The age of the retirement dinner full of accolades, a heavy gold watch and lifetime pension payments has passed. Now retirement planning begins as early as your first job out of college. And forget the image of a retiree golfing and lounging about all day – some retirees are opening new businesses, others volunteer and some even spend their retirement on the open road, seeing the country. The “new retirement” has some people scrambling, because with these lifestyle options comes the need for safer, more stable retirement income. Without the traditional pension and lowered Social Security benefits to fall back on, retirees are looking for other options to provide financial freedom. One option, retirement annuities, provides the freedom of guaranteed lifetime income, no matter what retirement ends up being for you.

Life expectancies have almost doubled since the 1900s, making retirement a second adulthood. During this second adulthood, many retirees don’t want to just watch TV – they want to interact with the world. That’s why retirement annuities are so attractive to these “new” adults. Freedom from worrying about the stock market and your investments in it, a guaranteed check every month provided by your retirement annuities sounds like the perfect way to fund a second adulthood.

Why would you want to buy an annuity in the first place? If you are going to continue working, even part time, and don’t need a boost to your monthly income, then retirement annuities may not be right for you. But if you are ready to start your second adulthood - job free – or if you need a boost to your monthly income, then retirement annuities can be a good choice.

To purchase a retirement annuity, also called an immediate annuity, first speak to a qualified independent annuity agent to compare insurance companies and get some annuity quotes. The monthly income you will be quoted depends on a few things: first, how much principal you plan on using to purchase retirement annuities? If you want to add any special features to the annuity, such as joint and survivor benefits, or period certain benefits, which guarantee that you (or your heirs) will receive payments for a specified number of years, then your monthly payment amount would be lowered for your retirement annuities.

Want to learn more about retirement annuities? AnnuityLibrary.com’s Web site offers a comprehensive overview of retirement (immediate) annuities. Calling the Annuity Specialists at 1-800-998-4056 can also help you start on your journey to retirement, without financial worry.