Annuity sales can serve as a practical “signal” for what retirees are prioritizing—especially when the market and inflation environment makes predictable retirement income more valuable. LIMRA reported that total U.S. annuity sales reached a new quarterly record in Q3 2025, surpassing $120 billion for the first time. While sales numbers alone do not determine what is right for any one household, they do highlight broader themes: demand for income stability, interest in risk-managed growth structures, and a continued focus on retirement income planning that can hold up across volatility. This post explains what the record tells us (and what it doesn’t), why retirees care about guaranteed-income interest, and the practical questions to ask when evaluating retirement income needs.