Annuities are investment contracts issued by financial institutions like insurance companies and banks. When you purchase an annuity, you invest your money in a lump sum or gradually during an ...

An annuity is an insurance contract you purchase to receive payments for a specific period, such as 30 years, or for the rest of your life. By applying a mathematical formula consisting of variables ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Dr. Melody Bell is a personal finance expert, entrepreneur, educator, and researcher. Melody ...

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Investopedia / Hilary Allison The present ...

Annuities provide periodic payments for an agreed-upon period of time, either now or in the future, for the annuitant or beneficiary. You can annuitize the annuity by making monthly, semiannual, or ...

A lot of retirees use annuities to simplify their income stream in retirement but that doesn’t mean annuities are simple. Beyond choosing what kind of annuity to purchase – immediate vs. deferred and ...

These estimates are based on a single-life immediate fixed annuity, which begins paying out right after purchase and continues for the rest of your life. Generally, the older you are when you buy the ...

David Rodeck is a financial journalist based in New York City specializing in banking, investing and financial planning. Before writing full-time, David was a financial adviser and passed the Series 6 ...