Goldstein Scorecard: per-company criteria table (dated October 4, 2026). See how it is graded.
Annuity Companies Compared (2026): Ratings, Products, Who Fits
Written & reviewed by Hans Goldstein, EA, Independent Licensed Insurance Producer · CA license 4273294 · NPN 20602398Admitted to practice before the IRS
Facts verified against AM Best press releases and carrier ratings pages on October 4, 2026 · Updated
No single annuity company is best for every buyer. This page compares 14 insurers whose AM Best Financial Strength Rating was A or better on the dated source we checked on October 4, 2026. New York Life (affirmed July 23, 2026) and MassMutual (October 23, 2025) are rated A++ (Superior); Athene, Allianz Life, Nationwide, Pacific Life, Prudential and others are A+ (Superior); Lincoln, F&G and American National are A (Excellent). Pick the product first, then check the issuing company.
"Which annuity company is best?" has no honest one-line answer, because carriers differ by product. A company with a strong rating can pay a lower MYGA rate than a smaller one, and the company with the highest immediate-annuity payout may not have a competitive fixed indexed annuity. So this page does something narrower and checkable: it lists insurers, the rating AM Best published for them, the date of that source, and links to the product reviews on this site.
Already holding a quote from one of these carriers? Before you sign, get a free, independent second opinion on the contract, the renewal terms and the surrender schedule.
Correction: an earlier version of this page listed Lincoln Financial as A+ with AM Best. AM Best's press release of March 13, 2026 affirmed The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company at A (Excellent). The earlier version also carried June 2026 "snapshot" rate leaders, Weiss, COMDEX, KBRA, J.D. Power and "customer service" grades that we could not verify at a primary source today; those were removed.
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.
How this list was built
- Included: insurers covered by an existing annuity review on this site whose AM Best Financial Strength Rating (FSR) was A or better on an AM Best press release or the carrier's own ratings page, read on October 4, 2026.
- Left out: carriers we could not verify today at a primary source, carriers below A, and carriers whose ratings were under review on the latest source we could read. Leaving a carrier out is not a judgment about it; it means we could not confirm a current rating from a primary source on this date.
- Order: grouped by AM Best FSR (A++, then A+, then A). Order within a group is not meaningful, and the list is not a ranking of products or rates.
- Not used: rates. No current rate is shown here because rates are product-specific and change often; each linked review carries its own dated rate table.
AM Best ratings, verified October 4, 2026
| Insurer | AM Best FSR | Source, date | Rated companies named in the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Life | A++ (Superior) | AM Best press release, July 23, 2026 | New York Life Insurance Company; New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation (NYLIAC) |
| MassMutual | A++ (Superior) | AM Best press release, October 23, 2025 | Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company; C.M. Life Insurance Company; MML Bay State Life Insurance Company |
| Athene | A+ (Superior) | AM Best press release, August 27, 2026 | Members of Athene Group (U.S. operating companies and affiliated Bermuda reinsurers) |
| Allianz Life | A+ (Superior) | AM Best press release (Allianz SE and rated subsidiaries), March 27, 2026 | Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America; Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York |
| Nationwide | A+ (Superior) | AM Best press release, November 7, 2025 | Nationwide Life Insurance Company; Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company; Jefferson National Life Insurance Company |
| Pacific Life | A+ (Superior) | AM Best press release, December 11, 2025 | Pacific Life Insurance Company; Pacific Life & Annuity Company |
| Prudential | A+ (Superior) | AM Best press release, May 8, 2026 | Life/health insurance subsidiaries of Prudential Financial, Inc. |
| Penn Mutual | A+ (Superior) | Penn Mutual ratings page, affirmed April 2026, page checked October 4, 2026 | The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company and subsidiaries (per AM Best release of March 14, 2024) |
| Securian Financial | A+ (Superior) | AM Best press release, December 4, 2025 | Minnesota Life Insurance Company; Securian Life Insurance Company |
| Sammons Financial (North American, Midland National) | A+ (Superior) | AM Best press release, September 3, 2026 | North American Company for Life and Health Insurance; Midland National Life Insurance Company |
| Mutual of Omaha | A+ (Superior) | AM Best press release, April 2, 2026 | Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company; United of Omaha Life Insurance Company; Companion Life Insurance Company; United World Life Insurance Company |
| Lincoln Financial | A (Excellent) | AM Best press release, March 13, 2026 | The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company; Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York |
| F&G Annuities & Life | A (Excellent) | AM Best press release, March 12, 2025; still shown on the F&G investor ratings page checked October 4, 2026 | Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company; Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York |
| American National | A (Excellent) | AM Best press release, November 21, 2025 | American National Insurance Company; American National Life Insurance Company of Texas; American National Life Insurance Company of New York |
Rating action to know about: on September 22, 2026 AM Best downgraded the FSR of Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Company and Sentinel Security Life Insurance Company (A-CAP Group) to C+ (Marginal) from B (Fair) and kept the ratings under review with negative implications (AM Best press release, September 22, 2026). If you own or were quoted one of their contracts, read the release and get a second opinion before you act.
