Annuity Sales See Universal Growth in Second Quarter
Wink, Inc. Releases 2nd Quarter, 2026 Annuity Sales Results
Des Moines, Iowa. September1, 2026- Wink’s Sales & Market Report, the insurance industry’s #1 resource for annuity sales data since 1998, released its 116th edition report for 2nd Quarter, 2026. One hundred and forty-three annuity providers participated in the report.
Total second quarter sales for all annuities were $112.7 billion; sales were up 13.3% when compared to the previous quarter but down 2.4% when compared to the same period last year. All annuities include the multi-year guaranteed (MYG) annuity, traditional fixed annuity, indexed annuity, structured annuity, variable annuity, immediate income annuity (SPIA), and deferred income annuity (DIA) product lines.
Noteworthy highlights for all annuity sales in the second quarter include Athene USA ranking as the #1 carrier overall for annuity sales, with a market share of 10.8%. New York Life came in second place, while Jackson National Life, Equitable Financial, and Nationwide completed the top five carriers in the market, respectively.
Total second quarter sales for all deferred annuities were $109.0 billion; sales were up 12.8% when compared to the previous quarter but down 2.8% when compared to the same period last year. All deferred annuities include the multi-year guaranteed annuity, traditional fixed, indexed annuity, structured annuity, and variable annuity product lines.
Noteworthy highlights for all deferred annuity sales in the second quarter include Athene USA ranking as the #1 carrier overall for deferred annuity sales, with a market share of 11.2%. New York Life moved in the second-ranked position, while Jackson National Life, Equitable Financial, and Allianz Life completed the top five carriers in the market, respectively. Jackson National’s Perspective II Flexible Premium Variable & Fixed Deferred Annuity a variable annuity, was the #1 selling deferred annuity, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
Total second quarter non-variable deferred annuity sales were $69.0 billion; sales were up 16.6% when compared to the previous quarter but down 12.1% when compared to the same period last year. Non-variable deferred annuities include the MYG annuity, traditional fixed annuity, and indexed annuity product lines.
Noteworthy highlights for non-variable deferred annuity sales in the second quarter include Athene USA ranking as the #1 carrier overall for non-variable deferred annuity sales, with a market share of 16.3%. New York Life gained the second-ranked position, while Corebridge Financial, Nationwide, and Massachusetts Mutual Life Companies completed the top five carriers in the market, respectively. Athene Annuity’s Athene MYG 3 with MVA, a MYG annuity, was the #1 selling non-variable deferred annuity, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
Total second quarter variable deferred annuity sales were $39.9 billion; sales were up 6.7% when compared to the previous quarter and up 19.0% when compared to the same period last year. Variable deferred annuities include structured annuity and variable annuity product lines.
Noteworthy highlights for variable deferred annuity sales in the second quarter include Jackson National Life ranking as the #1 carrier overall for variable deferred annuity sales, with a market share of 15.8%. Equitable Financial moved into the second-place position, as Allianz Life, Lincoln National Life, and Nationwide completed the top five carriers in the market, respectively. Jackson National’s Perspective II Flexible Premium Variable & Fixed Deferred Annuity was the #1 selling variable deferred annuity, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
Total second quarter income annuity sales were $3.6 billion; sales were up 33.4% when compared to the previous quarter and up 9.9% when compared to the same period last year. Income annuities include immediate income annuity (SPIA) and deferred income annuity (DIA) product lines.
Noteworthy highlights for income annuity sales in the second quarter include New York Life ranking as the #1 carrier overall for income annuity sales, with a market share of 49.0%. Western-Southern Life Assurance Company gained the second-ranked position, as Massachusetts Mutual Life Companies, Nationwide, and Penn Mutual completed the top five carriers in the market, respectively.
Multi-year guaranteed annuity (MYGA) sales in the second quarter were $37.5 billion; sales were up 16.8% when compared to the previous quarter, but down 18.4% when compared to the same period, last year. MYGAs have a fixed rate that is guaranteed for more than one year.
Noteworthy highlights for MYGAs in the second quarter include Athene USA ranking as the #1 seller, with a market share of 19.8%. New York Life continued in the second-ranked position, while Nationwide, Massachusetts Mutual Life Companies, and Corebridge Financial concluded the top five carriers in the market, respectively. Athene Annuity’s Athene MYG 3 with MVA product was the #1 selling multi-year guaranteed annuity, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
Traditional fixed annuity sales in the second quarter were $570.5 million; sales were up 12.4% when compared to the previous quarter, and up 23.3% when compared with the same period last year. Traditional fixed annuities have a fixed rate that is guaranteed for one year only.
