What Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company does

Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company is a U.S. retirement services insurer founded in 2009 and headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Athene Holding Ltd., itself owned by Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO) since Apollo's 2021 acquisition. The company issues a full suite of annuity products — Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs), Registered Index-Linked Annuities (RILAs), Fixed Annuities, Immediate Annuities, and Structured Settlement Annuities — distributed through licensed financial professionals and supported by a producer portal with sales toolkits and current rates. Operating entities include Athene Annuity and Life Company (Iowa), Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company of New York, Bermuda-domiciled reinsurance subsidiaries Athene Life Re Ltd. and Athene Annuity Re Ltd., and Athene Securities, LLC.

The business earns revenue primarily through annuity premiums collected from individual policyholders in exchange for guaranteed income, tax-deferred growth, and downside protection features, plus reinsurance premiums generated by its Bermuda platform serving other insurers and pension funds via pension risk transfer / pension group annuity transactions. Underwriting and asset-liability management are powered by Apollo's institutional investment management capabilities, which Athene leverages to back long-duration liabilities with proprietary credit and yield assets. Athene also operates a Japan channel (athenejapan.co.jp) for the Japanese retirement market.

The company carries top-tier financial strength ratings from all four major agencies — AM Best A+ (2nd of 16), S&P A+ (5th of 21), Fitch A+ (5th of 19), and Moody's A1 (5th of 21), all as of mid-2025 — providing policyholder confidence and institutional credibility. Go-to-market is sales-led through financial professionals, with institutional channels handling reinsurance and pension group annuity contracts; pricing is quote-based on individual circumstances rather than publicly disclosed.

Name

Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company

Legal name

Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company

Website

https://atheneannuity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company, founded in 2009 and headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, is a leading U.S. retirement services insurer and Apollo Global Management subsidiary that issues fixed, indexed, and registered index-linked annuities to individual retirees and provides reinsurance and pension group annuities to institutions, supported by Bermuda and Japan operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Annuities

NAICS

Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411), Insurance Carriers (5241)

SIC

Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Fixed Annuities (FSAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Registered Index-Linked Annuities (RILA) (FSAIACAD), Group Annuities (Employer/Institutional) (FSAIACAI), Annuity Reinsurance (Immediate, Deferred, VA/GMxB) (FSAOAAAF), Non-Qualified Annuities (After-Tax) (FSAIACAH), Qualified Annuities (Retirement Plan/IRA) (FSAIACAG)

Keywords

• Retirement annuities
• Fixed indexed annuities
• Registered index-linked annuities
• Pension risk transfer
• Annuity reinsurance

Headquarters

HQ city

West Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annuity Premiums: Athene collects premiums from individuals purchasing annuity products including Fixed Indexed Annuities, Registered Index-Linked Annuities, Fixed Annuities, and Immediate Annuities. Policyholders make premium payments in exchange for guaranteed income benefits and accumulated cash value.
2. Reinsurance Premiums: Athene generates reinsurance premiums through its Bermuda-based subsidiaries (Athene Life Re Ltd. and Athene Annuity Re Ltd.) providing reinsurance to other insurance companies for pension group annuities and life insurance risks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Athene issues and distributes a suite of fixed and indexed annuity products (Fixed Indexed Annuities, Registered Index-Linked Annuities, Fixed Annuities, Immediate Annuities, and Structured Settlement Annuities) to individuals through licensed financial professionals. For institutions, the company provides reinsurance and Pension Group Annuity solutions for pension risk transfer through its Bermuda-based subsidiaries (Athene Life Re Ltd. and Athene Annuity Re Ltd.). All products are designed to grow retirement savings, protect against market downturns, and create guaranteed lifetime income.

