Learn what annuities are, how fixed, variable, indexed, immediate, and deferred annuities work, and how they can help provide steady retirement income.

A variable annuity is a contract between an insurance company and an individual that combines insurance features and long-term investments. The funds in a variable annuity are invested in various ...

Lindsey Crossmier has been a financial writer since 2022, and has been regularly quoted as an expert in outlets such as U.S. News, GOBanking Rates and Yahoo! Finance. She leverages her Yale financial ...

An annuity is an insurance product. It provides a long-term stream of income in exchange for an upfront premium. There are many types, including immediate, deferred, fixed, variable and indexed.

In an increasingly uncertain market, investors are looking for solutions that offer both growth potential and downside protection. Registered Index-Linked Annuities (RILAs) are emerging as a flexible ...

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. But if you've started exploring your annuity options, you've likely run ...

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. David Kindness is a Certified Public ...

Annuities are an insurance product used as an income stream during retirement. They typically involve an accumulation phase, when you make a lump sum or series of payments to an insurance company, and ...

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. When it comes to retirement planning, annuities are one of the financial ...

In a reversal of recent trends, LIMRA predicts a decline in fixed annuity sales and an increase in variable annuity sales in 2025. Fixed annuity sales typically track changes in interest rates, said ...

In one product trend, regulators are seeing more guaranteed living withdrawal benefits attached to non-variable annuities. And those products are “quite complicated,” said Katie Campbell, an actuary ...