Annuities, Joint Health, and Protecting Yourself from Fraud

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An annuity is a contract you buy from an insurance company that turns a portion of your savings into a guaranteed stream of income. You can choose payments that begin right away or later in retirement, and the goal is to provide stability — especially if you worry about outliving your savings or want income that doesn’t depend on the stock market.

An annuity can make sense for someone who wants predictable income each month, prefers steadiness over market swings, or doesn’t want to manage investments long-term. It can also be useful if you already have enough set aside for emergencies and want part of your retirement income “locked in” for life.

However, it’s not always the right tool. Annuities typically work poorly for those who may need frequent access to their principal, or for people whose income is already secure through pensions, Social Security, and other guaranteed sources. Every contract is different — fees, payout structure, surrender rules, and inflation protections vary widely — which is why it’s important to understand the details before you decide.

If you’d like to ask questions specific to your circumstances — risk level, goals, or whether you need one at all — reply “annuity consult” for a free Q&A session with a specialist.

💌 If you found these ideas helpful, forward this newsletter to a friend — many people wonder about annuities but never get a clear explanation before retirement decisions are made.

“The Blue Coffee Cup”
From the life overview of Ellen R., 78, Chapel Hill, NC. Shared with permission.

I still have the blue coffee cup that my husband purchased at a yard sale the year we moved into our first house. The cup is chipped now, and the handle wiggles a bit. However, I can’t bring myself to throw it away. My husband had paid fifty cents for the cup, yet he presented it to me like it was fine china. “For your morning coffee, madam,” he said with an exaggerated bow. I remember laughing so hard that I nearly dropped it right then.

Every morning since, I’ve used that cup—through three houses, two children, and now my quiet mornings alone. The glaze of the cup has dulled to a soft matte, its color somewhere between sky and forget-me-not. When I wrap my hands around it, I still feel the warmth of those early days—the smell of burnt toast, the creak of the old kitchen floor, the sound of my husband’s off-key whistling from the hallway.

People tell me I should get rid of things that don’t “spark joy.” But this cup doesn’t spark anything flashy—it hums, gently. It reminds me that love doesn’t vanish; it just settles into the small, sturdy things that we touch every day.

Some mornings, I even catch myself bowing to the cup before I take a sip. At fifty cents, it was worth every penny.

***

Harvard Library Curiosity: Digital Collections Gallery
The Harvard Library Curiosity Gallery invites quiet exploration through digitized manuscripts, photographs, maps, and artifacts drawn from centuries of global history. Each curated theme opens a window into art, science, and culture—perfect for those who enjoy thoughtful discovery at their own pace.

StoryCorps Audio Archive
The StoryCorps archive gathers thousands of recorded conversations between family members, friends, and neighbors, preserving everyday lives with uncommon tenderness. Listening to these short, real-life stories can offer both companionship and perspective, with voices that feel intimate rather than produced.

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy offers free, peer-reviewed essays on everything from ancient ethics to modern aesthetics. Written by scholars but edited for clarity, it’s a calm and reliable place to explore big ideas without the noise of commercial commentary.

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