It's important to understand the options available to you when you buy an annuity. Like all things there are pros & cons to each. Which option suits you depends upon your circumstances and attitude to risk.

Level Annuity
Income will not increase in payment. It provides the owner (annuitant) the highest income at the outset compared with other options, however as time goes by & inflation eats into it, the value of the pension, in real terms, decreases. In the case of someone who retires early, then lives a long time, this reduction in 'buying power' could be very considerable.

Joint-Life Basis
With this option, either a full or reduced income will continue to be paid to the partner if the annuitant dies, because women tend to live longer than men, a wife several years younger than her husband could reduce the income payments significantly. The same is true of the reverse. Joint life annuities are usually taken out by married couples, especially when the spouse has no other independent pension income.

Guaranteed Annuity
It's possible to ensure that the income to be paid is guaranteed at a set level for a period of time after the death of the annuitant. Typical guarantee periods may be 5 or 10 years. This option usually reduces income, depending upon your age & how long the guarantee is for.

If the annuity is on a joint-life basis, & both parties die within the guarantee period, the payments continue to the estate.

Escalating Annuity
These provide an income that will increase annually at a predetermined rate, or sometimes in line with the retail price index. The advantage of this is the income provides some protection against inflation. However, the initial income will be less compared to a level annuity.