Most people take a single-barrel approach to retirement. They accumulate, then they spend. That works until the income years are hit by inflation, a down market, generous vacations, or children tapping "rich" parents - often in a person's 80s, when going back to work is no longer realistic.
The Double Barrel Annuity fires both barrels: Barrel 1 is a Canvas MYGA that accumulates. Barrel 2 is a Canvas SPIA (life only) for guaranteed lifetime income. After each MYGA term, growth in Barrel 1 funds the next SPIA. Income stacks. The MYGA keeps working.
Mary, a single 73-year-old retiree, has $500,000 in taxable accounts averaging 4% - about $20,000 a year, fully exposed to rate cuts and inflation, with no lifetime guarantee. Her alternative is the Double Barrel Annuity: $250,000 in a Canvas Future Fund MYGA and $250,000 in a Canvas SPIA, with MYGA growth funding the next SPIA until she can no longer issue a new policy.
Joe is single, age 65. He plans to work until age 70 or 72 to maximize Social Security. He wants a safe, guaranteed lifetime income and is considering a Fixed Index Annuity with a Guaranteed Lifetime Income Rider, rolling over $500,000 of his 401(k) to receive about $4,000 a month at age 72. He is in perfect health and his father lived until age 93. He worries about outliving his income, losing money in a down market, and a recession from the AI revolution. He is aware of inflation, but is starting his income higher than he needs in the early years to help make up for later.
Annual income is the stacked SPIA payments after each policy's 3% inflation increase on the anniversary. Each new SPIA is quoted at the client's attained age. Value in 2026 dollars is the same 3% compound inflation adjustment used on the Inflation report.