Video: Best Annuity Companies 2026 in about 2 minutes
1 min 35 sec video. AI narration of this page, accuracy-checked against the review; the tables on this page are the current source. Education, not personal advice.
Video transcript
Let's start with the absolute safest bets, the tier S carriers. If safety is your number one priority, this is your list. We're talking about heavyweights like New York Life, boasting an AM Best rating of A++ and a perfect 100 COMDEX score. Then you've got MassMutual with an A++ and a 99 COMDEX, and Northwestern Mutual, also holding that A++ and a perfect 100 COMDEX score. But what if you're looking for a balance of safety and really competitive payouts? That brings us one step down to tier A+, which is honestly the sweet spot for most buyers. Here we find companies like Athene, with an A+ AM Best rating and a 92 COMDEX, Allianz, with an A+ and a 96 COMDEX, and Nationwide, also sitting pretty at A+ with a 93 COMDEX score. Now, you might be thinking, these ratings are set in stone for the year. Definitely not. Things can change practically overnight. For instance, the review explicitly notes that Atlantic Coast Life is not recommended. Why? Because AM Best downgraded them to C+ Marginal on September 22, 2026. It's a great reminder to always stay updated. Okay, let's drill down into the really fun stuff. The actual payouts. If you're a rate-first buyer looking for the top overall SPIA payout, EquiTrust takes the crown. They're offering $683.63 a month, and that's based strictly on that CANNEX June 2026 data. The absolute best 5-year rate is 6.25% from the Wichita National Security Five. And again, that's pulling straight from the ARW June 2026 data.
Rates expire like milk.
The best MYGA, CD and savings rates change every few weeks. Get a short email when a rate on this page changes.
We’ll email you when a rate on this page changes. Hans Goldstein · NPN 20602398.
Rather talk it through? Or book 15 minutes on Hans’s calendar.
Goldstein Scorecard (dated October 4, 2026)
For a page that compares companies, the Scorecard grades one carrier-level dimension, financial strength, mechanically from the AM Best FSR above: A++ = A+, A+ = A, A = B+. The other five dimensions (rate or cap competitiveness, contractual floor, liquidity, costs, transparency) belong to a specific product, so they are graded on each product review, not here. Overall per company: Incomplete on this page, by design.
