Annuities
A plain-English guide to fixed, indexed, variable and immediate annuities — how income riders work, what the fees really cost, and when an annuity makes sense.
Open the Annuities hubIndependent insurance research
Annuities, IUL and whole life — explained by the numbers, not by the pitch.
Every guide separates what a contract guarantees from what an illustration projects, so you can tell the difference before you sign one.
Three product families, one honest read
Indexed Universal Life
How indexed universal life actually works: index crediting, caps and participation rates, rising cost of insurance, and the funding levels that decide whether a policy performs.
Open the Indexed Universal Life hubWhole Life Insurance
How participating whole life works — guaranteed cash value, mutual company dividends, paid-up additions, and how to tell a well-designed policy from an agent-friendly one.
Open the Whole Life Insurance hubMost useful guides
View all 16 guidesAnnuities
How Much Does a $500,000 Annuity Pay Per Month?
Payout ranges by age and contract type, why joint-life costs roughly 10%-15% of income, and how to compare quotes on the only number that matters.
8 min read · Updated September 2026
Annuities
Fixed Indexed Annuity vs CD: Which Is Better for Retirement Money?
CDs win on simplicity and liquidity. Annuities win on tax deferral and lifetime income. Here is how to tell which your money actually needs.
7 min read · Updated August 2026
Annuities
Annuity Fees and Surrender Charges, Line by Line
Fixed and indexed annuities can have almost no explicit fee. Variable annuities can run past 3% a year. Know which one you are being shown.
6 min read · Updated July 2026
Annuities
QLACs: Using a Deferred Annuity to Cut RMDs and Delay Taxes
A QLAC lets you move a slice of IRA money out of required minimum distributions until as late as age 85 — useful for tax control, not for everyone.
6 min read · Updated June 2026
Indexed Universal Life
Is Indexed Universal Life a Good Investment? An Honest Answer
IUL is neither a scam nor a 401(k) replacement. It is a tax-advantaged accumulation vehicle with insurance costs attached — and those costs decide the answer.
9 min read · Updated September 2026
Indexed Universal Life
IUL vs Whole Life: Which Permanent Policy Fits Your Goal?
Whole life sells certainty. IUL sells upside and flexibility. The right choice usually comes down to how much variability you can tolerate at age 80.
8 min read · Updated August 2026
Rules where you live
Annuities and life insurance are regulated state by state: which contracts are approved, how long your free-look window runs, how much of a policy the guaranty association backs, and how cash value is treated by creditors all change at the state line.
Browse all 50 states and DCHow we write about these products
Annuities and cash value life insurance are sold on illustrations — projections that assume favorable crediting, stable caps and perfect policyholder behavior for thirty years. The contract itself says something much narrower, and that narrower promise is the only thing you can plan around.
So every guide here does the same three things: state what is guaranteed, state what is not, and name the situations where the product is the wrong answer. If a page ever reads like a sales letter, it has failed.