WEST DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 20, 2007--American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (NYSE:AEL), today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.06 per share to owners of its common stock. This marks the ninth consecutive year a cash dividend has been declared and the fourth year in a row that the Company has increased its cash dividend. The dividend will be payable on December 21, 2007 to shareholders of record as of December 5, 2007. There are 56,885,720 shares of common stock outstanding as of November 19, 2007.

ABOUT AMERICAN EQUITY

American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, through its wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, is a full-service underwriter of a broad line of annuity and insurance products with a primary emphasis on the sale of fixed-rate and index annuities. The company's headquarters are located at 5000 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa, 50266. The mailing address of the company is: P.O. Box 71216, Des Moines, Iowa, 50325. For more information, visit our website www.american-equity.com.

CONTACT: American Equity Investment Life Holding Company
Debra J. Richardson, 515-273-3551
Sr. Vice President
drichardson@american-equity.com
or
John M. Matovina, 515-457-1813
Vice Chairman
jmatovina@american-equity.com
or
D. J. Noble, 515-457-1705
Chairman
dnoble@american-equity.com
or
Julie L. LaFollette, 515-273-3602
Investor Relations
jlafollette@american-equity.com

SOURCE: American Equity Investment Life Holding Company