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 Types Of Annuities

Who Should Choose Annuities?

July 29, 2024 By Annuity Guys®

What type of individual chooses to purchase an annuity?

Is there a stereotypical annuity enthusiast? Maybe not – however, we know from our field experience that there are common values shared by many individuals who determine that an annuity is a good option for some portion of their retirement portfolio.

Five Common traits of annuity owners are: [continued below video…]

Video: Dick & Eric, Annuity Guys®, discuss five annuity traits most owners exhibit.

**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.

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

 
[continued…]
  1. Safety oriented & possibly risk averse;
  2. Seeking secure growth with locked in gains;
  3. May need a pension style retirement income;
  4. Prefers higher interest rates than banks offer and tax deferral;
  5. Desire to avoid probate while safely transferring assets to heirs

Want to read more about what makes an good annuity prospect? See the article that triggered this blog entry.

5 prime annuity prospects

By John L. Olsen, Michael E. Kitces

Annuities are tools. They are acquired because the purchaser has a particular job to be done and is willing to exchange his money for a tool to do that job. In many ways, this exchange transaction is like the purchase of a hammer. The hammer has certain specifications — type and strength of the metal, length of the handle, size of the hammer head — and when purchased from a quality company, often comes with a **guarantee that the product will perform as specified.

The important key to understand about this metaphor is that we generally do not buy a hammer simply because it happens to be cheaper, or lighter, or shinier than any other hand tool in the hardware store. We purchase it because we have a need, for example, to pound a nail into a piece of wood, or anticipate having a need in the future that we want to be prepared for, and we believe that a hammer is the best tool to fulfill that need.

In addition, there are many different situations where we might need a hammer, and each of those situations may call for a different one. Clearly, using a sledgehammer to drive a small nail into your drywall to hang a picture is the wrong tool for the job. Thus, the key in purchasing the right hammer is understanding the need and the job you’re hoping to accomplish with it. Only once you understand the right situation for any particular hammer can you determine whether a hammer is the right tool for the job, and which type you need.

To complete the analogy, the key to decision-making when it comes to annuities is to first understand the problems for which the annuity can represent a solution. Only then can one actually determine whether an annuity is the right tool to solve the problem, and which sort of annuity will best accomplish the task.

We are all familiar with the kinds of problems that hammers solve, such as driving a small nail, pounding a large nail, or forcing a wedge between two pieces of wood to separate them. The problems that the annuity-as-a-tool are meant to solve are quite varied because of the broad number and types of annuity-tools available. That said, the problems that annuities solve — the needs that they meet — can be identified and separated into several general categories to meet several different client needs. Out of print…

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free
  • Advanced Retirement Annuity Income Calculator
  • Advanced Financial Planning
    Retirement Income Calculator
    Save Reports & Planning Docs!
  • This powerful calculator doesn't guarantee accuracy or any future results. You should use a licensed financial planner to confirm all of your calculations.
    Instant Access - Confidential - Easy Opt-Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Using OutCome Based Planning™ for Your Retirement

We practice and recommend a "Holistic - OutCome Based Planning™ process when considering annuities." This approach has the effect of balancing your overall portfolio so you can meet your retirement objectives by "first identifying the least amount of your investments or savings (if any) that should be considered for annuities." OutCome Based Planning™ analyzes and models multiple outcomes so you can clearly identify your best income and growth opportunities.

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.
"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"
  • *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"

This type of approach does take considerably more time, effort and analysis which will show you mathematically the successful possibilities by comparing various outcomes rather than trying to sell or convince you of that "so-called one best solution." Clients frequently tell us that this process removes some of the confusion and emotion to help them objectively identify a better retirement plan; rather than just ending up with the most convincing salesperson or advisor.

When requesting help you can be assured of working with an experienced Annuity Guys' Retirement Planner who is independently insurance licensed and securities licensed as a fiduciary financial planner having access to the vast majority of annuity companies in helping you choose the best annuities using a holistic-outcome based planning approach. We consider the high quality advisor recommendations we make to our website visitors as a direct reflection back on our commitment to serve all client's with a high standard of excellence in financial planning for retirement.

Based on survey feedback on advisors from our website visitors, we eliminated about two-hundred local advisors and now only recommend a few that we consider experienced vetted Annuity Guys' Fiduciary Advisors. Many local advisors continue requesting us to recommend them as a vetted advisor. However, our reputation and future business is driven only by satisfied website visitors. So, unfortunately we've had to tell the vast majority of local advisors no, since we changed our business model four years ago. At that time we stopped trying to satisfy everyone with local advisors, we now primarily work with individuals who are comfortable using today's internet technology to their fullest advantage by working with a select group of vetted, experienced and knowledgeable Annuity Guys' Fiduciary Planners.


Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book
Fiduciary Retirement Review
Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2025 Advisor Report
  • *FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
    No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys
     
    "For Your Retirement's Success"
     
    Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.
     
    Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90% 
     
    2025 Financial Advisor Summary Report
     *Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
    The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

     Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

      Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
      Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

      This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

      Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher  commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.
     
    Choosing your advisor can have
    "The Largest Single Impact on
    Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!Our Gift to You

After confirming your request for help and shipping address by phone, we will immediately send your FREE personally signed Library Edition of our popular Annuity Reference Book "The New Retirement" plus Fact-Filled, Full Video Access!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Are you willing to work with one of our retirement and annuity advisors based on their experience and expertise as a first priority rather than being limited by a local or regional area? The good news is that technology has forever eliminated our geographical limitations and leveled the playing field for everyone! As a result of today's technological advances, all of us can now work confidently with experts in any field including personal finance. We are no longer confined by regional or local boundaries limiting our choices and ultimate success. A high quality advisor is now as close as a click or phone call away.

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?
"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."
When you think about it, your money is almost always in some other state with a custodian; whether invested in the market or with an annuity insurance company, the advisors competence is primarily needed when positioning your money initially. So working with a specialized expert in a financial discipline like investments or retirement planning is imperative. There are no undo buttons in retirement! Once the annuities get set up correctly, it is customary and more efficient for owners to benefit by having direct access to the issuer instead of having to go through the agent. And, of course any reputable advisor, local or national, is more than willing to assist their clients if needed after they are implemented.
Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"
"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

We are fortunate to have a select few who we believe are truly the highest qualified advisors out of about two hundred licensed insurance agents that we eliminated. Your survey feedback is what helps us make these tough decisions. Our advisors have an independent financial practice, specializing in annuities and retirement planning, which helps ensure that you are given the best options available for your retirement planning.