Noteworthy highlights for traditional fixed annuities in the second quarter include Nationwide ranking as the #1 seller, with a market share of 22.5%. Global Atlantic Financial Group ranked second, while Equitable Financial, EquiTrust, and CNO Companies concluded the top five carriers in the market, respectively. Nationwide’s Nationwide CareMatters Annuity was the #1 selling fixed annuity, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
Indexed annuity sales for the second quarter were $30.9 billion; sales were up 16.4% when compared to the
previous quarter, and down 3.6% when compared with the same period last year. Indexed annuities have a floor of no less than zero percent and limited excess interest that is determined by the performance of an external index, such as Standard and Poor’s 500®.
Noteworthy highlights for indexed annuities in the second quarter include Athene USA ranking as the #1 seller, with a market share of 12.2%. Allianz Life ranked second, while Sammons Financial Companies, Corebridge Financial, and Fidelity & Guaranty Life completed the top five carriers in the market, respectively. Athene Annuity’s Athene Ascent Pro 10 was the #1 selling indexed annuity, for all channels combined, for the quarter.
Sheryl Moore, CEO of both Wink, Inc., and Moore Market Intelligence commented, “New companies are entering the indexed annuity market like crazy! We’ve had five new entrants in the past year, and I am anticipating two others before this year has closed.”
Structured annuity sales in the second quarter were $22.1 billion; sales were up 8.4% as compared to the previous quarter, and up 21.4% as compared to the same period last year. This was a record-setting quarter for structured annuity sales, topping the prior 4th quarter 2025 record by 3.5%. Structured annuities have a limited negative floor and limited excess interest, which is determined by the performance of an external index or subaccounts.
Noteworthy highlights for structured annuities in the second quarter include Equitable Financial ranking as the #1 seller, with a market share of 18.7%. Allianz Life ranked second, while Jackson National Life, Prudential, and Brighthouse Financial completed the top five carriers in the market, respectively. Equitable’s Structured Capital Strategies Plus 21 was the #1 selling structured annuity, for all channels combined, for the ninth consecutive quarter.
“It was another record quarter for structured annuities,” declared Moore. “I am not surprised to see that sales of this product line continue to reach new heights, given the current market environment!”
Variable annuity sales in the second quarter were $17.8 billion; sales were up 4.7% as compared to the previous quarter, and up 16.1% compared to the same period last year. Variable annuities have no floor, and the potential for gains/losses is determined by the performance of subaccounts that may be invested in an external index, stocks, bonds, commodities, or other investments.
Noteworthy highlights for variable annuities in the second quarter include Jackson National Life ranking as the #1 seller, with a market share of 22.4%. Nationwide ranked second while Equitable Financial, New York Life, and Lincoln National Life finished as the top five carriers in the market, respectively. Jackson National’s Perspective II Flexible Premium Variable & Fixed Deferred Annuity was the #1 selling variable annuity for the twenty-ninth consecutive quarter, for all channels combined.
Immediate income annuity (Single Premium Immediate Annuity, a.k.a. SPIA) sales in the second quarter were $2.8 billion; sales were up 28.3% as compared to the previous quarter and up 8.0% as compared to the same period last year.
Noteworthy highlights for SPIAs in the second quarter include New York Life ranking as the #1 seller, with a market share of 48.5%. Massachusetts Mutual Life Companies ranked second, while Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, Nationwide, and Penn Mutual finished as the top five carriers in the market, respectively.
Deferred income annuity (DIA) sales in the second quarter were $821.7 million; sales were up 54.6% compared to the previous quarter and up 17.1% as compared to the same period last year.
Noteworthy highlights for DIAs in the second quarter include New York Life ranking as the #1 seller, with a market share of 50.7%. Western-Southern Life Assurance Company ranked second, as Massachusetts Mutual Life Companies, Integrity Life Companies, and Global Atlantic Financial Group finished as the top five carriers in the market, respectively.
Wink reports sales on all annuity lines of business, as well as all life insurance product lines.
For more information, go to www.WinkIntel.com.
Wink, Inc. is the company behind the most comprehensive life insurance and annuity due-diligence tools, AnnuitySpecs and LifeSpecs at www.WinkIntel.com. Wink, Inc. is the distributor of the quarterly Wink’s Sales & Market Report. Serving as the insurance industry’s #1 resource of insurance product sales since 1998, this report provides sales by product, company, crediting method, index, distribution, surrender charge period, guarantee period, and more. The research firm is also responsible for the insight behind Wink’s Index Intelligence Report, providing sales on indexed insurance products at an individual index level.
The staff of Wink, Inc. has combined experience of 200 years working with insurance products, more than a century of which is specific to competitive intelligence. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, the firm offers competitive intelligence and market research in the life insurance and annuity industries, serving financial services professionals, distributors, manufacturers, reinsurers, regulators, and consultants on both a domestic and global basis.
Sheryl J. Moore, CEO, is the guiding force behind Wink, Inc. Ms. Moore previously worked as a market research analyst for top carriers in the life insurance and annuity industries. Her views on the direction of the market are frequently heard in seminars and quoted by industry trade journals.
September 1, 2026
Des Moines, IA
(855) ASK-WINK