I can't tell you how many times I've heard this: "I'm interested, but my spouse isn't on board." My first reaction is always the same: good. That means you're making this decision together, which is exactly how it should work. If one person is excited and the other has concerns, the right move is to address those concerns — not ignore them.
What the hesitant spouse is usually worried about.
In my experience it comes down to three things: "Will we lose access to our money?", "Is this one of those products people get burned on?", and "Are we being sold?" Every one of those is a fair question, and every one has a clear answer.
What tends to work.
- Bring them to the conversation. Not a recap afterward — the actual call. Hearing the answers firsthand is different from hearing them secondhand.
- Start with the worry, not the product. If the concern is liquidity, we talk about free withdrawals and waivers before anything else. If the concern is "being sold," I'll show you when an annuity doesn't fit.
- Agree on what the money is for. Most disagreements aren't about annuities at all. They're about whether the money is for income, for growth, or for the kids. Settle that first and the product question gets much easier.
And if the answer is still no?
Then it's no, and that's fine. A retirement plan one of you resents isn't a good plan. My job is to make sure you both understand the options, not to win a vote.
If it would help to have both of you on a short call, pick a time that works for the two of you.
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Author of Indexed Annuity Secrets and founder of Pacific Ridgeway Insurance Solutions in San Diego. Navy veteran. Licensed financial professional, CA #4132743.
Fixed indexed annuities are insurance products, not investments. Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial, investment, tax, or insurance advice.