North American® and Annexus launch new Index with Deutsche Bank and ICE Data Indices for the Secure Horizon Fixed Index Annuity suite
December 23, 2025 by Annexus
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — North American Company for Life and Health Insurance® (North American), a member company of Sammons® Financial Group and one of the largest issuers of fixed index annuities (FIAs) in the U.S.,1 and Annexus, a leading independent insurance retirement product design company, announce the addition of the NYSE® GEARS Index to the North American Secure HorizonSM FIA suite.
The NYSE® GEARS Index (the “Index”) is a growth-oriented index designed to identify the current global equity market environment and reallocate to capture equity performance through changing market conditions while using a proprietary risk management process to reduce volatility.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with North American, Annexus, and ICE Data Indices to bring the NYSE® GEARS Index to the North American Secure Horizon suite of FIAs,” said Anil Atluri, Head of the Institutional Client Group Americas at Deutsche Bank.
The Index has been designed by Deutsche Bank AG – a pioneer in the Equity Risk Premia space, having been active in equity research since the early 2000s. It is administered, calculated and maintained by ICE Data Indices, LLC (IDI), an affiliate of the New York Stock Exchange within Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE).
“We’re excited for the opportunity to bring additional customization and flexibility to our agents and their clients,” said Rob TeKolste, President of Sammons Independent Annuity Group. “This new Index, when paired with a Secure Horizon product, can help offer customers greater growth potential in an increasingly volatile market.”
Tom Haines, EVP of Capital Markets and Index Solutions at Annexus, added, “The addition of this Index enhances the diversification opportunities for agents and their clients with North American Secure Horizon FIAs. The Index is growth focused and has low correlation to the other indices in the portfolio, making it a complement to the other indices in the portfolio.”
“We are excited to expand our relationship with Annexus with the inclusion of the NYSE® GEARS Index in the Secure Horizon FIA suite and enter into a new collaboration with Deutsche Bank and North American,” said Preston Peacock, Head of ICE Data Indices. “The NYSE® GEARS Index leverages the breadth of services we offer at ICE Data Indices across index construction, calculation and administration.”
More information on the NYSE GEARS Index can be found at https://www.nyse.com/nygears.
About Intercontinental Exchange
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds, and operates digital networks that connect people to opportunity. We provide financial technology and data services across major asset classes helping our customers access mission-critical workflow tools that increase transparency and efficiency. ICE’s futures, equity, and options exchanges — including the New York Stock Exchange — and clearing houses help people invest, raise capital and manage risk. We offer some of the world’s largest markets to trade and clear energy and environmental products. Our fixed income, data services and execution capabilities provide information, analytics and platforms that help our customers streamline processes and capitalize on opportunities. At ICE Mortgage Technology, we are transforming U.S. housing finance, from initial consumer engagement through loan production, closing, registration and the long-term servicing relationship. Together, ICE transforms, streamlines, and automates industries to connect our customers to opportunity.
Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located here. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading “Key Information Documents (KIDS).”
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 — Statements in this press release regarding ICE’s business that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC on February 6, 2025.
About Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank provides retail and private banking, corporate and transaction banking, lending, asset and wealth management products and services as well as focused investment banking to private individuals, small and medium-sized companies, corporations, governments and institutional investors. Deutsche Bank is the leading bank in Germany with strong European roots and a global network.
1LIMRA/Secure Retirement Institute
ICE Data Indices, LLC (“ICE Data”) is the administrator of the NYSE® GEARS Index (“Index”). “NYSE®” is a registered mark of ICE Data or its affiliates which has been licensed, along with the Index for use by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance® (the “Company”) in connection with fixed indexed annuity products (the “Product”). Deutsche Bank AG or its affiliates (collectively, “DB Group”) have provided certain intellectual property for use in the construction of the Index. “Deutsche Bank” and “Deutsche Bank AG”, “Deutsche Bank Global Markets”, “DB Investment Solutions” and “Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch” and The “Deutsche Bank Global Equity Smart Beta IndexTM” and “Deutsche Bank DBIQ Global Sentiment Indicator II IndexTM” and the “Deutsche Bank Equity Alpha Basket IndexTM” are service marks of DB Group; and have been licensed to ICE Data, which has sublicensed their use for certain purposes to the Company. Neither the Company, nor the Product are sponsored, issued, endorsed, sold, recommended, or promoted by ICE Data, its affiliates or its third party suppliers, including each of Deutsche Bank AG, DB Group and its third party suppliers (“ICE Data and its Suppliers”). ICE Data and its Suppliers make no representations or warranties, including regarding the advisability of investing in any asset generally, in the Product particularly, or the ability of the Index to track general market performance.
ICE DATA AND ITS SUPPLIERS DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESS AND/OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE, INCLUDING THE INDICES, INDEX DATA, INPUT DATA, AND ANY INFORMATION INCLUDED IN, RELATED TO, OR DERIVED THEREFROM (“INDEX DATA”). ICE DATA AND ITS SUPPLIERS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS AND SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INDICES OR THE INDEX DATA, WHICH ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS AND YOUR USE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ICE DATA AND ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE ANY LIABILITY (WHETHER IN NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES OR LOSSES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) IN CONNECTION WITH THE INDEX OR THE PRODUCT, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF.
The North American Secure HorizonSM, Secure HorizonSM Plus, Secure HorizonSM Choice and Secure HorizonSM Accelerator are issued on form NA1015A/ICC21-NA1015A (Contract), AE651A/ICC21-AE651A (Secure Horizon/Secure Horizon Accelerator only), AE652A/ICC21-AE652A, AE653A/ICC21-AE653A (Secure Horizon/Secure Horizon Accelerator only), AE654A/ICC21-AE654A, AE655A/ICC21-AE655A, AE682A/ICC23-AE682A (Secure Horizon Accelerator only), AE642A/ICC20-AE642A, AE638A/ICC21-AE638A, AE639A/ICC21-AE639A, AE656A (Secure Horizon Plus only), AE658A (Secure Horizon Plus only), AE659A (Secure Horizon Plus only), AE660A04 (Secure Horizon Plus only), (riders/endorsements) or appropriate state variation. These products, features, and riders may not be available in all states.
Fixed index annuities are not a direct investment in the stock market. They are long-term insurance products with guarantees backed by the issuing company. They provide the potential for interest to be credited based in part on the performance of specific indices, without the risk of loss of premium due to market downturns or fluctuation. Although fixed index annuities guarantee no loss of premium due to market downturns, deductions from the accumulation value for optional benefit riders or strategy fees or charges associated with allocations to enhanced crediting methods could exceed interest credited to the accumulation value, which would result in loss of premium. They may not be appropriate for all clients. Interest credits to a fixed index annuity will not mirror the actual performance of the relevant index.
Sammons Financial® is the marketing name for Sammons® Financial Group, Inc.’s member companies, including North American Company for Life and Health Insurance®. Annuities and life insurance are issued by, and product guarantees are solely the responsibility of, North American Company for Life and Health Insurance®.
MEDIA CONTACT: creative@annexus.com
