The ongoing financial upheaval has left many of those near retirement cornered, but asset-backed annuities could offer the most sensible option

The market for alternatives to conventional annuities is blossoming, but the long-established investment-linked variety could prove just as attractive as newer models

Alternatives to conventional annuities are emerging to meet demand, and the rise of DC means the market is forecast to flourish

The gulf between what annuities and unsecured pensions offer could be closed by unit-linked guarantees

Most funds and individuals opt for the conventional annuity at retirement, but is this the best fit product for the majority when its buying power decreases with time?

New technology and streamlined processes are all very well, but consumers must be educated to understand the annuity options open to them in order to make the most of their savings at retirement

Nine months has proven to be a long time in annuities - some rates are down as much as 8% since PM's last survey of the standard annuities market. Click here for the full survey in PDF format.

Pending legislative changes and a year of economic chaos, among other things, have turned this market into a different beast to what it was 12 months ago. PM ’s annual survey asks where it might go from here

In PM’s first ever general annuities survey, Ruth Emery takes a look at the at-retirement market and asks why annuities are experiencing a renaissance