A. Based on the most recent research from Ibbotson, the answer is Yes.
Conservative investors usually increase their bond holdings to reduce risk in their portfolios, but doing so in the current low-yield environment means risking not having enough income in retirement along with reduced prospects for capital appreciation. Fixed indexed annuities can offset shortcomings of bonds, in addition, earnings grow on a tax-deferred basis, they guarantee a set interest rate and provide exposure to stock market returns, which tend to be higher than bond market returns, according to Ibbotson’s white paper.
If you want to know more details of the comparisons of fixed indexed annuities vs. bonds, ThankAdvisor has an article discusses the various studies Ibbotson conducted.