Meet the Protected

After 40 years touring with rock bands, Dale “Opie” Skjerseth has seen — and experienced — just about anything that can go wrong. Opie knows that while excitement is pretty much guaranteed in his line of work, a paycheck isn’t always a sure thing. The protected lifetime income provided by his three annuities has played an important role in how he has secured his retirement.

Ben Labrot found himself in many life-threatening situations in his volunteer work as a doctor with the organization he founded. Like getting stuck on a mountaintop in a lightning storm. But when Labrot’s wife got pregnant, he decided to hand over daily operations to his staff and took a teaching job. He also decided to get serious about his finances and set up an annuity.

Racing down a drag strip at speeds over 280 miles per hour may not be your idea of a good time. But for Elaine Larsen, it’s her life’s work. After a 2011 wreck, Larsen was forced to consider retirement sooner than she wanted. She accepts the risk involved with jet car racing, but Larsen chose to eliminate some of the risks in her retirement planning with lifetime income solutions.

What does your retirement have in common with ocean life? Both can be unpredictable, regardless of preparation. Ocean conservationist and diver James Moskito wants to help others understand the importance of sea life. And though, with his career choice, Moskito faces certain risk every single time he enters the water, he chose not to retire with it.

During her 20-year career in the New York Police Department, Linda Rivera experienced plenty of risky situations: traffic stops, domestic disputes, the 9/11 tragedy. Now retired, she’s taking different risks — racing cars, kickboxing and surfing — and depending on her annuity to provide the protected income she needs to lock down the items on her bucket list.

As a smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service, Renee Lamoreaux parachuted into fire zones to battle blazes all around the country. Lamoreaux knew there was risk involved, but that was part of the reason she loved it. When it came to her retirement planning, she applied many of the techniques she learned on the job to handle the financial risks. Among her tools is an annuity.

In the field of volcanology, you have to love risk. Dodging lava bombs, avoiding deadly levels of noxious gases and side-stepping lava is just part of the job. Despite her appetite for risk in her career, Rosaly Lopes doesn’t feel the same way when it comes to her money. So she purchased two annuities because they offer the stability and flexibility she wanted in retirement products.

Building bridges and skyscrapers may seem like a scary proposition to some. For Rose Sias, it was the logical next step in a life devoted to building up the family and friends around her. Sias faces hazards every day on the job. But when it comes to retirement, she’s making sure she won’t risk enjoying the freedom it brings – thanks to the secure income that comes with an annuity.