American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company is a Des Moines, Iowa-based annuity specialist founded in 1995 by industry veteran David Noble. The firm focuses exclusively on fixed index annuities, fixed annuities, and immediate annuities designed to help Americans protect principal, grow retirement assets, and secure income they cannot outlive. With 922 employees and A-level financial strength ratings from AM Best, S&P Global, and Fitch, the company supports hundreds of thousands of contract owners across the United States.
American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company is a Des Moines, Iowa-based annuity specialist founded in 1995 by David Noble, an industry veteran who saw large carriers moving away from personal service and straightforward products. Noble built the firm around a clear mission: help clients protect principal, grow assets, and secure income they cannot outlive. At the same time he founded the company, individuals were increasingly being asked to take on greater personal responsibility for their retirement outcomes. American Equity responded by focusing on fixed index annuities as a practical tool for the 401(k) generation, helping turn accumulated savings into sustainable, tax-deferred retirement income. Today the company employs 922 people, all supporting a single-specialty product focus that distinguishes it from carriers competing across multiple lines of business.
American Equity offers three core fixed index annuity lines, each addressing a distinct retirement planning goal. AssetShield targets accumulation, protecting savings from market downturns through index-linked growth potential without placing principal directly in any stock or index. IncomeShield focuses on generating guaranteed lifetime income through a built-in Lifetime Income Benefit Rider, with a bonus version that adds a first-year premium boost and guaranteed daily Income Account Value growth for either 10 or 20 years while income remains deferred. EstateShield combines guaranteed lifetime income with estate planning, pairing a built-in rider with enhanced death benefit options tied to a separate benefits account value. Across all three lines, contract owners gain growth potential without exposure to direct index losses, and any interest credited is locked in at each contract anniversary.
American Equity's fixed index annuities protect retirement savings by ensuring principal is never directly invested in any stock or index. Money allocated to an index-linked crediting strategy cannot be lost because of index volatility, which means contract owners do not have to wait for a recovering index before growth can resume. Any interest credited is locked in at each contract anniversary, preserving gains already earned. AssetShield products are available across 5-, 7-, and 10-year surrender charge schedules, with both bonus and non-bonus options to fit different retirement timelines. Bonus products apply an increase to first-year premiums that vests gradually over time. This range of options allows clients and their financial professionals to align an annuity choice with specific accumulation goals and the number of years remaining before retirement income is needed.
The IncomeShield Lifetime Income Benefit Rider provides guaranteed income for life, with payout amounts that increase the longer the owner defers taking income. A separate Income Account Value tracks growth independently and is used to calculate each owner's lifetime income payments. On any contract anniversary, if credited interest pushes the contract value above the Income Account Value, the Income Account Value rises to match, locking in a higher income base. IncomeShield Bonus 10 adds a first-year premium bonus and guaranteed daily Income Account Value growth for 10 or 20 years while income remains deferred. A built-in wellbeing benefit, included with the rider at no additional charge, can increase income payments for up to five years if the contract owner cannot perform two of six standard activities of daily living due to unexpected health challenges.
American Equity's service model is built around specific, measurable response standards that set clear expectations for financial professionals and contract owners alike. Customer calls are answered in under 60 seconds, while financial professional calls are answered in an average of 30 seconds. Post-issue transactions are typically completed within 24 hours, and contracts submitted in good order are generally issued within 48 hours. The MyApp platform includes EZ Suit, a built-in pre-suitability feature that reduces submission errors and accelerates issuance. AI-enabled service capabilities help representatives deliver faster and more accurate assistance. All customer service and call center teams operate out of Des Moines, Iowa. A dedicated Concierge Service program assigns high-volume partners a specialist who understands each financial professional's individual business and provides expedited, tailored support for complex or time-sensitive situations.
American Equity and its insurance subsidiaries hold A-level financial strength ratings from AM Best, S&P Global, and Fitch, three independent rating agencies that assess an insurer's ability to meet its long-term obligations. These ratings reflect conservative balance sheet management and a consistent focus on contract owner obligations rather than short-term growth metrics. Because annuities are long-duration contracts, a carrier's financial stability directly affects its capacity to pay lifetime income guarantees that may extend decades into the future. American Equity's single-specialty focus, rather than competing priorities across multiple business lines, supports that conservative financial profile. For financial professionals, ratings from three independent agencies provide a concrete, verifiable foundation when presenting the company to clients who are comparing annuity providers and weighing the long-term reliability of income guarantees.
American Equity is investing in a next-generation eApplication platform, data-driven suitability tools, and AI-enabled service support to make annuities easier to explain, purchase, and manage for both advisors and contract owners. Its MyApp platform includes EZ Suit, a pre-suitability feature that cuts submission errors and brings contracts in good order through to issuance within 48 hours. Mobile-friendly self-service portals allow financial professionals and clients to manage transactions efficiently while retaining direct access to live support whenever a situation calls for it. These digital tools operate alongside a regional wholesaler model, so technology accelerates routine administrative tasks without removing the human expertise that more complex planning situations require. The combination is designed to reduce friction at every stage from application through ongoing contract management.
David Noble: founder, American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company; established the firm in 1995 after observing large carriers withdraw from personal service and customer-focused products.