Income earned from the sale of annuities at bank holding companies rose 10.4 percent last year, from $2.57 billion in 2010 to $2.84 billion in 2011, according to the Michael White-ABIA Bank Annuity Fee Income Report. However, sales clearly slowed in the second half of 2011 and particularly in the last quarter. Fourth-quarter BHC annuity commissions reached their lowest point since the fourth quarter of 2007. They were $579.7 million, down 25.8 percent from the record-setting $781.4 million in the second quarter of 2011, and down 20.5 percent from $729.5 million earned in the fourth quarter of 2010.