Author name: John Stevenson

Most retirees worry about the same thing: running out of money before they run out of life. You may have saved diligently for decades. But when retirement actually arrives, a new question appears: How much can I safely spend without draining my portfolio too soon? Traditional withdrawal strategies often suggest taking 4% per year. The

If you’re shopping for an annuity, it’s smart to ask one question upfront: “How does the advisor or agent get paid?” Because the way someone gets compensated can influence what they recommend, even when they mean well. In this article, I’m going to break down the most common ways financial advisors and insurance agents get

If you’re looking at annuities for retirement income, the biggest risk often isn’t “picking the wrong company.” It’s making one or two avoidable payout mistakes that quietly cost you $10,000… $50,000… even $100,000+ over time. In this article, I’m going to walk through the most common annuity payout mistakes I see retirees making right now—and

A lot of retirees have the same worry: “Will my annuity payments run out if I live longer than expected?” If you’re planning for retirement income, this is the right question, because nobody knows if they’ll live to 85… or 95… or 110. Here’s the truth: some annuities can run out, and some are designed

Will rising inflation eat up my annuity payments? The honest answer is… it can… If you buy a bare-bones annuity with a flat payout and that’s your only retirement income, inflation will slowly reduce your purchasing power over time. But here’s the good news: There are very effective ways to structure annuities so you can

Will you be stuck with a bad annuity if you change your mind? The honest answer is: maybe… but it depends on the type of annuity you bought and when you try to get out. This is one of the biggest fears I hear from retirees. “What if I pick the wrong one?” “What if

If you’re 55 or older and thinking about retirement, this question probably keeps you up at night: Will an annuity protect me if the stock market crashes again? Here’s the honest answer. It’s not if the market crashes. It’s when. We’ve seen it before: the tech bubble, the housing crash, the “lost decade” from 2000–2011

If you’re close to retirement—or already retired—you’ve probably been told to move into a 60-40 portfolio. That usually means 60% stocks, 40% bonds, with the idea that you still get growth while reducing risk. But here’s the real question many retirees are now asking: Is an annuity a better alternative to a 60-40 portfolio in

If you have CDs maturing right now, you’ve probably noticed something frustrating. The renewal rates aren’t what they used to be—and in many cases, they’re dropping fast. That’s why more retirees and pre-retirees are asking a smarter question: Are MYGAs (Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuities) a better option than CDs right now? Let’s walk through it—plain English,