Athene BCA 2.0 Suite of Fixed Indexed Annuities Wins Two Major Industry Awards

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Annexus, a leading independent retirement product design company, today announced that its innovative work with the Athene^® BCA^® 2.0 Suite of Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs) recently received two prominent industry awards.

"These awards recognize the innovative indices and strength of our ongoing partnerships with Athene, leading index designers Prof. Robert Shiller and Prof. Jeremy Siegel, Barclays, CIBC and WisdomTree," said Ron Shurts, CEO and co-founder of Annexus. "Together, we have built one of the industry's strongest combinations of accumulation potential, principal protection, income, and legacy benefits — all to benefit Americans as they prepare for retirement."

2023 FIA Index of the Year: The WisdomTree Siegel Strategic Value Index™

The WisdomTree Siegel Strategic Value Index (the Siegel Index) won "FIA Index of the Year" at the SRP Americas 2023 Awards. Exclusively featured in the Athene BCA 2.0 Suite, the Siegel Index had the best-performing product return in the FIA industry in all of 2022.

The Siegel Index was developed by CIBC, WisdomTree and Prof. Jeremy Siegel, Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Traditional value indexes often lead to overweighting specific sector allocations, and this index has a unique methodology for identifying good value opportunities, which has led to strong returns," said Professor Siegel. "I'm proud to have been recognized for these efforts and thankful to our partners for their ongoing collaboration and support."

2023 Best Performance FIA: Athene BCA 2.0 Suite of Fixed Indexed Annuities

The Athene BCA 2.0 Suite of FIAs won "Best Performance FIA" at the SPi USA 2023 Awards for Excellence. In a turbulent year, two index options in the Athene BCA 2.0 Suite generated positive returns: the Siegel Index and the Shiller Barclays Global Index, developed by Yale Professor Emeritus of Economics Robert Shiller along with Barclays. Annexus brought both indices to the Athene BCA 2.0 Suite of FIAs in March 2019.

The Shiller Barclays Global Index is based on the use of the CAPE^® (Cyclically Adjusted Price Earnings) ratio, developed by Shiller in 1988. This global, multi-asset index is designed to identify the best global equity values with the strongest momentum with the aim to provide more consistent returns through a variety of markets.

"As we looked at the U.S. equity market and valuations in 2018, my research indicated that the global equity market had higher expected returns compared to the U.S. equity market over the next decade," Professor Shiller said. "Together with Barclays and Annexus, we developed the Shiller Barclays Global Index that uses the CAPE ratio to help identify undervalued global stocks. I'm honored and grateful that our collaboration has been recognized with this award." 

About Annexus

Annexus designs solutions to help Americans grow and protect their retirement savings. For almost 20 years, Annexus has developed market-leading fixed indexed annuities and indexed universal life insurance products. Annexus has forged relationships with many of the industry's leading insurance carriers and the world's largest investment banks. Find out more about Annexus and its products at annexus.com.

About Athene

Athene, through its subsidiaries, is a leading financial services company specializing in retirement services with gross invested assets of $261.2 billion and $255.7 billion in total GAAP liabilities[1] as of September 30, 2023, and operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene specializes in helping its customers achieve financial security and is a solutions provider to institutions. Founded in 2009, Athene is Driven to Do More for our policyholders, business partners and the communities in which we work and live. For more information, please visit athene.com.

About Barclays

Barclays is a consumer and wholesale bank, supporting individuals and small businesses through our consumer banking services, and larger businesses and institutions through our corporate and investment banking services. Our Corporate and Investment Bank is comprised of the Investment Banking, International Corporate Banking, Global Markets and Research businesses; it provides money managers, financial institutions, governments, supranational organizations and corporate clients with services and advice for their funding, financing, strategic and risk management needs. For further information about Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank, please visit our website www.cib.barclays.

About WisdomTree

WisdomTree is a global financial innovator, offering a well-diversified suite of exchange-traded products, models, solutions and products leveraging blockchain-enabled technology. Their goal is to empower investors and consumers to shape their future and support financial professionals to better serve their clients and grow their businesses. WisdomTree is leveraging the latest financial infrastructure to create products that provide access, transparency and an enhanced user experience. For more information, visit wisdomtree.com.

About CIBC

CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 13 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. CIBC offers a full range of solutions and services in the U.S., Canada and around the world. CIBC Bank USA provides commercial banking, private and personal banking and small business banking solutions and CIBC Private Wealth offers investment management, wealth strategies and legacy planning. To learn more, visit us.cibc.com.

About Robert Shiller

Shiller is an American economist, best-selling author and Professor Emeritus of Economics at Yale University. One of the founders of behavioral finance, he is ranked among the 100 most influential economists in the world.

About Jeremy Siegel

Siegel is Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Senior Economist at WisdomTree, and an award-winning author. Siegel writes and lectures extensively about the economy, financial markets, monetary policy and interest rates.

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.

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.

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.

[1] Pledged assets and funds in trust (restricted assets) total $37.2 billion and net reserve liabilities of $185.7 billion as of September 30, 2023.

SOURCE Annexus