Nationwide and Annexus marked a significant milestone in their collaboration by ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on March 7. The event celebrated a decade-long partnership that has brought innovative solutions to the financial services marketplace, benefiting American retirement savers.

Mike Morrone, vice president of Nationwide Annuity business development, highlighted the impact of the partnership, stating, "Our partnership with Annexus has enabled us to take our product innovation to the next level." This collaboration allowed Nationwide to enter the fixed indexed annuity (FIA) and registered index-linked annuity (RILA) markets, expanding their reach and assisting customers in achieving a secure retirement.

In 2014, Nationwide and Annexus introduced Nationwide New Heights, a FIA providing investors with principal protection and growth potential in various market conditions. The partnership evolved the product further with the launch of Nationwide New Heights Select, offering enhanced growth potential, strategy options tied to index performance, and bucketing capabilities for investors to allocate their contract value among different options.

Additionally, the partners ventured into the RILA market in 2020 with the launch of Nationwide Defined Protection Annuity, designed to help investors protect their assets against market risk through unique features such as defined protection levels.

Ron Shurts, co-founder and CEO of Annexus, emphasized the collaborative effort in product development, stating, "We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with Nationwide well into the future, developing products together that help investors reach their goals in retirement."

The partnership between Nationwide and Annexus extends beyond annuity products, with recent collaborations in life insurance and employer-sponsored retirement plans spaces. This ongoing collaboration underscores both companies' commitment to designing protection-focused products aimed at delivering superior client outcomes.

For individuals seeking more information about Nationwide's diverse portfolio of annuity products, including Nationwide New Heights Select and Nationwide Defined Protection Annuity, they can visit nationwidefinancial.com.