Why Annuities Are Back in Focus — and What Financial Planning Firms Can Do With This Opportunity
In a landscape of market volatility, interest-rate uncertainty and evolving retiree behaviour, guaranteed income propositions are receiving renewed attention. Recent research from LV= reveals that nearly 43% of UK adults say certainty is the most important factor when planning their retirement income — rising to over 50% for those aged 60 and above. At the same time, both lifetime annuities and fixed-term annuities are beginning to re-enter the conversation as credible options for many clients.
What does this mean for your financial planning firm — and how can a specialist marketing partner help you capitalise on this trend? This guide explores three key strategic areas: client messaging and positioning, referral relationship building, and thought-leadership and brand differentiation.
The Data: A Clear Client Need for Guaranteed Income Security
The LV= survey reveals a significant education gap in the market. Only 10% of Baby Boomers (aged 61-70) had considered a lifetime annuity, and just 6% had looked at a fixed-term annuity. Yet when clients receive professional guidance, attitudes shift dramatically: 56% of advised clients feel positively about using part of their pension to buy an annuity, compared with only 26% of those without advice.
This presents a substantial client acquisition opportunity for firms willing to lead on guaranteed income education and positioning.
Client Messaging & Positioning: Emphasise Certainty and Income Security
Many clients approaching retirement are placing a premium on guaranteed income, yet most haven’t seriously explored their annuity options. This creates a clear marketing strategy imperative for financial planning firms.
Position your firm as:
Educators — Explain what an annuity is (lifetime versus fixed-term), when it might be suitable, and how it fits (or doesn’t) into a broader retirement income strategy. Create accessible content that demystifies these products without overwhelming prospective clients.
Trusted guides — The data shows that advised clients are more than twice as likely to view annuities positively. Emphasise your role in helping clients navigate their options with clarity and confidence, particularly during uncertain market conditions.
Tailors — Make it clear that annuity solutions are not ‘one size fits all’. Fixed-term options offer new flexibility, and lifetime options still carry strong appeal for certain clients. Your advice is personalised to each client’s circumstances and goals.
Content Themes That Resonate
Consider developing content around:
- How guaranteed income can anchor your retirement plan in uncertain times
- Why many retirees are revisiting annuities — what you should know
- The role of a flexible fixed-term annuity in modern retirement planning
- Case studies or Q&A formats with advisers explaining real-world suitability
- The difference between lifetime and fixed-term annuities explained simply
These themes work well across various formats: blog posts, client guides, webinars, and social media content. A marketing partner experienced in content creation for financial advisers can help ensure your messaging is both compliant and compelling.
By leading with certainty and income security, you help your firm become a ‘go-to’ resource for clients who are less comfortable with volatility and want a plan they genuinely understand.
Referral Relationships: Leveraging the Annuity Opportunity With Solicitors & Accountants
A key growth lever for financial planning firms is building and nurturing professional referral networks — particularly with solicitors and accountants. These professionals often meet clients who may be in the planning or retirement phase and haven’t yet engaged a financial planner. The renewed focus on annuities provides a timely conversation driver to strengthen those referral links.
Practical Referral Strategies
Educational seminars or lunch-and-learns — Host sessions for solicitors and accountants with a focus on “Annuities in 2025: What your clients need to know”. Use the LV= research as a foundation and highlight how clients are seeking certainty. Partner with a marketing agency that offers event marketing support to ensure professional delivery and follow-up.
Referral trigger tools — Create a short checklist for solicitors and accountants to spot clients for whom guaranteed income is a priority. Offer to partner when an annuity discussion could arise. Make it easy for referral partners to identify relevant opportunities.
Co-branded content — Produce simple guides or infographics (for example: “Should your client consider an annuity?”) that professionals can share with clients under joint branding. This positions both parties as trusted experts.
Joint thought-leadership — Invite your referral partners to contribute to a blog or webinar on your website, discussing the tax, estate-planning and retirement-income implications of annuities. This creates mutual value and strengthens the partnership.
By positioning your firm as the specialist with strong expertise in the guaranteed-income space, you become top of mind for referrals when solicitors or accountants encounter clients with retirement income concerns. This growth strategy approach builds sustainable pipelines of high-quality prospects.
