The issuer behind the guarantee.
An annuity guarantee is a promise from one company, sometimes lasting forty years. The product matters less than the balance sheet standing behind it.
| AM Best rating | A (Excellent) |
|---|---|
| Parent | American Equity Investment Life |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Domiciled | West Des Moines, Iowa |
| Distribution | Banks and broker-dealers |
| Products | Fixed and fixed indexed annuities |
Checked against public sources on 19 August 2026. Ratings change without notice — a rating without a date is not a rating.
Three things to understand about Eagle Life.
Small market share distorts the complaint statistics
Eagle Life has drawn very few NAIC complaints in absolute terms, but because its market share is small, a single complaint can produce a high complaint index. Read the raw count alongside the index rather than the index alone — this is a common trap when comparing small carriers against large ones.
A market value adjustment may apply to free withdrawals
Eagle Life contracts have applied an MVA to withdrawals under the standard free-withdrawal allowance, with a higher allowance available at additional cost without the MVA. This is unusual enough that it is worth confirming in your specific contract, because free withdrawal normally means free of adjustment as well as free of surrender charge.
The parent matters, but the issuer is what you own
American Equity is the larger and better-known name, and Eagle Life benefits from the relationship. Your contract is nonetheless issued by Eagle Life Insurance Company, and that entity is what the rating and the guaranty association coverage attach to.
How to read any carrier.
Palm Wealth Capital publishes independent annuity research and education. No carrier pays for placement on this site. Nothing here is individualized investment, tax, or legal advice, and no page on this site is a recommendation to buy or avoid any contract. Annuity guarantees rely on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
Holding an Eagle Life contract — or being shown one?
Send the illustration or statement. We will check Eagle Life’s current AM Best rating and outlook against the date on this page, read the surrender schedule and any market value adjustment, price the riders, and tell you what the guaranteed terms are rather than the illustrated ones. If the answer is that you don’t need it, that is the answer you get — there is nothing here for us to sell you.
Carriers buyers weigh against this one.
Evaluating an indexed contract from this carrier? Start with how participation rates, caps, and spreads work — the three numbers that decide what any index year actually credits.