A paycheck you cannot outlive
You spent 40 years accumulating. An annuity solves the opposite problem: turning savings into dependable income while protecting the principal from market crashes. Growth is tax-deferred, losses are contractually off the table, and lifetime income options mean the checks keep coming as long as you do.
Fixed or indexed: pick your certainty level
A declared rate, guaranteed
Works like a CD from an insurance company, often at meaningfully higher rates. You know the exact growth for the guarantee period before you sign. Multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGAs) currently offer some of the strongest safe yields available.
- Best for: money you cannot afford to risk
- Typical terms: 3 to 10 years
- Tax-deferred until withdrawal
Index-linked upside, 0% floor
Interest is credited based on a market index, up to a cap or participation rate. Down years credit zero rather than a loss. Optional income riders can guarantee a rising lifetime payout for one or both spouses.
- Best for: growth potential without market risk
- Typical terms: 5 to 10 years
- Lifetime income riders available
What the ads never mention
Annuities are contracts with real tradeoffs. Surrender charges apply if you pull most of your money early, typically for 5 to 10 years, though nearly all contracts allow 10% free withdrawals annually. Income riders carry annual fees. And an annuity inside an IRA does not add extra tax deferral.
Our approach: annuities are for a slice of your retirement money, sized to the income gap after Social Security and pensions, never for your whole portfolio. We put the surrender schedule and every fee on the table before you decide.
Common questions
How is annuity income taxed?+
Growth is taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn. With non-qualified money, part of each payout is a tax-free return of your principal. Qualified (IRA) annuity income is generally fully taxable. We coordinate with your tax professional on the details.
What happens to my annuity when I die?+
Modern annuities pass remaining value directly to your named beneficiaries, bypassing probate. The old "insurance company keeps it" outcome only applies to a payout style almost no one chooses anymore.
Are annuities safe if the market crashes?+
Fixed and indexed annuity principal does not participate in market losses by contract. Guarantees rest on the issuing carrier's claims-paying ability, which is why we only work with highly rated companies and state guaranty associations add a further backstop.
When does buying an annuity make sense?+
Usually within about 10 years of retirement, when protecting what you have built starts to matter more than maximizing growth. It also makes sense earlier for money you have firmly earmarked as safe.
Find your income gap, then fill it
Bring your Social Security estimate and we will map exactly how much monthly income needs to come from savings, and the safest way to create it.