Brand Differentiation & Thought-Leadership: Standing Out in a Crowded Market
With many advisory firms competing on similar messaging around growth, wealth accumulation and investment performance, focusing on retirement income security — particularly guaranteed income solutions — can help differentiate your brand significantly.
Strategic Positioning Tactics
Content pillar strategy — Build a sustained content stream around “Retirement Income & Security” rather than just “Wealth Growth”. This creates a distinctive position in the market and attracts clients seeking stability alongside growth.
Webinars and live Q&A — Host events titled “The re-emergence of annuities: what it means for your retirement portfolio” or similar themes. Position these as educational, not sales-focused, to build trust and credibility.
Client stories and testimonials — With appropriate permissions and FCA compliance, feature clients who have incorporated annuities into their plans and can speak to the comfort and clarity they feel. Social proof is powerful, particularly for retirement-age clients.
Expert commentary — Invite specialists from pension providers or annuity brokers to contribute guest perspectives. This positions your firm at the centre of industry conversations.
SEO and digital optimisation — Ensure your website addresses search terms such as “guaranteed income retirement UK”, “fixed-term annuities versus lifetime annuities”, and “retirement income certainty adviser UK”. Work with a digital marketing partner who understands financial services SEO and can drive qualified traffic to your site.
Build reputational capital — In uncertain markets, clients increasingly favour advisers who emphasise clarity, calm and income reliability. By specialising (or at least clearly communicating expertise) in the guaranteed-income arena, you build trust that translates into client acquisition and retention.
The firms that will capture market share in this environment are those that can articulate complex retirement income options in accessible language whilst demonstrating deep technical expertise — a balance that requires thoughtful marketing execution.
How Aspina Helps Financial Planning Firms Capitalise on Market Opportunities
At Aspina, we work exclusively with financial planning and wealth management firms to develop and execute marketing strategies that drive measurable growth. Our approach combines deep sector knowledge with practical marketing execution across client engagement, referral development, and digital presence.
When market opportunities like the annuities resurgence emerge, we help our clients move quickly and confidently to:
- Develop targeted content strategies that position firms as trusted educators
- Create compliant, compelling materials for both client and referral audiences
- Execute professional networking strategies that generate quality introductions
- Build digital presence through SEO, website optimisation, and social media
- Measure and refine campaigns to maximise return on marketing investment
We understand the regulatory environment, the importance of compliance, and the need for marketing that builds trust rather than pushing products. Our clients benefit from strategic guidance backed by hands-on execution — from content creation to campaign management to analytics.
Taking Action: Your Next Steps
The resurgence of annuities offers a tangible opportunity for planning firms seeking growth, differentiation and deeper referral engagement. The data signals a clear shift from purely growth-oriented retirement thinking to certainty-oriented thinking amongst UK consumers — particularly those approaching or in retirement.
For your firm, this means:
Review your current positioning — Does your messaging speak to clients seeking income certainty? Are you educating prospects about guaranteed income options?
Audit your content — Do you have resources that explain annuities in accessible language? Are you creating content that addresses the retirement security concerns highlighted by the LV= research?
Strengthen referral relationships — Are solicitors and accountants in your network aware of your expertise in retirement income planning? Have you given them tools to identify referral opportunities?
Differentiate your brand — In a crowded market, clarity of positioning matters. Can prospects quickly understand what makes your approach to retirement planning distinctive?
The firms that act decisively on this opportunity — with clear messaging, strategic content, and strong referral networks — will be best positioned to capture the growing demand for guaranteed income guidance.
Ready to Lead the Conversation on Retirement Income Security?
If you’d like to discuss how Aspina can help your firm develop a strategic marketing approach to the annuities opportunity — or any other growth initiative — we’d welcome a conversation.
Contact us to explore how we can help you position your firm as the trusted choice for retirement income planning in your market.
Aspina is a specialist marketing agency serving financial planning and wealth management firms across the UK. We combine sector expertise with strategic marketing execution to help ambitious firms achieve sustainable growth.
