SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Annexus, a leading designer of innovative retirement solutions, and Athene, a leading provider of fixed indexed annuities (FIAs), have announced several major enhancements to the award-winning Athene® BCA® 2.0 Suite of FIAs.
The update introduces the S&P 500® Distance Stabilizer TCA Index – the first S&P DJI index utilizing a distance timer strategy developed in collaboration with Société Générale, which dynamically adjusts its exposure to the S&P 500® and can help provide greater stability over time.1 The structure of the S&P 500® Distance Stabilizer Index facilitates Athene’s BCA® 2.0 Suite of FIAs ability to provide higher participation rates and more stable strategy renewal rates.
"Our partnership with Athene to enhance the BCA index options is about more than just updating a product,” said Ron Shurts, CEO and Co-Founder of Annexus. “It’s about enhancing our commitment to providing powerful, academically driven strategies that are designed to provide better client outcomes. By bringing together leading academics and the best minds from Wall Street, we are creating solutions designed to help create more secure retirements.”
The BCA 2.0 Suite of FIAs will also feature the RAFI™ Harvey GS Index, developed with Professor Campbell Harvey of Duke University, one of the most cited academics in finance.2 As a Partner and Director of Research at Research Affiliates, Harvey is globally renowned for his work on the yield curve as a recession indicator, momentum strategies, and risk management. The index is designed to shift between growth and value equities based on market signals with the ability to dynamically adjust allocations seeking to mitigate downside risk during market downturns.
BCA FIAs will now also include the MSCI MKT MediaStats Multi-Asset Index, created in conjunction with Professor Ronnie Sadka of Boston College. As a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of MKT MediaStats, Sadka led the research using unique data generated by proprietary technology the company developed to track millions of articles daily since 2011. By tracking over 55 evergreen media narratives such as housing, inflation, and natural disasters, the dataset indicates that media attention to narratives can influence markets, causing investors to underreact or overreact. The Index measures each asset's sensitivity to the media narratives to help select assets that are expected to perform well.
“While these new academic index options available exclusively through the Athene BCA 2.0 Suite of FIAs represent our commitment to innovation, the index portfolio will continue to feature popular indices developed in partnership with renowned academics, including Professor Robert Shiller of Yale University and Professor Jeremy Siegel of the Wharton School,” said Keith Pinkley, Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Sales at Athene. “These exclusive index options, such as the WisdomTree Siegel Strategic Value Index™ and the Shiller Barclays Global Index, are designed to provide diverse US and Global Value opportunities, while complementing the new growth-oriented index options.”
Financial professionals, Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs), and insurance professionals seeking access to this product should contact their Annexus-affiliated Independent Distribution Company. If you are a consumer interested in learning about Athene BCA® 2.0 Suite of FIAs, ask your financial professional for more information.
About Athene
Athene is the leading retirement services company with operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene is focused on providing financial security to individuals by offering an attractive suite of retirement income and savings products and also serves as a solutions provider to corporations. For more information, please visit athene.com.
About Annexus
For nearly two decades, Annexus has developed market-leading fixed indexed annuities, registered indexed-linked annuities, and indexed universal life insurance products that help Americans grow and protect their retirement savings. The company has built strategic relationships with the industry’s top insurance carriers and some of the world’s largest investment banks. For more information, visit Annexus.com.
1The full name of the S&P 500® Distance Stabilizer Index is S&P 500® Distance Stabilizer TCA Index (USD) ER.
2Source: RePEc
MSCI MKT MediaStats Multi-Asset Index • The MSCI indexes are the property of MSCI Inc. (“MSCI”). MSCI and the MSCI index(es) names are service mark(s) of MSCI and/or certain MSCI parties (as defined below) and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by Athene Annuity and Life Company (“Athene”). The financial securities referred to herein are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by MSCI nor any other party involved in or related to compiling, computing, creating or administering the MSCI index (the “MSCI Parties”), and they each bear no liability with respect to any such financial securities. The contract contains a more detailed description of the limited relationship MSCI or the MSCI Parties have with Athene and any related financial securities. MSCI is not the benchmark administrator for the MSCI Indexes, and Compass Financial Technologies (France) is the benchmark administrator under the EU and UK benchmark regulation, the IOSCO Principles for Financial Benchmarks, and any other similar or related regulation, legislation, rules or principles, in any jurisdiction.
