Whatever the Road to Retirement Brings, You Can Be Ready

Key Takeaways

• Retirement readiness is about more than how much you’ve saved—it’s also about whether those savingscan generate dependable income for the rest of your life.
• A resilient retirement strategy balances growth and protection, so you can stay focused on long-term goalsduring times of economic or market uncertainty.
• Modern, fee-based annuities can complement traditional investments by adding protection, predictability,and tax-deferred growth

Annuities can help ease the anxiety of uncertain economic and market conditions.

By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will have reached retirement age — an estimated 73 million Americans aged 65 or older. Many have spent decades saving and investing for retirement with discipline and intention. Yet retirement today is more than how much you have saved; it is also about whether those savings can generate dependable income for the rest of your life.

As investors move from growing assets to relying on them, the need for stability, resilience, and confidence becomes just as important, if not more so. This transition is both financial and emotional. After a lifetime of work, people want reassurance that their retirement plan is built to weather change and capable of delivering reliable income, regardless of what markets or the economy may bring.

Today, Americans are keeping a wary eye on potential challenges, including geopolitical tensions, rising government debt, and questions around the future of Social Security benefits. These concerns can fuel difficult choices about how to proceed:

• Do you slow down? Reducing spending, postponing major purchases, and delaying retirement in the hopes conditions improve.
• Do you stay the course? Withdrawing savings for planned expenses, even if it means locking in market losses or facing higher tax consequences.
• Do you change direction? Adjusting strategies or seeking fresh solutions that may require more time or resources.

You can't predict the road ahead, but you can prepare for it

While traditional investments will always play a vital role in a financial plan, they typically aren't designed to provide stability when markets become turbulent. That's where annuities can make a real difference.

Annuities are investment products specifically designed to do two things: protect principal and generate guaranteed income for retirement. Modern, commission-free annuities can complement your current investment portfolio by offering protection, predictability, and tax-deferred growth — helping you stick with your plan even when market conditions get rocky.

Annuities can be particularly helpful in several common situations

• You worry about market downturns — but still want growth potential. Allocating a portion of your portfolio to a commission-free fixed index annuity (FIA) may help. FIAs offer growth tied to a market index while protecting principal from market losses, subject to contract terms. These tax-deferred annuities can help mitigate the impact of market downturns while preserving the opportunity for growth.
• You want to protect the gains you've already made. After strong market performance, some investors worry about future volatility wiping out their gains. Putting some of your earnings into a commission-free multi-year guaranteed annuity (MYGA) can protect your principal, ensure tax-deferred growth, and lock in competitive rates — often higher than traditional certificates of deposit — over a defined period.²
• You are comfortable with some risk in the portfolio but prefer guardrails. Registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) offer growth potential with a defined level of downside protection. Often used to complement stock portfolios or as a bond alternative, RILAs can help capture market growth while reducing overall portfolio risk.
• You want to generate reliable income. Relying solely on portfolio withdrawals for income can result in being forced to sell assets during volatile markets. Adding an annuity with an income benefit to your retirement plan can help ensure you'll have secure, predictable income to cover essential expenses and reduce pressure on your investments.

Peace of mind comes from preparation

Annuities aren't meant to replace traditional investments. Instead, they're designed to complement them — adding guarantees, income stability, and peace of mind that can help you stay focused on long-term goals, even during volatile market conditions.

If a commission-free annuity would help you feel more confident about the road ahead, it may be worth taking a closer look. The right solution could support your overall plan and goals. DPL offers tools and resources to help you learn more about commission-free annuities and evaluate how they can strengthen your retirement strategy.

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Learn more about MYGAs

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¹ U.S. Census Bureau. 2019.
² MYGAs are not a bank product, and therefore, not FDIC insured. Rates subject to change at any time. Guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
³ BlackRock Retirement Perspectives, Annuity Owners Value the Benefits of Lifetime Income (2025).