Is Athene Annuity And Life Company A Good Annuity Company?

Is Athene Annuity A Good Company?

Athene Annuity is one of the leading annuity companies in the United States. The company offers a variety of annuity products, including fixed annuities, variable annuities, and income annuities.

Athene’s financial ratings are strong. The company is rated A+ by A.M. Best, A+ by Fitch, A+ by Standard & Poors, and A1 with Moody’s.

In addition, Athene Annuity offers several different riders that can provide additional protection for your investment. Overall, Athene Annuity is a solid choice for anyone looking for a reliable and reputable annuity company.

Let us do the heavy lifting, comparing Athene’s top-tier products against the market to ensure you save time and money.

Our Professional Opinion on Athene Annuities

Athene is a great insurance company, and it offers several annuities we like for accumulation and guaranteed lifetime income. That said, a great company does not make every annuity it sells a great choice. Some Athene products stand out; others have features we would avoid.

Athene Annuity and Life Company has an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating from AM Best. That is a great rating and comfortably above our A− minimum for recommending an insurer.

For accumulation, we like that some Athene annuities offer a premium bonus, access to traditional indexes, or crediting terms guaranteed for the surrender period. A bonus can give your account a head start, but it does not automatically make an annuity a winner. You still need to compare the growth potential, withdrawal provisions, and any bonus recapture charges.

For lifetime income, we like options that guarantee growth in the income base while you wait to start withdrawals. We are less enthusiastic about income riders where your future paycheck depends on how much interest the annuity earns. If you are locking up money today for income years from now, we would rather know what that income will be.

We also wish more Athene indexed annuities relied on straightforward indexes and locked their crediting terms for the entire surrender period. With some contracts, Athene can lower caps or participation rates at renewal. An attractive offer today can become much less attractive while your money is still subject to surrender charges.

What We Like

• Great financial strength: Athene’s A+ rating gives us confidence in the insurer’s ability to support its guarantees.
• Accumulation options: Some products offer bonuses, traditional index choices, and guaranteed crediting terms that make them worth comparing.
• Guaranteed lifetime income: Some income riders guarantee growth in the income base before withdrawals begin.
• A range of choices: Athene offers fixed, indexed, and immediate annuities for different retirement goals.

What We Don’t Like

• Some income riders depend on performance: If interest credits disappoint, the future income may disappoint too.
• Crediting rates can change: Some indexed annuities allow Athene to reduce caps or participation rates at renewal.
• Some indexes are unnecessarily complicated: A high participation rate on an engineered index does not necessarily mean better growth.
• Access can be restrictive: Surrender charges, limited withdrawals, and possible bonus recapture can make getting out early expensive.
• Financial strength alone is not enough: We would not accept a significantly less competitive fixed rate or lifetime payout just because the annuity comes from Athene.

Explore our individual Athene annuity reviews using the links below to see which products we like, which ones we do not, and why.

Who is Athene Annuity And Life Company?

Athene Annuity and Life Company provides only annuity products. Founded in 2009, the company is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. The company offers both fixed annuities and variable annuities, as well as life insurance products. In addition, Athene also provides product support and services to financial advisors and intermediaries.

The company has over $100 billion in assets under management as of 2021. Athene is a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, a leading alternative asset manager with approximately $500 billion in assets under management as of March 2022.

How Does Athene Annuity Work?

Athene’s annuities can be used for various purposes, including retirement income, tax-deferred saving, and estate planning. The products are sold through a network of independent financial advisors (like The Annuity Expert).

Athene’s Fixed Indexed Annuities offer tax-deferred growth potential linked to one or more underlying indexes while providing downside protection from market declines. Additionally, have competitive lifetime income options.

Athene’s Fixed Annuities provide guaranteed growth based on a predetermined interest rate (like a CD rate) with protection from stock market loss and the opportunity to provide a guaranteed income stream in retirement (optional).

Is Athene Annuity and Life Company FDIC Insured?

Athene Annuity and Life Assurance Company is not a bank and is not FDIC insured. However, Athene’s Fixed Annuities are backed by the claims-paying ability of Athene Annuity and Life Company.

Should You Be Concerned About Lawsuits or Complaints?

Athene has received complaints like many large insurers, but most are related to misunderstandings of surrender charges or bonus vesting. These issues are common across the industry and can be avoided by working with a knowledgeable annuity broker who explains the fine print.

What Are The Pros Of Athene Annuity and Life Company?

• Athene is a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, one of the world’s leading alternative asset managers.
• Athene has over $100 billion in assets under management as of 2021.
• Athene Annuity Ratings:
  • A by A.M. Best
  • A+ by Fitch
  • A+ by Standard & Poors
• Athene offers a variety of annuity products that offer:
  • Guaranteed interest rates
  • Growth potential with protection from stock market downturns
  • Guaranteed income for life and inflation help (some products)
  • Premium Bonuses
  • Enhanced death benefits

What Are The Cons of Athene Annuity and Life Company?