RAFI Harvey GS Index • The RAFI Harvey GS Index (the “Index”) is licensed to Athene Annuity and Life Company for use in its annuity product (“Annuity Product”). THE ANNUITY PRODUCT IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, RECOMMENDED, PROMOTED OR SOLD BY GOLDMAN SACHS OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES (INCLUDING GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ANY ENDORSEMENT, SALES, DISTRIBUTION OR PROMOTION OF THIS ANNUITY PRODUCT THAT MAY OCCUR THROUGH ITS AFFILIATES THAT ARE LICENSED INSURANCE AGENCIES (EXCLUDING SUCH AFFILIATES, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, “GOLDMAN SACHS”) OR BY ANY THIRD-PARTY PROVIDER OF MARKET DATA. GOLDMAN SACHS, AND ANY THIRD-PARTY DATA PROVIDER DISCLAIM TO THE FULL EXTENT LEGALLY PERMITTED ALL REPRESENTATIONS, THIRD-PARTY-BENEFICIARY OBLIGATIONS, AND WARRANTIES REGARDING THE INDEX OR THE INVESTMENT STRATEGY UNDERLYING THE INDEX OR FIXED INDEXED ANNUITIES BASED ON THE INDEX, INCLUDING CONCERNING WARRANTY, ADVISABILITY, SUITABILITY, AND DATA AND METHODOLOGY ACCURACY AND ERRORS. NEITHER THE INDEX NOR ANY OF THE ASSETS COMPRISING IT ARE GUARANTEED TO YIELD SPECIFIC RESULTS. There are no third-party beneficiaries of any agreements between third-party providers and Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs licenses methodologies, trading signals, certain indices and other intellectual property (“RA IP”) from RAFI Indices, LLC or its affiliates (collectively, “RA”) for use in creating, administering and calculating the Index. For example, the component equity and commodity indices used in the Index and the mechanism by which the Index assigns weights to its underlying components are RA IP. Visit https://www.goldmansachsindices.com/products/RAHARVEY for complete disclosure.
RAFI is a trademark or service mark of RAFI Indices, LLC or its affiliates. The Annuity Product is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by RA or any of its third-party service providers or suppliers (collectively, “RA and its suppliers”). RA and its suppliers make no representations or warranties regarding the advisability of investing in the Annuity Product. RA is not acting as an investment adviser and has no fiduciary duties to you. RA and its suppliers make no warranty as to the results that may be obtained by owners of the Annuity Product or anyone else from the use of the Index. RAFI and its suppliers disclaim all warranties and representations, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use, with respect to the Index or any included data. In no event will RA or its suppliers be liable for any damages, including direct, indirect, special, punitive and consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
Shiller Barclays CAPE® Allocator 6 Index and Shiller Barclays Global Index • The Shiller Barclays CAPE® Allocator 6 Index and the Shiller Barclays Global Index (collectively, the “Indices”) have been developed in part by RSBB-I, LLC, the research principal of which is Robert J. Shiller. RSBB-I, LLC is not an investment advisor, and does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the Indices, or any data or methodology either included therein or upon which they are based. Neither RSBB-I, LLC nor Robert J. Shiller or any of their respective partners, employees, subcontractors, agents, suppliers and vendors (collectively, the “Protected Parties”) shall have any liability whether caused by the negligence of a Protected Party or otherwise, for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein, and make no warranties, express or implied, as to performance or results experienced by any party from the use of any information included therein or upon which it is based, and expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect thereto, and shall not be liable for any claims or losses of any nature in connection with the use of such information, including but not limited to, lost profits or punitive or consequential damages, even if RSBB-I, LLC, Robert J. Shiller or any Protected Party is advised of the possibility of same.
Neither Barclays Bank PLC (“BB PLC”) nor any of its affiliates (collectively “Barclays”) is the issuer or producer of Athene Annuity and Life Company’s (“Athene”) fixed index annuities (the “Products”) and Barclays has no responsibilities, obligations or duties to purchasers of the Products. The Indices, together with any Barclays indices that are components of the Indices, are trademarks owned by Barclays and, together with any component indices and index data, are licensed for use by Athene as the issuer or producer of the Products (the “Issuer”).
Barclays’ only relationship with the Issuer in respect of the Indices is the licensing of the Indices, which are administered, compiled and published by BB PLC in its role as the index sponsor (the “Index Sponsor”) without regard to the Issuer or the Products or purchasers of the Products. Additionally, Athene as issuer or producer of the Products may for itself execute transaction(s) with Barclays in or relating to the Indices in connection with the Products. Consumers acquire the Products from Athene and neither acquire any interest in the Indices nor enter into any relationship of any kind whatsoever with Barclays upon purchasing the Products. The Products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Barclays and Barclays makes no representation regarding the advisability of the Products or use of the Indices or any data included therein. Barclays shall not be liable in any way to the Issuer, purchasers of the Products or to other third parties in respect of the use or accuracy of the Indices or any data included therein.
