Fixed Annuity News
The fixed annuity industry is constantly changing. From product evolution and distribution consolidation to pending regulation and legislation, NAFA works diligently to keep up with every aspect of the marketplace and provide you with its most pertinent news in a timely manner. Utilize the information below to read about recent media coverage in our Monday Media Reports, access monthly advocacy updates via The Call, visit our Press Room for the association’s most current news releases or to catch up on our Twitter feed.
Industry News
20 AUG – James Caparosa – Nasdaq
How Index-Linked Annuities Are Reshaping Income Portfolios in 2025
“Earlier this year Nasdaq Global Indexes partnered with Wealth Management IQ to survey over 400 financial advisors to gauge prioritization of income in their portfolios and understand the types of income-oriented solutions they are using in client portfolios.
The 2025 survey was follow-on to a 2023 survey and asked many of the same questions. The shifts in answers over the two-year period are notable, revealing several interesting trends and highlighting opportunities for indexed annuity products in the income space.”
21 AUG – Allison Bell – Think Advisor
Fed Interest Rate Team Worries About Some of Annuity Issuers’ Assets
“The people who oversee the U.S. dollar and help the government set interest rates are wondering about some of life insurers’ assets.
Federal Reserve System staff members told members of the Federal Open Market Committee last month that “life insurers’ allocation of assets toward private credit and risky assets, funded in part by nontraditional liabilities with short maturities, continued to grow,” according to a copy of FOMC minutes posted Wednesday.”
25 AUG – Allison Bell – Think Advisor
Individual Annuities Post Another Strong Quarter of Growth
“U.S. sales of individual annuities increased 6.4% between the second quarter of 2024 and the second quarter of 2025, to $115 billion, according to new issuer survey data from Wink.
Analysts at Wink and other annuity sales tracking organizations predicted earlier in the year that sales growth might look weak this year because strong 2024 growth would make comparisons look soft.”
26 AUG – Josephine Nesbit – Yahoo! Finance
Should You Buy an Annuity While You Have Social Security? Here’s What Experts Say
“With rising costs and questions surrounding the sustainability of the Social Security program, more are questioning whether to buy an annuity alongside Social Security. An annuity and Social Security both provide guaranteed income in retirement, but they work in different ways and serve distinct purposes.”
28 AUG – Ken Nuss – Kiplinger
I’m an Annuities Expert: Here Are Two Ways to Use Annuities to Benefit From the OBBB
“The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) gives most people 65 and older a new deduction on their federal income taxes starting in 2025.
But to get the full or partial amount, you can’t exceed the income limits. For some older adults, it can thus make sense to reduce their taxable income to get under the limit.
Through 2028, eligible taxpayers 65 and older can get an additional $6,000 deduction (or $12,000 for a married couple if both spouses are 65). This is in addition to the standard deduction for all taxpayers and the extra deduction for older adults.”
28 AUG – Ary Rosenbaum – The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C. – JD Supra
The DOL is Right to Scrap the Annuity Safe Harbor
“The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) is once again carrying water for the annuity industry, this time urging the Department of Labor to retain a regulatory safe harbor that’s already obsolete. The safe harbor in question, rooted in the Pension Protection Act of 2006, was designed to give plan fiduciaries guidance in selecting annuity providers. But the DOL is correct in its proposal to eliminate it, because Congress already provided a more streamlined fiduciary safe harbor in the SECURE Act of 2019.”
29 AUG – Chris Fuhrer – Insurance Newsnet
5 strategies to deepen client trust through annuity education
“Annuity professionals are navigating one of the most opportunity-rich, yet misunderstood, moments in our industry’s history. Between longevity risk, inflation uncertainty, and the ripple effects of SECURE 2.0, there has never been a better time to lean into personalized education and strategic engagement.”
04 SEPT – Leo Almazora – Investment News
Annuity sales hit another high, notching seventh straight $100B+ quarter: LIMRA
“Total US annuity sales reached $119.5 billion in the second quarter, an 8% increase from a year ago and the highest quarterly result on record, according to LIMRA’s latest US Individual Annuity Sales Survey.
The report, which covers 92% of the market, shows that annuity sales have now exceeded $100 billion for seven consecutive quarters, with first-half 2025 sales totaling $226.1 billion – up 4% from the same period last year and surpassing the previous record set in 2024.”
04 SEPT – Angela Mae – Yahoo! Finance
4 Signs Your Social Security Won’t Be Enough To Support Your Retirement
“Social Security has been a key component of retirement planning since its inception in 1935. Back then, it was only meant as a supplement to people’s retirement income. But according to Fidelity, Social Security is the primary source of retirement income for 77% of U.S. retirees. This is significantly higher than pensions (48%) and personal savings (41%).”
06 SEPT – Aliss Higham – Newsweek
Americans See 5 Major Threats To Retirement
“Five key fears are shaping how Americans think about retirement, according to new research.
A WalletHub survey of 200 people paints a grim picture of attitudes toward retirement, finding that half of Americans don’t believe it’s realistic for the average person to expect to retire comfortably. Nearly two in five said they feel anxious when thinking about retirement, while more than a quarter admitted they have no retirement plan at all. Perhaps most striking, 43 percent expect to work until they die.”
07 SEPT – Laura Bogart – Go Banking rates
Can You Guess the No. 1 Retirement Regret? (Hint: It’s Not What You Think)
“If you’re starting to plan your retirement, you’d do well to remember Aesop’s fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The story follows an industrious ant who works hard throughout the warmer months to store up its grain for the winter. All the while, the grasshopper mocks the ant for being so boooooooooring, while it sings and dances and plays its fiddle. It’s all fun and games until the grasshopper is stuck in the cold — and it learns that a song alone won’t keep it fed or warm.”
09 SEPT – Donna Fuscaldo – Kiplinger
Boost Your Retirement Savings in Your 50s with These Six Moves
“It’s crunch time if you are in your 50s and saving for retirement. You may not think so — after all, you can likely work another 15 or more years — but the actions you take today can have a big impact on the riches you amass tomorrow. That’s even more the case if saving for retirement hasn’t been at the top of the priority list up until now.”
12 SEPT – Ayo Mskea – Insurance News Net
‘Sandwich Generation’ pressures derail retirement plans for millions, study finds
“Members of the “Sandwich Generation” – Americans who have both young children and aging parents – are struggling to stay on track toward their retirement and long-term financial goals, according to the 2025 Annual Retirement Study from the Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement.”
Monday Media Report
The NAFA Media Report features a summary of the previous week’s fixed annuity media coverage. NAFA welcomes your contributions and suggested additions.
The Call
The Call features timely and seasonal regulatory and legislative updates to help NAFA members stay on top of issues impacting their businesses. Both federal and state editions are distributed to keep you informed.