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?
"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

"Anyone can sell you an annuity; however, it takes a truly qualified and experienced advisor to know how to structure them for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage. Typically, there is not just one that can accomplish all of these objectives. It is how an advisor structures multiple annuities in balancing your total portfolio that makes it possible to achieve your most important retirement objectives."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Almost everyone nowadays turns to the internet for answers on everything - from buying new widgets to researching just about everything under the sun; and finding the best annuity is no exception!At first, it may seem that researching will be straightforward but the more time you spend researching them, the more frustrating it can be. Why is this? First of all, it does not take long to realize that gimmicks abound - such as warnings and alerts from salesmen who just want your attention so they can sell you one or the "too good to be true" claims of 8% to 14% **guaranteed interest and of course the claim that you can get the full market upside with no downside risk! If you have done any research you have heard all of these claims in advertising which are mostly half truths and not fully explained.So how can you find the best annuities on the internet? The truth is... you can't! And what is even more frustrating is all the conflicting points of view from so called experts. There are well over 6,000 different annuities - all designed for different reasons, so is it any wonder that the deck is stacked against the average researcher or do-it-yourselfer. Add to that the fact that they pay high enough commissions to attract a plethora of both good and bad agents. This does not make annuities good or bad; they are simply a financial tool that truly benefit those who use them correctly.How can you find the best annuities for your unique situation?
  • Use the internet cautiously;
  • Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
  • Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
  • Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
  • Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
  • Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
  • Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

  ** 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.
They 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 our website visitors. Dick Van Dyke semi-retired from his Investment Advisory Practice in 2012 and now focuses on this website. He still maintains his insurance license in good standing and assists his current clients.
Our 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.)


Site Terms & Disclosure

  1. All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
  2. Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
  3. It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
  4. Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
  5. Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
  6. Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
  7. Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
  8. http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
  9. MarketFree™ Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
  10. Market Free™ (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
  11. Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
  12. Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
  13. Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free™ Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
  14. Market Free™ Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
  15. No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
  16. Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
  17. Market Free™ Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
  18. MarketFree™ Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
  19. Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
  20. State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
  21. This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
  22. *"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
  23. *"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
  24. AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
  25. Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
  26. Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
  27. Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
  28. Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
  29. Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
  30. In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
  31. Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
  32. There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
  33. By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
  34. Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
  35. Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
  36. Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

Filed Under: Annuity Commentary, Annuity Guys Blog, Annuity Guys Video, Annuity Income, Annuity Safety, Retirement Tagged With: annuities, Annuity, Annuity Prospects, Annuity Purchasers, Choose Annuities, Equity-indexed Annuity, Life Annuity, Purchase An Annuity, Types Of Annuities

Annuity Rates vs Bank Interest Rates – Which is Best?

June 3, 2021 By Annuity Guys®

Since something is better than nothing, then more of that something is usually even better – thus, the reason why so many traditional bank savers have been researching and choosing higher annuity rates over the last ten years.

Annuity rates may not seem a lot higher yet the difference of 1 to 3 percent over time generates sizable portfolio gains. By the way, the difference between the top paying bank rates and top paying five year maturity, multi-year **guarantee annuities (MYGAs) is typically about 1-2% higher with MYGA interest rates…[continued below video]

Video: Dick and Eric have fun discussing the choice of bank rates versus annuity rates.

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.

Review 3-Best Retirement Annuities for Your
GROWTH, INCOME & SAFETY!

 
[continued]…Are we saying you must be crazy to put money into the bank instead of an annuity? NO –  we are saying you may seriously be missing out if you don’t compare and consider the tax advantages and higher interest offered by fixed annuities.

Annuities are best utilized by individuals seeking income and long-term accumulation for retirement or to protect funds that have already been saved once retirement is near or at hand.

Both banking products and fixed annuities are considered safer, lower risk portfolio options that avoid stock market loss.

Annuities have advantages such as tax deferral (Dick even discusses triple compounding in this weeks segment), probate avoidance, stretch for beneficiaries, and **guaranteed lifetime income if needed.

Today's Top Ten Fixed Annuity Rates (MYGA)

ALL rates are continually subject to change and accuracy is never guaranteed since rates and features change frequently. Rates are provided for conceptual and educational purposes only. RATES SHOWN ARE NOT A SOLICITATION.
 
 

Are low interest rates killing retirement?

Not long ago, most people worked as long as they were able and eventually either “died in harness” or relied on younger family members to care for them in their old age.

Then along came this idea of retirement, where through hard work, shrewd investing and some help from a pension (if you’re lucky) and Uncle Sam, you could hang up your work boots a little early and spend your golden years enjoying a bit of leisure and fun.

But for most people, the math of retirement works only if they’re able to earn some interest on their savings. That is a challenging task in a world where central banks the world over seem to have declared war on savers.

What does this mean for the long-term viability of your retirement, and what can you do to keep your plans on track?

The 4 percent rule
In the early 1990s, financial adviser William Bengen did research on sustainable portfolio withdrawal rates. Assuming an asset mix of half stocks and half bonds, he back-tested withdrawal rates against historical 30-year periods in the market.

His conclusion was that if you want your portfolio to last 30 years, the maximum withdrawal that you should take each year is 4 percent.

That rate has worked well for millions, and many assume that it will continue to work unless future returns are significantly worse than past returns. Enter the central banks.

ZIRP and NIRP
The global economy has been stuck in slow-growth mode since recovering from the near-death experience of the 2008 financial crisis.

To stimulate growth, central banks around the world lowered rates to near zero and engaged in endless rounds of quantitative easing. When that didn’t work, some of them started adopting negative interest rates. That’s right, zero apparently wasn’t low enough.

ZIRP (zero interest rate policy) has given way to NIRP (negative interest rate policy) in countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan. The logic is to force banks to lend, weaken currencies to help exports and stimulate economies.

Not surprisingly, there are a lot of people who think these policies could come with some significant unintended consequences, not the least of which is that it will be pretty tough for savers, pension funds and governments to meet those future withdrawal needs if large portions of their bond portfolios are earning zero instead of the 4 percent to 5 percent that history has taught us to expect.

The $64,000 question (more like $64 trillion) is whether or not these low interest rates will derail retirees and the portfolios, pensions and Social Security program on which they rely to fund retirement.

I can say with certainty that … it depends. If these low rates are an anomaly and they eventually return to normal, then the 4 percent rule of thumb and the return assumptions that pensions rely on can continue to work.

But if they stay this low for a long time, then retirement as we have come to know it is at significant risk. Which will it be? I have no idea, but it makes sense to plan for the worst even while hoping for the best.

