Global Atlantic annuities

Overview

Global Atlantic Financial Group is a retirement and life insurance company owned by the investment firm KKR. The Global Atlantic group ranked #9 among U.S. groups by 2024 individual annuity direct premiums written, according to NAIC market share data, with about $14.77 billion in premiums and a 3.50% market share.

Its retail annuities are issued by Forethought Life Insurance Company, an Indianapolis insurer Global Atlantic bought in 2014, and older contracts sit in affiliates such as Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company. Global Atlantic does not sell to consumers directly: its annuities are offered through banks, broker-dealers and independent agents, and the company has said it works with more than 200 banks and broker-dealers. KKR reports that Global Atlantic generated $15.4 billion of retirement and preneed sales in 2024. Beyond retail annuities, it takes over company pensions through pension risk transfer and reinsures blocks of business from other insurers.

Global Atlantic is also a preneed funeral insurer and services large acquired life blocks; those are covered in the Global Atlantic life insurance profile.

Annuities it sells

Forethought's lineup is broad, with the weight on fixed and fixed index products:

• Fixed index annuities. ForeAccumulation II is aimed at growth and legacy planning, with interest tied to index performance and no losses from market declines. ForeIncome II, ForeLifetime Income and Income 150+ SE are built around guaranteed lifetime income; Global Atlantic positions Income 150+ SE for people who want guaranteed income to start within about two years. Income-focused fixed index annuities usually rely on an income benefit with its own charge and rules, so the income base it grows is not cash you can withdraw.
• Fixed annuities. SecureFore and SecureFore II are multi-year guaranteed annuities that lock a fixed rate for three, five or seven years. ForeCare is a fixed annuity with long-term care benefits that can pay more toward qualified long-term care costs than the annuity's value alone.
• Income annuity. ForeCertain is an income annuity that turns a lump sum into guaranteed payments, with design choices for people already retired or a few years away and for single or married buyers; see Single premium immediate annuities (SPIAs): how they work.
• Registered index-linked annuity. ForeStructured Growth II offers index-linked growth potential with partial downside protection. As with any RILA, you can lose money beyond the protection level, and gains are limited.
• Variable annuity. ForeInvestors Choice offers nearly 100 investment options, with full market risk unless an optional guarantee applies.

Fixed and fixed index annuities trade liquidity for guarantees. Expect surrender charges for several years and, on some contracts, a market value adjustment; see annuity surrender charges and free withdrawals.

Ownership and reinsurance

Global Atlantic began in 2004 as Goldman Sachs's reinsurance group, became independent in 2013, and was bought by KKR, which took majority ownership in 2021 and has owned 100% since January 2, 2024. It is one of several large annuity writers now owned by asset managers, alongside Apollo's Athene.

That ownership matters to annuity buyers because its owner, an investment firm, has a say in how the insurer invests the premiums that back your guarantees. The group also includes Bermuda reinsurers, Global Atlantic Re and Global Atlantic Assurance, and uses them within its structure. Global Atlantic also takes on blocks from other companies: in February 2024 it closed a $10 billion reinsurance transaction with Manulife. None of this changes your contract, and Forethought remains the company obligated to pay you, but it is why the financial strength of the issuing company deserves a look. private equity's push into life insurance explains the wider trend.

Financial strength

On October 23, 2025, AM Best affirmed the A (Excellent) financial strength rating of Forethought Life and the group's other insurers, with a stable outlook, assessing the balance sheet as very strong. The company's ratings page, as of June 30, 2025, lists A (Strong) from S&P, A (Strong) from Fitch and A2 (Good) from Moody's, all stable. These are solid ratings, a step below the highest-rated insurers.

An annuity's guarantees depend on the issuing insurer. If it failed, your state's guaranty association would protect annuity values up to a limit; look yours up with the state guaranty association coverage lookup.

Who it suits

Global Atlantic suits savers whose bank or broker offers Forethought products and who want a fixed rate for a set term, an income-focused fixed index annuity, or a fixed annuity that helps pay for long-term care. Its lineup covers most needs, including a RILA, a variable annuity and an income annuity. It suits less well buyers who want to deal directly with the insurer, or who prefer an insurer owned by policyholders or a traditional public insurer rather than by an investment firm.

• Strengths: Broad product range from MYGAs to RILAs; income-focused fixed index designs; a long-term care annuity; A-range ratings from all four major agencies; large scale.
• Weaknesses: Sold only through banks, brokers and agents; owned by a private-equity firm and uses Bermuda reinsurance affiliates; income benefits and index crediting can be hard to compare; surrender charges on most products.

How to contact Global Atlantic