"[Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs)] have always been afforded the 84-24 Prohibited Transaction Exemption, which classified them as an insurance product subjected to suitability standards of sale. In the final version of the rule, the DOL peeled away FIAs' PTE exemption and classified them with variable annuities [VAs], which are considered securities. VAs and mutual funds, which are currently also included in PTE 84-24, will be subjected to the tougher Best Interest Contract (BIC) exemption in the new rule.... FIA sales skyrocketed in recent months as carriers shied away from VAs. FIAs booked record fourth quarter gains and sales of more than $53 billion last year[.]"