Take out a short-term, unsecured loan (a loan without collateral) from your bank or a local credit union. Renting out a room via AirBNB or another website. Sell unwanted items online. Take on an additional part-time job or side gig, such as babysitting, dogsitting, or working retail. Get a Home Equity Loan. These loans will require interest payments, but they might be lower than the penalties you would pay for cashing in an annuity.

If you have an immediate annuity already, you can simply collect your cash installments at the appropriate intervals. Depending on how much cash you require, these installments might be sufficient for your needs. When payments are made, annuities are taxed on the earning portion of the asset, not a return of principal. Additionally, an immediate annuity within a retirement account, like a Roth IRA, can provide penalty-free payments to persons under 59. 5 years of age. [4] X Research source

If you have an immediate annuity already, you can simply collect your cash installments at the appropriate intervals. Depending on how much cash you require, these installments might be sufficient for your needs. When payments are made, annuities are taxed on the earning portion of the asset, not a return of principal. Additionally, an immediate annuity within a retirement account, like a Roth IRA, can provide penalty-free payments to persons under 59. 5 years of age. [4] X Research source

If you have an immediate annuity already, you can simply collect your cash installments at the appropriate intervals. Depending on how much cash you require, these installments might be sufficient for your needs. When payments are made, annuities are taxed on the earning portion of the asset, not a return of principal. Additionally, an immediate annuity within a retirement account, like a Roth IRA, can provide penalty-free payments to persons under 59. 5 years of age. [4] X Research source

Depending on when you purchased your deferred annuity, however, it might be costly for you to pursue the conversion option. Make sure you discuss fees and penalties carefully with your insurance company and your financial advisor before undertaking a conversion.

You will still likely have to pay income tax on a portion or all of the amount you collect. [5] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission Independent U. S. government agency responsible for regulating the securities industry, which includes stocks and options exchanges Go to source While immediate annuities provide an immediate cash flow, they generally pay out less total money than deferred annuities, which have more of an opportunity to grow. [6] X Trustworthy Source Investor. gov Website maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commision’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy providing free resources about investing. Go to source

If your surrender period has passed, you might be able to cash out your annuity without paying too many fees. If your surrender period has not yet passed, you might want to consider the expenses involved before continuing the early withdrawal process.

If your annuity is part of a retirement account and you withdraw your money before you are 59. 5 years old, you will have to pay a 10% early withdrawal fee to the federal government. [9] X Research source If you withdraw your money within the first 5-8 years of purchase, you will likely have to pay a “surrender fee” to your insurance company. The exact fee amount depends on your contract. Many surrender fees begin at about a 7% penalty for the first year after purchase and decrease over time from there. However, some companies might charge a fee as high as 20%. [10] X Research source Cash you receive from annuities counts as income. You will likely have to pay income taxes in addition to the early withdrawal fees and surrender fees. The one exception is that payments from an annuity as part of a Roth IRA are not taxable.

Understand that you are not getting a good deal here because the company you are selling to has to make a profit. Annuity sale prices are reached by discounting a series of future cash flows by some interest rate. Typically, a buyer will use a lower rate than is earned in the annuity to make a profit themselves. This results in a lower sale price for you.

You might want to consider discussing your finances with a financial advisor to ensure that you will use and invest the cash payout properly.

A fixed annuity pays out a predetermined amount at specific intervals over a period of time. This amount is usually based on a specific interest rate applied to your initial investment. [13] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission Independent U. S. government agency responsible for regulating the securities industry, which includes stocks and options exchanges Go to source An indexed annuity provides payment to the investor based on the performance of a stock market index fund (or, a fund that tracks the entire stock market performance). Most indexed annuities, however, have a set minimum for payments even if the index fund performs poorly. [14] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission Independent U. S. government agency responsible for regulating the securities industry, which includes stocks and options exchanges Go to source A variable annuity allows the investor to choose amongst various investment vehicles, usually mutual funds. Your periodic payment will depend upon the performance of these investments. [15] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission Independent U. S. government agency responsible for regulating the securities industry, which includes stocks and options exchanges Go to source

If your annuity is part of a retirement account and you are under 59. 5 years old, you might still have to pay a 10% tax to the federal government, even if you don’t have to pay a penalty to your insurance company.

If your surrender period has passed, you might be able to cash out your annuity without paying too many fees. If your surrender period has not yet passed, you might want to consider the expenses involved before continuing the early withdrawal process.

Be aware that in the long term your annuity is worth much more if you receive structured payments according to the original contract. Talk to your insurance agent to determine the exact worth of your annuity. You may decide to ride out your immediate cash-flow crisis instead of cashing in.

If your annuity is part of a retirement account and you withdraw your money before you are 59. 5 years old, you will have to pay a 10% early withdrawal fee to the federal government. [18] X Research source If you withdraw your money within the first 5-8 years of purchase, you will likely have to pay a “surrender fee” to your insurance company. The exact fee amount depends on your contract. Many surrender fees begin at about a 7% penalty for the first year after purchase and decrease over time from there. However, some companies might charge a fee as high as 20%. [19] X Research source

You might want to consider discussing your finances with a financial advisor to ensure that you will use and invest the cash payout properly.