If someone handed you a suitcase with a million dollars and said it has to last the rest of your life, would you feel confident or nervous? Most people say nervous—and that reveals everything wrong with how we think about retirement.

In this episode, host Marty Becker breaks down groundbreaking research on the "Peak 65 Zone"—a demographic tsunami where over 11,000 Americans turn 65 every single day. The problem? The traditional three-legged stool of retirement (pension, Social Security, savings) has collapsed to just one leg, and most retirement plans were never designed to solve the real challenge retirees face.

You'll discover:

• Why retirement isn't about how much you have, but how long your income will last
• The critical difference between accumulation and distribution (and why your 401(k) only solves half the problem)
• What the Peak 65 research reveals about creating guaranteed lifetime income
• Why fewer than 20% of Americans still have pension access—and what that means for you

Whether you're approaching retirement or already there, this episode will change how you think about turning your savings into income you cannot outlive.

In this episode, Marty Becker walks through a real retirement income case study involving a married couple who recently met with an advisor at Fidelity. The couple is fully retiring within the next year and needs $10,000 per month in guaranteed income on top of Social Security.

Marty breaks down their current portfolio, explains why a 70/30 stock-to-bond mix and a 4% withdrawal rate can create long-term risk, and shows how sequence of returns can impact retirement outcomes—especially when one spouse is much younger.

The episode compares a traditional single premium immediate annuity recommendation with a more advanced strategy using multiple annuities. Marty explains how both approaches provide the same lifetime income guarantees, but how a multi-annuity strategy can reduce the amount of capital required while improving income reliability, lowering withdrawal rates, and increasing discretionary assets.

You’ll also learn:

• Why worst-case and best-case scenarios matter in retirement planning

• How guaranteed income changes withdrawal rates and income reliability

• The pros and cons of simplicity versus efficiency in annuity strategies

• When a multi-annuity approach works best, and who it may not be right for

This episode is ideal for retirees or near-retirees who are evaluating annuity recommendations from large firms like Fidelity and want to understand if there is a smarter, more efficient way to generate lifetime income.

To learn more about annuities and see if a strategy like this fits your situation, visit atlasannuity.com to watch the “20% More Spendable Income in Retirement” video series or schedule a short Zoom call to get your questions answered.

In episode 95 of the Atlas Annuity Podcast, Marty Becker reviews the Axonic Trailhead fixed indexed annuity—a product that's making waves in the industry. As of December 2025, Axonic offers the highest S&P 500 cap rate for an A-rated company with no fees and no risk to your gains.

Marty breaks down why this matters and shares his philosophy on indexing options. After nearly a decade in the business, he explains why he relies on the "good old trusty S&P 500" over hypothetical indexes that often underperform their back-tested projections.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Key features of the Axonic Trailhead FIA (5, 7, and 10-year terms)
• Why the S&P 500 remains the most reliable index for growth
• The truth about proprietary indexes and hypothetical illustrations
• Unique benefits like the interest boost after the first crediting term
• How Axonic compares to other A-rated carriers

Whether you're looking to protect a portion of your portfolio or seeking reliable growth with downside protection, this episode gives you an honest, no-nonsense review of one of the market's leading fixed indexed annuities.