Best 9 Year Annuity Rate

The best 9-year annuity rate presents the starkest rate challenge of any term in today’s MYGA market: today’s best 9-year declared rate of 5.50% is 0.50 percentage points below the best 8-year rate of 6.00% — the largest single adjacent-term rate drop in the entire MYGA yield curve. A buyer who extends from 8 years to 9 years accepts one additional year of surrender commitment in exchange for a 0.50% annual reduction in guaranteed interest. On $250,000, that 0.50% gap costs approximately $1,250 per year in foregone guaranteed interest — or approximately $11,250 over the full 9-year term compared to an 8-year MYGA renewed at a comparable rate for the overlapping period. The 9-year rate of 5.50% is also lower than the best rates at the 5-year (6.35%), 6-year (6.00%), 7-year (6.25%), and 8-year (6.00%) terms — meaning the 9-year has the lowest declared rate of any MYGA term from 3 years through 10 years in today’s market. For buyers with any flexibility in their commitment horizon, there is no rate justification for choosing 9 years over 8 years, 7 years, or 5 years in today’s environment. The 9-year MYGA earns its place only for buyers whose planning horizon is genuinely and specifically 108 months — not for rate optimization, not as a step up from 8 years, but as the precise structural match for a 9-year planning need. For the complete rate spectrum across all terms, our highest guaranteed annuity rates resource and current fixed annuity rates page provide the full market context.

What makes the 9-year tier structurally noteworthy — beyond its rate position — is a carrier composition reversal that appears for the first time across all terms in this session: today’s 9-year rate table is the only MYGA term in the full 1-to-10-year spectrum where A-rated carriers lead in declared rate, with Mountain Life (B-) trailing behind them. Talcott Financial (A-) and Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Company (A-) both reach 5.50% — tying for the 9-year rate lead — while Mountain Life’s Secure Summit (B-) comes in at 5.40%, a full 0.10% behind the A-rated leaders. This reversal means that at the 9-year term, the buyer seeking the highest declared rate should choose an A-rated carrier rather than accepting B-rated financial strength in exchange for yield advantage. The liquidity structure also tells a unique story at 9 years: the rate-leading Talcott Financial (A-) provides 10% annual penalty-free withdrawal, while Liberty Bankers (A-) at the same declared rate provides none. This creates a clear buyer choice at the 5.50% rate level — identical declared rate, one with full 10% annual access, one with zero access. American National (A, 5.30%) closes the table with 10% penalty-free withdrawal at a meaningful A (not A-) rating. For comprehensive context on how to evaluate carrier ratings and select between financial strength levels, our resource on carrier strength evaluation provides the foundational framework that applies across all MYGA term selections.

The 9-year MYGA’s 108-month commitment is the longest sub-decade fixed annuity term — one year short of a full 10-year contract. For buyers who specifically want to avoid the full decade commitment of a 10-year MYGA but want guaranteed accumulation through 2035, the 9-year provides that precise window. Common planning alignments for the 9-year include buyers currently aged 55–57 who want guaranteed growth through age 64–66 before Medicare and Social Security claiming decisions converge, retirees building the final accumulation phase before transitioning to guaranteed lifetime income, and buyers who want the LTC planning bridge that 9 years provides — accumulating through the earliest common window for long-term care need emergence before having to make LTC coverage decisions at maturity. Our resource on tax-free long-term care insurance covers how annuity accumulation and LTC planning are often structured together in comprehensive retirement plans, and our no-cost insurance policy review service provides buyers with existing contracts a professional assessment of whether repositioning into a 9-year MYGA makes financial sense for their specific situation.

