Forethought review

Pre-retirees in their 50s to mid-60s who want locked-in future lifetime income through a Morgan Stanley advisor, value a built-in rider, and prefer a 7-year commitment over a longer lockup

Fee-based advisory clients who want principal-protected index-linked growth without a surrender commitment tying up their money

Fee-based advisory clients who want a short surrender commitment, a premium enhancement to boost starting value, and a deep index menu without an income rider

Fee-based clients who want to build future protected lifetime income, plan to defer for several years, and prefer a contract with no surrender charge schedule

Fee-based clients who want index-linked growth with a chosen level of downside protection, accessed through an advisor who charges a planning fee rather than a commission

Buyers who want a built-in lifetime income guarantee with a front-loaded benefit base and a shorter surrender commitment than most income FIAs ask for

Buyers working with a Wells Fargo advisor who want a built-in lifetime income guarantee with a front-loaded benefit base and a shorter surrender commitment than most income FIAs require

Savers who want a locked 5-year guaranteed rate without index complexity, fee drag, or MVA risk — and who live in one of the states where this product is approved

Conservative savers who want a guaranteed rate locked for seven years without the complexity of index strategies or income riders

Conservative savers who want a guaranteed rate locked for three years, easy RMD handling, and a short commitment they can plan around

Conservative savers who want a locked guaranteed rate for five years and prefer no-fee simplicity over index-linked upside

Savers who want a guaranteed rate locked for seven years, a meaningful free-withdrawal provision, and a carrier with solid financial standing

Pre-retirees aged 50–80 who want to self-fund potential long-term care costs using a fixed annuity structure rather than paying ongoing LTC insurance premiums

Pre-retirees who want to fund a future guaranteed paycheck, can defer for several years, and want the income guarantee built into the contract

Morgan Stanley clients in the pre-retirement window who want to convert long-term savings into a guaranteed future income stream with a chronic illness backstop included

Pre-retirees who want to defer income for several years, value a built-in lifetime payout, and want the option to double that payout if they later cannot perform basic daily activities

Pre-retirees purchasing through Morgan Stanley who want to defer income for several years, value a built-in lifetime payout, and want the option to increase that payout if they later cannot perform basic daily activities

Buyers who want a built-in lifetime income rider but are not willing to tie money up for the eight-to-ten years most income annuities demand

Morgan Stanley clients who want a built-in lifetime income rider without tying money up for eight-to-ten years as most income annuities require

Wells Fargo clients who want a built-in lifetime income rider with a 7-year surrender window, a guaranteed 10% annual roll-up, and no need to comparison-shop across distribution channels

Buyers who want to defer income for several years and are drawn to a benefit base that grows as a multiple of the interest the contract actually earns

Morgan Stanley clients who want to defer income for several years and want a benefit base that grows as a multiple of the interest the contract actually earns

Wells Fargo clients who want to defer income for several years and are drawn to a benefit base that grows as a multiple of the interest the contract actually earns

Buyers who want more market upside than a fixed indexed annuity allows and are willing to accept some real downside in exchange, with the choice of how much loss they want to absorb

Wells Fargo clients who want more market upside than a fixed indexed annuity allows and are willing to absorb partial downside in exchange, with the ability to choose their own buffer or floor level

Pre-retirees in their late 50s to mid-60s who want to defer income for a handful of years, lock in a strong day-one benefit base, and keep principal protected along the way

Morgan Stanley clients who want a built-in lifetime income guarantee with a front-loaded benefit base and a shorter surrender commitment than most income FIAs require

Fee-based clients who want to build future protected lifetime income, plan to defer for several years, and prefer a light surrender schedule over the commission version's longer lockup

Wells Fargo clients who want a clean 7-year locked rate with no index risk, meaningful hardship waivers, and a full account-value death benefit

Wells Fargo clients who want a clean 7-year locked rate, no base contract fees, meaningful hardship waivers, and a full account-value death benefit

Buyers in the 0–70 age range who want a short-commitment FIA with principal protection, a broad crediting menu, and an optional death benefit upgrade without paying for income they don't need

Buyers who want principal-protected accumulation with an unusually broad index menu and the option to add a meaningful death benefit enhancement for legacy planning

