Education
Learn About Annuities
Plain-English guides from a licensed professional who has reviewed thousands of annuity contracts. No sales agenda — just the mechanics you need to evaluate an offer.
Foundations
Start here if you're evaluating your first annuity offer.
Foundations
Types of Annuities Explained — FIA, VA, MYGA, SPIA, RILA
Plain-language guide to every type of annuity: fixed, variable, indexed, immediate, deferred, RILA, and MYGA. What each does and who it's for.
Read article →FIA Mechanics
What Is a Cap Rate — and Why Does It Matter for Your FIA?
How cap rates work on FIAs, why they change at renewal, and how to evaluate whether a cap rate is competitive using current market data.
Read article →Product Comparison
FIA vs. MYGA — Which Fixed Annuity Is Better?
Fixed indexed annuity vs. multi-year guaranteed annuity: compare returns, liquidity, complexity, and which makes sense for different retirement goals.
Read article →Index Analysis
Best FIA Index Strategies — S&P 500, Uncapped & More
Analysis of the most common FIA crediting strategies: annual point-to-point, monthly average, participation rate, and uncapped with spread.
Read article →Due Diligence
How to Read an FIA Illustration — What Carriers Don't Explain
A step-by-step guide to reading fixed indexed annuity illustrations. What the columns mean, where the assumptions hide, and what to actually focus on.
Read article →Reference
Annuity Glossary
Plain-English definitions for 30 annuity and FIA contract terms — from cap rate and GLWB to backtested index data and volatility-controlled indexes.
View glossary →Editor's Take
In-depth editorial analysis of the annuity market.
Naic
What the NAIC's 2026 Illustration Crackdown Means for Annuity Shoppers
State regulators flagged indexed annuity illustrations showing 10%-27% annual returns. What's driving the numbers, regulators' response, and how to protect yourself.
Read article →401k
Annuities Are Coming to Your 401(k). Here's What That Really Means.
In-plan lifetime income options are showing up in 401(k) menus. Here's what they actually are, why they're being pushed now, and what to ask before you commit.
Read article →Money's Worth Ratio
How Much of Your Annuity Premium Do You Really Get Back?
The money's-worth ratio is the cleanest way to evaluate annuity value. Here's how it works for SPIAs — and why GLWB and GMIB riders need a different lens.
Read article →Case Study
UBS Widow Case — What the $1.2M Variable Annuity Award Tells Us
FINRA ordered UBS to pay $1.2M to a widow over a 2013 variable annuity funded with retirement money. What went wrong, what rules applied, and what buyers should learn.
Read article →Risk & Due Diligence
Annuity Carrier Risk — AM Best's Warning on Insurer Debt
AM Best reports life and annuity insurers hold more risky debt than before 2008 with thinner capital buffers. What this means for cap rates and your annuity.
Read article →Income Planning
Best Annuities for Retirement Income 2026
Which annuity types deliver the best retirement income? Comparing SPIAs, DIAs, FIAs with income riders, and VAs with guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits.
Read article →Rankings
Best Variable Annuities 2026 — Low-Cost VAs Ranked
Independent ranking of the best variable annuities for 2026. Compared by total fees, subaccount quality, living benefits, and carrier financial strength.
Read article →Rankings
Best Fixed Indexed Annuities 2026 — Top FIAs Ranked
Independent ranking of the best fixed indexed annuities for 2026. Compared by cap rates, carrier strength, surrender terms, and crediting methods.
Read article →Product Comparison
FIA vs. RILA — Fixed Indexed vs. Registered Index-Linked Annuity
Compare fixed indexed annuities and registered index-linked annuities: downside protection, upside potential, fees, and which fits your risk tolerance.
Read article →Product Comparison
Fidelity Personal Retirement Annuity Review — 0.25% Fee VA
At 0.25% annually, Fidelity's FPRA is the cheapest variable annuity on the market. What you get, what you give up, and who it's actually designed for.
Read article →Contract Terms
MVAs & Surrender Charges — How Early Exit Costs Stack
Market value adjustments can amplify surrender charges in a rising rate environment. How the two interact and what your actual walkaway value would be.
Read article →Risk & Due Diligence
Interest Recapture in Annuities — The Third Exit Cost
Some FIA carriers take back credited interest if you surrender early. How interest recapture works, which carriers use it, and SILAC's Denali example.
Read article →Market Analysis
New Annuity Products 2026: What Carriers Launched and Why It Matters
We analyze 8 major annuity products launched in late 2025 and early 2026 — crypto-linked FIAs, adjustable-income RILAs, hybrid LTC annuities — with honest analysis.
Read article →Rates & Pricing
The Renewal Cap Rate Trap — What Carriers Don't Tell You
How renewal cap rates on FIAs often drop significantly after year one, why Fed policy accelerates the decline, and what it means for your credited returns.
Read article →Compensation
Variable Annuity Share Classes Explained — B, C, L, I, O
How share class letters determine every dollar you pay in a variable annuity. B-share vs. L-share vs. advisory: which costs less over your holding period.
Read article →Fee Analysis
Variable Annuity Fees Explained — M&E, Riders, Subaccounts
Complete breakdown of variable annuity fees: mortality and expense charges, administrative fees, subaccount expenses, rider costs, and surrender charges.
Read article →Index Analysis
Volatility-Controlled Indexes — The FIA Indexes That Quietly Disappeared
Why proprietary volatility-controlled indexes underperformed after 2022, which carriers used them most, and lessons for FIA buyers evaluating index strategies.
Read article →Industry Analysis
Corebridge–Equitable Merger — What It Means for Annuity Buyers
A $22 billion merger creating a $1.5 trillion retirement giant. Impact on existing policyholders, product lines, cap rates, and what buyers should watch.
Read article →Ready to put it to work?
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