💰 Annuity Solutions
Protect your retirement savings and create guaranteed income you can't outlive. Annuities provide stable, predictable income that isn't affected by stock market volatility.
Protect your retirement savings and create guaranteed income you can't outlive. Annuities provide stable, predictable income that isn't affected by stock market volatility.
Annuities are designed for retirement planning — providing a stable, predictable income stream that is not affected by stock market volatility. I'll help you choose the right type based on your goals and timeline.
Think of it like a CD, but often with better rates. A MYGA locks in a guaranteed interest rate for a set number of years — typically 3 to 10. Your principal is protected and your growth is predictable. Great for conservative savers.
Earn interest linked to the performance of a market index like the S&P 500 — with built-in downside protection. Your money can grow when the market goes up, but you'll never lose value when it goes down. Optional income riders available.
A safe, straightforward way to grow your retirement savings. Earn a guaranteed minimum interest rate while your money grows tax-deferred. No market risk, no surprises — just steady, reliable growth.
Turn a lump sum into guaranteed income that starts right away — typically within 30 days. Ideal if you're already retired and want a reliable monthly paycheck you can't outlive. Simple, predictable, and secure.
Annuities can be customized with different payout options to match your retirement goals.
Pays a guaranteed income amount for a specific number of years that you choose. If you pass away during the term, your beneficiary receives the remaining payments.
Guarantees income for the rest of your life — or your spouse's life. No matter how long you live, the payments never stop. The ultimate protection against outliving your savings.
Optional add-ons, often available with fixed-indexed annuities, that guarantee a specific income stream regardless of market performance. A powerful tool for retirement income planning.
Annuities are designed to provide stable, predictable income that is not affected by stock market ups and downs. Whether you're planning for retirement or already there, an annuity can give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your income is guaranteed.
Want the full case? See 7 reasons retirees choose fixed annuities →
Straight answers to what people actually ask me — no jargon, no sales pitch.
A multi-year guaranteed annuity (MYGA) works much like a CD — you lock in a guaranteed rate for a set term. The differences are that MYGA rates are often higher, and your interest grows tax-deferred instead of generating a 1099 every year.
The tradeoff is access. A CD ties up your money for months; an annuity ties it up for years. If you'll need the money soon, the CD is the better tool. If it's money earmarked for retirement that you won't touch for five or more years, the annuity usually comes out ahead.
Not from a market downturn. When the index you're linked to has a bad year, your account value stays flat rather than dropping — you don't participate in the losses. Fixed indexed annuities are not securities and your money is not invested in the stock market.
What you can give up is upside. Your gains are limited by caps, participation rates, or spreads, so in a strong bull market you'll trail someone invested directly in the index. You can also lose money by withdrawing early and triggering surrender charges.
Most annuity contracts let you withdraw a set amount each year without penalty — commonly around 10% of your account value annually after the first year. Withdraw more than that during the surrender period and you'll pay a surrender charge, which typically starts high and steps down each year until it disappears entirely.
This is the single most important thing to get right before you sign. I'll walk through the surrender schedule with you line by line and make sure you're only committing money you genuinely won't need.
With most deferred annuities — MYGAs, fixed, and fixed indexed — whatever remains in the contract passes to the beneficiary you name. Because there's a named beneficiary, it generally bypasses probate, so your family isn't waiting on the courts.
Immediate annuities work differently and depend on the payout option you choose. A life-only payout stops at death, while options like term certain or joint life continue payments to your spouse or beneficiary. If leaving something behind matters to you, we'll choose the payout accordingly.
Growth inside the contract is tax-deferred — you owe nothing while the money compounds. When you withdraw, gains are taxed as ordinary income rather than at capital gains rates, and withdrawals before age 59½ may carry an additional 10% IRS tax.
If the annuity is funded with IRA or 401(k) money, the entire withdrawal is taxable. If it's funded with after-tax savings, only the earnings portion is. I'm not a tax advisor, so please confirm your specific situation with your CPA.
Nothing. I'm compensated by the insurance carrier when a contract is issued, not by you. With fixed annuities there's no sales load taken off the top — your full premium goes into the contract and starts earning on day one.
Because I'm independent and appointed with a range of carriers, I'm not obligated to steer you toward any one company's product. If an annuity isn't the right fit for your situation, I'll tell you that.
Most carriers set minimums somewhere in the $10,000 to $25,000 range, though it varies by product, and larger deposits sometimes qualify for a better rate tier.
A common approach is to use only a portion of your savings — enough to cover essential monthly expenses in retirement — and leave the rest liquid and invested elsewhere. An annuity is meant to be one piece of your plan, not all of it.
Probably not. Many carriers issue fixed and fixed indexed annuities into the mid-to-late 80s, and immediate annuities are designed specifically for people already in retirement — the older you are when payments begin, the higher the monthly income.
Age matters less than time horizon. What we need to match is the surrender period against when you'll realistically need the money.
Have a question that isn't answered here? Call me at (267) 332-2152 — happy to talk it through with no obligation.
Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. I'll review your retirement goals and help you find the right annuity — at no cost to you.
Michael B Martin, Michael B Martin INC DBA Mike Martin - Your Medicare & Health Insurance Agent is a life, accident, health & fixed annuity insurance agent and is licensed to do business in the following states: PA, DE & NJ. Not legal or tax advice. For tax or legal services and advice, please consult a licensed professional in your state. Not a recommendation to sell securities. For securities advice please contact a licensed professional in your state.