5 Reasons Smart People Resist Annuities (At First) | Episode 98

Here's a strange truth: annuities solve one of the biggest problems in retirement—not running out of money. And yet, they're one of the most emotionally rejected financial tools that exist. That's the paradox.

People say they want certainty. They say they want peace of mind. They say they want income they can't outlive. But when you offer them guaranteed income, something in their brain short circuits.

In this episode, we're not talking about rates, fees, or products. We're talking about why your brain resists annuities, even when they make sense.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

✅ The "What If I Die Early?" Trap – Why loss aversion makes you obsess over the wrong risk (and why dying early isn't actually a financial problem)

✅ The Control Illusion – How you've already given up control in retirement, and why delegating risk isn't the same as losing control

✅ The Overconfidence Bias – Why believing "I can do better in the market" is more emotional than logical—and what retirement math really looks like

✅ The Complexity Shutdown – Why annuities feel complicated (and why you don't need to understand how they work to benefit from them)

✅ The Legacy Question – Should you prioritize leaving money behind or avoiding becoming a burden while you're alive?

The Big Reframe:

Annuities don't replace investing—they quiet the fear that interferes with investing. When your basics are covered with guaranteed income, you can actually invest more confidently, spend without guilt, and sleep better at night.

I'll share a real client story about Mark and Susan—a couple who went from resisting annuities to discovering how guaranteed income gave them MORE freedom, not less.

Key Takeaway:

Guaranteed income doesn't reduce flexibility—it creates it. Annuities don't replace the growth part of your portfolio. They support it.

About the Atlas Annuity Podcast:

Hosted by Marty Becker, owner of Atlas Financial Strategies in St. Louis, Missouri, this podcast specializes in safe money retirement strategies. Each episode breaks down complex retirement concepts into simple, actionable insights so you can make confident decisions about your financial future.

Resources Mentioned:

• Free Video Series: "20% More Spendable Income in Retirement" at AtlasAnnuity.com
• Book a free consultation call at AtlasAnnuity.com

Connect With Marty:

• Website: AtlasAnnuity.com
• Subscribe for weekly episodes on retirement planning, annuities, and safe money strategies

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit from this information. Thanks for listening!

If someone handed you a suitcase with a million dollars and said it has to last the rest of your life, would you feel confident or nervous? Most people say nervous—and that reveals everything wrong with how we think about retirement.

In this episode, host Marty Becker breaks down groundbreaking research on the "Peak 65 Zone"—a demographic tsunami where over 11,000 Americans turn 65 every single day. The problem? The traditional three-legged stool of retirement (pension, Social Security, savings) has collapsed to just one leg, and most retirement plans were never designed to solve the real challenge retirees face.

You'll discover:

• Why retirement isn't about how much you have, but how long your income will last
• The critical difference between accumulation and distribution (and why your 401(k) only solves half the problem)
• What the Peak 65 research reveals about creating guaranteed lifetime income
• Why fewer than 20% of Americans still have pension access—and what that means for you

Whether you're approaching retirement or already there, this episode will change how you think about turning your savings into income you cannot outlive.

In this episode, Marty Becker walks through a real retirement income case study involving a married couple who recently met with an advisor at Fidelity. The couple is fully retiring within the next year and needs $10,000 per month in guaranteed income on top of Social Security.

Marty breaks down their current portfolio, explains why a 70/30 stock-to-bond mix and a 4% withdrawal rate can create long-term risk, and shows how sequence of returns can impact retirement outcomes—especially when one spouse is much younger.

The episode compares a traditional single premium immediate annuity recommendation with a more advanced strategy using multiple annuities. Marty explains how both approaches provide the same lifetime income guarantees, but how a multi-annuity strategy can reduce the amount of capital required while improving income reliability, lowering withdrawal rates, and increasing discretionary assets.

You’ll also learn:

• Why worst-case and best-case scenarios matter in retirement planning

• How guaranteed income changes withdrawal rates and income reliability

• The pros and cons of simplicity versus efficiency in annuity strategies

• When a multi-annuity approach works best, and who it may not be right for

This episode is ideal for retirees or near-retirees who are evaluating annuity recommendations from large firms like Fidelity and want to understand if there is a smarter, more efficient way to generate lifetime income.

To learn more about annuities and see if a strategy like this fits your situation, visit atlasannuity.com to watch the “20% More Spendable Income in Retirement” video series or schedule a short Zoom call to get your questions answered.