Annuity research
Annuities, explained plainly
Guides, company reviews, product reviews and calculators, written and reviewed by a licensed retirement income strategist. When you are ready, compare real quotes for free.
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The essentials: what annuities are, how they pay and what they cost.
Annuity guideFind the right annuityA short path from your goals to the annuity types worth comparing.Annuity guideTypes of annuitiesEvery major annuity type, side by side, in plain English.Annuity guideAre Annuities Safe?Fixed annuities are guaranteed by contract and backed by a state safety net.Annuity guideFixed annuityA guaranteed-rate contract that protects your principal and grows tax-deferred.Annuity guideFixed index annuityIndex-linked growth with a guaranteed floor of zero.Annuity guideWhat is a MYGA?A single-deposit annuity that pins down one guaranteed rate through a set term.Annuity guideWhat Is an Income Annuity?SPIA, DIA, GLWB rider or QLAC: how each income annuity works and who it fits.Annuity guideSurrender chargesThe fee for taking out more than your free amount before the surrender period ends.Annuity guideHow to Buy an AnnuityThe five-step process for buying an annuity, start to funded contract.
Company reviews
Who stands behind the contract matters most. Start with the carrier.
Allianz LifeA+ rated, globally backed, and the leading name in fixed index annuities.AM Best A+Company reviewAmerican EquityA major FIA specialist now owned by Brookfield.AM Best A
American FidelityA+ rated, but sold only through employer 403(b)/457(b) plans.AM Best A+Company reviewAmerican GulfA new, rate-focused MYGA brand rated B++ by AM Best.AM Best B++
American NationalA 120-year Texas carrier now owned by Brookfield.AM Best A
AmericoA privately held, A-rated MYGA and FIA carrier.AM Best A
AspidaA- rated, Ares-backed, and rate-competitive in MYGAs and FIAs.AM Best A-
AtheneApollo-owned, A+ rated, and the top seller of fixed annuities in the U.S.AM Best A+
Atlantic Coast LifeA near-century-old carrier downgraded to C+ (Marginal) amid a state rehabilitation petition.AM Best C+Product reviews
How specific contracts work, what they credit and who they fit.
Product reviewAccumulation Advantage+A 14% bonus and a 10-year commitment, built for growth rather than income.Product reviewAllianz 222A 52% income bonus and a performance-driven roll-up, in exchange for a 10-year wait.Product reviewAllianz Benefit ControlTwo income rider paths and a 25% bonus, wrapped in real complexity.Product reviewAmerican Equity AssetShield 7A 7-year FIA for safe growth, with no income rider and a strong guaranteed floor.Product reviewAmerican Equity IncomeShield 10A built-in income rider with a guaranteed 10% rollup and a free health benefit.Product reviewAthene AccuMax 7A 7-year growth FIA whose crediting rates are set at issue and locked for the full term.
See all →Calculators
Run the numbers yourself. No email required.
CalculatorAnnuity Ladder CalculatorSplit savings across staggered MYGA terms and size the payout at each maturity date.CalculatorAnnuity Roth Conversion CalculatorConvert a fixed index annuity to a Roth year by year and see the tax and RMD impact.CalculatorCD CalculatorSee a CD's balance, after-tax value and inflation-adjusted value side by side.CalculatorCD vs Annuity CalculatorCompare a CD taxed yearly against a MYGA taxed only at withdrawal.CalculatorCompound Interest CalculatorProject how a starting balance and monthly contributions grow at a given rate.CalculatorFixed Annuity CalculatorProject a MYGA's growth year by year and compare it against a CD after tax.
See all →Taxes and rules
Annuity guide1035 ExchangeMove your money into a new annuity without a tax bill, if you follow the rules.Annuity guide403(b) PlanThe retirement plan for school, hospital and nonprofit employees, explained in plain English.Annuity guideAnnuity premium tax by stateEight jurisdictions tax annuity premiums. Forty-two states charge nothing.Annuity guideAre Annuities Taxable?Only the earnings are taxed, and only once you take the money out.Annuity guideCost basisThe after-tax dollars you put in, and the part of every withdrawal that is never taxed again.Annuity guideExclusion ratioThe formula that makes part of every annuitized check tax-free.Annuity guideHow Fixed Index Annuity Taxes WorkTax-deferred growth now, ordinary income tax later, plus the rules on penalties and heirs.Annuity guideWhat Happens to Your Annuity When You Die?Who gets your annuity, how fast, and how much of it is taxed.
