Weekly Leaderboard Carriers tracked: 32 (A- or better) Last updated: 2026-06-27

Highest Paying MYGA Rate This Week (2026)

TL;DR: Top 1-year MYGA pays 5.30% APY. Top 3-year pays 5.90%. Top 5-year pays 5.95%. Top 7-year pays 6.15%. Top 10-year pays 6.40%. All from AM Best A- or better carriers. List refreshes every Monday by 9am Pacific. Bank CDs at the same maturities pay 100-200 bps less. Lock the rate before the carrier files a downward revision.

This week's leaderboard (refreshed 2026-06-27)

Every MYGA below comes from an AM Best A- or higher carrier and includes a 10% annual penalty-free withdrawal provision unless noted. Rates are base contractual rates, not bonus-loaded teaser rates that drop after year one.

Term	APY	Carrier (AM Best)	Notes
1-year	5.30%	Oceanview Life (A-)	Penalty-free at maturity; no MVA
2-year	5.60%	Aspida (A-)	10% annual free withdrawal
3-year	5.90%	Atlantic Coast Life (A-)	MVA applies; 10% free
4-year	5.85%	American Equity (A-)	Bonus 1% year 1; recapture year 1-4
5-year	5.95%	Athene (A+)	MaxRate 5; no MVA option available
6-year	6.05%	Mass Mutual Ascend (A+)	10% free; no MVA
7-year	6.15%	Nassau Re (B++)*	*Below A- threshold — listed for context only
7-year (A-min)	6.05%	Sentinel Security Life (A-)	10% free; MVA applies
10-year	6.40%	Equitrust (B++)*	*Below A- threshold
10-year (A-min)	6.20%	Symetra (A)	10% free; MVA applies

Source: Carrier rate sheets filed with state insurance departments. Hans Goldstein is appointed with most but not all carriers listed; appointment status does not influence ranking. Rates change midweek; the leaderboard locks Sunday night.

What "A- minimum" filters out — and why it matters

It's tempting to chase the absolute top rate on a comparison aggregator. The aggregator doesn't tell you that the carrier paying 6.60% on a 10-year is a B+ or B++ shop in run-off mode. The 25 bps extra yield isn't worth the guaranty-fund headache if that carrier enters rehabilitation.

State guaranty associations DO cover annuity contracts — typically up to $250K-$300K per owner per carrier — but the coverage process takes 12-36 months during a carrier insolvency, you cannot access funds during that window, and any amount above the cap is unsecured. Sticking with A- (AM Best) or better cuts the probability of needing to use that backstop to negligible levels.

If you want the analytical detail on what each rating actually means, the AM Best rating explainer walks through the difference between A++ and B+ in dollar terms.

Why these MYGA rates beat bank CDs by 100-200 bps

Two structural reasons:

Asset-liability matching. A MYGA carrier writing a 5-year contract invests the premium in 5-year investment-grade corporate bonds. Those bonds yield ~5.4-5.8% in mid-2026. The carrier keeps 30-50 bps as spread and passes the rest through. A bank funding the same CD must keep capital reserves against demand-deposit run risk, which costs it ~150 bps annually.
Tax deferral inside the wrapper. A CD spits out a 1099-INT every year. A MYGA does not — interest compounds gross inside the contract until withdrawal. For a buyer in the 24% federal bracket, that effectively raises the equivalent CD yield by ~70 bps over a 5-year holding period.

Net: a 5.95% MYGA delivers roughly the after-tax yield of a 6.65% CD for a 24% bracket taxpayer who reinvests interest. There's no magic — just bond duration plus tax wrapper.

How fast carriers pull top rates

The #1 carrier on a Monday leaderboard often files a 25-50 bps drop within 7-14 days because they get flooded with application volume. The mechanism:

Carriers price MYGAs in tranches with limited shelf capacity
When a tranche fills, the carrier files a "rate refile" with state insurance departments
Rate refile takes 1-3 business days to propagate
Applications signed and dated BEFORE the refile date lock the prior rate

Practical implication: if you see a rate on Monday and decide "I'll do it next weekend," it may be 25 bps lower by then. The independent producer route (where the application is built and locked the same day) preserves the rate that drew you in.

1-year, 3-year, 5-year, 7-year, 10-year — which term to lock

The right term depends on what the money is supposed to do, not which row has the biggest number.

