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James Forren Warren
Licensed Retirement Income Strategist at Tax Free Wealth Plan. 330 articles.
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James Forren Warren
Licensed Retirement Income Strategist · License #20551202
James Forren Warren is a licensed Retirement Income Strategist with Tax Free Wealth Plan. For the past five years he has helped individuals and families turn their savings into retirement income they can count on. He writes and reviews the annuity research on this site and keeps it plain: what a product does, what it costs you, and who it actually fits.
Guides
Annuity guide$300,000 annuity payoutA $300,000 SPIA can pay in the neighborhood of $1,500 to $2,400 a month, depending on age.Annuity guide$400,000 annuity payoutA $400,000 SPIA can pay in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $3,200 a month, depending on age.Annuity guide$500,000 annuity payoutA $500,000 SPIA can pay in the neighborhood of $2,500 to $4,750 a month, depending on age.Annuity guide10 Best Fixed Annuity Companies of 2026 by LIMRA SalesThe 10 carriers that sold the most fixed annuities in 2025, ranked by LIMRA.Annuity guide1035 ExchangeMove your money into a new annuity without a tax bill, if you follow the rules.Annuity guideAnnual point-to-pointMeasures the index once a year, credits the gain up to a cap or participation rate.Annuity guideAnnuitantThe person whose age and life expectancy an annuity contract is built around.Annuity guideAnnuitant-Driven vs. Owner-DrivenTwo contract structures that decide whose death actually ends an annuity.Annuity guideAnnuity Beneficiary Options ExplainedNaming the right beneficiary keeps your annuity out of probate and on track.Annuity guideAnnuity FAQStraight answers to the questions people ask most about annuities.Annuity guideAnnuity Income Riders ExplainedA guaranteed paycheck for life, built on a number you can never withdraw directly.Annuity guideAnnuity ladder strategyStagger maturities across several MYGAs instead of locking up one lump sum.
See all 64 guides →Companies
Allianz LifeA+ rated, globally backed, and the leading name in fixed index annuities.AM Best A+American EquityA major FIA specialist now owned by Brookfield.AM Best A
American FidelityA+ rated, but sold only through employer 403(b)/457(b) plans.AM Best A+American GulfA new, rate-focused MYGA brand rated B++ by AM Best.AM Best B++
American NationalA 120-year Texas carrier now owned by Brookfield.AM Best A
AmericoA privately held, A-rated MYGA and FIA carrier.AM Best A
AspidaA- rated, Ares-backed, and rate-competitive in MYGAs and FIAs.AM Best A-
AtheneApollo-owned, A+ rated, and the top seller of fixed annuities in the U.S.AM Best A+
Atlantic Coast LifeA near-century-old carrier downgraded to C+ (Marginal) amid a state rehabilitation petition.AM Best C+
AuguStar FinancialA 115-year-old carrier under a new name, backed by Canadian pension money.AM Best A
Axonic InsuranceA 2024 MYGA brand riding on a 25-plus year Oklahoma carrier.AM Best A-
Baltimore LifeA 140-plus-year-old mutual insurer newer to the annuity business than to life insurance.AM Best B++Comparisons
ComparisonAnnuity vs. Savings AccountLocked-in guaranteed growth versus full access to your cash whenever you need it.ComparisonAthene Ascent Pro 10 vs. North American Income Pay Pro 10A 25% bonus plus 10% simple roll-up vs. 8% compound. A near tie at 70, and Athene pulls ahead the longer you wait.ComparisonAthene Performance Elite 7 vs. EquiTrust MarketPower Bonus IndexNo bonus and a top rating vs. a 15% bonus and a longer commitment.ComparisonAthene vs Allianz LifeTwo of the largest FIA carriers, built on very different playbooks.ComparisonAthene vs F&GA large, highly rated carrier against a smaller one that often wins on yield.ComparisonFIA vs RILA: Which Annuity Fits Your Risk Tolerance?Zero downside with a lower cap, or some downside with a much higher one.ComparisonFixed Annuity vs Fixed Index AnnuityOne locks a rate. The other tracks an index with a floor.ComparisonFixed Annuity vs. CDA guaranteed rate from an insurer, tax-deferred, against a federally insured bank rate taxed every year.ComparisonFixed index annuity vs CDA bank CD is simpler. An FIA usually earns more over the long run.ComparisonFixed Index Annuity vs Mutual FundGrowth potential against principal protection, and how to tell which one your timeline calls for.ComparisonFixed Index Annuity vs Variable AnnuityZero downside and low fees, or full market exposure with a much heavier fee load.ComparisonGlobal Atlantic vs American EquityBoth A range and index-linked. The gap is in ratings notch and product depth.
