Circumstances That May Support a Premium Bonus
- Penalty-free access in the early years for wealth transfer, annuitization, or 10%-free withdrawals
- 10% penalty-free withdrawals may be higher in early years (bridge to Social Security benefits)
- Recovery from underperforming product
- Low index performance or low interest rates
Circumstances That May Support No Premium Bonus
- Objectives are focused on longer-term accumulation
- Little likelihood of liquidity or withdrawal needs
- Other financial resources are available to cover unexpected liquidity needs
- Anticipation of moderate to higher index performance
Growth Comparison
See the historical growth of an 8% bonus with a 6% point-to-point cap compared to no bonus and 9% point-to-point cap, for both the best and worst S&P 500 10-year periods for the past 20 years (ending 12/31/21). Results assume the reduction for annual fees on Rate Buy-Up accounts.