Brokers Insurance Corp offers annuities through a variety of carriers.

Qualified Versus Non-Qualified Annuities
A qualified annuity is one that is purchased within a retirement account, such as a 401(k) or IRA. A non-qualified annuity is one that is purchased outside of such a plan, with dollars on which you´ve already paid federal income tax. Basically, the annuity is the same, but the tax consequences may not be. You may want to consult a qualified tax expert before investing.

How do you choose among annuities?
The key to planning with annuities is customization. This starts with the type of annuity you choose: variable, fixed index or traditional fixed. You may customize further by choosing optional benefits for your individual contract, or from a variety of products with unique features.

Variable Annuities
Variable annuities offer a range of investment choices through sub-accounts that include stocks, bonds (or a blend of the two) and fixed account options. The withdrawals you eventually make from your variable annuity contract will be based on the value of the underlying choices you select. In addition to investment choices, variable annuities typically provide optional benefits for an additional charge. These can include: guaranteed minimum income even if markets decline, the ability to increase your retirement income by potentially locking in market gains, and enhanced death benefits for beneficiary protection.

Fixed Index Annuities
Fixed index annuities combine the benefits of a traditional fixed annuity, including guaranteed minimum interest, with the potential to earn additional interest linked to the return of an index. Fixed index annuities may allow owners the flexibility to build their contract to meet their individual needs. Some products offer two indexes, multiple crediting methods, a variety of contract lengths and optional features as well as a standard premium credit feature.

Fixed Annuities
Fixed annuities are retirement contracts built on protection and guaranteed returns, including a guaranteed minimum interest rate. Fixed annuities offer guaranteed retirement income for a set period of time or for your lifetime. They also provide guaranteed return of your initial investment and death benefit protection.

Immediate Annuities
Most annuities are deferred, which simply means that you don´t plan to begin taking income from them right away. However, there is another type of fixed annuity available, called an immediate annuity. An immediate annuity is a popular choice for people already in retirement because it guarantees lifetime income. You can purchase it only with a single lump-sum payment. Income payments from the insurance company to the contract owner usually begin within 12 months of the purchase date. As with deferred fixed annuities, you can choose to receive income payments for life, or a shorter period of time. Payments are based on a fixed interest rate and can be paid out on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual basis.