| Insurer | AM Best FSR (source date in table above) | Financial strength grade | Product reviews (where the other dimensions are graded) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Life | A++ | A+ | Clear Income FIA · Lifetime income SPIA |
| MassMutual | A++ | A+ | Stable Voyage MYGA |
| Athene | A+ | A | Athene products hub · MaxRate MYGA |
| Allianz Life | A+ | A | Allianz products hub |
| Nationwide | A+ | A | Peak 10 FIA · Nationwide SPIA |
| Pacific Life | A+ | A | Pacific Index Foundation FIA · Pacific Life SPIA |
| Prudential | A+ | A | SurePath FIA · FlexGuard RILA |
| Penn Mutual | A+ | A | Penn Mutual SPIA |
| Securian Financial | A+ | A | Multi-Strategy FIA · Minnesota Life SPIA |
| Sammons Financial (North American, Midland National) | A+ | A | Guarantee Choice MYGA · Capstone FIA |
| Mutual of Omaha | A+ | A | Income annuity |
| Lincoln Financial | A | B+ | OptiBlend 10 · Lincoln SPIA |
| F&G Annuities & Life | A | B+ | Guarantee-Platinum MYGA · Power Accumulator FIA |
| American National | A | B+ | Smart Start Accumulator Plus |
Pros and cons of choosing by carrier rating first
Pros
- It is checkable. Every rating in the table has a dated AM Best release or carrier page behind it.
- It narrows a long market to issuers AM Best grades A (Excellent) or better.
- For long contracts (10-year surrender periods, lifetime income), the strength of the issuer matters for many years, so starting there is reasonable.
Cons
- A rating says nothing about a product's rate, cap, fees or surrender schedule. Two A+ carriers can price the same kind of product very differently.
- The brand you see is often not the rated legal entity (see the "Rated companies" column). You have to match the contract to the rating.
- Ratings are dated opinions. Several rows above rely on releases from late 2025; AM Best can affirm, upgrade, downgrade or place a rating under review at any time.
Who this list is for, and when to look elsewhere
Fits: buyers who want to start from issuer strength and then compare products from those issuers, and anyone checking whether the carrier on a quote they hold is rated A or better today.
Look elsewhere if:
- You mainly want a known rate for a set number of years. A MYGA locks a declared rate for its term. 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). Current rates: MYGA rates.
- You are comparing a specific product. Use its review, which carries a dated rate table and its own Scorecard, and run the numbers in the annuity calculator, the MYGA growth calculator or the surrender charge calculator.
- You are weighing fixed indexed annuity caps. See FIA cap rates and how annuity crediting actually works.
Questions to ask your agent
- Which legal entity issues this contract, and what is that entity's AM Best Financial Strength Rating and the date of the latest AM Best action? Is it under review?
- What is the contractual minimum rate or minimum cap in this contract? Please show it to me in writing.
- What is the full surrender schedule by year, is there a market value adjustment (MVA), and how much can I withdraw each year without a charge?
- How are you paid on this product? (Annuity agents are usually paid a commission by the insurer; it is built into the product's pricing, not deducted from your premium.) What percentage, and does a longer surrender term pay you more? See how annuity commissions work.
- What does my state's guaranty association cover for annuities, and how does my amount compare to that limit?
How to vet the carrier on your quote in 20 minutes
The table above covers 14 insurers. If the company on your quote is not one of them, or you want more than the letter, this is the check I run. All of it is free except Comdex.
| AM Best category | FSR symbols | What AM Best says it means |
|---|---|---|
| Superior | A++, A+ | A superior ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations |
| Excellent | A, A- | An excellent ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations |
| Good | B++, B+ | A good ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations |
| Fair | B, B- | Fair ability; financial strength is vulnerable to adverse changes in underwriting and economic conditions |
| Marginal | C++, C+ | Marginal ability; vulnerable to adverse changes |
| Weak / Poor | C, C- / D | Weak or poor ability; very or extremely vulnerable to adverse changes |
| Not a rating | E, F, S, NR | E = placed by court order into conservation or rehabilitation; F = placed into liquidation after a finding of insolvency; S = rating suspended; NR = not rated |
- Rating, outlook and date. Look up the issuing legal entity at ambest.com. A Negative outlook or “under review with negative implications” means wait. AM Best says an FSR applies to the insurer, not to any specific policy, and is not a predictor of default probability, so a great contract from a B-rated insurer is still a B-rated promise.
