The
Prudential Insurance Company of America
751
Broad Street
Newark,
NJ 07102-3777
Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 20, 2026
REGISTRATION NO. 333-37728; 333-288860
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT NO. 811-07325
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-4
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 42 (333-37728)
and
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 221 (811-07325)
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 (333-288860)
PRUCO LIFE FLEXIBLE PREMIUM VARIABLE ANNUITY ACCOUNT
(Exact Name of Registered Separate Account)
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
(Name of Insurance Company)
213 WASHINGTON STREET
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 07102-2992
(Address of Insurance Company’s principal executive offices)
(973) 802-7333
(Insurance Company’s telephone number, including Area Code)
CT CORPORATION SYSTEM
3800 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE, SUITE 460
PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85012
(Name and address of agent for service)
COPIES TO:
Elizabeth L. Gioia
VICE PRESIDENT
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
ONE CORPORATE DRIVE
SHELTON, CONNECTICUT 06484
(203) 402-1624
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: Continuously on and after the effective date of this Registration Statement
It is proposed that this filing become effective: (check appropriate box)
□ | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 |
⊠ | on May 1, 2026 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 |
□ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i) of Rule 485 |
□ | on __________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(i) of Rule 485 |
If appropriate, check the following box:
□ | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
Check each box that appropriately characterizes the Registrant:
□ | New Registrant (as applicable, a Registered Separate Account or Insurance Company that has not filed a Securities Act registration statement or amendment thereto within 3 years preceding this filing) |
□ | Emerging Growth Company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”)) |
□ | If an Emerging Growth Company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act |
⊠ | Insurance Company relying on Rule 12h-7 under the Exchange Act |
□ | Smaller reporting company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) |
PRUCO
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
Pruco
Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
A
Prudential Financial Company
751
Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777
STRATEGIC
PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE VARIABLE ANNUITY
Flexible
Premium Deferred Annuities
Prospectus
Dated: May 1, 2026
This prospectus describes the Strategic Partners Annuity One Variable Annuity, a flexible premium deferred variable annuity contract (“Contract” or “Annuity”) offered by Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”, “we”, “our”, “the Company”, or “us”). The Annuity provides for the potential accumulation of retirement savings through investment in the Contract’s investment options during the Savings Stage and retirement income through annuitization during the Payout Period. The Contract is intended for retirement or other long-term investment purposes.
The types of investment options currently offered under the Annuity include variable investment options with underlying mutual funds (“Variable Options”), a one year fixed rate option, and a dollar cost averaging fixed rate option (DCA Fixed Rate Option) that offer a fixed rate of interest for a set period of time called an interest rate period. See “Appendix A” for additional information about each investment option.
If you are receiving this prospectus, it is because you currently own the Annuity. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales.
This prospectus describes all the investment options, features, and benefits that we make available under the Annuity. The availability of investment options, features and benefits described in this prospectus may vary depending on the broker-dealer through which the Contract is sold (“financial intermediary variations”). We have identified all such financial intermediary variations that are known or reasonably available to us. Financial intermediary variations may be imposed by some broker-dealers without our knowledge. For example, your Financial Professional may not recommend a particular investment option or benefit to you because of a decision by the Financial Professional’s broker-dealer not to offer that investment option or benefit to its customers. Taking into consideration the breadth of our distribution network, we are unable to obtain information about all financial intermediary variations without unreasonable effort or expense. You should discuss with your Financial Professional any limitations, restrictions, or other variations related to the investment options, benefits or other features available to you through your Financial Professional.
The Annuity is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. Withdrawals may reduce the level of various optional benefit guarantees and could result in taxes and tax penalties.
The Company’s obligations under the Annuity are subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.
In compliance with U.S. law, we deliver this prospectus to Annuity Owners that currently reside outside of the United States. However, we may not market or offer benefits, features, or enhancements to prospective or current Annuity Owners while outside of the United States.
This Annuity provides a Credit which can be recaptured in certain circumstances described in this prospectus. This Credit may be more than offset by fees and charges in this Annuity, which are also described in this prospectus. These fees and charges may be higher than other, similar products that do not offer a Credit.
These Annuities are NOT deposits or obligations of, or issued, guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are NOT insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable annuities and market value adjusted annuities, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at www.investor.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL: 1-888-PRU-2888 OR VISIT: WWW.PRUDENTIAL.COM/ANNUITIES
SPAOVAPROS
Table of Contents
We have tried to make this prospectus as easy to read and understand as possible. By the nature of the contract, however, certain technical words or terms are unavoidable. We have identified the following as some of these words or terms.
Accumulation Phase: The period that begins with the contract date (which we define below) and ends when you start receiving income payments, or earlier if the contract is terminated through a full withdrawal or payment of a death benefit.
Adjusted Contract Value: When you begin receiving income payments, the value of your contract minus any charge we impose for premium taxes and withdrawal charges.
Adjusted Purchase Payment: Your invested purchase payment is adjusted for any subsequent withdrawals. The adjusted purchase payment is used only for calculations of the Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
Annual Income Amount: Under the terms of the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, an amount that you can withdraw each year as long as the annuitant lives. The Annual Income Amount is set initially as a percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value, but will be adjusted to reflect subsequent purchase payments, withdrawals, and any step-up.
Annual Withdrawal Amount: Under the terms of the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, an amount that you can withdraw each year as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value remaining. The Annual Withdrawal Amount is set initially to equal 7% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value, but will be adjusted to reflect subsequent purchase payments, withdrawals, and any step-up.
Annuitant: The person whose life determines the amount of income payments that we will pay. If the annuitant dies before the annuity date, the co-annuitant (if any) becomes the annuitant if the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met. If, upon the death of the annuitant, there is no surviving eligible co-annuitant, and the owner is not the annuitant, then the owner becomes the annuitant.
Generally, if an annuity is owned by an entity and the entity has named a co-annuitant, the co-annuitant will become the annuitant upon the death of the annuitant, and no death benefit is payable. Unless we agree otherwise, the contract is eligible to have a co-annuitant designation only if the entity that owns the contract is (1) a plan described in Internal Revenue Code Section 72(s)(5)(A)(i) (or any successor Code section thereto); (2) an entity described in Code Section 72(u)(1) (or any successor Code section thereto); or
(3) a custodial account established pursuant to the provisions in Code Section 408(a) (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”). However, the Contract Value as of the date of due proof of death of the annuitant will reflect the amount that would have been payable had a death benefit been paid.
Where the contract is held by a Custodial Account, the co-annuitant will not automatically become the annuitant upon the death of the annuitant. Upon the death of the annuitant, the Custodial Account will have the choice, subject to our rules, to either elect to receive the death benefit or elect to continue the contract. If the Custodial Account continues the contract, then the Contract Value as of the date of due proof of death of the annuitant will reflect the amount that would have been payable had a death benefit been paid.
Annuity Date: The date when income payments are scheduled to begin. You must have our permission to change the annuity date. If the co-annuitant becomes the annuitant due to the death of the annuitant, and the co-annuitant is older than the annuitant, then the annuity date will be based on the age of the co-annuitant, provided that the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met (e.g., the co-annuitant cannot be older than a specified age). If the co-annuitant is younger than the annuitant, then the annuity date will remain unchanged.
Beneficiary: The person(s) or entity you have chosen to receive a death benefit.
Business Day: A day on which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business. Our business day generally ends at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Co-Annuitant: The person shown on the contract data pages who becomes the annuitant (if eligible) upon the death of the annuitant if the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met.
Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Contingent Annuitant: The natural person named to become the Annuitant upon the death of Annuitant prior to the Annuity Date. A Contingent Annuitant may be named only in limited circumstances involving an Annuity issued to a Custodial Account or to a tax-qualified retirement plan.
Contract Date: The date we accept your initial purchase payment and all necessary paperwork in good order at the Prudential Annuity Service Center. Contract anniversaries are measured from the contract date. A contract year starts on the contract date or on a contract anniversary.
Contract Owner, Owner or You: The person entitled to the ownership rights under the contract.
Contract Value: This is the total value of your contract, equal to the sum of the values of your investment in each investment option you have chosen. Your Contract Value will go up or down based on the performance of the investment options you choose.
Contract With Credit: A version of the annuity contract that provides for a bonus credit with each purchase payment that you make and has higher withdrawal charges and (with respect to the later version of the contract) higher insurance and administrative costs than the Contract Without Credit.
1
Contract Without Credit: A version of the annuity contract that does not provide a credit and has lower withdrawal charges than the Contract With Credit and (with respect to the later version of the Contract With Credit) lower insurance and administrative costs.
Credit: An amount we allocate to your Annuity’s Account Value each time you make a Purchase Payment. The amount of the Credit is payable from our general account. The amount of the Credit depends on the cumulative amount of Purchase Payments you have made to your Annuity, payable as a percentage of each specific Purchase Payment.
If you choose the Contract With Credit, this is the bonus amount that we allocate to your account each time you make a purchase payment. The amount of the credit is a percentage of the purchase payment. Under one version of the Contract With Credit, the credit is subject to a vesting schedule, which means that if you withdraw all or part of a purchase payment within a certain period, or you begin the income phase or we pay a death benefit during that period, we may recapture all or part of the credit. Under another version of the Contract With Credit, bonus credits generally are not recaptured once the free look period expires. Our reference in the preceding sentence to “generally are not recaptured” refers to the fact that we have the contractual right to deduct, from the death benefit we pay, the amount of any credit corresponding to a purchase payment made within one year before death. We have the ability to recapture such credits under both versions of the Contract With Credit. See the section titled “Purchases and Contract Value”.
Custodial Account: A trust or Custodial Account that qualifies as an individual retirement account as defined in Section 408(a) of the Code, including a Roth IRA that satisfies the definitions in Sections 408(a) and 408A of the Code.
Death Benefit: If a death benefit is payable, the beneficiary you designate will receive, at a minimum, the total invested purchase payments, reduced proportionally by withdrawals, or a potentially greater amount related to Variable Option appreciation. The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit was available for an additional charge. See the section titled “Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit”.
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option (DCA Fixed Rate Option): An investment option that offers a fixed rate of interest for a selected period during which periodic transfers are automatically made to selected Variable Options.
Earnings Appreciator Benefit (EAB): An optional benefit that was available for an additional charge which provided a supplemental death benefit based on earnings under the contract.
Fixed Interest Rate Options: Under the Contract Without Credit, these are investment options that offer a fixed rate of interest for either a one-year period (fixed rate option) or a selected period during which periodic transfers are made to selected Variable Options.
Good Order: An instruction received at the Prudential Annuity Service Center, utilizing such forms, signatures and dating as we require, which is sufficiently clear that we do not need to exercise any discretion to follow such instructions.
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB): An optional benefit for an additional charge that guarantees that the death benefit that the beneficiary receives will be no less than a certain GMDB protected value.
GMDB Protected Value: The amount guaranteed under the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit, which may equal the GMDB roll-up value, the GMDB step-value, or the greater of the two. The GMDB protected value will be subject to certain age restrictions and time durations, however, it will still increase by subsequent invested purchase payments and reduce proportionally by withdrawals.
GMDB Roll-Up: We use the GMDB roll-up value to compute the GMDB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. The GMDB roll-up is equal to the invested purchase payments compounded daily at an effective annual interest rate starting on the date that each invested purchase payment is made, subject to a cap, and reduced proportionally by withdrawals.
GMDB Step-Up: We use the GMDB step-up value to compute the GMDB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. Generally speaking, the GMDB step-up establishes a “high water mark” of protected value that we would pay upon death, even if the Contract Value has declined. For example, if the GMDB step-up were set at $100,000 on a contract anniversary, and the Contract Value subsequently declined to $80,000 on the date of death, the GMDB step-up value would nonetheless remain $100,000 (assuming no additional purchase payments or withdrawals).
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB): An optional benefit that was available for an additional charge that guarantees that the income payments you receive during the income phase would be no less than a certain GMIB protected value applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates.
GMIB Protected Value: We use the GMIB protected value to calculate annuity payments should you annuitize under the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit. The value is calculated daily and is equal to the GMIB roll-up, until the GMIB roll-up either reaches its cap or if we stop applying the annual interest rate based on the age of the annuitant or number of contract anniversaries. At such point, the GMIB protected value will be increased by any subsequent invested purchase payments, and any withdrawals will proportionally reduce the GMIB protected value. The GMIB protected value is not available as a cash surrender benefit or a death benefit, nor is it used to calculate the cash surrender value or death benefit.
Income Options: Options under the contract that define the frequency and duration of income payments. In your contract, we also refer to these as payout or annuity options.
Income Phase: The period during which you receive income payments under the contract.
Invested Purchase Payments: Your purchase payments (which we define below) less any deduction we make for any tax charge.
2
Joint Owner: The person named as the joint owner, who shares ownership rights with the owner as defined in the contract. A joint owner must be a natural person.
Lifetime Five Income Benefit: An optional benefit available for an additional charge that guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (called the “Protected Withdrawal Value”), regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. There are two options -- one is designed to provide an annual withdrawal amount for life and the other is designed to provide a greater annual withdrawal amount (than the first option) as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value.
Net Purchase Payments: Your total purchase payments less any withdrawals you have made.
Proportional Withdrawals: A method that involves calculating the percentage of your Contract Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn. Proportional withdrawals result in a reduction to the applicable benefit value by reducing such value in the same proportion as the Contract Value was reduced by the withdrawal as of the date the withdrawal occurred.
Protected Withdrawal Value: Under the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, an amount that we guarantee regardless of the investment performance of your Contract Value. Please refer to Lifetime Five Income Benefit for more information on how the Protected Withdrawal Value is determined.
Prudential Annuity Service Center: For general correspondence: P.O. Box 7960, Philadelphia, PA 19176. For express overnight mail: 1600 Malone Street, Millville, NJ 08332. The telephone number is 1-(888) PRU-2888. Prudential’s Web site is www.prudential.com/annuities.
Purchase Payments: The amount of money you pay us to purchase the contract. Generally, you can make additional purchase payments at any time during the accumulation phase.
Registered Separate Account: (Separate Account) Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, which holds the assets supporting the Variable Options. Assets held in the Registered Separate Account are kept separate from all of our other assets and may not be charged with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct.
Statement of Additional Information: A document containing certain additional information about the Strategic Partners Annuity One variable annuity. We have filed the Statement of Additional Information with the Securities and Exchange Commission and it is legally a part of this prospectus. To learn how to obtain a copy of the Statement of Additional Information, see the front cover of this prospectus.
Tax Deferral: This is a way to increase your assets without currently being taxed. Generally, you do not pay taxes on your contract earnings until a distribution is taken from your contract. You should be aware that tax favored plans (such as IRAs) already provide tax deferral regardless of whether they invest in annuity contracts. See the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
Variable Option: A division of the Registered Separate Account. The Variable Option also may be referred to in this prospectus and the Annuity as a Variable Sub-account or Sub-account.
3
The Annuity referenced in this prospectus and applicable riders is no longer available for new sales or re-elections.
Purpose of the Contract
The Annuity is a long-term investment designed for long-term retirement purposes because it allows you to accumulate retirement savings and also offers annuity payment options when you are ready to begin receiving income. This Annuity is a “flexible premium deferred annuity.” It is called “flexible premium” because you have considerable flexibility in the timing and amount of premium payments. Generally, investors “defer” receiving annuity payments until after an Accumulation Period. This Annuity may be appropriate for investors accumulating retirement savings on a tax deferred basis and would seek guaranteed income through an annuity payment option.
Phases of the Contract
The Annuity features two distinct phases - the accumulation period and the payout period. During the accumulation period your Account Value is allocated to one or more investment options. See “Investment Options” below. During the payout period (after annuitization), you can elect to receive annuity payments (1) for a fixed period (up to 25 years); (2) for life; or (3) under an interest payment option. We currently make annuity payments available on a fixed basis. After Annuitization, the Death Benefits and optional benefits described in this prospectus will no longer apply. We reserve the right to make available other annuity options. See the “Annuity Period” section of this prospectus.
Investment Options
Variable Options: The Variable Options we make available each invest in an underlying Portfolio whose share price generally fluctuates each day. The Variable Options do not provide any level of protection against negative returns. You are at risk of losing principal and any earnings if you allocate funds to a Portfolio.
Fixed Rate Options: If you choose the Contract Without Credit, the Annuity offers two fixed interest rate options (“Fixed Rate Options”). The One-year Fixed Interest Rate Option provides a guaranteed annual interest rate that we set. The Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option automatically transfers amounts over a stated period (either six or twelve months) from the DCA Fixed Rate Option to the Variable Options you select.
Additional information about the Investment Options is provided in Appendix A to the prospectus.
Contract Features
Credits: If you purchase the Contract With Credit, we will add a credit amount to your Contract Value with each purchase payment you make. The bonus credit that we pay with respect to any purchase payment depends on (i) the age of the older of the owner or joint owner on the date on which the purchase payment is made and (ii) the amount of the purchase payment.
Death Benefits: The Annuity offers a basic Death Benefit that could protect your retirement savings if you die during a period of declining markets, depending on when you die. The Annuity also offers an optional death benefit that increases the level of protection for your Beneficiaries for an additional fee.
Living Benefits: We offered optional benefits for an additional fee that guarantee your ability to take withdrawals for life as a percentage of an initial guaranteed benefit base, even after your Account Value falls to zero (unless it does so due to a withdrawal of Excess Income). The Account Value has no guarantees, may fluctuate, and can lose value. As part of these benefits, you are required to invest only in certain permitted Investment Options. For more information, please see Appendix A.
Withdrawals: You are allowed to withdraw a limited amount of money from your Annuity on an annual basis without any charges.
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|
Important
Information You Should Consider About the Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
5
|
Important
Information You Should Consider About the Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.500%* |
1.557%* | |
|
Portfolio Company fees and expenses |
0.28%1 |
1.56%2 | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.20%* |
0.60%* | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net asset allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and “Appendix
A” for
more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
||
|
For more information on ongoing fees and expenses, please refer to the “Fee Table” and “Charges and Adjustments” sections of this prospectus. | |||
6
|
Important
Information You Should Consider About Contract With Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.500%* |
1.557%* | |
|
Portfolio fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.20%1* |
0.60%2* | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net asset allocated to the Variable Options. Please refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and “Appendix
A” for more
information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
||
|
For more information on ongoing fees and expenses, please refer to the “Fee Table” and the “Charges and Adjustments” sections of this prospectus. | |||
7
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract Without Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.400%* |
1.464%* | |
|
Portfolio fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.20%1* |
0.60%2* | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net asset allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and “Appendix
A” for
more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
||
|
For more information on ongoing fees and expenses, please refer to the “Fee Table” and “Charges and Adjustments” sections of this prospectus. | |||
8
|
Risks | |
|
Is there a Risk of Loss from Poor Performance? |
Yes. |
|
Is this a Short-Term Investment? |
No. |
|
What are the Risks Associated with the Investment Options? |
An
investment in the Contract is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary depending on the performance
of the Investment Options you select. Each of the Investment Options available under the Contract, including the
Variable Options and Fixed Interest Rate Option, has its own unique risks. You should review the investment options before
making an investment decision. |
|
What are the Risks Related to the Insurance Company? |
An
investment in the Contract is subject to the risks related to the Company. Any obligations (including under any Fixed Allocation),
guarantees, or benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of the Company. More information about the Company,
including its financial strength ratings, is available upon request. Such requests can be made toll free at 1-888-PRU-2888. |
|
Restrictions | |
|
Are there Restrictions on the Investment Options? |
Yes.
We reserve the right to:
Certain
Investment Options may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See
the Cover
Page for
additional
information. |
9
|
Are there any Restrictions on Contract Benefits? |
Yes.
For
more information on optional benefits under the Contract, please refer to the “Benefits
Available Under the Contract”
section of this prospectus. |
|
Taxes | |
|
What are the Contract’s Tax Implications? |
You
should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under
the Contract. There is no additional tax benefit if you purchase the Contract through a tax-qualified plan or individual retirement
account (IRA). Withdrawals will be subject to ordinary income tax and may be subject to a 10% additional tax for distributions
taken prior to age 59½. |
10
|
Conflicts of Interest | |
|
How are Investment Professionals Compensated? |
Investment
professionals may receive compensation for selling the Contract to investors and may have a financial incentive to
offer or recommend the Contract over another investment. This compensation is paid in the form of commissions, based on
your investment in the Contract. |
|
Should I Exchange My Contract? |
Some
investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you a new Contract in place of the one you already own.
You should only exchange your Contract if you determine after comparing the features, fees, and risks of both contracts,
and any fees or penalties to terminate the existing Contract, that it is preferable to purchase the new Contract, rather
than continue to own your existing Contract. This Contract is no longer sold. |
11
The following tables describe the fees, expenses, and adjustments that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from an Investment Option or from the Annuity. Please refer to your Contract specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.
The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time you buy the Contract, surrender or make withdrawals from the Contract, transfer Account Value between Investment Options, or request duplicate reports. State premium taxes may also be deducted. These fees and charges are described in more detail within this prospectus in the “Charges and Adjustments” section.
|
Transaction Expenses |
Maximum |
|
Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
None |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - with Credit Option (Bonus Credits vest over seven year period)1 |
7.00% |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - with Credit Option (Bonus Credits generally not recapturable after expiration of Free Look period purchase payment)1 |
8.00% |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - without Credit Option (as a percentage of purchase payment or amount)1 |
7.00% |
|
Transfer Fee2 |
$30 |
|
Transfer Fee (Beneficiary Continuation Option only) each transfer after 20 |
$10 |
|
Additional Copies of Reports3 |
$50 |
| 1. | The charge is a percentage of each applicable Purchase Payment deducted upon surrender or withdrawal. The period is measured from the date of each Purchase Payment. The following percentages apply based on the year of the surrender or withdrawal: |
| 2. | Currently, we charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in a contract year. As shown in the table, we can increase that charge up to a maximum of $30, but have no current intention to do so. We will not charge you for transfers made in connection with Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto-Rebalancing and do not count them toward the limit of 12 free transfers per year. We will charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in each Annuity Year. |
| 3. | We do not currently assess this fee. However, we reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each additional report (i.e., confirmation statement or quarterly statement) you request. |
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
|
Contract With Credit (Bonus Credits Vest Over Seven Year Period) |
7.00% |
7.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract
With Credit (Bonus Credits |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract Without Credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
The next table describes the maximum fees and expenses that you will pay each year during the time that you own the Annuity (not including Portfolio fees and expenses). Your current fees and expenses may be less than the maximum. If you choose to purchase an optional benefit, you will pay additional charges, as shown below.