Product overview

Athene is a leading retirement services company offering a portfolio of annuity products designed to help individuals and institutions build retirement security. The product lineup includes Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs), Registered Index-Linked Annuities (RILAs), Fixed Annuities, Immediate Annuities, and Structured Settlement Annuities for individual retirement planning. For institutional clients, Athene provides reinsurance and Pension Group Annuities (PGA) for pension risk transfer. All products are designed to grow savings, protect against market downturns, and create guaranteed income streams for retirement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs) Annuities that offer growth potential linked to the performance of a market index while providing protection against market downturns through floor rates. Designed for individuals seeking market-linked upside with downside protection.
• Registered Index-Linked Annuities (RILAs) Securities-based annuities that link returns to market indices while offering downside protection through buffer or floor mechanisms. Marketed for individuals seeking equity-market-linked growth with managed downside risk.
• Fixed Annuities Annuities that provide a guaranteed fixed interest rate and predictable growth for retirement savings. Designed for individuals prioritizing stable, guaranteed accumulation over market-linked upside.
• Immediate Annuities Annuities that begin paying guaranteed income immediately after a lump-sum premium is deposited. Used by retirees seeking an immediate, steady income stream.
• Structured Settlement Annuity Annuity designed to receive proceeds from legal settlement payments and convert them into guaranteed periodic income over time. Used by settlement recipients needing long-term income security.
• Reinsurance Institutional reinsurance and group annuity contracts related to pension risk transfer, offered to other insurance companies through Athene Life Re Ltd. and Athene Annuity Re Ltd. in Bermuda.
• Pension Group Annuities (PGA) Group annuity contracts that allow plan sponsors and companies to transfer defined-benefit pension obligations to Athene through bulk annuity purchases. Used by corporations for pension de-risking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Financial strength ratings: AM Best A+, S&P A+, Fitch A+, Moody's A1 — indicating strong ability to meet policyholder obligations

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brighthouse Financial: Brighthouse Financial is a top US annuity specialist offering fixed, indexed, and variable annuities through financial professionals. It is highly comparable to Athene in product mix, distribution model, and target retirement demographic.
• Reinsurance Group of America (RGA): RGA is a leading global life and health reinsurer, including significant pension risk transfer and life reinsurance operations. It is a direct peer to Athene's Bermuda reinsurance subsidiaries (Athene Life Re, Athene Annuity Re).
• Jackson National Life Insurance Company: Jackson National is a leading US writer of fixed, fixed-indexed, and registered index-linked annuities distributed through financial professionals. It is one of Athene's closest direct competitors in the retail FIA/RILA market.
• Corebridge Financial: Corebridge Financial (formerly AIG Life & Retirement) is one of the largest US providers of fixed, indexed, and variable annuities plus pension risk transfer solutions, making it the most direct comparison to Athene across both retail annuities and institutional reinsurance.
• Lincoln Financial Group: Lincoln Financial offers a broad annuity product line including fixed, indexed, and variable annuities plus group pensions. It competes head-to-head with Athene in the financial-professional distribution channel and in the institutional pension risk transfer market.
• Pacific Life: Pacific Life offers a full annuity product suite including fixed, indexed, and variable annuities, plus institutional pension risk transfer. It is comparable to Athene in product breadth and target market.
• Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company: Equitable (formerly AXA Equitable) is a major US provider of variable, fixed, and indexed annuities, as well as structured settlements. Its product breadth and retirement-income focus make it a direct Athene competitor in retail and institutional channels.
• Nationwide Financial: Nationwide is a leading writer of fixed and indexed annuities in the US, distributed through financial professionals, with a strong focus on retirement income. Its product mix and distribution model closely mirror Athene's.

Broad incumbents

• MetLife: MetLife is one of the largest US life insurers offering a full suite of fixed and variable annuities plus group benefits and pension de-risking solutions. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Athene in both retail annuity and institutional channels.
• Prudential Financial: Prudential is a top-tier US life insurer with a large individual annuity franchise (Pruco Life) and is a major participant in pension risk transfer. As a large incumbent with broader product offerings, it competes with Athene across both retail annuities and institutional PGAs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AtheneUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AtheneUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2468375

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company