Editorial and review methodology

Annuities are one of the most heavily marketed products in US personal finance. Much of what is written about them online exists to generate a phone call with a licensed agent. This site exists for a different reason: to help a reader understand a contract well enough to judge it, or to walk away.

How we stay independent

• We are not an insurance agency or broker and we hold no insurance licences.
• We do not receive commissions, referral fees, or per-lead payments from insurers.
• We do not publish sponsored articles or allow advertisers to review content.
• We do not operate quote forms that sell your contact information. If we ever add lead forms or advertising, that disclosure will appear at the top of every affected page.

Sourcing rules

Every factual claim on this site has to come from one of four kinds of source:

1. Regulators and government bodies — the SEC, FINRA, state insurance departments, the IRS, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
2. Issuer documents — a product prospectus, statement of understanding, or rate sheet published by the insurance company itself.
3. Ratings agencies — AM Best, S&P, Moody's for claims-paying strength.
4. Primary market data — published rate sheets and income quote aggregators, cited with the date we checked them.

We do not cite other content sites as evidence of product mechanics. Where an area is genuinely uncertain — for example how an index crediting method will perform in future — we say so rather than presenting an estimate as a fact.

How we handle rates

Annuity rates change constantly and vary by state, deposit size, age, and the specific contract. For that reason:

• We publish ranges rather than a single "best rate," and we always stamp the date we checked.
• We never present a rate as available to you. Availability depends on your state and the insurer's current filings.
• For index products we distinguish clearly between a cap, a participation rate, and a guaranteed minimum — three numbers that are often blurred together in marketing.

Review and update cycle

• Rate pages: reviewed at least monthly, and after any Federal Reserve policy change that moves fixed-income yields materially.
• Product explainers: reviewed twice a year, and immediately when a rule change affects them (for example a change to IRS annuity taxation or a state suitability regulation).
• Calculator: the assumptions behind it are documented on the calculator page and re-checked with each review cycle.

Every page carries a "last updated" date. We avoid year stamps in headings, so a page never looks stale simply because a calendar turned over — the date on the page is the honest signal.

Corrections

If we get something wrong we fix it and note the change on the page. Accuracy about a contract someone may hold for decades matters more than looking consistent.

This is not financial advice

Nothing here is personalised financial, tax, or legal advice, and reading it creates no advisory relationship. Annuities are contracts issued by insurance companies; every guarantee depends on that insurer's ability to pay claims. State guaranty associations provide a backstop, but coverage limits vary by state and are not a substitute for checking the issuer's financial strength. Before you buy, read the contract and talk to a licensed professional who is paid for advice rather than for a sale.