{"id":656627,"date":"2026-08-26T01:34:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T01:34:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/656627\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T01:34:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T01:34:35","slug":"how-to-retire-with-annuities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/656627\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Retire with Annuities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/select\/best-retirement-planning-tools\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Retirement<\/a> may be a dream for many Americans, but many aren&#8217;t sure they&#8217;ll ever fully reach that goal. <\/p>\n<p>Forty-seven percent of those who aren&#8217;t yet retired said they&#8217;re skeptical that they will ever be able to fully retire, according to a survey published in July for the insurance company <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.thrivent.com\/2026-07-15-Retirement-Confidence-Holds-Steady-Despite-Nearly-Half-of-Non-Retirees-Doubting-Theyll-Fully-Retire,-Thrivent-Survey-Finds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Thrivent<\/a>. What&#8217;s more, 64% of non-retirees say they&#8217;re more focused on their current finances than planning for the future, according to the survey that was conducted by Ipsos. <\/p>\n<p>With many Americans living <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/select\/what-is-living-paycheck-to-paycheck\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">paycheck to paycheck<\/a>, one of pre-retirees&#8217; biggest fears is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allianzlife.com\/about\/newsroom\/2026-Press-Releases\/Fear-Of-Running-Out-of-Money-Over-Death-At-Record-High\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">running out of money<\/a> before death, according to a study by the insurance and asset management company Allianz Life. However, there are strategies to address that concern, even if saving more isn&#8217;t possible. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/select\/what-is-an-annuity\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Annuities<\/a> are one common way to guarantee income for life and secure your retirement. CNBC Select outlines what you need to know and the best products. <\/p>\n<p>Talk to us<\/p>\n<p>Are you living paycheck to paycheck, or do you have a financial success you&#8217;re comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/L2r64hJJZYhQwBqDA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">quick form<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Creating a secure retirement <a id=\"headline0\"\/>What is an annuity and how can it help in retirement?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/select\/what-is-an-annuity\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Annuities<\/a> are contracts sold by insurance companies that provide you with a guaranteed income stream. The type of annuity you buy determines when the contract begins paying out and how the funds grow over time.<\/p>\n<p>There are three main types of annuities: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fixed annuities:<\/strong> These offer a guaranteed, flat rate of return. While the rate is certain, you could miss out on the potential growth of a variable or indexed account. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Variable annuities:<\/strong> These accounts are invested in securities that fluctuate based on market performance. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Indexed annuities:<\/strong> Invests funds in a market index like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/select\/what-is-sp-500-how-to-invest\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">S&amp;P 500<\/a>\u00a0or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can buy annuities that pay out right away, called immediate annuities, or deferred annuities that will start paying out in the future, like when you expect to retire. While all three types can be deferred annuities, immediate annuities are typically fixed annuities. <\/p>\n<p><a id=\"headline1\"\/>Who are annuities for? <\/p>\n<p>Annuities can be appealing to some, but they aren&#8217;t the right fit for everyone. <\/p>\n<p>After all, they do have some downsides, specifically in that some plans can charge high fees and have limited growth potential compared to investing on your own. <\/p>\n<p>However, annuities can be good for those who are risk-averse, as they can provide peace of mind to customers who are worried about running out of money in retirement and who find it easier to budget with a predictable income.<\/p>\n<p>Worried about outliving your retirement savings? Annuities can help.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Disclaimer-styles-select-disclaimerContent--RYK3d\">Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"PartnerOfferCard-image PartnerOfferCard-outerImage\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787708075_577_athene.png\" alt=\"\" data-testid=\"partner-offer-card__image--outer\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Immediate annuities, fixed annuities, fixed indexed annuities, registered index-linked annuities<\/p>\n<p>$10,000 for Athene Agility, Athene Protector, Athene MaxRate, Athene Ascent Pro and Athene Performance Elite<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"headline2\"\/>The best annuities for retirement<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re searching for annuities, you&#8217;ll likely need to work with a financial advisor who can help you choose the right contract and purchase the annuity. <\/p>\n<p>However, knowing which annuities are available could help you narrow down options. CNBC Select <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/select\/best-annuity-companies\/#best-for-earning-dividends-new-york-life\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reviewed more than a dozen annuity companies<\/a> and found that a few stand out for their options, investment features and what they can offer certain individuals. <\/p>\n<p>We like <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/j1c8a60c96aa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Allianz<\/a>&#8216;s variety of fixed indexed and index-linked annuities. We also like the availability of these annuities up to age 85, which is higher than many other annuity providers. