Education Hub
Buffered ETFs offer a straightforward strategy for managing portfolio risk: equity exposure with built-in guardrails that seek to limit losses during market downturns. Start here to understand the potential benefits, use cases, and risk-managed ETF strategies available from AllianzIM.
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48 %of Americans are too nervous to invest in the market right now – the highest since 2019. 1
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73 %of Americans are concerned that continued market volatility could negatively impact their long-term financial plan. 1
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62 %of Americans say they are not saving as much for retirement as they would like. 2
1 The Allianz 2025 Q2 Quarterly Market Perceptions Study, May 2025, nationally representative sample of 1,003 respondents age 18+.
2 Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement™ 2025 Annual Retirement Study, January/February 2025, online survey of 1,000 respondents age 25+ in the contiguous U.S. with an annual household income of $50K+ (single) / $75K+ (married/partnered) OR investable assets of $150K+.
A new approach to portfolio risk management
Few risk-management strategies allow investors to participate in the growth potential of equities while providing a built-in downside defense. Buffered ETFs are built to do just that.
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Growth potential with guardrails
These ETFs give you levels of equity market exposure with built-in risk management over a defined outcome period.
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Structured levels of protection
With a range of downside protection levels, these ETFs can help limit losses during market drawdowns to keep you invested for the long haul.
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Tax-efficient, transparent, and liquid
Because these ETFs trade like stocks on an exchange, they offer intraday liquidity and transparency into their holdings – and they don’t trigger a taxable event when they reset.
Watch: Buffered ETFs in 5 minutes
Watch this quick video to learn more about how buffered ETFs can help mitigate risk and lower volatility in portfolios.
Building the asset allocation of the future
Let’s look at how a dedicated buffered ETF sleeve could fit into portfolios.
Increase potential equity market upside by reallocating from bonds.
Increase potential equity market upside by reallocating from bonds.
- Seek some equity growth potential
- Maintain a level of risk mitigation
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Stocks
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Bonds
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AllianzIM Buffered ETFs
Reduce equity risk and volatility by reallocating from domestic equities.
Reduce equity risk and volatility by reallocating from domestic equities.
- Reduce downside risk/volatility with built-in levels of protection
- Maintain a level of equity upside
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Stocks
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Bonds
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AllianzIM Buffered ETFs
Diversify a traditional portfolio by reallocating from both bonds and domestic equities.
Diversify a traditional portfolio by reallocating from both bonds and domestic equities.
- Reduce volatility by reallocating some equities
- Simultaneously, increase potential equity upside by reallocating from bonds
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Stocks
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Bonds
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AllianzIM Buffered ETFs
Shift cash off the sidelines.
Shift cash off the sidelines.
- Increase market exposure
- Provide a level of risk mitigation with a downside buffer or floor
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Stocks
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Bonds
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Cash
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AllianzIM Buffered ETFs
Explore risk-managed ETF strategies
ETFs designed to bring our in-house hedging capabilities and track record of managing risk to the retail investor.
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Discover buffered ETFs with 12-month, 6-month, and 3-month outcome periods.
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Reach for higher returns with buffered ETFs that uncap your upside potential.
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Explore full suites of buffered ETFs laddered in one-ticker solutions.
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Full downside protection built into a quarterly resetting buffered ETF.
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Defend your portfolio from big dips by limiting downside exposure.
Ready to drop a trade?
Contact your investment professional or reach out to an ETF specialist.
For investment professionals
Questions about portfolio construction? Need to talk through a trade? We’re here to help.
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Select your state or territory
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ETF specialists closest to you
For individual investors
AllianzIM ETFs are available through your investment professional or online brokerage account.
Allianz Investment Management LLC (AllianzIM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, is a registered investment adviser and adviser to AllianzIM ETFs.
Investment involves risk, including possible loss of principal. There is no guarantee the funds will achieve their investment objectives and may not be suitable for all investors.
Investors may lose their entire investment, regardless of when they purchase shares, and even if they hold shares for an entire outcome period. Full extent of caps, buffers, floors, and spread only apply if held for stated outcome period and are not guaranteed. The cap and spread may increase or decrease and may vary significantly after the end of the outcome period.
An investor who purchases fund shares after the outcome period has begun or sells fund shares prior to the end of the outcome period may experience results that are very different from the investment objective sought by the fund for that outcome period. There is no guarantee that the cap or spread will remain the same after the end of the outcome period.
The spread cost represents the upside performance a shareholder forgoes in return for the downside protection provided by the buffer. Any upside performance as measured at the end of the outcome period will be reduced by the spread cost and management fee. The Fund’s performance will not reflect the entirety of any upside performance of the reference asset.
The Buffered Outcome and Floor ETFs' investment strategies are different from more typical investment products, and the Funds may be unsuitable for some investors. It is important that investors understand the investment strategy before making an investment. For more information regarding whether an investment in the Funds is right for you, please see the prospectus including "Investor Considerations."
Unlike the Underlying ETFs, the Buffer Allocation Funds do not pursue a buffered strategy. The buffer is only provided by the Underlying ETFs and the Buffer Allocation Funds themselves do not provide any stated buffer against losses. The Buffer Allocation Funds will not receive the full benefit of the Underlying ETFs’ Buffers. The Buffer Allocation Funds could have limited upside potential, and their return may be limited to the Caps of the Underlying ETFs. The underlying Buffered Outcome ETFs investment strategies are different from more typical investment products, and the funds may be unsuitable for some investors. It is important that investors understand the investment strategy before making an investment.
Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call 877.429.3837 or review the prospectus. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Allianz Investment Management LLC and Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America are not affiliated with Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
AllianzIM and Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America do not provide financial planning services.