(New York)

Very high stock market prices and the continual threat of major downturn has sent fixed index annuity sales surging lately. Fixed Index Annuity sales accounted for 57% of all annuities sales in 2019 and amounted to $74 bn. “The high number of fixed-index annuity sales are a response to investors observing that the market continues to go up and this is a strategy to put a safety net under their portfolio if the market fails”, says one advisor in Pittsburgh. Fixed Index Annuities guarantee your principal while still offering limited upside, so they present a compelling case for people worried about a big downturn who need the peace of mind of principal protection and a steady income stream.

FINSUM: This is a perfect market for FIAs because of sky high prices and falling bond yields (which sap income). Just make sure you completely understand the contracts.