New York Life continues to close in on Athene; annuity sales up 50%

New York Life sold 50% more annuities through three quarters than in 2024, LIMRA reported in its updated sales rankings.

The rankings show New York Life nipping at the heels of perennial sales leader Athene Annuity & Life with $24.8 billion in sales. Athene sold $26.8 billion worth of annuities through Q3, a 4.3% decrease from last year.

Corebridge Financial, Equitable Financial, and Allianz Life of North America rounded out the top five. Massachusetts Mutual Life took the biggest drop, falling from third place and $19.4 billion in annuity sales through Q3 2024, to eighth place and $14.3 billion in sales this year.

Total annuity sales increased 4% to $121.2 billion in the third quarter of 2025, setting yet another quarterly sales record, LIMRA reported. This marks the eighth consecutive quarter of $100+ billion in sales.

Year-to-date annuity sales totaled $347 billion, up about 4% year-over-year. It marks the highest total ever recorded in a nine-month period, according to results from LIMRA’s U.S. Individual Annuity Sales Survey, which represents 89% of the total U.S. annuity market.

“Registered annuity products – traditional variable annuities and registered index-linked annuities – posted double-digit growth, contributing to the overall growth in quarterly sales. Despite continued market volatility, the equity market's overall performance attracted investors looking to counter persistent inflation,” Bryan Hodgens, senior vice president and head of LIMRA research, said last month. “Although the Federal Reserve’s expected interest rate cuts will likely continue to dampen fixed annuity sales gains, LIMRA is projecting annuity sales to surpass $450 billion in 2025.”

LIMRA released updated Q3 annuity sales numbers Tuesday:

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InsuranceNewsNet Senior Editor John Hilton has covered business and other beats in more than 20 years of daily journalism. John may be reached at john.hilton@innfeedback.com. Follow him on Twitter @INNJohnH.