12
|
Annual Annuity Expenses |
Maximum |
|
Administrative Expenses (assessed annually on the Annuity’s anniversary date or upon surrender)1,2 |
$60.00 |
|
Base
Contract Expenses (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options)3 |
1.53% |
|
Optional Benefits Expenses |
|
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit |
0.20% |
|
Lifetime Five (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
1.50% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (based on the GMIB Protected Income Value) |
1.00% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Roll-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.20% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Step-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.20% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Greater of Roll-Up or Step-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.30% |
| 1. | The Administrative Expense is referred to as “Annual Maintenance Fee” elsewhere in this Prospectus. For the original version of the contract, if your Contract Value is $50,000 or more, we do not deduct a charge. For the later version of the contract, if your Contract Value is $75,000 or more, we do not deduct a charge. |
| 2. | The Administrative Expense for the Beneficiary Continuation Option is the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value. |
| 3. | For beneficiaries who elect the Beneficiary Continuation Option, the fee is only applicable if Account Value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. Beneficiaries are assessed a Settlement Service Charge of 1.03% (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options). |
The next item shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the Portfolios that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the Annuity. Expenses shown may change over time and may be higher or lower in the future. A complete list of Portfolios available under the Annuity, including their annual expenses, may be found at Appendix A of this prospectus.
|
Annual Portfolio Expenses | ||
|
(expenses that are deducted from Portfolio assets, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses) |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|
0.28% |
1.56% | |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Variable Options with the cost of investing in other annuity contracts that offer variable options. These costs include Transaction Expenses, Annual Annuity Expenses, and Annual Portfolio Expenses.
The Example assumes all Account Value is allocated to the Variable Options. Your costs could differ from those shown below if you invest in the DCA Fixed Rate Options. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Variable Options for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and assumes the most expensive combination of Annual Portfolio Expenses and optional benefits available for an additional charge which includes Lifetime Five, GMDB Combo and Earnings Appreciator Benefit. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
13
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE WITH CREDIT (BONUS CREDITS GENERALLY NOT RECAPTURABLE AFTER EXPIRATION OF FREE LOOK PERIOD) | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$13,138 |
$23,376 |
$32,561 |
$50,798 |
$11,870 |
$19,733 |
$26,760 |
$40,570 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,138 |
$15,376 |
$25,561 |
$50,798 |
$3,870 |
$11,733 |
$19,760 |
$40,570 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,138 |
$15,376 |
$25,561 |
$50,798 |
$3,870 |
$11,733 |
$19,760 |
$40,570 |
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE WITH CREDIT AND VESTING | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$12,138 |
$22,376 |
$30,561 |
$50,798 |
$10,870 |
$18,733 |
$24,760 |
$40,570 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,138 |
$15,376 |
$25,561 |
$50,798 |
$3,870 |
$11,733 |
$19,760 |
$40,570 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,138 |
$15,376 |
$25,561 |
$50,798 |
$3,870 |
$11,733 |
$19,760 |
$40,570 |
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE WITHOUT CREDIT | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$12,037 |
$20,089 |
$28,110 |
$50,031 |
$10,768 |
$16,434 |
$22,278 |
$39,686 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,037 |
$15,089 |
$25,110 |
$50,031 |
$3,768 |
$11,434 |
$19,278 |
$39,686 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,037 |
$15,089 |
$25,110 |
$50,031 |
$3,768 |
$11,434 |
$19,278 |
$39,686 |
14
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE CONTRACT
The risks identified below are the principal risks of investing in the Annuity. The Annuity may be subject to additional risks other than those identified and described in this prospectus.
Risk of Loss: You could lose money by investing in the Annuity, including your principal investment. An investment in the Annuity is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Risks Associated with Variable Options: You take all the investment risk for amounts allocated to one or more of the Variable Options, which invest in Portfolios. If the Variable Options you select increase in value, then your Account Value goes up; if they decrease in value, your Account Value goes down. How much your Account Value goes up or down depends on the performance of the Portfolios in which your Variable Options invest. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Portfolio. An investment in the Annuity is subject to the risk of poor investment performance, and the value of your investment can vary depending on the performance of the selected Portfolio(s), each of which has its own unique risks. You should review the Portfolios before making an investment decision. We reserve the right to add, eliminate, substitute or combine Variable Options as Investment Options available under the Annuity or to close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates.
Early Withdrawal Risk: The Annuity is not a short-term investment vehicle and is not an appropriate investment for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The Annuity is designed to provide benefits on a long-term basis. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether the Annuity is consistent with your financial situation and objectives. Withdrawals under the Annuity, including partial withdrawals and a full surrender, may be subject to negative tax consequences. If you have elected certain Optional Benefits, a withdrawal may reduce the amount of your Benefit on more than a dollar-for-dollar basis. While the Annuity provides a Death Benefit, the amount of that benefit is subject to investment gains and losses and is reduced for any withdrawals you take.
Insurance Company Risk: No company other than Pruco Life has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Pruco Life owes under the Annuity, including amounts allocated to the Fixed Rate Options, which are supported by our general account and are subject to our claims-paying ability. Assets in the general account are not segregated for the exclusive benefit of any particular contract or obligation. General account assets are also available to our general creditors and for conducting routine business activities, such as the payment of salaries, rent and other ordinary business expenses. You should look to the financial strength of Pruco Life for its claims-paying ability. Pruco Life is also subject to risks related to disasters and other events, such as storms, earthquakes, fires, outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as COVID-19), utility failures, terrorist acts, political and social developments, and military and governmental actions. These risks are often collectively referred to as “business continuity” risks. These events could adversely affect Pruco Life and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although Pruco Life has business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that Pruco Life may not be able to provide required services, process transactions, deliver documents or calculate values. It is also possible that service levels may decline as a result of such events.
Possible Adverse Tax Consequences: The tax considerations associated with the Annuity vary and can be complicated. The tax considerations discussed in this prospectus are general in nature and describe only federal income tax law (not state, local, foreign or other federal tax laws). Before making a Purchase Payment or taking other action related to your Annuity, you should consult with a qualified tax advisor for complete information and advice. For example, distributions from your Annuity are generally subject to ordinary income taxation on the amount of any investment gain unless the distribution qualifies as a non-taxable exchange or transfer. In addition, if you take a distribution prior to the taxpayer’s age 59½, you may be subject to a 10% additional tax in addition to ordinary income taxes on any gain.
Possible Fees on Access to Account Value: We may apply fees if you access your Account Value during the Accumulation Period or surrender your Annuity. For example, in addition to possible tax consequences discussed above, you may incur fees for accessing your Account Value such as a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge, Annual Maintenance Fee, Tax Charge, and/or a charge for any optional benefit.
Credit Recapture: In certain circumstances we may recapture any Credits applied to your Contract if you access your Account Value during the accumulation period or surrender your Annuity.
Annuity Changes Risk: We reserve the right to limit the number of transfers you may make or to impose a minimum transfer amount. We also reserve the right to add, eliminate, substitute or combine Variable Options as Investment Options available under the Annuity or to close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates. We may limit, suspend or reject any additional Purchase Payment at any time on a non-discriminatory basis. If we do so, you may no longer be able to increase the values associated with an optional living benefit or increase the amount of the death benefit under an optional death benefit through subsequent Purchase Payments. This would also impact your ability to make annual contributions to certain qualified Annuities. In addition, we may impose limitations on an investment professional’s or investment advisor’s ability to request financial transactions on your behalf.
Cyber Security and Business Continuity Risks: With the increasing use of technology and computer systems in general and, in particular, the Internet to conduct necessary business functions, the Company is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. These risks, which are often collectively referred to as “cyber security” risks, may include deliberate or malicious attacks, as well as unintentional events and occurrences. These risks are heightened by our offering of increasingly complex products, such as those that feature automatic asset transfer or reallocation strategies, and by our employment of complex investment, trading and hedging programs. Cyber security is generally defined as the technology, operations and related
15
protocol
surrounding
and protecting a user’s computer hardware, network, systems and applications and the data transmitted and stored therewith. These
measures ensure the
reliability of a user’s systems, as well as the security, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data assets.
Deliberate cyber attacks can include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access (including physical break-ins) to computer systems in order to misappropriate and/or disclose sensitive or confidential information; deleting, corrupting or modifying data; and causing operational disruptions. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (in order to prevent access to computer networks). In addition to deliberate breaches engineered by external actors, cyber security risks can also result from the conduct of malicious, exploited or careless insiders, whose actions may result in the destruction, release or disclosure of confidential or proprietary information stored on an organization’s systems.
The Company is also subject to risks related to disasters and other events, such as storms, earthquakes, fires, outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as COVID-19), utility failures, terrorist acts, political and social developments, and military and governmental actions. These risks are often collectively referred to as “business continuity” risks. These events could adversely affect the Company and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although the Company has business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that the Company may not be able to provide required services, process transactions, deliver documents or calculate values. It is also possible that service levels may decline as a result of such events.
Cyber security events, disasters and similar events, whether deliberate or unintentional, that could impact the Company and Contract owners could arise not only in connection with our own administration of the Annuity, but also with entities operating the Annuity’s Portfolios and with third-party service providers. Cyber security and other events affecting any of the entities involved with the offering and administration of the Annuity may cause significant disruptions in the business operations related to the Annuity. Potential impacts may include, but are not limited to, potential financial losses under the Annuity, your inability to conduct transactions under the Annuity and/or with respect to a Portfolio, an inability to calculate unit values with respect to the Annuity and/or the net asset value (“NAV”) with respect to a Portfolio, and disclosures of your personal or confidential account information.
In addition to direct impacts to you, cyber security and other events described above may result in adverse impacts to the Company, including regulatory inquiries, regulatory proceedings, regulatory and/or legal and litigation costs, and reputational damage. Costs incurred by the Company may include reimbursement and other expenses, including the costs of litigation and litigation settlements and additional compliance costs. Considerable expenses also may be incurred by the Company in enhancing and upgrading computer systems and systems security following a cyber security failure or responding to a disaster or similar event. The rapid proliferation of technologies, as well as the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, and others continue to pose new and significant cyber security threats. In addition, the global spread of COVID-19 has caused the Company and its service providers to implement business continuity plans, including widespread use of work-from-home arrangements. Although the Company, our service providers, and the Portfolios offered under the Annuity may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate risks, there can be no guarantee or assurance that such plans or systems will be effective, or that all risks that exist, or may develop in the future, have been completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. Furthermore, the Company cannot control or assure the efficacy of the cyber security and business continuity plans and systems implemented by third-party service providers, the Portfolios, and the issuers in which the Portfolios invest.
The military invasion of Ukraine initiated by Russia in February 2022 and the resulting response by the United States and other countries have led to economic disruptions, as well as increased volatility and uncertainty in the financial markets. It is not possible to predict the ultimate duration and scope of the conflict, or the future impact on U.S. and global economies and financial markets.
Artificial Intelligence Risk: In addition to the cyber security risks described above, the development, adoption and use of AI, including generative artificial intelligence (“Generative AI”), by us and by third parties on whom we rely may increase existing operational risks or create new operational risks that we are not currently anticipating. AI technologies offer potential benefits in areas such as customer service personalization and process automation, and we expect to use AI and Generative AI to help deliver products and services and support critical functions. We also expect third parties on whom we rely to do the same. There are significant risks involved in developing and deploying AI, and there can be no assurance that its use will enhance our products or services or be beneficial to our business, including our efficiency or profitability. The risk that AI and Generative AI may be misused is increased by the relative newness of the technology, the speed at which it is being adopted, and the lack of laws, regulations or standards governing its use. Such misuse could expose the Company to legal or regulatory risk, damage customer relationships or cause reputational harm. Further, our ability to continue to develop and efficiently deploy AI technologies depends on access to specific third-party equipment and other physical infrastructure, such as processing hardware and network capacity, the availability and pricing of which is difficult to control, especially in a highly competitive environment. Our competitors may also adopt AI or Generative AI more quickly or more effectively than we do, which could cause competitive harm. Because the Generative AI technology is so new, some of the potential risks of Generative AI are currently unknowable.
16
DESCRIPTION OF INSURANCE COMPANY, REGISTERED SEPARATE ACCOUNT, AND INVESTMENT OPTIONS
The Contract is issued by Pruco Life Insurance Company located at 751 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777. Pruco Life is obligated to pay all amounts promised to investors under the Contract, subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.
Pruco Life is a stock life insurance company organized in 1971 under the laws of the State of Arizona. It is licensed to sell life insurance and annuities in the District of Columbia, Guam and in all states except New York. Pruco Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“Prudential”), a New Jersey stock life insurance company that has been doing business since 1875. Prudential is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (“Prudential Financial”), a New Jersey insurance holding company. No company other than Pruco Life has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Pruco Life owes under its annuity contracts. Among other things, this means that where you participate in an optional living benefit or death benefit and the value of that benefit exceeds your current Account Value, you would rely solely on the ability of Pruco Life to make payments under the benefit out of its own assets. As Pruco Life’s ultimate parent, Prudential Financial, however, exercises significant influence over the operations and capital structure of Pruco Life.
Pursuant to the delivery obligations under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 159 thereunder, we deliver this prospectus to current contract owners that reside outside of the United States. In addition, we may not market or offer benefits, features or enhancements to prospective or current contract owners while outside of the United States.
Claims of Creditors
To the extent permitted by law, no payment or value under this Annuity is subject to the claims of your creditors or those of any other Owner, any Annuitant, or any Beneficiary.
Deferral of Transactions
We may defer any annuity payment for a period not to exceed the lesser of 6 months or the period permitted by law. If we defer a distribution or transfer from any annuity payout for more than thirty days, we will pay interest as required by state law. We may defer any distribution from any Allocation Option or any transfer from Allocation Options for a period not to exceed seven calendar days from the date the transaction is affected.
WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?
The Separate Accounts are where Pruco Life sets aside and invests the assets supporting the Annuity. The assets of each Separate Account are held in the name of Pruco Life, and legally belong to us. We will maintain assets in each Separate Account with a total market value at least equal to the cash Surrender Value and other liabilities we must maintain related to the Annuity obligations supported by such assets. The obligations under the Annuity are those of Pruco Life, which is the issuer of the Annuity and the depositor of the Separate Accounts. More detailed information about Pruco Life, including its audited financial statements, is provided in the Statement of Additional Information.
Pruco Life Insurance Company Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
The assets supporting obligations based on allocations to the Variable Options are held in sub-accounts of Pruco Life Insurance Company Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, also referred to as “Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account”. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account assets that are held in support of the Variable Option are kept separate from all our other assets and may not be chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct. Thus, income, gains and losses from assets allocated to Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account are credited to or charged against Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account, without regard to other income, gains or losses of Pruco Life or any other of our Separate Accounts.
Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account was established by us pursuant to Arizona law on June 16, 1995. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account also holds assets of other annuities issued by us with values and benefits that vary according to the investment performance of Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account.
Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account consists of multiple Variable Options. Each Variable Option invests only in a single mutual fund or mutual fund portfolio. The name of each Variable Option generally corresponds to the name of the Portfolio. Each Variable Option in Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account may have several different Unit Prices to reflect the Insurance Charge, Distribution Charge (when applicable) and the charges for any optional benefits that are offered under the Annuity issued by us through Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account is registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) as a unit investment trust, which is a type of investment company. The SEC does not supervise investment policies, management or practices of Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account. We may offer new Variable Options, eliminate Variable Options, or combine Variable Options at our sole discretion. We may also close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing annuities or close Variable Options for annuities purchased on or after specified dates.
In addition to rights that we specifically reserve elsewhere in this prospectus, we reserve the right to perform any or all of the following:
17
| • | offer new Variable Options, eliminate Variable Options, substitute Variable Options or combine Variable Options; |
| • | close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or close Variable Options for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates; |
| • | combine the Separate Account with separate accounts; |
| • | deregister the Separate Account under the Investment Company Act of 1940; |
| • | manage the Separate Account as a management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or in any other form permitted by law; |
| • | make changes required by any change in the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, or any other changes to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s interpretation thereof; |
| • | establish a provision in the Annuity for federal income taxes if we determine, in our sole discretion, that we will incur a tax as the result of the operation of the Separate Account; |
| • | make any changes required by federal or state laws with respect to annuity contracts; and |
| • | to the extent dictated by any underlying Portfolio, impose a redemption fee or restrict transfers within any Variable Option |
We will first notify you and receive any necessary SEC and/or state approval before making such a change. If an underlying mutual fund is liquidated, we will ask you to reallocate any amount in the liquidated fund. If you do not reallocate these amounts, we will reallocate such amounts only in accordance with SEC pronouncements and only after obtaining an order from the SEC, if required. If investment in the Portfolios or a particular Portfolio is no longer possible, or in our discretion becomes inappropriate for purposes of the Annuity, or for any other rationale in our sole judgment, we may substitute another portfolio or investment Portfolios without your consent. The substituted portfolio may have different fees and expenses. Substitution may be made with respect to existing investments or the investment of future Purchase Payments, or both. However, we will not make such substitution without any required approval of the SEC and any applicable state insurance departments. In addition, we may close Portfolios to allocation of Purchase Payments or Account Value, or both, at any time in our sole discretion. We do not control the underlying mutual funds, so we cannot guarantee that any of those funds will always be available.
Values and benefits based on allocations to the Variable Options will vary with the investment performance of the underlying mutual funds or fund Portfolios, as applicable. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Variable Option. Your Account Value allocated to the Variable Options may increase or decrease. You bear the entire investment risk. There is no assurance that the Account Value of your Annuity will equal or be greater than the total of the Purchase Payments you make to us.
The General Account: Our general obligations and any guaranteed benefits under the Annuity are supported by our General Account and are subject to our claims paying ability. Assets in the General Account are not segregated for the exclusive benefit of any particular contract or obligation. General Account assets are also available to our general creditors and for conducting routine business activities, such as the payment of salaries, rent and other ordinary business expenses. The General Account is subject to regulation and supervision by the Arizona Department of Insurance and to the insurance laws and regulations of all jurisdictions where we are authorized to do business.
Fixed Rate Options
If you choose the Contract Without Credit, we offer two fixed interest rate options:
| • | a one-year fixed interest rate option, and |
| • | a dollar cost averaging fixed rate option (DCA Fixed Rate Option). |
When you select one of these options, your payment will earn interest at the established rate for the applicable interest rate period. A new interest rate period is established every time you allocate or transfer money into a fixed interest rate option. (You may not transfer amounts from other investment options into the DCA Fixed Rate Option.) You may have money allocated in more than one interest rate period at the same time. This could result in your money earning interest at different rates and each interest rate period maturing at a different time. While these interest rates may change from time to time, they will not be less than the minimum interest rate dictated by applicable state law. The interest rates we pay on the fixed interest rate options may be influenced by the asset-based charges assessed against the Separate Account.
Payments allocated to the fixed interest rate options become part of Pruco Life’s general assets.
One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option
We set a one year guaranteed annual interest rate for the one-year fixed interest rate option. The one-year fixed interest rate option is not available if you choose the Contract With Credit.
18
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option
With the Contract Without Credit, you may allocate all or part of any purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Under this option, you automatically transfer amounts over a stated period (currently, six or twelve months) from the DCA Fixed Rate Option to the Variable Options you select. We will invest the assets you allocate to the DCA Fixed Rate Option in our general account until they are transferred. You may not transfer from other investment options to the DCA Fixed Rate Option.
If you choose to allocate all or part of a purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option, the minimum amount of the purchase payment you may allocate is $5,000. The first periodic transfer will occur on the date you allocate your purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Subsequent transfers will occur on the monthly anniversary of the first transfer. Currently, you may choose to have the purchase payment allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option transferred to the selected Variable Options in either six or twelve monthly installments, and you may not change that number of monthly installments after you have chosen the DCA Fixed Rate Option. You may allocate to both the six-month and twelve-month options. (In the future, we may make available other numbers of transfers and other transfer schedules--for example, quarterly as well as monthly.)
If you choose a six-payment transfer schedule, each transfer generally will equal 1/6th of the amount you allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option, and if you choose a twelve-payment transfer schedule, each transfer generally will equal 1/12th of the amount you allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. In either case, the final transfer amount generally will also include the credited interest. You may change at any time the Variable Options into which the DCA Fixed Rate Option assets are transferred. Transfers from the DCA Fixed Rate Option do not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowed under the contract.
If you make a withdrawal or have a fee assessed from your contract, and all or part of that withdrawal or fee comes out of the DCA Fixed Rate Option, we will recalculate the periodic transfer amount to reflect the change. This recalculation may include some or all of the interest credited to the date of the next scheduled transfer. If a withdrawal or fee assessment reduces the monthly transfer amount below $100, we will transfer the remaining balance in the DCA Fixed Rate Option on the next scheduled transfer date.
By investing amounts on a regular basis instead of investing the total amount at one time, the DCA Fixed Rate Option may decrease the effect of Variable Option fluctuation on the investment of your purchase payment. Of course, dollar cost averaging cannot ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.
Variable Options
Each Variable Option invests exclusively in a single Portfolio. The Account Value allocated to a Variable Option will vary based on the investment experience of the corresponding Portfolio in which it invests. There is a risk of loss of the entire amount invested. Please refer to Appendix A for certain information regarding each Portfolio, including (i) its name, (ii) its type (e.g., money market fund, bond fund, balanced fund, etc.), (iii) its investment advisor and any sub-advisor, (iv) current expenses, and (v) performance. There is no guarantee that any underlying Portfolio will meet its investment objective. Each Portfolio has issued a prospectus that contains more detailed information about the Portfolio. The prospectuses for the Portfolios can be found online at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOVA-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-888- PRU-2888.
Each underlying Portfolio is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act. Shares of the underlying Portfolios are sold to Separate Accounts of life insurance companies offering variable annuity and variable life insurance products. The shares may also be sold directly to qualified pension and retirement plans.
Voting Rights
We are the legal owner of the shares of the underlying Portfolios in which the Variable Options invest. However, under current SEC rules, you have voting rights in relation to Account Value allocated to the Variable Options. If an underlying Portfolio requests a vote of shareholders, we will vote our shares based on instructions received from Owners with Account Value allocated to that Variable Option. Owners have the right to vote an amount equal to the number of shares attributable to their Annuity. If we do not receive voting instructions in relation to certain shares, we will vote those shares in the same manner and proportion as the shares for which we have received instructions. This voting procedure is sometimes referred to as “mirror voting” because, as indicated in the immediately preceding sentence, we mirror the votes that are actually cast, rather than decide on our own how to vote. We will also “mirror vote” shares that are owned directly by us or an affiliate (excluding shares held in the Separate Account of an affiliated insurer). In addition, because all the shares of a given Portfolio held within the Separate Account are legally owned by us, we intend to vote all of such shares when that underlying Portfolio seeks a vote of its shareholders. As such, all such shares will be counted towards whether there is a quorum at the underlying Portfolio’s shareholder meeting and toward the ultimate outcome of the vote. Thus, under “mirror voting,” it is possible that the votes of a small percentage of Owners who actually vote will determine the ultimate outcome.