Your money's job	Best term	Why
Emergency-adjacent: I might need it in 18-24 months	1-2 year	Short surrender period limits damage if life happens; APY still beats HYSA by ~100 bps
Bond-portfolio replacement	3-5 year	Matches typical bond duration; lets you ladder rungs
Pre-retirement bridge (income starts in 5-10 yrs)	5-7 year	Locks current rate before potential Fed cuts; tax-deferred compounding works
Retiree money I don't need for a decade	10-year	Maximum rate, full benefit of compounding, IRA tax wrapper protects the gains
Spread the bet across all of the above	Ladder (1/3/5/7/10)	See MYGA laddering strategy

What's NOT on this list — and why

You'll see other sites list "MYGA rates up to 7.50% APY!" Three reasons we don't:

Year-1 bonus rates. Some contracts advertise the bonus-loaded year-1 rate. A 6.50% year-1 bonus rate on a 5-year contract with a 5.00% base rate has a blended APY of ~5.30%, not 6.50%. We list base APY, not headline year-1 rates.
Sub-A- carriers. Equitrust, Nassau Re, and a few others routinely top the unfiltered leaderboards. We list them in the table above for context but flag them. A 0.20% yield bump isn't worth the guaranty-fund tail risk.
Captive-distribution rates. A few carriers (e.g., New York Life, Northwestern Mutual) publish rates only to captive agents. Their actual MYGA APY is often 50-100 bps below the leaderboard. We don't include captive-only products because no independent producer can place them.

Splitting $500K+ across multiple top MYGAs

Above ~$250K, you should split across at least two carriers. Math:

State guaranty fund cap is typically $250K-$300K per owner per carrier
$500K in a single carrier = $250K covered, $250K unsecured if that carrier enters rehabilitation
$500K split 50/50 across two A-rated carriers = $500K covered, $0 unsecured

Splitting also lets you mix terms. A common $500K build right now:

$250K → 5-year Athene at 5.95% (anchor)
$150K → 3-year Atlantic Coast at 5.90% (intermediate)
$100K → 7-year Sentinel Security at 6.05% (long rung)

Weighted average APY: 5.95%. Diversified across three A- or better carriers. Three different maturity dates spread reinvestment risk.

How to lock a rate before it moves

Process from leaderboard to locked rate, typical timeline:

You pick a carrier/term off the leaderboard → 5 minutes
Independent producer prepares the application electronically → same day
You e-sign → same day
Carrier acknowledges and locks rate → 24-48 hours
Funds transferred from existing CD/IRA/cash → 5-14 business days depending on source
Policy issued with locked rate → 7-21 days from application

The rate is locked at step 4 (carrier acknowledgment) — not step 6 (policy issue). So even if the carrier refiles a lower rate while your transfer is in flight, your contract issues at the original rate. The full process takes 2-3 weeks for most IRA transfers and 5-10 days for fresh cash.

Lock this week's top MYGA rate before the carrier files a drop

Independent review of the leaderboard for your specific dollar amount.

The top rate this week may be 25 bps lower next week. If you've been thinking about a MYGA for a quarter, the rate you saw in April is gone. Get an independent producer to lock the current best rate against your tax situation, your state's guaranty fund cap, and your income timing.

Hans Goldstein · 213-414-2808 · NPN 20602398, independent licensed insurance producer appointed with multiple A-rated carriers

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Frequently Asked Questions

How often does this MYGA leaderboard update?

Every Monday by 9am Pacific. Carriers usually file rate changes on the 1st and 15th, so the list reflects the freshest filed rates by the time you read it.

Are these the absolute highest MYGA rates in the country?

Among A- (AM Best) or better carriers with state availability, yes. Sub-A- carriers sometimes post fractionally higher rates, but the guaranty fund risk is not worth 0.10-0.25% extra yield.

Why do MYGA rates beat bank CDs by 1-2%?

Carriers invest premium in 5-10 year investment-grade corporate bonds. Banks must hold short-duration assets to meet deposit liquidity. Longer duration plus tax-deferral inside the wrapper produces a structural 100-200 bps premium over CDs.

Do I lose money if rates go up after I lock?

You lose opportunity, not principal. The rate you locked is contractual. Most MYGAs allow 10% annual penalty-free withdrawal so you can partially reposition if rates jump materially.

What's the difference between APY and "base rate" on a MYGA?

APY is the annualized compounded yield. Base rate is the contractual interest rate before compounding. For a 5-year MYGA at 5.85% base, the APY is also ~5.85% because interest compounds annually inside the contract. Watch for "bonus" rates that only credit year 1.

Can I split $500,000 across multiple top MYGAs?

Yes — and you should. State guaranty fund caps are typically $250K-$300K per owner per carrier. Splitting across 2-3 top-ranked carriers maximizes both yield and coverage.

Why is the 3-year rate sometimes higher than the 5-year?

The yield curve. When 3-year Treasuries yield more than 5-year (inverted curve), MYGA carriers price the same way. As of mid-2026 the curve is mostly normal, so longer terms pay more, but inversions happen.

How fast can I lock a top rate before it's pulled?

Most carriers hold a quoted rate for 14 days from application date. Once the carrier receives signed paperwork and good funds, the rate is locked even if they pull it for new business the next day.