Protecting what's yours

One key consumer concern, when choosing a retirement income solution, is what will happen to the value of the fund on their death. A recurring - if not wholly accurate - criticism of lifetime annuities is that on the early death of the holder the capital is swallowed by the insurance company rather than going to the beneficiaries. In recognition of this concern, retirees do have options to help prevent this issue. These include spouse's pensions, guaranteed periods and the exciting but relatively undeveloped option of value protection. It is worth bearing in mind that these options come...