Five Retirement & Annuity Calculators

Best Advanced Retirement Income Calculator - Free
  • Advanced Retirement Annuity Income Calculator
  • Advanced Financial Planning
    Retirement Income Calculator
    Save Reports & Planning Docs!
  • This powerful calculator doesn't guarantee accuracy or any future results. You should use a licensed financial planner to confirm all of your calculations.
    Instant Access - Confidential - Easy Opt-Out
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Using OutCome Based Planning™ for Your Retirement

We practice and recommend a "Holistic - OutCome Based Planning™ process when considering annuities." This approach has the effect of balancing your overall portfolio so you can meet your retirement objectives by "first identifying the least amount of your investments or savings (if any) that should be considered for annuities." OutCome Based Planning™ analyzes and models multiple outcomes so you can clearly identify your best income and growth opportunities.

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.
"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"
  • *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"

This type of approach does take considerably more time, effort and analysis which will show you mathematically the successful possibilities by comparing various outcomes rather than trying to sell or convince you of that "so-called one best solution." Clients frequently tell us that this process removes some of the confusion and emotion to help them objectively identify a better retirement plan; rather than just ending up with the most convincing salesperson or advisor.

When requesting help you can be assured of working with an experienced Annuity Guys' Retirement Planner who is independently insurance licensed and securities licensed as a fiduciary financial planner having access to the vast majority of annuity companies in helping you choose the best annuities using a holistic-outcome based planning approach. We consider the high quality advisor recommendations we make to our website visitors as a direct reflection back on our commitment to serve all client's with a high standard of excellence in financial planning for retirement.

Based on survey feedback on advisors from our website visitors, we eliminated about two-hundred local advisors and now only recommend a few that we consider experienced vetted Annuity Guys' Fiduciary Advisors. Many local advisors continue requesting us to recommend them as a vetted advisor. However, our reputation and future business is driven only by satisfied website visitors. So, unfortunately we've had to tell the vast majority of local advisors no, since we changed our business model four years ago. At that time we stopped trying to satisfy everyone with local advisors, we now primarily work with individuals who are comfortable using today's internet technology to their fullest advantage by working with a select group of vetted, experienced and knowledgeable Annuity Guys' Fiduciary Planners.


Get Full Video Access & Our Library Edition - Annuity Reference Book
Fiduciary Retirement Review
Is Your Annuity Advisor a Salesman or a Fiduciary?
2025 Advisor Report
  • *FIDUCIARY RETIREMENT REVIEWS
    No Cost or Obligation - Annuity Guys
     
    "For Your Retirement's Success"
     
    Choose a *Fiduciary Advisor who gives you Full Disclosure of Cost & Selection.
     
    Fiduciary Advisors 10% - Sales Advisors 90% 
     
    2025 Financial Advisor Summary Report
     *Fiduciary Financial Planners we estimate at less than 10% of total US financial advisors.
    The other 90% of advisors are salespeople such as brokers, bank reps, registered reps. & insurance agents.

     Advisors licensed only as a sales oriented securities broker, registered rep, or insurance agent, ARE NOT Fiduciaries! They work on a much lower legal standard of Suitability which does not require full disclosure and only requires a suitable product sale, NOT what's actually best for their client!

      Fiduciary Financial Planners by law are subject to the highest standard of financial planning and investment advice accountability.
      Hence, clients of a fiduciary can know that their advisor is required legally to work strictly for their highest benefit.

      This is also referred to as the prudent man rule, which in simple terms means that by licensing as a Series 65 Investment Advisor / Financial Planner they must give clients the best advice they are capable of based on all the knowledge they possess and information they have access to, in the same way they would advise and help close friends or family members.

      Fiduciaries also must disclose all known conflicts of interest that could potentially bias their advice, such as - selling financial products that pay them higher  commissions with higher fees or costs, and their lack of investment product availability for their clients' needs, just to name a few.
     
    Choosing your advisor can have
    "The Largest Single Impact on
    Your Retirement's Success or Failure"

Priority Mail - Free Shipping!Our Gift to You

After confirming your request for help and shipping address by phone, we will immediately send your FREE personally signed Library Edition of our popular Annuity Reference Book "The New Retirement" plus Fact-Filled, Full Video Access!

Learn the 3 Best Annuities to Help
ASSURE YOUR RETIREMENT'S SUCCESS!

Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Are you willing to work with one of our retirement and annuity advisors based on their experience and expertise as a first priority rather than being limited by a local or regional area? The good news is that technology has forever eliminated our geographical limitations and leveled the playing field for everyone! As a result of today's technological advances, all of us can now work confidently with experts in any field including personal finance. We are no longer confined by regional or local boundaries limiting our choices and ultimate success. A high quality advisor is now as close as a click or phone call away.

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?
"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."
When you think about it, your money is almost always in some other state with a custodian; whether invested in the market or with an annuity insurance company, the advisors competence is primarily needed when positioning your money initially. So working with a specialized expert in a financial discipline like investments or retirement planning is imperative. There are no undo buttons in retirement! Once the annuities get set up correctly, it is customary and more efficient for owners to benefit by having direct access to the issuer instead of having to go through the agent. And, of course any reputable advisor, local or national, is more than willing to assist their clients if needed after they are implemented.
Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"
"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

We are fortunate to have a select few who we believe are truly the highest qualified advisors out of about two hundred licensed insurance agents that we eliminated. Your survey feedback is what helps us make these tough decisions. Our advisors have an independent financial practice, specializing in annuities and retirement planning, which helps ensure that you are given the best options available for your retirement planning.

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?
"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

"Anyone can sell you an annuity; however, it takes a truly qualified and experienced advisor to know how to structure them for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage. Typically, there is not just one that can accomplish all of these objectives. It is how an advisor structures multiple annuities in balancing your total portfolio that makes it possible to achieve your most important retirement objectives."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Almost everyone nowadays turns to the internet for answers on everything - from buying new widgets to researching just about everything under the sun; and finding the best annuity is no exception!At first, it may seem that researching will be straightforward but the more time you spend researching them, the more frustrating it can be. Why is this? First of all, it does not take long to realize that gimmicks abound - such as warnings and alerts from salesmen who just want your attention so they can sell you one or the "too good to be true" claims of 8% to 14% **guaranteed interest and of course the claim that you can get the full market upside with no downside risk! If you have done any research you have heard all of these claims in advertising which are mostly half truths and not fully explained.So how can you find the best annuities on the internet? The truth is... you can't! And what is even more frustrating is all the conflicting points of view from so called experts. There are well over 6,000 different annuities - all designed for different reasons, so is it any wonder that the deck is stacked against the average researcher or do-it-yourselfer. Add to that the fact that they pay high enough commissions to attract a plethora of both good and bad agents. This does not make annuities good or bad; they are simply a financial tool that truly benefit those who use them correctly.How can you find the best annuities for your unique situation?
  • Use the internet cautiously;
  • Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
  • Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
  • Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
  • Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
  • Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
  • Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

  ** 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.
They 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 our website visitors. Dick Van Dyke semi-retired from his Investment Advisory Practice in 2012 and now focuses on this website. He still maintains his insurance license in good standing and assists his current clients.
Our 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.)