See all 13 comparisons →Glossary
Glossary1035 exchangeMove annuity or life insurance value into a new contract tax-free.GlossaryAccumulation periodThe stretch of an annuity contract when your money is growing.GlossaryAM Best ratingA letter grade for how likely an insurer is to pay its claims.GlossaryAnnuitizationTurning an annuity's value into a stream of guaranteed income.GlossaryAnnuity dueA series of payments made at the start of each period, not the end.GlossaryBailout provisionAn exit ramp if your annuity's renewal rate drops too low.GlossaryBest interest standardThe rule requiring agents to recommend what actually fits you.GlossaryCap rateThe ceiling on what a fixed index annuity can earn in a period.GlossaryCarrierThe insurance company that issues and stands behind your annuity contract.GlossaryCOLAA rider that raises annuity income payments each year to offset inflation.GlossaryCredited rateThe interest rate an insurer applies to your annuity balance.GlossaryDeath benefitThe amount paid to your beneficiary when the annuity owner or annuitant dies.
See all 49 glossary →Resources
Product reviews
Product reviewAccumulation Advantage+A 14% bonus and a 10-year commitment, built for growth rather than income.Product reviewAllianz 222A 52% income bonus and a performance-driven roll-up, in exchange for a 10-year wait.Product reviewAllianz Benefit ControlTwo income rider paths and a 25% bonus, wrapped in real complexity.Product reviewAmerican Equity AssetShield 7A 7-year FIA for safe growth, with no income rider and a strong guaranteed floor.Product reviewAmerican Equity IncomeShield 10A built-in income rider with a guaranteed 10% rollup and a free health benefit.Product reviewAthene AccuMax 7A 7-year growth FIA whose crediting rates are set at issue and locked for the full term.Product reviewAthene Agility 10A top-selling FIA with a free income rider, offset by a 10-year surrender term.Product reviewAthene Ascent Pro 10 BonusStacked bonuses and a 20-year roll-up built to maximize guaranteed lifetime income.Product reviewAthene Aviator 10A 10-year, no-fee FIA with participation rates up to 290% on 5-year custom index terms.Product reviewAthene Aviator 5A 5-year, no-fee FIA with multi-year participation rates up to 275% on custom indexes.Product reviewAthene Performance Elite 10A 10-year growth FIA with a premium bonus up to 20% on Base or 23% on Plus.Product reviewAthene Performance Elite 15Athene's 15-year growth FIA, with a 24% Base bonus or 27% on the Plus version.
See all 44 product reviews →Life insurance companies
Allianz LifeAn A+ rated, German-owned annuity giant with a single IUL built for accumulation.AM Best A+
CorebridgeThe former AIG life business: two IULs, an A rating under review, and a pending Equitable merger.AM Best A
EquitableA 167-year-old insurer with one IUL, ratings on watch during its Corebridge merger, and a settled cost of insurance fight.AM Best A
F&GAn A-rated IUL carrier that publishes its own cap history, owned mostly by Fidelity National Financial.AM Best A
Global AtlanticA KKR-owned, A-rated insurer that stopped selling IUL in 2023. This page is for owners of the policies it still services.AM Best A
John HancockA highly rated Manulife carrier whose IULs are sold with the Vitality wellness program.AM Best A+
Lincoln FinancialA-rated and rebuilding capital, with a new IUL lineup and a long cost of insurance court record.AM Best A
Midland NationalAn A+ rated Sammons insurer with three IULs, a public rate page, and a live COI lawsuit.AM Best A+
Mutual of OmahaAn A+ rated, policyholder-owned group that publishes the caps it has credited on its IULs since 2016.AM Best A+
National Life GroupA big IUL seller, owned by a mutual holding company, known for living benefits built into its policies.AM Best A+
NationwideAn A+ rated mutual-owned giant that publishes its IUL rate guides and says it has never raised in-force COI rates.AM Best A+
North AmericanAn A+ rated Sammons carrier with three IULs, each built for a different job.AM Best A+Life insurance glossary
GlossaryAG 49-AThe NAIC rule capping how optimistic an IUL illustration can be.GlossaryCap rate (IUL)The ceiling on index-linked interest an IUL segment can credit.GlossaryCost of insurance (COI)The monthly mortality charge an IUL deducts from cash value.GlossaryFloor (IUL)The minimum index credit an IUL segment can post, usually 0%.GlossaryGuaranteed columnThe illustration column built from the contract's worst-case numbers.GlossaryIllustration (IUL)The regulated projection insurers use to show how a policy could perform.GlossaryLapse (IUL)When an underfunded IUL's cash value can no longer cover its own charges.GlossaryModified endowment contract (MEC)A policy that failed the 7-pay test and lost favorable loan and withdrawal tax treatment.GlossaryParticipation rate (IUL)The share of index gain an IUL segment actually credits.GlossaryPolicy loan (IUL)Borrowing against IUL cash value, using the policy itself as collateral.GlossarySection 7702The tax code test a policy must pass to be treated as life insurance.GlossarySeven-pay testThe premium-funding limit that decides whether a policy becomes a MEC.
