Suzy, age 45, is meeting with a financial planner as she has recently inherited $1.

Suzy's facts point to income certainty and behavioural protection. She has inherited significant capital, admits poor spending habits, wants stable cash flow, lacks investment experience, and does not want day-to-day investment decisions. A straight life annuity converts a lump sum into predictable income for life, reducing the risk that she spends the inheritance too quickly or makes unsuitable investment decisions. A separately managed, multi-mandate managed, or discretionary fee-based account may delegate investment decisions, but those structures still expose her to market fluctuation and do not automatically impose a stable lifetime income discipline. The trade-off is that a straight life annuity may provide limited estate value and little liquidity after purchase, so the planner should consider whether only part of the inheritance should be annuitized. Among the options, however, the annuity best matches the stated need. Study Guide focus: annuities, behavioural risk, retirement income products, capital preservation, and cash-flow certainty. The planner should reserve liquid capital separately if Suzy needs emergency funds or future discretionary purchases.

===============