Annuity Explained

Annuity Explained Independent, education-first guide to annuities, IULs, and the retirement tax picture. We don't sell investment products or insurance.

Will I run out?Most retirement conversations dance around that question, so we will just ask it. A healthy couple retiri...
07/17/2026

Will I run out?

Most retirement conversations dance around that question, so we will just ask it. A healthy couple retiring in their mid sixties has real odds that one of them is still around past ninety. That can mean thirty years of groceries, property taxes, and doctor visits drawn from one pot of savings.

Some people cover part of that stretch with an annuity. Plenty of others never need one. The answer depends on your health, your other income, and how much flexibility you want, so we built a walkthrough to help you think it through before anyone with a commission does the thinking for you.

https://annuityexplained.com/is-an-annuity-right-for-me

Most annuity articles tell you why to buy one. This one lists seven situations where you shouldn't.Some are obvious once...
07/17/2026

Most annuity articles tell you why to buy one. This one lists seven situations where you shouldn't.

Some are obvious once you see them. If you might need that money back soon, surrender schedules make an annuity a poor fit. Others surprise people, like already having enough guaranteed lifetime income from a pension and Social Security. Adding more can mean paying for protection you already own.

We are not an insurance agency and we earn no commissions, so we can say plainly when the answer is no. See all seven cases in the guide.
https://annuityexplained.com/blog/who-should-not-buy-an-annuity

Climbers say the descent causes more accidents than the climb. Retirement money works the same way.You spent decades lea...
07/17/2026

Climbers say the descent causes more accidents than the climb. Retirement money works the same way.

You spent decades learning to save. Turning savings into income you can spend without running out is a different skill with its own risks: sequence of withdrawals, taxes, longevity, health costs, and a few more that rarely come up until you are already on the way down.

We wrote a plain English walkthrough of all seven, so you can see the whole trail before you start descending.

https://annuityexplained.com/descent

Ask ten people about annuities and you get ten strong opinions. Here's the part nobody mentions. The loudest critics oft...
07/17/2026

Ask ten people about annuities and you get ten strong opinions. Here's the part nobody mentions. The loudest critics often sell competing products, and the loudest fans often earn commissions on the sale. Both sides have something to gain from your decision.

The honest answer sits in the middle. An annuity is a tool. It fits some retirements well and others not at all, and the difference comes down to your situation, not the sales pitch.

We wrote a guide that walks through both sides. No agenda, no pitch. Read it and decide for yourself.
https://annuityexplained.com/blog/why-do-people-hate-annuities

The balance in a traditional 401(k) or IRA has never been taxed. Every withdrawal counts as ordinary income, and once re...
07/17/2026

The balance in a traditional 401(k) or IRA has never been taxed. Every withdrawal counts as ordinary income, and once required minimum distributions start, the IRS decides when you take that income, not you.

Those withdrawals can also stack on top of Social Security and pull more of your benefit into taxable territory. Planners call that the tax torpedo. Dramatic name, boring mechanics, worth understanding before RMD age rather than after.

We wrote a plain English explainer on how retirement income gets taxed, bucket by bucket.

https://annuityexplained.com/retirement-tax-picture

07/17/2026

Most climbing accidents happen on the descent. Retirement carries a version of the same risk.

Climbers descend with a rope for a reason. A monthly income floor plays the same role in retirement, a baseline for the essentials designed not to depend on market swings. With the floor set, the rest of the plan can breathe.

This clip is from our short film The Descent, which follows the whole way down.

https://annuityexplained.com/descent

07/17/2026

Climbers have a name for the altitude where the air runs thin. Retirement has one too.

The ten years around your last paycheck are the stretch where your savings peak and a bad market year can do the most damage. Some planners call it the retirement red zone.

This clip is from our short film The Descent. The full film covers the whole way down.

https://annuityexplained.com/descent

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