Annuity Guys®

Annuity Rates, Features & Ratings: America's trusted annuity resource. Compare best options for hybrid, index, fixed, variable & immediate annuity quotes.


Helping You Create Great Results Your Retirement Deserves!



(217)753-1515
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Site Terms & Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • FAQs
    • Most Frequently Asked Annuity Questions
  • All Annuity Guys Videos
  • Annuity Types
    • Best Annuity Reviews
    • Market Free™ Annuities
    • Choosing an Annuity
    • Deferred Annuities
    • Hybrid Annuity Choices
      • Hybrid Annuity Pros&Cons
      • Hybrid Income Riders
      • Hybrid Annuity Guarantees & Strategies
    • Fixed Annuity Choices
      • Fixed Annuity Performance
      • Better Fixed Annuities
      • Fixed Deferred Annuities
      • Fixed Rate Annuities
      • Fixed Annuity Alternatives
      • Fixed Annuity Pros & Cons
      • Fixed Annuity Negatives
    • Index Annuity Choices
      • Fixed Index Annuity Features
      • Fixed Index Annuity Performance
      • Better Fixed Index Annuities
      • Fixed Index Annuity Alternatives
      • Fixed Index Annuity Pros & Cons
      • Fixed Index Annuity History
      • Fixed Index Annuity Negatives
    • Immediate Annuities
      • Immediate Variable Annuity
      • Immediate Fixed Annuities
    • Variable Annuities
      • Variable Annuity Features
      • Better Variable Annuities
      • Variable Annuities Disadvantages
      • Variable Annuity Alternatives
      • Variable Annuity Negatives
      • Variable Annuity Performance
    • Pre-Issued Annuities™
      • Hybrid Annuities versus Pre-Issued Annuities ™
    • Annuity Glossary
  • Articles
    • How Do MarketFree™ Annuities Work?
    • Are Annuities Safe?
    • Living Benefits
    • FIA Performance
    • Beware of FIAs?
    • Annuities & Retirement
    • Annuities & Estate Tax
    • Rollovers & Annuities
    • Annuities & Tax
    • Charity & Annuities
    • The Lost Decade
    • Best Annuity Videos
    • Social Security Benefits
  • Calculators
    • Retirement Planning Calculator — Basic
    • Retirement Shortfall Calculator — Basic
    • Immediate Annuity Calculator & Quotes
    • Fixed Index Annuity Calculator & Fixed Annuity Calculator
    • Variable Annuity Calculator & Hybrid Annuity Calculator
  • Blog
    • Annuity Guys® Weekly Annuity Video Blogs
  • Get Annuity Guys Help
    • Request Annuity Guys’ Planning Help Today
You are here: Home / Archives for Inflation Hedge

Hybrid Annuities as an Inflation Hedge

April 13, 2013 By Annuity Guys®

Inflation – this one word strikes terror in the hearts of many retirees on a fixed income.

Never to fear, we have a cost of living adjustment (COLA) in Social Security to help save us — maybe not the more generous COLA that we have come to expect if the President and Congress decide they should balance a portion of the budget by restructuring the consumer price index (CPI) formula used to calculate increases in social security income.

Can annuities be used to hedge against depleted spending power in retirement? Certainly! Today’s hybrid annuities are bringing forth solutions for just that concern. Annuities developed by multiple insurance companies are now offering options to tie annuity income to inflation tracking indexes such as the CPI-U. This creates an additional option to other strategies used by advisors in the past such as laddering annuities.

Watch as Dick and Eric discuss the potential change in the CPI and what annuity strategies you might consider if inflation is a concern for you in retirement.

[embedit snippet=”video-specialist-button-hybrid”]

 

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Check out this article from Walter Hickey on what the change in the CPI  might mean for Social Security.

How Obama’s Plan For Chained CPI Is Both A Stealth Tax On The Middle Class And A Cut In Benefits For Grandma

Last week it was revealed that the President’s budget proposal will include a revision to the way the government calculates the impact of the rate of inflation as a concession to House Republicans.

