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Empower Announces $2.5 Billion in Sales for Its Zero-Fee Index ISA for Retirement Investors

via Business Wire

Financial advisors serving retirement plans have given positive feedback, praising the product’s no-fee structure and ease of integration into client portfolios

Empower, a leading innovator in retirement investment solutions, today announced that the Empower S&P 500® Index Separate Account has surpassed $2.5 billion in cumulative sales since its launch earlier this year. This milestone highlights strong demand from U.S. retirement investors seeking low-cost, transparent ways to grow their retirement savings. The fund is on track to achieve $5 billion in total sales by year-end 2025, underscoring its sustained momentum across key markets for retirement investments.

“Reaching $2.5 billion in sales in under three months demonstrates the trust retirement investors place in Empower’s commitment to provide affordable, accessible retirement solutions,” said Empower President & CEO Edmund F. Murphy. “We are proud to help more Americans to take control of their financial futures with products designed specifically for long-term retirement success.”

Empower Executive Vice President and Head of Empower Investments Jonathan Kreider, CFA, added, “The Empower S&P 500® Index Separate Account has resonated with a broad spectrum of advisors and plan sponsors thanks to its simplicity, transparency, and cost-effectiveness. We remain dedicated to expanding access to retirement products that help drive improved retirement savings.”

Financial advisors serving retirement plans have given positive feedback, praising the product’s no-fee structure and ease of integration into client portfolios. Advisors note that the Empower S&P 500® Index Separate Account helps simplify retirement planning while maximizing value for their clients.

The Zero-Fee Index Institutional Separate Account (ISA) is built on a simple promise: no platform fees, no fund fees, and full transparency.

The fund is available to all investors saving for retirement through defined contribution (DC) plans, including 401(k), 401(a), 457(b), and defined benefit plans as well as other qualified retirement accounts. This fund seeks investment results that track the total return of the common stocks that comprise the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500® Index and is sub-advised by BlackRock.

Empower recognizes the widespread uptake of S&P 500 Index funds within the DC space — as well as the complementary nature of this offering opposite the full Empower Institutional Separate Account Platform, which represents over 100 strategies and more than $85 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of June 30, 2025. Empower seeks to provide value to DC investors by offering this no-fee institutional separate account (ISA) as a means of highlighting the low-cost benefits of the ISA structure.

“The ISA structure is relatively unheralded in retirement investing,” said Kreider. “The Empower Institutional Separate Account Platform leverages the buying power of Empower to provide retirement plans with high-quality investment strategies, managed by the nation’s premier asset managers, generally in a lower cost structure relative to mutual funds and collective investment trusts (CITs).”

Learn more about Institutional Separate Accounts from Empower.

About Empower

Recognized as the second-largest retirement services provider in the U.S.1 by total participants, Empower administers more than $1.8 trillion in assets for 19 million investors2 through the provision of retirement plans, advice, wealth management, and investments. Connect with us on empower.com, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram.

  1. Pensions & Investments DC Recordkeeper Survey (2024). Ranking measured by total number of participants as of December 31, 2023
  2. As of March 31, 2025. Assets under administration (AUA) refers to the assets administered by Empower. AUA does not reflect the financial stability or strength of a company.

Empower refers to the products and services offered by Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America (EAICA) and its subsidiaries. “EMPOWER” and all associated logos and product names are trademarks of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America.

The information contained herein is being provided for discussion purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities.

Separate accounts are available under group variable annuity contracts issued by Empower Annuity Insurance Company (EAIC), Hartford, CT, an affiliate of Empower Retirement, LLC. EAICA and its affiliates are not affiliated with BlackRock.

The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (SPDJI) and has been licensed for use by EAIC. Standard & Poor's®, S&P® and S&P 500® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (S&P); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (Dow Jones); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by EAIC. The separate account discussed in this material is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, their respective affiliates, and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the S&P 500 Index.

©2025 Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America. All rights reserved. RO-4709107-0725

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To learn more about how we’re empowering plan sponsors and their participants to be more engaged in their retirement plans than ever before, call us at 800-719-9914.

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