Buying and owning
Annuity guideAnnuitant-Driven vs. Owner-DrivenTwo contract structures that decide whose death actually ends an annuity.Annuity guideAnnuity Buyer's GuideEverything to know before you sign an annuity contract, in plain English.Annuity guideAnnuity fees and commissionsWhat each annuity fee actually costs, and how commissions really work.Annuity guideAnnuity Beneficiary Options ExplainedNaming the right beneficiary keeps your annuity out of probate and on track.Annuity guide7 Best Places to Buy an Annuity OnlineSeven online paths to an annuity, from carrier-direct sites to guided brokerages.Annuity guideFee-Based vs. Commission-Based AnnuitiesTwo ways an advisor gets paid, and what each one actually costs you.Annuity guideFixed annuity costNo annual fee, a lump-sum minimum, and a commission you never see.Annuity guideFree look periodYour window to cancel a new annuity and get every dollar back.Annuity guideFree withdrawalsThe yearly amount you can pull out without a surrender charge.Annuity guideShould I buy an annuityA practical framework for deciding if an annuity fits your retirement plan.Annuity guideWhat Is a Good AM Best Rating for an Annuity Company?A- or better is the floor. Here is the whole scale explained.Annuity guideWhat Is the Annuity Date?The deadline that forces your lump sum into income payments.
Annuity basics
Annuity guideAnnuitantThe person whose age and life expectancy an annuity contract is built around.Annuity guideCan You Lose Money in an Annuity?Two annuity types can lose value. The rest are built so you cannot.Annuity guideComdex scoreA 1 to 100 composite that blends an insurer's grades from the major rating agencies.Annuity guideGMIRThe floor your annuity's credited rate can never drop below.
MYGAs and fixed annuities
Annuity guideAnnuity ladder strategyStagger maturities across several MYGAs instead of locking up one lump sum.Annuity guideAre Fixed Annuities FDIC Insured?No FDIC coverage here, but a different safety net has held up for decades.Annuity guideAnnuity FAQStraight answers to the questions people ask most about annuities.Annuity guideHow Fixed Annuities Protect Against Market VolatilityA guaranteed rate that never moves when the stock market does.Annuity guideIRA rollover into a fixed annuityMoving IRA money into a fixed annuity without triggering a tax bill.Annuity guideMarket value adjustmentA clause that lets rate moves swing your early payout up or down.Annuity guideMYGA industry sales historyEleven years of carrier-by-carrier MYGA sales data, and what moved it.
Types of annuities
Annuity guideCharitable Gift AnnuitiesGive to a charity, get fixed income for life in return.Annuity guideDeferred annuityGrows first, pays later: how a deferred annuity's two phases work.Annuity guideLTC annuityOne deposit, leveraged 2 to 3 times, for tax-free long-term care money.Annuity guideRILAMarket-linked growth with a buffer or floor instead of full protection.Annuity guideVariable annuityMarket-based growth inside an insurance wrapper, with real upside and real downside.
What experts say
Annuity guideAre annuities a good investment?Not an investment technically, but a strong fit for the right retiree.Annuity guideDave Ramsey on annuitiesRight for young savers in debt, off target for a retiree protecting a lump sum.Annuity guideKen Fisher annuity adviceA famous ad campaign, and the fee-based business model behind it.Annuity guideSuze Orman annuity adviceA famous warning about one kind of annuity, stretched to cover them all.
Best annuities
Annuity guide10 Best Fixed Annuity Companies of 2026 by LIMRA SalesThe 10 carriers that sold the most fixed annuities in 2025, ranked by LIMRA.Annuity guideBest Fixed Index Annuities for Accumulation, Ages 50 to 64Six FIAs built to grow principal for buyers ages 50 to 64.Annuity guideThe 10 Best Fixed Index Annuity CompaniesThe 10 largest FIA carriers by 2025 sales, and where each one leads.Annuity guideBest Fixed Index Annuities with an Income RiderFive FIAs built around a strong income rider and payout structure.Annuity guideBest Fixed Index Annuities for Retirees Over 65Five FIAs built around shorter terms and liquidity for buyers over 65.
