Annuities & Retirement
A predictable retirement income, on your terms.
A Fixed Index Annuity lets your money participate in market upside with a floor that prevents losses. Move the sliders below to see how an FIA could have compared to other strategies over a real historical period.
In plain terms
Retirement strategies here use two things: fixed index annuities, and indexed universal life. Both are insurance contracts, not investments — built for protecting principal and producing dependable income rather than chasing returns.
Inputs
Compare against
Fixed Index Annuity · 20 years
$778,928
+212% growth · 0% floor every year
- S&P 500 (historical)
- Worst year -37.0% (2008)
- CD
- Flat compound
- 10-yr Treasury
- Flat compound
$1,793,557
+130% vs FIA
$663,324
-15% vs FIA
$547,781
-30% vs FIA
Growth · 2005–2024
Methodology. FIA line: each year credits min(cap, max(0, sp_return)) against actual S&P 500 annual total returns — 0% floor in down years, capped upside in positive years (annual point-to-point cap method). CD and Treasury compound flat at the chosen rates. All lines start from the same premium.
Data. S&P 500 returns are total returns (with dividends reinvested), sourced from Wikipedia / S&P Dow Jones Indices, cross-verified with The Motley Fool (1995–present). Last verified 2026-05-19.
Simplification. Real FIA contracts typically credit against the S&P 500 price index (no dividends), so a real product at the same cap would credit somewhat less than shown here. Illustrative only — your actual FIA contract terms will differ.
The day it stops
What happens to your income the day the paycheck stops?
For forty years the money just shows up. Every bill, every habit, the whole shape of your month is built quietly around that rhythm. Retiring ends the paycheck — it doesn't end the bills.
The risky years
Protecting what you've built matters as much as growing it.
There's a stretch of years right before and just after you retire where a bad market does damage that never fully heals — because there's no paycheck left to buy the recovery.
“You planned for if you don't make it. This is the plan for if you do.”
The part that matters
01A floor under the essentials
Dependable income that covers the fixed stuff — the house, the utilities, the groceries — so a bad year in the market never reaches the things you actually need.
02Protection when the timing matters most
Fixed and fixed indexed annuities are built to protect your principal from market loss, which matters most in the handful of years where a loss would hurt the longest.
03Old accounts, handled properly
That 401(k) from two jobs ago gets brought over in a way that keeps its tax treatment intact, instead of sitting where you forgot about it.
04Start with what you're comfortable with
There's no rule that says all of it or none of it. Begin with an amount that lets you sleep, see how it feels, and add later if you want to.
Who it's for
Does this describe you?
- Anyone inside about fifteen years of retiring
- People still holding a 401(k) at a job they left years ago
- Households who want a floor under the basics, not just a number on a statement
No health questions, and no minimum you have to hit.
Nobody's going to ask about your health or turn you down here. And you don't have to move everything, or even most of it — start with an amount that doesn't keep you up at night.
Who we shop for your annuity
A sample of the 30 carriers we're appointed with for annuities. Annuities are insurance contracts, not bank deposits; guarantees are backed solely by the claims-paying ability of the issuing carrier, and availability varies by state.
Fixed Index Annuities, answered
What is a Fixed Index Annuity?
A long-term retirement product issued by an insurance company. Your money earns interest based on a market index (like the S&P 500), with a cap on the upside in exchange for a floor — typically 0% — on the downside. A down market year doesn't subtract from your balance.
Who is an FIA usually right for?
Pre-retirees and retirees who want growth potential but can't afford another 2008 or 2022 in their portfolio. FIAs aren't for short-term money — they carry surrender periods, and accessing principal early can trigger charges. Talk to a licensed advisor first.
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