Moore on the Market 9/9/2026
September 9, 2026 by Sheryl J. Moore
Good morning!
Here’s the latest life/annuity product news, delivered FREE to your inbox… -sjm
ANNUITY
09/08/26: American National Insurance Company intro’d their new Smart Start Accumulator 5-Year and the Smart Start Accumulator Plus 5-Year indexed annuities. Where the original 10-year Smart Start Accumulator Plus (2025) came with a sizeable premium bonus of 21%, the bonus version of this new 5-Year product is 13% (if the client ops for a combination rider with an annual fee of 0.95%). This is now the greatest premium bonus offered on a five-year indexed annuity, by a good 300 bps. The icing on the cake? The client receives the benefit of a guaranteed floor that is greater than 0%, should the indexed interest fall short. Asset allocation models are an option on these products, like their older brethren. Other than the surrender charge duration, bonuses and rates- the new products look like doppelgangers of the 2025 versions of Smart Start Accumulator. But the compensation that is equal to the surrender charge term is going to get more eyes on this product. It looks like Brookfield has quickly learned what features drive indexed annuity sales…it will be interesting to see what their persistency is like in years six plus, when the premium bonus is fully vested.
Oh, and American National also took the opportunity yesterday to rename their “Rate Certainty Annuity” series to the “American National Rate Constant Annuity [5-, 7-, 10- and 20-year].” Yeah, kind of ironic that a name of “Rate Certainty” on an indexed annuity didn’t last but two years…
09/07/26: Security Benefit Life Insurance Company increased the premium bonus on their Strategic Growth Plus indexed annuity by 1%.
09/02/26: American Equity Investment Life increased their premium bonus on the AssetShield BONUS 9 and AssetShield BONUS 10 indexed annuities by 1%.
09/01/26: Athene Annuity and Life Company rolled-out a commission bonus program for all indexed annuities sold in the independent agent distribution channel.
Want all the specifics? Hit up Wink’s AnnuitySpecs tool NOW.
LIFE INSURANCE
Life insurance launches and product changes are not nearly as frequent as for those on the annuity side. Hit us up next week…we may have something to report on then. Or, we might not!
Want all the specifics? Hit up Wink’s LifeSpecs tool NOW.
