Don’t be fooled — these steps are simple to understand, but they can be harder to execute. Still, they’re worth considering.

A fixed-index annuity is a financial option offered by insurance companies as an alternative investment to stocks, mutual funds, and CDs. When you invest in a fixed-index annuity, you get the attractive features of tax-deferred growth and a guarantee that you will not lose any of the money you put into the annuity, and you will also not lose the gains. Individuals who are nearing retirement may be hesitant to put their retirement savings at risk in the volatile stock mark