Annuities

What You Should Know As Annuity Sales Soar

Annuity sales are soaring, because retirees and pre-retirees want more guaranteed income and principal protection.

Are You Retiring Soon and Need Income? An Immediate Annuity May Sound Boring, But Hear Me Out

An immediate annuity transforms a lump sum into a lifelong paycheck, essentially providing a DIY pension so you can stop stressing over stock market drama.

ChatGPT says the Actuarial Approach and its Funded Status Metric “Stands Above the Alternatives”

We recently asked ChatGPT two questions about using the Actuarial Approach and its Funded Status metric to evaluate a household’s retirement sustainability. ChatGPT had high praise for the Actuarial A...

The 75% Safety Net: How All-Asset Retirement Planning Helps Reduce Your Investment Risks

You combine your housing wealth and lifetime annuities to help ensure that an average of three-quarters of your retirement income is not subject to market risk.

7 Retirement Lessons from Real Retirees with Jesse Cramer

Jesse Cramer and Jeremy Keil detail 7 real world lessons learned from working with hundreds of retirees. There’s a big difference between studying retirement… …and actually sitting across the table fr...

Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards 2026: Annuity Providers

These are the best annuity providers chosen by Kiplinger readers.

The 9% Solution: An Expert Guide to Retirement Tax Breaks That Could Cut Your Tax Rate Nearly in Half

Incorporating housing wealth and lifetime annuities in your retirement income plan can offer a significant tax-cost advantage over an investment-only plan.

Too Scared to Dive Into a Fixed-Rate Annuity? Interest Rates Make It Worth Dipping Your Toe In

Along with CDs, fixed-rate annuities often pay more than money market funds and savings accounts. If you’re nervous about them, here’s one way to test the water.

How Football and Annuities Can Defend Against Risk in Retirement

Football can teach retirement investors a lot about managing risk. And if predictions of a markets slump are accurate, one strategy will be particularly useful.

Old Annuities Contain Untapped Potential for Clients and Advisers: Here's Why

Annuities bought years ago may no longer reflect clients' needs or the economy. Conducting thorough reviews will optimize their finances and grow your business.

Income and Life Expectancy Not Adding Up? An Annuity Could Solve the Equation

Increasing longevity means you could outlive the money you've saved for retirement. Social Security may not bridge the gap, but an income annuity could help.

Behavior-Proof Your Retirement Planning with Ethan Lohr

Author Ethan Lohr shares how the four buckets retirement income strategy helps retirees behavior-proof their retirement. Many retirees face one similar problem that they struggle to name: the emotiona...

Markets Will Always Be Volatile: Your Retirement Doesn't Have to Be

Instead of worrying about the markets and running out of money in retirement, you might consider buying an annuity that guarantees you a lifetime income.

Unlock Housing Wealth and Tax Benefits by Adding Lifetime Annuities to Your Retirement Plan

Combining a QLAC with a HECM can help mass affluent retirees secure guaranteed lifetime income, tax advantages and liquid savings to cover late-in-life expenses.

Are Annuities Safe?

Different types offer different levels of potential risk. Here's how to choose wisely, from an annuities pro.

Who manages your money in retirement?

I manage mine. We had a money manager, but discovered after decades with him that he was collecting a 1% management fee plus there were commissions on some purchases as well as high loads on other fun...

An Expert Guide to How All-Assets Planning Offers a Better Retirement

An "all-asset" strategy would integrate housing wealth and annuities with traditional investments to generate more income and liquid savings for retirees.

I'm an Annuities Pro: This Is How You Can Cover the Income Gap While Your Social Security Benefits Grow

Taking Social Security later results in higher future income, but that can create an income gap. Annuities can boost income until you file for benefits.

Measuring Retirement Income Outcomes: Allianz Life’s Danielle Kelso

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America’s latest white paper takes a deep look at how different retirement income strategies—and especially various types of annuity products—can shape particip...

Unlocking the Annuity Puzzle: Why Canadians avoid what seems to be the perfect retirement vehicle

Annuities promise guaranteed lifetime income—so why do Canadians avoid them? We unpack the “annuity puzzle” and when they may actually make sense. The post Unlocking the Annuity Puzzle: Why Canadians ...

Athene tops 3Q2025 Annuity Sales, with 9.1% Share

Gross sales (excluding exchanges and surrenders) of annuities reached $117 billion in the third-quarter of 2025, according to fresh survey data from Winkintel. Prominent sellers included Athene, Equit...

Research Roundup

We feature two deep-dive research papers on private credit. One is from Victoria Ivashina of Harvard Business School and the other from a team that includes Amir Sufi, co-author of "House of Debt" (U....

Managing logistics of multiple interest streams in retirement

I expect to retire in the next 12-24 months, and I’m looking for advice on how to handle multiple income streams. Like a lot of people, for almost 40 years, nearly all our household income has c...

Experience With Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs)

I attended a (retirement-related) presentation last night about Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs) and though I vowed never to touch an Annuity—because, you know, Social Security is an annuity—I...

What are they selling, specifically?

Tiktok, Reels, and Facebook, are all relentlessly targeting me with ads for a new retirement strategy that does not include annuities, life insurance, 401(k)s, IRAs, and proposes to me that it will ge...

Quiz: Do You Know Annuities? What About Recent Student Loan Changes and Boomer Retirement Challenges?

The financial professionals who contribute to Kiplinger's Adviser Intel recently wrote about myths about annuities, Boomers' retirement reality check and OBBB changes to federal student loans....

I'm a Financial Adviser: Don't Believe These Five Myths About Annuities

Annuities can offer financial stability that can be quite freeing for retirees. Don't let a few myths spoil what might be a good thing for you....

Your 401(k) Options Just Got More Complicated: Here's What You Need to Know

Private equity, real estate and expanded annuities are now options, but they are more complex, less flexible and more expensive to own....