Here’s the simple truth that most glossy money articles dance around: life doesn’t ask permission before it changes your finances. It lurches, swerves, and occasionally collides—marriage, a new baby, a career pivot, a scary diagnosis, a divorce, the loss of a spouse—and your “someday” plan gets stress-tested in real time.

Introduction Annuities can sound like a dream: guaranteed income for life, peace of mind in retirement, and protection from market...