Author name: John Stevenson

If you’ve noticed lifetime income options showing up inside 401(k) plans, you’re not alone. For decades, most retirement plans were built around one thing: accumulation. Save as much as possible, invest for growth, and hope the balance is large enough when you retire. But now, more employers are adding 401(k) lifetime income options because retirees

If you are looking for the highest guaranteed lifetime income from an annuity, one of the biggest questions is this: Should you annuitize your annuity, or use an income rider instead? Both options can create income you cannot outlive. But they work very differently. Traditional annuitization can be simple and dependable, but it usually requires

If you’re married and thinking about buying an annuity, one of the biggest decisions is this: Should you choose a joint-life annuity so income continues to your spouse, or should you take a higher single-life payout and use life insurance to protect them instead? This question becomes even more important when there is a large

When you buy an annuity for lifetime income, one of the biggest questions is simple: What happens if the insurance company goes bankrupt? It is a fair question. If you are trusting an insurance company with a large portion of your retirement savings, you want to know your income is as safe as possible. The

A lot of people wonder the same thing: Is $500,000 enough to retire on an annuity? The honest answer is: it depends on your income goals, your age, whether you’re single or married, and which annuity strategy you choose. But here’s the part many retirees don’t realize: $500,000 may be able to produce more guaranteed

A lot of people buy an annuity because they want safety, income, growth, or protection from market losses. And in many cases, an annuity can be a phenomenal retirement tool. But I also meet people all the time who regret the annuity they bought. Not because annuities are bad. Not because guarantees are bad. But

High net worth retirees are starting to rethink the traditional portfolio. For decades, the standard retirement advice was simple: build a stock and bond portfolio, withdraw from it carefully, and hope the market cooperates. But for many wealthy retirees, that strategy no longer feels comfortable. When you’ve spent decades building $3 million, $5 million, $10

Sequence of returns risk is one of the biggest threats to retirement income, yet most retirees do not hear much about it until it is already affecting their portfolio. You can have a solid amount saved. You can follow a “safe” withdrawal strategy. You can even average a decent return over time. But if the

The biggest lie people believe about annuities is that they are designed to produce huge growth. That is not how I believe annuities should be viewed. Yes, some annuity illustrations may show impressive-looking numbers. You might see hypothetical returns that look like 20%, 30%, or even more in a single year. I have even seen