The 5 Best Annuity Companies — and the Worst Ones — According to Consumers

American retirees are worried about their money.

A Schroders survey from earlier this year found that 92% of American retirees are at least slightly concerned that inflation will reduce the value of their assets, making it the chief financial concern of those in their golden years.

Annuities can be a great choice for retirees hoping for a safe stream of income during retirement. However, customer satisfaction with the annuity industry is falling.

The average customer satisfaction score of 639 out of a possible 1,000 points reflects a six-point decrease from 2024 to 2025. J.D. Power notes that consumer satisfaction levels are sinking due to “frustrations among newer clients early in the relationship and challenges with digital channels.”

Among annuity consumers, five companies stand at the front of the pack, a recent J.D. Power survey says. Consumers say USAA does the best job with annuities. It is the second straight year that USAA has taken the top honor.

The top five annuity companies for customer satisfaction finished as follows:

• USAA: 740 out of 1,000 points
• Western & Southern Life: 684
• New York Life: 675
• Prudential: 667
• MassMutual: 661

In addition, several other companies topped the industry average score of 639. They are:

• Lincoln Financial Group: 659 out of 1,000 points
• American Equity: 655
• Nationwide: 654
• Pacific Life: 653
• F&G: 651
• Jackson: 650
• Allianz: 648

On the other hand, nine companies finished below the industry average. They are:

• Global Atlantic: 638 out of 1,000 points
• Delaware Life: 628
• Equitable: 628
• Midland National Life: 615
• Brighthouse Financial: 614
• RiverSource: 599
• Corebridge Financial: 595
• Athene: 591
• Security Benefit: 545

J.D. Power based its rankings on a survey of more than 4,682 consumers who have annuities. Customer satisfaction rankings were based on performance in the eight factors listed below, in order of importance:

• Trust
• Value for price
• Ability to get service
• Ease of doing business
• People
• Product offerings
• Digital channels
• Problem resolution

It is worth noting that TIAA earned a score of 651. However, J.D. Power excluded TIAA from its ranking. (The company specifically serves people in academic, government, medical, cultural and other nonprofit fields.)

See Also:

6 Surprising Ways to Profit From the End of the Penny

Looking for alternatives to a traditional annuity? One might be right under your nose, as we noted in “The Annuity Everyone Needs — and Anybody Can Get.”