We found several articles on annuities this week.  Jonathan Clements who writes for the Wall Street Journal and Humberto Cruz, syndicated in many Sunday papers share their insight on annuities. Here's the Jonathan Clements article.

Here are five tips for immediate-fixed annuity buyers.

Get a fistful of quotes from your insurance agent or from a Web site like www.immediateannuities.com. There's often a wide spread in the income offered by insurers, so it pays to shop around.

Many annuity buyers opt for a guarantee, such as promised payments for 10 or 15 years. But I wouldn't bother, unless taking the guarantee involves only a tiny cut in the annuity's income. Instead, to eliminate the risk that you will invest a huge chunk in an annuity and die soon after, consider making smaller annuity purchases each year through the first 10 years of your retirement.

If you buy income annuities over time, that will also give you the chance to reduce risk by buying from different insurers. Even then, stick with top-rated insurers.

To protect against inflation, purchase an annuity where payments are linked to inflation or where your annuity check is stepped up each year by, say, 3 percent.

If you're married, consider a joint-life annuity, where the income is paid until both of you have died. Because you are insuring two lives, your annuity investment won't be wasted money if one of you dies prematurely. Buying a lifetime income stream could also be a smart move if you're worried about your spouse's ability to manage the household's finances after your death.