Before I get started, I must admit that I found this Marketwatch article just a bit sexist, but I realize the audience to which Stan Haithcock was speaking will appreciate it. In “Guess what? Your wife loves annuities,” the Annuity Man says that when he is giving financial presentations, he knows that many of the men he is speaking to are not fans of annuity products. But when their wives come along to the tropical locations and hear what annuities have to offer, they immediately want their husbands to buy one and secure their financial future. For the record, I know that many women love the markets and are very interested in investing and planning their own financial future, this is about those who do not!
The article points out that wives win most of the household arguments anyways, a point to which I can agree. So instead of arguing against annuities because of what they can’t do, traders and lovers of the stock market should try to see what their wives see in these insurance products. What they see is a continuation of their lifestyle throughout retirement so that they can spend time with their children and grandchildren and continue to do what they love. Annuities are the only products that guarantee lifetime income to pay your expenses and allow you the use of some of your other investments for extra spending based on the markets.
Some people love the stock market and that the risks they take can be met with great financial rewards. If you love the stock market and your wife is disinterested however, what will happen if you die and you haven’t purchased an annuity to protect her financial longevity? This is why wives typically love annuity products; they guarantee income payments coming in without the worry of losing your principal or earned interest. Traders are usually correct when thinking they can earn more money in the stock markets than an annuity will provide. The purpose of the annuity is that you are transferring your risk to an insurance company and guaranteeing lifetime income payments. Keep some money for your investing pleasure, but use some money to buy your wife the financial security she desires in an annuity product. And for those women who take care of the finances, buy one for yourself!
Written by Rachel Summit
