Suze Orman’s stern warning about the retirement move draining you
January 27, 2026 by Tobi Opeyemi Amure
If you are nearing retirement, there is a good chance someone has tried to sell you a variable annuity inside your IRA or 401(k), usually wrapped in language about “guaranteed” 5% or 6% income for life.
Suze Orman has a simple response to that pitch.
Wink’s Moore on the Market: I thought Suze Orman used to sell variable annuities? Did I get that wrong?
“…not liking variable annuities from day one” would conflict with that.
And you might want annuity in a IRA if you are interested in guaranteeing a paycheck you cannot outlive; it’s not all about tax deferral, Suze!
She is wrong, wrong, wrong that “you will never get less than what you originally put in” with a VA. Your Benefit Base value may remain intact if the market tanks, but your Account Value can, and will, decline.
And Orman can talk about “low-cost mutual funds and ETFs” all day long, but they cannot offer a paycheck for life, like an annuity does.
SMH at these financial entertainers and how they mislead the public… -sjm