WisdomTree Siegel Strategic Value Index™ • The WisdomTree Siegel Strategic Value Index��� (the “Index”) is the exclusive property of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, together with its affiliates, “CIBC”). CIBC has engaged Bloomberg Finance L.P. (“Bloomberg”) to maintain and to make certain calculations related to the Index. “Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce”, “CIBC” and “Index” (collectively, the “CIBC Marks”) are trademarks or service marks of CIBC. CIBC has licensed use of the Index and the CIBC Marks to Athene Annuity and Life Company (“Athene”) for use in one or more fixed indexed annuities offered by Athene (the “Product(s)”). CIBC is not the issuer of the Products and its sole contractual relationship with Athene is to license the Index and the CIBC Marks to Athene. CIBC, Jeremy Siegel (Siegel”), senior research advisor to WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (“WisdomTree”), and WisdomTree each contributed to the development of the index without considering the needs of Athene or any annuitant. Neither CIBC, Siegel nor WisdomTree make any representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the Index or its development and have no responsibilities, obligations or liabilities with respect to the inception, adjustment, maintenance, operation or calculation. None of CIBC, WisdomTree, Bloomberg or Siegel are affiliated with each other or control or are controlled by each other. “WisdomTree®” is a registered trademark of WisdomTree. WisdomTree and Siegel have licensed certain rights to CIBC to use their names in connection with the Index.
None of CIBC, Bloomberg, Siegel and WisdomTree or any other third-party licensor (collectively, the “Index Parties”) to CIBC is acting, or has been authorized to act, as an agent of Athene or has in any way sponsored, promoted, solicited, negotiated, endorsed, offered, sold, issued, supported, structured or priced any Products or provided investment advice to Athene. No Index Party is a fiduciary or agent of any purchaser, seller or holder of any Product, or has made any representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the advisability of purchasing, selling or holding any Product or the ability of the Index to track corresponding or relative market performance. Purchasers of any Product neither acquire any interest in the Index nor enter into any relationship of any kind whatsoever with any of the Index Parties. No Index Party guarantees the timeliness, accurateness, or completeness of the Index or any data or information relating thereto and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or any data or information relating thereto. No Index Party shall have any liability with respect to any Product, nor any liability for any loss relating to any Product, whether arising directly or indirectly from the use of the Index, its methodology, or otherwise. The selection of the Index as a crediting option under any Product does not obligate Athene to invest annuity premiums in the components of the Index. Any obligation to invest annuity premiums received under the Products are determined solely by Athene.
BLOOMBERG is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg. Bloomberg and its affiliates are not affiliated with Athene or CIBC. Bloomberg’s association with CIBC is to act as the administrator and calculation agent of the Index, which is the property of CIBC. Bloomberg does not guarantee the timeliness, accurateness, or completeness of the Index or any data or information relating thereto and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or any data or information relating thereto.
In calculating the level of the Index, the index methodology deducts a maintenance fee of 0.20% per year, calculated daily. This fee will reduce the level of the Index and thus the amount of interest, if any, that will be credited to any Product. Furthermore, while the volatility control applied by CIBC as part of the index methodology may result in less fluctuation in rates of return as compared to indices without volatility controls, it may also reduce the overall rate of return for products referencing the Index as compared to other indices not subject to volatility controls.
S&P Indices • The S&P 500® and S&P 500® Distance Stabilizer TCA Index (USD) ER (the “Indices”) are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (“SPDJI”) and have been licensed for use by Athene Annuity and Life Company (“Athene”). S&P®, S&P 500®, US 500®, The 500®, iBoxx®, iTrax® and CDX® are trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). Athene’s products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, or their respective affiliates and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the Indices.
The Athene BCA 2.0 ANN19 (01/19), ANN19CS06 (01/19), ANN19CS08 (01/19), ANN19CS10 (01/19), ANN19CS12 (01/19); The Athene Velocity ANN19 (01/19), ASP19CS (01/19); the Athene Velocity Income Rider ASPIR (01/19), ASPIRRS (01/19); the Family Endowment Rider PBEDB (01/19), PBEDBRS (01/19); the Balanced Allocation Lifetime Income Rider ANNIRS (01/19), ANNIRSRS (01/19), ANNIRF (01/19), ANNIRFRS (01/19) or state variations are issued by Athene Annuity and Life Company, West Des Moines, IA. Product features, limitations and availability vary; see Certificate of Disclosure for full details. Products not available in all states.
Indexed annuities are not stock market investments and do not directly participate in any stock or equity investments. Market indices may not include dividends paid on the underlying stocks, and therefore may not reflect the total return of the underlying stocks; neither an index nor any market-indexed annuity is comparable to a direct investment in the equity markets.
This material is a general description intended for general public use. Athene Annuity and Life Company (61689), headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, and issuing annuities in 49 states (excluding NY) and D.C., and Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company of New York (68039), headquartered in Pearl River, NY, and issuing annuities in New York, are not undertaking to provide investment advice for any individual or in any individual situation, and therefore nothing in this should be read as investment advice. Please reach out to your insurance professional if you have any questions about Athene products or their features. Products not available in all states.
INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: • NOT FDIC INSURED • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY • NOT A DEPOSIT OR OTHER OBLIGATION OF, OR GUARANTEED BY, THE BANK OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES • SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT INVESTED
© 2025 Annexus®
BCA® is a registered trademark of Annexus. All rights reserved.
Athene is a registered trademark of Athene. All rights reserved.
ATH20331 (12/3/25)
MEDIA CONTACT: creative@annexus.com