• Athene’s annuity products have fees and surrender charges
• Some contracts are longer than others
• The application processing time is horrendously slow, taking upwards of a month to issue new business.
• Athene is not a bank and is not FDIC insured.
• Athene uses complex and new indexes for their fixed indexed annuities.
• They do not offer variable annuities. However, they do offer RILA annuities.

In the News

• • https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/athene-tops-annual-annuity-sales-third-consecutive-year-2026-03-24

What We Like About Athene Annuities

• Athene Annuity offers products that provide extra liquidity, return of premium, and accumulating penalty-free withdrawals.
• Athene Annuity offers products that can help offset losses in your portfolio and give you premium bonuses of up to 20%.
• Athene Annuity offers products that can provide lifetime income and enhanced death benefits. The lifetime income riders can provide an increasing income stream, which can help keep pace with inflation. The enhanced death benefits can provide additional protection for loved ones.
• Athene Annuity offers products designed to provide growth potential through the performance of an index (Nasdaq FC, S&P 500) while offering some downside protection. 

These products help protect your investment portfolio from market volatility and provide peace of mind.

What Types of Products Does Athene Offer?

Athene specializes in retirement-oriented annuity products. Their offerings include:

• Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs): These annuities credit interest based on stock market index performance (like the S&P 500) with downside protection. FIAs often include income riders or allow optional add-ons for guaranteed lifetime income.
• Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuities (MYGAs): Also known as fixed annuities, these products offer guaranteed interest rates for a set period, typically 3 to 10 years.
• Single Premium Immediate Annuities (SPIAs): Provide guaranteed income that starts right away and lasts for a set period or life.
• Registered Index-Linked Annuities (RILAs): Offer higher growth potential with partial downside risk, appealing to investors comfortable with some market exposure.
• Pension Risk Transfer Solutions: Athene is also involved in taking over pension liabilities from corporations, promising retirees the same monthly pension benefits, but backed by Athene instead of the employer.

These annuities can be funded through rollovers from IRAs, 401(k)s, Roth IRAs, and other qualified or non-qualified funds. MYGAs and FIAs are often purchased with after-tax savings or qualified plan rollovers.

Athene Product Reviews:

• Athene AccuMax
• Athene Accumulator
• Athene Activate Single Premium Immediate Annuity (SPIA)
• Athene Agility Annuity
• Athene Ascent Pro 10
• Athene Aviator 10 Annuity
• Athene Max Rate Fixed Annuity
• Athene Performance Elite Annuity Series

Who Should Consider Athene?

• You May Want Athene If:
  • You want strong lifetime income guarantees and are comfortable with a private equity-backed company managing your savings.
  • You’re looking for a fixed indexed annuity with high participation rates and a variety of index crediting strategies.
  • You’re working with a financial advisor who can help you compare Athene’s products with competitors and evaluate long-term suitability.
• You May Not Want Athene If:
  • You prioritize consistent, high-quality customer service over product returns.
  • You’re concerned about how private equity firms manage annuity reserves and future solvency under stress.
  • You want a company with a longer history and a mutual ownership structure.

Compare with Annuities That Offer GLWBs

In many cases, you can get a higher payout with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit (GLWB) annuity than a period-certain payout, especially in your late 50s to early 70s. A GLWB provides income for life—even if your account value hits zero—offering more bang for your buck if longevity is a concern.

Compare Athene MYGAs With Other Companies

Why Comparing Interest Rates and Income Payouts Matters

Whether you’re buying a MYGA for accumulation or a fixed indexed annuity for income, the rates and payout factors can vary significantly across insurers. Athene often offers some of the highest rates and payout percentages—but they’re not always the best fit for everyone.

Evaluating the most current Athene annuity rates ensures you’re not leaving growth potential on the table. Comparing income payouts ensures that the money you rely on in retirement lasts your lifetime. A higher payout from a GLWB (Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit) can translate into tens or hundreds of thousands more in retirement income.

If you own a discontinued Athene product like the MaxRate series, let us compare it with newer products. We’ll help you find out if you could be earning more interest or receiving more income. It’s your money, so make sure it’s working as hard as it should.

You should also compare:

• Index options and crediting methods (especially caps and participation rates).
• GLWB rider fees, rollup rates, and income percentages.
• Liquidity features and how death benefits are paid (lump sum vs. spousal continuance).
• Surrender charges and how the contract behaves after the surrender period ends

Final Verdict: Is Athene a Good Annuity Company?

Yes, Athene is a reputable and fast-growing annuity company. Their strong financial ratings, competitive rates, and powerful income features make them a solid choice for many retirement savers. However, their contracts can be complex, so expert guidance is essential.

Final Thoughts

If you’re considering an annuity for your retirement income needs, we recommend that you contact us to see if Athene is the right fit for you. Athene is a reputable company with strong financial ratings. However, there are other annuity companies, so be sure to compare options before making a decision. We can help you find the best annuity for your unique situation and provide quotes from multiple providers. So contact our brokers to help you get started!

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