LIMRA Says Normal Annuity Sales Hold Above $100 Billion in Q1
U.S. annuity sales stayed above normal levels in the first quarter of 2026, reaching $104.6 billion and marking the tenth straight quarter above $100 billion. The total was down 2% from a year earlier, but LIMRA said the threshold now appears to be holding.
Bryan Hodgens, senior vice president and head of LIMRA research, said, “Although first quarter sales were slightly below prior year's results, the threshold for annuity sales appears to be stabilized above $100 billion, highlighting the continued interest in principal protection and guaranteed income.” The survey behind the figures covers about 87% of the U.S. annuity market.
Bryan Hodgens on demand
Hodgens said, “At a time when consumers registered significant economic concerns and market volatility was at its highest in a year, demand for registered indexed-linked and income annuities grew as investors sought greater protected growth opportunity and the ability to lock in guaranteed retirement income.” That put the quarter’s growth in RILAs and income annuities against a backdrop of softer total sales.
Registered index-linked annuity sales rose 21% from a year earlier to $21.2 billion, their second-best quarter on record. LIMRA also said the category extended its year-over-year growth streak to 30 consecutive quarters and forecast that full-year 2026 sales will top the record set in 2025.
Keith Golembiewski on RILAs
Keith Golembiewski, assistant vice president and head of LIMRA Annuity Research, said, “This product has tremendous tailwinds,” and added, “As more pre-retirees need to create future guaranteed income in retirement, RILAs are an attractive solution.”
The quarter also showed a split inside the broader market. Fixed indexed annuity sales fell 4% year over year to $26.6 billion, while single premium immediate annuity sales rose 22% to $3.7 billion and deferred income annuity sales increased 6% to $1 billion.
InspereX spring 2026
A spring 2026 pulse survey by InspereX found that 59% of financial professionals said clients seeking income were prioritizing stable, predictable cash flow. Another 13% cited principal preservation, while 12% pointed to the highest yield. That mix matches the products gaining ground, and it leaves retirement savers choosing between income certainty and the lower-growth parts of the annuity market.
