How Many Kinds Of Annuities Are There? 
Simply put , there are just a few . Fixed Annuities which provide a fixed interest rate , Indexed Annuities which provide an interest rate based on Stock Index performance , and Variable Annuities which are more firmly based on market performance . These can be divided into two basic sub-categories , immediate , meaning they begin payout immediately and deferred , meaning payout will begin at a later date . Any of these can be qualified , meaning they meet certain tax qualifications to be considered retirement vehicles , and non-qualified . Each company will then have some variation of these basic forms of annuities . 