What Is a 9-Year Fixed Annuity — And What 108 Months of Commitment Provides

A 9-year fixed annuity (MYGA) declares a guaranteed interest rate at issuance and applies it to the full accumulation value for exactly 108 months. The declared rate is contractually locked — the carrier cannot reduce it during the term regardless of market conditions or interest rate movements. Principal is fully protected from any market loss. Interest compounds tax-deferred without generating an annual 1099 for non-qualified money. At the end of month 108, a maturity window opens — typically 30 days — during which the buyer can withdraw the full accumulated value penalty-free, renew at then-current rates, or convert to a different structure. A $200,000 deposit at 5.50% for 9 years accumulates to approximately $326,400 at maturity — $126,400 in guaranteed, tax-deferred growth over 108 months with zero market exposure. The 9-year commitment at 5.50% produces less total accumulated value per year of commitment than the 8-year at 6.00% — a concrete consequence of the rate valley position that buyers must weigh before committing to the longer term.

💰 Best 9-Year Annuity Rates (as of June 2026)

The table below shows today’s top four 9-year MYGA options. Talcott Financial (A-) and Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Company (A-) both lead at 5.50% — making this the only MYGA term in today’s market where A-rated carriers hold the rate lead over Mountain Life (B-, 5.40%). Notably, Talcott Financial’s EverStead MYGA provides 10% annual penalty-free withdrawal while Liberty Bankers’ Heritage Elite 9 provides none — both at the identical 5.50% declared rate. American National (A) closes the table at 5.30% with 10% annual access. Confirm live quotes for your state, age, and deposit amount before purchasing.

Rates subject to change and may vary by state, age, and deposit size. Talcott Financial EverStead MYGA: $500,000–$2,000,000 minimum premium. American National Palladium MYG: $250,000–$3,000,000 minimum. Liberty Bankers Heritage Elite 9: $10,000–$1,000,000 minimum. Mountain Life Secure Summit: $5,000–$1,000,000 minimum. Guarantees backed by the carrier’s claims-paying ability and state guaranty associations within applicable limits.

The Steepest Rate Drop in the Spectrum — 8-Year to 9-Year

The drop from the 8-year MYGA (6.00%) to the 9-year (5.50%) is 0.50 percentage points — the largest single adjacent-term rate reduction in the entire MYGA yield curve from 1-to-10-year terms in today’s market. Every other adjacent-term step in the yield curve involves rate changes of 0.10%–0.35% — the 8-to-9-year step doubles or triples the typical adjacent-term variation. This 0.50% drop reflects a specific break in the insurance general account bond market at the 9-year portfolio duration: 9-year investment-grade bonds do not offer the same portfolio efficiency as 8-year bonds in today’s intermediate-duration yield curve, and the gap is unusually large. For buyers, the practical consequence is severe: every additional year of commitment in moving from 8 to 9 years costs 0.50% in annual declared rate — a rate exchange that is difficult to justify on any grounds except genuine planning necessity for 108 months. On $300,000, the annual cost of 9-year versus 8-year is approximately $1,500 per year in foregone guaranteed interest, or approximately $13,500 over the 9-year term on an apples-to-apples comparison of the first 9 years. This is not a marginal trade-off — it is a meaningful penalty for the 9-year term that buyers must weigh honestly before committing. The 9-year rate of 5.50% is also lower than the 3-year rate (6.00%), the 5-year (6.35%), the 6-year (6.00%), the 7-year (6.25%), and the 8-year (6.00%) — making it the lowest-yielding term from 3 years through the decade in today’s MYGA market.