Fixed index annuities
Annuity guideAnnual point-to-pointMeasures the index once a year, credits the gain up to a cap or participation rate.Annuity guideFIA Crediting MethodsSeven ways an FIA can turn index performance into your credited interest.Annuity guideThe Fight Over Fixed Index Annuity IllustrationsRegulators are rethinking how high an FIA illustration is allowed to project.Annuity guideAnnuity Income Riders ExplainedA guaranteed paycheck for life, built on a number you can never withdraw directly.Annuity guideFIA Sales Leaders, 2015 to 2025Athene passed Allianz in 2020 and has not looked back since.Annuity guideMonthly sum creditingCaps your best months, counts your worst ones in full.Annuity guideParticipation rate creditingA set share of the index gain, with no fixed ceiling.Annuity guideProprietary index strategiesBank-built, volatility-managed indices that often uncap your upside.Annuity guideFIA pros and consReal upside and real tradeoffs, weighed side by side.Annuity guideS&P 500 creditingHow an FIA tracks the S&P 500 without owning it, and what the cap costs you.Annuity guideSpread creditingThe index return minus a fixed percentage, floored at zero.
How much annuities pay
Annuity guideHow rates are setBond yields minus the carrier's margin, adjusted for your term.Annuity guideHow much a $100,000 annuity paysWhat $100,000 can turn into as monthly income across a SPIA, MYGA or income rider.Annuity guideHow much a $1,000,000 annuity paysWhat a $1,000,000 lump sum can pay monthly, and how to structure it across carriers.Annuity guideHow much a $200,000 annuity paysWhat a $200,000 deposit can turn into as monthly income across three annuity types.Annuity guideHow much a $250,000 annuity paysWhat a $250,000 deposit can turn into as monthly income, and how timing changes the number.Annuity guide$300,000 annuity payoutA $300,000 SPIA can pay in the neighborhood of $1,500 to $2,400 a month, depending on age.Annuity guide$400,000 annuity payoutA $400,000 SPIA can pay in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $3,200 a month, depending on age.Annuity guide$500,000 annuity payoutA $500,000 SPIA can pay in the neighborhood of $2,500 to $4,750 a month, depending on age.Annuity guideHow Much Does a $750,000 Annuity Pay Per Month?What $750,000 buys in monthly income across SPIAs, MYGAs and index annuities.
Income annuities
Annuity guideLottery annuity paymentsOne check now, or 30 rising checks over 29 years. Here is how to decide.Annuity guideQLACA pre-tax income annuity that shrinks your RMD until it starts paying.Annuity guideSPIAOne lump sum, guaranteed income for life. The oldest annuity design, explained plainly.
Comparisons
Annuities against CDs, bonds, 401(k)s and each other.
ComparisonAnnuity comparison toolPick two annuities and see their terms side by side.ComparisonAnnuity vs. 401(k)Guaranteed income and protection versus market growth and an employer match.ComparisonAnnuity vs. PensionHow to build your own guaranteed paycheck if your employer never offered a pension.ComparisonAnnuity vs. Savings AccountLocked-in guaranteed growth versus full access to your cash whenever you need it.ComparisonAnnuity vs. Treasury BondsMYGAs often out-earn Treasuries. Treasuries win on access and simplicity.ComparisonAthene Ascent Pro 10 vs. North American Income Pay Pro 10A 25% bonus plus 10% simple roll-up vs. 8% compound. A near tie at 70, and Athene pulls ahead the longer you wait.
See all →Retirement planning
Income, Social Security and taxes around the annuity decision.
Retirement planningAnnuity Bridge StrategyUse annuity income now so your Social Security check grows until age 70.Retirement planningAverage Social Security Benefit by AgeWhat retirees typically collect from 62 to 70, and the income gap that remains.Retirement planningBest Annuities for a Social Security BridgeReplace your paycheck for a few years so your Social Security check can grow.Retirement planningBest Annuities for Retirement in 2026Five retirement goals, five annuity types, and how to match the right one to yours.Retirement planningFull Retirement Age ChartFind your FRA, then see exactly what claiming early or late does to the check.Retirement planningGuaranteed Income vs Market IncomeNeither wins alone. Here is what each buys, what each costs, and how to blend them.
See all →Glossary
Every term, in plain English.
Glossary1035 exchangeMove annuity or life insurance value into a new contract tax-free.GlossaryAccumulation periodThe stretch of an annuity contract when your money is growing.GlossaryAM Best ratingA letter grade for how likely an insurer is to pay its claims.GlossaryAnnuitizationTurning an annuity's value into a stream of guaranteed income.GlossaryAnnuity dueA series of payments made at the start of each period, not the end.GlossaryBailout provisionAn exit ramp if your annuity's renewal rate drops too low.
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