachusetts Mutual Odyssey Select 7 MYGA Annuity at a Glance

Product NameOdyssey Select 7-Year
IssuerMassachusetts Mutual
Type of ProductMYGA (Multi-Year Guarantee) / Fixed Annuity
S&P RatingAA+ (Very Strong), as of October 11, 2017
Phone Number(800) 272-2216
Websitehttps://www.massmutual.com

Opening Thoughts on the Massachusetts Mutual Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA Annuity

Massachusetts Life (or Mass Mutual) has been in the business of helping customers to build and protect wealth since 1851. The company offers a long list of financial and insurance products, including life insurance and retirement annuities, which are distributed via more than 9,500 advisors. As of year-end 2016, Mass Mutual had approximately $560 billion of life insurance in force. The insurer delivered $5 billion in benefits to its customers just in 2016. The company has earned very high ratings from the insurer rating agencies, including a(n):
  • A++ (Superior) from A.M. Best Company (#1 out of a total of 15 rating categories)
  • AA+ (Very Strong) from Fitch (#2 out of a total of 21 categories)
  • Aa2 (Excellent) from Moody’s Investor Services (#3 out of a total of 21 categories)
  • AA+ (Very Strong) from Standard & Poor’s (#2 out of a total of 21 rating categories)
Given these figures, suffice it to say that Mass Mutual is financially strong and stable and that it has a good reputation for paying out its policyholders’ claims. The company will likely continue to do so, particularly in the area of fixed and fixed indexed annuities, as these products have become much more popular over the past decade or so. With fixed annuities, for instance, you know that your funds will be safe while growing at a set rate of interest, as well as in a tax-deferred manner. This means that there is no tax due on the gain until the time of withdrawal. On the other hand, because of the low-interest rate environment we’ve been stuck in for roughly ten years, it may be difficult for your money that it is a fixed annuity to meet – much less beat – future inflation. This, in turn, can have a negative impact on your future purchasing power, especially if you plan to use the income from this annuity as a prominent portion of your retirement income.

Before we get into the gritty details, here are some necessary legal disclosures…

This is an independent annuity product review. It is not a recommendation to purchase or to sell an annuity. Mass Mutual has not endorsed this review in any way, nor do we receive any type of compensation for providing this review. This annuity review is meant solely to be an independent review at the request of our readers so that they may see our perspective when breaking down the positives and the negatives of this particular annuity. Prior to committing to the purchase of any type of insurance and/or investment vehicle, it is critical that you do your own due diligence, and that you also talk with a properly licensed professional if you have any questions that relate to your specific situation. All of the names, materials, and marks that have been used in compiling this annuity review are the property of their respective owners. For additional information on how to compare fixed annuities so that you can decide which may be the best one for you, click here in order to obtain our free annuity report.

How Massachusetts Mutual Describes the Odyssey Select 7-Year MYGA Annuity

Mass Mutual describes the Odyssey Select annuity as a financial vehicle that is specifically designed for conservative investors. This is because fixed annuities offer unique features that can provide growth, income, and peace of mind. The Odyssey annuity offers the following key benefits:
  • Guaranteed fixed interest rates
  • Steady growth
  • Liquidity
  • Death benefit protection
  • The ability to generate income for life
This annuity provides a two-year interest rate guarantee with each contract purchase payment you make. This interest rate is referred to as the “base rate.” Each time you make a purchase payment, the base rate that is applicable at that time will apply (which means that your base rate for different purchase payments into the annuity may differ). In years 1 through 4, Mass Mutual may offer an enhanced interest rate on individual purchase payments that are received. If an enhanced rate is offered on a purchase payment, it would be based on rates that are in effect for one year from that date. Once the two-year interest rate guarantee period ends, interest will then be credited to the purchase payment at a renewal rate for a period of time that Mass Mutual will determine. (At this time, renewal rates are guaranteed for one year – and these rates could be either higher or lower than the initial base rate). As with other annuities, the Odyssey Select allows your funds in the account to grow on a tax-deferred basis. This means that there is no tax due on the gain until the time of withdrawal – which could allow your money to grow and compound exponentially over time. This annuity has a couple of other “bells and whistles” on it, such as a death benefit, as well as a nursing home and hospital waiver, and a terminal illness waiver. With the death benefit, if the annuitant should die during the accumulation phase of the annuity (i.e., before the contract has been converted over into an income stream), then the funds will be paid out to a named beneficiary. Any death benefit that is payable during the annuity payout phase would be based on the annuity payout option that is selected. The terminal illness waiver allows you to withdraw some or all of the annuity’s contract value without incurring a surrender charge. Likewise, if you are confined to a licensed nursing home or an accredited hospital for an extended period of time, you can also access some or all of the annuity’s contract value without a surrender penalty. For all of the in-depth details on this annuity, you can take a look at the product brochure HERE.