- Read the rationale, not just the letter. AM Best's analysis covers balance sheet strength, operating performance, business profile and enterprise risk management. For a privately owned or private-equity-backed insurer, read the asset risk paragraphs (see PE-owned carrier concerns).
- Cross-check the other agencies. S&P, Moody's and Fitch letters do not map one-to-one to AM Best's. Comdex is a 1-100 composite of an insurer's ratings that agents get through Ebix's VitalSigns service; it is calculated, not assigned by any agency, and not free to consumers, so ask your agent to show it. My working floor: 80 or higher inside your state's guaranty limit, 90 or higher above it.
- Risk-based capital (RBC) ratio. Reported in the insurer's statutory annual statement. Under the NAIC framework, a ratio at or above 300% needs no regulatory intervention, 200% to 300% triggers a trend test, below 200% brings action plans up to a takeover, and below 70% the regulator must take control. I look for 400% or more.
- Complaint index. Search the insurer in the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search. An index of 1.00 means the insurer's share of complaints equals its share of business; 2.00 means twice its share (Indiana Department of Insurance definition). Above 2.00, read which category drives it.
- Your guaranty limit. Check your state's annuity limit and keep each insurer's contract inside it (50-state table).
- Fixed indexed annuities only: ask for the insurer's renewal cap history on the same product series for the last five years.
What about a B++ insurer? B++ is the top of AM Best's “Good” category, one notch below A-. I only consider it for a short MYGA, fully inside your state guaranty limit, with a Stable or Positive outlook and a rationale that points to size or concentration rather than weak capital. Not above the limit, and not for lifetime income, where the insurer has to be there for 20 to 30 years.
From my desk
When a quote lands on my desk, the first thing I check is the name of the company on the application, not the logo on the brochure. AM Best rates legal entities, and a brand can sit on top of several of them: the Prudential release above rates the life/health insurance subsidiaries A+ while the holding company carries a separate, lower issuer credit rating, and the Athene release does the same. I want the rating of the company that will owe you the money.
The number buyers misread most is the letter itself. On AM Best's scale, A++ and A+ are both labelled Superior and A is labelled Excellent, so "A" is not a weak grade; it is the third rung. The more useful questions are whether the rating was affirmed recently and whether it is under review, which is why every row above carries a date.
Then I compare against a MYGA. If what you want is a known rate for five or seven years, a MYGA from an A-rated-or-better insurer states the rate for the whole term, and I can put that side by side with anything else you were shown. Current figures are on the MYGA rates page.
Do Kentucky Home Life, Wellabe or Transamerica Financial Life sell a fixed indexed annuity?
Not on their own websites as of October 4, 2026. Kentucky Home Life Insurance Company lists only life insurance (whole life, 10, 20 and 30-year level term, a juvenile policy and Senior Life I and II) and no annuity of any kind. Wellabe’s products page lists Medicare Supplement, preneed funeral, dental, hospital indemnity, critical illness, first diagnosis cancer and short-term care insurance, and no annuity. Transamerica’s annuities overview offers registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) and variable annuities, not fixed indexed annuities; its footer names Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company of Harrison, NY as the company licensed in New York.
Earlier hansgoldstein.com pages reviewed a “Kentucky Home Life FIA”, a “Wellabe Life FIA” and a “Transamerica Financial Life FIA” as if they were current products. They were not, so those pages were retired and now point here. If you were quoted one of these, ask for the issuing insurer’s legal name and the contract form number in writing, then check that insurer’s AM Best rating in the table above.
Quick FAQ
Q: Which annuity company is the best?
A: There is no single best annuity company. The right carrier depends on the product: a MYGA, a fixed indexed annuity, a RILA and an immediate annuity are priced differently by each insurer. This page lists 14 insurers whose AM Best Financial Strength Rating was A or better on a dated primary source checked October 4, 2026, so you can start from strength and then compare products.
