Author name: John Stevenson

If your 401(k) has experienced significant growth, you may be wondering whether it is time to protect some of those gains. Two options you may hear about are a fixed indexed annuity, commonly called an FIA, and a registered index-linked annuity, or RILA. Both can provide index-linked growth, but they offer very different levels of

How do the ultra-wealthy create $100,000 a month or more in retirement income without managing real estate, worrying about dividends, or constantly watching the market? For some wealthy families, the answer is surprisingly simple. They take a portion of their assets and use annuities to build contractual lifetime income. This isn’t the only way to

If you’re comparing annuities and stocks for retirement, one of the biggest questions is: How are annuity payouts taxed compared to stocks? The answer matters because stocks and annuities can receive very different federal tax treatment. A taxable brokerage account may generate capital gains, while the taxable earnings distributed from an annuity are generally treated

Can I get 7%+ income from an annuity? That’s one of the biggest questions I hear from people who are looking for guaranteed retirement income. And the answer is yes, in certain cases, it is possible to get 7% or more in contractual lifetime income from an annuity. But there’s one important thing you need

If you have $3 million and you’re thinking about buying an annuity, one of the biggest questions is simple: How much should I actually annuitize? Not all of it. Not automatically. And in many cases, not even close. The goal is not to put as much money as possible into an annuity. The goal is

A fixed lifetime income can be one of the most comforting parts of a retirement plan. You know the money is coming in. You know it can last for life. And you do not have to wake up every morning worrying about what the stock market did yesterday. But there is one big question retirees

How much lifetime income will $200,000 actually buy you in retirement? That is one of the most common questions people ask when they start looking at annuities. And it is a smart question because the answer is not always simple. A $200,000 annuity could produce very different income depending on your age, your state, when

When you compare annuity caps vs participation rates, the answer depends on one big question: What kind of market are you expecting? If the market is strong and keeps moving higher, a participation rate can often create more upside. But if the market is slower, choppier, or only producing moderate returns, a cap may actually

If you’ve been researching retirement income, you’ve probably heard of the 4% rule. The idea is simple: withdraw 4% of your portfolio each year, adjust for inflation, and hope your money lasts for the rest of your retirement. But here’s the problem. The 4% rule depends on markets cooperating, your portfolio performing, and your retirement