Q. I am 63 years old and will be retiring under CSRS in January. I have about $150,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan account. I have talked with a financial adviser who told me it would be better to buy from outside and cheaper than MetLife annuity. The annuity is from Prudential and has a living benefit rider. They claim it is the cheapest one out there. Can you give me any advice as to which annuity would be best?
A. Your “financial adviser” is not an adviser but a salesperson. Don’t be foolish. Now is not the time to buy a fixed annuity if you can avoid it. The payout rates are the lowest they’ve been in generations and that living benefit rider is an expensive insurance policy that is unlikely to pay off. Keep your money in your TSP account until you find someone trustworthy to advise you.
