Which of the following products is primarily associated with retirement?

Annuities are financial products that provide a way to generate a steady stream of income, making them particularly well-suited for retirement planning. They are often used by individuals to ensure they have reliable income after they stop working, addressing the risk of outliving their savings. Annuities can be structured in various ways, such as fixed or variable, and they can include features like lifetime income guarantees, which add to their appeal for retirees looking for financial security.

While mutual funds, stocks, and bonds can also play important roles in investment strategies aimed at retirement savings, they typically serve different purposes. Mutual funds can be used to build a diversified portfolio but are not primarily focused on the generation of retirement income. Stocks have the potential for high returns but also come with higher risk and volatility, which may not be ideal for retirees seeking stability. Bonds can provide steady income but are often not designed specifically for retirement income goals as annuities are.

This specialization makes annuities the most closely associated product with the concept of retirement income, as they are explicitly designed to manage the financial needs of individuals in their retirement years.