💼 Annuities Aren’t Just Safe. They’re Strategic.

Every June, Annuity Awareness Month gives us a unique opportunity: to reset the way clients and even advisors think about annuities.

Too often, annuities get tossed into the “safe money” bucket — like a higher-yield alternative to CDs or money markets. But if that’s the only value you're bringing up in a client conversation, you're leaving powerful planning strategies on the table.

Because annuities aren’t just safe.
They’re strategic.

🎯 The Real Problem Most Retirees Face

When you ask pre-retirees what worries them most, they don’t usually say, “I need the best return.” They say things like:

• “I just don’t want to run out.”

• “I want to know I’ll be OK no matter what happens.”

• “I want something I can count on.”

In fact, 66% of Americans say they fear outliving their money more than they fear death itself (Allianz Life Study). And it makes sense — retirement today comes with more unknowns than ever:

• Market volatility

• Rising healthcare costs

• Longer lifespans

• Fewer pensions

With all that uncertainty, what clients want more than anything is guarantees — specifically, guaranteed income they can’t outlive.

That’s what annuities were built for.

💡 Why Framing Matters More Than Features

As advisors, we have to remember that how we position annuities matters just as much as what product we choose.

Start by moving away from interest rates alone and instead connect the annuity to a real-world problem your client is facing — like income planning, care expenses, or protecting a spouse.

Here's how to pivot the conversation:

❌ “This annuity is paying 5.75% right now.”
✅ “This can give you a monthly income check you’ll never outlive — no matter what the market does.”

Or...

❌ “It’s a safe way to grow your money.”
✅ “It’s designed to take the pressure off your portfolio and protect your income plan.”

📊 Here’s the Bigger Picture

Let’s look at what’s really happening:

• Only 6% of today’s retirees have access to a pension (U.S. Department of Labor)

• The average retirement account balance for someone age 60–69 is $182,100 (Federal Reserve)

• Yet most Americans will need 20–30 years of income to maintain their lifestyle

Annuities aren’t a luxury. They’re a lifeline.

And the best time to talk about them is now — when you can lead the conversation with education, not sales pressure.

🧠 Talking Points You Can Use This Week

Want to start more conversations? Use simple, confident phrases like:

• “Markets are great for growth. Annuities are great for income.”

• “You don’t need a better return. You need a better plan.”

• “This isn’t about how much you make, it’s about how much you can count on.”

These are easy to say, easy to remember, and help you sound like a planning professional, not a product pusher.

✅ Bottom Line

This Annuity Awareness Month, let’s go beyond rates and remind clients why annuities exist in the first place:

To turn retirement worries into lifetime guarantees.

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to start offering annuity reviews, income planning conversations, or policy audits to your book of business. The opportunity is too important — and too timely — to miss.

📥 Want a simple tool to start these conversations?

👉 Download the Annuity Pulse Check™ Kit — a quick guide to reviewing, repositioning, and reigniting annuity conversations with your existing clients.