Equitable Expands Annuity Offering

NEW YORK – November 11, 2021 – Equitable announced the continued expansion of its variable and index-linked annuity product distribution in order to meet financial professionals where and how they prefer to do business.

Equitable has expanded distribution of fee-based versions of its variable and index-linked annuity products through various technology-enabled platforms, most recently joining FIDx-powered Envestnet Insurance Exchange, which enables advisors to integrate insurance offerings alongside managed investments on a single platform.

“The need for tax deferral and some downside market protection in client portfolios is clear as we emerge from the pandemic,” said Steve Scanlon, Head of Individual Retirement, Equitable. “Positioning clients to face their future with confidence is paramount. We’ve built on our heritage of innovation to provide the solutions to do just that and are committed to making those solutions available to more financial professionals, and their clients, in the ways that work best for them.”

Equitable offers its Structured Capital Strategies registered index-linked variable annuity in a fee-based format, making it possible for advisors working with Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) to offer the product to their clients. Equitable’s commitment to RIAs is built on a long legacy of innovation in income protection products and retirement markets and distribution, including through its approximately 4,500 affiliated Equitable Advisors financial professionals; third-party financial professionals affiliated with wirehouses, broker-dealers and banks; and as one of the first life insurance and annuity providers to work with property and casualty insurance agents. RIAs and fee-only financial planners looking for financial protection offerings are a natural extension of this broad focus on distribution.

Equitable was among the first companies, in 1970, to enter the individual variable annuity market, the first company to provide variable annuities with living benefits in 1996, and the first company to bring to market a registered index-linked variable annuity product in 2010.

The company is continually enhancing its variable and index-linked annuity products to meet evolving client needs. The company recently added eight new options to Structured Capital Strategies^® PLUS (SCS PLUS) that provide clients with additional ways to capture some upside potential even when equity market benchmarks may decline.

“Advisors are increasingly relying on technology in order to help identify and access the right income protection solutions for their clients,” said Andrew Stavaridis, Chief Relationship Officer, Envestnet. “Adding an innovative annuity from Equitable to the suite of solutions on the Envestnet Insurance Exchange will give advisors and their clients access to a greater variety of high-quality options to help them create diversified portfolios that align with their financial wellness goals.”