We may, if required by state insurance regulations, disregard voting instructions if they would require shares to be voted so as to cause a change in the sub-classification or investment objectives of one or more of the available Variable Options or to approve or disapprove an investment advisory contract for a Portfolio. In addition, we may disregard voting instructions that would require changes in the investment policy or investment advisor of one or more of the Portfolios associated with the available Variable Options, provided that we reasonably disapprove such changes in accordance with applicable federal or state regulations. If we disregard Owner voting instructions, we will advise Owners of our action and the reasons for such action in the next available annual or semi-annual report.
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We will furnish those Owners who have Account Value allocated to a Variable Option whose underlying Portfolio has requested a “proxy” vote with proxy materials and the necessary forms to provide us with their voting instructions. Generally, you will be asked to provide instructions for us to vote on matters such as changes in a fundamental investment strategy, adoption of a new investment advisory agreement, or matters relating to the structure of the underlying Portfolio that require a vote of shareholders. We reserve the right to change the voting procedures described above if applicable SEC rules change.
Similar Funds
The Portfolios are not publicly traded mutual funds. They are only available as investment options in variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by insurance companies, or in some cases, to participants in certain qualified retirement plans. However, some of the Portfolios available as Variable Options under the variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies are managed by the same advisor or subadvisor as a retail mutual fund of the same or similar name that the Portfolio may have been modeled after at its inception. Certain retail mutual funds may also have been modeled after a Portfolio. While the investment objective and policies of the retail mutual funds and the Portfolios may be substantially similar, the actual investments will differ to varying degrees. Differences in the performance of the funds can be expected, and in some cases could be substantial. You should not compare the performance of a publicly traded mutual fund with the performance of any similarly named Portfolio offered as a Variable Option.
Material Conflicts
In the future, it may become disadvantageous for Separate Accounts of variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts to invest in the same underlying Portfolios. Neither the companies that invest in the Portfolios nor the Portfolios currently foresee any such disadvantage. The Board of Directors for each Portfolio intends to monitor events in order to identify any material conflict between variable life insurance policy owners and variable annuity contract owners and to determine what action, if any, should be taken. Material conflicts could result from such things as:
| (1. | changes in state insurance law; |
| (2. | changes in federal income tax law; |
| (3. | changes in the investment management of any Variable Option; or |
| (4. | differences between voting instructions given by variable life insurance policy owners and variable annuity contract owners. |
Fees and Payments Received by Us
As detailed below, we and our affiliates receive substantial payments from the underlying Portfolios and/or related entities, such as the Portfolios’ advisors and subadvisors. Because these fees and payments are made to us and our affiliates, allocations you make to the underlying Portfolios benefit us financially. In selecting Portfolios available under the Annuity, we consider the payments that will be made to us.
We may receive Rule 12b-1 fees which compensate us and our affiliate, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., for distribution and administrative services. These fees are paid by the underlying Portfolio out of each Portfolio’s assets and are therefore borne by Owners.
We may also receive administrative services payments from the Portfolios or the advisors of the underlying Portfolios or their affiliates, which are referred to as “revenue sharing” payments. The maximum combined 12b-1 fees and revenue sharing payments we receive with respect to a Portfolio are generally equal to an annual rate of 0.55% of the average assets allocated to the Portfolio under the Annuity (in certain cases, however, this amount may be equal to an annual rate of 0.60% of the average assets allocated to the Portfolio). We expect to make a profit on these fees and payments and consider them when selecting the Portfolios available under the Annuity.
In addition, an advisor or subadvisor of a Portfolio or a distributor of the Annuity (not the Portfolios) may also compensate us by providing reimbursement, defraying the costs of, or paying directly for, among other things, marketing and/or administrative services and/or other services they provide in connection with the Annuity. These services may include, but are not limited to: sponsoring or co-sponsoring various promotional, educational or marketing meetings and seminars attended by distributors, wholesalers, and/or broker dealer firms’ registered representatives, and creating marketing material discussing the Annuity, available options, and underlying Portfolios. The amounts paid depend on the nature of the meetings, the number of meetings attended by the advisor, subadvisor, or distributor, the number of participants and attendees at the meetings, the costs expected to be incurred, and the level of the advisor’s, subadvisor’s or distributor’s participation. These payments or reimbursements may not be offered by all advisors, subadvisors, or distributors and the amounts of such payments may vary between and among each advisor, subadvisor, and distributor depending on their respective participation. We may also consider these payments and reimbursements when selecting the Portfolios available under the Annuity. For the annual period ended December 31, 2025, with regard to the total annual amounts that were paid (or as to which a payment amount was accrued) under the kinds of arrangements described in this paragraph, the amounts for any particular advisor, subadvisor or distributor ranged from $125.19 to $275,000. These amounts relate to all individual variable annuity contracts issued by Pruco Life or its affiliates, not only the Annuity covered by this prospectus.
In addition to the payments that we receive from underlying Portfolios and/or their affiliates, those same Portfolios and/or their affiliates may make payments to us and/or other insurers within the Prudential Financial group related to the offering of investment options within variable annuities or life insurance offered by different Prudential business units.
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We may substitute one or more of the underlying mutual funds used by the Variable Options. We may also cease to allow investments in existing funds. We would not do this without the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and any necessary state insurance departments. You will be given specific notice in advance of any substitution we intend to make.
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There are charges and other expenses associated with the contract that reduce the return on your investment. These charges and expenses are described below.
The charges under the contracts are designed to cover, in the aggregate, our direct and indirect costs of selling, administering and providing benefits under the contracts. They are also designed, in the aggregate, to compensate us for the risks of loss we assume pursuant to the contracts. If, as we expect, the charges that we collect from the contracts exceed our total costs in connection with the contracts, we will earn a profit. Otherwise, we will incur a loss. The rates of certain of our charges have been set with reference to estimates of the amount of specific types of expenses or risks that we will incur. In most cases, this prospectus identifies such expenses or risks in the name of the charge; however, the fact that any charge bears the name of, or is designed primarily to defray a particular expense or risk does not mean that the amount we collect from that charge will never be more than the amount of such expense or risk. Nor does it mean that we may not also be compensated for such expense or risk out of any other charges we are permitted to deduct by the terms of the contract.
INSURANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES
Each day, we make a deduction for the insurance and administrative charges. These charges cover our expenses for mortality and expense risk, administration, marketing and distribution. If you choose a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option, or Lifetime Five Income Benefit option, the insurance and administrative charge also includes a charge to cover our assumption of the associated risk. The mortality risk portion of the charge is for assuming the risk that the annuitant(s) will live longer than expected based on our life expectancy tables. When this happens, we pay a greater number of annuity payments. We also incur the risk that the death benefit amount exceeds the Contract Value. The expense risk portion of the charge is for assuming the risk that the current charges will be insufficient in the future to cover the cost of administering the contract. The administrative expense portion of the charge compensates us for the expenses associated with the administration of the contract. This includes preparing and issuing the contract; establishing and maintaining contract records; preparation of confirmations and annual reports; personnel costs; legal and accounting fees; filing fees; and systems costs.
We calculate the insurance and administrative charge based on the average daily value of all assets allocated to the Variable Options. These charges are not assessed against amounts allocated to the fixed interest rate options. The amount of the charge depends on the death benefit (or other) option that you choose.
The death benefit charge is equal to:
| • | 1.40% on an annual basis if you choose the base death benefit, (1.50% for contract with credit in which credits are generally not recapturable), |
| • | 1.60% on an annual basis if you choose either the roll-up or step-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option (1.70% for contract with credit in which credits are generally not recapturable) (i.e., 0.20% in addition to the base death benefit charge), or |
| • | 1.70% on an annual basis if you choose the greater of the roll-up and step-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option (1.80% for contract with credit in which credits are generally not recapturable) (i.e., 0.30% in addition to the base death benefit charge). |
As indicated immediately above, we impose an additional insurance and administrative charge of 0.10% annually (of account value attributable to the Variable Options) for the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits generally are not recapturable after expiration of the free look period. We do not assess this charge under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over a period of seven years.
If the charges under the contract are not sufficient to cover our expenses, then we will bear the loss. We do, however, expect to profit from these charges. Any profits made from these charges may be used by us to pay for the costs of distributing the contracts. If you choose the Contract With Credit, we will also use any profits from this charge to recoup our costs of providing the credit.
A withdrawal charge may apply if you make a full or partial withdrawal during the withdrawal charge period for a purchase payment. The withdrawal charge may also apply if you begin the income phase during the withdrawal charge period, depending upon the annuity option you choose. The amount and duration of the withdrawal charge depends on whether you choose the Contract With Credit or the Contract Without Credit. The withdrawal charge varies with the number of contract anniversaries that have elapsed since each purchase payment was made. Specifically, we maintain an “age” for each purchase payment you have made by keeping track of how many contract anniversaries have passed since the purchase payment was made.
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The withdrawal charge is the percentage, shown below, of the amount withdrawn.
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
|
Contract
With Credit Withdrawal
Charge |
7.00% |
7.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract
With Credit Withdrawal
Charge |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract without credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
|
Contract With Credit (Bonus Credits Vest Over Seven Year Period) |
7.00% |
7.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract
With Credit (Bonus Credits |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract Without Credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
If a withdrawal is effective on the day before a contract anniversary, the withdrawal charge percentage as of the next following contract anniversary will apply.
If you request a withdrawal, we will deduct an amount from the Contract Value that is sufficient to pay the withdrawal charge, and recapture any credit that has not vested under the vesting schedule, if you have chosen the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over several years and provide you with the amount requested.
If you request a full withdrawal, we will provide you with the full amount of the Contract Value after making deductions for charges.
Each contract year, you may withdraw a specified amount of your Contract Value without incurring a withdrawal charge. We make this “charge-free amount” available to you subject to approval of this feature in your state. We determine the charge-free amount available to you in a given contract year on the contract anniversary that begins that year. In calculating the charge-free amount, we divide purchase payments into two categories--payments that are subject to a withdrawal charge and those that are not. We determine the charge-free amount based only on purchase payments that are subject to a withdrawal charge. The charge-free amount in a given contract year is equal to 10% of the sum of all the purchase payments subject to the withdrawal charge that you have made as of the applicable contract anniversary. During the first contract year, the charge-free amount is equal to 10% of the initial purchase payment.
When you make a withdrawal (including a withdrawal under the optional Lifetime Five Income Benefit), we will deduct the amount of the withdrawal first from the available charge-free amount. Any excess amount will then be deducted from purchase payments in excess of the charge-free amount and subject to applicable withdrawal charges. Once you have withdrawn all purchase payments, additional withdrawals will come from any earnings. We do not impose withdrawal charges on earnings.
If you choose the Contract With Credit and make a withdrawal that is subject to a withdrawal charge, we may use part of that withdrawal charge to recoup our costs of providing the credit.
Withdrawal charges will never be greater than permitted by applicable law.
Under the original version of the contract, we do not deduct a contract maintenance charge for administrative expenses while your Contract Value is $50,000 or more. If your Contract Value is less than $50,000 on a contract anniversary during the accumulation phase or when you make a full withdrawal, we will deduct $30 (or if your Contract Value is less than $1,500, then a lower amount equal to 2% of your Contract Value) for administrative expenses. Under the new version of the contract, we do not deduct a contract maintenance charge for administrative expenses while your Contract Value is $75,000 or more. If your Contract Value is less than $75,000 on a contract anniversary during the accumulation phase or when you make a full
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withdrawal, we will deduct $35 (or a lower amount equal to 2% of your Contract Value) for administrative expenses. (This fee may differ in certain states.) We may increase this charge up to a maximum of $60 per year. Also, we may raise the level of the Contract Value at which we waive this fee. We will deduct this charge proportionately from each of your contract’s investment options.
BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION CHARGES
If your beneficiary takes the death benefit under the beneficiary continuation option, we deduct a Settlement Service Charge. The charge is assessed daily against the average assets allocated to the Variable Options, and is equal to an annual charge of 1.00%. In addition, the beneficiary will incur an annual maintenance fee equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of contract value if the contract value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. The fee will not apply if it is assessed 30 days prior to a surrender request. Finally, transfers in excess of 20 per year will incur a $10 transfer fee.
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Some states, municipalities, and other jurisdictions charge premium taxes or similar taxes on annuities that we are required to pay. The amount of tax will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is subject to change. We currently deduct the Tax Charge from the Account Value upon Annuitization. The Tax Charge is designed to approximate the taxes that we are required to pay and is assessed as a percentage of the Account Value. The Tax Charge currently ranges up to 3.5%. We reserve the right to deduct the Tax Charge from Purchase Payments when received or from Surrender Value upon surrender. “Surrender Value” refers to the Account Value less any applicable Tax Charges. We may also assess a charge equal to any Company Taxes or other taxes which may be imposed against the Separate Accounts.
You can make 12 free transfers every contract year. We measure a contract year from the date we issue your contract (contract date). If you make more than 12 transfers in a contract year (excluding Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto-Rebalancing), we will deduct a transfer fee of $25 for each additional transfer. We have the right to increase this fee up to a maximum of $30 per transfer, but we have no current plans to do so. We will deduct the transfer fee on a proportional basis from the investment options from which the transfer is made.
We pay company income taxes on the taxable corporate earnings created by this separate account product. While we may consider company income taxes when pricing our products, we do not currently include such income taxes in the Tax Charges you pay under the Annuity. We will periodically review the issue of charging for taxes, and in the future, we may charge for taxes. We reserve the right to impose a charge for taxes if we determine, in our sole discretion, that we will incur a tax as a result of the administration of the Annuity, including any tax imposed with respect to the operation of the Separate Account or General Account.
In calculating our corporate income tax liability, we derive certain corporate income tax benefits associated with the investment of company assets, including Separate Account assets, which are treated as company assets under applicable income tax law. These benefits reduce our overall corporate income tax liability. Under current law, such benefits include foreign tax credits and corporate dividend received deductions. We do not pass these tax benefits through to holders of the Separate Account annuity contracts because (i) the contract owners are not the owners of the assets generating these benefits under applicable income tax law and (ii) we do not currently include company income taxes in the Tax Charges you pay under the contract. We reserve the right to change these tax practices.
When you allocate a purchase payment or a transfer to the Variable Options, we in turn invest in shares of a corresponding underlying Portfolio. Those funds charge fees that are in addition to the contract-related fees described in this section. For certain funds, expenses are reduced pursuant to expense waivers and comparable arrangements. In general, these expense waivers and comparable arrangements are not guaranteed, and may be terminated at any time.
Benefits Available Under the Contract
For information about the benefits available under the Contract and their corresponding changes, please refer to the section titled “Benefits Available Under the Contract” in this prospectus.
CHARGE FOR ADDITIONAL REPORTS
We send any statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at your last known address of record. You may request additional reports. We reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each such additional report.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CONTRACTS
The Strategic Partners Annuity One Variable Annuity is a contract between you, the owner, and Us, Pruco Life Insurance Company (Pruco Life, we or us).
Under our contract, in exchange for your payment to us, we promise to pay you a guaranteed income stream that can begin any time on or after the third contract anniversary. Your annuity is in the accumulation phase until you decide to begin receiving annuity payments. The date you begin receiving annuity payments is the annuity date. On the annuity date, your contract switches to the income phase.
This annuity contract benefits from tax deferral when it is sold outside a tax-favored plan (generally called a Non-qualified annuity). Tax deferral means that you are not taxed on earnings or appreciation on the assets in your contract until you take a distribution from your contract.
If you purchase the annuity contract in a tax-favored plan such as an IRA, that plan generally provides tax deferral even without investing in an annuity contract. In other words, you need not purchase this contract to gain the preferential tax treatment provided by your retirement plan. Therefore, before purchasing an annuity in a tax-favored plan, you should consider whether its features and benefits beyond tax deferral, including the death benefit and income benefits, meet your needs and goals. You should consider the relative features, benefits and costs of this annuity compared with any other investment that you may use in connection with your retirement plan or arrangement.
There are two basic versions of Strategic Partners Annuity One variable annuity.
Contract With Credit:
| • | provides for a bonus credit that we add to each purchase payment that you make, |
| • | comes in one version under which bonus credits generally are not recaptured after the expiration of the free look period, and another version under which bonus credits vest over a period of several years. |
| • | has higher withdrawal charges than the Contract Without Credit, |
| • | the version of the contract under which bonus credits generally are not recaptured after the free look period has higher insurance and administrative charges than the Contract Without Credit, and |
| • | has no fixed interest rate investment options available. |
Contract Without Credit:
| • | does not provide a credit, |
| • | has lower withdrawal charges than the Contract With Credit, |
| • | has lower insurance and administrative costs than the Contract With Credit under which the bonus credits generally are not recaptured after the free look period, and |
| • | offers two fixed interest rate investment options: a one-year fixed rate option and a dollar cost averaging fixed rate option. |
Beginning in 2002, we started offering a version of both the Contract Without Credit and the Contract With Credit that differ from previously-issued contracts with regard to maximum issue age, maximum annuitization age, Spousal Continuance Option, credit amount, contract maintenance charge, and minimum guaranteed interest rate.
Unless we state otherwise, when we use the word contract, it applies to both versions discussed herein.
In replacing another annuity you may own, please consider all charges associated with that annuity. Credits applicable to bonus products, such as the Contract With Credit, should not be viewed as an offset of any surrender charge that applies to another annuity contract you may currently own.
You may prefer the Contract With Credit if:
| • | You anticipate that you will not need to withdraw purchase payments any earlier than at least seven contract anniversaries after making them, |
| • | You do not wish to allocate purchase payments to the fixed interest rate options, and |
| • | You believe that the bonus credit is worth the higher withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs. |
| • | If you wish to have the option of allocating part of your Contract Value to the fixed interest rate options, you may prefer the Contract Without Credit. |
Because of the higher withdrawal charges, if you choose the Contract With Credit and you withdraw a purchase payment, depending upon the performance of the investment options you choose, you may be worse off than if you had chosen the Contract Without Credit. We do not recommend purchase of either version of Strategic Partners Annuity One if you anticipate having to withdraw a significant amount of your purchase payments within a few years of making those purchase payments.
Strategic Partners Annuity One is a variable annuity contract. During the accumulation phase, you can allocate your assets among the Variable Options and, if you choose the Contract Without Credit, guaranteed fixed interest rate options as well. If you select Variable Options, the amount of money you are able to accumulate in your contract during the accumulation phase depends upon the investment performance of the underlying mutual fund(s) associated with that Variable Option.
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Because the underlying mutual funds’ portfolios fluctuate in value depending upon market conditions, your Contract Value can either increase or decrease. This is important, since the amount of the annuity payments you receive during the income phase depends upon the value of your contract at the time you begin receiving payments.
As the owner of the contract, you have all of the decision-making rights under the contract. You will also be the annuitant unless you designate someone else. The annuitant is the person whose life is used to determine how much and how long (if applicable) the annuity payments will continue once the annuity phase begins. On or after the annuity date, the annuitant may not be changed.
The beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you designate to receive any death benefit. You may change the beneficiary any time prior to the annuity date by making a written request to us.
If you change your mind about owning Strategic Partners Annuity One, you may cancel your contract within 10 days after receiving it (or whatever period is required by applicable law). You can request a refund by returning the contract either to the representative who sold it to you, or to the Prudential Annuity Service Center at the address shown on the first page of this prospectus. You will receive, depending on applicable state law:
| • | Your full purchase payment, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding; or |
| • | The amount your contract is worth as of the day we receive your request, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding. This amount may be more or less than your original payment. |
If you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will deduct any credit we had added to your Contract Value. To the extent dictated by state law, we will include in your refund the amount of any fees and charges that we deducted.
Subject to certain restrictions, you can transfer money among the Variable Options and, if you have chosen the Contract Without Credit, the fixed interest rate options as well. The minimum transfer amount is the lesser of $250 or the amount in the investment option from which the transfer is to be made.
In general, you may make your transfer request by telephone, electronically, or otherwise in paper form to the Prudential Annuity Service Center. We have procedures in place to confirm that instructions received by telephone or electronically are genuine. We will not be liable for following unauthorized telephone or electronic instructions that we reasonably believed to be genuine. Your transfer request will take effect at the end of the business day on which it was received in good order by us, or by certain entities that we have specifically designated. Our business day generally closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Our business day may close earlier, for example if regular trading on the NYSE closes early. Transfer requests received after the close of the business day will take effect at the end of the next business day.
YOU CAN MAKE TRANSFERS OUT OF A FIXED INTEREST RATE OPTION, OTHER THAN THE DCA FIXED RATE OPTION, ONLY DURING THE 30-DAY PERIOD FOLLOWING THE END OF THE ONE YEAR INTEREST RATE PERIOD. TRANSFERS FROM THE DCA FIXED RATE OPTION ARE MADE ON A PERIODIC BASIS FOR THE PERIOD THAT YOU SELECT.
During the contract accumulation phase, you can make up to 12 transfers each contract year among the investment options, without charge. (As noted in the fee table, we have different transfer rules under the Beneficiary Continuation Option). Currently, we charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in a contract year, and we have the right to increase this charge up to $30. (Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto- Rebalancing transfers do not count toward the 12 free transfers per year.)
For purposes of the 12 free transfers per year that we allow, we will treat multiple transfers that are submitted on the same business day as a single transfer.
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS
We limit your ability to transfer among your contract’s Variable Options as permitted by applicable law. We impose a yearly restriction on transfers. Specifically, once you have made 20 transfers among the Variable Options during a contract year, we will accept any additional transfer request during that year only if the request is submitted to us in writing with an original signature and otherwise is in good order. For purposes of this transfer restriction, we (i) do not view a facsimile transmission as a “writing”, (ii) will treat multiple transfer requests submitted on the same business day as a single transfer, and (iii) do not count any transfer that involves one of our systematic programs, such as asset allocation and automated withdrawals.
Frequent transfers among Variable Options in response to short-term fluctuations in markets, sometimes called “market timing,” can make it very difficult for a portfolio manager to manage an underlying mutual fund’s investments. Frequent transfers may cause the fund to hold more cash than otherwise necessary, disrupt management strategies, increase transaction costs, or affect performance. For those reasons, the contract was not designed for persons who make programmed, large, or frequent transfers.