Still, a switch to chained CPI from the current rate demonstrably cuts benefits to seniors and could be a stealth tax on primarily the middle class.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is used as a proxy for the annual cost of living adjustment used to keep federal benefits in line with inflation.

There are several different ways that economists calculate the Consumer Price Index, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute.

  • CPI-W is the current cost of living adjustment index for Social Security. It reflects the spending habits of households where the income comes from a wage earner.
  • CPI-U expands CPI-W to reflect the spending habits of the retired, professionals, the unemployed and self-employed as well as wage earners.
  • A new, experimental CPI-E looks exclusively at how the elderly spend their money.

“Chained CPI” refers to another adjustment, particularly to CPI-U.

As an example, CPI-U and CPI-W already incorporate people switching from Starbucks coffee to homemade when prices increase.

Chained CPI-U takes that a step further — the idea that when coffee gets more expensive, people switch to orange juice. It incorporates more switching.

When it comes down to it, Chained CPI-U spits out a lower rate of inflation than regular CPI-U, which already spits out a lower rate of inflation than the current CPI-W. As a result, were the government to switch the way they index cost of living adjustments to chained CPI-U from CPI-W, payouts to seniors would increase at a much slower rate.

This means that over time, seniors receiving Social Security see their benefits cut. [Read More at BusinessInsider.com]

 

Filed Under: Annuity Commentary, Annuity Guys Blog, Annuity Guys Video, Annuity Income, Annuity Returns, Retirement Tagged With: annuities, Annuity, Annuity Income, Annuity Strategies, Consumer Price Index, Cost Of Living, Hybrid Annuity, Inflation, Inflation Hedge, Social Security, Spending Power, United States Consumer Price Index

 

Empowering Annuity Reference Book

 
DOWN-LOAD NOW - FREE!
  • Annuity Guys Reference Book - 250 pages of Annuity Facts

  • "The New Retirement"
    Annuity Reference Book 
    Free Instant Download
  • Confidential - Easy Opt Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

  • Are Annuities a Viable Option – As Markets Soar?

    Are Annuities a Viable Option – As Markets Soar?

    The running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain each July provides for amazing images as young men run alongside the massive …Read More »
  • Market Volatility is Back! Are MarketFree™ Annuities an Answer?

    Market Volatility is Back! Are MarketFree™ Annuities an Answer?

    Timing is everything. Unfortunately, 99 percent people who say they are only in the stock market when it is going up …Read More »
  • What is the Best Annuity?

    What is the Best Annuity?

    Are you trying to figure out which annuity will offer the best way to grow your money and safely generate …Read More »

Revealing Fun Video: Fiduciary Advisors Vs. Annuity Salesmen
MUST KNOW FACTS 90% of
ANNUITY ADVISORS AVOID TELLING!
  • *FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
    Second Opinions Improve Retirements
     
    "For Your Retirement's Success"
     Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.
     
    Material Fact 1:
      About 90% of advisors ARE NOT REQUIRED by law to do what is best for their clients!
     
    Material Fact 2:
     Fiduciary Advisors ARE REQUIRED by law to do what's best for their clients! 
     
      Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor chose the highest legal standard required by law to work strictly for their highest good.
     
     We estimate Fiduciaries are less than 10% of total U.S. financial service providers. Fiduciaries are held to the highest client legal standard of financial planning and investment advice.
     
     The other 90% are sales oriented advisors, brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents, selling products on a much lower suitability legal standard, not necessarily what's best for their client!
     
       Fiduciaries also must disclose conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as; selling products that pay them higher commissions having higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product access limiting their client's opportunities, to name a few.
     
    Choosing your advisor can have
    "The Largest Single Impact on
    Your Retirement's Success or Failure"


  • Annuities – The Best Financial Product No One Wants!

    Annuities – The Best Financial Product No One Wants!