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/j1c8a60c96aa\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Allianz Life Annuities<\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"Features-styles-select-creditCard--Eb4ur Features-styles-select-featureList--o2tBn\">\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Annuity types\n<p>Allianz offers fixed indexed annuities and registered index-linked annuities (RILA), which rely on stock market returns to fuse growth with protection from market downturns.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Minimum deposit\n<p>Minimum deposits range from $10,000 to $20,000.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Fees\n<p>Allianz fixed annuities generally have no contract fees. The $50 annual contract fee for Allianz RILAs may be waived if the contract value is over $100,000<\/p>\n<p>There is also a combined administrative and mortality-and-expense risk fee that averages 1.25% a year and rider fees that can range from 0.70% and 1.25%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pros<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Available up to age 85<\/li>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Variety of fixed index and index-linked annuities<\/li>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Website offers details on offerings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Cons<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Not all products are available in all states<\/li>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Doesn&#8217;t offer fixed annuities that guarantee a certain return<\/li>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Some options have a 10-year surrender period<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We also like <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/maaa2b0858b4\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Athene&#8217;s<\/a> low minimum initial deposits \u2014 you can fund your annuity with as little as $5,000. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/maaa2b0858b4\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Athene Annuities<\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"Features-styles-select-creditCard--Eb4ur Features-styles-select-featureList--o2tBn\">\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Annuity types\n<p>immediate annuities, fixed annuities, fixed indexed annuities, registered index-linked annuities<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Minimum initial premium\n<p>$10,000 for Athene Agility, Athene Protector, Athene MaxRate, Athene Ascent Pro and Athene Performance Elite<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Fees\n<p>Athene annuities do not have annual contract fees but riders fees can be between 0.40% and 1%.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For those wanting a fixed annuity, <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/h4d04f7165a4\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gainbridge&#8217;s<\/a> Save Traditional\u2120 Account and Save Retirement\u2120 Accounts both grow at a competitive fixed rate and don&#8217;t have any hidden fees. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/h4d04f7165a4\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gainbridge Annuities<\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"Features-styles-select-creditCard--Eb4ur Features-styles-select-featureList--o2tBn\">\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Annuity types\n<p>Gainbridge Save\u2120 Annuity are fixed annuities<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Fees\n<p>Gainbridge annuities don&#8217;t have upfront sales charges or administrative fees. However, withdrawal fees and surrender charges may apply if you withdraw above 10% of your account&#8217;s value per year.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Features-styles-select-featureItem--XBWNy\">Minimum deposit\n<p>The minimum deposit is $1,000 for all annuities across the platform<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pros<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">No sales or administrative fees<\/li>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Fixed interest growth ideal for risk-adverse investors<\/li>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Straightforward options and an easy-to-use website<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Cons<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Relatively few investment options <\/li>\n<li class=\"ProsAndCons-styles-select-item--ZT8du\">Subject to 10% early withdrawal penalty depending on product selection and age<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The CNBC Select Recommends newsletter delivers practical money tips each week along with expert-picked financial product recommendations. Sign up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/newsletter\/cnbc-select-recommends\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"headline3\"\/>Why trust CNBC Select? <\/p>\n<p>At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every annuity review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Editorial Note:<\/strong> Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff\u2019s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Retirement may be a dream for many Americans, but many aren&#8217;t sure they&#8217;ll ever fully reach that goal.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":656628,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[177],"tags":[57513,267668,79,11902,18,19,17,42293,234,235,103887,57515,20912],"class_list":["post-656627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-approved-for-apple","tag-athene-holding-ltd","tag-business","tag-consumer-spending","tag-eire","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-labor-economy","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-products-and-services","tag-select_monetized","tag-social-issues"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117159243071630401","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=656627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/656628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=656627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=656627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=656627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}