AgeUp Review | Low-Cost Deferred Income Annuities

AgeUp is a deferred income annuity product offered by Haven Life Insurance Agency. By purchasing an AgeUp policy, children can guarantee a steady income stream for their parents or loved ones should they live into their 90s.

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), about one-third of today’s 65-year olds will live to age 90 and another one in seven will live past age 95. Yet a 2019 study by the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) found that only 55% of Baby Boomers had any money saved for retirement. These statistics show that a retirement savings crisis could be looming for an aging United States population.

With AgeUp, you can give your loved ones financial protection in their golden years while avoiding some of the hefty fees and minimum payment requirements that give annuities a bad rap. Keep reading our full AgeUp review to learn more about how these deferred income annuities work.

Who Is AgeUp?

AgeUp is an annuity product put out by Haven Life and issued by its parent company MassMutual Life Insurance Company. MassMutual has been in business since 1851 and is rated A++ for financial strength by A.M. Best, an insurance rating agency. Haven Life is known for its affordable term life insurance products.

What Do They Offer?

AgeUp is an annuity product meant to provide additional income for people who live past 90.  The AgeUp annuity is meant to fill the income gap left by the small amount of social security and people who are living much longer.

Note that AgeUp is not meant to replace retirement income but instead supplement it. The annuity has targeted payout dates for those ages 91-100. AgeUp can be bought for yourself (if you're 50-75 years old) or your parents.

Monthly premiums/contributions range from $25 per month to $250 per month, making AgeUp more affordable compared to other annuities that require an upfront payment of $10,000.

Plan Types

The annuity has two purchase options — death benefit or lifetime income. 

• Death benefit option: Pays out a lower monthly amount. If your parent passes before the selected payout age, paid-in contributions will be returned.
• Lifetime income option: Monthly payouts are higher. If your parent passes before the selected payout age, you'll forfeit a refund.

But once you choose between higher monthly payments or death benefit, you can’t change it once the product is purchased. You can, however, increase, decrease, or pause your monthly premiums. With either option, there are no restrictions on how money from monthly payouts can be spent. 

No Cash Value

AgeUp is not a liquid product. Meaning, if you need to withdraw money at some point from your AgeUp annuity, that won’t be possible. There is no cash value with the AgeUp annuity. You’ll simply have to wait for the payouts to start or for the death benefit to become available.

Premiums are paid until 13 months before the target payout date. Note that if your loved one dies before the target payout age and you choose “death before payout age,” you’ll receive all of your premiums. The amount you receive back won’t be the exact amount you paid in since you’ll also need to account for the annuity’s fees.

If your loved one reaches the target payout age but passes, your returned contributions will be smaller. And if you chose the high monthly payout option and your loved passes before reaching the payout age, you’d lose all of your premiums.

Payout Amounts

Below are some example monthly payouts based on $50 per month contributions for a 50-year old woman.

And here's a sample payout schedule for a 60-year-old man:

You can see that if you choose the early death benefit, the monthly payout will be less. Also, the later the trigger age, the higher the monthly payment will be.

Are There Any Fees?

Like any insurance product, you can expect there to be fees associated with the AgeUp annuity. Unfortunately, AgeUp does not currently publish a fee schedule on its website.

This is something that you'll want to discuss in detail with an AgeUp team member if you decide to move forward after receiving your online estimate.

Related: Why Term Life Insurance Is Better Than Whole Life Insurance

How Does AgeUp Compare?

When compared to traditional brokerage account, an AgeUp annuity is going to be more expensive and less flexible. But if you don't want to avoid any risk of investment loss a deferred income annuity from AgeUp or another company could be worth considering.

If you're looking for alternatives to AgeUp's deferred income annuities, you might want to look at the plans offered by Blueprint and Fidelity as both of these companies have solid reputations. Here's a quick look at how AgeUp stacks up to the competitions:

How Do I Buy A Plan?

You can sign up online at https://age-up.com. Currently, AgeUp is available in 44 states. If AgeUp is not available in your state, you can get on the waiting list here.

You or your loved one must be between the age of 50 to 75 to open the annuity. The application process is completely online and takes a few minutes to complete. No medical exam is required.

Is My Money Safe?

While AgeUp is not FDIC-insured, it's an annuity, which means that Haven Life is obligated to provide the income promised in your insurance contract as long as they are financially viable.

AgeUp annuities are issued by Haven Life’s parent company, MassMutual, which has an A++ financial rating from A.M. Best as of June 25, 2021.

How Do I Contact AgeUp?

You can reach AgeUp at 888-452-4387, help@age-up.com, or by scheduling a one-on-one call with one of their team members. You can also chat through the Age-up.com website.

As a Haven Life company, AgeUp doesn't have its own Trustpilot or Better Business Bureau (BBB) profiles. But Haven Life's scores are excellent. It's currently rated 4.8/5 out of over 1,000 reviews on Trustpilot and its BBB rating is A+.

Is It Worth It?

An annuity provides a reliable stream of income that won't fluctuate like a 401(k) that has its funds invested in the stock market. If the reliability of an annuity appeals to you, its low premiums and low minimum payment requirements could make AgeUp one of your best choices.

However, annuities are insurance products. And the fees on these products can be extremely high and also very well-hidden. Make sure you understand all of the fees involved before purchasing and compare them with other low-cost annuity products like Blueprint Income.

Finally, if you’re ok with weathering some ups and downs, you may be better off investing those monthly payments in a well-diversified index fund or ETF instead. That way you’d be able to access the money at any time, not just after your parents reach age 90. Here are the best online stock brokers according to our readers.

AgeUp FAQs

Let's answer a few of the most common questions that people ask about AgeUp:

Is AgeUp legit?

Yes, AgeUp is a subsidiary of well-known life insurance seller Haven Life and is backed by MassMutual, which is an A++ rated insurer.

Does AgeUp sell term life insurance?

No, but AgeUp's parent company, Haven Life, does.

Why do women receive lower monthly payouts from AgeUp?

Women receive slightly lower monthly payouts on their plans because they have longer life expectancies.

Can I change my monthly premium with AgeUp?

Yes, premiums are completely flexible and can be raised or lowered at any time. You can even pause payments indefinitely during periods that you can't afford them.

Could I receive a higher payout with AgeUp if the stock market does well?

No, in exchange for being shielded from market risk, AgeUp customers forfeit any opportunity to participate in market upside.

AgeUp Features