Q: Which annuity companies have an A++ rating from AM Best?
A: Of the insurers on this page, New York Life (affirmed in an AM Best press release dated July 23, 2026) and MassMutual (affirmed October 23, 2025) carry AM Best's A++ (Superior) Financial Strength Rating.
Q: Is Lincoln Financial rated A+?
A: No. AM Best's press release of March 13, 2026 affirmed The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company and Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York at A (Excellent). An earlier version of this page said A+; that was corrected.
Q: Does the AM Best rating on the brochure cover my contract?
A: Only if it is the rating of the company that issues your contract. AM Best rates legal entities. For example, its May 8, 2026 release rates Prudential's life/health insurance subsidiaries A+, while the holding company, Prudential Financial, Inc., has a separate issuer credit rating of a-. Ask which legal entity issues your annuity and check that entity's rating.
Q: Are annuities FDIC insured?
A: No. An annuity is backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company, not by the FDIC. State guaranty associations provide limited coverage that varies by state; see our guide to FDIC versus state guaranty fund protection.
Q: Should I pick the highest-rated carrier or the highest rate?
A: Decide what you are buying first. If you want a known rate for a set term, a MYGA locks a declared rate for that term, and the A-or-better market was paying about 5.50% to 6.05% on 5-year MYGAs on October 14, 2026 (public carrier rate sheets). Then weigh rating against rate for your amount and term.
Q: Does Kentucky Home Life sell annuities?
A: Not according to its website, checked October 4, 2026: Kentucky Home Life Insurance Company lists whole life, level term, juvenile and Senior Life policies, and no annuity.
Q: Does Wellabe sell a fixed indexed annuity?
A: Not according to Wellabe's products page, checked October 4, 2026, which lists Medicare Supplement, preneed funeral, dental, hospital indemnity, critical illness, first diagnosis cancer and short-term care insurance, and no annuity.
Q: Does Transamerica Financial Life sell a fixed indexed annuity?
A: Transamerica's annuities overview, checked October 4, 2026, offers registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) and variable annuities, not fixed indexed annuities. Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company of Harrison, NY is the Transamerica company licensed in New York.
Sources (checked October 4, 2026)
- Kentucky Home Life, home page and product menu; Wellabe, Products; Transamerica, Annuities overview: all checked October 4, 2026
- AM Best press release: New York Life, July 23, 2026
- AM Best press release: MassMutual, October 23, 2025
- AM Best press release: Athene, August 27, 2026
- AM Best press release (Allianz SE and rated subsidiaries): Allianz Life, March 27, 2026
- AM Best press release: Nationwide, November 7, 2025
- AM Best press release: Pacific Life, December 11, 2025
- AM Best press release: Prudential, May 8, 2026
- Penn Mutual ratings page: Penn Mutual, April 2026, page checked October 4, 2026
- AM Best press release: Securian Financial, December 4, 2025
- AM Best press release: Sammons Financial (North American, Midland National), September 3, 2026
- AM Best press release: Mutual of Omaha, April 2, 2026
- AM Best press release: Lincoln Financial, March 13, 2026
- AM Best press release: F&G Annuities & Life, March 12, 2025
- AM Best press release: American National, November 21, 2025
- AM Best: Downgrades Credit Ratings of A-CAP Group Members, September 22, 2026
- F&G Annuities & Life: Investor ratings page, checked October 4, 2026
- MYGA and CD benchmark: public carrier rate sheets (MYGAs, October 14, 2026) and DepositAccounts (CDs, September 24, 2026) (sitewide benchmark)
Get a second opinion before you sign
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A fixed indexed annuity ties up your money for 7 to 15 years. Cap rates renew annually and can drop. Income riders have separate benefit bases that aren't cash. Get an independent review before you commit your retirement savings to a multi-year contract.
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Hans Goldstein · 213-414-2808 · NPN 20602398, independent licensed insurance producer appointed with multiple A-rated carriers
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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.