Is Reliance Standard a Good Annuity Company?
Yes, and for a safety-first buyer it is one of the easier recommendations we make. The combination is rare: the highest AM Best rating available, a parent with a written capital support agreement, and MYGA rates that sit in the competitive range rather than the “you are paying for the rating” range. AM Best’s own report says annuity sales ran well above plan, driven by both MYGAs and index annuities, which tells you the pricing is landing.
Reliance Standard has held AM Best’s highest rating, A++ (Superior), every year since 2021, and its parent has put more than $500 million of fresh capital behind the annuity business since mid-2024. The lineup is deliberately simple: two MYGA series, two fixed index series and a traditional fixed annuity.
What you give up is breadth. There is no income rider, no lifetime income product, and no variable annuity, so this is a carrier for safety-first savers, not income planners. The index lineup uses only two indexes, which is simpler to understand but gives you fewer diversification choices than Athene or Allianz offer.
Service and Complaints
Reliance Standard has pre-screened every annuity application for suitability since 2009, before the NAIC required it, and its agent guidelines explicitly discourage replacement business. Applications are issued in three to five business days once complete, and transfers and exchanges get a 45-day rate lock from the date the paperwork is sent to your current custodian. Policy delivery receipts are mandatory on every contract, which protects your free-look period.
Reliance Standard Annuity Products
Reliance Standard sells multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGAs), fixed index annuities and Apollo, a traditional fixed annuity. The tables below pull live rates and contract terms for every product we track.
Reliance Standard MYGAs
Reliance Guarantee and Eleos lock your rate for the full term. MVA versions usually pay a little more but adjust your surrender value with interest rates if you cash out early, while the no-MVA versions skip that adjustment.
- Terms: 3 years to 10 years
- Minimum premium: $10,000 to $20,000
- Free withdrawals: 10% of the account value each year, starting in year one
- Max issue age: 80 to 85
- Market value adjustment: on 4 of 6 (see table)
- Not sold in: NY
| Product | Term | Top rate | Min. premium | Surrender charges by year | MVA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eleos MVA 5 | 5 yrs | 5.65% | $10,000 | 8-7-6-5-4% | Yes |
| Eleos SP 5 | 5 yrs | 5.5% | $10,000 | 8-7-6-5-4% | No |
| Reliance Guarantee - 10 | 10 yrs | 5.75% | $20,000 | 8-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0.5% | Yes |
| Reliance Guarantee - 3 | 3 yrs | 5.05% | $20,000 | – | No |
| Reliance Guarantee - 5 | 5 yrs | 5.65% | $20,000 | 8-8-7-6-5% | Yes |
| Reliance Guarantee - 7 | 7 yrs | 5.75% | $20,000 | 8-8-7-6-5-4-3% | Yes |
Top rate is the highest premium tier for each product, effective November 11, 2026, from AnnuityRateWatch. Smaller deposits can earn less, and rates vary by state and change without notice.
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Reliance Standard Fixed Index Annuities
Keystone credits interest off the S&P 500. Reliance Accumulator adds the S&P MARC 5% Excess Return index, a volatility-controlled index live since 2017 that supports higher participation rates. Both are built for accumulation, and index policies issue on the 1st and 15th of each month.
- Surrender periods: 5 years to 10 years
- Minimum premium: $10,000 to $20,000
- Free withdrawals: 10% of the account value each year
- Max issue age: 80 to 85
- Income rider: none (built for accumulation)
- Enhanced Death Benefit rider (optional): on 3 of 6, 0.40% a year
- Market value adjustment: none. Return of premium: no
- Not sold in: NY
| Product | Surrender period | S&P 500 1-yr cap | Min. premium | Surrender charges by year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliance Accumulator 5 | 5 yrs | 10.75% | $20,000 | 8-8-7-6-5% |
| Keystone 5 Index Annuity | 5 yrs | 10.25% | $10,000 | 9-8-7-6-5% |
| Reliance Accumulator 7 | 7 yrs | 11% | $20,000 | 8-8-7-6-5-4-3% |
| Keystone 7 Index Annuity | 7 yrs | 10.5% | $10,000 | 9-8-7-6-5-4-3% |
| Reliance Accumulator 10 | 10 yrs | 11% | $20,000 | 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0.5% |
| Keystone 10 Index Annuity | 10 yrs | 10.75% | $10,000 | 9-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1% |
Caps are the best S&P 500 1-year point-to-point cap at a $100,000 premium, from the carrier's filed rate sheets in our live feed. Caps reset each contract year and vary by state.
For a full product-level breakdown, read our Reliance Accumulator 7 review.
Apollo Traditional Fixed Annuity
Apollo pays a rate the company declares each year, so it is not a MYGA. It has a 7-year surrender schedule and comes in MVA and no-MVA versions. Every Reliance Standard deferred annuity allows 10% penalty-free withdrawals each contract year.
