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Dear Editor, "The decision to buy an annuity is one of the biggest financial decisions clients will take but few shop around for the best annuity rate for their circumstances." Unfortunately, these words remain as true today as back in 2001 when originally penned by the Financial Services Authority. At that time only a third of retirees buying a lifetime annuity exercised their open market option (OMO), prompting the FSA to require insurers to explain more clearly the benefits of shopping around and taking professional advice. By 2006 take-up of the OMO had actually fallen, but ano...