Life insurance generally pays the entire face amount to a beneficiary upon the death of the Insured, regardless of how many premiums have been paid.
Annuities generally take the premium paid in, and pay it back to the annuity holder, with interest.
That being said, there are cash value life insurance policies where the policy holder can use the money while still alive. There are annuities that pay a guaranteed death benefit. In other words, there are ways that life insurance policies and annuities can overlap, depending on the type of policy you get. But the general difference in design is as stated above.
Business Development Officer, T.D. McNeil Insurance Services, Fresno, California
Both a life insurance policy and an annuity are designed by and sold by life insurance companies. They use the same information but solve different problems. The life insurance policy is designed to assist those left behind by the death of the insured. They solve the problem of dying too soon. The annuity on the other hand, pays a regular benefit to the annuitant for their entire lifetime thus solving the problem of living too long.
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Annuities generally take the premium paid in, and pay it back to the annuity holder, with interest.
That being said, there are cash value life insurance policies where the policy holder can use the money while still alive. There are annuities that pay a guaranteed death benefit. In other words, there are ways that life insurance policies and annuities can overlap, depending on the type of policy you get. But the general difference in design is as stated above.