Is the Athene Agility 10 a good annuity?
For someone who wants growth potential now and a path to guaranteed income later, yes, it stands out as one of the stronger fixed index annuities on the market. Athene builds a lifetime income rider into the base contract at no extra charge, something many competitors bill close to a percentage point a year for, and layers on a 20% bonus to the income benefit base plus 175% interest crediting on top of whatever the account earns. The commitment is real: a 10-year surrender period, single-premium only, and it is not sold to New York residents. If a decade-long lock-up fits your plans and free, growing income later is the priority, the Agility 10 belongs on your short list.
Athene Agility 10 at a glance
| Product type | Fixed index annuity (FIA) |
|---|---|
| Carrier | Athene Annuity and Life Company |
| Issue ages | 40 to 80 |
| Minimum premium | $10,000, or $5,000 in Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington |
| Maximum premium | $1,000,000, higher available with home office approval |
| Surrender period | 10 years |
| Annual fees | None |
| Income rider | Built in at no charge, with a 20% benefit-base bonus and 175% interest crediting |
| AM Best rating | A+ (Superior) |
| Qualified funds accepted | IRA, IRA rollover, 401(k), 403(b), profit sharing, non-qualified money and 1035 exchanges |
| State availability | All states except New York |
Today's rates for Athene Agility 10
Rates change often and vary by state, term and deposit size. Get today's numbers for your state, side by side with other top-rated carriers. Free, with no obligation.
What is the Athene Agility 10?
The Athene Agility 10 is a fixed index annuity issued by Athene Annuity and Life Company, and it consistently ranks among the best-selling FIAs in the country. It pairs several crediting strategies with a lifetime income rider built into the base contract at no extra charge, a 20% bonus applied to the income benefit base, and 175% crediting of account interest to that same benefit base. For a buyer between 50 and 70 who wants growth now and the option of guaranteed income later, it covers a lot of ground in a single contract.
The trade-off is a 10-year surrender period, longer than the 7-year term common on many FIAs, and the product is not sold in New York. Here is how the pieces fit together, and who the Agility 10 fits best.
Is Athene Annuity and Life a strong carrier?
Athene is one of the largest issuers of annuities in the United States and carries an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best. An annuity's guarantees rest on the issuing carrier's ability to pay claims, not on the federal government or FDIC insurance, so that rating matters as much as any single feature inside the contract. Athene's scale and its A grade put it solidly in the strong-carrier category, though ratings can move, so confirm the current one before you apply. For the carrier's full history and product lineup, see our Athene company review.
Index strategies inside the Agility 10
You can spread your premium across five crediting options: three engineered, volatility-controlled indexes (BNP Paribas Multi-Asset Diversified 5, the Nasdaq FC Index and an AI-powered U.S. equity index), a traditional S&P 500 strategy, and a fixed account. Each strategy measures performance annually or every two years, comparing the index level at the start of the period against the level at the end.
The three engineered indexes use participation rates with no upper ceiling, so you receive a set share of whatever the index gains with nothing capping the upside. The S&P 500 strategy instead uses a cap, which sets a maximum credit no matter how far the index climbs during a given period. Because participation rates and caps reset at each renewal and vary by state and premium, we leave today's specific numbers off this page. Most buyers split their premium across two or three strategies rather than concentrating in one; see our FIA crediting methods guide for how caps and participation rates compare.
The built-in income rider
The Agility 10's biggest draw is its guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit, included at no extra cost. Competing contracts commonly charge close to a percentage point a year for a similar rider, so skipping that charge is a real cost advantage over a decade of ownership.
The mechanics work like this. On day one, Athene sets your income benefit base at 120% of your premium, so a $100,000 deposit starts with a $120,000 benefit base. From there, the benefit base receives 175% of whatever interest your account value is credited each year. As an illustration only, not a quoted rate: a hypothetical $3,000 of credited interest in a given year would add $5,250 to the benefit base that same year.
Once you turn income on, Athene guarantees payments for the rest of your life, even if your account value eventually falls to zero. The benefit base also keeps growing at that same 175% crediting rate while you are receiving income, which can push your payment higher over time.
Two enhanced benefits ride along with the base rider. Should the annuitant need a qualified care facility for at least 180 out of the trailing 250 days, the lifetime income payment doubles for as long as the account value stays above zero; think of it as meaningful extra support during extended care rather than a substitute for real long-term care coverage, and note that it is not offered in every state. At death, beneficiaries receive the benefit base itself, not just the smaller account value, spread over Athene's currently declared payout period. In Alaska, Hawaii, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, that enhanced death benefit is capped at 125% of the cash surrender value or 250% of net premium.
Surrender charges and getting to your money
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surrender charge | 9% | 9% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 1% |
After year 10, no surrender charge applies at all. During the surrender period itself, a yearly withdrawal of as much as 10% of the accumulated value comes free of any charge; anything above that amount runs into the schedule shown here.