Reliance Standard Pros and Cons
What we like
- Highest AM Best rating: A++ (Superior) since 2021, plus S&P A+ and Moody's A1
- Deep-pocketed parent: Tokio Marine has a standing capital support agreement and added $500 million+ in 2024 and 2025
- MYGA choice: Reliance Guarantee and Eleos cover 3 to 10-year terms, with MVA and no-MVA versions
- Established indexes: the S&P 500 and the S&P MARC 5% ER, live since 2017
- Predictable processing: 3 to 5 day issue, a 45-day rate lock on transfers and suitability pre-screening since 2009
What to watch for
- No lifetime income products: no income rider, no SPIA and no variable annuity
- Limited index choice: only two indexes across the Keystone and Reliance Accumulator series
- Different lineup in New York: products are issued by affiliate First Reliance Standard Life, with different availability
- Annuities are a side business: the group's core business is employee benefits
- Higher index annuity minimum: Reliance Accumulator starts at $20,000
Reliance Standard Financial Strength and Ratings
AM Best reaffirmed Reliance Standard’s A++ (Superior) rating with a stable outlook on November 19, 2025, the fifth straight year at the top of the agency’s 15-level scale. Standard & Poor’s rates the company A+ (Strong) and Moody’s rates it A1. Only a short list of annuity carriers carry A++, and most of them are mutual giants that price well below the market on fixed rates.
The balance sheet behind the rating is a Reliance Standard Life Group total of roughly $30.2 billion in assets and $3.2 billion in capital and surplus as of June 30, 2025. AM Best notes that capital and surplus has compounded at about 13% a year over five years, and that Tokio Marine maintains a standing capital support agreement, contributing more than $500 million in 2024 and 2025 specifically to support annuity growth. The one caution AM Best flags is that below-investment-grade bonds sit near the high end of the group’s own tolerance.
Ratings are current as of the snapshot date above and are subject to change; verify current standing at ambest.com before purchasing. Financial figures are Reliance Standard Life Group totals from AM Best’s November 2025 report. Rates update daily from AnnuityRateWatch and vary by state and deposit size.
Who Owns Reliance Standard?
Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company traces back to 1907, when Central Standard Life was founded in Chicago. It took the Reliance Standard name in 1963, became part of Delphi Financial Group in 1987, and has been owned by Tokio Marine Holdings of Japan since May 2012. The home office is in Schaumburg, Illinois, with the administrative office in Philadelphia.
Most of its business is not annuities. Reliance Standard is best known as a group employee-benefits insurer, writing disability income, group life, and absence management through its Matrix subsidiary, which is why AM Best describes its revenue as well distributed across those lines. Annuities are the growth line, and the company sells them through more than 6,000 independent agents rather than direct to consumers.
Two points matter for a buyer. First, the contract you sign is issued by Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company itself, NAIC 68381, not a brand sitting on a separate issuer. Second, New York residents are served by the affiliate First Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, so product availability in New York differs from the rest of the country.
Reliance Standard vs Athene
Athene is the carrier most fixed index buyers compare against, so here is where the two differ.
- Financial strength: Reliance Standard is A++ with S&P A+ and Moody’s A1. Athene is A+ from AM Best. Both clear any reasonable threshold, but Reliance Standard sits one notch higher.
- Product breadth: Athene offers income riders, bonus products, and a dozen index choices. Reliance Standard offers two indexes and no income rider.
- Who it fits: Reliance Standard for accumulation and MYGA money where the rating matters. Athene when you need guaranteed lifetime income from the same contract.
See our Athene annuity review, or browse every carrier we work with.
How to Buy a Reliance Standard Annuity
Reliance Standard annuities are sold only through independent licensed agents. There is no direct-to-consumer channel, which is where we come in: we are independent, appointed with Reliance Standard and 90+ top annuity companies, and we can put its rates beside every carrier competing for the same money.
Reliance Standard accepts IRA rollovers, 1035 exchanges, and non-qualified after-tax funds. It does not accept 401(k) or 403(b) plan money directly, so workplace-plan balances roll to an IRA first. A direct rollover or exchange is not a taxable event when handled correctly, and the 45-day rate lock means a slow outgoing custodian will not cost you the rate you applied for.
Most fixed and MYGA contracts issue within three to five business days of a complete application. Index contracts issue on the 1st or 15th. Your state’s free look period begins when you sign the delivery receipt.
Request a free Reliance Standard annuity quote to see its current rates beside 90+ top annuity companies, with no obligation and no cost to compare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Reliance Standard's AM Best rating?
A++ (Superior), the highest of AM Best's 15 rating levels, with a stable outlook. The rating was first awarded in 2021 and reaffirmed on November 19, 2025. Standard & Poor's rates the company A+ and Moody's rates it A1.
Who owns Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company?
Tokio Marine Holdings of Japan, one of the largest insurance groups in the world, through Delphi Financial Group. Tokio Marine acquired Delphi in May 2012 and maintains an ongoing capital support agreement with Reliance Standard, contributing more than $500 million in 2024 and 2025.
Does Reliance Standard offer an income rider?
No. The Keystone and Reliance Accumulator fixed index annuities are accumulation products without a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit, and there is no SPIA or variable annuity. Lifetime income is available only through annuitization of the contract.
What is the difference between Eleos MVA and Eleos SP?
Both are 5-year MYGAs with a $10,000 minimum. The MVA version applies a market value adjustment to early surrenders, which can raise or lower your surrender value depending on interest rate movement. The SP version has no market value adjustment, so the surrender schedule is the only early-exit cost.
Can I buy a Reliance Standard annuity through My Annuity Store?
Yes. We are independent and appointed with Reliance Standard, so we can quote Reliance Guarantee, Eleos, Apollo, Keystone, and Reliance Accumulator alongside 90+ top annuity companies and compare rate, term, and financial strength side by side.
