Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Dr. Melody Bell is a personal finance expert, entrepreneur, educator, and researcher. Melody ...

An annuity is an insurance contract you purchase to receive payments for a specific period, such as 30 years, or for the rest of your life. By applying a mathematical formula consisting of variables ...

Annuities are investment contracts issued by financial institutions like insurance companies and banks. When you purchase an annuity, you invest your money in a lump sum or gradually during an ...

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Investopedia / Hilary Allison The present ...

An even cash flow of regularly scheduled payments defines an annuity. If you borrow money to start your business, the monthly payments are calculated using an annuity formula. Two basic annuity ...

Because annuities offer advantages like regular lifetime payments, premium protection, tax-deferred growth, unlimited contributions, and various investment options, they should be a part of your ...

Reaching retirement age can be a worrying time for many people, with financial uncertainty and rising health care costs. According to CNBC, the average American receives a monthly sum of $1,666 in ...

Researchers (including us) often find that retirees can benefit from partial allocations to annuities. But what should be done with the rest of the portfolio after the annuity has been purchased? Most ...