Annuities

$1 million is a lot of money, but assuming that should be your retirement funding goal can be dangerously simplistic. So before you spend the next few decades over- or under-saving, assess whether $1 million is enough -- or too much -- to fund your plans.

Stacy is on a fixed income. She could free up more cash if she paid off her credit cards and mortgage. Should she cash in an annuity to make that happen? DailyFinance's Laura Rowley explains the key factor Stacy should consider in making the decision.

That simple wait-and-see game plan we adopted when we believed recovery was just around the corner? Not cutting it anymore -- if it ever did. It's time for new strategies to win in the New Normal. Here's a rundown of ideas that once worked to which it's time to say goodbye, and the current wisdom for replacing them.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote: "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me." He was right: The rich get better returns on investment. The Harvard endowment rose 21.4% to $32 billion in the university's fiscal year, which ended on June 30.

People nearing retirement now face a volatile stock market on the one hand and weak returns on their savings on the other. Fixed annuities offer a guaranteed stream of income, but there are downsides. Economist Brett Hammond of TIAA-CREF discusses how an annuity can fit into your portfolio, and some pitfalls to avoid.

A new study concludes that investors tend to buy annuities at the wrong times. Here's why making decisions based on recent market events -- like last week's stock-market crash -- can take a big toll on your retirement wealth.

In matters of life and death, it turns out that semantics matters. When researchers asked people what age they would "live to," compared with what age they would "die by," people's expectations shot up by an average of nine years. That life expectancy could have a big impact on your retirement finances.

With memories of the stock market's 2008 tumble still fresh in investors minds, many are scared of stock and are seeking "guarantees" instead of chasing returns. Because of this, for many, annuities have never looked more tempting. But is an annuity a good choice for you?

Insurers are asking Labor and Treasury department officials to make it easier for employers to include annuities in their retirement plans, because Americans are outliving their savings. The two-day hearing in Washington continues today. The insurers want the government to extend and clarify...

The Obama administration is trying to encourage people to buy annuities for retirement. But a little-noticed provision of the new health care reform law slaps a 3.8% tax on payouts from certain annuities. And, not surprisingly, the life insurance industry isn't happy about that.