In light of the risks posed to contract owners and other fund investors by frequent transfers, we reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any contract year for all existing or new contract owners, and to take the other actions discussed below. We also reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any contract year or to refuse any transfer request for an owner or certain owners if: (a) we believe that excessive transfer activity (as we define it) or a specific transfer request or group of transfer requests may have a detrimental effect on accumulation unit values or the share prices of the
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underlying mutual funds; or (b) we are informed by a fund (e.g., by the fund’s portfolio manager) that the purchase or redemption of fund shares must be restricted because the fund believes the transfer activity to which such purchase and redemption relates would have a detrimental effect on the share prices of the affected fund. Without limiting the above, the most likely scenario where either of the above could occur would be if the aggregate amount of a trade or trades represented a relatively large proportion of the total assets of a particular underlying mutual fund. In furtherance of our general authority to restrict transfers as described above, and without limiting other actions we may take in the future, we have adopted the following specific restrictions:
| • | With respect to each Variable Option (other than the Prudential Money Market Portfolio), we track amounts exceeding a certain dollar threshold that were transferred into the option. If you transfer such amount into a particular Variable Option, and within 30 calendar days thereafter transfer (the “Transfer Out”) all or a portion of that amount into another Variable Option, then upon the Transfer Out, the former Variable Option becomes restricted (the “Restricted Option”). Specifically, we will not permit subsequent transfers into the Restricted Option for 90 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Option invests in a non-international fund, or 180 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Option invests in an international fund. For purposes of this rule, we do not (i) count transfers made in connection with one of our systematic programs, such as asset allocation and automated withdrawals and (ii) categorize as a transfer the first transfer that you make after the contract date, if you make that transfer within 30 calendar days after the contract date. Even if an amount becomes restricted under the foregoing rules, you are still free to redeem the amount from your contract at any time. |
| • | We reserve the right to effect exchanges on a delayed basis for all contracts. That is, we may price an exchange involving a Variable Option on the business day subsequent to the business day on which the exchange request was received. Before implementing such a practice, we would issue a separate written notice to contract owners that explains the practice in detail. In addition, if we do implement a delayed exchange policy, we will apply the policy on a uniform basis to all contracts in the relevant class. |
| • | The portfolios may have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to excessive trading of their respective shares, and we reserve the right to enforce these policies and procedures. The prospectuses for the portfolios describe any such policies and procedures, which may be more or less restrictive than the policies and procedures we have adopted. Under SEC rules, we are required to: (1) enter into a written agreement with each portfolio or its principal underwriter that obligates us to provide to the portfolio promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual contract owners, and (2) execute instructions from the portfolio to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific contract owners who violate the excessive trading policies established by the portfolio. In addition, you should be aware that some portfolios may receive “omnibus” purchase and redemption orders from other insurance companies or intermediaries such as retirement plans. The omnibus orders reflect the aggregation and netting of multiple orders from individual owners of variable insurance contracts and/or individual retirement plan participants. The omnibus nature of these orders may limit the portfolios in their ability to apply their excessive trading policies and procedures. In addition, the other insurance companies and/or retirement plans may have different policies and procedures or may not have any such policies and procedures because of contractual limitations. For these reasons, we cannot guarantee that the portfolios (and thus contract owners) will not be harmed by transfer activity relating to other insurance companies and/or retirement plans that may invest in the portfolios. |
| • | A portfolio also may assess a short term trading fee in connection with a transfer out of the Variable Option investing in that portfolio that occurs within a certain number of days following the date of allocation to the Variable Option. Each portfolio determines the amount of the short term trading fee and when the fee is imposed. The fee is retained by or paid to the portfolio and is not retained by us. The fee will be deducted from your Contract Value, to the extent permitted by law. At present, no Portfolio has adopted a short-term trading fee. |
| • | If we deny one or more transfer requests under the foregoing rules, we will inform you promptly of the circumstances concerning the denial. |
| • | We will not implement these rules in jurisdictions that have not approved contract language authorizing us to do so, or may implement different rules in certain jurisdictions if required by such jurisdictions. Contract owners in jurisdictions with such limited transfer restrictions, and contract owners who own variable life insurance or variable annuity contracts (regardless of jurisdiction) that do not impose the above-referenced transfer restrictions, might make more numerous and frequent transfers than contract owners who are subject to such limitations. Because contract owners who are not subject to the same transfer restrictions may have the same underlying mutual fund portfolios available to them, unfavorable consequences associated with such frequent trading within the underlying mutual fund (e.g., greater portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, or performance or tax issues) may affect all contract owners. Apart from jurisdiction-specific and contract differences in transfer restrictions, we will apply these rules uniformly, and will not waive a transfer restriction for any contract owner. |
Although our transfer restrictions are designed to prevent excessive transfers, they are not capable of preventing every potential occurrence of excessive transfer activity.
DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS
The dollar cost averaging (DCA) feature (which is distinct from the DCA Fixed Rate Option) allows you to systematically transfer either a fixed dollar amount or a percentage out of any Variable Option and into any other Variable Options. You can have these automatic transfers occur monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. By investing amounts on a regular basis instead of investing the total amount at one time, dollar cost averaging may decrease the effect of Variable Option fluctuation on the investment of your purchase payment. Of course, dollar cost averaging cannot ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
Transfers will be made automatically on the schedule you choose until the entire amount you chose to have transferred has been transferred or until you tell us to discontinue the transfers. You can allocate subsequent purchase payments to be transferred under this option at any time.
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Your transfers will occur on the last calendar day of each transfer period you have selected, provided that the NYSE is open on that date. If the NYSE is not open on a particular transfer date, the transfer will take effect on the next business day.
Any dollar cost averaging transfers you make do not count toward the 12 free transfers you are allowed each contract year. The dollar cost averaging feature is available only during the contract accumulation phase and is offered without charge.
We recognize the value of having asset allocation models when deciding how to allocate your purchase payments among the investment options. If you choose to participate in the Asset Allocation Program, your representative will give you a questionnaire to complete that will help determine a program that is appropriate for you. Your asset allocation will be prepared based on your answers to the questionnaire. You will not be charged for this service, and you are not obligated to participate or to invest according to program recommendations.
Asset allocation is a sophisticated method of diversification which allocates assets among classes in order to manage investment risk and enhance returns over the long term. However, asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. You are not obligated to participate or to invest according to the program recommendations. We do not intend to provide any personalized investment advice in connection with these programs and you should not rely on these programs as providing individualized investment recommendations to you. The asset allocation programs do not guarantee better investment results. We reserve the right to terminate or change the asset allocation programs at any time. You should consult your representative before electing any asset allocation program.
Once you have allocated your money among the Variable Options, the actual performance of the investment options may cause your allocation to shift. For example, an investment option that initially holds only a small percentage of your assets could perform much better than another investment option. Over time, this option could increase to a larger percentage of your assets than you desire. You can direct us to automatically rebalance your assets to return to your original allocation percentage or to a subsequent allocation percentages you select. We will rebalance only the Variable Options that you have designated. If you also participate in the DCA feature, then the Variable Option from which you make the DCA transfers will not be rebalanced.
You may choose to have your rebalancing occur monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. The rebalancing will occur on the last calendar day of the period you have chosen, provided that the NYSE is open on that date. If the NYSE is not open on that date, the rebalancing will take effect on the next business day.
Any transfers you make because of auto-rebalancing are not counted toward the 12 free transfers you are allowed per year. This feature is available only during the contract accumulation phase, and is offered without charge. If you choose auto-rebalancing and dollar cost averaging, auto-rebalancing will take place after the transfers from your DCA account.
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We can begin making annuity payments any time on or after the third contract anniversary (or as required by state law if different). Annuity payments must begin no later than the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday (unless we agree to another date). (Under the original version of the contract, annuity payments must begin no later than the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 90th birthday).
The Strategic Partners Annuity One variable annuity contract offered an optional Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, which we describe below. Your annuity options vary depending upon whether you chose this benefit.
Depending upon the annuity option you choose, you may incur a withdrawal charge when the income phase begins. Currently, if permitted by state law, we deduct any applicable withdrawal charge if you choose Option 1 for a period shorter than five years, Option 3, or certain other annuity options that we may make available. We do not deduct a withdrawal charge if you choose Option 1 for a period of five years or longer or Option 2. For information about withdrawal charges, see the section titled, “Charges”, In addition, if you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will recapture any credits that have not vested when you begin the income phase. See “Credits”. For qualified annuities, the period certain option may be limited to 10 years or less depending on the circumstances.
Please note that annuitization essentially involves converting your Contract Value to an annuity payment stream, the length of which depends on the terms of the applicable annuity option. Thus, once annuity payments begin, your death benefit is determined solely under the terms of the applicable annuity payment option, and you no longer participate in any optional living benefit (unless you have annuitized under that benefit).
PAYMENT PROVISIONS WITHOUT THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT
We make the income plans described below available at any time before the annuity date. These plans are called “annuity options” or “settlement options.” During the income phase, all of the annuity options under this contract are fixed annuity options. This means that participation in the Variable Options ends on the annuity date. If an annuity option is not selected by the annuity date, the Life Income Annuity Option (Option 2, described below) will automatically be selected for you unless prohibited by applicable law. GENERALLY, ONCE THE ANNUITY PAYMENTS BEGIN, THE ANNUITY OPTION CANNOT BE CHANGED AND YOU CANNOT MAKE WITHDRAWALS.
IN ADDITION TO THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS DISCUSSED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU CHOOSE THE OPTIONAL LIFETIME FIVE INCOME BENEFITS, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BENEFIT. PLEASE SEE “CHARGES” OF THIS PROSPECTUS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
OPTION 1: ANNUITY PAYMENTS FOR A FIXED PERIOD
Under this option, we will make equal payments for the period chosen, up to 25 years (but not to exceed life expectancy). The annuity payments may be made monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually, as you choose, for the fixed period. If the annuitant dies during the income phase, payments will continue to the beneficiary for the remainder of the fixed period or, if the beneficiary so chooses, we will make a single lump-sum payment. The amount of the lump sum payment is determined by calculating the present value of the unpaid future payments. This is done by using the interest rate used to compute the actual payments. The interest rate will be at least 3% a year.
OPTION 2: LIFE INCOME ANNUITY OPTION
Under this option, we will make annuity payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually as long as the annuitant is alive. If the annuitant dies before we have made 10 years worth of payments, we will pay the beneficiary in one lump sum the present value of the annuity payments scheduled to have been made over the remaining portion of that 10 year period, unless we were specifically instructed that such remaining annuity payments continue to be paid to the beneficiary. The present value of the remaining annuity payments is calculated by using the interest rate used to compute the amount of the original 120 payments. The interest rate will be at least 3% a year.
If an annuity option is not selected by the annuity date, this is the option we will automatically select for you, unless prohibited by applicable law. If the life income annuity option is prohibited by applicable law, then we will pay you a lump sum in lieu of this option.
OPTION 3: INTEREST PAYMENT OPTION
Under this option, we will credit interest on the adjusted Contract Value until you request payment of all or part of the adjusted Contract Value. We can make interest payments on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis or allow the interest to accrue on your contract assets. Under this option, we will pay you interest at an effective rate of at least 3% a year. This option is not available if you hold your contract in an IRA.
Under this option, all gain in the annuity will be taxable as of the annuity date, however, you can withdraw part of or all of the Contract Value that we are holding at any time.
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We currently offer a variety of other annuity options not described above. At the time annuity payments are chosen, we may make available to you any of the fixed annuity options then offered at your annuity date.
If your contract is held under a tax-favored plan, you should consider the required minimum distribution rules under the tax law when selecting your annuity option.
HOW WE DETERMINE ANNUITY PAYMENTS
Generally speaking, the annuity phase of the contract involves our distributing to you in increments the value that you have accumulated. We make these incremental payments either over a specified time period (e.g., 15 years) (fixed period annuities) or for the duration of the life of the annuitant (and possibly co-annuitant) (life annuities). There are certain assumptions that are common to both fixed period annuities and life annuities. In each type of annuity, we assume that the value you apply at the outset toward your annuity payments earns interest throughout the payout period. For annuity options within the GMIB, this interest rate ranges from 3% to 3.5%. For non-GMIB annuity options, the guaranteed minimum rate is 3%. The GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates in your contract depict the minimum amounts we will pay (per $1000 of adjusted Contract Value). If our current annuity purchase rates on the annuity date are more favorable to you than the guaranteed rates, we will make payments based on those more favorable rates.
Other assumptions that we use for life annuities and fixed period annuities differ, as detailed in the following overview:
FIXED PERIOD ANNUITIES
We offered fixed period annuities only under the non-GMIB annuity options. Generally speaking, in determining the amount of each annuity payment under a fixed period annuity, we start with the adjusted Contract Value, add interest assumed to be earned over the fixed period, and divide the sum by the number of payments you have requested. The life expectancy of the annuitant and co-annuitant are relevant to this calculation only in that we will not allow you to select a fixed period that exceeds life expectancy.
LIFE ANNUITIES
There are more variables that affect our calculation of life annuity payments. Most importantly, we make several assumptions about the annuitant’s or co-annuitant’s life expectancy, including the following:
| • | The Annuity 2000 Mortality Table is the starting point for our life expectancy assumptions. This table anticipates longevity of an insured population based on historical experience and reflecting anticipated experience for the year 2000. |
GUARANTEED AND GMIB ANNUITY PAYMENTS
Because life expectancy has lengthened over the past few decades, and likely will increase in the future, our life annuity calculations anticipate these developments. We do this largely by making a hypothetical reduction in the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), in lieu of using the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) actual age, in calculating the payment amounts. By using such a reduced age, we base our calculations on a younger person, who generally would live longer and therefore draw life annuity payments over a longer time period. Given the longer pay-out period, the payments made to the younger person would be less than those made to an older person. We make two such age adjustments:
| 1. | First, for all annuities, we start with the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant) on his/her most recent birthday and reduce that age by two years, with respect to guaranteed payments. |
| 2. | Second, for life annuities under GMIB as well as guaranteed payments under life annuities not involving GMIB, we make a further age reduction according to the table in your contract entitled “Translation of Adjusted Age.” As indicated in the table, the further into the future the first annuity payment is, the longer we expect the person receiving those payments to live, and the more we reduce the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) age. |
CURRENT ANNUITY PAYMENTS
Immediately above, we have referenced how we determine annuity payments based on “guaranteed” annuity purchase rates. By “guaranteed” annuity purchase rates, we mean the minimum annuity purchase rates that are set forth in your annuity contract and thus contractually guaranteed by us. “Current” annuity purchase rates, in contrast, refer to the annuity purchase rates that we are applying to contracts that are entering the annuity phase at a given point in time. These current annuity purchase rates vary from period to period, depending on changes in interest rates and other factors. We do not guarantee any particular level of current annuity purchase rates. When calculating current annuity purchase rates, we use the actual age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), rather than any reduced age.
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BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT
The following table summarizes information about the benefits available under the Annuity. Certain Contract Benefits may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See the Cover Page for additional information.
|
Name of Benefit |
Purpose |
Standard or Optional |
Maximum Fee |
Restrictions/Limitations |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts over time equal to an initial principal value, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance. |
Optional |
1.00% |
None. |
|
Lifetime Five Income Benefit2 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Base Death Benefit |
Provides protection for your beneficiary(ies) by ensuring that they do not receive less than your Account Value. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Roll-Up1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or a 5% annual increase on purchase payments adjusted for withdrawals. |
Optional |
0.20% |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Step-Up1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or the highest value of the contract on any contract anniversary date. |
Optional |
0.20% |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Greater of Roll-Up or Step-Up1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or the greater of the Roll-Up or Step-Up value. |
Optional |
0.30% |
None. |
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies). |
Optional |
0.20% |
None. |
|
Dollar Cost Averaging |
Allows you to systematically transfer a percentage amount out of an investment option and into any other Variable Option(s). |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Auto-Rebalancing |
You can direct us to automatically rebalance your assets to return to your original allocation percentage or to a subsequent allocation percentage you select. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Asset Allocation |
A method of diversification which allocates assets among classes. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
| 1. | These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity. |
| 2. | These benefits are no longer available for election. |
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB), was an optional benefit that guaranteed that once the income period begins, your income payments would be no less than the GMIB protected value applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates. The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit must be continued until at least the end of the seventh contract year. If, after the seventh contract year, you decide to stop participating in the GMIB, you may do so (if permitted by state law) but you will not be able to reinstate it.
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit is subject to certain restrictions described below.
| • | The annuitant must have been 70 or younger at benefit election, and you must also have participated in the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. |
| • | The maximum GMIB charge is 1.00% of average GMIB protected value. Please note that the charge is calculated based on average GMIB protected value, not Contract Value. Thus, for example, the fee would not decline on account of a reduction in Contract Value. |
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| • | TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT, YOU MUST WAIT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE INCOME PHASE. THE LENGTH OF THAT WAITING PERIOD DEPENDS UPON THE AGE OF THE ANNUITANT (OR, IF THERE IS A CO-ANNUITANT AS WELL, THE AGE OF THE OLDER OF THE TWO) AS SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING CHART: |
|
Age at Issue of Contract |
Contract Anniversary When GMIB Becomes Available |
|
0 - 45 |
15 |
|
46 |
14 |
|
47 |
13 |
|
48 |
12 |
|
49 |
11 |
|
50 or more |
10 |
Once that waiting period has elapsed, you will have a 30-day period each year, beginning on the contract anniversary, during which you may begin the income phase with the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit by submitting the necessary forms in good order to the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
Effect of Withdrawals
The protected value will equal the “roll-up value,” which is the total of all invested purchase payments compounded daily at an effective annual rate of 5%, subject to a cap of 200% of all invested purchase payments. Both the roll-up and the cap are reduced proportionally by withdrawals. When the roll-up” value no longer increases, your protected value will continue to increase by any subsequent invested purchase payments, and reduce by the effect of any withdrawals.
Payout
Amount
The Guaranteed
Minimum Income Benefit payout amount is based on the age and sex (where applicable) of the annuitant (and, if there is one, the co-annuitant).
After we first deduct a charge for any applicable premium taxes that we are required to pay, the payout amount will equal the greater
of:
| (1) | the GMIB protected value as of the date you exercise the GMIB payout option, applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates (which are generally less favorable than the annuity purchase rates for annuity payments not involving GMIB) and based on the annuity payout option as described below, or |
| (2) | the adjusted Contract Value--that is, the value of the contract minus any charge we impose for premium taxes and withdrawal charges--as of the date you exercise the GMIB payout option applied to the current annuity purchase rates then in use. |
GMIB Annuity Payout Options
We currently offer two Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit annuity payout options. Each option involves payment for at least a “period certain.” In calculating the amount of the payments under the GMIB, we apply certain assumed interest rates, equal to 3% annually for a waiting period of 10-14 years, and 3.5% annually for waiting periods of 15 years or longer.
GMIB OPTION 1: SINGLE LIFE PAYOUT OPTION
We will make monthly payments for as long as the annuitant lives, with payments for a period certain. We will stop making payments after the later of the death of the annuitant or the end of the period certain.
GMIB OPTION 2: JOINT LIFE PAYOUT OPTION
In the case of an annuitant and co-annuitant, we will make monthly payments for the joint lifetime of the annuitant and co-annuitant, with payments for a period certain. If the co-annuitant dies first, we will continue to make payments until the later of the death of the annuitant and the end of the period certain. If the annuitant dies first, we will continue to make payments until the later of the death of the co-annuitant and the end of the period certain, but if the period certain ends first, we will reduce the amount of each payment to 50% of the original amount.
You have no right to withdraw amounts early under either GMIB payout option. We may make other payout frequencies available, such as quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
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The “period certain” for the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit depends upon the annuitant’s age on the date you exercise the GMIB payout option:
|
Age |
Period Certain |
|
80 or Less |
10 Years |
|
81 |
9 Years |
|
82 |
8 Years |
|
83 |
7 Years |
|
84 |
6 Years |
|
85 or More |
5 Years |
Because we do not impose a new waiting period for each subsequent purchase payment, if you chose the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, we reserve the right to limit subsequent purchase payments if we discover that by the timing of your purchase payments, your GMIB protected value is increasing in ways we did not intend. In determining whether to limit purchase payments, we will look at purchase payments which are disproportionately larger than your initial purchase payment and other actions that may artificially increase the GMIB protected value. Certain state laws may prevent us from limiting your subsequent purchase payments. You must exercise one of the GMIB payout options described above no later than 30 days after the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s attainment of age 90 (with respect to the original version of the contract) and age 95 (with respect to the later version of the contract). You should note that GMIB is designed to provide a type of insurance that serves as a safety net only in the event that your Contract Value declines significantly due to negative investment performance. If your Contract Value is not significantly affected by negative investment performance, it is unlikely that the purchase of GMIB will result in your receiving larger annuity payments than if you had not purchased GMIB. This is because the assumptions that we use in computing the GMIB, such as the annuity purchase rates, (which include assumptions as to age-setbacks and assumed interest rates), are more conservative than the assumptions that we use in computing non-GMIB annuity payout options. Therefore, you may generate higher income payments if you were to annuitize a lower Contract Value at the current annuity purchase rates, than if you were to annuitize under the GMIB with a higher GMIB protected value than your Contract Value but at the annuity purchase rates guaranteed under the GMIB.
The Lifetime Five Income Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
Lifetime Five could have been elected only where the Annuitant and the Owner were the same person or, if the Annuity Owner is an entity, where there was only one Annuitant. The Annuitant must have been at least 45 years old when the benefit is elected. The Lifetime Five Income Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit. As long as your Lifetime Five Income Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then permitted and available option(s) with this benefit.
The benefit guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (called the “Protected Withdrawal Value”), regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. There are two options – one is designed to provide an annual withdrawal amount for life (the “Life Income Benefit”) and the other is designed to provide a greater annual withdrawal amount as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value (adjusted as described below) (the “Withdrawal Benefit”). If there is no Protected Withdrawal Value, the withdrawal benefit will be zero. You do not choose between these two options; each option will continue to be available as long as your Annuity has an Account Value and the Lifetime Five is in effect. Certain benefits under Lifetime Five may remain in effect even if the Account Value of your Annuity is zero. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Account Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Account Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to determine the amount of each annual payment under the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is determined as of the date you make your first withdrawal under your contract following your election of Lifetime Five. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of:
| 1. | the Contract Value on the date you elect Lifetime Five, plus any additional Purchase Payments (and any Credits), each growing at 5% per year from the date of your election of the benefit, or application of the Purchase Payment to your contract, as applicable, until the date of your first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier; |
| 2. | the Contract Value on the date of the first withdrawal from your contract, prior to the withdrawal; |
| 3. | the highest Contract Value on each contract anniversary, plus subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits) prior to the first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier. |
With respect to A and C above, after the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, each value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits).
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If you elect Lifetime Five at the time you purchase your contract, the Contract Value will be your initial Purchase Payment (plus any Credits).