How an Insurance or Financial Advisor Might “Pitch” this Annuity

Because so many people who are preparing for retirement are concerned about growing their savings, while at the same time keeping their principal safe, it is possible that an insurance or financial advisor would present this annuity as a vehicle for accomplishing both of those goals. Plus, there is also the option to choose income for life with this product, either for just one individual or for two individuals. However, while it may be nice to know that your interest rate will be guaranteed (at least for a certain period of time) and that your principal won’t decrease, there are definitely some “tradeoffs” that you need to consider. For example, given that we have been living in a painfully low-interest rate environment over the past decade or so, fixed-rate products such as this one won’t likely allow you to meet – much less beat – future inflation. This means that you may be required to cut back on purchasing the things that you need in retirement. But is that really why you worked so hard to save all your life? Probably not. And then there are the fees….

What About the Fees on the Odyssey Select 7 Annuity from Mass Mutual?

With just about any financial product that you consider, you’re likely to run into at least some type of charges or fees. Annuities are no exception. In this case, they primarily come into play if you should decide to withdraw your money from the annuity. For example, even though you are allowed to withdraw up to 10% of the contract’s value each year penalty-free during the “surrender period,” if you take out more than that, you’ll be hit with a charge. In the case of the Odyssey Select 7 annuity option from Mass Mutual, these surrender fees will last for a full 7 years.

Odyssey Select 7 Surrender Charge Schedule

Contract Year12345678+
Charge %88765430
And here’s something else that you need to be mindful of if you’re considering this annuity. There is also an Odyssey Select 9 MYGA annuity offered by Mass Mutual. This option has a surrender charge of nine years. Independent Review of the Massachusetts Mutual Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA Annuity If you are leaning towards this annuity from Mass Mutual, it is important that you know that the surrender period you choose will also determine the interest rate that is credited to your contract. In this case, the longer the surrender charge period, the higher the interest rate that is credited. With that in mind, be sure that you have your intended retirement time horizon included in your decision.

The Annuity Gator’s End Take on the Mass Mutual Odyssey Select 7-Year MYGA Annuity

Where this annuity works the best:
  • If you want principal protection
  • If you are seeking an interest rate guarantee
  • If you plan to use the guaranteed income feature
Where this annuity works the worst:
  • If you want the opportunity for a higher rate of return
  • If you need access to your money penalty-free within the first seven years
  • If you do not plan to use the income feature

In Summary

There are many different factors that need to be considered with you are thinking about the purchase of an annuity. For example, just some of these include the annuity’s ability to grow your money, as well as the way in which it protects your principal. Also, because many people purchase annuities in order to attain a long-term (or even a lifetime) income in retirement, this too is a key criterion. Plus, even though many annuities will offer additional features by way of adding a rider, these will oftentimes have an added cost, which in turn, can affect your overall return. If you are considering the purchase of the Massachusetts Mutual Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA annuity, then you can ensure that your money will be safe, regardless of what occurs in the stock market. You can also be sure that you will receive income in the future – possibly even for your entire lifetime, as well as the lifetime of another individual that you choose. But, even with all of the nice features that this annuity can provide for you, there may still be a better alternative out there for you – particularly if you are seeking the opportunity for a higher rate of return. All in all, the only way to really be sure of whether or not the Mass Mutual Odyssey Select 7 annuity is right for you is to have it tested. We can do that for you, and provide you with a spreadsheet that is based on your specific situation. If you would like to run these numbers, just simply let us know by contacting us through our secure online form here.

Any Additional Questions About This Annuity? Did You See Any Mistakes?

While we do realize that this annuity review was somewhat lengthy, we also would prefer to “err” on the side of offering you “too much” information about this annuity than not providing you with enough. That being said, if you felt that this annuity review was helpful for you, then by all means, please feel free to pass it along and share it with anyone else whom you think would also benefit from it. If, however, this review led you to have even more questions, please let us know. Are there any other annuities You would like to have us review? No problem! We know that there are lots of annuities out there. So, if there is one that we have missed, and you would like to see a more in-depth review written about it, please let us know that, too and our team of annuity geeks will get on the case asap. And, please be sure to check back in soon to view any of our new and updated information. Best, The Annuity Gator Independent Review of the Massachusetts Mutual Odyssey Select 7 Year MYGA Annuity  

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