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Terms of Use, in plain English.

Written by the Annuity Explained editorial team · Reviewed for accuracy · Last updated July 2026

Effective date: July 1, 2026

These Terms of Use are the agreement between you and Annuity Explained. The short version: everything on this site is educational information, not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and using it does not make you a client. By continuing to use annuityexplained.com, you accept these terms as written below.

What do these terms cover, and who agrees to them?

These Terms of Use apply to annuityexplained.com and everything published on it: the guides, the calculators and income estimator, the FAQ answers, and the pages for our education film, The Descent, including its booking page and confirmation page. By visiting the site, reading an article, using a tool, or submitting a form, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, the remedy is simple: please do not use the site. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle the limited information you share with us, and it is part of this agreement by reference.

Is anything on this site financial, tax, legal, or investment advice?

No. Everything here is general education, written for a broad audience. We do not know your income, your savings, your health, your family, or your goals, so nothing we publish can be advice for you specifically. Reading our guides, such as What Is an Annuity or Is an Annuity Right for Me, using our tools, watching the film, or emailing us does not create a client, advisory, fiduciary, attorney-client, or any other professional relationship with Annuity Explained.

We are not an insurance agency. We are not licensed to sell insurance, we do not sell annuities or life insurance, and we do not quote rates, caps, or premiums. When our pages describe annuity growth, that growth is tax-deferred, never tax-free; the tax is postponed, not eliminated, as our guide to the retirement tax picture explains. When we write about indexed universal life, remember that an IUL is life insurance, not an investment. Policy loans and withdrawals reduce cash value and the death benefit, a lapsed or over-loaned policy can create taxable income, and overfunding a policy can create a modified endowment contract with less favorable tax rules.

If you want advice about your own situation, talk with a licensed insurance professional, a tax advisor such as a CPA, or an attorney. We can introduce you to an independent licensed advisor for a complimentary meeting, but even that introduction is a starting point for your own diligence, not a recommendation to buy anything.

What does the word "guarantee" mean on this site?

When any page here mentions a guarantee, such as the guaranteed lifetime income a fixed or fixed-indexed annuity can provide, that guarantee is a promise made by an insurance company, not by us and not by the government. Every such guarantee is backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer. It is not FDIC-insured and not bank-guaranteed. State guaranty associations provide a limited backstop, with limits that vary by state, which is why an insurer's financial strength matters. Annuities are long-term products; surrender charges may apply, and withdrawals before age 59½ may incur a 10% federal penalty. Our guide to the types of annuities covers what each version of that promise actually includes.

What warranties do we make about the information here?

None. We work hard to keep the site accurate, we cite primary sources, and we note when each page was last updated. Even so, the site and everything on it are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Tax law and insurance regulation change. A figure that was current when a page was written, such as an IRS limit, can change the following year. We also do not promise the site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. Please verify anything important against the primary sources listed on each guide and with your own professionals.

How is our liability limited if something goes wrong?

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Annuity Explained and the people who write, edit, review, and operate this site will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost savings, or lost opportunities, arising out of your use of the site or your reliance on anything published here, even if we were told such damages were possible. Where a limitation like this is not permitted, our total liability for all claims related to the site will not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars. Some states do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you, and nothing here limits any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

What about links to other websites?

We link to primary sources such as finra.org, sec.gov, investor.gov, irs.gov, and naic.org because we want you to check our work. We may also link to other sites we find useful. We do not control third-party sites, we are not responsible for their content or accuracy, and a link is not an endorsement. When you leave annuityexplained.com, the terms and privacy policy of the site you land on apply, not ours. The same is true in reverse: a third party linking to us does not mean we endorse them.

Who owns the content here, and what can you do with it?

The articles, guides, charts, illustrations, calculators, the film The Descent, and the Annuity Explained name and logo are owned by Annuity Explained or used with permission, and they are protected by copyright and trademark law. You are welcome to read, print, and share pages for personal, noncommercial use. Print the annuity vs CD comparison and take it to your advisor; that is exactly what it is for. What you may not do is republish, scrape, sell, or use our content to build a commercial product without written permission. Quoting a short passage with a link back to the original page is welcome.

Can these terms change?

Yes. We update these terms when the law changes, when we add features, or when counsel suggests clearer language. When we make a meaningful change, we update the effective date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the site after a change means you accept the updated terms. If the exact wording matters to you, print or save a copy of this page with its effective date.

How do you contact us about these terms?

Email us at team@annuityexplained.com with "Terms of Use" in the subject line, and we will respond as promptly as we can. If you want to know more about who we are, how we work, and how we make money, our About page lays it out plainly. If your question is really about your own retirement rather than about these terms, that conversation belongs with a licensed professional, and we are glad to arrange an introduction.

Common questions about these terms

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