Life insurance guides
IUL policy reviews
Policy reviewAccumulator Ascent IULTen index strategies and a public rate sheet, with charges you only see on an illustration.Policy reviewAllianz Life AccumulatorPublic, dated rates and low fixed loan costs, paid for with a charge on every premium.Policy reviewBuilder Plus IUL 4Interest bonuses and a bonus-earning loan, paid for with a load on every premium.Policy reviewEclipse Accumulator II IULAn accumulation IUL Securian built around low charges, with trigger and best-of accounts and a 2% lifetime interest guarantee.Policy reviewEquitable BrightLife GrowPlain indexes, a 2% fixed account minimum and a long-term care rider, but no published caps and 15-plus years of surrender charges.Policy reviewF&G PathsetterA published rate history and zero-cost preferred loans after year 10, paid for with a 9% early expense charge.Policy reviewFinancial Choice IUL IIUncapped and high-cap accounts for heavy funders, with a 0.25% floor and charges on the best caps.Policy reviewJohn Hancock Accumulation IULMultiplier accounts and Vitality rewards, with charges you only see on an illustration.Policy reviewMax Accumulator+ IIIFive index accounts and a lifetime income rider; caps and charges only on an illustration.Policy reviewMutual of Omaha Income Advantage IULA plain four-strategy accumulation IUL from an A+ insurer, with a published crediting record back to 2016.Policy reviewNationwide IUL Accumulator IIINasdaq-100 and two-year strategies, a Performance Lock and public rate guides, with a 10-year surrender period.Policy reviewPacific Horizon IUL 2Three designs in one policy and a wide index menu, with a multiplier rider that charges in every year.
See all 19 iul policy reviews →Retirement planning
Retirement planningAnnuity Bridge StrategyUse annuity income now so your Social Security check grows until age 70.Retirement planningBest Annuities for a Social Security BridgeReplace your paycheck for a few years so your Social Security check can grow.Retirement planningBest Annuities for Retirement in 2026Five retirement goals, five annuity types, and how to match the right one to yours.Retirement planningIncome gap analysisThe arithmetic that shows exactly how much guaranteed income you still need to build.Retirement planningMYGA vs CD LadderTwo ways to lock in a fixed rate. The tax treatment and the issuer are what actually separate them.Retirement planningRetire at 55 with $500,000A step-by-step plan for leaving work at 55 with roughly half a million saved.Retirement planningRetire at 62 with $1 millionHow to turn a seven-figure balance into an income plan that survives a bad market.Retirement planningRetire at 70 with $300,000Why a smaller balance at 70 can outperform a bigger one at 62.Retirement planningRetirement income laddersStagger MYGAs, SPIAs and DIAs so a new check starts almost every year.Retirement planningSocial Security Disability 5-Year Rule ExplainedA work-history gap can quietly end your SSDI eligibility. Here is the test that decides it.Retirement planningSPIA vs DIA vs MYGAThree annuities, three timelines: income now, income later, or flexible growth.Retirement planningTransferring an Annuity to a TrustSome trusts preserve your annuity's tax deferral. Others end it the day you sign.
See all 13 retirement planning →Your quote
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