One trend in the annuity market is the increasing popularity of indexed annuities, which provide a guaranteed minimum rate of return and the potential for additional returns based on the performance of a stock market index. Another trend is the use of annuities in income planning for retirement, as they can provide a steady stream of income to supplement other retirement savings. Additionally, there has been an increase in the use of annuities as a way to mitigate longevity risk, or the risk of outliving one's savings. An index annuity is a type of fixed annuity that allows the policyholder to earn interest based on the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500, rather than a fixed interest rate. The interest earned is often capped, and the policyholder is not directly invested in the stock market, so the risk of losing principal is typically lower than with other types of investments tied to the stock market. Additionally, many index annuities offer a guarantee...