Future Plotting or Just Present Packaging? A Candid Look at the Latest Indexed Annuity Strategy Buzz

Let’s be honest—our industry doesn’t suffer from a lack of product innovation. It suffers from a lack of positioning innovation that actually serves the client long term. That’s why when a new strategy like “Future Plotting” hits the wires—claiming to optimize retirement income through layered fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) and staggered withdrawals—we need to ask: Is this truly new thinking, or just old tactics in a new tux?

Because if we’re just renaming the same playbook and calling it a game-changer, we’re not innovating. We’re decorating.

What is “Future Plotting”?

Financial advisor Brock DiLorenzo recently introduced this strategy—announced exclusively via InsuranceNewsNet—as a way to deliver “tax-deferred, volatility-hedged income” by layering multiple FIAs, each with carefully timed income activation.

Sound familiar? It should.

This is essentially a time-segmented income ladder using indexed annuities—sometimes with GLWBs, sometimes without—designed to allow flexible withdrawals over multiple retirement phases. It's a strategy many experienced advisors already use. The only difference? This one comes with a catchy name.

Let’s dissect it—because while the sizzle matters in sales, substance is what sustains trust.

The Good: What “Future Plotting” Gets Right

Tax Deferral: Using FIAs to delay income while deferring taxes is a sound approach—especially in a rising-tax environment.

Volatility Protection: FIAs continue to appeal to retirees concerned about sequence-of-returns risk. With zero-percent floors and equity-linked upside, they’re still powerful tools in the decumulation toolbox.

Income Flexibility: In contrast to rigid SPIAs or even some GLWBs, this strategy allows income to be triggered when it’s actually needed—not just because it’s guaranteed.

Consumer Behavior Alignment: Retirees increasingly want control, not just guarantees. This taps into that.

SEO Win: The branding alone makes it Google-friendly and story-ready for client conversations.

So yes—there’s value here. But value doesn’t excuse vagueness.

The Problem: When Strategy Becomes Sales Shtick

Let’s get critical (constructively, of course):

Lack of Transparency: The strategy, as described, glosses over key issues: Which FIAs? What crediting methods? What surrender periods? How are fees and bonuses layered? Without transparency, it risks sounding more like a marketing scheme than a planning solution.

Overstacking Risk: Using multiple annuity contracts can easily become commission-stacked and fee-heavy. Advisors must clearly articulate why a separate contract is needed instead of simply laddering withdrawals within a single flexible FIA with income riders.

Complexity for the Sake of Cleverness: Just because you can engineer a 5-contract “income choreography” doesn’t mean it’s in the client’s best interest. Complexity might make you sound smart, but clarity is what makes clients trust you.

Income Timing ≠ Guaranteed Security: Timing withdrawals to match future needs assumes those needs are predictable. Spoiler alert: they’re not. Health events, tax changes, and market surprises don’t follow spreadsheets.

Tax Drag Later in Life: Delay income too long, and you could trigger Medicare surcharges, IRMAA penalties, or higher RMDs down the line. Flexibility doesn’t negate the need for distribution strategy.

What Advisors Should Do Instead

Here’s how to turn this trend into an actual value-add:

1. Layer Strategies, Not Just Contracts

Use one or two well-designed FIAs with flexible income riders. Combine that with managed money or Roth conversions to create true tax diversification—not just deferred taxation.

2. Educate on Timing & Tradeoffs

Show clients the why behind each layer. If the purpose is to delay income until Social Security kicks in or to fund care needs post-75, great. But connect the product to the plan—not the pitch.

3. Leverage Compliance Tools

As best interest regulations tighten (thanks to NAIC #275 and SEC Reg BI), documented rationale is key. Any multi-annuity plan should include a written income map, fee transparency, and a suitability summary.

4. Tell Better Stories

Don’t just sell “Future Plotting.” Sell the why behind it. Use real-life use cases: widowhood, delayed Social Security, early retirement, spousal legacy. Anchor the strategy in their reality—not your brochure.

5. Think Beyond Products

FIAs don’t operate in a vacuum. Pair with life insurance (for liquidity), LTC riders (for care risk), or even deferred income annuities (for longevity insurance). The product is a means to a plan.

Final Thoughts: Innovation Is More Than Rebranding

Look—I believe in annuities. I believe in indexed strategies. I believe they can transform retirement when used correctly.

But we owe it to our profession—and more importantly, to our clients—to move beyond creative copywriting and build intentional, transparent, and client-first income strategies that actually hold up under scrutiny.

So if you're “Future Plotting,” make sure you're also present planning.

Your credibility—and your client’s future—depends on it.