Commonwealth Annuity

Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company (NAIC 84824) illustrates how insurers can evolve through rebranding and changes in group affiliation. California's company profile lists multiple predecessor names-American Variable Annuity Life Assurance Company (1982), SMA Life Assurance Company (1995), and Allmerica Financial Life Insurance and Annuity Company (2007)-before the current name, reflecting repeated repositioning within different corporate owners. [1] The same regulator record places Commonwealth Annuity within the Global Atlantic insurance group, a signal of its current corporate home and oversight structure. [1] In the broader economic context, annuity-focused carriers have had to navigate prolonged low interest rates (which pressure spread-based earnings) and later sharp rate increases (which can change lapse behavior and pricing). These cycles have historically rewarded insurers that align investment expertise, capital discipline, and distribution around long-duration retirement products. Public regulator profiles provide authoritative identifiers and name-change history, but they typically do not list specific reinsurance counterparties in a consumer summary. [1] Accordingly, the most supportable history for this profile is the documented sequence of identities and ownership contexts-a company repeatedly renamed and re-situated, now operating as part of the Global Atlantic group in the long-duration retirement market. [1]

Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company

• Corporate Owner: Global Atlantic Financial Group (Wholly owned by KKR & Co.)
• Corporate Mailing Address: 20 Guest Street, Brighton, MA 02135

Rich History & Highlights

• 1974: Originally incorporated as SMA Life Assurance Company (a subsidiary of State Mutual/Allmerica).
• 2002: Name changed to Allmerica Financial Life Insurance and Annuity Company (AFLIAC).
• 2005: Goldman Sachs Era: The Goldman Sachs Reinsurance Group acquires AFLIAC from Allmerica Financial to serve as its primary US administrative carrier.
• 2006: Rebranding: Goldman Sachs renames the entity Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company.
• 2013: The Spin-Off: Goldman Sachs spins off its reinsurance arm into an independent private company named Global Atlantic Financial Group. Commonwealth Annuity becomes the primary issuing paper for Global Atlantic.
• 2021: Private equity firm KKR acquires a majority stake (60%) in Global Atlantic.
• 2024: Full Acquisition: KKR acquires the remaining 40%, making Global Atlantic (and Commonwealth Annuity) a 100% owned subsidiary.

Source: Global Atlantic Our Story | AM Best Report - Commonwealth Annuity

Sources: [1] California Department of Insurance (CDI) company profile (Commonwealth Annuity and Life, NAIC 84824; old company names; Global Atlantic group listing).