Alternatives to Annuities

Financial advisor Darcy Bergen possesses more than two decades of experience in financial planning. Darcy Bergen has also appeared on several media outlets to inform the public on retirement options, including viable alternatives to annuity products.

While fixed index annuities are reliable retirement savings vehicles, some clients may prefer alternative low-risk assets or wish to diversify their portfolio with similar options. Some alternatives to annuities include:

- Managed payout funds (MPFs). While both annuities and MPFs offer a predictable income, MPFs have lower fees and more liquidity since shares can be sold at any time. Unlike annuities, many MPFs have minimum yields that keep pace with inflation. 

- Laddered bonds. In this strategy, clients purchase bonds with sequential maturity dates and reinvest the proceeds into new bonds. Bondholders receive steady returns and have the option to sell bonds on lower rungs of the ladder for liquidity. 

- Variable life insurance. Though this strategy is not a savings vehicle, it is another option for retirees who want the stability of an annuity. In addition to a death benefit, variable life insurance policies have a cash value that can be invested.

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