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The Annuity Truth.

What the fine print never says, what most agents never tell you, and how to know when an annuity actually earns its place in your plan.

Twenty short chapters. About an hour, end to end. Written in plain English — no jargon, no sales pitch. Read straight through, or jump to whichever chapters apply to you.

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The
AnnuityTruth
By
Scott Zimmerman
Table of Contents

All twenty chapters

Chapter 1
How Annuities Earned the Bad Name
For thirty years, a small group of bad products and a smaller group of agents earned the entire annuity category a bad reputation.
 Chapter 2
Why I Hated Annuities, and Why Most Agents Still Sell the Wrong Ones
The agent sitting across the table from you is only allowed to sell what their company gives them access to.
 Chapter 3
What Changed My Focus
Then the industry changed, and honestly, so did I.
 Chapter 4
MYGAs, The CD Alternative
A MYGA works like a CD, but it's issued by an insurance company instead of a bank.
 Chapter 5
SPIAs, The Pension Paycheck
A SPIA turns a lump sum into a paycheck. That is its entire job.
 Chapter 6
Fixed Index Annuities, The "No Downside, Some Upside"
You do not lose money in a down year. You do not get the full market return in an up year. That is the trade.
 Chapter 7
Variable Annuities, Where Most People Got Burned
A variable annuity puts your money into subaccounts that behave like mutual funds — which means the market can take it.
 Chapter 8
The Riders That Actually Matter
A rider is an add-on feature you can attach to an annuity, usually for an extra annual fee.
 Chapter 9
State Guaranty Associations, Your Safety Net
Every state has one. It is the annuity equivalent of FDIC insurance for a bank.
 Chapter 10
Creditor Protection by State
In many states, money inside an annuity is protected from lawsuits and creditors.
 Chapter 11
The 10% Free Withdrawal
Most annuities let you take out up to 10% of the account value per year, penalty-free.
 Chapter 12
Surrender Periods Decoded
The surrender period is the number of years you agree to leave most of your money in the contract.
 Chapter 13
What to Look For in a Good Annuity Agent
A good annuity agent has three things: broad access, no pressure, and the willingness to say no.
 Chapter 14
Who Annuities Are RIGHT For
The right annuity, in the right hands, at the right time, does something nothing else can do.
 Chapter 15
Who Annuities Are WRONG For
If you need most of your money in the next few years, an annuity is not the right tool.
 Chapter 16
The 7-Question Annuity Audit
The exact questions we ask on every audit — run them on your own contract before you ever pick up the phone.
 Chapter 17
Red Flags: When to Walk
A short list of things that mean it is time to say no and walk out of the room.
 Chapter 18
Already Own One? Get It Audited.
You did not create the annuity you own. Somebody sold it to you. That is not your fault.
 Chapter 19
Thinking About One? Let's Talk.
A fifteen-minute call. No pressure. No pitch. Just a conversation.
 Chapter 20
The Bottom Line
Annuities are tools. Not saviors. Not scams. Tools.