Annuity lifetime payouts: How much will you get? Annuities promise a lifetime income, but how do insurance companies decide how much you'll receive each month? Salespitches: Five variable annuity salespitches to look out for Here's what to think about what you'll hear. Subaccounts: The more the merrier? Many insurers say they offer more options to diversify investments, but some subaccounts are aggressive growth funds and may produce either robust or shrunken returns.

The Insure.com Life Insurance & Annuity Tax Tool Before you decide to take action with your life insurance policy or annuity, find out what will be going into Uncle Sam's pocket. This interactive tool lets you search the tax consequences of surrenders, exchanges, cash value, dividends, loans, and early payouts. Subaccounts: Steering your variable annuity through troubled waters Should you shift your funds? Surrendering: Getting out of your annuity It'll cost you dearly to bail out of your annuity. Is there an alternative? Variable annuities: The ups and downs of immediate VAs Immediate variable annuities offer you the chance to earn money in the stock market and get a steady check, but it comes with a price. Waivers provide access to your annuity before retirement There are times when you can take money out of your annuity without paying those withdrawal fees.