Plain-English guidance on the annuity you own.
Short, jargon-free explainers on annuity types, riders, surrender schedules, 1035 exchanges, retirement income, and RMDs. Written for people who want to understand what they own before deciding anything.
MYGA, Fixed-Indexed, Variable, Immediate: A Plain-English Map
How the four main annuity structures actually work, and what problem each one was built to solve.
Deferred vs. Immediate Annuities
The trade-off between accumulation and guaranteed income — and when each fits.
Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefits (GLWB) Explained
What a living-benefit rider actually guarantees, what it costs, and why it can be the reason to keep a contract.
Death Benefit Riders: What They Do and Don't Do
How enhanced death benefits are priced and when the added cost is worth it.
How Surrender Schedules Work
The mechanics of a declining surrender charge, and how remaining years affect your position.
Free Withdrawal Provisions
Most contracts allow a penalty-free withdrawal each year. How to read yours.
What Is a 1035 Exchange?
The tax code provision that lets you move between annuity contracts without triggering income tax — and its limits.
Full Disclosure Before Any Replacement
The surrender-charge, lost-rider, and new-contract disclosures a licensed specialist must provide.
Sequence-of-Returns Risk
Why the order of investment returns near retirement matters more than the average.
Building a Guaranteed Income Floor
How annuity income can cover essential expenses so the rest of the portfolio can work differently.
Required Minimum Distributions Basics
When RMDs start, how they're calculated, and how qualified annuities interact with them.
Qualified vs. Non-Qualified Annuities
Tax treatment differences and what they mean for your withdrawal strategy.
Want to know where your annuity stands?
Get a free Annuity Position Score in about three minutes. No policy number required to start.