With the retirement playing field littered with crushed investments and dreams, the safety of guaranteed income streams looks more attractive each day. Some annuities can provide such a guarantee.
If you ask an insurance company to define annuities, the marketing phrase the insurer will probably use is: "Annuities can produce an income stream you can't outlive." That can be true. Annuity payments can last for as long as you live – or even longer – because the payments are based on your life expectancy.