Athene Agility 10 Review (September 2026): The 55% Bonus, Current Rates and the No-Fee Income Rider
Written & reviewed by Hans Goldstein, EA, independent licensed insurance producer · CA license 4273294 · NPN 20602398Admitted to practice before the IRS
Rates verified on Athene's product guide effective 08/28/2026 · Updated
Athene Agility 10 is a 10-year fixed indexed annuity with a built-in, no-fee income rider. Per Athene's product guide effective August 28, 2026, the rider's benefit base starts with a 55% bonus and grows by 200% of credited interest; the cash value itself gets no bonus. Accumulation rates are modest: 3.05% fixed (3.00% in CA) and a 5.50% S&P 500 1-year cap. Lifetime income can start after the 10-year surrender period, at age 50 or older.
Contract minimums (checked October 4, 2026): guaranteed minimum cap 0.50% on the S&P 500 1-year and 2-year cap strategies; minimum participation rate 10% on the uncapped strategies (100% on the S&P 500 cap strategies); maximum spread: not publicly disclosed; bailout cap rate 0.50% on the S&P 500 1-year cap, the same as the cap floor, so it cannot be triggered. Sources: Athene allocation form 22587 (Rev. 03/24) and the Athene Agility 10 product guide (checked October 4, 2026). These contractual minimums are backed by the claims-paying ability of Athene Annuity and Life Company. To see how this floor compares with other fixed indexed annuities, read guaranteed minimum caps across FIAs (October 2026).
What the Agility 10 is
A 10-year fixed indexed annuity from Athene Annuity and Life Company built for future income. It includes an Income and Death Benefit Rider at no additional charge. Your principal is not exposed to index losses (0% floor), and index gains, when credited, are locked in.
Correction: an earlier version of this page described a "7%+ roll-up" and said Agility 10 had no bonus. Athene's current product guide shows neither: the rider has a 55% benefit-base bonus and grows by 200% of credited interest, not a fixed roll-up.
CD vs MYGA, after tax
What $100,000 earns in 5 years: CD vs MYGA, after tax
Rates used: CD 5.00%, the top nationally available 5-year CD (Bankrate, October 14, 2026); change it to the rate you are offered. MYGA 5.95%, the best A-rated rate we track as of October 13, 2026: Delaware Life Pinnacle Plus 5-year (AM Best A-, negative outlook, 7/31/2026), $100,000 and up, effective October 6, 2026 (Delaware Life rate sheet).
| CD, interest taxed every year | $121,081 |
|---|---|
| MYGA, tax-deferred, before tax | $133,507 |
| MYGA after paying tax on all the interest at withdrawal | $126,136 |
| Tax deferral alone adds about | $674 |
| MYGA ahead of the CD, after tax | $5,055 |
Assumes 22% federal and 0% state income tax, no withdrawals, rates held for the whole term. MYGA interest is taxed as ordinary income when you withdraw it, not as capital gains. Gains taken before age 59 1/2 can owe a 10% IRS penalty, and cashing out early can cost a surrender charge. In an IRA both grow tax-deferred, so the edge there is the rate alone. Bank and credit union deposits are FDIC or NCUA insured up to the limits; a MYGA is backed by the issuing insurer's claims-paying ability and your state's guaranty association up to its limits, not the FDIC. General education, not tax, legal or financial advice.
Current crediting rates (effective August 28, 2026)
| Strategy | Rate |
|---|---|
| 1-Year Fixed Strategy | 3.05% (CA 3.00%) |
| S&P 500 1-year point-to-point, cap | 5.50% (bailout cap 0.50%) |
| S&P 500 2-year point-to-point, cap | 11.25% |
| BNP Paribas Multi Asset Diversified 5, participation (1-yr / 2-yr, no cap) | 135% / 190% |
| AI Powered US Equity (AIPEX), participation (1-yr / 2-yr) | 105% / 140% |
| AI Powered Global Opportunities (AIGO), participation (1-yr / 2-yr) | 98% / 135% |
| UBS Innovative Balanced, participation (1-yr / 2-yr) | 98% / 135% |
| Nasdaq FC, participation (1-yr / 2-yr) | 80% / 130% |
| S&P 500 FC (0.50% decrement), participation (1-yr / 2-yr) | 62% / 85% |
Get an independent read on Athene Agility 10 before you sign.
Send your email and I'll send you what this product actually guarantees, what the surrender schedule really costs you, and the two or three carriers paying more for the same guarantee. If it's already a good fit, I'll tell you that.
We’ll email it to you. Hans reads every one himself and replies within one business day. Hans Goldstein · NPN 20602398.
Rather talk it through? Or book 15 minutes on Hans’s calendar.
The income rider, in plain terms
| Feature | Agility 10 |
|---|---|
| Rider charge | None (included) |
| Starting benefit base | Premium + 55% bonus |
| Benefit base growth | 200% of the dollar interest credited to accumulated value, before and after income starts |
| Earliest lifetime income | After the 10-year withdrawal charge period, and age 50+ |
| Income type | Earnings-indexed: payments can rise when interest is credited and do not fall |
| Enhanced Income Benefit | Lifetime withdrawal doubles if confined to a qualified care facility 180 of the last 250 days (not in CA or MA) |
| Rider death benefit | Benefit base paid in installments, currently over 5 years (never more than 10); not a lump sum |
Hypothetical, not a quote: $200,000 premium starts a $310,000 benefit base. If the contract credits $8,000 of interest in a year, the benefit base rises $16,000. Your cash (accumulated value) is still $208,000. The lifetime withdrawal percentage comes from Athene's payout-factor sheet at your age when income starts.
