If you own an annuity and you're not 100% sure what you have, what you're paying, or whether it's the best fit for you, this is where you start. No jargon. No sales pitch. Just clear answers written for real people.
The bigger-picture guides — how annuities fit alongside your 401(k), IRA, and Social Security.
If you left a job and the old retirement account is still sitting where you left it — or you have an IRA you stopped funding — that money might not be doing you any favors. Here's what most people don't realize.
Read the guide → PlanningYou bought an annuity three, five, or ten years ago. The paperwork got filed and the questions stopped. Four things worth knowing about your contract — fees, newer features, surrender periods, and why your agent may have gone quiet.
Read the guide → PlanningA self-check for annuity owners — the same ten questions we run in every audit. Answer them yourself. If you can't answer even a few with confidence, that's the sign to get a second opinion.
Read the guide →The most-asked questions about what your annuity is actually earning you.
How to know if the lifetime income your annuity promises is truly the best available, or if a better contract could pay you more every month for the rest of your life.
Read the guide → IncomeUnderstanding lifetime income guarantees, how they're calculated, and why the answer to this question depends entirely on the type of annuity you own.
Read the guide → FitAnnuity rates, guarantees, and features have improved significantly in recent years. Here's how to tell whether your current contract is still competitive.
Read the guide →What you're actually paying, and how to check whether it's fair.
Mortality & expense charges, rider fees, sub-account fees, admin fees. A complete breakdown of what's coming out of your annuity every year, and what's reasonable.
Read the guide → FeesHow surrender schedules work, when they end, and how to calculate the true cost of leaving your annuity today versus waiting.
Read the guide → ComparisonEight questions to work through in five minutes that will tell you whether your annuity is worth keeping or worth reviewing more carefully.
Read the guide →What your annuity actually protects you from, and what happens next.
Different annuity types offer very different levels of market protection. Here's how to tell what yours actually shields you from, and where the exposure lies.
Read the guide → FamilyHow death benefits actually work on the four main types of annuities, what your family will really receive, and how to make sure your beneficiary designations are right.
Read the guide → RidersHow LTC riders on annuities work, which contracts allow them, and when adding one makes real financial sense for someone in their 60s or 70s.
Read the guide →The foundational guide for anyone who owns an annuity but can't say exactly what type it is.
A free annuity audit reviews your contract line-by-line and gives you a straight answer on whether to keep it or explore something better. No cost. No obligation. If your annuity wins, we tell you to stay put.
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