Site Terms & Disclosure

  1. All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
  2. Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
  3. It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
  4. Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
  5. Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
  6. Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
  7. Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
  8. http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
  9. MarketFree™ Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
  10. Market Free™ (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
  11. Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
  12. Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
  13. Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free™ Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
  14. Market Free™ Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
  15. No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
  16. Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
  17. Market Free™ Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
  18. MarketFree™ Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
  19. Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
  20. State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
  21. This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
  22. *"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
  23. *"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
  24. AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
  25. Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
  26. Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
  27. Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
  28. Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
  29. Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
  30. In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
  31. Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
  32. There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
  33. By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
  34. Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
  35. Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
  36. Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

Filed Under: Annuity Commentary, Annuity Guys Blog, Annuity Guys Video, Annuity Rates, Annuity Safety Tagged With: annuities, Annuity, Annuity Rates, Fixed Annuities, Fixed Indexed Annuities, Multi Year Guarantee Annuity, MYGA, Types Of Annuities

Is an Annuity the Wrong Choice for You?

March 16, 2013 By Annuity Guys®

Should I or shouldn’t I – that is the question.

Many of our site visitors struggle with the decision to choose an annuity for a portion of their retirement. No one wants to make a poor decision regarding their retirement security yet the volume of commentary on how to structure retirement is overwhelming.

How do you know if you are making the right decisions?

If you are considering an annuity for a portion of your retirement income or safety of principal, we would encourage you to focus on the **guarantees. If you can be happy with the **guarantees, then anything above the or **guaranteed growth is icing on the cake.

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

 

**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.

Insider Owners Manual

This week we are sharing with you one of our new annuity tools that we are  making available in our premium section – The Annuity Owners Manual. This concise brochure summarizes the types of annuities and the type of person who might consider these different annuities. Also, it poses a few key questions that you want to get answered prior to sitting down with a local advisor. Click here or on the booklet for your copy.

Dick and Eric discuss highlights of the Annuity Owners Manual and why you’ll want a copy for yourself.

Filed Under: Annuity Commentary, Annuity Guys Video, Annuity Income, Annuity Safety, Retirement Tagged With: Annuity, Owners Manual, retirement, Types Of Annuities

Are You Too Young or Old to Purchase an Annuity?

April 13, 2012 By Annuity Guys®

What is the best age to purchase an annuity?

There have been a plethora of articles and reports about unscrupulous agents who sell annuities to senior citizens who did not understand what they were buying or the contractual ramifications of their decision. Due to the publicity of many of these unfortunate events there has been a blanket statement made by many that annuities should not be purchased by any over 70….. Hogwash!

In the world of financial planning and investment advising there is a need to have safe money options regardless of age. The key relies on the fact that the financial product should provide a solution to a financial need.

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

 

**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.

Annuities by their name are designed to be income producing financial instruments. Yet, they can also be used effectively as estate planning tools.  Unfortunately for senior adults insurance companies safeguard themselves from bureaucratic regulators by limiting annuity purchase ages – most companies would rather err on the side of not selling an annuity to someone approaching or exceeding eighty years old than to risk being accused of an unsuitable sale by a regulator even if the annuity would be a great benefit to the purchaser.

Why wouldn’t an eighty two year old on their own or with their families consent buy an annuity when they want safety of principal, a higher growth potential than the local bank, a 5 to 10% bonus and all of the account value to bypass probate and go directly to their heirs with no surrenders or penalties? The main reason is that senior citizens are discriminated against by overzealous regulators that in the name of protection have caused the door to be shut on this legitimate purpose for annuities in estate planning.

It should be noted that the age limiting also applies to younger individuals. We have seen insurance companies pull back on benefit eligibility for younger individuals which seem “to promise to much” based on today’s interest rate environment when these benefits are extrapolated out over a younger person’s lifetime.

So again, what is the best age…

The most common age tends to be between 45 and 65. However, it depends on the type of annuity and your planned retirement age. Our most common experience has been to start utilizing annuities in retirement planning 1-15 years prior to retirement. Annuities excel at keeping retirement dollars safe and secure while providing growth for retirement income. We often discuss with clients that they should consider annuities for their income foundation or “If they cannot afford to lose principal” or if they “do not have the time to recover from losses in riskier financial choices” — then annuities are always prudent alternative for consideration.

It seems that every month or so I see a newspaper and magazine financial writer that writes a column gets asked a question like, “I’m 70 years old and my advisor wants me to by a (fixed, variable, hybrid) annuity, should I do this?” I’m sorry, but no columnist can effectively answer that question in 300 words or less, unless his/her answer is “it depends.” It’s not uncommon for retirees to live into their 90’s – and a 70 year old with a family history of longevity may be a candidate for an annuity if they have a concern about outliving their money. It should be part of the discussion – if it fits the need.

 So if I’m in my 20-40’s then I should not consider an annuity… right?

For younger individuals two key elements need to be part of the consideration when discussing if an annuity is a valid option. First, what are they giving up and at what cost? Younger clients who are disciplined enough to make regular contributions into an investment can benefit from dollar cost averaging. Also, they have the advantage of time — the longer the time before the dollars are needed the more likely they are to benefit from the volatile upside of some of the riskier investments. Second, how do they handle the loss of principal? Can they continue to invest into a financial product that may not always consistently grow? If they cannot stomach a loss then other safe money options like annuities should be part of the discussion.

Get Good Advice

In closing, we encourage you to get good advice. Find a financial professional that will listen to your needs and then work with you to find proper solutions. Ultimately it will be you who makes the decision on what to do with your dollars. Do not make decisions based upon a newspaper article or what your neighbor just did that sounds so great. Work with someone who has your goals in mind and you have a much better chance of meeting your retirement target.

Eric: Today, we’re going to talk about what is the best age to purchase an annuity. Now Dick, I see it in the newspaper all the time, “Dear Abby,” well Dear Abby isn’t quite right, but a financial columnist gets the question, “Dear, Dick; I’m 70-years-old. My financial adviser wants me to buy an annuity. Is this a good recommendation?”

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Dick: Absolutely, if you’re 70-years-old, you should never buy an annuity.

Eric: Now 70 and a day, you’re okay.

Dick: Or what about 69 and a half?

Eric: Okay, that’s fine.

Dick: You know really folks; this is the problem with columnists and 300 word articles or whatever. They don’t really take your individual situation into account and where one 70-year-old buying an annuity could be completely the wrong thing, you know Eric we’ve seen that, on the other hand there are other 70-year-olds that have a unique situation, where an annuity could be the exact perfect answer for them.

