Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We have not. My husband is periodically tempted but we realistically can draw the equivalent of the annuity amount from principal for 30 years, longer than we could live. I like the sense of flexibility...we could blow it all on a trip, etc.
Thank you. I am considering annuitizing 1/3 to 1/2 of my savings. The rest would go into stocks (to offset inflation).
It does seem they payout more than the 4% recommended for annual withdrawals from savings…but you might have much more than me.
I am considering an immediate simple annuity (have heard that the more complex, variable ones are not good) .
Anonymous wrote:We have not. My husband is periodically tempted but we realistically can draw the equivalent of the annuity amount from principal for 30 years, longer than we could live. I like the sense of flexibility...we could blow it all on a trip, etc.
Anonymous wrote:I did not (have not). My dad did. He was a CFO and Treasurer for a Fortune 50 and one of the world's largest charities. He knew about investing and money.
About 10-12 years into his annuity, he said it was the best investment he ever made. Perhaps not the greatest return, but it gave him certainty and, more importantly, security that when he died, my mom would continue to have a significant monthly cash flow for her life as well.
So for them it worked great. Like many things, it will depend upon what you want out of it. The answer will differ if your goal is to maximize returns.