Bestselling Author and Retirement Expert, Dale McGregor, demystifies annuities. He explains that “annuity” simply means a lifetime payment stream—and that Social Security and many pensions are, in fact, annuities. He draws a sharp line between high-fee, restrictive products you should avoid and the modern annuities that can protect principal, provide guaranteed lifetime income, and even boost payouts if you need long-term care. Dale stresses that the key is matching the right annuity to your situation rather than blindly accepting or rejecting the entire category.