The financial institution has credited the growth to product enhancements that “that further strengthen its position in the evolving retirement income market.”
Allianz stated that AGILE uptake has increased by more than 30 per cent since January, with repeated usage by advisers continuing this momentum. It added that recent product enhancements, including reduced fees and earlier access to lifetime income have “further strengthened AGILE’s competitiveness”.
Further, the firm said research it conducted with Core Data in March of this year showed access to capital is the “number one priority for advisers” (71 per cent), adding that AGILE is designed to offer a solution to this concern.
“AGILE is currently the only retirement income solution in Australia offering the unique combination of investment growth exposure, protection from market downturns, guaranteed lifetime income and flexible capital access,” Allianz said.
Alongside this, Allianz Retire+ also announced the appointment of Kiru Anantharaj as senior manager, retirement solutions, within its distribution and marketing team.
Anantharaj joins the firm with more than two decades of experience spanning insurance, financial advice, retirement and superannuation.
Prior to this she was with AMP, where she most recently served as retirement specialist for MyNorth Lifetime, focusing on adviser engagement and supporting the adoption of lifetime income products, before which she held roles at CareSuper, Insignia Financial, MLC Life Insurance, BT Advice and ANZ Bank.
According to Allianz, Anantharaj has worked closely with advisers across the retirement and wealth management sectors and has developed a reputation for delivering adviser education and building strong industry relationships.
Commenting on her new role, Anantharaj said: “There is a growing need for solutions that give retirees confidence and flexibility, and advisers are increasingly looking for partners who can help them navigate this complexity.”
“I’m excited to be joining Allianz Retire+ at such a pivotal time and to work closely with advisers to deliver better retirement outcomes.”
Chief distribution and marketing officer Catherine van der Veen said Anantharaj’s experience and relationships will support the business in its next phase of growth.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kiru to the team at a time of strong growth for Allianz Retire+. She brings deep relationships across the advice community and a proven ability to support advisers in delivering better retirement outcomes for their clients,” she said.
“As momentum continues to build in the retirement income category, strengthening our distribution capability is critical to ensuring more advisers and clients can access innovative solutions like AGILE.”
