Planning for retirement is a constant balance of risk versus return. A fixed or fixed indexed annuity (FIA) can protect your clients' assets while maximizing the potential for gains. See how annuities stack up on the financial product continuum.

A fixed index annuity can be an elite player to your client's retirement income lineup. And with this easy-to-understand game plan, you can tackle all the ins and outs of FIAs and learn how to put them in play.

Two couples. Same age. Same goals. Completely different outcome. See how using the Income Alpha approach to retirement planning increased the spending power of one couple by a million dollars, decreased their risk and ensured assets weren't being left on the table.

You may get questions comparing the benefits of an annuity vs a CD. Or compared to a money market, bond or equity fund. This cheat sheet provides a quick reference to the features, fees, taxation and commissions of eight common types of assets your clients may consider.

There are many reasons to buy annuities. Choosing the right annuity is important in helping clients reach their financial goals. Whether that's income, accumulation, long-term care coverage or legacy planning, a review of their current goals will ensure an alignment for success.

This guide will address two key client concerns in retirement — not having enough money and high medical bills. Help them plan by looking at the biggest risk, creating an income floor approach, documenting assets and categorizing expenses.

Social Security benefits are likely to change in the near future. While Congress can still act to fill the funding gap, clients may need to protect their retirement portfolio against a reduction in benefits. As cuts become more likely, the PlanGap Annuity can help clients be prepared.

In this conversation card, you're looking for clients with CDs that rollover regularly or where the clients aren't using the funds. Through a multi-year guarantee annuity (MYGA), you can provide principal protection and liquidity with a greater return than a typical CD.

After a client's work-related injury case was settled, the client had to decide whether to receive a lump-sum payment or a settlement plan. With the help of a structured settlement consultant, see why they determined a settlement plan was the right choice for his family.

There are higher risk products with potential for higher returns, and products with lower risk and lower returns. Somewhere in between, fixed annuities and fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) provide a strategy for any market – to protect assets while providing potential for additional interest.

When marketing new concepts to clients, it can be tough to get started. We did the hard work for you with this client-friendly letter highlighting the benefits of a qualified longevity annuity contract (QLAC). Download it, modify it and send it to your clients to start a conversation.

Required minimum distributions from a retirement account can be used to fund insurance products – potentially offsetting or even eliminating taxes on the assets. In this case, purchasing a survivorship universal life policy created a 4x return in total legacy with charitable contributions.