AmeriLife Acquires Dallas Financial Wholesalers

DFW may be best known for its pioneering work in the multi-year guarantee annuity market.

(Photo: AmeriLife)

AmeriLife Group LLC says it has acquired Dallas Financial Wholesalers.

AmeriLife is a Clearwater, Florida-based life, health and annuity distributor that generates more than $3 billion in annual annuity premium revenue and has relationships with about 140,000 agents and advisors.

DFW is a Plano, Texas-based independent marketing organization (IMO) that was founded in 1988. It now has a distribution network that reaches into all 50 states.

(Related: AmeriLife Faces DOL Rule With Two-Track Strategy)

In 1996, DFW worked with insurers to develop the first multi-year guarantee annuity (MYGA) available for general distribution, according to DFW.

Ron Rawlings, DFW’s founder, has served on the board of the Financial Planning Association.

He was a member of the federal government’s Business Advisory Council and the Presidential Business Commission during the administration of President George W. Bush.

AmeriLife is not saying how much it’s paying for DFW, but it says  Rawlings will continue to run DFW as the principal, under the DFW brand, from the current headquarters offices in Plano.

Rawlings will continue to hold a minority interest in DFW, and he will be a member of the AmeriLife management team for the AmeriLife annuity and retirement planning brokerage distribution channel, AmeriLife says.

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