Consider future income without giving up needed flexibility blindly.
Retirement planning forces two priorities to compete: generating dependable, pension-like income that cannot be outlived, while keeping enough savings accessible for unexpected emergencies. An annuity is an insurance contract designed for principal preservation, tax-deferred accumulation, or lifetime income. Eric helps you evaluate what the contract provides—and what surrender fees, liquidity constraints, or commitments it requires.
Annuity structures evaluated by Fortify360.
Different annuity contracts solve different retirement problems:
Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuities (MYGA)
Provides a contractually guaranteed fixed interest rate for a specified term (commonly 3, 5, or 7 years), offering predictable growth with principal protection.
Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIA)
Credits interest tied to the positive movement of an external market index (subject to caps or participation rates) with a 0% floor guaranteeing against index-related principal loss.
Guaranteed Lifetime Income Riders
Optional contract provisions that generate a guaranteed, predictable stream of retirement income for life—even if your contract account value eventually reduces to zero.
Immediate Annuities (SPIA)
Converts a lump-sum savings deposit into an immediate stream of monthly or annual income payments starting within 1 to 12 months.
Liquidity, surrender charges, and tax boundaries.
Before committing retirement savings to an annuity, understanding liquidity limitations ensures you maintain financial flexibility:
Annuity contracts impose surrender charge schedules (typically declining over 5 to 10 years). If you withdraw more than the annual penalty-free allowance (usually 10%), fees apply. Never deposit money that may be needed for near-term expenses.
Earnings compound tax-deferred until withdrawal. In non-qualified contracts, withdrawals are taxed on a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) basis as ordinary income, not capital gains. Qualified contracts (IRA rollovers) are 100% taxable upon distribution.
Eric Blazej is a licensed insurance broker and annuity specialist, not a securities broker, CPA, or tax attorney. Fortify360 does not provide securities or tax advice. We coordinate with your CPA or financial advisor to ensure contract alignment.
Supported Texas annuity providers.
We benchmark fixed and indexed annuity contracts across established financial institutions authorized in Texas:
Frequently asked questions about annuities.
Is my principal guaranteed against market loss?
Can an annuity guarantee income for the rest of my life?
Can I withdraw my money whenever I want?
How does the IRS tax annuity withdrawals?
Should I exchange or replace an existing annuity?
Plan guaranteed income with total transparency.
Speak directly with Eric Blazej to evaluate fixed rates, lifetime income riders, and surrender terms across top insurers under Texas best-interest standards.
Texas Licensing: Annuity advisory and insurance contracts offered exclusively to residents of Texas by Eric Blazej (TDI #3517967).
Insurance Contract, Not an Investment: Annuities are long-term insurance contracts designed for retirement savings and income. They are not bank deposits, mutual funds, or securities, and are not insured by the FDIC or any government agency. All guarantees, including principal preservation, interest crediting, and lifetime income payments, are backed solely by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
Surrender Charges & Taxes: Withdrawals in excess of penalty-free allowances during the surrender period are subject to surrender charges and potential market value adjustments. Distributions are subject to ordinary income taxes, and withdrawals taken prior to age 59½ may be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty. Fortify360 does not provide tax, legal, or securities advice.