How To Invest Risk-Free for Retirement With a Fixed Index Annuity

Index Term Period in Fixed Index Annuities: How Does It Work?

Financial Literacy 

Why is financial literacy important?

We have recently identified parameters where certain indexed annuities with income riders generate more lifetime income than longevity annuities (a.k.a. deferred income annuities or DIAs). 

Longevity Annuity vs. Indexed Annuity Income Analysis

Traditionally we're told to save for retirement, but we don't have security of income and no one tells us about how much is enough, when to start spending our retirement savings or how long we should plan to make it last.  This is why at Blueprint Income we value an income-focused retirement plan.

Security of Income in Retirement is Our Secret

There are optional features you can choose so that your QLAC fits your needs. We’ve outlined how these options can affect your QLAC rates here.


These Features Can Affect Your QLAC Rates

Your personal attributes and the extra features you choose to customize your longevity annuity with will affect the income you can generate. We’ve broken down how each option will affect your rates.


These Features Can Affect Your Longevity Annuity Rates

Your personal attributes and the extra features you choose to customize your immediate annuity with will affect the income you can generate. We’ve broken down how each option will impact your rates.

These Features Will Impact Your Immediate Annuity Quotes

What Happens to an Immediate Annuity When You Die?

A fixed annuity provides a safe, tax-advantaged way to earn a good return on savings needed in the near future, similar to a CD. We’ve created this quick checklist so you can know if a fixed annuity is a good fit for you.

Should You Buy a Fixed Annuity?

Do Immediate Annuities Have Beneficiaries?

There are many features you can add to your longevity annuity so it properly fits your needs. We’ve broken down the options you can select to customize your longevity annuity.

Customize Your Longevity Annuity

There are many features you can add to your immediate annuity so it properly fits your needs. We’ve broken down the options you can select to customize your immediate annuity.

Customizing Your Immediate Annuity

We've expanded our real-time income annuity calculator to include Period Certain annuities. Unlike other income annuities, Period Certain annuities are not life contingent. 

Real-Time Period Certain Quotes Now Available on Blueprint Income

There are many features you can add to your QLAC so it best fits your needs. We’ve broken down the options you can select to customize your QLAC.

Customizing Your QLAC

There are many features you can add to your fixed annuity so it best fits your needs. We’ve broken down the options you can select to customize your fixed annuity.

Customizing Your Fixed Annuity

Fixed annuities have several financial benefits to help make retirement planning simpler, but also have some drawbacks. Find out what a fixed annuity has to offer before you purchase. 

The Pros and Cons of a Fixed Annuity

An immediate annuity can provide you with peace of mind during retirement. While not right for everyone, find out if an immediate annuity fits your retirement needs.

Should You Buy an Immediate Annuity?

The answers to the most important questions for when you purchase a QLAC.


Tips When Buying a QLAC

Find the answers to your questions when buying an annuity. 

Tips When Buying an Immediate Annuity

A QLAC offers you a guaranteed income stream to give you peace of mind during retirement. We’ve created this quick checklist so you can know if a longevity annuity is a good fit for you.


Should You Buy a QLAC?

For most Americans, Social Security only accounts for a portion of their retirement income. Here’s how you can fill this gap to ensure you have enough income during your golden years. 


Allocation to Social Security for Just a Part of Retirement Income

QLACs have many financial benefits which make retirement planning simpler. But, it’s important that you know all they have to offer to determine if it’s right for you.


The Pros and Cons of a QLAC

Knowing when you’re eligible to receive Social Security impacts your retirement planning. We’ve broken down the three key ages for when you can start. 

Social Security by Age of Participant

With Social Security playing an increasingly important role in retirement planning, it’s important to fully understand what you need to do during your working years to qualify for Social Security benefits.


Requirements for Social Security Benefits

The want for economic security is no new trend. We’ve laid out the evolution of Social Security and how it’s developed into the program it is today. 

History of Social Security and its Evolution

For over eighty years, Social Security has provided Americans with a stream of guaranteed income that gives certainty in retirement. But few people actually understand how the program works. Here’s what you need to know.


Basics of Social Security

While you can claim your Social Security benefits at different times, there isn’t a single age that is right for everyone. It’s important to consider these facts when deciding which age is right for you. 


Claim Your Social Security Benefits Based on Your Circumstance

Instructions for how to purchase a Qualified Longevity Annuity Contract (QLAC) in a 401(k), 403(b), IRA or other plan.

Purchasing a QLAC in a Tax Deferred Plan

Annuities without cash value, a.k.a. income annuities, offer you protection from running out of money by providing guaranteed retirement income. These are the 5 reasons why income annuities are the best option for your retirement plan. 

5 Reasons Why Annuities Without Cash Value Is Best

To maximize your retirement, you should try to maximize guaranteed income available to you. Here are 4 ways to increase your pension check.

5 Ways To Increase Your Pension Check

For many pensioners, corporate pension de-risking and risk transfers may have a minimal impact on their lives and could ultimately promote their retirement security. Read on to understand these transactions better.

Pension De-risking and Risk Transfer, Demystified

One part of the The Retirement Plan Simplification and Enhancement Act, calls for making upward revisions of the QLAC limit. Under the new proposed rules, you could contribute up to $200,000 or 100% of your 401(k) or IRA account balance to a QLAC, but it is still up in the air as to whether this will get passed. 