Eric: Age; we hate to say age doesn’t matter, because really it comes into play in a certain aspect, but it’s all about longevity, expectations, and partly being part of your financial plan.

Dick: Right. If you want to get money over to heirs, maybe your children, you want that money to be safe. You want it to have better earning potential maybe than what the banks could give you.

Eric: Right now, that doesn’t take a whole lot.

Dick: It doesn’t take much. So there could be many of those factors. You want to avoid probate; that could be a good reason to consider an annuity for that purpose.

Eric: Exactly. So the blanket statement to say, “I’m too old for an annuity,” is not the right way of saying it. Now there are certain considerations. I would say as far as liquidity as far as what’s a sound investment, you have to trust the decisions, and that the people you’re working with are giving you good advice. If you ever don’t feel comfortable with any financial advice, get a second opinion.

Dick: And this is where I’ve had taken issue anyway, with some of the compliance regulations and the regulators, which they try to make it one rule fits all, and they don’t really take the individual into account. And I very frequently find that an older person is truly discriminated against, because they cannot choose what is best for their situation. The insurance companies are afraid to sell them an annuity or to allow them to purchase an annuity, because it could be looked at as something incorrect, even though for that person, it would be the very best thing in their situation.

Eric: Yeah, I think part of what happened; this is the historical perhaps side of it. There was a time when annuities were sold and the reflection was that, basically agents were just selling them because of a higher commission level. They were just going to sell them, no matter if they were the right fit or not.

Dick: Yeah, unscrupulous. Not doing the right thing. Taking advantage of people, and yet in every investment that we’ve known out there in the world of investments, there’s been someone that will take advantage of another person. So we have to be somewhat careful, and we can’t change the way the whole world, the investment world is set up. But because of that, I do feel that the protection rules have come down so strongly that now the insurance companies are afraid to sell or allow an older person to purchase an annuity.

Eric: And we’re not suggesting that if you have dementia that you should purchase an annuity. Basically, what we’re saying is that, if you’re of sound mind, and you’re making sound decisions and you understand how it fits.

Dick: And maybe even bringing the family into the decision. But even in the environment that we have now, if the family wants to come into the decision and help their 80-year-old mother purchase an annuity that would be a great thing for the family and for the goals and objectives of the client, they can’t do it.

Eric: Some insurance companies basically tie agent’s hands, based off of age. It depends on the company and what the age cutoff is.

Dick: Right, it seems like, when we get up around in that area of 78-80, in that neighborhood, it becomes pretty minimal what’s available.

Eric: Then of course there are people, I’m going to say in my age group that…

Dick: The much younger…

Eric: They’re also the discriminated against group that some of the benefits, I call them the richer benefits that are available on some annuities, the income riders. We’re actually too young. The benefits are actually too great.

Dick: The companies feel and I think that this should be a cue to some folks that are maybe a little bit more in that sweet spot, which I’m approaching, somewhere in that 50-year- old up to 65-years-old, that some of the **guarantees and that the companies feel are just a little bit too strong to offer to a younger person that could take advantage of that. So we do find this sweet spot to be somewhere between the ages of near 50, up to maybe a little over 65 or pushing 70, where an annuity can be positioned, either to start income immediately or defer it for up to 10 or 15 years.

Eric: I really like that. For me in my practice, those 10 years before retirement, it should be part of the discussion. Even if the decision is no, it should be part of what’s looked at as part of this.

Dick: I can’t tell you how many times, I know you’ve heard it over and over too. That someone has said, “I wish I would have known this ten years ago, five years ago, because why was I wasting my time?” Their money many times, hasn’t done any of the things that it needed to do, to be ready for where they are today, and they could have positioned it with contractual **guarantees, which is what annuities offer and at least that foundational portion of their income or their assets would have produced the income that they needed by this stage.

Eric: Well, and it takes some of the guess work out. If you take a portion of your retirement savings and you position it in a place where you know that you’re this age, your goal is to retire here, isn’t it nice to have predictability of what that income level is going to be at that point, and that is where it becomes part of the discussion.

Dick: So I think that truthfully, getting back to what we were discussing initially and that was too old or too young? I think that we would have to say that it depends on your unique situation. You’re never too old or too young, if it fits what you need.

Eric: That’s right. It has to be a solution to a financial problem and it’s a piece of the puzzle. If it fits it should be part of the consideration. So talk to your financial adviser. Find somebody that you trust and that you feel comfortable with and have the discussion.

Dick: That’s right. Thank you.

Filed Under: Annuity Commentary, Annuity Guys Video, Annuity Safety, Annuity Scams, Retirement Tagged With: annuities, Annuity, Annuity Article, Annuity Purchases, Annuity Scams, Equity-indexed Annuity, Indexed Annuity, Insurance, Life Annuity, Pension, Purchase An Annuity, Purchasing, retirement, Senior Annuities, Types Of Annuities

Annuities – Liquid or Not?

March 30, 2012 By Annuity Guys®

As advisors who specialize in retirement planning one of the first questions we discuss with clients surrounds the subject of  liquidity. We need to insure that our clients are equipped for whatever financial challenges life may present them with and sometimes that means needing access to some cash quickly.

So are annuities liquid financial vehicles? Can annuities be converted to cash? Maybe — depending on the type of annuity and the timing, some annuities can be converted to cash quickly. There is really a scale of liquidity from liquid to illiquid across various annuity types with immediate annuities being illiquid while variable, fixed and hybrid annuities offer many opportunities to access cash with no penalties.

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

 

**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.

In a March 2012 article in Insurance News, “Debunking Annuity Objections” Sheryl Moore an objective industry expert addresses the topic of annuity liquidity. Sheryl does an excellent job articulating just how insurance companies keep annuities secure by purchasing high quality bonds whose maturities coincide with the surrender period for the purchased annuity. In addition insurance companies must also have reserves set aside that are determined by the state insurance commissions as adequate. Consequently, if an annuity is redeemed early the insurance company may be required to redeem the underlying bonds prior to maturity resulting in a financial loss to the insurance company. So as a safeguard to their financial stability the insurance companies include surrender charges to maintain their continued viability and safety for all clients involved.  Since annuities have to be reliable as long term financial vehicles for retirement, surrenders cause people to think twice before bailing out unless it is absolutely necessary, thus protecting others that remain.

It should be pointed out that cashing out an annuity is not the only way to obtain liquidity. Virtually all non – immediate annuities provide for a portion of the annuity that can be withdrawn each year without penalty – and for most annuities this amount is 10 percent of the value of the annuity annually. In addition, it is typical for annuities to provide for access to funds without penalty should the annuitant be confined to a nursing home, disability or being diagnosed as being terminally ill.