A-Rated Rate Leadership — The First Term Where Mountain Life Trails

Across every MYGA term from 2-year through 8-year covered in this session, Mountain Life’s Secure Summit has either led the rate table or been among the rate leaders. At 9 years, that pattern changes for the first time: both Talcott Financial (A-, 5.50%) and Liberty Bankers Life (A-, 5.50%) match each other at the rate lead, with Mountain Life (B-, 5.40%) trailing by 0.10%. This A-rated rate leadership at the 9-year term is analytically significant. It means that at this specific commitment length, buyers who want the highest declared rate actually achieve it through A-rated carriers rather than through accepting B-rated financial strength in exchange for yield. For buyers who have been evaluating the B-vs-A trade-off throughout this session — where typically the B-rated carriers led by 0.20%–0.75% — the 9-year eliminates that trade-off at the rate-leader level entirely. The buyer who chooses Talcott Financial (A-, 5.50%) earns the same rate as the buyer who might have been tempted toward Mountain Life (B-, 5.40%) — and earns more, with investment-grade carrier strength. At 9 years, the rational choice for any buyer comfortable with Talcott’s $500,000 minimum premium is unambiguous: A-rated financial strength at the leading declared rate, with 10% annual penalty-free access. For buyers below $500,000, Liberty Bankers (A-, 5.50%, from $10,000 minimum) provides the same declared rate with no penalty-free access, or Mountain Life (B-, 5.40%, from $5,000 minimum) provides slightly lower rate with 5% access from year two.

Talcott Financial vs. Liberty Bankers — Same Rate, Very Different Access

The most operationally interesting comparison in today’s 9-year table is between the two rate-leading carriers that sit at an identical 5.50% declared rate: Talcott Financial (A-, EverStead MYGA, $500k–$2m minimum, 10% annual penalty-free from inception) and Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Company (A-, Heritage Elite 9, $10k–$1m minimum, no penalty-free access). Both offer the same annual guaranteed interest rate. Both carry A- AM Best ratings. But their liquidity profiles are diametrically opposite. Talcott Financial’s EverStead MYGA allows 10% annual penalty-free withdrawal throughout the 108-month term — on a $500,000 deposit, that means up to $50,000 per year is accessible without surrender charges, from day one. Liberty Bankers’ Heritage Elite 9 allows nothing — any withdrawal during the 108-month term triggers surrender charges. For buyers who can qualify for Talcott Financial’s minimum ($500,000+), the choice between these two carriers is clear: same rate, same financial strength profile, with Talcott providing complete 10% annual liquidity and Liberty Bankers providing none. The only scenario where Liberty Bankers is preferred at the same rate is if the buyer specifically prefers Heritage Elite 9’s contract structure for other provisions not captured in the rate table (specific state availability, death benefit provisions, etc.) that matter to their planning. For buyers below Talcott’s $500,000 minimum, Liberty Bankers (from $10,000) provides A-rated access to the 5.50% rate with zero liquidity. Carriers at the same declared rate with meaningfully different access provisions are rare in the MYGA market — the 9-year is the term where this comparison is most directly available for evaluation. Our resource on whether Liberty Bankers is a good insurance company provides the full carrier profile for buyers evaluating Heritage Elite 9.

Who Specifically Should Choose a 9-Year MYGA

Given the 9-year’s rate disadvantage versus shorter alternatives, the buyer who selects a 9-year MYGA must have a genuine reason specific to the 108-month commitment. The most compelling profiles include: buyers currently aged 55–57 who want guaranteed accumulation precisely through age 64–66 (Medicare eligibility and Social Security evaluation window); retirees who want to lock guaranteed growth through 2035 — a specific calendar target — before converting to a lifetime income structure; buyers implementing a fixed annuity ladder where the 9-year creates the long anchor rung in a 3-6-9 or 5-7-9 configuration; and buyers planning a long-term care repositioning in 2035, structuring guaranteed accumulation through the 108-month bridge before making a hybrid LTC decision at maturity. For the LTC planning connection, our resource on tax-free long-term care insurance covers how annuity proceeds are often positioned alongside LTC coverage decisions. Buyers for whom none of these profiles apply — who simply want “a good long-term rate” — are almost certainly better served by the 5-year MYGA at 6.35% or the 7-year MYGA at 6.25%, both of which offer higher declared rates with shorter or equivalent commitment periods in today’s market. For buyers who want a bonus annuity structure with premium enhancement alongside similar surrender periods, our resource on bonus annuities over 20% covers the premium credit structures that some buyers evaluate as an alternative to straightforward MYGA accumulation at longer commitment levels.

