Learn what annuities are, how fixed, variable, indexed, immediate, and deferred annuities work, and how they can help provide ...

A deferred annuity is a long-term contract with an insurance company that provides future income–often for life–in exchange for premium payments, with options like fixed, variable, and indexed types ...

This article is part one in a series of articles, explaining the basic product features of several types of annuities. This first piece in the series focuses on traditional fixed deferred annuities.

A fixed annuity provides a guaranteed income stream. Payouts can be immediate or deferred. Drawbacks include limited upside. Annuities can help ensure your retirement savings last your entire life.

A fixed deferred annuity is a deferred annuity (i.e., one in which regular annuity payments may be deferred), the value of which is represented in fixed units (U.S. Dollars) rather than variable units ...

Fixed annuities and certificates of deposit (CDs) are both low-risk savings vehicles that provide guaranteed returns, but they work in different ways. A CD locks in funds for a set period at a fixed ...

A “fixed annuity” is an annuity contract in which the value is reckoned in fixed units (in the U.S., U.S. dollars). By contrast, the value of a “variable” annuity is determined by the dollar value of ...

Probably not, even if you're in your 70s or 80s, but it depends on your circumstances and the kind of annuity you're ...

Although annuity sales are still seeing record highs, investor interest may eventually shift away from fixed-rate deferred annuities and towards other annuities products that have more growth ...

Building a Ladder to Financial Security. By Randy Myers. The situation: You want to use cash in your retirement savings to buy a fixed annuity. Your worry: interest rates are low ...

If you’ve received notice that your 401 (k) plan now offers annuity options, you may want to look into what these products ...

Laurie Sepulveda is a MarketWatch Guides team senior writer who specializes in writing about insurance, investing, personal loans, home equity loans, mortgages and banking. She lives in North Carolina ...