How To Shop Like A Pro In 2025

How to Shop Like a Pro for an Annuity

Hi there. I'm Stan The Annuity Man, America's annuity agent, licensed in all 50 states. Whether you're reading this in 2025 or 2028, these tips on how to shop like a pro for an annuity still apply. If you want to be treated like a professional, you’ve got to act like one—and that’s exactly how I’ll treat you. Let’s cut through the sales nonsense and get into what you really need to know about shopping for all types of annuities.

Navigating the Storm of Sales Pitches

Think of me as your annuity weatherman. I’m here to warn you about the coming storm—the sales pitch storm. It’s everywhere. But you don’t need to get caught in it. Let’s break it down by product type so you can shop smart and safe.

Annuitization Products: SPIAs, DIAs, QLACs

These are the rip-the-knob-off income faucets:

• Single Premium Immediate Annuities (SPIAs)
• Deferred Income Annuities (DIAs)
• Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs)

They all provide lifetime income. The payments are primarily based on your life expectancy at the time you start receiving them, and they’re a mix of return of principal plus interest. You can customize these structures to ensure that any unused money goes to your beneficiaries.

These are commodity products—quotes change every 7–10 days, just like a gallon of milk. Shop all carriers. If someone says, "This is the best annuity," they’re either lazy, a sociopath, or work somewhere with limited product access. You can run live quotes for these at The Annuity Man.

Variable Annuities: Not My Lane

Variable Annuities were introduced in 1955 by TIAA for tax-deferred growth using mutual funds. I don’t sell them. Why? Because they can go down in value. My mantra: Own an annuity for what it will do, not what it might do. If it doesn’t have a contractual guarantee, I’m out.

Multi-Year Guarantee Annuities (MYGAs): The CD Alternative

MYGAs are the annuity industry’s version of a CD. They’re easy to shop for. Just go to The Annuity Man, enter your state of residence and the duration you want, and we’ll show you the top-yielding MYGAs available in your state. Once you pick a rate, schedule a call with us. I’ll help you assess the carrier’s financials, including bond holdings, ENC ratios, and more. We quote more carriers than anyone, and we keep it live and updated.

Indexed Annuities: Accumulation and Income Riders

Fixed Indexed Annuities (or Fixed Index Annuities) are CD-type products introduced in 1995. The return range? 2–4%. Ignore the hype.

There are two ways to shop for these:

1. Accumulation Only: If you’re buying it for accumulation, you must involve me. You need to know the carrier's renewal rate history. A teaser rate year one can be followed by bad renewal terms in years 2–7. We’ll help you choose a carrier that treats policyholders fairly.
2. With Income Rider: If you answered the two key questions—what do you want the money to contractually do and when do you want those guarantees to start—and said you need income later, then we’ll attach an Income Rider. That means we’re simply using the Indexed Annuity as a delivery system. In this case, what matters most is the highest contractual guarantee from all carriers.

Final Thoughts: Work With a Pro

Shopping like a pro means shopping all carriers and getting help from someone who’s been doing this for decades. You can use my calculators, run your own quotes, and explore all the tools at The Annuity Man. But at the finish line, schedule a call with us. We’ll take you the rest of the way, provide you with the best information, and then step back, letting you make the call on your terms and timeline.

I’m Stan The Annuity Man. See you next time.