If you make additional Purchase Payments after your first withdrawal, the Protected Withdrawal Value will be increased by the amount of each additional Purchase Payment (plus any Credits).
The Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced each time a withdrawal is made on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the Annual Withdrawal Amount, per Contract Year, of the Protected Withdrawal Value and on the greater of a dollar-for-dollar basis or a pro rata basis for withdrawals in a Contract Year in excess of that amount until the Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. At that point the Annual Withdrawal Amount will be zero until such time (if any) as the Contract reflects a Protected Withdrawal Value (for example, due to a step-up or additional purchase payments being made into the Contract).
Step-Up of the Protected Withdrawal Value
You may elect to step-up your Protected Withdrawal Value if, due to positive Variable Option performance, your Contract Value is greater than the Protected Withdrawal Value.
If you elected the Lifetime Five benefit on or after March 20, 2006:
| • | you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value on or after the 1st anniversary of the first withdrawal under the Lifetime Five benefit. |
| • | the Protected Withdrawal Value can be stepped up again on or after the 1st anniversary of the preceding step-up. |
If you elected the Lifetime Five benefit prior to March 20, 2006 and that original election remains in effect:
| • | you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value on or after the 5th anniversary of the first withdrawal under the Lifetime Five benefit. the Protected Withdrawal Value can be stepped up again on or after the 5th anniversary of the preceding step-up. |
In either scenario (i.e., elections before or after March 20, 2006) if you elect to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value under the benefit, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under the Lifetime Five benefit have changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of step-up. Upon election of the step-up, we increase the Protected Withdrawal Value to be equal to the then current Contract Value. For example, assume your initial Protected Withdrawal Value was $100,000 and you have made cumulative withdrawals of $40,000, reducing the Protected Withdrawal Value to $60,000. On the date you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value, your Contract Value is equal to $75,000. You could elect to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value to $75,000 on the date you are eligible. If your current Annual Income Amount and Annual Withdrawal Amount are less than they would be if we did not reflect the step-up in Protected Withdrawal Value, then we will increase these amounts to reflect the step-up as described below.
An optional automatic step-up (“Auto Step-Up”) feature is available for this benefit. This feature may be elected at the time the benefit is elected or at any time while the benefit is in force.
If you elected Lifetime Five on or after March 20, 2006 and have also elected the Auto Step-Up feature:
| • | the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st contract anniversary that is at least one year after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. |
| • | your Protected Withdrawal Value will only be stepped-up if 5% of the Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by any amount. |
| • | if at the time of the first Auto Step-Up opportunity, 5% of the Contract Value is not greater than the Annual Income Amount, an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive contract anniversary until a step-up occurs. |
| • | once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st contract anniversary that is at least one year after the most recent step-up. |
If you elected Lifetime Five prior to March 20, 2006 and have also elected the Auto Step-Up feature:
| • | the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the contract anniversary that is at least five years after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up.. your Protected Withdrawal Value will only be stepped-up if 5% of the Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by 5% or more. |
| • | if at the time of the first Auto Step-Up opportunity, 5% of the Contract Value does not exceed the Annual Income Amount by 5% or more, an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive contract anniversary until a step-up occurs. |
| • | once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the contract anniversary that is at least 5 years after the most recent step-up. |
In either scenario (i.e., elections before or after March 20, 2006), if on the date that we implement an Auto Step-Up to your Protected Withdrawal Value, the charge for Lifetime Five has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Subject to our rules and restrictions, you will still be permitted to manually step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value even if you elect the Auto Step-Up feature.
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Key Feature - Annual Income Amount Under the Life Income Benefit
The initial Annual Income Amount is equal to 5% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active. Under Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (Excess Income), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. A withdrawal can be considered Excess Income under the Life Income Benefit even though it does not exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount under the Withdrawal Benefit. When you elect a step-up (or an auto step-up is effected), your Annual Income Amount increases to equal 5% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current contract year, if such amount is greater than your Annual Income Amount. Your Annual Income Amount also increases if you make additional purchase payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 5% of any additional purchase payments (plus any Credits). Any increase will be added to your Annual Income Amount beginning on the day that the step-up is effective or the purchase payment is made. A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Income Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore, a subsequent increase in the Annual Income Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Income Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
Key Feature - Annual Withdrawal Amount Under the Withdrawal Benefit
The initial Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to 7% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value. Under Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals each contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount, your Protected Withdrawal Value will be reduced on a “dollar-for-dollar” basis. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Withdrawal Amount (Excess Withdrawal), your Annual Withdrawal Amount will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see the examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. When you elect a step-up (or an auto step-up is effected), your Annual Withdrawal Amount increases to equal 7% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current contract year, if such amount is greater than your Annual Withdrawal Amount. Your Annual Withdrawal Amount also increases if you make additional purchase payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 7% of any additional purchase payments (plus any Credits). A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Withdrawal Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore, a subsequent increase in the Annual Withdrawal Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Withdrawal Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
Lifetime Five does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount. You are not required to withdraw all or any portion of the Annual Withdrawal Amount or Annual Income Amount in each contract year.
| • | If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Withdrawal Amount under the Withdrawal Benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Withdrawal Amount to subsequent contract years. However, because the Protected Withdrawal Value is only reduced by the actual amount of withdrawals you make under these circumstances, any unused Annual Withdrawal Amount may extend the period of time until the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. |
| • | If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount under the Life Income Benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years. However, because the Protected Withdrawal Value is only reduced by the actual amount of withdrawals you make under these circumstances, any unused Annual Income Amount may extend the period of time until the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. |
Examples of Withdrawals and Step-Up
The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions and the step-up of the Protected Withdrawal Value, Annual Withdrawal Amount and Annual Income Amount assume: 1.) the contract date and the effective date of Lifetime Five are February 1, 2005; 2.) an initial purchase payment of $250,000; 3.) the Contract Value on February 1, 2006 is equal to $265,000; and 4.) the first withdrawal occurs on March 1, 2006 when the Contract Value is equal to $263,000 and 5.) the Account Value on March 1, 2011 is equal to $240,000. The values set forth here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charge for Lifetime Five.
The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated as the greatest of (a), (b) and (c):
(a) Purchase payment accumulated at 5% per year from February 1, 2005 until March 1, 2006 (393 days) = $250,000 × 1.05^(393/365)/ = $263,484.33
(b) Contract Value on March 1, 2006 (the date of the first withdrawal) = $263,000
(c) Contract Value on February 1, 2006 (the first contract anniversary) = $265,000
Therefore, the initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to $265,000. The Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to $18,550 under the Withdrawal Benefit (7% of $265,000). The Annual Income Amount is equal to $13,250 under the Life Income Benefit (5% of $265,000).
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Example 1. Dollar-for-Dollar Reduction
If $10,000 was withdrawn (less than both the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $18,550 - $10,000 = $8,550 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years remains at $18,550 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $13,250 - $10,000 = $3,250 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years remains at $13,250 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced by $10,000 from $265,000 to $255,000 |
Example 2. Dollar-for-Dollar and Proportional Reductions
a) If $15,000 was withdrawn (more than the Annual Income Amount but less than the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $18,550 - $15,000 = $3,550 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years remains at $18,550 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($15,000 - $13,250 = $1,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $1,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $93 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $93 = $13,157 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced by $15,000 from $265,000 to $250,000 |
b) If $25,000 was withdrawn (more than both the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Withdrawal Amount ($25,000 - $18,550 = $6,450) reduces Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Withdrawal Amount = Excess Withdrawal/Contract Value before Excess Withdrawal × Annual Withdrawal Amount = $6,450/($263,000 - $18,550) × $18,550 = $489 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years = $18,550 - $489 = $18,061 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($25,000 - $13,250 = $11,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $11,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $623 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $623 = $12,627 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is first reduced by the Annual Withdrawal Amount ($18,550) from $265,000 to $246,450. It is further reduced by the greater of a dollar-for-dollar reduction or a proportional reduction. |
| • | Dollar-for-dollar reduction = $25,000 - $18,550 = $6,450 |
| • | Proportional reduction = Excess Withdrawal/Contract Value before Excess Withdrawal × Protected Withdrawal Value = $6,450/($263,000 - $18,550) × $246,450 = $6,503 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value = $246,450 - max [$6,450, $6,503] = $239,947 |
Example 3. Step-up of the Protected Withdrawal Value
If the Annual Income Amount ($13,250) is withdrawn each year starting on March 1, 2006 for a period of 5 years, the Protected Withdrawal Value on March 1, 2011 would be reduced to $198,750 {$265,000 − ($13,250 × 5)}. If a step-up is elected on March 1, 2011, then the following values would result:
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value = Account Value on March 1, 2011 = $240,000 |
| • | Annual Income Amount is equal to the greater of the current Annual Income Amount or 5% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value. Current Annual Income Amount is $13,250. 5% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value is 5% of $240,000, which is $12,000. Therefore, the Annual Income Amount remains $13,250. |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to the greater of the current Annual Withdrawal Amount or 7% of the stepped up Protected Withdrawal Value. Current Annual Withdrawal Amount is $18,550. 7% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value is 7% of $240,000, which is $16,800. Therefore the Annual Withdrawal Amount remains $18,550. |
Benefits Under Lifetime Five. If your Contract Value is equal to zero, and the cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year are greater than the Annual Withdrawal Amount, Lifetime Five will terminate. To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount and amounts are still payable under both the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit,
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you will be given the choice of receiving the payments under the Life Income Benefit or under the Withdrawal Benefit. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining amounts under the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit would be payable even though your Account Value was reduced to zero. Once you make this election we will make an additional payment for that contract year equal to either the remaining Annual Income Amount or Annual Withdrawal Amount for the contract year, if any, depending on the option you choose. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal either the Annual Income Amount or the Annual Withdrawal Amount as described in this Prospectus. You will not be able to change the option after your election and no further purchase payments will be accepted under your contract. If you do not make an election, we will pay you annually under the Life Income Benefit. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount but less than or equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount and amounts are still payable under the Withdrawal Benefit, you will receive the payments under the Withdrawal Benefit. In the year of a withdrawal that reduced your Contract Value to zero, we will make an additional payment to equal any remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount and make payments equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount in each subsequent year (until the Protected Withdrawal Value is depleted). Once your Contract Value equals zero no further purchase payments will be accepted under your contract. If annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is any Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years or any remaining Protected Withdrawal Value, you can elect one of the following three options:
| 1. | apply your Contract Value to any annuity option available; |
| 2. | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We make such annuity payments until the annuitant’s death; or |
| 3. | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we pay out any remaining Protected Withdrawal Value as annuity payments. Each year such annuity payments will equal the Annual Withdrawal Amount or the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value if less. We make such annuity payments until the earlier of the annuitant’s death or the date the Protected Withdrawal Value is depleted. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at the Prudential Annuity Service Center. In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a single life fixed annuity with five payments certain using the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of:
| 1. | the present value of future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your contract; and |
| 2. | the Contract Value. |
If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will determine a Protected Withdrawal Value and calculate an Annual Income Amount and an Annual Withdrawal Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin.
Other Important Considerations
Withdrawals under Lifetime Five are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any withdrawal charges.
| • | Withdrawals made while Lifetime Five is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Lifetime Five does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable withdrawal charges). If you surrender your contract, you will receive the current Contract Value, not the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing Lifetime Five. Lifetime Five provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Protected Withdrawal Value or Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount or Annual Withdrawal Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | In general, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly-adopted requirements. Subsequent to any change in requirements, transfers of Contract Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to the new investment limitations. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
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| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Charges under the Benefit
The maximum charge for Lifetime Five is 1.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Variable Options. The charge is deducted daily.
Election of Lifetime Five
We no longer permit elections of Lifetime Five. If you wish, you may cancel the Lifetime Five benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Lifetime Five benefit provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and in accordance with any applicable age requirements). Once the Lifetime Five benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Lifetime Five benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post- issue basis. If you cancel Lifetime Five, you lose all guarantees under the benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Termination of Lifetime Five
The benefit terminates automatically when your Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero. You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective. The benefit terminates upon your surrender of your Annuity, upon the death of the Annuitant, upon a change in ownership of your Annuity that changes the tax identification number of the Owner, upon change in the Annuitant or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments. While you may terminate your benefit at any time, we may not terminate the benefit other than in the circumstances listed above.
The charge for Lifetime Five will no longer be deducted from your Account Value upon termination of the benefit.
Additional Tax Considerations for Qualified Contracts
If you purchase an annuity contract as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, the minimum distribution rules under the Code require that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity contract beginning after the applicable age. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount and the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount in any contract year that required minimum distributions due from your contract are greater than such amounts. Any such payments will reduce your Protected Withdrawal Value. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the contract payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any penalty or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as required minimum distribution provisions under the tax law.
See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and further discussions of RMDs.
The Death Benefit feature protects the Contract Value for the Beneficiary.
Beneficiary
The beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you name to receive any death benefit. You name the beneficiary at the time the contract is issued, unless you change it at a later date. Unless an irrevocable beneficiary has been named, during the accumulation period you can change the beneficiary at any time before the owner dies. However, if the contract is jointly owned, the owner must name the joint owner and the joint owner must name the owner as the beneficiary. For entity-owned contracts, we pay a death benefit upon the death of the annuitant. If no beneficiary is named for a trust owned contract, the default beneficiary will be the contract owner.
CALCULATION OF THE DEATH BENEFIT
If the sole owner dies during the accumulation phase, we will, upon receiving appropriate proof of death and any other needed documentation in good order (proof of death), pay a death benefit to the beneficiary designated by the owner. If the owner and joint owner are spouses, we will pay this death benefit upon the death of the last surviving spouse who continues the contract as sole owner.
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Upon receiving appropriate proof of death, the beneficiary will receive the greater of the following:
| 1. | The current Contract Value (as of the time we receive proof of death in good order). If you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will first deduct any credit corresponding to a purchase payment made later than one year prior to death. |
| 2. | Either the base death benefit, which equals the total purchase payments you have made less any withdrawals, or, if you have chosen a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB), the GMDB protected value. |
Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated:
The contract was issued with purchase payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Variable Option performance, the account value had decreased to $80,000. If the owner died, the death benefit would still be $100,000. This amount, however, is reduced proportionally when you make a withdrawal from the contract. If the contract owner had withdrawn 50% of the remaining $80,000, the death benefit would also be reduced by 50%. Since the death benefit had been $100,000, it would now be $50,000.
GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT
Under the newer version of the contracts, you may elect the base death benefit if you are 85 or younger. Under both versions of the contracts described in this prospectus, you may elect a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit if you are 75 or younger.
The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit provided an enhanced death benefit upon the death of the sole or last surviving owner during the accumulation phase.
The GMDB protected value option can be equal to the:
| • | GMDB roll-up |
| • | GMDB step-up, or |
| • | Greater of the GMDB roll-up and the |
| • | GMDB step-up. |
The GMDB protected value is calculated daily.
The GMDB roll-up value is equal to the invested purchase payments, increased daily at an effective annual rate of 5% starting on the date that each invested purchase payment is made. Both the GMDB roll-up and the cap value will increase by subsequent invested purchase payments and reduce proportionally by withdrawals.
The step-up value equals the highest value of the contract on any contract anniversary date--that is, on each contract anniversary, the new step-up value becomes the higher of the previous step-up value and the current Contract Value. Between anniversary dates, the step-up value is only increased by additional invested purchase payments and reduced proportionally by withdrawals.
If an owner who has purchased a Contract with Credit makes any purchase payment later than one year prior to death, we will adjust the death benefit to recapture any non-vested credit corresponding to that purchase payment.
GREATER OF STEP-UP AND ROLL-UP GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT
Under this option, the protected value is equal to the greater of the step-up value and the roll-up value.
If you have chosen a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option and death occurs on or after age 80, the beneficiary will receive the greater of: 1) the current Contract Value as of the date that proof of death is received, and 2) the protected value of that death benefit as of age 80, reduced proportionally by any withdrawals and increased by subsequent purchase payments. For this purpose, an owner is deemed to reach age 80 on the contract anniversary on or following the owner’s actual 80th birthday (or if there is a joint owner, the contract anniversary on or following the older owner’s actual 80th birthday).
Here is an example of a proportional reduction:
The current Contract Value is $100,000 and the protected value is $80,000. The owner makes a withdrawal that reduces the Contract Value by 25% (including the effect of any withdrawal charges). The new protected value is $60,000, or 75% of what it was before the withdrawal.
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Special rules apply if the beneficiary is the spouse of the owner, and the contract does not have a joint owner. In that case, upon the death of the owner, the spouse will have the choice of the following:
| • | If the sole beneficiary under the contract is the owner’s spouse, and the other requirements of the Spousal Continuance Option are met, then the contract can continue, and the spouse will become the new owner of the contract; or |
| • | The spouse can receive the death benefit. If the spouse does wish to receive the death benefit, he or she must make that choice within the first 60 days following our receipt of proof of death. Otherwise, the contract will continue with the spouse as owner. |
If ownership of the contract changes as a result of the owner assigning it to someone else, we will reset the value of the death benefit to equal the Contract Value on the date the change of ownership occurs, and for purposes of computing the future death benefit, we will treat that Contract Value as a purchase payment occurring on that date.
Depending on applicable state law, some death benefit options may not be available or may be subject to certain restrictions under your contract.
If the contract has an owner and a joint owner and they are spouses at the time that one dies, the surviving spouse has the choice of the following:
| • | The contract can continue, with the surviving spouse as the sole owner of the contract; or |
| • | The surviving spouse can receive the adjusted Contract Value and the contract will end. If the surviving spouse does wish to receive the adjusted Contract Value, he or she must make that choice within the first 60 days following our receipt of proof of death. Otherwise, the contract will continue with the surviving spouse as the sole owner. |
If the contract has an owner and a joint owner, and they are not spouses at the time that one dies, the contract will not continue. Instead, the beneficiary will receive the adjusted Contract Value.
Joint ownership may not be allowed in your state.
With respect to a death benefit paid before March 19, 2007, the death benefit payout options were:
Choice 1. Lump sum payment of the death benefit.
If the beneficiary did not choose a payout option within sixty days, the beneficiary would have received this payout option.
Choice 2. The payment of the entire death benefit within a period of 5 years from the date of death of the second-to-die of the owner or joint owner.
The entire death benefit would have included any increases or losses resulting from the performance of the variable or fixed interest rate options during this period. During this period the beneficiary could: reallocate the Contract Value among the variable or fixed interest rate options; name a beneficiary to receive any remaining death benefit in the event of the beneficiary’s death; and make withdrawals from the Contract Value, in which case, any such withdrawals will not be subject to any withdrawal charges. However, the beneficiary could not make any purchase payments to the contract.
During this 5-year period, we would continue to deduct from the death benefit proceeds the charges and costs that were associated with the features and benefits of the contract. Some of these features and benefits may not be available to the beneficiary, such as the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit.
Choice 3. Payment of the death benefit under an annuity or annuity settlement option over the lifetime of the beneficiary or over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary with distribution beginning within one year of the date of death of the owner or joint owner. Any portion of the death benefit not applied under Choice 3 within one year of the date of death of the first to die must be distributed within five years of that date of death.
With respect to death benefits paid on or after March 19, 2007, unless the surviving spouse opts to continue the contract (or spousal continuance is required under the terms of your contract), a beneficiary of the death benefit may generally, within 60 days of providing proof of death, take the death benefit as described below.
Alternative Death Benefit Payment Options – Annuities owned by Individuals (not associated with Tax-Favored Plans)
Upon your death, certain distributions must be made under the Non-qualified Annuity. The required distributions depend on whether you die before you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity or after you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity.
If you die on or after the annuity date, the remaining portion of the interest in the Annuity must be distributed:
| • | within five (5) years of the date of death (the “five-year deadline”); or |
| • | as a series of payments not extending beyond the life expectancy of the Beneficiary or over the life of the Beneficiary. Payments under this option must begin within one year of the date of death. If the Beneficiary does not begin installments by such time, then no partial withdrawals will be permitted thereafter and we require that the Beneficiary take the Death Benefit as a lump sum within the five-year deadline. If we do not receive instructions on where to send the payment within five-years of the date of death, the funds will be escheated. |
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Unless you have made an election prior to death benefit proceeds becoming due, a beneficiary can elect to receive the death benefit proceeds under the Beneficiary Continuation Option as described in the section entitled “Beneficiary Continuation Option”, below.
Alternative Death Benefit Payment Options – Annuities Held by Tax-Favored Plans
Upon your death under an IRA or Roth IRA, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements. The post-death distribution requirements were amended, applicable generally with respect to deaths occurring after 2019, by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (which includes the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement” Act (SECURE Act)) and further clarified by the associated final and proposed regulations. We reserve our rights to implement any additional regulations addressing these requirements in the future. The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances. The following rules generally apply to deaths after 2019:
| • | 10-year rule: If you have a designated Beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated Beneficiary is an “eligible designated Beneficiary” (“EDB”) or some other exception applies. |
| • | Eligible designated beneficiaries: A designated Beneficiary is any individual designated as a Beneficiary by the IRA owner. An EDB is any designated Beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual’s status as an EDB is generally determined on the date of your death. |
| • | Other applicable rules: This 10-year post-death distribution period applies regardless of whether you die before your required beginning date, or you die on or after that date (including after distributions have commenced in the form of an annuity). However, if you die on or after the required beginning date, then annual distributions will be required from the Annuity during the 10-year period. If the Beneficiary is an EDB and the EDB dies before the entire interest is distributed under this 10-year rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB’s death (i.e., a new 10-year distribution period begins). |
Instead of taking distributions under the 10-year rule, an EDB can stretch distributions over life, or over a period not extending beyond life expectancy, provided that such distributions commence within one year of your death, subject to certain special rules. In addition, if your minor child is an EDB, the child will cease to be an EDB on the date the child reaches the age of 21, and any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after that date (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years).
It is important to note that under prior law, annuity payments that commenced under a method that satisfied the distribution requirements while the IRA Owner was alive could continue to be made under that method after the death of the IRA owner. However, under the current law, if you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the current law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by Prudential) in order to comply with the post-death distribution requirements.
The post-death distribution requirements do not apply if annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the new requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity.
If your Beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed under prior law in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your Beneficiary designations.
In addition, the current post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the IRA Owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated Beneficiary of the deceased IRA Owner dies after January 1, 2020, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated Beneficiary’s death. Hence, this 10-year rule will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated Beneficiary of an IRA Owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated Beneficiary of an IRA Owner who died prior to 2020.
| • | Spousal continuation. Under the current law, as under prior law, if your Beneficiary is your spouse, such surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after their death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to their own IRA, or by treating your IRA as their own IRA subject to specific limits under the regulations. The post-death distribution requirements are complex in numerous respects. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. You may wish to consult a professional tax adviser for tax advice as to your particular situation. |
The tax consequences to the beneficiary may vary among the different death benefit payment options. See the “Taxes” section of this prospectus and consult your tax advisor.
BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION
Instead of receiving the death benefit in a single payment, or under an annuity option, a beneficiary may take the death benefit under an alternative death benefit payment option, as provided by the Code and described above. This “Beneficiary Continuation Option” is described below and is only available for an IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, 403(b), or a Non-qualified contract. The Beneficiary Continuation Option is only available within a limited time period from the deceased date of death and for certain designated beneficiaries as detailed below.
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Under the Beneficiary Continuation Option:
| • | The Owner’s contract will be continued in the Owner’s name, for the benefit of the beneficiary. |
| • | The beneficiary will be charged an amount equal to 1.00% daily against the average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. |
| • | The beneficiary will incur an annual maintenance fee equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of contract value if the contract value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. The fee will not apply if it is assessed 30 days prior to a surrender request. |
| • | The initial contract value will be equal to any death benefit (including any optional death benefit) that would have been payable to the beneficiary if they had taken a lump sum distribution. |
| • | The available Variable Options will be among those available to the Owner at the time of death, however certain Variable Options may not be available. |
| • | The beneficiary may request transfers among Variable Options, subject to the same limitations and restrictions that applied to the Owner. Transfers in excess of 20 per year will incur a $10 transfer fee. |
| • | No additional Purchase Payments can be applied to the contract. |
| • | The basic death benefit and any optional benefits elected by the Owner will no longer apply to the beneficiary. |
| • | The beneficiary can request a withdrawal of all or a portion of the Contract Value at any time without application of any applicable CDSC unless the Beneficiary Continuation Option was the payout predetermined by the Owner and the Owner restricted the beneficiary’s withdrawal rights. |
| • | Upon the death of the beneficiary, any remaining Contract Value will be paid in a lump sum to the person(s) named by the beneficiary, unless the beneficiary named a successor who may continue receiving payments. |
| • | All amounts in the Beneficiary Continuation Option must be paid out to the Beneficiary according to the Required Distribution rules described in the “Taxes” section. |
Until withdrawn, amounts in an IRA, 403(b) or other “qualified investment” continue to be tax deferred. Amounts withdrawn each year, including amounts that are required to be withdrawn under the Minimum Distribution rules, are subject to tax. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
For a Roth IRA, if death occurs before the entire interest is distributed, the death benefit must be distributed under the same rules applied to IRAs where death occurs before the date Required Minimum Distributions must begin under the Code.
Currently only investment options corresponding to Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust and the Prudential Money Market Portfolio of The Prudential Series Fund are available under the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
Your beneficiary will be provided with a prospectus and a settlement agreement that will describe this option. Please contact us for additional information on the availability, restrictions and limitations that will apply to a beneficiary under the beneficiary continuation option. We may pay compensation to the selling broker-dealer based on amounts held in the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
| • | Payment under this option may be limited based on federal income tax requirements. See the “Taxes” section for more information on the limitations that may apply to this option. |
We may pay compensation to the selling broker-dealer based on amounts held in the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit was an optional, supplemental death benefit that provided a benefit payable upon the death of the sole or last surviving owner during the accumulation phase. Any Earnings Appreciator Benefit payment we make will be in addition to any other death benefit payment we make under the contract. You must have been 75 or younger in order to elect the Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
An Earnings Appreciator Benefit is calculated for each purchase payment you make. Your total Earnings Appreciator Benefit is the sum of the Earnings Appreciator Benefits for all of your purchase payments.
If the owner (or older of owner and joint owner if there is a joint owner) is younger than age 66 on the date the application is signed, the Earnings Appreciator Benefit for each purchase payment is 45% of the lesser of:
| • | The adjusted purchase payment (which means the invested purchase payment adjusted for partial withdrawals); or |
| • | Earnings attributed to that adjusted purchase payment. |
If the owner (or older of owner and joint owner if there is a joint owner) is age 66 or older (and younger than age 76) on the date the application is signed, the Earnings Appreciator Benefit for each purchase payment is 25% of the lesser of:
| • | The adjusted purchase payment (which means the invested purchase payment adjusted for partial withdrawals); or |
| • | Earnings attributed to that adjusted purchase payment. |
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The following rules apply to the calculation of the benefit:
| • | Each “adjusted purchase payment” is the invested purchase payment reduced on a proportional basis by any subsequent withdrawals. Reduction on a proportional basis means that we calculate the percentage of your current Contract Value being withdrawn and reduce each adjusted purchase payment made prior to the withdrawal by that percentage. For example, if your Contract Value is $40,000 and you withdraw $10,000, you have withdrawn 25% of your Contract Value. If you have two adjusted purchase payments prior to the withdrawal ($10,000 and $20,000), each of those adjusted purchase payments would be reduced by 25% (to $7,500 and $15,000). The amount of earnings allocated to each adjusted purchase payment is also reduced by the same percentage. These calculations, therefore, do not depend on the actual investment option from which the withdrawal is made, and they are different calculations than those that apply for other reasons under the contract, such as for the withdrawal charge or for tax purposes. |
| • | Earnings are periodically allocated to each adjusted purchase payment on a proportional basis. We calculate the amount of earnings since the last earnings allocation and we allocate those earnings proportionately among the adjusted purchase payments (based on the amount of each adjusted purchase payment plus the earnings previously allocated to that adjusted purchase payment). For example, if you have two adjusted purchase payments--one with an adjusted purchase payment and allocated earnings of $30,000 and the other with an adjusted purchase payment and allocated earnings of $20,000 (therefore 60% and 40% of the total respectively)--and your contract has earned $5,000 since the last calculation, 60% of the earnings ($3,000) will be allocated to the first adjusted purchase payment and 40% of the earnings ($2,000) will be allocated to the second adjusted purchase payment. This calculation, therefore, does not apply different rates of return to different purchase payments based on the investment options in which the particular purchase payment was invested. When allocating earnings at the time of a death benefit payment, we will first deduct from earnings the amount of any charges deducted and credit recaptured from your Contract Value at that time. |
| • | Under the Spousal Continuance Option, we will not allow the surviving spouse to continue the Earnings Appreciator Benefit (or bear the charge associated with that benefit) if that owner is age 76 or older when Spousal Continuance is activated. If the surviving spouse does continue the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, then we will calculate the benefit payable upon the surviving spouse’s death in the same manner as discussed above, except that we will treat the Contract Value (as adjusted to reflect the Spousal Continuance Option) as the first adjusted purchase payment against which the Earnings Appreciator percentages are applied. |
See Appendix B for examples of the benefit calculations.
TERMINATING THE EARNINGS APPRECIATOR BENEFIT
| • | The Earnings Appreciator Benefit will terminate on the earliest of: |
| • | the date you make a total withdrawal from the contract, |
| • | the date a death benefit is payable if the contract is not continued by the surviving spouse under the Spousal Continuance Option, |
| • | the date the contract terminates, or |
| • | the date you annuitize the contract. |
Upon termination of the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, we cease imposing the associated charge.
SPOUSAL CONTINUATION OF ANNUITY
This is an option that, depending on the contract options chosen, can give the owner’s surviving spouse a stepped-up account value upon the owner’s death. Any person who buys a contract and meets our eligibility criteria for this benefit receives the benefit without charge. The benefit must be selected within 60 days of the owner’s death, and may not be available under all contracts. The benefit described in this section applies only to the later version of this contract. Under the original version of this contract, no stepped-up Contract Value is available to a surviving spouse who continues the contract.
We offer the Spousal Continuance Option only if each of the following conditions is present on the date we receive proof of the owner’s death:
| 1. | there is only one owner of the contract and that owner is the sole annuitant, |
| 2. | there is only one beneficiary, |
| 3. | the beneficiary is the owner’s spouse, |
| 4. | the surviving spouse is not older than 95 on that date, and |
| 5. | the surviving spouse becomes the new owner and annuitant. |
The contract may not be continued upon the death of a spouse who had assumed ownership of the contract through the exercise of the Spousal Continuance Option.
Under the Spousal Continuance Option, we impose no withdrawal charge at the time of the owner’s death, and we will not impose any withdrawal charges on the surviving spouse with respect to the withdrawal of purchase payments made by the owner prior to the activation of the benefit. However, we will continue to impose withdrawal charges with respect to purchase payments made by the surviving spouse as new owner.
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IF YOU HAVE NOT SELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT FEATURE (I.E., YOU HAVE THE BASE DEATH BENEFIT), then upon the activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will adjust the Contract Value, as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, to equal the greater of the following: 1) the Contract Value as of the date of our receipt of proof of death or 2) the sum of all invested purchase payments (adjusted for withdrawals) made prior to the date on which we receive proof of the owner’s death. We will add the amount of any Earnings Appreciator Benefit that you have selected to each of the amounts specified immediately above.
IF YOU HAVE SELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT FEATURE WITH THE ROLL-UP OPTION, then upon the activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will adjust the Contract Value, as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, to equal the greater of the following: 1) the Contract Value as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, or 2) the roll-up value. We will add the amount of any Earnings Appreciator Benefit that you have selected to each of the amounts specified immediately above. When the Spousal Continuance Option is activated by a surviving spouse who is younger than 80, we will adjust the roll-up value under the surviving spouse’s contract to equal the Contract Value (adjusted, as described immediately above). In addition, in that case we will reset the surviving spouse’s roll-up cap to equal 200% of the Contract Value (adjusted, as described immediately above). We make no adjustment to the roll-up value or the roll-up cap if the surviving spouse is 80 or older, except to account for additional purchase payments and to reduce the roll-up value proportionately by withdrawals. If the surviving spouse was younger than 80 at the owner’s death, then we will continue to increase the roll-up value annually until the earlier of either (i) the surviving spouse’s attainment of age 80 or (ii) the attainment of the roll-up cap (i.e., the reset roll-up cap discussed above). Once the roll-up value ceases to increase, we thereafter will adjust the roll-up value only to account for subsequent purchase payments and to diminish it proportionally by withdrawals.
IF YOU HAVE SELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT FEATURE WITH THE STEP-UP GMDB OPTION, then upon the activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will adjust the Contract Value, as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, to equal the greater of the following: 1) the Contract Value as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, or 2) the step-up value. We will add the amount of any Earnings Appreciator Benefit that you have selected to each of the amounts specified immediately above. When the Spousal Continuance Option is activated by a surviving spouse younger than 80, we will adjust the step-up value to equal the Contract Value (adjusted, as described immediately above). We make no such adjustment if the surviving spouse is 80 or older. If the surviving spouse was younger than 80 at the owner’s death, then we will continue to adjust the step-up value annually until the surviving spouse’s attainment of age 80. After the surviving spouse attains age 80, we will continue to adjust the step-up value only to account for additional purchase payments and to reduce the step-up value proportionally by withdrawals.
IF YOU HAVE SELECTED THE GREATER OF ROLL-UP AND STEP-UP AS YOUR GMDB OPTION, then we will calculate those values upon activation of the Spousal Continuance Option in accordance with the procedures set out in the immediately preceding paragraphs and in your contract.
After activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will calculate the Earnings Appreciator Benefit in the manner discussed under “Earnings Appreciator Death Benefit”. We do not allow the surviving spouse to retain the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit under the Spousal Continuance Option (or bear the charge associated with that benefit).
In the preceding discussion of the Spousal Continuance Option, we intend references to attainment of age 80 to refer to the contract anniversary on or following the actual 80th birthday of the surviving spouse.
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Please note that these Annuities are no longer available for new sales.
The initial purchase payment is the amount of money you first pay us to purchase the contract. Unless we agree otherwise, and subject to our rules, the minimum initial purchase payment is $10,000. We must approve any initial and additional Purchase Payments where the total amount of Purchase Payments equal $1,000,000 or more with respect to this Annuity and any other annuities you are purchasing from us (or that you already own) and/or our affiliates. To the extent allowed by state law, that required approval also will apply to a proposed change of owner of the Annuity, if as a result of the ownership change, total Purchase Payments with respect to this Annuity and all other annuities owned by the new Owner would equal or exceed that $1 million threshold. With some restrictions, you can make additional purchase payments by means other than electronic fund transfer of no less than $1,000 at any time during the accumulation phase. However, we impose a minimum of $100 with respect to additional purchase payments made through electronic fund transfers.
You may purchase this contract only if the oldest of the owner, joint owner, annuitant, or co-annuitant is age 85 or younger (or age 80 depending on the version of the contract) on the contract date. Certain age limits apply to certain features and benefits described herein. No subsequent purchase payments may be made on or after the earliest of the 86th birthday (or 81st birthday depending on the version of the contract) of:
| • | the owner, |
| • | the joint owner, |
| • | the annuitant, or |
| • | the co-annuitant. |
Currently, the maximum aggregate purchase payments you may make is $20 million. We limit the maximum total purchase payments in any contract year, other than the first to $2 million absent our prior approval. Depending on applicable state law, other limits may apply.
ALLOCATION OF PURCHASE PAYMENTS
When you purchase a contract, we will allocate your invested purchase payment among the Variable Options or, if you choose the Contract Without Credit, the fixed interest rate options based on the percentages you choose. The percentage of your allocation to a particular investment option can range in whole percentages from 0% to 100%.
When you make an additional purchase payment, it will be allocated in the same way as your most recent purchase payment, unless you tell us otherwise. If you purchase the Contract Without Credit, allocations to the DCA Fixed Rate Option must be no less than $5,000.
You may change your allocation of future invested purchase payments at any time. Contact the Prudential Annuity Service Center for details.
Applicable laws designed to counter terrorists and prevent money laundering might, in certain circumstances, require us to block a contract owner’s ability to make certain transactions, and thereby refuse to accept purchase payments or requests for transfers, partial withdrawals, total withdrawals, death benefits, or income payments until instructions are received from the appropriate regulator. We also may be required to provide additional information about you and your contract to government regulators.
If you purchase the Contract With Credit, we will add a credit amount to your Contract Value with each purchase payment you make. The credit amount is allocated to the Variable Options in the same percentages as the purchase payment.
Under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over a seven year period, the credit percentage is currently equal to 4% of each purchase payment. With the approval of the SEC, we can change that credit percentage, but we guarantee it will never be less than 3%. Under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits generally are not recapturable after expiration of the free look period, the bonus credit that we pay with respect to any purchase payment depends on (i) the age of the older of the owner or joint owner on the date on which the purchase payment is made and (ii) the amount of the purchase payment. Specifically,. if the elder owner is 80 or younger on the date that the purchase payment is made, then we will add a bonus credit to the purchase payment equal to 4% if the purchase payment is less than $250,000 or 5% if the purchase payment is greater than or equal to $250,000; and if the elder owner is aged 81-85 on the date that the purchase payment is made, then we will add a bonus credit equal to 3% of the amount of the purchase payment.
Under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over a seven year period, each credit is subject to its own vesting schedule, which is shown below. If you make a withdrawal of all or part of a purchase payment, or you begin the income phase of the contract, we will recapture the non-vested portion of the credit attributable to that purchase payment. Withdrawals of purchase payments occur on a first-in first-out basis. This credit that we recapture is in addition to any withdrawal charges that may apply.
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Under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over a seven year period, bonus credits vest according to the following schedule:
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Date of Each Purchase Payment |
Vested Percentage |
|
0 |
0% |
|
1 |
10% |
|
2 |
20% |
|
3 |
30% |
|
4 |
40% |
|
5 |
50% |
|
6 |
60% |
|
7 |
100% |
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Date of Each Purchase Payment |
Vested Percentage |
|
0 |
0.00% |
|
1 |
10.00% |
|
2 |
20.00% |
|
3 |
30.00% |
|
4 |
40.00% |
|
5 |
50.00% |
|
6 |
60.00% |
|
7 |
100.00% |
Under each version of the Contract With Credit, if we pay a death benefit under the contract, we have the right to recapture any credit we applied one year prior to the date of death or later.
Under each version of the Contract With Credit, we recapture bonus credits if the owner returns his or her contract during the free look period.
Depending upon the state in which your contract was issued, your contract may include a different vesting schedule.
Examples of Recapturing Credits under the version of the Contract With Credit Under Which Bonus Credits Vest Over Seven Years
The following are hypothetical examples of how Credits could be recaptured. These examples do not cover every potential situation. These are the only situations in which Credits may be recaptured.
Recapture from payment of Death Benefits
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. If the Death Benefit becomes payable in the 9th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the entire amount of the prior Credit ($2,400). |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $4,400. If death occurs in the 16th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced but only in the amount of the Credit applied within the previous 12-months. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credit that was applied) occurred more than 12-months before the date of death, the Death Benefit would not be reduced by the amount of the Credit applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 12-months of the date of death. Therefore, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the amount of the Credit payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($400). |
| • | NOTE: If the Death Benefit would otherwise have been equal to the Purchase Payments minus any withdrawals due to poor investment performance, we will not reduce the amount of the Death Benefit by the amount of the Credits as shown in Example 2 above. |
Recapture from Critical Care Surrenders
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| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You receive a Credit of $2,000 ($50,000 ×.04). The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill after the 5th but before the 6th contract anniversary after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the Critical Care surrender provision. Assuming the Credit was applied within 5 years of the date of diagnosis of the terminal illness, the amount that would be payable under the Critical Care surrender provision would be reduced by 50% of the amount of the Credit which is $1,000 ($2,000 × 0.5). |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 2nd contract year after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill after the 7th contract anniversary after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the Critical Care surrender provision. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credit that was applied) occurred more than 7 contract years before the diagnosis, the amount that would be payable upon the Critical Care surrender provision would not be reduced by the amount of the Credit applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 5 contract anniversaries of the date of diagnosis. Therefore, the amount that would be payable under the Critical Care surrender provision would be reduced by 50% of the amount of the Credit payable on the additional Purchase Payment which is $200 ($400 ×.05). |
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Recapture from Surrenders
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You receive a Credit of $2,000 ($50,000 ×.04). The Annuitant surrenders the annuity after the 5th but before the 6th contract anniversary. Assuming the Credit was applied within 5 years of the date of surrender, the amount that would be payable under the surrender would be reduced by 50% of the amount of the Credit which is $1,000 ($2,000 × 0.5) including any withdrawal charges and any contract fee, if applicable. |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 2nd contract year after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. The Annuitant surrenders the annuity after the 7th contract anniversary after the Issue Date. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credit that was applied) occurred more than 7 contract years before the surrender, the amount that would be payable upon the surrender would not be reduced by the amount of the Credit applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 5 contract anniversaries of the date of surrender. Therefore, the amount that would be payable under the surrender would be reduced by 50% of the amount of the Credit payable on the additional Purchase Payment $200 which is ($400 ×.05) including any withdrawal charges and any contract fee, if applicable. |
Examples of Recapturing Credits under the version of the Contract With Credit Generally not Recapturable After Expiration of Free Look Period
The following are hypothetical examples of how Credits could be recaptured by us. These examples do not cover every potential situation. These are the only situations in which Credits may be recaptured.
Recapture from payment of Death Benefits
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. If the Death Benefit becomes payable in the 9th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the entire amount of the prior Credit ($2,400). |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $4,400. If death occurs in the 16th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced but only in the amount of the Credit applied within the previous 12-months. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credit that was applied) occurred more than 12-months before the date of death, the Death Benefit would not be reduced by the amount of the Credit applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 12-months of the date of death. Therefore, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the amount of the Credit payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($400). |
| • | NOTE: If the Death Benefit would otherwise have been equal to the Purchase Payments minus any withdrawals due to poor investment performance, we will not reduce the amount of the Death Benefit by the amount of the Credits as shown in Example 2 above. |
The value of the variable portion of your contract will go up or down depending on the investment performance of the Variable Options you choose. To determine the value of your contract allocated to the Variable Options, we use a unit of measure called an accumulation unit. An accumulation unit works like a share of a mutual fund.
Every day we determine the value of an accumulation unit for each of the Variable Options. We do this by:
| (1) | adding up the total amount of money allocated to a specific investment option; |
| (2) | subtracting from that amount insurance charges and any other applicable charges such as for taxes; and |
| (3) | dividing this amount by the number of outstanding accumulation units. |
When you make a purchase payment to a Variable Option, we credit your contract with accumulation units of the Variable Option or Variable Options for the investment options you choose. We determine the number of accumulation units credited to your contract by dividing the amount of the purchase payment, plus (if you have purchased the Contract With Credit) any applicable credit, allocated to a Variable Option by the unit price of the accumulation unit for that investment option. We calculate the unit price for each investment option after the NYSE closes each day and then credit your contract. The value of the accumulation units can increase, decrease, or remain the same from day to day.
We cannot guarantee that your Contract Value will increase or that it will not fall below the amount of your total purchase payments.
When you allocate Account Value to a Variable Option, you are purchasing Units of the Variable Option. Each Variable Option invests exclusively in shares of an underlying Portfolio. The value of the Units fluctuates with the Variable Option fluctuations of the Portfolios. The value of the Units also reflects the daily accrual for the Insurance Charge, and if you elected one or more optional benefits whose annualized charge is deducted daily, the additional charge for such benefits.
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Each Valuation Day, we determine the price for a Unit of each Variable Option, called the “Unit Price” or “Unit Value”. The Unit Price is used for determining the value of transactions involving Units of the Variable Options. We determine the number of Units involved in any transaction by dividing the dollar value of the transaction by the Unit Price of the Variable Option as of the Valuation Day. There may be several different Unit Prices for each Variable Option to reflect the Insurance Charge and the charges for any optional benefits. The Unit Price for the Units you purchase will be based on the total charges for the benefits that apply to your Annuity.
Example
Assume you allocate $5,000 to a Variable Option. On the Valuation Day you make the allocation, the Unit Price is $14.83. Your $5,000 buys 337.154 Units of the Variable Option. Assume that later, you wish to transfer $3,000 of your Account Value out of that Variable Option and into another Variable Option. On the Valuation Day you request the transfer, the Unit Price of the original Variable Option has increased to $16.79 and the Unit Price of the new Variable Option is $17.83. To transfer $3,000, we redeem 178.677 Units at the current Unit Price, leaving you 158.477 Units. We then buy $3,000 of Units of the new Variable Option at the Unit Price of $17.83. You would then have 168.255 Units of the new Variable Option.
PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS
Pruco Life is generally open to process financial transactions on those days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. There may be circumstances where the NYSE does not open on a regularly scheduled date or time or closes at an earlier time than scheduled (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Generally, financial transactions requested in Good Order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be processed according to the value next determined following the close of business. Financial transactions requested on a non-business day or after the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be processed based on the value next computed on the next Valuation Day.