In addition, all annuities offer the option of annuitization **guaranteeing a lifetime income and most annuities pay the account value to the beneficiaries upon the death of the annuitant.

If you use an annuity or series of annuities in your retirement planning understanding how you can get access the account value should be part of the conversation with your advisor. Just know that a full pre-mature surrender is not the best or a preferred option for most annuity owners. A very small percentage of annuities are surrendered in full prior to maturity.

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Eric: today’s topic is annuities, are they liquid or not?

Dick: Yeah, can we put our money into these? Are we going to lose our money or how long is it going to be gone for? How does this work, Eric?

Eric: How big is the vault that you have to put that in? Can you get into the vault? When we start talking about liquidity, and it’s one of the first questions we are typically asked or actually, we address with clients, because annuities typically are long-term.

Dick: They are. They’re long-term retirement vehicles and you shouldn’t look at them as your liquid money, even though there may be liquidity there.

Eric: Right, each type of annuity has kind of a different level of liquidity.

Dick: So let’s talk about first of all, the annuity that has no liquidity.

Eric: I was going to say medium, minimal, yeah, I always give you the little caveat there.

Dick: Minimal, there’s some liquidity there.

Eric: With an immediate annuity, you’re going to take your liquid asset really, and you’re going to give it to the insurance company in exchange for an income stream. So the problem is that lump sum is gone now, if you had to go out and salvage it, if you really think about it.

Dick: Get something out of your annuity.

Eric: You could sell it on the secondary market. You’re going to get pennies on the dollar.

Dick: It wouldn’t be a good idea, unless you really have to.

Eric: That would be a last ditch.

Dick: Effort.

Eric: Uncle Joey’s in prison, I don’t know.

Dick: Let’s not go there.

Eric: I was going to say, so just don’t even consider it as part of being sound financial planning.

Dick: Make a good plan and then you won’t need to cash that immediate annuity in.

Eric: That’s right.

Dick: Let’s talk about some annuities that are more liquid or considerably more liquid. Go ahead.

Eric: The next level is really that fixed, indexed hybrid, which is all built on that kind of fixed annuity chassis.

Dick: Fixed annuity chassis, right.

Eric: The best part about most of those and this is a typical aspect; you’re going to get a 10% after that first year. Your first year is usually for some, it’s 5.0%, for some it’s no withdrawal that first year, but typically, after that point in time you’re able to withdraw 10%.

Dick: At least by the second year, the 13th month you can take 10% out, and the beauty of that is that there’s no penalty and there’s no surrender.

Eric: So it’s actually some liquidity of what you’ve deposited. Some do it based on the account value. Some do it based off of the original deposit.

Dick: Right. So when we’re looking at this type of liquidity, again 10% is a long ways from 90% or 100% of what you actually put into the annuity, yet the idea of liquidity in an annuity is that, when you structure your financial plan properly, you’re not looking for liquidity with an annuity. That’s not the purpose of that money.

Eric: Right. Annuities are geared towards income, you know, or savings?

Dick: Or safety and giving money back to heirs.

Eric: You should know there are ways to get access to some of that cash, if you need it. But just knowing how you’re structuring your whole plan allows you to safeguard those places.

Dick: You know we talk about 10% but then there are some other provisions in an annuity, because folks, these annuities really are true retirement vehicles, and so the annuity companies look at these and say well, what would be a real emergency, a real liquid need perhaps in retirement, and one would be terminal illness. Another would be a long term care need and those all have some provisions for liquidity.

Eric: I was going to say, most annuities have those pieces built in.

Dick: You get all your money back with no penalty or surrender.

Eric: Obviously, the one that we never like to even mention necessarily, because it’s really not liquidity for you, but it’s liquidity for your heirs if you would pass, all that account value would move on to your heirs.

Dick: That’s important to know, because I have frequently sat down with someone who was just investigating annuities initially, and did not understand that those penalties and surrenders are not passed on to heirs. They get the full account value including bonuses, and there are no penalties. No surrenders.

Eric: It is a strength in the annuity system, in the sense of being able to purchase something. You may have gotten a bonus or something right up front. Those things typically, if you would pass even the second day you’ve owned it, that full account value moves on to heirs.

Dick: Now, Eric a lot of people would see this as being very counterintuitive, because I am going to make a statement here, and that statement is simply that surrenders can actually be good, and there’s a reason why surrender charges. Now, Eric says, no, never. Eric, it depends on which side of the fence you’re on.

Eric: That’s right.

Dick: If you’re the person wanting to get some money out, then you think surrenders are bad. On the other hand, if you’re the person that’s got your money long-term in an annuity, and it’s supposed to accomplish your retirement, you don’t want other people pulling their money out prematurely.

Eric: That’s correct. When you understand how insurance companies reserve for annuities and how they’re constructed, you want your company that you’re doing business with to be financially stable.

Dick: Very secure. Remain viable.

Eric: And how these annuities are constructed is once you purchase an annuity, that insurance company is going to take those dollars, and typically run down to the investment bond market.

Dick: Treasuries.

Eric: Buy high-quality bonds.

Dick: Right.

Eric: And that’s what they use to reserve your annuity. Now why is that important? If the insurance company has to go sell some of those underlying bonds early, because you’ve surrendered prior to your maturity time, they’re going to have to sell those bonds on the open market.

Dick: Perhaps take a hit and this is what some of that surrender charge offsets, but it also makes you take pause and think twice before you go cash in an annuity.

Eric: That’s where you look at it as being the surrender fees are actually part of the overall construct of the insurance companies that help them protect the system. It helps protect the entire, basically industry and what you’re protecting the people…

Dick: Ultimately, it protects the people that are insured. They’re relying on their annuity for their retirement.

Eric: So that’s where he is saying it’s a good thing, if you’re trying to get to the liquidity aspect.

Dick: Now another thing that I find very interesting that gets overlooked a lot of times is folks will think, well once that surrender period ends, which is in 10-years and that must be the end of my annuity, but it’s not. No, that’s where you now have full liquidity. You have full control over your money, but they still have contractual obligations to you.

Eric: That’s right.

Dick: When you set up the annuity originally.

Eric: That’s the key thing. The word annuity, typically in my mind, means lifetime. Once you start it, you’re into a lifetime contract. You can decide at some point…

Dick: To end it early, to walk away.

Eric: But you’ve, basically you’ve got a commitment.

Dick: You’ve got them on the hook. That’s what your contractual **guarantees do.

Eric: That’s right. The other thing we didn’t talk about as far as, another way of getting liquidity with an annuity is obviously, annuitization, any annuity can be annuitized. What does that mean? Basically, it means you’re turning it to into a lifetime income stream.

