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Taylor Johnson

IUL & annuity specialist

Growth or
guarantees?Get an honest answer.

Still building, or ready to protect what you've built? An IUL helps you build. An annuity turns your savings into a paycheck for life. Taylor Johnson specializes in both, so you get the right tool for where you are.

Find your fit in 60 secondsBook a free call
Taylor Johnson, licensed IUL and annuity specialist
Taylor JohnsonIUL & Annuity SpecialistAbout
  • Licensed · NPN 21496758
  • Independent, multi-carrier
  • IUL + annuities

Prefer to talk? (737) 237-3371

The honest difference

Most people only hear one side.

Many agents specialize in IUL or in annuities, not both. So you hear one side of the comparison and are left to piece together the other.

Ask an IUL-only agent

“You don't need an annuity.”

Leaves out: guaranteed income you can't outlive.3

Ask an annuity-only agent

“Life insurance is just for when you die.”

Leaves out: cash value you can build and use while you're alive, plus living benefits.2

Taylor's answer

“Let's look at what you need, and use the right tool for each job.”

Two tools, two jobs

Know what each one is built to do.

Neither one is “better.” One is for building, the other for after you've built. Here's the short version.

IUL · The building years

Growth

Permanent life insurance with cash value linked to a market index. It grows tax-deferred, has a 0% floor in down years,1and pays a death benefit that's generally income-tax-free.2

Best for

  • Ages roughly 0–50, with time to let it grow
  • No 401(k), or no employer match at work
  • Families who need protection now and a legacy later

Good to know

It starts best early, so it has years to build. Many policies include living benefits, and you'll answer a few health questions to qualify.

Explore IUL

Annuities · After you've built

Guarantees

A contract with an insurance company that protects your savings from market losses, and can offer a guaranteed rate or a paycheck for life.3

Best for

  • Pre-retirees and retirees, typically 50+
  • An old 401(k) or IRA to protect, or a CD
  • Anyone who wants a paycheck they can't outlive

Good to know

Most annuities don't need a medical exam, and a direct rollover from an old 401(k) or IRA keeps the money tax-deferred.4

Explore annuities

Already have a 401(k)?

What a 401(k) alone can't do.

A 401(k) is built for the building years. Once you've left that job, or the match has stopped, it's worth asking whether it's still the right home for what you've built.

Get a free second opinionHow annuities work

Your 401(k) alone

With an annuity

Built for
401(k) alone: Building, while you work
With an annuity: After you’ve built
Market drops
401(k) alone: Rides them, up and down
With an annuity: Protected from market losses3
A paycheck for life
401(k) alone: Not on its own
With an annuity: Can be built in3
Taxes
401(k) alone: Tax-deferred
With an annuity: Still tax-deferred, with a direct rollover4

A general comparison. Features vary by plan and contract.6

No 401(k) at all? An IUL can be your way to build.

Growth tied to an index with a 0% floor,1 tax-advantaged access to your cash value,2 and protection for your family while you build.

How an IUL helps you build

Free guide

Growth or Guarantees?

The 3 questions to ask before you buy an IUL or annuity, with worksheets you fill in yourself. The third is the one most people never ask, and it can change when you retire.

Get the free guide

12 pages · Worksheets · Instant download

Cover of the free guide, Growth or Guarantees?

Better together

Sometimes the best answer is both.

An annuity and an IUL cover each other's blind spots. Slide between growth and guarantees to see how the shape of a plan changes, then let Taylor build the real one.

How the two work together

Find your mix

Hypothetical retirement income, age 65 to 95

Guarantees

Drag, or use the arrow keys.

Social SecurityAnnuity: guaranteed income3IUL: flexible, tax-advantaged2Essential expenses
Age 658095 · legacy

Your lean

Balanced

Both, each doing its own job. Guaranteed income covers the essentials; the IUL adds flexibility and a legacy.

Often 50–60, a 401(k) to protect and goals beyond it.

Essential expenses

Covered by guaranteed income

Get your real mixOr talk it through with Taylor

A hypothetical illustration of emphasis, not a recommendation or a projection.5

How it works

Three steps. No pressure.

Start with the quiz or a free call. Either way, you'll leave knowing more than you did, whether or not you buy anything.

  1. Talk about your goals

    Take the 60-second quiz or book a call. You'll talk through your age, savings, income and what you're trying to protect.

    Free · About 15 minutes

  2. See your options side by side

    Taylor compares IUL and annuity options across carriers and lays everything out in plain English.

    Multi-carrier · Plain English

  3. Decide, no pressure

    You choose what fits. If you move forward, Taylor handles the application and stays your point of contact. If nothing fits, she'll tell you.

    Your call, always

Questions

Straight answers.

The questions people ask most, answered plainly.6 For anything else, ask Taylor directly.

(737) 237-3371

An IUL is life insurance first. It protects your family and builds cash value you can use later, which makes it a strong tool for the building years. An annuity is a contract with an insurance company that protects savings you've already built and can turn them into income you can't outlive. One is for building, the other for after you've built. Many people end up using both.

It depends on where you are. Still building, maybe without a 401(k) or a match? An IUL is often the better fit. Already built your savings and want to protect them or turn them into income? That's usually an annuity. The quiz on this site gives you a starting point. A call with Taylor gives you a real answer.

Yes, and many people do. A common pattern is an IUL during your working years, building cash value and protection, then an annuity closer to retirement for guaranteed income. Taylor can show you how the two fit together without overlapping.

For an IUL, earlier is better. It usually fits anyone from a newborn to about age 50, because it needs years to grow and coverage costs less when you're young and healthy. Annuities usually come in during your 50s and 60s, as retirement gets close and protecting what you've saved matters more.

With an IUL or a fixed indexed annuity, a market drop is never credited to your account as a loss, because of the 0% floor. A MYGA earns its fixed rate no matter what the market does. That's the big difference from a 401(k), which rides the market up and down. All guarantees depend on the claims-paying ability of the insurer.

More than most people realize. Once you've left that employer, you can usually leave it where it is, roll it into an IRA, or move some or all of it into an annuity built to protect it and pay you income for life. A direct rollover keeps it tax-deferred. Taylor can review it with you for free. No pressure, just a second opinion.

For an IUL, you'll answer health questions and may need a quick exam, because it's life insurance. Most annuities have no medical underwriting at all, so they're an option even if life insurance is hard to get.

No. Questions are free, the consultation is free, and there's no obligation. If you buy a policy or annuity, the insurance company pays Taylor a commission. You don't pay her a separate fee.

Taylor Johnson

IUL & Annuity Specialist

Not sure which one fits? That's what the call is for.

In 15 minutes, Taylor looks at your goals, your timeline and what you've saved, then tells you plainly whether an IUL, an annuity, or both makes sense. There's no cost and no obligation.

Book a free callTake the 60-second quiz

Or call (737) 237-3371