Deferred Income Annuity (DIA) and QLAC Starting Comp
Updated October 2026
Short answer: A deferred income annuity (DIA) takes a premium now and pays guaranteed income starting on a future date the client chooses, typically more than a year out. Bought with IRA or qualified plan money under IRS rules, it can be a QLAC, with a 2026 premium limit of $210,000. Starting comp is a percentage of premium; the DIAs listed on this page start at 4% to 4.5%.
Our job is to beat your current annuity commission.
Stuck at your current commission level, or simply want higher commission? Our sole purpose is to scale your business by beating your current commission levels. No matter your current commission level, if you meet our minimum requirements (solo producers have none), you automatically get higher commission than where you are today. Starting comp is for every producer, including new producers with no experience — there is no production minimum. If you have strong production to show, we contract you above our starting comp. Established agencies, financial advisors and financial firms, and healthcare agencies can earn much higher too. Submit your application, schedule a Zoom, and we review your current commission levels carrier by carrier and contract you above them — with full back office support, case management, carrier contracting and sales tools included.
How deferred income annuities work
A DIA is an income annuity with a waiting period. The client pays the premium today, picks an income start date, and the carrier locks in the payment amount based on age, the deferral period, interest rates and the payout option. Key mechanics:
- Deferral raises income. Each year of waiting adds interest and mortality pooling, so a dollar buys more future income than it would in an immediate annuity.
- Payout options mirror immediate annuities: life only, joint life, life with a cash or installment refund, and period certain.
- Pre-income death benefit. Many DIAs offer a return-of-premium death benefit before payments start, usually in exchange for lower income.
- Limited liquidity. There's generally no cash value to withdraw before income begins. Some products accept additional premiums or allow the start date to move within a window; terms vary by carrier and state.
QLACs: DIAs inside IRAs and qualified plans
A qualifying longevity annuity contract (QLAC) is a DIA purchased with retirement-plan or IRA money that meets IRS requirements. For 2026:
- The premium limit is $210,000, and the old 25%-of-balance cap has been repealed.
- Payments must begin no later than the first day of the month after the client's 85th birthday.
- Before annuitization, the QLAC's value is excluded from the account balance used to figure required minimum distributions.
For how QLACs fit with RMD ages and aggregation, see RMDs and annuities in 2026.
Which clients deferred income annuities fit
- Clients in their 50s and 60s who want a pension-style paycheck to start at a specific later age.
- Clients worried about longevity who want income that can't run out in their 80s and 90s.
- IRA owners approaching RMD age who don't need all of that income yet and want part of the balance working toward later income.
- Clients with a known future income gap, such as when a pension, part-time work or a period-certain payout ends.
- Couples who want joint lifetime income.
Poor fits: clients who may need the premium back before income starts, or who need income now; for them, compare immediate annuities (SPIA). The market is niche but active: LIMRA reports DIA sales of $4.8 billion in 2025 and $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 9% from a year earlier.
Deferred income annuity commission: starting comp
DIA examples from the BetterAnnuityComp.com starting-comp grid, showing each product's top starting rate and where it applies:
| Carrier | Product | Top starting comp | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrity Life | IncomeSource Select DIA | 4.5% | Age 18-83 |
| Corebridge Financial (American General) | American Pathway Deferred Income Annuity | 4% | Ages 18-90 · Life Payout Options |
| Lincoln Financial | Deferred Income Solutions Annuity | 4% | Schedule A · Age 0-75 |
| Mutual of Omaha | Deferred Income Protector | 4% | 1st Yr |
Each rate is starting comp for every producer, with no experience requirement and no production minimum; strong producers are contracted higher, and our job is to beat your current commission. See every product, payout type and age band on the annuity carrier list.
Commission structure on DIAs and QLACs
- Higher than most SPIAs. The DIAs above start at 4% to 4.5%, while SPIAs on the grid commonly start between 1.5% and 3.75%.
- Payout type can change the rate. Corebridge's American Pathway Deferred Income Annuity earns its top rate on life payout options; check the schedule before quoting period-certain income.
- Schedules and age bands. Lincoln's top rate applies under Schedule A for ages 0–75, and Integrity Life's band runs from 18 to 83.
- When it's paid. Comp is generally paid on the premium at issue, not when income begins. Confirm the timing, and any chargeback rules, in the carrier's schedule.
- QLAC case size. On IRA and qualified-plan money, the $210,000 premium limit caps the QLAC portion of the case.
How BetterAnnuityComp.com supports DIA and QLAC sales
BetterAnnuityComp.com is exclusive to annuity commissions and powered by BetterLifeQuotes.com, an NGA/IMO Hybrid Distribution Organization. DIA and QLAC cases lean on retirement-account rules, so the support does too.
RMD calculators
RMD and RMD & Stretch IRA calculators to show how a QLAC changes a client's required distributions before and after income starts.
Case management
Pre-submission review to prevent NIGO, best-interest paperwork review, transfer and rollover tracking for IRA-funded cases, and carrier follow-up through issue.
Back office
Commission questions and tracking, appointment and license tracking, AML and training-certificate tracking, and carrier communication.
Contracting
One streamlined contracting process across carriers, with appointments requested in the states where you're licensed.
Frequently asked questions
Can BetterAnnuityComp.com beat my current annuity commission?
That is our sole job: no matter your current commission level, if you meet our minimum requirements (solo producers have none), you automatically get higher commission than where you are today. Starting comp is for every producer, including new producers with no experience, and there is no production minimum. If you have strong production to show, we contract you above our starting comp, and established agencies, financial advisors and financial firms, and healthcare agencies can earn above it too. Submit your application, schedule a Zoom and share your current commission levels by carrier. We compare them carrier by carrier and contract you above them, with full back office support, case management, carrier contracting and sales tools included.
How is a DIA different from a SPIA?
Both turn a premium into guaranteed income. A SPIA typically starts paying within a year, while a DIA starts at a later date the client picks. Because the carrier holds the money longer, a DIA generally buys more income per dollar than a SPIA bought at the same age.
What are the QLAC rules for 2026?
The 2026 QLAC premium limit is $210,000, and the former 25 percent of account balance cap has been repealed. Income must begin no later than the first day of the month after the client's 85th birthday, and before annuitization the QLAC's value is excluded from the balance used to figure RMDs.
Can a client get money out of a DIA before income starts?
Generally not. Most DIAs have no cash value before the income date. Some offer a return-of-premium death benefit, additional premium payments or a window to change the start date, depending on the carrier and state.
When is DIA comp paid?
Generally at issue, as a percentage of premium, rather than when income begins. Confirm timing and chargeback rules in each carrier's schedule.
Can a DIA cover a married couple?
Yes. Many DIAs offer joint life payout options so income continues for the surviving spouse. Inside a QLAC, IRS rules limit what can be paid after the owner's death, so confirm the options with the carrier.
Sources
- IRS — Notice 2025-67, 2026 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs
- IRS — Instructions for Form 1098-Q, Qualifying Longevity Annuity Contract Information
- LIMRA — Final U.S. Retail Annuity Sales Set New Sales High, Totaling $464.1 Billion in 2025
- LIMRA — U.S. Annuity Sales Reach $121.2 Billion in the Second Quarter of 2026
Add DIAs and QLACs to your income planning at a higher commission than you earn today. BetterAnnuityComp.com, powered by BetterLifeQuotes.com, contracts producers with 68 carriers and 345 annuity products, with case management through issue.