The Certified Annuity Specialist (CAS) designation is now celebrating its 8th year. CAS is fully accredited and is the oldest designation in the annuity industry. It is the only such designation recognized by dozens of Fortune 500 companies.

Your peers sell fixed-rate and variable annuities, but there is a strong likelihood that today's sales will cause them grief in the future. Annuities are a major source of litigation and compliance department concerns. It is estimated that 1/3^rd of all annuity contracts are not titled correctly. Imagine the potential liability of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars compounding for decades and then being incorrectly distributed or subject to unnecessary taxes.

The Certified Annuity Specialist (CAS) covers all of the traditional aspects of fixed-rate and variable products; a detailed part of the materials also covers the different titling options and the estate and income tax ramifications of each. Practitioners erroneously believe that fixed-rate annuities are limited in choice and design; the actual array of features and contracts is quite extensive. The study of variable annuities takes on a whole new level when management analysis, correlation coefficients, alpha, and selection criteria are included. Even though living benefits have now existed for almost a decade, the benefits these riders provide at not largely understood or examined from a cost-benefit perspective.

Seasoned practitioners who have a strong grounding in academics update CAS materials throughout the year. As a Certified Annuity Specialist student, you will enjoy the best of the theoretical and the practical. The ideas learned will open your eyes to a number of products and riders that you never thought existed. Your clients will benefit from this increased knowledge by investing in products that include unique features and benefits.