Ioannis Kyprianou

ACCA-qualified accountant

Ioannis Kyprianou is an ACCA-qualified accountant who writes the annuities, structured settlements, and retirement guides on Annuity Compass.

His focus is translating the parts of personal finance that are usually buried in product disclosures and tax rules into plain English: how annuity payouts are actually calculated, what a structured settlement is really worth before fees, and how retirement accounts are taxed when you draw on them.

Every guide is researched from primary sources — regulator and government material, product disclosures, and published rate filings. Figures are presented as clearly-labelled illustrative examples rather than guarantees, because rates and tax rules change. None of it is personal financial advice; it is education to help you ask better questions before you talk to a licensed professional.

Guides by Ioannis

Annuitant: what the role means and how it differs from the owner

Pain and suffering settlement: how it is valued, taxed and paid

Excess Roth IRA contribution: how to fix it and avoid the 6% tax

Bonus annuity: how premium bonuses work and what they really cost

ABLE account vs special needs trust: which protects a settlement?

Spousal rollover IRA: your options when you inherit from a spouse

Fixed vs variable annuity: how the risk, costs and rules differ

Pooled special needs trust: how it protects a settlement and benefits

Roth IRA conversion deadline: why December 31 is the date that counts

Annuity RMD rules: when annuities need required minimum distributions

Personal injury settlement: how the money is paid, taxed and protected

Defined benefit plan: how pension formulas, vesting and payouts work

Can you borrow from an annuity? Loans, pledges and the tax rules behind them

Minor's compromise: how courts approve a child's injury settlement

401(k) vesting: schedules, years of service and what you keep when you leave

Cash refund annuity: how it works and how it compares with installment refund

Life insurance settlement options: lump sum, installments or lifetime income

Profit sharing plan: how it works, allocation formulas and your withdrawal options

Straight life annuity: how life-only payouts work and what they cost

Settlement planner: what they do, how they are paid and when to hire one

Pro rata rule: how the IRS taxes IRA conversions and withdrawals

Annuity withdrawal rules: contract limits, taxes and the 59½ penalty

Mass tort settlement: how the money is divided and when you get paid

401(k) loan: how much you can borrow, repayment rules and the real cost

Annuity vs bonds: how fixed annuities and bonds really compare

Lottery annuity vs lump sum: how to compare the two payout options

401(k) hardship withdrawal: the rules, the tax bill and the alternatives

Annuity due vs ordinary annuity: what the timing difference actually costs

Viatical settlement: selling a life insurance policy when you are terminally ill

Safe harbor 401(k): how the testing exemption works and what it costs

Pension risk transfer: what changes when your pension becomes an annuity

Settlement release agreement: the document that ends your case

In-plan Roth conversion: moving 401(k) money to Roth without leaving the plan

Charitable remainder annuity trust: how a CRAT pays you and what the charity gets

Contingency fee agreement: what your lawyer's percentage really costs you

QDRO: how retirement accounts are actually divided in a divorce

Annuity Payout Options: How the Six Main Choices Compare

Class Action Settlement Notice: What It Means and Your Four Options

Trust as IRA Beneficiary: When It Works and What It Costs

Annuity vs Mutual Fund: How the Tax, Cost and Protection Really Differ

Qualified Settlement Fund: How an IRC §468B Fund Buys Claimants Time to Plan

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation: How a NQDC Plan Works and What You Give Up

Annuity commissions: how the person selling you one actually gets paid

Pre-settlement funding: what a lawsuit advance really costs you

Social Security earnings test: what happens when you claim early and keep working

Are annuities safe? The five risks, and which ones a guarantee covers

I have a structured settlement and I need cash now: what actually works

Asset location strategy: which account should hold which investment

Annuity participation rate: what it is and how it limits your credit

Why is a structured settlement company calling me?

Tax torpedo: how Social Security taxation lifts your real marginal rate

Annuity free look period: how the cancellation window works

Life contingent structured settlement payments: what changes when payments stop at death

Roth conversion ladder: how the five-year clocks actually work

Flexible premium deferred annuity: how paying in over time changes the contract

Structured settlement agreement: the clauses that decide what you actually get

Retirement bucket strategy: how time-segmenting your savings actually works

Market value adjustment on an annuity: how an MVA works and when it costs you

Medical lien on a settlement: what gets paid back before you see the money

TSP withdrawal rules: your options after separating and the tax traps in each

Annuity in a trust: when trust ownership keeps the tax deferral and when it destroys it

How long does it take to get settlement money after you sign?

Early retirement health insurance: bridging the years before Medicare

Annuity beneficiary: what the designation actually controls

Wrongful death structured settlement: how survivors are paid

Roth 401(k) vs traditional 401(k): how to decide which bucket to fund

Inflation adjusted annuity: what rising income really costs you

Structured settlement attorney: when you need one and what they do

Survivor Benefit Plan: what SBP costs and what it actually pays

Annuity company ratings: what the letter grades actually measure

Structured settlement annuity companies: who issues the annuity and why it matters

States that don't tax retirement income: what the phrase actually covers

Annuity ladder: how staggering contracts changes what you actually own

Structured settlements and divorce: how periodic payments get classified and divided

Tax-free retirement income: what genuinely qualifies and what only looks like it

How to get out of an annuity: the five exit routes and what each costs

Settlement protection trust: what it does and when it fits

The widow's penalty: why the tax bill often rises after a spouse dies

Long-Term Care Annuity: How Hybrid Contracts Pay for Care