    Why would an insurance actuary call annuities the best financial product no one really wants? And why would he go …Read More »
  • Why do 84 percent of Retirees want Annuities but only 14 percent buy them?

    Why do 84 percent of Retirees want Annuities but only 14 percent buy them?

    “You can’t always get what you want; but if you try, sometimes, well you just might find you get what …Read More »
  • Annuities versus Securities

    Annuities versus Securities

    When you build a house, you don’t start with the roof – you start with the foundation. For many retirees annuities help …Read More »
  • Why Hybrid Annuities Are Game Changers

    Why Hybrid Annuities Are Game Changers

    Two recent studies discuss the overwhelming growth of annuities as a sought after financial product. LIMRA cited the significant growth in …Read More »
  • Annuity Timing – Jump in or Wait?

    Annuity Timing – Jump in or Wait?

    Annuity Guys®, Dick and Eric examine the question on the mind of many people when comes to selecting an annuity …Read More »
  • Top Five Reasons, Not to Buy an Annuity!

    Top Five Reasons, Not to Buy an Annuity!

    Let’s be honest, there are plenty of reason why someone should not buy an annuity. As Annuity Guys, we understand …Read More »
  • Annuity Undo Buttons – Using Your Free Look!

    Annuity Undo Buttons – Using Your Free Look!

    Most big ticket purchase come with a warranty or a **guarantee – including annuities. Did you know that all annuities …Read More »
  • Can Annuities Save Your Assets?

    Can Annuities Save Your Assets?

    There is an old saying that goes – “there is nothing **guaranteed in this life other than death, annuities and …Read More »

View Our Newest Videos! Subscribe Now
  • Annuity Guys Videos - Annuity Answers
  • New Annuity Guys Videos
    Our Entertaining & Informative
     Saturday Morning Video Blog
  • Timely Retirement & Annuity Issues - Easy Opt Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


  • Can Hybrid Annuities Beat Market Returns?

    Can Hybrid Annuities Beat Market Returns?

    Do you remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? Hybrid annuities might be compared to the tortoise in …Read More »
  • Avoiding Annuity Income Rider Abuse!

    Avoiding Annuity Income Rider Abuse!

    If they tell you that your annuity has a "6%" guarantee most annuity purchasers believe that the 6% guarantee is …Read More »
  • Can Index Annuities be a Good Hedge Against Inflation?

    Can Index Annuities be a Good Hedge Against Inflation?

    Are our Golden Years in danger, with the new high inflation issues that may be here to stay? The years …Read More »
  • Fixed Index Annuity & Hybrid Annuity Info

    MarketFree® Fixed Index Annuity Case Study…Case Study:  In November of 2006, Jan and Steve, a couple concerned about the security of …Read More »
  • Ten Factors Determining the Least You Need in Annuities

    Ten Factors Determining the Least You Need in Annuities

    One of the biggest challenges facing pre-retirees is knowing the amount of income they will need in retirement to live …Read More »
  • Are Fixed Index Annuities Best for Retirees?

    Are Fixed Index Annuities Best for Retirees?

    “Sometimes you eat the bear; sometimes the bear eats you.” – AnonymousHow would you like to make a portion of …Read More »
  • Can Annuities Enhance Stock Market Investing?

    Can Annuities Enhance Stock Market Investing?

    The stock market is well known for its roller coaster effect of up and down account values. For many retirees, this can mean more than …Read More »
  • IRA / 401k to Annuity Rollover Concerns

    IRA / 401k to Annuity Rollover Concerns

    Many of the concerns people have with moving an IRA or 401k into annuities revolve around misconceptions with how the IRS treats …Read More »
Get Newly Released Annuity Guys® Videos on Saturday Mornings
  • Annuity Guys Videos - Annuity Answers
  • New Annuity Guys Videos
    Our Entertaining & Informative
     Saturday Morning Video Blog
  • Timely Retirement & Annuity Issues - Easy Opt Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


  • Choosing a Hybrid Annuity

    Choosing a Hybrid Annuity

    Why are so many folks choosing hybrid annuities for their retirement?Let’s summarize the four key elements most retirees are looking for that make …Read More »
  • Are Annuities Best in a Difficult Economy?

