Annuities in Retirement Planning: EDU #2523
The Retirement and IRA Show
Jim Saulnier, CFP® & Chris Stein, CFP®
4.3 • 729 Ratings
🗓️ 4 June 2025
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Chris’s Summary:
Jim and I kick off our annual Annuity Awareness Month series by explaining how using annuities in retirement planning can help manage longevity risk and provide guaranteed income. We cover when they’re worth considering, what they actually solve for, and how they might fit into a plan—if at all. We also explain why many people are skeptical of annuities and why, in many cases, that skepticism is justified.
Jim’s “Pithy” Summary:
Chris and I launch our annual series for National Annuity Awareness Month with a foundational discussion on annuities: what they are, why they exist, and how we use them—sparingly but strategically—in retirement planning.
This episode lays out the key insurance roles of annuities: to protect against longevity risk and to provide principal guarantees. We explain the importance of matching secure income to the Minimum Dignity Floor
, especially for clients who worry about running out of money or spending too little early in retirement. We also touch on the emotional and cognitive benefits of predictable income streams—what I call “bottomless cup of coffee” money. It helps people feel secure, simplifies decisions as we age, and eases the burden on a less-involved spouse.
We explore the history of how annuities got such a bad rap—some of it deserved, especially when the industry prioritized commissions and free dinners over client outcomes. I also share how my own financial education at Boston University drilled anti-annuity rhetoric into my head, even while praising the “three-legged stool” of Social Security, pensions, and savings. It made no sense: the annuity was the obvious substitute for the lost pension leg. If you’re a regular listener, you already know we’re not annuity salespeople, and we certainly don’t hate them either. We see them as tools, and just like dogs, you match the tool to the task. You wouldn’t take a bichon duck hunting, and a Chesapeake Bay retriever doesn’t belong in a carry-on crate. Same principle with annuities.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The retirement and IRA show represents the words and views of the show hosts exclusively and should not be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice. |
| 0:06.8 | All information is believed to be from reliable sources, however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. |
| 0:11.9 | All economic and performance information is historical in nature and is not indicative of any future results. |
| 0:16.3 | Any indices mentioned on the show are unmanaged and cannot be invested indirectly. |
| 0:19.8 | Diversification and asset allocation strategies do not assure profit or protect against loss. |
| 0:23.7 | Never make any investment or financial decisions based on information offered on this show |
| 0:26.7 | without first consulting your financial legal or tax advisor. |
| 0:29.6 | Financial planning services offered through Jim Solnier and Associates LLC, a registered investment advisor. |
| 0:46.9 | This is the retirement and IRA show coming to you from beautiful Northern Colorado. |
| 0:52.6 | Join us as certified financial planner Jim Sonier, as well as Colorado State University finance instructor and certified financial planner |
| 0:55.3 | Chris Stein teach you about IRAs, borrow-en-case, annuities, social security, pension plans, |
| 1:02.0 | and estate planning in a fun and enjoyable show. Whether you are listening live in Colorado |
| 1:07.1 | or streaming from their website or iTunes podcast, Jim and Chris want you to know that they're |
| 1:12.4 | available to help you plan for your retirement. Just visit their website at Jimhelps.com. |
| 1:18.3 | That's Jim H-E-L-P-S dot com and click the Meet the Team button on the homepage. |
| 1:24.6 | Now here's Jim and Chris with today's show. |
| 1:31.3 | Thank you. on the homepage. Now here's Jim and Chris with today's show. Well, hello and welcome to the Retirement and IRA show, EDU edition for this week. |
| 1:37.4 | This is the first EDU show of June in 2025, so it being June. |
| 1:43.8 | And we all know, well, maybe not everyone. |
| 1:48.7 | Most people listening to this show for any period of time realizes that June is, in fact, |
| 1:53.0 | National Annuity Awareness Month, which is a designation, if you will. |
| 1:59.4 | That's been around for a while. It was back in 2010 that the National |
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