An annuity with protected lifetime income can be the workhorse in your Individual Retirement Account (IRA), providing guaranteed income regardless of what happens with the markets. Anyone with an IRA has to start taking annual withdrawals, known as required minimum distributions (RMDs), from their IRA at age 72.* That’s because the account grew on a tax-deferred basis and the time is finally here to start taking distributions and paying taxes. Uncle Sam wants you to spend it down. Every year the percentage you’re required to take out keeps growing. That means that both the end-of-year account balance and the income you withdraw keep getting smaller, which could become a real problem in later years—unless you have outsized investment returns. What if there was a way to guarantee some of that income regardless of what happens with the markets? Using a portion of your IRA assets to purchase an annuity with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit will help give you peace of mind. “Let an annuity be the workhorse in your IRA. Let it be the RMD generator,” says Michael R. Harris, a senior educational advisor with the Alliance for Lifetime Income, who holds CFP, CLU and CHFC designations. If you’re going to buy an annuity with qualified money in an IRA or 401(k), there are three options that you can consider.