    Are Annuities Best in a Difficult Economy?

    Dick and Eric reflect on a email they received this week highlighting a Tony Robbins video (see below) on the …Read More »
  • Are Fixed Index Annuities Best for Retirees?

    Are Fixed Index Annuities Best for Retirees?

    “Sometimes you eat the bear; sometimes the bear eats you.” – AnonymousHow would you like to make a portion of …Read More »
  • OutCome Based Planning™ for Retirement

    OutCome Based Planning™ for Retirement

    We practice and recommend a “Holistic – OutCome Based Planning™ process when considering annuities.” This approach has the effect of …Read More »
  • 100% Money Back Annuity **Guarantees!

    100% Money Back Annuity **Guarantees!

    Most big ticket purchase come with a warranty or a **guarantee – including annuities. Did you know that all annuities …Read More »
  • Optimizing Annuity Income for Retirement

    Optimizing Annuity Income for Retirement

    If we only had a nickel for every phone call that came into the office which started out like this…“Hello, This is …Read More »
  • Hillary or Trump? Will Your Retirement be Safe?

    Hillary or Trump? Will Your Retirement be Safe?

    A cardinal rule of etiquette we all have heard and usually with some degree of sarcasm is “never talk about …Read More »
  • Is Strong Growth from Annuities Likely in The Looming Bear Market?

    Is Strong Growth from Annuities Likely in The Looming Bear Market?

    Strong growth is a matter of perspective, and when your basis of comparison is a decrease of 20 to 30 …Read More »
  • Are Annuities Safe for Your Retirement?

    Are Annuities Safe for Your Retirement?

    Safety of money is generally relative to comparing levels of risk between government-backed financial instruments, insurance-backed financial instruments, or securities …Read More »
  • Are Set It & Forget It Retirements Practical?

    Are Set It & Forget It Retirements Practical?

    Have you ever put a pizza in the oven only to discover you forgot the timer and your meal is …Read More »

 

Empowering Annuity Reference Book

 
Start Reading Now - Instant Download
  • Annuity Guys Reference Book - 250 pages of Annuity Facts

  • "The New Retirement"
    Annuity Reference Book 
    Free Instant Download
  • Confidential - Easy Opt Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 
Comprehensive Site Terms and Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 Annuity Guys®


  ** Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. Annuities are not FDIC insured and it is possible to lose money.
Annuities are insurance products that require a premium to be paid for purchase.
Annuities do not accept or receive deposits and are not to be confused with bank issued financial instruments.
During all video segments, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.


  *Retirement Planning and annuity purchase assistance may be provided by Eric Judy or by referral to a recommended, experienced, Fiduciary Investment Advisor in helping Annuity Guys website visitors. Dick Van Dyke semi-retired from his Investment Advisory Practice in 2012 and now focuses on this educational Annuity Guys Website. He still maintains his insurance license in good standing and assists his current clients.
Annuity Guys' vetted and recommended Fiduciary Financial Planners are required to be properly licensed in assisting clients with their annuity and retirement planning needs. (Due diligence as a client is still always necessary when working with any advisor to check their current standing.)



  # Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a variable annuity and its underlying investment options. The current prospectus and underlying prospectuses, which are contained in the same document, provide this and other important information. Please contact an Investment Professional or the issuing Company to obtain the prospectuses. Please read the prospectuses carefully before investing or sending money.


  ^ Investors should consider investment objectives, risk, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectuses and summary prospectuses, which can be obtained from a financial professional and should be read carefully before investing.


  ^ Eric Judy offers advisory services through Client One Securities, LLC an Investment Advisor. Annuity Guys Ltd. and Client One Securities, LLC are not affiliated.