Allianz Life Launches New Accumulation Advantage Annuity

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, March 6 -- Allianz Life, a provider of retirement solutions, including fixed and variable annuities and life insurance for individuals, issued the following news release:

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life(R)) today announced the launch of the Allianz Accumulation Advantage (SM) Annuity, the newest addition to their fixed index annuity (FIA) suite of products. Accumulation Advantage offers principal and credited interest protection from market downturns, tax-deferral, a death benefit for beneficiaries, and opportunities to accumulate wealth for retirement. Additionally, Accumulation Advantage offers various index allocation options including a new volatility controlled index from BlackRock(R), the BlackRock iBLD Claria (TM) Index, which has also been added to other select Allianz Life FIAs.

Accumulation Advantage can help clients address their accumulation needs using a variety of crediting methods including annual point-to-point with a participation rate. This FIA offers growth potential provided by eight index allocation options (plus a fixed interest allocation). Additional features of Accumulation Advantage include a Nursing Home Benefit and a Flexible Annuity Option Rider.

"Accumulation Advantage can be a valuable addition to a client's portfolio because it gives them many options for growth," said Allianz Life Chief Distribution Officer Tom Burns. "In addition to the new accumulation product, we are excited to announce an exclusive partnership with BlackRock adding the BlackRock iBLD Claria Index to select FIAs. With this index, clients can utilize BlackRock's hands-on asset management expertise and take advantage of current marketplace trends."

BlackRock iBLD Claria (TM) Index

The BlackRock iBLD Claria Index is Allianz Life's newest index from the world's largest asset manager[1] and will be available on Accumulation Advantage as well as newly issued Allianz 222(R) Annuity and Allianz 360 (SM) Annuity contracts in states where it is approved. The BlackRock iBLD Claria Index provides daily, rules-based weighting between equity and fixed income components and cash. The equity and fixed income components are composed of a variety of iShares Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) that provide exposure to different asset classes. These components are weighted on an annual basis by BlackRock's Portfolio Strategy Team depending upon their forward-looking view of the market environment, which in turn gives clients broader diversification for more growth opportunities.

"Built with iShares, the Claria Index takes BlackRock's market insights and combines them with the innovation of our Multi-Asset Portfolio Solutions Team," said BlackRock Financial Institutions Group Head of Index Strategies Ben Woloshin. "By utilizing an annual adjustment, Claria can be better positioned in this changing market environment, which should provide clients with increased confidence in their index choice."

Head of BlackRock Retail Financial Institutions Group Michael Ferraro added, "Allianz Life has long been an innovator in the annuity space and BlackRock is thrilled to partner with them by providing this unique index solution."

For more information about Allianz Accumulation Advantage visit www.allianzlife.com/annuities/fixed-index-annuities.

Footnotes:

1Source: P&I/Towers Watson World 500, October 2017, ranked by total AUM.