Dick: So you’re really setting a fixed annuity into what would normally be called an immediate annuity, if you purchased it right off the bat, and wanted an income stream. What we found to be very popular lately has been the hybrid annuity. The idea of the hybrid annuity is it’s kind of like you’re having your cake and eating it too. Where you can have your lifetime income, but in addition to that you’ve still have got your asset.

Eric: Dick likes to talk about this, so I’m going to put him on the hook. We talk about majority control, a lot of the times with hybrid annuities, especially. You want to kind of explain a little bit about what—when you talk about majority control.

Dick: When you first start out with an annuity obviously there are surrender charges and the surrender charges are higher in the earlier years. But even in the worst case scenario as a rule, when you subtract the bonus out, because let’s face it, if a company gives you a bonus for putting your money with them, if you take your money out early they want their bonus back. They want their money back.

So when we say majority control, that surrender charge kind of in its worst case is about 10%. So that means you literally control 90% of your principal and then you have a decreasing surrender charge over the years. So you continue to gain a higher and higher majority, until you have 100% majority control, and yet you still have contractual **guarantees that that company has to honor. So this is what we say majority control, which is the opposite with the immediate annuity, because with the immediate annuity, you’ve given up your lump sum and you have no more control over your asset. Did I do a good job?

Eric: That was it. Thank you. I think that helps people a lot of times, because when you’re thinking about, especially with liquidity if you’re looking at a hybrid annuity, really you have to understand, for the most part unless it’s a really weird contract, you’ve got at least 90% control of all the dollars from day one.

Dick: Exactly.

Eric: And so it’s a good way of thinking about it, because I’ve seen the market take a 10% dive and you lose 10% over a period of time.

Dick: Right, sure. Absolutely, and we know that that’s the beauty of an annuity is it gives you that security and safety, and it takes the volatility away of the market, and so for at least a portion of the portfolio we recommend a lot of times that that’s the foundational portion of the portfolio.

Eric: So I guess to try to sum up this topic, we would say just know that when you’re going into the annuity market that one, you’re going to have majority control in situations, and also know there is more than one way to get access to your dollars.

Dick: Yes, there are and as we kind of hinted, it’s important to not think in terms of well, taking all of my money out of the annuity at one time, but taking a 10% or what you really need, and that when you structure that annuity originally that you structure it as a long-term portion of your portfolio. Okay, folks, hopefully we’ve covered liquidity and annuities and I’m sure there is more that we could say, Eric.

Eric: Liquid or not?

Dick: Have we said enough today? We never know how to wind these up.

Eric: Ending is always the hardest part.

Dick: Thank you for watching.

Eric: Have a great day.

 

Filed Under: Annuity Commentary, Annuity Guys Video, Annuity Liquidity Tagged With: annuities, Annuity, Annuity Liquidity, Annuity Surrender, Easily Convert, Equity-indexed Annuity, Hybrid Annuity, Immediate Annuity, Indexed Annuity, Life Annuity, Liquid Products, Purchase Annuity, retirement, Types Of Annuities

What are Hybrid Annuities?

December 16, 2011 By Annuity Guys®

Hybrid annuities, also referred to as hybrid income annuities, are essentially a type of annuity contract that allows the account owner to tie the growth of his or her assets into market benchmark (i.e. Dow Jones IA, S&P 500, NASDAQ 100), with an income rider or riders.

On the most basic level, a hybrid annuity is a fixed index annuity with an income rider attached to it.

Hybrid annuities can help to resolve the concerns of retirement income by offering **guaranteed annuity rates for growth on annuity income accounts. They also such as long-term care funding––while still providing one with a regular income. These annuities have the potential to solve several types of needs in retirement.

A hybrid annuity essentially works the same way that a regular annuity does, in that making an allocation begins by choosing the hybrid annuity that meets key retirement objectives and then funding the hybrid annuity contract with a licensed agent is the final step.

Dick and Eric look at the Hybrid Annuity in this short video explanation.

[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.

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Dick: And folks as you can see at this point, we’re going to go into one more type of annuity here, which is really no annuity at all. It’s a combination of all the above, but as you can see, every annuity has so many different aspects and there are good aspects to each annuity that you really want to think this through.

You want to put some real thought into it. You want to work with an expert that can help you think through all of the variables, and the possibilities and really zero in on, what really is going to work best for you, what’s going to be most suitable. And maybe, as Eric said earlier, it’s no annuity at all.

However, annuities do answer some important questions to secure retirement, securing retirement income and one of the things that we want to talk about here, to just kind of wind it up is something that you’ll find terms over the internet and different ones that are talking about it, and that is a hybrid annuity, and what is different about a hybrid annuity? Eric, I’ve been talking here again. I’m getting you starting on everything. Go ahead let’s start off on a hybrid.

Eric: The hybrid annuity and again, we’re building here so you’ve got your fixed index chassis. Now when you start adding income riders onto a fixed annuity. . .

Dick: Right. And I think that’s, I just want to kind of zero in on that point you made, and that is that it is a fixed annuity. So first of all, we’ve got safety. It’s a fixed annuity then it’s indexed, so we add the indexing option.

Eric: That’s one of the options. You can also take that **guaranteed number. . .

Dick: Just a fixed…

Eric: … is just a fixed return. So those are all pieces, it’s that fixed annuity chassis, and then you’re going to add on top of it, usually the key component is the income rider. So we’re adding an income rider which gives us some of that immediate annuity flavor.

Dick: An income rider **guarantees.

Eric: Right, so what’s the one thing we love about an immediate annuity? It’s that income **guaranteed for life. Now wouldn’t we like to get that for life, without having to give up the lump sum?

Dick: Yes.

Eric: And that’s where the hybrid comes in. It’s that contractual income for life **guarantee, but without having to give up access to the whole.

Dick: Eric, and in our experience and I’m just going to throw the question to you. I could answer it, but in our experience how close can we come with the hybrid annuity, to matching the income of an immediate annuity, where we’re **guaranteeing it for life.

Eric: We come very close typically. There’s usually a couple percentage points difference. Where that fudge factor comes in per se is how long is it going to be in deferral? How long are you going to live?

Dick: What’s the age of the person?

Eric: Right, there are unknown variables that come into play, but the nice thing is we are able to **guarantee, typically a lifetime income higher than you would get, if you just left your money in liquid assets…

Dick: Oh, absolutely

Eric: … that you pulled out, because with a degree of certainty with an annuity you’re going to get that lifetime income. With the liquid assets you have to kind of take the ups and downs of the market and have that little bit more uncertainty. So this income rider…

Dick: You don’t have the contractual **guarantees that the annuity will give.

Eric: … will still give you access to the cash, the majority of your cash. I would say is probably the best way to think of it, with also using those life terms.

