Insurance-based income and protection options

Turn uncertainty into
more predictable outcomes.

Annuities are insurance contracts that can be designed to address specific concerns such as future income, principal protection, or market-related uncertainty. The right conversation starts with the risk you are trying to solve.

Start an Annuity Conversation Explore Annuity Types

What are you trying to make more predictable?

We do not begin by assuming an annuity is appropriate. We first want to understand the concern behind the conversation.

Are you concerned about future income lasting? How much market volatility are you comfortable with? How important is access to your money? Do you value guarantees over maximum upside potential? What other income and liquid assets do you already have?

Talk Through Your Priorities

Income Some annuities can create contractual income for a defined period or for life.

Protection Certain products can protect contract value from direct market losses, subject to contract terms.

Predictability Insurance guarantees can help reduce uncertainty around specific financial outcomes.

The purpose comes before the product

An annuity should have a job.

Annuities can be useful when there is a specific insurance need to solve. They are not automatically better than other financial tools, and they are not designed to do everything.

We focus on the role the contract would play: what risk it is intended to reduce, what guarantees matter, how much liquidity you need, and what tradeoffs you are willing to accept.

Income uncertainty You may want a portion of future income to come from a contract with defined guarantees rather than relying entirely on withdrawals from fluctuating assets.

Market-loss concerns You may value principal protection or limits on direct downside exposure more than unrestricted market participation.

Longevity concerns You may want an insurance contract that can provide income for life, subject to the contract selected and its terms.

Understanding the major categories

Different annuities solve different problems.

The important question is not “Which annuity is best?” It is “Which contract structure, if any, matches the problem you are trying to solve?”

Fixed Annuities

Solution: seek predictable interest crediting and principal protection through an insurance contract.

Fixed annuities generally credit interest according to rates or terms established by the insurer and can appeal to people who value stability and defined contract guarantees.

Fixed Indexed Annuities

Solution: seek principal protection with interest-crediting potential linked to the performance of an external market index.

Fixed indexed annuities do not directly invest your premium in the index. Interest credits are determined by the contract's indexing method, caps, spreads, participation rates, or other terms.

Income Annuities

Solution: convert part of available assets into a contractual stream of income for a selected period or potentially for life.

Immediate or deferred income annuities can be designed around income rather than accumulation, with payment options that vary by contract and elections made.

Guarantees come with tradeoffs

What an annuity may give you—and what you may give up.

Insurance guarantees can be valuable, but they are never free of tradeoffs. A good decision requires understanding both sides of the contract.

Potential Advantages

✓Contractual guarantees backed by the issuing insurer's claims-paying ability.

✓Potential lifetime-income options depending on the contract and rider selected.

✓Tax-deferred growth while funds remain inside a nonqualified annuity contract.

✓Certain fixed or indexed designs can limit direct exposure to market losses.

Important Tradeoffs

!Surrender charges may apply when withdrawals exceed available free-withdrawal provisions during the surrender period.

!Guaranteed-income benefits can differ from the contract's available cash value.

!Indexed interest-crediting methods may limit upside through caps, spreads, participation rates, or similar terms.

!Annuities may not be appropriate for money you expect to need for near-term expenses or emergencies.

Liquidity, surrender schedules, rider fees, income provisions, and how the contract is taxed should all be understood before making a decision.

Common insurance needs

Where an annuity may fit.

These are examples of insurance problems an annuity may be designed to address. Whether a particular contract is appropriate depends on the full situation.

Creating a Guaranteed Income Floor

Solution: use a portion of assets to establish contractually defined income that can supplement other reliable income sources.

This may appeal to someone who wants part of their future cash flow to be less dependent on market performance or ongoing withdrawal decisions.

Protecting a Portion of Assets

Solution: place selected funds in an insurance contract designed to avoid direct market losses while retaining stated interest-crediting potential.

This can be useful when someone is willing to accept limited upside potential in exchange for more protection on a defined portion of assets.

Reducing Longevity Uncertainty

Solution: add an insurance guarantee designed to continue income even if the covered person lives longer than expected.

Certain annuity structures can shift part of the risk of outliving assets to an insurance company, subject to the contract's provisions and guarantees.

Fit matters more than features

An annuity can be useful—and still be the wrong tool.

A product can have strong guarantees and still be inappropriate if it conflicts with your liquidity needs, time horizon, risk tolerance, tax situation, or other resources.

That is why we evaluate the role of the contract, not simply the headline rate or benefit illustration.

Review Whether an Annuity Fits

Liquidity How much money must remain available without surrender restrictions or contract penalties?

Time Horizon Annuities are generally better suited to longer-term money than funds needed in the near future.

Income Need Is the primary goal accumulation, guaranteed income, protection, or some combination of those needs?

Guarantee Preference How much upside potential are you willing to exchange for contractually defined protection or income?

A needs-first annuity process

How we approach annuity decisions

We begin with the risk you are trying to solve, then evaluate whether an insurance contract belongs in the conversation.

Understand

We discuss liquidity, income needs, risk concerns, existing resources, time horizon, and what outcome you want to make more predictable.

Compare

If an annuity may fit, we compare appropriate contract structures, guarantees, surrender terms, income provisions, fees, and carrier features.

Decide

If the tradeoffs make sense for your situation, we help with the application process and remain available for ongoing contract questions.

Start with the outcome you want—not the product.

Tell us what you are trying to make more predictable, what risks you want to reduce, and how much flexibility you need. We can determine whether an annuity belongs in the conversation from there.

Schedule an Annuity Conversation

Turn uncertainty into more predictable outcomes.