Sat, Aug 8th.

What Do Annuities Have to Do With the Greatest Major League Baseball Player Ever?

In the early 1920s, Babe Ruth was more than just a baseball legend — he was the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball. In 1922, playing for the New York Yankees, he earned $52,000 per year — the equivalent of $904,725 in today’s dollars. Like many athletes of his time (and ours), Babe enjoyed the high life, spending freely during the roaring ’20s and heading toward the all-too-common fate of retiring broke.

That path changed in October 1923. At the urging of his business manager, Babe met with fellow Hall of Famer Harry Heilman of the Detroit Tigers. In the off-season, Heilman worked as an insurance agent for The Equitable, and he introduced Babe to one of the most effective tools for protecting retirement income: the annuity.

With Harry’s guidance, Babe used part of his World Series winnings and a portion of his annual salary to purchase his first annuity. Over the next seven years, he continued adding to it. Babe didn’t know it then, but this decision would become one of the smartest moves of his career.

The Crash That Changed Everything

In October 1929, the Stock Market crashed, bringing the roaring ’20s to a screeching halt and ushering in the Great Depression. Babe Ruth retired from baseball in 1935, his body no longer able to withstand the physical demands of the game. Like countless others, he found himself unemployed during one of the toughest economic times in U.S. history.

But Babe was in a different position than most. Thanks to his planning with Harry Heilman, he began receiving $17,500 a year in annuity payments — the equivalent of $381,729 today. While other athletes and celebrities stood in breadlines, Babe lived comfortably, never having to worry about outliving his money.

So impressed was he with the stability of annuities that Babe even directed his estate to purchase a lifetime payment annuity for his wife after his death, ensuring she would be cared for no matter what the markets did.

Babe Ruth’s Lesson in Financial Planning

While Babe can’t teach us to hit a 500-foot home run, he left us a powerful lesson: secure your retirement income before you need it. By choosing annuities, you can protect your lifestyle against market crashes and guarantee that your income lasts as long as you do.

The Truth About Annuities

• No mandatory fees for fixed index, indexed, SPIA, or MYGA accounts (only variable annuities have required fees).
• Flexibility to change strategies annually with zero advisory or annual fees.
• Liquidity for times of need.
• A 10–40% match option in some plans.
• Free long-term care–type protection.
• Guaranteed return of your premium.

Robert C. Ricci Jr.
Financial GPS LLC
📞 Get Income for Life and Protect Your Life’s Work.