Can We Please Stop Fear-Mongering About Annuities?

Can we… stop running advertisements like this?

Apple must be listening to its users, because after spending an entire month educating prospects and clients about annuities, I finally got hit with my karmic reward:

A bright yellow, dramatic Instagram ad from Fisher Investments screaming:

Looking. Like. This. 🙄

I mean… come on.

If you click “Learn More,” their funnel leads you to a surprisingly polished landing page (kudos to their marketing and UX team, genuinely — great work). But then it slides into the same tired narrative:

“Pitfalls.” “Risks.” “Too good to be true.”

All wrapped in a heavy, negative, fear-based tone that subtly primes the public to distrust an entire category of retirement tools.

And coming from an investment firm with a very public history of aggressive sales tactics, SEC fines for misleading communications, and client complaints?

Oh, the irony. It writes itself.

But let’s be objective for a second.

Are annuities perfect? No. Are there bad annuities? Absolutely.

Are there bad mutual funds? Bad advisors? Bad investment firms? Also absolutely.

But “beware of annuities” as a blanket statement? That’s not education. That’s clickbait fear marketing.

It misleads the public into forming a negative FIRST impression before they even understand what an annuity is, how it works, or why millions of Americans depend on them for lifetime income.

Which is wild, considering that annuities are literally one of the only tools that can provide:

• Guaranteed income

• Protection from market downturns

• Tax-advantaged growth (depending on type)

• Longevity insurance (you can’t outlive the income)

…and meanwhile, investment disclaimers have to say things like:

So let me get this straight:

Annuities = “beware”

Your product = “no guarantees, high risk, good luck?”

Broskis… be serious.

The real problem isn’t annuities. It’s misinformation.

The average American is already overwhelmed with:

• rising interest rates

• unstable markets

• disappearing pensions

• underfunded retirement accounts

• inflation erosion

• longevity risks

And instead of educating people on when annuities make sense… We get big ads telling them to “beware.”

This type of messaging:

❌ Scares people away from exploring legitimate options

❌ Pushes retirees into unnecessary risk

❌ Creates bias before real education

❌ Undermines financial literacy

❌ Hurts long-term retirement outcomes

This is why so many retirements get wiped out during downturns. People don’t understand their options — because the industry keeps feeding them fear instead of facts.

Do annuities have pitfalls?

Of course. Everything does.

The key is knowing:

• Which annuity type fits your situation

• What riders are worth paying for

• Which companies are reputable

• What surrender periods make sense

• How to structure it inside your overall plan

  
  

When used correctly, annuities can protect income, mitigate volatility, and provide a foundation that investments can grow on top of.

The problem isn’t the product. It’s the sales narrative around it.

Finance Industry — do better.

Stop scaring people for clicks.

Stop pushing fear because you want assets under management.

Stop pretending that annuities are the enemy when the real enemy is poor advice, lack of education, and market exposure without a safety net.

Stop using outdated, conservative talking points from 1998.

The world has changed. Retirement planning has changed. People deserve balanced, real education, not fear funnels disguised as “guides.”

To the everyday person reading this:

Don’t let ads — from any side — make decisions for you.

Learn the facts. Ask questions. Compare multiple tools. Choose what aligns with your long-term goals and risk tolerance.

Whether it’s:

• annuities

• life insurance

• investments

• trusts

• tax strategies

…every tool has its place when used correctly.

And annuities, for the right person, at the right time, with the right design?

They can change an entire retirement.

End of rant.

Finance shouldn’t be this negative.

It shouldn’t be this fear-driven.

It shouldn’t be this confusing.

We — as an industry — can do better.

And I’ll keep speaking up until we do.

If you’re partly awakened by this post, and want to learn more about this tool and how it could benefit your retirement, read these books by top-of-the-industry experts instead:

1. Sheryl J. Moore, “Why I Bought Indexed Annuities.” 

2. Tom Hegna, “Don’t Worry, Retire Happy!”

3. Patrick Kelly, “The Retirement Miracle.”

4. 
   

Happy studying,

— Dr. Linh Trinh An (LTA)

Risk Management Advisor

Money Umbrella LLC

For educational purposes only.