it really isn't. they're all regulated as fuck, sold by major insurance companies such as massachusetts mutual. the catch is that they pay a really shitty interest rate -- but the in-front "bonus" makes up for that if your life expectancy is two years instead of the ten-year lock-in period. and the diversification away from her 100% allocation to fdic-insured bank accounts is even more important. with commercial real estate valuations in the toilet, if the banks start breaking, they aren't going to stop. and the fdic is going to get fucking rekt.
United States