Equitable America
The Arizona-domiciled issuing carrier of the Equitable brand - a subsidiary of publicly traded Equitable Holdings (NYSE: EQH) and part of a 165-plus-year retirement and protection platform - carrying an A (Excellent) rating from AM Best, best known for pioneering the registered index-linked annuity and leading variable-annuity distribution.
Financial strength
A
AM Best
A1
Moody's
A+
S&P
AM Best A (Excellent)
Equitable America carries an A (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best - the third-highest of thirteen categories - affirmed alongside Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company as the "Equitable Life Group."
Equitable Holdings (EQH)
A subsidiary of Equitable Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded U.S. financial services company (NYSE: EQH) whose principal franchises are Equitable and AllianceBernstein.
RILA pioneer
The Equitable brand introduced the first registered index-linked annuity (Structured Capital Strategies) and reports having led U.S. RILA sales for 14-plus consecutive years.
Variable-annuity leader
Equitable reports being the #1 overall variable annuity provider based on year-end 2024 total sales, per Secure Retirement Institute survey data.
1859 heritage
The Equitable brand traces its life-insurance heritage to 1859 through Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (New York) - the "more than 165 years" reference applies specifically to that affiliated issuer.
Run live numbers on Equitable America products
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Registered Index-Linked Annuities
Selected product: Investment Edge 21
A registered index-linked annuity group for comparing index-linked crediting with explicit downside buffer, floor, or participation terms.
Other current products
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Explore Equitable America products
Equitable America’s lineup, grouped by what each product group is built to do. Current rates come from CANNEX via AdvisorWorld and are checked daily.
Registered Index-Linked Annuity
Registered index-linked annuities grouped separately so buffers, floors, caps, and participation terms are not mixed into FIA or MYGA comparisons.
- RILA protection terms stay separate from FIA caps and MYGA guarantees
- Product pages show live buffer, floor, cap, participation, and premium-band detail when available
Best for: Buyers comparing index-linked upside with explicit downside exposure rules.
Investment Edge 21
Investment Edge 21 is the Investment Edge 21 contract version, pairing SEC-registered market-linked growth potential with defined downside terms; contract value can rise or fall.
Buffer
40%
Structured Capital Strategies Income
Equitable Structured Capital Strategies Income is the income-oriented Structured Capital Strategies contract version, pairing SEC-registered market-linked growth potential with defined downside terms; contract value can rise or fall.
Buffer
40%
Structured Capital Strategies PLUS 21
Structured Capital Strategies PLUS 21 is the national PLUS 21 contract version, pairing SEC-registered market-linked growth potential with defined downside terms; contract value can rise or fall.
Buffer
40%
Structured Capital Strategies Premier
Structured Capital Strategies Premier is the Premier contract version, pairing SEC-registered market-linked growth potential with defined downside terms; contract value can rise or fall.
Buffer
40%
Rates are pulled live from CANNEX via the AdvisorWorld data feed · 2026-07-16. Caps, payout rates, and guaranteed rates vary by state, premium band, and rider election — confirm current terms on each product page.
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Find your fit
Compare the five current Equitable RILA products, then open a product page for current strategies, protection terms, and state availability.
How lifetime income builds
See how a guaranteed-income benefit can turn a premium into lifetime income using this carrier’s current income terms.
Lifetime withdrawal rate
5.5%
10-yr illustration
Income-base roll-up
6%
simple, up to 20 yrs
Annual fee
1.5%
benefit charge
Premium
$100,000
Income base · yr 10
$160,000
Annual lifetime income
$8,800
Illustrative 10-year projection using this option's current simple income-base roll-up, then the applicable lifetime withdrawal rate. Actual results can vary; use the carrier illustration for contract-specific values.
Company overview
What Equitable America is
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Equitable America) is an Arizona stock life insurance company with an administrative office in Charlotte, North Carolina, and one of the two proprietary issuing carriers behind Equitable-branded annuity and life insurance products.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and public disclosures
Equitable America is a subsidiary of Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH), a publicly traded financial services company whose principal franchises are Equitable (retirement and protection) and AllianceBernstein (investment management). Contract guarantees are backed solely by the claims-paying ability of the issuing carrier, not by the parent, distributor, or affiliated asset manager.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and Equitable Holdings public disclosures
Equitable America groups its annuity offerings around families such as Structured / Registered Index-Linked Annuities, Guaranteed Growth Strategies (Fixed), and Income & Variable Annuities.
Verified July 2026 · CANNEX Financial Exchanges via AdvisorWorld
Scale, labeled
Parent
Equitable Holdings (EQH)
Publicly traded parent (NYSE: EQH); principal franchises Equitable and AllianceBernstein.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and Equitable Holdings public disclosures
Group AUM/AUA
~$1.1T
Parent/group figure: Equitable Holdings reported ~$1.1 trillion in assets under management and administration as of 12/31/2025 - enterprise context, not issuing-company statutory assets.
