Why annuities are back on advisers' agendas

When the pension freedoms were introduced, the undoubted losers were annuities. What once had been the default path for retirees no longer looked so appealing, and sales dropped sharply. However, the latest data suggests the tide is turning. New figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) shows 2025 was a record year for annuities in the post-freedoms era, with total premiums paid into individual pension annuities reaching £7.4bn, up 4% year-on-year. While the number of annuities sold dipped slightly to 87,600, the size of the pots being annuitised has surged, with sales of an...