02/05/2026
How amazing! The latest product from Athene is now offering a 29% signing bonus on all new monies coming into the annuity. If you maintain the basic level of benefits, your annual cost is 0.95.
Yes, there is a higher level of higher risk portfolios available for an annual cost of 1.25% but my clients have been having excellent results at the 0.95% level.
Not only do you start your account with the bonus added to your balance, you will also receive new interest at the end of each policy year. If the market has a down year, you will receive ZERO interest. Hence the saying "Zero is my Hero!" because while folks are losing real money in their directly exposed stock and bond investments, you will lose nothing. You will see the 0.95% taken out in those years, but given the track record of positive to negative years, there is a very positive chance for net growth in your account.
On the positive side, an extraordinary year of growth will be locked in on your anniversary date. We call this a "ratchet" concept. So if you grow to a higher balance, on your anniversary date that higher balance is locked in and becomes the new guaranteed balance.
Last but not least, you will get a Return of Premium guarantee in year four. So if your account gets four straight zeros in the fourth year, you will be able to take out your original deposit with no loss. If you look at your illustration, you could also have a strong gain into the fourth year but the guaranteed surrender value will abide by the Return of Premium rule even if the balance is considerably higher than your deposit.
In the meantime, each year you will have some penalty-free withdrawals available to you.
This is a fantastic product for our uncertain times!
Let's talk about it ASAP!!
----Michael J Woods CLU ChFC