We will not process any financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders on days the NYSE is closed. Pruco Life will also not process financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders or transfers on any day that:
| • | trading on the NYSE is restricted; |
| • | an emergency, as determined by the SEC, exists making redemption or valuation of securities held in the Separate Account impractical; or |
| • | the SEC, by order, permits the suspension or postponement for the protection of security holders. |
In certain circumstances, we may need to correct the processing of an order. In such circumstances, we may incur a loss or receive a gain depending upon the price of the security when the order was executed and the price of the security when the order is corrected. With respect to any gain that may result from such order correction, we will retain any such gain as additional compensation for these correction services.
Initial Purchase Payments: We are required to allocate your initial Purchase Payment to the Variable Options within two (2) Valuation Days after we receive the Purchase Payment in Good Order at our Service Office. If we do not have all the required information to allow us to issue your Annuity, we may retain the Purchase Payment while we try to reach you or your representative to obtain all of our requirements. If we are unable to obtain all of our required information within five (5) Valuation Days, we are required to return the Purchase Payment to you at that time, unless you specifically consent to our retaining the Purchase Payment while we gather the required information. Once we obtain the required information, we will invest the Purchase Payment (and any associated Purchase Credit) and issue an Annuity within two (2) Valuation Days.
With respect to your initial Purchase Payment and any additional purchase payments pending investment in our Separate Account, we may hold the amount temporarily in a suspense account and we may earn interest on such amount. You will not be credited with interest during that period. The monies held in the suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors. Also, the Purchase Payment will not be reduced nor increased due to Variable Option fluctuations during that period.
As permitted by applicable law, the broker-dealer firm through which you purchase your Annuity may forward your initial Purchase Payment to us prior to approval of your purchase by a registered principal of the firm. These arrangements are subject to a number of regulatory requirements, including that customer funds will be deposited in a segregated bank account and held by the insurer until such time that the insurer is notified of the firm’s principal approval and is provided with the application, or is notified of the firm principal’s rejection. In addition, the insurer must promptly return the customer’s funds at the customer’s request prior to the firm’s principal approval or upon the firm’s rejection of the application. The monies held in the bank account will be held in a suspense account within our general account and we may earn interest on amounts held in that suspense account. Contract owners will not be credited with any interest earned on amounts held in that suspense account. The monies in such suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors.
Additional Purchase Payments: We will apply any additional Purchase Payments (and any associated Purchase Credit) as of the Valuation Day that we receive the Purchase Payment at our Service Office in Good Order. We may limit, restrict, suspend or reject any additional Purchase Payments at any time, on a non-discriminatory basis. See “Purchases and Contract Value”. With respect to your Additional Purchase Payments that are pending investment in our Separate Account, we may hold the amount temporarily in a suspense account and we may earn interest on such amount. You will not be credited with interest during that period. The monies held in the suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors. Also, the Purchase Payment will not be reduced nor increased due to Variable Option fluctuations during that period.
Scheduled Transactions: Scheduled transactions include transfers under Dollar Cost Averaging, the Asset Allocation Program, Auto Rebalancing, Systematic Withdrawals, Systematic Investments, Required Minimum Distributions, substantially equal periodic payments under section 72(t)/72(q) of the Code, annuity payments and fees that are assessed daily as a percentage of the net assets of the Variable Options. Scheduled transactions are
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processed and valued as of the date they are scheduled, unless the scheduled day is not a Valuation Day. In that case, the transaction will be processed and valued on the next Valuation Day, unless (with respect to Required Minimum Distributions, substantially equal periodic payments under Section 72 (t)/72(q) of the Code, annuity payments and fees that are assessed daily as a percentage of the net assets of the Variable Options only), the next Valuation Day falls in the subsequent calendar year, in which case the transaction will be processed and valued on the prior Valuation Day.
In addition, if: you are taking your Annual Income Amount through our systematic withdrawal program; and the scheduled day is not a Valuation Day; and the next Valuation Day will occur in a new contract year, the transaction will be processed and valued on the prior Valuation Day.
Unscheduled Transactions: “Unscheduled” transactions include any other non-scheduled transfers and requests for partial withdrawals or Free Withdrawals or Surrenders. With respect to certain written requests to withdraw Account Value, we may seek to verify the requesting Owner’s signature. Specifically, we reserve the right to perform a signature verification for (a) any withdrawal exceeding a certain dollar amount and (b) a withdrawal exceeding a certain dollar amount if the payee is someone other than the Owner. In addition, we will not honor a withdrawal request in which the requested payee is the financial professional or agent of record. We reserve the right to request a signature guarantee with respect to a written withdrawal request. If we do perform a signature verification, we will pay the withdrawal proceeds within 7 days after the withdrawal request was received by us in Good Order and will process the transaction in accordance with the discussion in “Processing and Valuing Transactions”.
Critical Care Access & Death Benefits: Critical Care Access requests and Death Benefit claims require our review and evaluation before processing. We price such transactions as of the date we receive at our Service Office in Good Order all supporting documentation we require for such transactions.
We generally pay any surrender request or death benefit claims from the Separate Account within 7 days of our receipt of your request in Good Order at our Service Office.
Termination of Optional Benefits: If any optional benefit terminates, we will no longer deduct the charge we apply to purchase the optional benefit. Certain optional benefits may be added after you have purchased your Annuity. On the date a charge no longer applies or a charge for an optional benefit begins to be deducted, your Annuity will become subject to a different daily asset-based charge. This change may result in the number of Units attributed to your Annuity and the value of those Units being different than it was before the change; however, the adjustment in the number of Units and Unit Price will not affect your Account Value (although the change in charges that are deducted will affect your Account Value).
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You Can Access Your Money By:
| • | Making a withdrawal (either partial or full); or |
| • | Choosing to receive annuity payments during the Income Phase. |
TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU
When you make a full withdrawal, you will receive the value of your contract minus any applicable charges and fees and, if you have purchased the Contract With Credit, after we have recaptured any credits that have not yet vested. We will calculate the value of your contract and charges, if any, as of the date we receive your request in good order at the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
Unless you tell us otherwise, any partial withdrawal and related withdrawal charges will be taken proportionately from all of the investment options you have selected. The minimum Contract Value that must remain in order to keep the contract in force after a withdrawal is $2,000. If you request a withdrawal amount that would reduce the Contract Value below this minimum, we will withdraw the maximum amount available that, with the withdrawal charge, would not reduce the Contract Value below such minimum.
Gross Withdrawal or Net Withdrawal. Generally, you can request either a gross withdrawal or a net withdrawal. If, however, you are taking your withdrawal through a systematic withdrawal program, you may only be permitted to take that withdrawal on a gross basis. In a gross withdrawal, you request a specific withdrawal amount with the understanding that the amount you actually receive is reduced by any applicable CDSC or tax withholding. In a net withdrawal, you request a withdrawal for an exact dollar amount with the understanding that any applicable deduction for CDSC or tax withholding is taken from your Account Value. This means that an amount greater than the amount of your requested withdrawal will be deducted from your Account Value. To make sure that you receive the full amount requested, we calculate the entire amount, including the amount generated due to the CDSC or tax withholding, that will need to be withdrawn. We then apply the CDSC or tax withholding to that entire amount. As a result, you will pay a greater CDSC or have more tax withheld if you elect a net withdrawal.
With respect to the Variable Options, we will generally pay the withdrawal amount, less any required tax withholding, within seven days after we receive a withdrawal request in good order. We will deduct applicable charges, if any, from the assets in your contract.
Income Taxes, Tax Penalties, and Certain Restrictions also may apply to any withdrawal you make. For a more complete explanation, see the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS
We offer an automated withdrawal feature. This feature enables you to receive periodic withdrawals in monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual intervals. We will process your withdrawals at the end of the business day at the intervals you specify. We will continue at these intervals until you tell us otherwise. You can make withdrawals from any designated investment option or proportionally from all investment options. The minimum automated withdrawal amount you can make is generally $100. An assignment of the contract terminates any automated withdrawal program that you had in effect.
Systematic Withdrawals based on the charge free amount may be available, but only if the contract is still within the surrender charge period. The withdrawals will be calculated based only on the purchase payments that are still subject to CDSC.
Income Taxes, Tax Penalties, Withdrawal Charges, and certain restrictions may apply to automated withdrawals. For a more complete explanation, see the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS
Where permitted by law, you may request to surrender your Annuity prior to the Annuity Date without application of all withdrawal
charges and annual contract fee if the Owner or Joint Owner (if applicable) becomes confined to an eligible nursing home, hospital or becomes terminally ill. The amount payable will be your Account Value.
This waiver of any applicable withdrawal charges and annual contract fee is subject to our rules in place at the time of your request, which currently include but are not limited to the following:
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) is first confined in an eligible nursing home or eligible hospital while your Annuity is in force and remains confined for at least 90 days in a row; |
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) is first diagnosed as having a terminal illness while your Annuity is in force; |
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) must be alive as of the date we pay the proceeds of such surrender request; |
| • | we must receive satisfactory proof of the Owner’s, or Joint Owner’s (if applicable), confinement in an eligible nursing home, eligible hospital or terminal illness in writing on a form satisfactory to us; and |
| • | proceeds will only be sent by check or electronic fund transfer directly to the Owner |
Critical Care Access is not available in all states.
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REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS
If a withdrawal is taken from a tax qualified contract under the minimum distribution option in order to satisfy an Internal Revenue Service mandatory distribution requirement only with respect to that contract’s account balance, we will waive withdrawal charges. See the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
In any year in which the requirement to take Required Minimum Distributions is suspended by law, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion and regardless of any position taken on this issue in a prior year, to treat any amount that would have been considered as a Required Minimum Distribution if not for the suspension as eligible for treatment as described herein.
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The tax considerations associated with an Annuity vary depending on whether the Annuity is (i) owned by an individual or non-natural person, and not associated with a tax-favored retirement plan, or (ii) held under a tax-favored retirement plan. We discuss the tax considerations for these categories of Annuities below. The discussion is general in nature and describes only federal income tax law. We generally do not describe state, local, foreign or other federal tax laws. It is based on current law and interpretations which may change. The information provided is not intended as tax advice. The federal income tax treatment of the Annuity is unclear in certain circumstances, and you should always consult a qualified tax advisor regarding the application of law to individual circumstances. Generally, the cost basis in an Annuity is the amount you pay into your Annuity, or into an annuity exchanged for your Annuity, on an after-tax basis less any withdrawals of such payments. Cost basis for a tax-favored retirement plan is provided only in limited circumstances, such as for contributions to a Roth IRA or nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA. We do not track cost basis for tax-favored retirement plans, which is the responsibility of the Owner.
On advisory products, you may be able to establish, subject to our rules and restrictions, an advisory fee deduction program for a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity such that charges for investment advisory fees are not taxable to the Annuity Owner. Please note that there are additional requirements that must be satisfied in order for investment advisory fee charges paid from a Non-qualified Annuity to be treated as not taxable.
The discussion below generally assumes that the Annuity is issued to the Annuity Owner. For Annuities issued under the Beneficiary Continuation Option or as a Beneficiary Annuity, refer to the Taxes Payable by Beneficiaries for a Non-qualified Annuity and Required Distributions Upon Your Death for Qualified Annuities sections below.
In general, as used in this prospectus, a Non-qualified Annuity is owned by an individual or non-natural person and is not associated with a tax-favored retirement plan.
Taxes Payable by You
We believe the Annuity is an Annuity for tax purposes. Accordingly, as a general rule, you should not pay any tax until you receive money under the Annuity. Generally, all Annuity contracts issued by the same company (and affiliates) to you during the same calendar year must be treated as one Annuity for purposes of determining the amount of any withdrawal that is subject to tax under the rules described below. We treat advisory fee payments as an expense of the Annuity and not a taxable distribution if your Non-qualified Annuity satisfies the requirements of a Private Letter Ruling issued to us by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). In accordance with the PLR, advisory fee payments from your Non-qualified Annuity are treated as an expense as long as your advisor attests to us that the PLR requirements have been met, including that the advisory fees will not exceed 1.5% of the Annuity’s cash value and the Annuity only pays the advisor for fees related to investment advice with respect to the Annuity and no other services. The PLR does not generally allow such favorable tax treatment of advisory fee payments where a commission is also paid on the Annuity.
It is possible that the IRS could assert that some or all of the charges for the optional living or death benefits under the Annuity should be treated for federal income tax purposes as a partial withdrawal from the Annuity. If this were the case, the charge for this benefit could be deemed a withdrawal and treated as taxable income to the extent there are earnings in the Annuity. Additionally, for Owners under age 59½, the taxable income attributable to the charge for the benefit could be subject to the 10% additional tax. If the IRS determines that the charges for one or more benefits under the Annuity are taxable withdrawals, then the sole, primary, or surviving Owner will be provided with a notice from us describing available alternatives regarding these benefits.
Taxes on Withdrawals and Surrender Before Annuity Payments Begin
If you make a withdrawal from your Annuity or surrender it before annuity payments begin, the amount you receive will be taxed as ordinary income, rather than as a return of cost basis, until all gain has been withdrawn. At any time, there is no gain in your Annuity, payments will be treated as a nontaxable return of cost basis until all cost basis has been returned. After all cost basis is returned, all subsequent amounts will be taxed as ordinary income. An exception to this treatment exists for contracts that include Purchase Payments made prior to August 14, 1982 that are issued via 1035 exchange. Withdrawals from a contract with Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 are treated as a return of cost basis in the Annuity first until those pre-August 14, 1982 Purchase Payments are withdrawn. Moreover, income allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 is not subject to the 10% additional tax.
You will generally be taxed on any withdrawals from the Annuity while you are alive even if the withdrawal is paid to someone else. Withdrawals under any of the optional living benefits or as a systematic payment are taxed under these rules. If you assign or pledge all or part of your Annuity as collateral for a loan, the part assigned generally will be treated as a withdrawal and subject to income tax to the extent of gain. If the entire Account Value is assigned or pledged, subsequent increases in the Account Value are also treated as withdrawals for as long as the assignment or pledge remains in place. The cost basis is increased by the amount includible in income with respect to such assignment or pledge. If you transfer your Annuity for less than full consideration, such as by gift, you will also trigger tax on any gain in the Annuity. Under most circumstances, this rule does not apply if you transfer the Annuity to your spouse or if you transfer the Annuity incident to divorce.
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If you choose to receive payments under an interest payment option, or a Beneficiary chooses to receive a death benefit under an interest payment option, that election will be treated, for tax purposes, as surrendering your Annuity and will immediately subject any gain in the Annuity to income tax and possibly the 10% additional tax.
Taxes on Annuity Payments
If you select an annuity payment option as described in the “Annuity Period” section of this prospectus, a portion of each annuity payment you receive will be treated as a partial return of your cost basis and will not be taxed. The remaining portion will be taxed as ordinary income. Generally, the nontaxable portion is determined by multiplying the annuity payment you receive by a fraction, the numerator of which is your cost basis (less any amounts previously received tax-free) and the denominator of which is the total expected payments under the Annuity. After the full amount of your cost basis has been recovered tax-free, the full amount of the annuity payments will be taxable. If annuity payments stop due to the death of the Annuitant before the full amount of your cost basis has been recovered, a tax deduction may be allowed for the unrecovered amount.
If your Account Value is reduced to zero but the Annuity remains in force due to a benefit provision, further distributions from the Annuity will be reported as annuity payments, using an exclusion ratio based upon the undistributed cost basis in the Annuity and the total value of the anticipated future payments until such time as all cost basis has been recovered.
Maximum Annuity Date
You must commence annuity payments no later than the first day of the calendar month following the maximum Annuity Date for your Annuity. Upon reaching the maximum Annuity Date you can no longer make Purchase Payments, surrender, exchange, or transfer your contract. The maximum Annuity Date may be the same as the Latest Annuity Date as described elsewhere in this prospectus. For some of our Annuities, you can choose to defer the Annuity Date beyond the default or Latest Annuity Date, as applicable, described in your Annuity. However, the IRS may not then consider your Annuity to be an Annuity under the tax law.
Please refer to your Annuity contract for the maximum Annuity Date.
Partial Annuitization
We do not currently permit partial annuitization.
Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income
The Code includes a Medicare tax on investment income. This tax assesses a 3.8% surtax on the lesser of (1) net investment income or (2) the excess of “modified adjusted gross income” over a threshold amount. The “threshold amount” is $250,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child, $125,000 for married taxpayers filing separately, $200,000 for all others, and approximately $16,000 for estates and certain trusts. The taxable portion of payments received as a withdrawal, surrender, annuity payment, death benefit payment or any other actual or deemed distribution under the Annuity will be considered investment income for purposes of this surtax.
10% Additional Tax for Early Withdrawal from a Non-Qualified Annuity
You may owe a 10% additional tax on the taxable part of distributions received from your Non-qualified Annuity. Amounts are not subject to this additional tax if:
| • | the amount is paid on or after you reach age 59½; |
| • | the amount is paid on or after your death (or the death of the Annuitant when the owner is not an individual); |
| • | the amount received is attributable to your becoming disabled (as defined in the Code); |
| • | generally the amount paid or received is in the form of substantially equal periodic payments (as defined in the Code) not less frequently than annually (please note that substantially equal periodic payments must continue until the later of reaching age 59½ or five years and the impermissible modification of payments during that time period will result in retroactive application of the 10% additional tax); or |
| • | the amount received is paid under an immediate Annuity (within the meaning of the Code) and the annuity start date is no more than one year from the date of purchase (the first monthly annuity payment being required to be paid within 13 months). |
Other exceptions to this tax may apply. You should consult your tax advisor for further details.
Special Rules in Relation to Tax-free Exchanges Under Section 1035
Section 1035 of the Code permits certain tax-free exchanges of a life insurance contract, annuity contract or endowment contract for an Annuity, including tax-free exchanges of annuity death benefits for a Beneficiary Annuity. Partial exchanges may be treated in the same way as tax-free 1035 exchanges of entire contracts, therefore avoiding current taxation of the partially exchanged amount as well as the 10% additional tax on pre-age 59½ withdrawals. In Revenue Procedure 2011-38, the IRS indicated that, for partial exchanges on or after October 24, 2011, where there is a surrender or distribution from either the initial annuity contract or receiving annuity contract within 180 days of the date on which the partial exchange was completed
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(other than an amount received as an annuity for a period of 10 years or more or during one or more lives), the IRS may not treat the transaction as a tax-free Section 1035 exchange. The IRS will apply general tax rules to determine the substance and treatment of the transaction in such cases. We strongly urge you to discuss any partial exchange transaction of this type with your tax advisor before proceeding with the transaction.
If an Annuity is purchased through a tax-free exchange of a life insurance contract, annuity contract or endowment contract that was purchased prior to August 14, 1982, then any Purchase Payments made to the original contract prior to August 14, 1982 will be treated as made to the new Annuity prior to that date. Generally, such pre-August 14, 1982 withdrawals are treated as a return of cost basis first until Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 are withdrawn. Moreover, income allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982, is not subject to the 10% additional tax.
After you elect an Annuity Payout Option, we do not allow you to exchange your Annuity.
Taxes Payable by Beneficiaries for a Non-Qualified Annuity
If an Owner dies before the Annuity Date, the Death Benefit distributions are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The value of the Death Benefit, as determined under federal law, is also included in the Owner’s estate for federal estate tax purposes. Generally, the same income tax rules described above would also apply to amounts received by your Beneficiary. Choosing an option other than a lump sum Death Benefit may defer taxes. Certain minimum distribution requirements apply upon your death, as discussed further below in the Annuity Qualification section. Tax consequences to the Beneficiary vary depending upon the Death Benefit payment option selected. Generally, for payment of the Death Benefit:
| • | As a lump sum payment, the Beneficiary is taxed in the year of payment on gain in the Annuity. |
| • | Within 5 years of death of Owner, the Beneficiary is taxed on the lump sum payment. The Death Benefit must be taken as one lump sum payment within 5 years of the death of the Owner. Partial withdrawals are not permitted to be paid to Beneficiaries under our Annuity contracts. |
| • | Under an Annuity or Annuity settlement option where distributions begin within one year of the date of death of the Owner, the Beneficiary is taxed on each payment with part as gain and part as return of cost basis. After the full amount of cost basis has been recovered tax-free, the full amount of the annuity payments will be taxable. |
After the Annuity Date, if a period certain remains under the annuity option and the Annuitant dies before the end of that period, any remaining payments made to the Beneficiary will be fully excluded from income until the remaining cost basis is recovered and all annuity payments thereafter are fully includible in income. If we allow the Beneficiary to commute the remaining payments in a lump sum, the proceeds will be taxable as a surrender.
Considerations for Contingent Annuitants: We may allow the naming of a contingent Annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity is held by a pension plan or a tax favored retirement plan, or held by a Custodial Account. In such a situation, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the Annuity continues after the death of the Annuitant. However, tax deferral should be provided instead by the pension plan, tax favored retirement plan, or Custodial Account. We may also allow the naming of a contingent annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity is held by an entity owner when such Annuities do not qualify for tax deferral under the current tax law. This does not supersede any benefit language which may restrict the use of the contingent annuitant.
Reporting and Withholding on Distributions
Amounts distributed from an Annuity are subject to federal and state income tax reporting and withholding. In general, we will withhold federal income tax from the taxable portion of such distribution based on the type of distribution. In the case of an annuity payment, we apply default withholding under the applicable tax rules unless you designate a different withholding status. In the case of all other distributions, we will withhold at a 10% rate. You may generally elect a different tax withholding rate or elect not to have tax withheld from your payments. An election out of withholding must be made on forms that we provide. If you are a U.S. person (which includes a resident alien), and you request a payment be delivered outside the United States or do not provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number, we are required to withhold income tax.
State income tax withholding rules vary and we will withhold based on the rules of your state of residence. Special tax rules apply to withholding for nonresident aliens, and we generally withhold income tax for nonresident aliens at a 30% rate. A different withholding rate may be applicable to a nonresident alien based on the terms of an existing income tax treaty between the United States and the nonresident alien’s country. Please refer to the discussion below regarding withholding rules for a Qualified Annuity.
Regardless of the amount withheld by us, you are liable for payment of income taxes (including any estimated taxes that may be due) on the taxable portion of distributions from the Annuity. You should consult with your tax advisor regarding the payment of the correct amount of these income taxes and potential liability if you fail to pay such taxes.
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Entity Owners
Where an Annuity is held by a non-natural person (e.g., a corporation, partnership), other than as an agent or nominee for a natural person (or in other limited circumstances), increases in the value of the Annuity over its cost basis will be subject to tax annually.
