You could live several decades or longer in retirement; how can you provide for income far into the future? Possible tactics:
Buy an immediate annuity. You can buy such annuities in several forms. They can cover your life only, the lives of yourself and your spouse, or your life only with guaranteed payments to a beneficiary for a certain time period. Depending on the type you choose, you’ll receive more or less each month. Your age at purchase also will be a factor; the younger you are when you buy, the smaller the payments.
Buy laddered annuities. Instead of buying a $50,000 annuity at 65, you might buy a $10,000 annuity at 65, another $10,000 annuity at 67, another at 69, until all $50,000 is invested in five different immediate annuities. As you grow older, you’ll buy annuities with larger payouts. In addition, future annuities might pay more, if interest rates rise.
Buy longevity insurance. You buy these annuities now but don’t start to collect for many years. Say you buy a $50,000 annuity now, at age 65, but don’t start until age 85. Then, you might be collecting $15,000 (30 percent of your investment) a year. With longevity insurance, you can tap your portfolio with more confidence when you first retire, knowing the longevity insurance will kick in if you live for many years.
Citation: FEDweek
Published: August 2, 2023