In the world of finance, an annuity is a contract between you and a life insurance company in which you give the company a lump sum or series of payments, and in return, the insurer promises to ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Dr. Melody Bell is a personal finance expert, entrepreneur, educator, and researcher. Melody ...

An annuity is an insurance contract you purchase to receive payments for a specific period, such as 30 years, or for the rest of your life. By applying a mathematical formula consisting of variables ...

Annuities provide periodic payments for an agreed-upon period of time, either now or in the future, for the annuitant or beneficiary. You can annuitize the annuity by making monthly, semiannual, or ...

After you retire, your income will mainly come from savings and Social Security. However, annuities provide an additional steady income stream to help you enjoy your golden years with greater ...