Alliance Guiding Principles

The Alliance for Lifetime Income and its members are guided by five principles in educating Americans about retirement income and annuities. Our vision is for a country where all Americans can plan their next phase in life with confidence and financial security, and where no one faces the prospect of running out of money in their lifetime.

The Alliance for Lifetime Income was formed to educate Americans and financial professionals about the important role annuities can play in providing protected lifetime income in retirement, enabling consumers to enjoy peace of mind and financial security for as long as they live.

We follow these guiding principles in pursuit of our vision:

1. Retirement Income Planning: We believe in educating Americans about solutions that can address potential gaps in their retirement income, spurring a movement designed to help foster our society’s long-term well-being. We are committed to ensuring every American understands the importance of retirement income planning and the role protected income from an annuity can play in providing retirement security to millions of Americans. We strive every day to arm consumers with practical guidance and information, so they know how to act to protect their retirement income.
2. Protected Income: We are committed to ensuring that consumers understand the need for protected sources of income in retirement. Americans are living longer and face longevity, market, and other risks that can put their retirement income plans in jeopardy. Social Security, pensions, and annuities all play an important role in protecting Americans’ retirement income for life.
3. Focus on the Consumer’s Interest: We believe that all financial professionals should put the client, and their individual goals and interests, at the center of any recommendation. There is no place in the financial services industry for misinformation when recommending any investment or insurance product. Annuities can play an important role in retirement income planning by providing a source of protected lifetime income. Annuities may not be right for everyone and should always be considered as part of a comprehensive retirement plan.
4. Educated Consumers: We are committed to ensuring that every American and financial professional has access to simple, fact-based educational information and resources to understand how annuities work, how they fit within their specific needs, and what questions to ask before purchasing an annuity as part of their retirement plan. We are also committed to providing consumers with unbiased academic and market-based research from reputable, independent, and objective experts to help inform their decision-making.
5. Transparency and Clarity: We believe protected income can be an important part of the solution to retirement security, while recognizing that this cannot be accomplished unless consumers have complete understanding and full visibility into annuity products prior to purchase. Therefore, we are committed to providing Americans with transparent information about annuities, including how they work, as well as typical fees, costs, risks, benefits, provisions, and requirements. It is important to describe annuities in a clear and understandable way for consumers, regardless of their level of financial expertise. As such, we are committed to providing Americans with “plain English” terms, definitions, and explanations about annuities.

Download Alliance Guiding Principles.