The 9-Year vs. the 10-Year — One Year vs. Full Decade

The comparison between the 9-year (5.50%) and the 10-year MYGA involves both a rate comparison and a commitment comparison. If the 10-year offers a higher declared rate than 5.50%, buyers who can commit to a full decade are rewarded with a better yield for one additional year of surrender period. If the 10-year rate is at or below 5.50%, the 9-year is the more efficient choice within the longest-term MYGA tier. Given the yield curve pattern across this session — where longer terms have generally not rewarded additional commitment in today’s inverted environment — buyers evaluating the 9-vs-10-year decision should confirm current 10-year rates before defaulting to the longer commitment. Our best 10-year annuity rate page provides today’s comparative data for buyers making this specific decision.

Fixed Annuity vs. Fixed Indexed Annuity at 9 Years — A More Consequential Decision

At a 9-year commitment horizon, the MYGA vs. FIA comparison deserves particularly careful evaluation because 108 months is long enough for the FIA’s variable crediting mechanism to either substantially outperform or underperform a fixed declared rate, and because the 9-year MYGA’s declared rate (5.50%) is low enough relative to historical index performance averages that the FIA’s upside case is stronger on a relative basis than at shorter terms. A 9-year MYGA at 5.50% guarantees 5.50% annually for 108 months — producing a precise, knowable maturity value. A 9-year FIA at similar surrender period credits interest based on index performance against annual caps, spreads, or participation rates — potentially averaging more than 5.50% in a strong 9-year index environment and potentially averaging less in a flat or poor one. Over 108 months, the compounding effect of multiple zero-credit years in an FIA can materially reduce the effective average — but multiple strong-credit years can meaningfully exceed the MYGA’s guarantee. Buyers who want certainty about their 2035 accumulated value should choose the MYGA. Buyers who can tolerate annual variability for the potential of exceeding 5.50% average annual crediting over 9 years should evaluate FIA alternatives. Our resources on whether FIA rates change, FIA behavior in market downturns, and who is best suited for an indexed annuity provide the complete comparison framework for buyers at this commitment level.

108-Month Tax Deferral — The Compounding Advantage Over Nine Full Years

Nine years of uninterrupted tax-deferred compounding inside a fixed annuity produces a cumulative after-tax advantage that grows in proportion to the term length. For non-qualified (after-tax) money, 108 months of credited interest accumulate without a single annual 1099 event — all pre-tax interest stays fully invested in the contract and earns the declared rate on its full pre-tax value throughout the term. While the 9-year’s 5.50% declared rate is lower than shorter-term alternatives, the compounding chain of 9 full years of tax deferral still produces a meaningful after-tax advantage over taxable alternatives at comparable or lower stated rates. Our resources on fixed annuities vs. CDs, tax-deferred annuity strategies, and non-qualified annuities provide the complete after-tax mechanics for buyers comparing the 9-year MYGA’s deferral advantage against taxed alternatives across different tax bracket scenarios.

Surrender Schedules and MVA at 9 Years

All four carriers in today’s 9-year table carry MVA provisions — making the annuity surrender charge and MVA mechanics particularly important to understand before committing 108 months. At 9 years, any mid-term excess withdrawal triggers both declining surrender charges (typically 7%–9% in early years, declining toward zero by year 9) and a potential market value adjustment based on interest rate movements since contract issuance. The long commitment window at 9 years amplifies both the surrender charge’s relevance in early years and the MVA’s potential magnitude — given that 9 years provides substantial time for interest rates to shift materially in either direction. Buyers who commit genuinely to holding through month 108 are entirely unaffected by these mechanics; it is only mid-term exits that trigger them. But confirming with absolute certainty that you can hold for 108 months before purchasing a 9-year MYGA is the most important pre-commitment verification at this term length.

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