As of 12/31/2025 · Equitable website and Equitable Holdings 2025 results
Structure
Arizona stock insurer
Equitable America is an Arizona stock life insurance company with an administrative office in Charlotte, NC.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and public disclosures
AM Best
A (Excellent)
A Financial Strength Rating from AM Best; affirmed alongside Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company as the "Equitable Life Group."
Effective 2/20/2025 · Equitable website and public disclosures; AM Best
History highlights
The Equitable brand traces its U.S. life-insurance heritage to 1859 through Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (New York); the "more than 165 years" claim refers specifically to that affiliated issuer.
Heritage 1859 · Equitable website and public disclosures
Equitable operated for years as AXA Equitable. Beginning in 2018, AXA separated its U.S. operations via a public offering, creating Equitable Holdings as a standalone public company; the Equitable brand later replaced the AXA Equitable identity.
IPO began 2018 · Equitable website and public disclosures
In March 2026 Equitable Holdings announced an all-stock merger with Corebridge Financial to form a new parent under the Equitable brand - a pending transaction to be treated as announced, not completed, until it closes.
Announced March 2026 (pending) · Equitable website and merger announcement
An issuing carrier inside the Equitable enterprise
Equitable America is one of two proprietary issuing insurers under the Equitable brand; the other is Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company, based in New York. Both are subsidiaries of Equitable Holdings, Inc., which trades publicly as EQH.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and Equitable Holdings public disclosures
The current structure reflects Equitable's history as a former AXA U.S. business (AXA Equitable) that became a standalone public company after AXA separated its U.S. operations through an IPO beginning in 2018, later rebranding to Equitable.
IPO began 2018 · Equitable website and public disclosures
In March 2026, Equitable Holdings and Corebridge Financial announced an all-stock merger that would form a new parent under the Equitable name and brand. This is a pending, announced transaction - until it closes, Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company and Equitable America remain the issuing carriers for Equitable-branded annuities, and Corebridge should not be treated as integrated.
Announced March 2026 (pending) · Equitable website and merger announcement
Financial strength
AM Best
A
Excellent financial-strength rating - the third-highest of thirteen AM Best categories; affirmed as the "Equitable Life Group."
Effective 2/20/2025
Moody's
A1
Good creditworthiness for the issuing carrier, based on the cited rating sources.
Checked 2026-07-07
S&P
A+
Strong financial security characteristics for the issuing carrier, based on the cited rating sources.
Checked 2026-07-07
What makes Equitable America different
The RILA pioneer
The Equitable brand introduced the first registered index-linked annuity - the Structured Capital Strategies line - and reports leading U.S. RILA sales for 14-plus consecutive years, making buffered, market-linked growth its signature product design.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and annuity materials
A broad market-linked platform
Equitable is not a MYGA-only or simple fixed-annuity carrier. Its annuity platform spans variable annuities, registered index-linked/structured annuities, income-oriented products, and fixed options such as Guaranteed Growth Strategies.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and public disclosures
Enterprise scale, issuer-level guarantees
Backed by Equitable Holdings' ~$1.1 trillion group platform and advisor distribution, Equitable America pairs enterprise scale with a clear rule: annuity obligations are backed solely by the issuing carrier's claims-paying ability.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and Equitable Holdings public disclosures
Advisor-led retirement planning
Equitable annuities are generally positioned inside broader financial plans through Equitable Advisors' goals-based, relationship-driven model rather than sold as standalone rate-driven contracts.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and public disclosures
About Equitable America
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Equitable America) is an Arizona stock insurer, administered from Charlotte, NC, and a subsidiary of Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH). It is one of two proprietary issuing carriers behind the Equitable brand, alongside Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of New York.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and Equitable Holdings public disclosures
Equitable carries an A (Excellent) rating from AM Best and is best known for pioneering the registered index-linked annuity and leading variable-annuity and RILA distribution, with a platform spanning structured/market-linked, income, and fixed annuity solutions such as Guaranteed Growth Strategies.
Checked 2026-07-07 · Equitable website and public disclosures; AM Best
Equitable is best known for structured and registered index-linked annuities, supplemented by fixed guarantees and income-oriented contracts. A March 2026 merger with Corebridge is announced but pending.
Verified July 2026 · CANNEX Financial Exchanges via AdvisorWorld
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Sources
- Equitable individuals site — 2026-07-07
- Equitable America overview - Equitable Holdings (EQH) ownership, Arizona stock insurer / Charlotte NC administrative office, AM Best A (Excellent) effective 2/20/2025 — Checked 2026-07-07
- Parent/group context - Equitable Holdings ~$1.1T AUM/AUA as of 12/31/2025; announced (pending) March 2026 Corebridge merger — As of 12/31/2025
- Current lineup (5 RILA products: Investment Edge 21 and Structured Capital Strategies Income, PLUS 21, PLUS 21 NY, and Premier), rates, and riders: CANNEX Financial Exchanges via AdvisorWorld — Verified July 2026