New Legislation, If Passed, Would Increase QLAC Limits

QLACs’ special designation means that the income you receive can start later than age 70 1/2, reducing your RMDs and associated taxes. We’ve laid out the tax treatment your QLAC can receive. 

How Will My QLAC Be Taxed?

A QLAC provides steady, reliable income that doesn’t depend on the stock market. We’ve laid out how a QLAC could fit into your portfolio.

A QLAC in a Diversified Portfolio

The kind of savings used to purchase your longevity annuity will determine the taxes owed on the income payments you receive. We’ve broken down how you may be taxed.

How Will My Longevity Annuity Be Taxed?

Although QLACs are similar to longevity annuities, they differ in a few key ways. We’ve clarified the four unique features of a QLAC here.

Product Details of a QLAC

Longevity annuities are comparable in many ways to low-risk fixed income investments, which provide steady, reliable income that doesn’t depend on the stock markets. We’ve laid out how a longevity annuity fits well in a diversified portfolio.

Diversify Your Portfolio with a Longevity Annuity

A Qualified Longevity Annuity Contract (QLAC) is a pension-like product you can purchase with qualified savings that will provide you income for as long as you live. We’ve outlined the key components of QLACs and how they work here.

What's a QLAC?

The kind of savings used to purchase your immediate annuity will determine the taxes owed on the income payments you receive. We’ve broken down how you may be taxed. 

How Will My Immediate Annuity Be Taxed?

Longevity annuities have several financial benefits to help make retirement planning simpler, but also have some drawbacks. Find out what a longevity annuity has to offer before you purchase. 

The Pros and Cons of a Longevity Annuity

Immediate annuities have many financial benefits that help make retirement planning simpler, but also some drawbacks. Find out what an immediate annuity has to offer before you purchase. 


The Pros and Cons of an Immediate Annuity

Comparing the exact financial value of an immediate annuity to a traditional investment product is like comparing apples to oranges. But it’s important to make some assumptions and run the numbers. So here it goes! 


The Financial Value of an Immediate Annuity

While Social Security has evolved since its inception, projections of its available funding has created concerns of its future viability. There could be changes to Social Security going forward.  Here’s what you need to know. 

Changes to Social Security

By transferring money out of your Traditional IRA and into a QLAC, you reduce the Traditional IRA balance subject to RMDs, deferring them until the QLAC income starts.

How Does a QLAC Defer Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)?

You have a few options if you'd like to purchase a QLAC with a 401(k).

How to Purchase a QLAC with 401(k) Funds

Here’s what you need to know when applying for your Social Security benefits. 


Applying for Social Security

Social Security is impacted by the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) which accounts for inflation changes. Because of concern of how adequate this adjustment is, there are possible alternatives for Social Security reflecting inflation increases. 


Cost of Living Adjustment for Social Security

The answers to important questions when buying a fixed annuity.


Tips When Buying a Fixed Annuity

You know that Social Security plays a significant role in retirement, but what are the overlooked pros and cons of it? We’ve laid them out here. 


The Good and Bad of Social Security

What Happens to the Money in an Annuity When You Die?

The majority of people who are offered a lump-sum buyout should keep their pension, but there are some situations where it is worthwhile to consider taking the lump-sum buyout and using a portion of it to purchase an annuity.

Should You Keep Your Pension or Do the Lump-sum Buyout?

The market performing poorly reminds us that we need to be cautious with the risks we take so we navigate market crashes well. Defend against recency bias by having a financial portfolio that will do what you need it to do through all kinds of market cycles.

Navigate Market Crashes with Retirement in Mind

Comparing the exact financial value of a longevity annuity to a traditional investment product is like comparing apples to oranges. But it’s important to make some assumptions and run the numbers. 

The Financial Value of a Longevity Annuity

A longevity annuity can provide you with peace of mind during retirement. While not right for everyone, find out if a longevity annuity fits your retirement needs.

Should You Buy a Longevity Annuity?

Find the answers to your questions when buying a longevity annuity. 

Tips When Buying a Longevity Annuity

A longevity annuity is like a pension you can buy for yourself from an insurance company using your pre-tax or post-tax retirement savings, generating a guaranteed income that lasts as long as you do. It’s a great way to diversify your portfolio, and make sure that all, or most, of your basic retirement expenses will be covered for as long as you live.

What's a Longevity Annuity?

A QLAC is not only financially valuable, but it offers something traditional investments cannot: peace of mind. We’ve laid out how to determine your financial return from a QLAC.

The Financial Value of a QLAC

The immediate annuity (sometimes also referred to as a Single Premium Immediate Annuity or SPIA) is a pension-like product you can buy for yourself from an insurance company using your retirement savings. An immediate annuity generates a guaranteed income stream that lasts as long as you do with income starting no more than a year from your purchase. It’s a way to diversify your portfolio, and make sure that all, or most, of your basic retirement expenses will be covered for as long as you live. 

What's an Immediate Annuity?

Social Security offers more than just guaranteed income. You may be eligible to receive disability, spousal, survivor, and medical benefits. 

Social Security Options and Their Requirements

Your combined income affects how much your Social Security benefits are taxed. Learn what tax bracket you fall into. 


Retirement Income