Contract basics
- Issue ages 40-80. Single premium: $10,000 minimum ($5,000 in some states), $1,000,000 maximum without approval.
- Withdrawal charges: 9, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1% (CA: 9, 8, 6.9, 5.8, 4.7, 3.6, 2.4, 1.3, 0.1, 0%), plus a market value adjustment on excess withdrawals.
- Free withdrawals: greater of 10% of accumulated value or 10% of initial premium each year. RMDs are not hit with withdrawal charges.
- Terminal illness and confinement waivers after year one (confinement waiver not in CA or MA; terminal illness waiver not in CA).
Who it fits, who should look elsewhere
Fits: 50-70 year-olds who want lifetime income to start about 10 years out and will actually turn it on. Look elsewhere: if you want growth or a known rate (a 5-year MYGA locks a rate with no rider to decode; For comparison, A-rated-or-better insurers were paying about 5.50% to 6.05% on 5-year MYGAs and the best nationally available 5-year CDs about 4.70% to 5.00% APY (MYGAs: public carrier rate sheets, October 14, 2026; CDs: Bankrate and Popular Direct, October 18, 2026).), if you need income within a few years (an immediate annuity starts now), or if you might need the money inside 10 years.
Current MYGA rates · Annuity vs CD · Best 5-year MYGA rates
Frequently asked questions
Does the Athene Agility 10 have a bonus?
Yes, but on the rider's benefit base, not on your cash. Athene's product guide (rates effective 08/28/2026) shows a 55% Benefit Base bonus. The accumulated value, which is what you can walk away with, gets no bonus.
What are the Athene Agility 10 rates?
As of the 08/28/2026 product guide: 1-year fixed 3.05% (3.00% in California), S&P 500 1-year point-to-point cap 5.50%, S&P 500 2-year point-to-point cap 11.25%, and uncapped participation rates such as 135% (1-year) and 190% (2-year) on the BNP Paribas Multi Asset Diversified 5 Index.
How much does the Athene Agility income rider cost?
Nothing separately. Athene includes the Income and Death Benefit Rider at no additional charge. The cost shows up as lower crediting rates than Athene's accumulation products, for example a 5.50% S&P 500 cap on Agility 10 versus 9.75% on Performance Elite 7 (no strategy charge).
When can I start lifetime income on Agility 10?
After the 10-year withdrawal charge period ends and once you are at least 50. Until then the benefit base can grow by 200% of the interest credited to your accumulated value.
What is the Agility 10 surrender schedule?
9%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, then 0% from year 11. California uses 9%, 8%, 6.9%, 5.8%, 4.7%, 3.6%, 2.4%, 1.3%, 0.1%, 0%. A market value adjustment also applies to withdrawals above the free amount.
How much can I withdraw free each year?
Up to the greater of 10% of accumulated value or 10% of initial premium per year. Withdrawals reduce the benefit base in proportion to the drop in accumulated value.
Is there an Athene Agility 7?
Yes. Athene publishes separate rate sheets for Agility 7 and Agility 10. This page covers the 10-year version.
Hans Goldstein is an independent licensed insurance producer (CA license 4273294, NPN 20602398). Not affiliated with Athene. Rates are copied from the carrier documents named, with their effective dates; they change often and vary by state and premium. Confirm current rates and read the contract and disclosure before buying. Examples labelled hypothetical are illustrations, not quotes.
Quoted the Agility 10? Get an independent read
Talk to Hans Goldstein, a licensed independent insurance producer.
Send the quote. You get the surrender value by year, the income it produces at your start age, and what a MYGA or immediate annuity pays on the same dollars.
Send your details. Within one business day you get a written side-by-side sized to your dollar amount, and a free 15-minute call if you want one.
Rather talk it through? Or book 15 minutes on Hans’s calendar, or call 213-414-2808.
Hans Goldstein · 213-414-2808 · NPN 20602398, independent licensed insurance producer appointed with multiple A-rated carriers
We’ll email it to you. Hans replies within one business day. Privacy Policy.
Disclosure
This review is based on the carrier's public product materials and rates as of the date shown above. Annuity rates, caps, participation rates, payout factors, crediting methods, and long-term care benefit structures change often, sometimes monthly. Confirm current figures in the latest carrier disclosure and the contract before you buy. This is general education, not a personal recommendation or an offer of any product. Hans Goldstein is an independent licensed insurance producer (CA license 4273294, NPN 20602398) appointed with several A-rated carriers. His appointment with the carrier reviewed here may vary, and this review is not an endorsement. No carrier paid for this review. Always read the actual contract and consult a licensed advisor before purchasing any annuity or long-term care insurance product. Past index performance does not predict future credited interest. Annuities and hybrid life+LTC policies are long-term contracts with surrender charges; they are not suitable for funds you may need before the end of the surrender period. AM Best ratings and tax treatment are subject to change. Tax discussion of IRC §7702B, §1035, and the Pension Protection Act of 2006 reflects law as of 2026 and is subject to change.