Dick: And that’s what I kind of say, is having your cake and eating it too, because with the hybrid style of annuity you can not only **guarantee income for life, but you can pass a lot of money on to the next generation to your heirs, if you haven’t used the money all for your income. And that depends on how long you live, and how much money that you actually take out of the annuity, where with an immediate annuity you’re going to leave very little, if any to the next generation. With the hybrid annuity you could leave the majority of it depending on life expectancy and that type of thing and you can still **guarantee your income for life. So if you happen to live a long life, now it is true if you use all of that money up, because you live a long time, then you really aren’t going to have—your income is going to continue as long as you live.

Eric: It’s an annuity, long time income.

Dick: But you won’t pass money on, because you’ve used it up.

Eric: If you spend all your money, if you drained all your savings accounts, in this case if you drained the annuity of the cash they will still pay you that income for life or whatever that contractual **guarantee amount was. Now you will not have anything to pass on to heirs, if you live long enough.

Dick: And you spend it, but they’re income will continue.

Eric: And that’s the best **guarantee you could have. You won’t out

 

Filed Under: Annuity Commentary, Annuity Guys Video, Hybrid Annuities Tagged With: annuities, Annuity, Annuity Contract, Annuity Income, Annuity Rates, Equity-indexed Annuity, Hybrid Annuities, Hybrid Annuity, Hybrids, Income Annuities, Index Annuities, Indexed Annuity, Insurance, Life Annuity, Types Of Annuities

 

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.

 

  • High Annuity Rates or High Annuity Ratings – Which is Best?

    High Annuity Rates or High Annuity Ratings – Which is Best?

    Understanding the balance annuity rates and annuity ratings play in choosing an annuity is a key in making the best …Read More »
  • Give Money to an Internet Annuity Advisor!  Are You Crazy?

    Give Money to an Internet Annuity Advisor! Are You Crazy?

    We don’t work with crazy people (okay, maybe a couple, LOL), but we do work with a lot of sincere folks who …Read More »
  • Choosing a Fixed Annuity

    Choosing a Fixed Annuity

    If you are having trouble sleeping, you could count sheep or think about fixed annuities.Solid, unexciting, stodgy and downright boring …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"


  • 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 »
  • How Do Index Annuities Pay Higher Interest?

    How Do Index Annuities Pay Higher Interest?

    Okay, what’s the catch? How is it possible that a fixed index annuity (FIA) can eliminate market risk and earn higher interest than standard fixed annuities …Read More »
  • Turning Your 401k into Retirement Income

    Turning Your 401k into Retirement Income

    “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” While Benjamin Franklin was probably not referring to what he …Read More »
  • A Lump Sum Buyout or Keep Your Pension –  Which is Best?

    A Lump Sum Buyout or Keep Your Pension – Which is Best?

    It is a statistical fact that “Retirees love their pensions”. Studies consistently show that pensions are favored over qualified retirement savings plans …Read More »
  • Why are Markets and Annuity Sales at All Time Highs?

    Why are Markets and Annuity Sales at All Time Highs?

    Equity markets increasing and annuity sales increasing at the same time is a little like cats and dogs playing together. …Read More »
  • Exposing Why Some Advisors Love or Hate Annuities

    Exposing Why Some Advisors Love or Hate Annuities

    “Why can’t we all just get along?” It seems that the spirit of divisive partisan politics has invaded the investment …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 »
  • Annuities and Christmas – Do They Have Anything in Common?

    Annuities and Christmas – Do They Have Anything in Common?

    Only Annuity Guys® like us would sit around the office and discuss topics like this… Annuities and Christmas – what …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.


  • What do index annuities, mutual funds and ETFs have in common?

    What do index annuities, mutual funds and ETFs have in common?

    Fixed index annuities, mutual funds^, and exchange traded funds (ETFs) could not possibly have very many things in common or …Read More »
  • Five Annuity Mistakes You Should Avoid!

    Five Annuity Mistakes You Should Avoid!

    How many times have you heard someone say “You have to learn from your mistakes”. Well, we are going to …Read More »
  • How to Get Rid of a Bad Annuity

    How to Get Rid of a Bad Annuity

    Do you think you made a bad decision on an annuity purchase in the past? Do you think you’re stuck due …Read More »
  • Choosing a Fixed Annuity

    Choosing a Fixed Annuity

    If you are having trouble sleeping, you could count sheep or think about fixed annuities.Solid, unexciting, stodgy and downright boring …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 »
  • Why get out of the market now?

    Why get out of the market now?

    What? Markets were on their way back to all-time highs – There must be a mistake! Did we hear the …Read More »
  • Why do Wives Prefer Annuities?

    Why do Wives Prefer Annuities?

    Before everyone starts yelling gender discrimination, we know that husbands can prefer annuities too.However, it is not uncommon for us …Read More »
  • Five Common Annuity Regrets to Avoid

    Five Common Annuity Regrets to Avoid

    Most of us have a few regrets in life… but seriously – annuity regrets???Perhaps we have gone too far as …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.


  • What Percentage of Your Portfolio Allocation Should Be Annuities?

    What Percentage of Your Portfolio Allocation Should Be Annuities?

    Want to know just how much of your retirement nest egg you should consider for placement into annuities? The U.S. …Read More »
  • Are You Too Young or Old to Purchase an Annuity?

    Are You Too Young or Old to Purchase an Annuity?

    What is the best age to purchase an annuity?There have been a plethora of articles and reports about unscrupulous agents …Read More »
  • Annuity Income & Growth to Maintain Principal

    Annuity Income & Growth to Maintain Principal

    Do you remember the first time you heard about annuities? It might have been in a nice restaurant hearing a presentation …Read More »
  • Why are Markets and Annuity Sales at All Time Highs?

    Why are Markets and Annuity Sales at All Time Highs?

    Equity markets increasing and annuity sales increasing at the same time is a little like cats and dogs playing together. …Read More »
  • Why are Hybrid Annuities so Popular?

    Why are Hybrid Annuities so Popular?

    What made fixed index annuities and hybrid annuities the fastest growing annuity type on the market according to a LIMRA …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 »
  • 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 »
  • The New – Immediate Hybrid Annuity™

    The New – Immediate Hybrid Annuity™

    What could be better than a Hybrid Annuity? How about a New – Immediate Hybrid Annuity™!For a typical retiree with …Read More »
  • Study Finds Near Retirees Get Crushed! Can Annuities Help?

    Study Finds Near Retirees Get Crushed! Can Annuities Help?

    A recent headline from the Yahoo Daily Ticker caught our attention – American Incomes Are Falling And Near-Retirees Are Getting …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.