Updated
Updated · Money Talks News · May 22
Annuity Sales Hit Record $464.1 Billion in 2025 as Higher Rates Lift Payouts to 10-Year Peaks
Updated
Updated · Money Talks News · May 22

Annuity Sales Hit Record $464.1 Billion in 2025 as Higher Rates Lift Payouts to 10-Year Peaks

1 articles · Updated · Money Talks News · May 22
  • $464.1 billion in annuity sales set a fourth straight annual record in 2025, with single-premium immediate annuity sales rising 23% in Q4 as retirees chased richer guaranteed income.
  • 4.6% 10-year Treasury yields—up from about 1% during the pandemic—have pushed immediate-annuity payouts to their highest levels in more than a decade by boosting insurers' bond income.
  • $100,000 now buys roughly $625 a month for a 65-year-old man and about $590 for a woman, around 25% to 30% more than similar contracts paid four years ago.
  • 4.1 million Americans turn 65 each year, but the window may narrow as markets price in Fed rate cuts and LIMRA expects weaker fixed-annuity sales in 2026.
  • 3.8% inflation still erodes fixed payments over time, while commissions, complex products and insurer-guaranty limits of $250,000 to $500,000 remain key risks for buyers.
With the Fed split on rate cuts, is the golden age for annuity payouts a fleeting chance or a new normal?
If geopolitics now control inflation more than the Fed, what does this mean for your retirement income strategy?