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The question is: is an indexed annuity fixed or variable? There's a lot more to it than just the short answer. I would like to go through what a fixed indexed annuity is, an indexed annuity, and a variable annuity and tell the differences in both.

C'mon man! This week's co-host is wearing a QLAC hat. YOU KNOW we're going to love what he's got to say. Welcome, Michael Finke, to the Fun With Annuities podcast for episode 90. He is a Ph.D. and professor of wealth management at The American College of Financial Services.

Today's topic is deferred income annuity pros and cons. This is a big one because, with every annuity type, there are limitations and benefits, and I'm going to explain them to you so you can make an excellent decision whether a deferred income annuity fits you or not.

Good topic today, how to choose an annuity.

Everybody is asking me this, how do interest rates affect annuities? Now, you just can't say they affect all annuities the same way because there are different types of annuities. What we're going to do is we're going to go through every single type that's out there, and I'm going to tell you precisely how interest rates affect each one of them.

Back by popular demand once again, Mr. FIA-X joins me on Fun With Annuities episode #89. Without a doubt, he is one of the most popular guests I have on because people are so interested in the FIA (aka: Fixed Indexed Annuity) topic and want to know the brutal truth.

What is a single premium immediate annuity? How does it work? Should you own one? We're going to dive into many things concerning single premium immediate annuities. We're also going to go through; should you even own one? We're going to go through the details of how you can make that decision.

Today's topic is what a QLAC, qualifying longevity annuity contract, is? A relatively new offering from the annuity industry. We're going to cover a lot today on qualifying longevity annuity contracts. I'm also going to call them QLAC. What is a QLAC? What do they solve for? What's the history of a QLAC? We are going to go over all of that.

A true "rock star" in the retirement planning world, welcome to the Fun With Annuities podcast David Blanchett, the managing director and head of retirement research at PGIM Solutions.

Today's topic is how annuity companies make money on fixed index annuities. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and I'm going to try to make it very simple for you to understand why the annuity companies have significant buildings. They're smart.

Today, we're going to talk about what type of annuity is best. Now, disclaimer, we might get to the end of the road when you and I are talking and come to a realization that no annuity type is best. Annuities are not for everyone. There are many types, and we’re going to talk about them.

Fun With Annuities co-host # 87 is Jason J. Fichtner, Ph.D., vice president and chief economist at the Bipartisan Policy Center. His research focuses on Social Security, federal tax policy, federal budget policy, retirement security, and policy proposals to increase saving and investment.

Today's topic is SPIA calculator and two ways to find the best quote. We're going to go through where you go to run your own quotes, and I'm going to talk about the two best ways to find the highest contractual guarantees for your specific situation.

Everyone asks me whether it is possible to time the purchase. Is there a sweet spot? Is there an arbitrage moment where it's the perfect time to buy an annuity of any type? Of course, everyone that's in the market, the stock market, or anything like that, you've been trained to try to time it. Can you do that with annuities?

Steve Parrish is a true thought leader, and it was great to have him on the podcast. He is the co-director of the Retirement Income Center at The American College of Financial Services.