Annuities are investment products used to increase or protect savings, or generate a stream of income. Annuities can offer tax-deferred savings, competitive interest rates, and a guaranteed stream of income you can't outlive.

Annuities can offer individuals a reliable and steady cash flow means during retirement, alleviating, or eliminating any fear of longevity risk or outliving one’s assets. Annuities can turn a substantial lump sum, such as a large cash settlement from a lawsuit or from winning the lottery, into a steady cash flow.

Certain pensions, and of course Social Security, are examples of lifetime guaranteed annuities that pay retirees a steady cash flow until death.