The salesperson that sold the annuity that I saw told the buyer that the annual return was a minimum of 6%, and that the same 6% could be distributed yearly without surrender charges.

It appears you and Dave are talking about two entirely different products.

Dave mentioned fixed annuities that payout "interest" very much like a CD would. The current interest rate is guaranteed for a fixed period of time (often for the duration of the surrender charge period). They also have a minimum interest rate that might be anywhere from 1% to 3% (for example). It was not uncommon for many fixed annuities to pay 4% in the past few years. It is fairly uncommon now. Fixed annuities have no market risk.

What you are talking about appears to be either a variable annuity with a rider that guarantees either income or withdrawals or a fixed index annuity with a similar rider. These two products could not be more different. About the only thing they have in common is tax deferral.