Tax-deferred accumulation, the potential for guaranteed income, and the flexibility to choose a return based on a guaranteed interest rate, index, or portfolio are just some of the reasons why countless financial professionals and consumers have turned to the annuity. However, the annuity is not for everyone.

In this chapter, you’ll learn how legislation helped shape the annuity as we know it today, how annuities differ, and why the future can be so bright for so many consumers and financial professionals if we embrace the right product and sales practices.