Who Buys Annuities and Why Should They?

As the industry promotes annuity awareness, June is the perfect time for you to talk to your clients and prospects about annuities as a long-term investment that delivers guaranteed income they can count on.

Who buys annuities?*

  • The average age (at first purchase) is 51
  • Gender is 50/50 (females at 51%) 
  • The median household income is $64,000
  • 59% of annuity owners are married

Many people underestimate how long they will live which puts a strain on personal savings and increases the likelihood of outliving personal assets. Retirees are living longer, healthier, and more active lives than generations before. Add the decreasing reliability of government and employer programs to provide sufficient income, and you have a retirement income gap that continues to grow for many Americans. 

According to recent research, 40% of investors say that they are very interested in income products like annuities. Fixed annuities are a good fit for many consumers and a valuable addition to retirement planning because they offer safety, growth potential, tax advantages and lifetime income.

Saving for retirement is important, but it’s only half the battle. It’s important to talk to your clients about annuities as a strategy to help them maintain their standard of living in retirement. 

 

 *From the Gallup 2013 Survey of Owners of Individual Annuity Contracts this is the demographic make-up of an annuity owner

Retirement Help for Generations

It's National Retirement Planning Week... Retirement planning varies by generation and can be a struggle to find the right approach for each one. However, once you understand the similarities as well as the differences, you can be better prepared to serve all your clients/generations effectively. The more you know about the needs, attitudes, and behaviors of each generation, the better you may be at understanding how to help them achieve their retirement goals.

Like most advisors, your focus has probably been zeroed in on the Baby Boomer generation when it comes to helping your clients with retirement planning. It may be time to start focusing on the younger generations in order to grow or maintain your current practice. As affluent Millennials and Gen Xers age and inherit wealth, they become good candidates for an advisory relationship when looking to protect wealth and secure retirement. 

Maintaining a successful practice is about adapting to change. There are many ways advisors can position themselves to better serve the financial needs of all generations. Use these carrier resources to help get you started.