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

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 ...

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.

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” 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 ...

A deferred annuity is a long-term investment that grows tax-deferred and provides income in retirement. Interest earnings ...

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 ...

An annuity offers guaranteed income for a set period of time. There are several types of annuities to choose from-with fixed annuities and index annuities being two of the most popular options. While ...

When it comes to retirement, we all have our own goals and visions. For my grandparents, they preferred to stay in the home that they paid off for several reasons.... When it comes to retirement, we ...

In 2025, both annuities and certificates of deposit (CDs) offer attractive, guaranteed returns, especially as interest rates are expected to drop soon. If you're looking for a safe, fixed return on ...

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