One of the most contentious topics among RIAs is whether to recommend annuities. While many will recommend a single-premium immediate annuity (a SPIA) or a deferred-income annuity (a DIA), those products represent only a small fraction of annuity sales. We are here to talk about whether RIAs should use the other 95% of annuity products for their clients in their retirement plans – specifically variable annuities, equity-indexed annuities and other related products.

 Our discussion will take the form of an informal debate on the following proposition, “Resolved: Annuities should play a prominent role in most retirement plans.”