Annuities

The biggest disadvantage of an annuity is illiquidity. Once you put money in, it’s typically locked up for years, and pulling it out early triggers steep surrender charges from the insurer plus a possible 10% IRS penalty if you’re under 59½. On top of that, annuities often carry high fees: mortality and expense charges, administrative […]

Stock market swings can rattle a retirement account overnight, especially for anyone within a few years of drawing down their savings. A handful of investment types move independently of equities, giving retirees a way to protect principal or generate income without watching a ticker every morning. This covers the main options, what they currently pay,

Retirees comparing safe places to park cash keep landing on the same two options: certificates of deposit and fixed indexed annuities. Both promise to protect your principal. Both feel boring in a good way. But they work differently under the hood, and the gap between what they pay has widened enough in 2026 that it’s

Moving a 401(k) into an annuity is one of the most common questions retirement savers ask once they hit their late fifties or early sixties. The good news is that it can be done without owing a dollar in taxes, but only if the money moves the right way. Get the mechanics wrong and the

Sequence of returns risk is the danger that the order in which your investment gains and losses occur, not just their average over time, can determine whether your retirement savings last. Two retirees can earn the exact same average annual return over 30 years and end up in completely different financial positions, simply because one

A $500,000 nest egg can turn into anywhere from roughly $1,400 to over $3,800 a month, depending on whether that money sits in a market portfolio, an annuity, or a mix of both. The exact number depends on withdrawal strategy, age at retirement, interest rates, and how much risk someone is willing to carry. There’s

A $100,000 fixed annuity typically pays between $500 and $700 per month, depending mainly on your age when payments start, gender, and the payout option chosen. For example, a 65-year-old choosing a single life immediate annuity might receive around $550 to $600 monthly, while a 70-year-old could see closer to $650 to $700 due to

Fixed indexed annuities and bonds both promise something investors want in a volatile market: predictability. But they get there in different ways, and the current rate environment has changed the math on both sides. As of late July 2026, the 10-year Treasury yield sits near 4.6% to 4.7%, while top fixed indexed annuity products are

Stocks have delivered strong long-term returns, but they come with swings that can be hard to stomach once a paycheck stops arriving. For retirees who need steady income and can’t afford to wait out a downturn, other options on the market right now offer competitive yields without the same volatility. This article walks through the

Retirees who depend on their savings for monthly income cannot afford the swings that stock-heavy portfolios produce. Guaranteed income investments trade upside potential for certainty, and in mid-2026 that trade looks better than it has in years, with CDs, Treasury securities, and fixed annuities all paying well above their historical averages. Key Takeaways Top CD