Retirement News & Updates
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New Research Finds Annuities May Help Retirees Live Longer
A new academic study examining nearly 600,000 Chilean retirees over nearly two decades finds that annuities substantially reduce mortality — increasing longevity by 2.55% at five years and 3.62% at ten years compared to retirees who chose phased withdrawals. The researchers, affiliated with universities in Chile, Indiana, and Dartmouth, conclude that annuities reduce mortality by shielding retirees from income volatility and investment-related stress. Survey evidence from the study also finds that annuitants invest more in their health and report lower disability rates. Financial advisors familiar with the research say the findings align with what they observe in practice: clients with guaranteed lifetime income sleep better, spend more on health, and experience less financial anxiety than those managing a portfolio through market cycles. The study adds a compelling dimension to the case for guaranteed income — one that goes beyond financial planning and into quality of life.
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Lifetime Income Is the Missing Link in Retirement Security
New global research from Prudential Financial and the Global Aging Institute, released at the Spring IMF World Bank Meetings, finds that most retirement systems leave individuals to manage longevity risk largely on their own. The study, which examined retirement systems across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, and Japan, concludes that lifetime income solutions can significantly strengthen retirement security — and may allow countries to deliver equivalent retirement outcomes at approximately 20% lower cost compared to lump-sum distribution models. The research calls for lifetime income to become the default option in employer-sponsored retirement plans, and highlights the efficiency gains that come from pooling longevity risk across a broad population. The findings reinforce a growing body of evidence that the transition from defined benefit to defined contribution retirement systems has left a meaningful income gap for retirees — one that guaranteed income products are uniquely positioned to address.
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Partial Annuitization Can Outperform the 4% Withdrawal Rule
A new report from TIAA argues that partial annuitization — converting a portion of retirement savings into guaranteed lifetime income — can produce higher annual income in retirement than the 4% withdrawal rule alone. Using the example of a 67-year-old with $1 million in savings, TIAA illustrates that annuitizing one-third of assets while continuing to withdraw 4% from the remaining balance results in meaningfully more first-year income than applying the 4% rule to the full balance. The report also addresses the role annuities can play in helping retirees manage market volatility during the drawdown phase, providing a predictable income floor that is not affected by market swings. For individuals entering or already in retirement, the findings offer a practical framework for thinking about how to structure income rather than relying on withdrawals alone.
New Research Finds Annuities May Help Retirees Live Longer
A new academic study examining nearly 600,000 Chilean retirees over nearly two decades finds that annuities substantially reduce mortality — increasing longevity by 2.55% at five years and 3.62% at ten years compared to retirees who chose phased withdrawals. The researchers, affiliated with universities in Chile, Indiana, and Dartmouth, conclude that annuities reduce mortality by shielding retirees from income volatility and investment-related stress. Survey evidence from the study also finds that annuitants invest more in their health and report lower disability rates. Financial advisors familiar with the research say the findings align with what they observe in practice: clients with guaranteed lifetime income sleep better, spend more on health, and experience less financial anxiety than those managing a portfolio through market cycles. The study adds a compelling dimension to the case for guaranteed income — one that goes beyond financial planning and into quality of life.
Lifetime Income Is the Missing Link in Retirement Security
New global research from Prudential Financial and the Global Aging Institute, released at the Spring IMF World Bank Meetings, finds that most retirement systems leave individuals to manage longevity risk largely on their own. The study, which examined retirement systems across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, and Japan, concludes that lifetime income solutions can significantly strengthen retirement security — and may allow countries to deliver equivalent retirement outcomes at approximately 20% lower cost compared to lump-sum distribution models. The research calls for lifetime income to become the default option in employer-sponsored retirement plans, and highlights the efficiency gains that come from pooling longevity risk across a broad population. The findings reinforce a growing body of evidence that the transition from defined benefit to defined contribution retirement systems has left a meaningful income gap for retirees — one that guaranteed income products are uniquely positioned to address.
Partial Annuitization Can Outperform the 4% Withdrawal Rule
A new report from TIAA argues that partial annuitization — converting a portion of retirement savings into guaranteed lifetime income — can produce higher annual income in retirement than the 4% withdrawal rule alone. Using the example of a 67-year-old with $1 million in savings, TIAA illustrates that annuitizing one-third of assets while continuing to withdraw 4% from the remaining balance results in meaningfully more first-year income than applying the 4% rule to the full balance. The report also addresses the role annuities can play in helping retirees manage market volatility during the drawdown phase, providing a predictable income floor that is not affected by market swings. For individuals entering or already in retirement, the findings offer a practical framework for thinking about how to structure income rather than relying on withdrawals alone.
Annuity Sales Clear $100 Billion for the Tenth Straight Quarter
Athene’s 2026 Retirement Outlook, developed in collaboration with leaders from Apollo and Vitera, examines the structural forces reshaping retirement security in the year ahead. The report identifies two primary risks for retirees and near-retirees: concentrated equity exposure in portfolios and the renewed threat of inflation. Against that backdrop, the outlook makes a case for guaranteed income solutions as a core allocation in retirement portfolios — one that can provide predictability that Treasuries, cash, and other traditional safe havens cannot offer in the same way. The report also highlights how annuity design has modernized, how benchmarks in the retirement system are shifting from fees to outcomes, and how the defined contribution space is beginning to integrate income-focused options as default structures. For clients approaching or already in retirement, the findings reflect a broader industry shift toward building retirement plans around income certainty rather than account balances alone.
Workers Feel Ready for Retirement. Their Employers Disagree
A new Goldman Sachs Asset Management plan sponsor survey reveals a striking disconnect between how employers view their workforce’s retirement readiness and how workers view themselves. Plan sponsors estimate that only 33% of employees are on track for retirement, while 68% of workers describe themselves as optimistic about their own preparedness — yet 58% of those same workers also believe they will outlive their savings. The survey, which drew on responses from 250 large-plan sponsors and data from more than 5,000 working and retired individuals, points to a retirement system under strain from competing financial priorities, insufficient personalization, and growing demand for guaranteed income options. Plan sponsors are actively rethinking plan design, with a majority considering changes to investment menus, advice services, and lifetime income integration over the next twelve months.
Why Guaranteed Income Is Becoming the New Safe Haven
Athene’s 2026 Retirement Outlook, developed in collaboration with leaders from Apollo and Vitera, examines the structural forces reshaping retirement security in the year ahead. The report identifies two primary risks for retirees and near-retirees: concentrated equity exposure in portfolios and the renewed threat of inflation. Against that backdrop, the outlook makes a case for guaranteed income solutions as a core allocation in retirement portfolios — one that can provide predictability that Treasuries, cash, and other traditional safe havens cannot offer in the same way. The report also highlights how annuity design has modernized, how benchmarks in the retirement system are shifting from fees to outcomes, and how the defined contribution space is beginning to integrate income-focused options as default structures. For clients approaching or already in retirement, the findings reflect a broader industry shift toward building retirement plans around income certainty rather than account balances alone.