Three built-in waivers can open up full access even before year 10 ends. A terminal illness waiver applies after your first contract anniversary if you are diagnosed with a condition expected to cause death within a year. A confinement waiver applies after your first contract year if you are confined to a qualified care facility for 60 or more consecutive days. And a bail-out provision gives you a window, typically 30 days, to withdraw your full accumulated value with no surrender charge if Athene ever lowers your contract's declared S&P 500 cap rate below a threshold locked in when you bought the contract.
Who is the Athene Agility 10 best for
This contract tends to work well if:
- Your age falls roughly in the 50 to 70 range and you have somewhere from $50,000 up to half a million dollars to commit
- You want growth potential now and the option of guaranteed income later, from the same contract
- You can wait a full decade before turning on income, since that is when the benefit base has grown the most
- Skipping a 1%-plus annual rider charge matters more to you than picking your own rider design
- A 10-year surrender period does not bother you because this money is not earmarked for near-term needs
If a shorter commitment matters more, look at a 7-year contract like the Athene Performance Elite 7 or a 5-year contract like the Athene Aviator 5. If you would go even longer for potentially stronger crediting terms, compare it against the Athene Ascent Pro 10 Bonus.
How to buy an Athene Agility 10
Athene sells the Agility 10 only through licensed insurance professionals, so you cannot buy it directly from the carrier. A licensed strategist can run a personalized illustration based on your age, state and premium, walk through the surrender schedule and rider mechanics, and compare it against other top-rated income-focused FIAs before you commit. Our income rider calculator can also help you model different starting ages and deposit amounts on your own.
Other annuities to consider
- Athene company review: the carrier's full history, ratings and product lineup
- Athene Performance Elite 7 review: a shorter, 7-year surrender FIA from the same carrier
- Athene Ascent Pro 10 Bonus review: a 10-year contract built to pair with an income rider
- Athene Aviator 5 review: a 5-year FIA for shorter timelines
Pros and cons
Pros
- A lifetime income rider built into the contract at no extra charge, saving what many competitors charge as an annual percentage.
- Five distinct crediting strategies, mixing plain equity indexes with volatility-controlled options for real diversification.
- No annual fees on the base contract, so your full premium goes to work from day one.
- A carrier with an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best and one of the largest sellers of fixed index annuities in the country.
- Built-in waivers that can double your income or unlock full access to your money during a qualifying health event.
- A bail-out provision that lets you exit without a surrender charge if Athene cuts a key cap rate too far.
Cons
- A 10-year surrender term, which runs three years past the 7-year length typical of rival contracts.
- A steep 9% surrender charge in year 1, easing only gradually after that.
- Not available to New York residents.
- A single-premium product. You cannot add money to the contract after your initial deposit.
- Participation rates and caps can be adjusted at each renewal, so today's crediting terms are not locked in for the life of the contract.
- Several of the higher-yielding index options are newer, engineered indexes without a long real-world track record.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Athene Agility 10 charge any annual fees?
No. There are no annual fees on the base contract, and the built-in lifetime income rider costs nothing extra to include. That is a real advantage over competing contracts that charge close to a percentage point a year for a similar income guarantee.
What happens to my account if the index I picked goes down?
A negative index result over your crediting period earns a 0% credit for that period. Your principal and any interest already credited stay protected from that loss, which is the core promise behind every fixed index annuity.
Can I get to my money before the 10-year surrender period is over?
Partly, yes. Each year you can withdraw up to 10% of your accumulated value without a surrender charge. Anything you take beyond that runs into the surrender schedule, though the terminal illness and confinement waivers can open up full, penalty-free access if you qualify.
How does the 20% bonus to the income benefit base work?
On the day you fund the contract, Athene sets your income benefit base at 120% of your premium, so $100,000 becomes a $120,000 benefit base. That base, not your account value, is what future income payments are calculated from, and it keeps growing at 175% of whatever interest your account earns each year.
Can New York residents buy the Athene Agility 10?
No, the contract is not offered in New York. Residents there would need to look at a different Athene product or compare similar income-focused contracts from other carriers.
Written and reviewed by
James Forren Warren
Licensed Retirement Income Strategist · License #20551202
James Forren Warren is a licensed Retirement Income Strategist with Tax Free Wealth Plan. For the past five years he has helped individuals and families turn their savings into retirement income they can count on. He writes and reviews the annuity research on this site and keeps it plain: what a product does, what it costs you, and who it actually fits.
Sources
Educational only, not investment, tax or legal advice. Tax Free Wealth Plan LLC is a licensed insurance agency, not a registered investment adviser or broker-dealer. Annuities are not bank deposits, are not FDIC insured and are not guaranteed by any government agency. Guarantees are backed solely by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Features, rates and availability vary by state and change over time; the contract and disclosure documents govern.