Morgan Stanley clients who want a 10-year accumulation FIA with a premium enhancement at issue, principal protection, and no income rider complexity

Retirement savers who want a shorter-term FIA with a broad crediting menu and the option to add a meaningful death benefit guarantee without a long commitment

Wells Fargo clients who want a shorter-term accumulation FIA with a broad crediting menu and the option to layer on a meaningful death benefit guarantee

Accumulation-focused buyers in eligible states who want a short FIA commitment, a broad index menu, and an optional upfront premium enhancement without an income rider

Morgan Stanley clients who want a short-term accumulation FIA with a premium bonus at issue, principal protection, and no income rider overhead

Buyers who want a principal-protected 7-year FIA with a broad index menu, no income rider, and an optional death benefit enhancement for legacy-minded buyers

Accumulation-focused buyers who want a wide index menu and are willing to pay a 1.25% annual strategy fee for enhanced caps and participation rates

Morgan Stanley clients who want a 7-year accumulation FIA with a premium enhancement at issue, principal protection, and no income rider overhead

Fee-based advisory clients who want a built-in lifetime income rider with no surrender period and an income multiplier that boosts payouts during a qualifying care event

Buyers who want a built-in lifetime income rider with a strong roll-up but do not want to lock their money up for the usual 7-to-10-year income-product surrender period

Buyers purchasing through Morgan Stanley who want a built-in lifetime income rider with a 10% roll-up and a shorter surrender commitment than most income annuities require

Savers who want a short guaranteed-rate commitment with no index complexity, competitive with CDs and short Treasuries

Wells Fargo clients in approved states who want a clean 5-year locked rate, a no-fee structure, and built-in health-event waivers

Wells Fargo clients who want a clean 5-year locked rate, no contract fees, and built-in health-event waivers in a product with broad state availability

Buyers who want a 10-year FIA with principal protection, multiple index choices, and a meaningful optional death benefit rider — and who don't need income guarantees

Buyers who want principal-protected growth potential with a broad index menu and no rider fees, and who can commit to a 10-year horizon

Buyers who want a front-loaded account boost, can commit to a full 10-year horizon, and prioritize account value growth over income flexibility

Retirement savers working with a Truist or Morgan Stanley advisor who want a 7-year accumulation FIA with principal protection, a bailout provision, and the option to add a meaningful death benefit guarantee

Wells Fargo clients who want a principal-protected 7-year FIA with a streamlined index menu and an optional death benefit enhancement for legacy-focused buyers

Wells Fargo clients who want a built-in lifetime income rider on a five-year surrender schedule without committing to a decade-long lockup

Fee-based advisory clients who want tax-deferred subaccount investing with a minimal insurance-layer cost and no surrender constraint

Pre-retirees working with a Morgan Stanley advisor who want built-in guaranteed lifetime income with a front-loaded benefit base and principal protection

Wells Fargo clients who want a clean 3-year guaranteed rate with no index risk and a terminal illness or nursing home safety valve

Wells Fargo clients who want a guaranteed 3-year rate lock with no index complexity, a meaningful illness waiver, and a clean death benefit

Morgan Stanley clients who want a principal-protected 10-year FIA with a 5-year initial rate guarantee and no income rider complexity

Buyers who want a premium enhancement on a long-horizon accumulation FIA and have no expectation of needing the money during the surrender period

Morgan Stanley clients who want a 14% premium enhancement on long-term accumulation dollars and are comfortable with a narrow index menu and a 10-year commitment

Retirement savers working with a Truist or Morgan Stanley advisor who want a short-commitment FIA with principal protection and the option to layer on a death benefit guarantee

Wells Fargo clients who want a built-in lifetime income rider with a short surrender period and a strong roll-up without committing to a decade-long lock-up

Investors who want tax-deferred subaccount investing with no surrender restrictions and full liquidity at any time — typically those with a shorter or uncertain horizon who still want the annuity's tax-deferral wrapper

Investors who want tax-deferred subaccount investing inside an annuity wrapper, are comfortable with full market risk, and want a relatively low-cost B-share with a defined 5-year exit