What financial product involves a series of equal, regular deposits over time?

The financial product that involves a series of equal, regular deposits over time is an annuity. An annuity is a contract typically issued by an insurance company that provides a stream of income payments to the individual over a specified period or for the lifetime of the individual. It can be funded through a series of regular payments, which can be considered a form of saving or investment over time.

Annuities can take various forms, such as immediate or deferred, and can be used for retirement income, ensuring that individuals have a predictable cash flow in their later years. The regularity and equal nature of the payments are integral features of pension plans and various retirement savings strategies.

In contrast, bonds represent a loan from an investor to a borrower (typically corporate or governmental) for a defined term at a variable or fixed interest rate; they do not inherently involve regular deposits by the investor but instead provide interest payments. Stock options are contracts that give the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy or sell shares at a predetermined price, and they do not involve regular deposits. Certificates of deposit (CDs) are time deposits issued by banks, where individuals invest a lump sum for a fixed term, earning interest, without making a series of regular deposits over