Locking In Income for a Lifetime - WSJ.com

Locking In Income for a Lifetime - WSJ.com: "To reduce that risk, the Obama administration wants to prod workers into investing in lifetime-income products such as annuities, insurance contracts that function like pensions by paying a guaranteed monthly income in return for a big chunk of cash upfront.

This year, the Labor and Treasury departments asked for comments on steps the government could take to steer workers into annuities. One suggestion would require that part of an employee's 401(k) plan contributions be placed in an annuity that would automatically start providing income at retirement, unless the worker opts out."