I used to work for Ameriprise Financial in the Minneapolis headquarters. They have Riversource Annuities that are actually really good. They are some of the least expensive annuities available. An annuity is not for everyone. You should be within ten years of retirement if you are considering one, because your money will be tied up for about 7 to 10 years. After the ten years though the annuity will allow you to have stable income until you pass away (as long as you only take out about 6-7% per year). If you take out more than that they will not be able to guarantee you life long income. Also, if you are getting a Riversource annuity, look into the ryder (if forget the actual name) that allows you to increase your total investment with the market, but protects you from lossing if the market tanks. It's an excellent insurance policy for a bad economy. Every year they take a snap shot of your account and if you made money then that becomes your "guaranteed" income for life. If the maket tanked that year then your "guaranteed" income is the original amount that was guaranteed prior. I could write more than you would want to hear on this, but if you are seriously interested in an annuity and want to shop around, then call an Ameriprise advisor and they can go over it with you. Or here is the website for the advisors at the headquarters and you can talk to one of them.
www.ameriprise.com/fsc I hope this helps. You are already starting off well by asking what is right for you and not just doing something because it is right for someone else or "everyone."