Where an Annuity is issued to a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT), increases in the value of the Annuity over its cost basis will be subject to tax reporting annually. As there are charges for the optional living and death benefits described elsewhere in this prospectus, and such charges reduce the contract value of the Annuity, trustees of the CRT should discuss with their legal advisors whether election of such optional living or death benefits violates their fiduciary duty to the remainder beneficiary.
Where an Annuity is issued to a trust, and such trust is characterized as a grantor trust under the Code, such Annuity is generally not considered to be held by a non-natural person and will be subject to the tax reporting and withholding requirements generally applicable to a Non-qualified Annuity held by a natural person, provided that all grantors of the trust are natural persons. At this time, we will not issue an Annuity to grantor trusts with more than two grantors.
Where the Annuity is owned by a grantor trust, the Annuity must be distributed within five years after the date of the first grantor’s death (or the Annuitant’s death in certain instances) under Section 72(s) of the Code.
See the “Payout Options” section for scenarios where a Death Benefit or Surrender Value is payable depending upon the underlying facts.
Trusts are required to complete and submit a Certificate of Entity form, and we will tax report based on the information provided on this form.
Annuity Qualification
Diversification And Investor Control. In order to qualify for the tax rules applicable to Annuities described above, the investment assets in the Non-qualified Annuity Variable Options must be diversified according to certain rules under the Code. Each Portfolio is required to diversify its investments each quarter so that no more than 55% of the value of its assets is represented by any one investment, no more than 70% is represented by any two investments, no more than 80% is represented by any three investments, and no more than 90% is represented by any four investments. Generally, securities of a single issuer are treated as one investment, and obligations of each U.S. Government agency and instrumentality (such as the Government National Mortgage Association) are treated as issued by separate issuers. In addition, any security issued, guaranteed or insured (to the extent so guaranteed or insured) by the U.S. or an instrumentality of the U.S. will be treated as a security issued by the U.S. Government or its instrumentality, where applicable. We believe the Portfolios underlying the Variable Options of the Annuity meet these diversification requirements.
An additional requirement for qualification for the tax treatment described above is that we, and not you as the Annuity Owner, must have sufficient control over the underlying assets to be treated as the owner of the underlying assets for tax purposes. The tax law limits the amount of control you may have over choosing investments for your Annuity. If this “investor control” rule is violated your Annuity assets will be considered owned directly by you and you lose the favorable tax treatment generally afforded to annuities.
While we also believe these investor control rules will be met, the Treasury Department may promulgate guidelines under which a variable annuity will not be treated as an annuity contract for tax purposes if persons with ownership rights have excessive control over the investments underlying such variable annuity contract. It is unclear whether such guidelines, if in fact promulgated, would have retroactive effect. It is also unclear what effect, if any, such guidelines might have on transfers between the Investment Options offered pursuant to this prospectus. We reserve the right to take any action, including modifications to your Annuity or the Investment Options, required to comply with such guidelines if promulgated. Any such changes will apply uniformly to affected Owners and will be made with such notice to affected Owners as is feasible under the circumstances.
Required Distributions Upon Your Death for a Non-Qualified Annuity.
Upon your death, certain distributions must be made under the Annuity. The required distributions depend on whether you die before you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity or after you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity. If you die on or after the Annuity Date, the remaining portion of the interest in the Annuity must be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death. If you die before the Annuity Date, the entire interest in the Annuity must be distributed within five years after the date of death, or as periodic payments over a period not extending beyond the life or life expectancy of the designated Beneficiary (provided such payments begin within one year of your death). If the Beneficiary does not begin installments within one year of the date of death, no partial withdrawals will be permitted thereafter, and we require that the Beneficiary take the Death Benefit as a lump sum within the five-year deadline. Your designated Beneficiary is the person to whom benefit rights under the Annuity pass by reason of death, and must be a natural person in order to elect a periodic payment option based on life expectancy or a period exceeding five years. Additionally, if the Annuity is payable to (or for the benefit of) your surviving spouse, that portion of the Annuity may be continued with your spouse as the Owner. For Non-qualified Annuities owned by a non-natural person, the required distribution rules generally apply upon the death of the Annuitant. This means, for example, that for an Annuity held by a non-natural person (such as a trust) for which there is named a co-annuitant, then such required distributions will be triggered by the death of the first co-annuitant to die.
Changes To Your Annuity. We reserve the right to make any changes we deem necessary to assure that your Annuity qualifies as an Annuity for tax purposes. Any such changes will apply to all Annuity Owners and you will be given notice to the extent feasible under the circumstances.
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In general, as used in this prospectus, a Qualified Annuity is an Annuity with applicable endorsements for a tax-favored plan or a Non-Qualified Annuity held by a tax-favored retirement plan.
The following is a general discussion of the tax considerations for Qualified Annuities. This Annuity may or may not be available for all types of the tax-favored retirement plans discussed below. This discussion assumes that you have satisfied the eligibility requirements for any tax-favored retirement plan. Please consult your financial professional prior to purchase to confirm if this Annuity is available for a particular type of tax-favored retirement plan or whether we will accept the type of contribution you intend for this Annuity.
A Qualified Annuity may have been purchased for use in connection with:
| • | Individual retirement accounts and annuities (IRAs), including inherited IRAs (which we refer to as a Beneficiary IRA), which are subject to Sections 408(a) and 408(b) of the Code; |
| • | Roth IRAs, including inherited Roth IRAs (which we refer to as a Beneficiary Roth IRA) under Section 408A of the Code; |
| • | A corporate Pension or Profit-sharing plan (subject to 401(a) of the Code); |
| • | H.R. 10 plans (also known as Keogh Plans, subject to 401(a) of the Code); |
| • | Tax Sheltered Annuities (subject to 403(b) of the Code, also known as Tax Deferred Annuities or TDAs); |
| • | Section 457 plans (subject to 457 of the Code). |
A Non-qualified Annuity may have been purchased by a 401(a) trust, a custodial IRA or a custodial Roth IRA account, or a Section 457 plan, which can hold other permissible assets. The terms and administration of the trust or custodial account or plan in accordance with the laws and regulations for 401(a) plans, IRAs or Roth IRAs, or a Section 457 plan, as applicable, are the responsibility of the applicable trustee or custodian.
You should be aware that tax favored plans such as IRAs generally provide income tax deferral regardless of whether they invest in Annuities. This means that when a tax favored plan invests in an Annuity, it generally does not result in any additional tax benefits (such as income tax deferral and income tax free transfers).
Types of Tax-favored Plans
IRAs. The “IRA Disclosure Statement” and “Roth IRA Disclosure Statement” which accompany the prospectus contain information about eligibility, contribution limits, tax particulars, and other IRA information. In addition to this information (the material terms are summarized in this prospectus and in those Disclosure Statements), the IRS requires that you have a “Free Look” after making an initial contribution to the Annuity. During this time, you can cancel the Annuity by notifying us in writing, and we will refund the greater of all purchase payments under the Annuity or the Account Value, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding.
Contribution Limits/Rollovers. Subject to the minimum purchase payment requirements of an Annuity, you may purchase an Annuity for an IRA in connection with a “rollover” of amounts from a qualified retirement plan, as a transfer from another IRA, by making a contribution consisting of your IRA contributions and catch-up contributions, if applicable, attributable to the prior year during the period from January 1 to April 15 (or the later applicable due date of your federal income tax return, without extension), or as a current year contribution. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. The tax law also provides for a catch-up provision for individuals who are age 50 and above, allowing these individuals an additional $1,000 contribution each year. The $1,000 catch-up contribution for IRA owners age 50 or older is indexed for inflation starting in 2024 in accordance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (which includes SECURE 2.0 of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0”). You may be able to claim a deduction for your contributions depending on your modified adjusted gross income. Go to www.irs.gov for the limits for each year.
The “rollover” rules under the Code are fairly technical; however, an individual (or his or her surviving spouse) may generally “roll over” certain distributions from tax favored retirement plans (either directly or within 60 days from the date of these distributions) if he or she meets the requirements for distribution. Once you buy an Annuity, you can make regular IRA contributions under the Annuity (to the extent permitted by law and the terms of the Annuity). For IRA rollovers, an individual can only make an IRA to IRA rollover if the individual has not made a rollover involving any IRAs owned by the individual in the prior 12 months. An IRA transfer is a tax-free trustee-to-trustee “transfer” from one IRA account to another. IRA transfers are not subject to this 12-month rule. There is no age limitation with regard to contributions to a traditional IRA as long as the earned income requirements are met.
In some circumstances, non-spouse Beneficiaries may roll over to an IRA amounts due from qualified plans, 403(b) plans, and governmental 457(b) plans. However, the rollover rules applicable to non-spouse Beneficiaries under the Code are more restrictive than the rollover rules applicable to Owner/participants and spouse Beneficiaries. Generally, non-spouse Beneficiaries may roll over distributions from tax favored retirement plans only as a direct rollover. An inherited IRA must be directly rolled over from the employer plan or transferred from an IRA and must be titled in the name of the deceased (i.e., John Doe deceased for the benefit of Jane Doe). No additional contributions can be made to an inherited IRA. In this prospectus, an inherited IRA is also referred to as a Beneficiary Annuity.
Required Provisions. Annuities that are IRAs (or endorsements that are part of the contract) must contain certain provisions:
| • | You, as Owner of the Annuity, must be the “Annuitant” under the contract (except in certain cases involving the division of property under a decree of divorce); |
| • | Your rights as Owner are non-forfeitable; |
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| • | You cannot sell, assign or pledge the Annuity; |
| • | The annual contribution you pay cannot be greater than the maximum amount allowed by law, including catch-up contributions if applicable (which does not include any rollover amounts or amounts transferred by trustee-to-trustee transfer); |
| • | The date on which required minimum distributions must begin cannot be later than April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age (see the Required Minimum Distribution rules for more details); and |
| • | Death and annuity payments must meet Required Minimum Distribution rules described below. |
Usually, the full amount of any distribution from an IRA (including a distribution from this Annuity) which is not a transfer or rollover is taxable. As taxable income, these distributions are subject to the general income tax withholding rules described earlier regarding an Annuity in the Non-qualified Annuity section. In addition to this normal tax liability, you may also be liable for the following, depending on your actions:
| • | A 10% early withdrawal additional tax described below; |
| • | Liability for “prohibited transactions” if you, for example, borrow against the value of an IRA; or |
| • | Failure to take a Required Minimum Distribution, also described below. |
If you make any non-deductible contributions to your IRA, a portion of any subsequent distribution may be tax-free as a return of those contributions. You are required to keep track of this and determine the taxable and non-taxable portions. IRS rules require that we report the full amount of any distribution as taxable.
Simplified Employee Pensions (SEP). SEPs are a variation on a standard IRA, and Annuities issued to a SEP must satisfy the same general requirements described under IRAs (above). There are, however, some differences:
| • | If you participate in a SEP, you generally do not include in income any employer contributions made to the SEP on your behalf up to the lesser of (a) the annual employer contribution limit as indexed for inflation, or (b) 25% of your taxable compensation paid by the contributing employer (not including the employer’s SEP contribution as compensation for these purposes). However, for these purposes, compensation in excess of certain limits established by the IRS will not be considered. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution and catch-up limits and compensation limit. |
| • | SEPs must satisfy certain participation and nondiscrimination requirements not generally applicable to IRAs; and |
| • | SEPs that contain a salary reduction or “SARSEP” provision prior to 1997 may permit salary deferrals from employee income with the employer making these contributions to the SEP. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. However, no new “salary reduction” or “SARSEPs” can be established after 1996. Individuals participating in a SARSEP who are age 50 or above by the end of the year are permitted to contribute an additional catch-up contribution amount. These amounts are indexed for inflation and may depend on the participant’s age. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution limit and catch-up contribution limit. Not all Annuities issued by us are available for SARSEPs. |
| • | You will also be provided the same information, and have the same “Free Look” period, as you would have if you purchased the Annuity for a standard IRA. |
| • | Roth contributions are permitted for SEP IRAs starting in 2023. The Company does not currently offer Roth contributions for SEP IRAs, but we reserve the right to offer this contribution type in the future. |
ROTH IRAs. The “Roth IRA Disclosure Statement” contains information about eligibility, contribution limits, tax particulars and other Roth IRA information. Like standard IRAs, income within a Roth IRA accumulates tax-free, and contributions are subject to specific limits. Roth IRAs have, however, the following differences:
| • | Contributions to a Roth IRA cannot be deducted from your gross income; |
| • | “Qualified distributions” from a Roth IRA are excludable from gross income. A “qualified distribution” is a distribution that satisfies two requirements: (1) the distribution must be made (a) after the Owner of the IRA attains age 59½; (b) after the Owner’s death; (c) due to the Owner’s disability; or (d) for a qualified first time homebuyer distribution within the meaning of Section 72(t)(2)(F) of the Code; and (2) the distribution must be made in the year that is at least five tax years after the first year for which a contribution was made to any Roth IRA established for the Owner. Distributions from a Roth IRA that are not qualified distributions will be treated as made first from contributions and then from earnings and earnings will be taxed generally in the same manner as distributions from a traditional IRA. |
| • | If eligible (including meeting income limitations and earnings requirements), you may make contributions to a Roth IRA during your lifetime, and distributions are not required during the owner’s lifetime. |
Subject to the minimum Purchase Payment requirements of an Annuity, you may purchase an Annuity for a Roth IRA in connection with a “rollover” of amounts of another traditional IRA, SEP, SIMPLE-IRA (subject to a timing restriction), employer sponsored retirement plan (under Sections 401(a) or 403(b) of the Code) or Roth IRA. You may also purchase an Annuity for a Roth IRA, if you meet certain income limitations, by making a contribution consisting of your Roth IRA contributions and catch-up contributions, if applicable, attributable to the prior year during the period from January 1 to April 15 (or the applicable due date of your federal income tax return, without extension), or as a current year contribution. The Code permits persons who receive certain qualifying distributions from such non-Roth IRAs, to directly rollover or make, within 60 days, a “rollover” of all or any part of the amount of such distribution to a Roth IRA which they establish (a “conversion”). The conversion of non-Roth accounts triggers current taxation (but is not subject to a 10% early distribution additional tax unless a distribution that is allocable to the rollover contribution is distributed within 5 years of the conversion).
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In addition, SECURE 2.0 amends the Code to allow for tax and penalty free rollovers from 529 accounts to Roth IRAs, under certain conditions. Starting in 2024, beneficiaries of 529 college savings accounts would be permitted to roll over up to $35,000 over the course of their lifetime from any 529 account in their name to their Roth IRA. These rollovers generally are also subject to Roth IRA annual contribution limits, and the 529 account must have been open for at least 15 years, among other requirements.
The Code also permits the recharacterization of current year contribution amounts from a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA, or from a Roth IRA to a traditional IRA. Recharacterization is accomplished through a trustee-to-trustee transfer of a contribution (or a portion of a contribution) plus earnings, between different types of IRAs. A properly recharacterized contribution is treated as a contribution made to the second IRA instead of the first IRA. Such recharacterization must be completed by the applicable tax return due date (with extensions). However, no recharacterizations of conversions can be made.
Once an Annuity has been purchased, regular Roth IRA contributions will be accepted to the extent permitted by law and the terms of the Annuity. In addition, an individual receiving an eligible rollover distribution from a designated Roth account under an employer plan may roll over the distribution to a Roth IRA even if the individual is not eligible to make regular contributions to a Roth IRA. Non-spouse Beneficiaries receiving a distribution from an employer sponsored retirement plan under Sections 401(a) or 403(b) of the Code can also directly roll over contributions to a Roth IRA. However, it is our understanding of the Code that non-spouse Beneficiaries cannot “rollover” benefits from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
TDAs. In general, you may own a Tax Deferred Annuity (also known as a TDA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA), 403(b) plan or 403(b) Annuity) if you are an employee of a tax-exempt organization (as defined under Code Section 501(c)(3)) or a public educational organization, and you may make contributions to a TDA so long as your employer maintains such a plan and your rights to the Annuity are non-forfeitable. Contributions to a TDA, and any earnings, are not taxable until distribution. You may also make contributions to a TDA under a salary reduction agreement subject to specific limits. Individuals participating in a TDA who are age 50 or above by the end of the year will be permitted to contribute an additional amount. This amount is indexed for inflation. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution limit and catch-up contribution limit. Further, you may roll over TDA amounts to another TDA or an IRA. You may also roll over TDA amounts to a qualified retirement plan, a SEP and a governmental 457(b) plan. An Annuity may generally only qualify as a TDA if distributions of salary deferrals (other than “grandfathered” amounts held as of December 31, 1988) may be made only on account of:
| • | Your attainment of age 59½; |
| • | Your severance of employment; |
| • | Your death; |
| • | Your total and permanent disability; or |
| • | Hardship |
In any event, you must begin receiving distributions from your TDA by April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age or retire, whichever is later. These distribution limits do not apply either to transfers or exchanges of investments under the Annuity, or to any “direct transfer” of your interest in the Annuity to another employer’s TDA plan or mutual fund “custodial account” described under Code Section 403(b)(7). Employer contributions to TDAs are subject to the same general contribution, nondiscrimination, and minimum participation rules applicable to “qualified” retirement plans.
Caution: Under IRS regulations we can accept contributions, transfers and rollovers only if we have entered into an information-sharing agreement, or its functional equivalent, with the applicable employer or its agent. In addition, in order to comply with the regulations, we will only process certain transactions (e.g., transfers, withdrawals, hardship distributions and, if applicable, loans) with employer approval. This means that if you request one of these transactions we will not consider your request to be in Good Order, and will not therefore process the transaction, until we receive the employer’s approval in written or electronic form.
Late Rollover Self-Certification
You may be able to apply a rollover contribution to your IRA or qualified retirement plan after the 60-day deadline through a self-certification procedure established by the IRS. Please consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your eligibility to use this self-certification procedure. As indicated in this IRS guidance, we, as a financial institution, are not required to accept your self-certification for waiver of the 60-day deadline.
Required Minimum Distributions and Payment Options
If you hold the Annuity under an IRA (or other tax-favored plan), Required Minimum Distribution rules must be satisfied. This means that generally payments must start by April 1 of the year after the year you reach the applicable age (“required beginning date”) and must be made for each year thereafter. For a TDA or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than 5% owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs and designated Roth accounts under employer sponsored plans are not subject to these rules during the Owner’s lifetime.
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|
If you were born... |
Your “applicable age” is... |
|
Before July 1, 1949 |
70½ |
|
After June 30, 1949 and before 1951 |
72 |
|
After 1950 and before 1960 |
73 |
|
After 1959 |
75 |
The amount of the payment must at least equal the minimum required under the IRS rules. Several choices are available for calculating the minimum amount. More information on the mechanics of this calculation is available on request. Please contact us at a reasonable time before the Required Minimum Distribution deadline so that a timely distribution is made. Please note that there is a 25% excise tax (a 50% excise tax applied prior to the 2023 taxable year) on the amount of any required minimum distribution not made in a timely manner. The excise tax on failure is further reduced from 25% to 10% if corrected in a timely manner and certain other conditions are met in accordance with SECURE 2.0.
Required Minimum Distributions are calculated based on the sum of the Account Value and the actuarial present value of any additional living and death benefits from optional riders that you have purchased under the Annuity. As a result, the Required Minimum Distributions may be larger than if the calculation were based on the Account Value only, which may in turn result in an earlier (but not before the required beginning date) distribution of amounts under the Annuity and an increased amount of taxable income distributed to the Annuity Owner, and a reduction of payments under the living and death benefit optional riders.
You can use the Minimum Distribution option to satisfy the Required Minimum Distribution rules for an Annuity without either beginning annuity payments or surrendering the Annuity. Under this option, we will distribute to you the Required Minimum Distribution amount, less any other partial withdrawals that you made during the year. Such amount will be based on the value of the Annuity as of December 31 of the prior year, but is determined without regard to other tax favored retirement plans you may own. If a trustee-to-trustee transfer or direct rollover of the full contract value is requested when there is an active Required Minimum Distribution program running, the Required Minimum Distribution will be removed and sent to the Owner prior to the remaining funds being sent to the transfer institution.
Although the IRS rules determine the required amount to be distributed from your IRA each year, certain payment alternatives are still available to you. In accordance with SECURE 2.0, a new optional method for calculating your RMDs may be available if you have an IRA in an annuity payout (or partial annuity payout), and an IRA in the deferral stage. Please contact your tax advisor to determine if this calculation method is appropriate for you. In addition, if you own more than one IRA, you can choose to satisfy your minimum distribution requirement for each of your IRAs by withdrawing that amount from any of your non-Roth IRAs. If you inherit more than one IRA or more than one Roth IRA from the same Owner, similar rules apply. These rules may also apply to other types of tax favored retirement plans such as TDAs.
Charitable IRA Distributions
Certain qualified IRA distributions used for charitable purposes are eligible for an exclusion from gross income, up to $100,000 (indexed for inflation beginning after 2023), for otherwise taxable IRA distributions from a traditional or Roth IRA. A qualified charitable distribution is a distribution that is made (1) directly by the IRA trustee to certain qualified charitable organizations and (2) on or after the date the IRA owner attains age 70½. Distributions that are excluded from income under this provision are not taken into account in determining the individual’s deductions, if any, for charitable contributions. The amount of your qualified charitable distributions that are excluded from income for a tax year is reduced (but not below zero) by the excess of: (1) the total amount of your IRA deductions allowed for all tax years ending on or after the date you attain age 70½, over (2) the total amount of reductions for all tax years preceding the current tax year. You should consult your tax advisor about whether a one-time distribution up to $50,000 (indexed for inflation beginning after 2023) that is made from your IRA to a “split-interest entity” can be excluded from your gross income.
The IRS has currently indicated that an IRA trustee is not responsible for determining whether a distribution to a charity is one that satisfies the requirements of the charitable giving incentive. Unless otherwise required in the future by the IRS, we will report the distribution as a normal IRA distribution on Form 1099-R. In those instances, individuals are responsible for reflecting the distributions as charitable IRA distributions on their personal tax returns. However, if we receive certification that the distribution satisfies the requirements, we will report the distribution as a charitable IRA distribution on Form 1099-R.
Required Distributions Upon Your Death for a Qualified Annuity
Upon your death under an IRA, Roth IRA, 403(b) or other employer sponsored plan, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements. For Owner and Beneficiary deaths prior to 2020, please consult your tax advisor regarding the applicable post-death distribution requirements.
The information provided below applies to Owner and Beneficiary deaths after 2019. In addition, if you are an employee under a governmental plan, such as a section 403(b) plan of a public school or a governmental 457(b) plan, this law applies if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, this law generally applies if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).
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| • | Death before your required beginning date. If you die before your required beginning date, and you have a designated beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated beneficiary is an “eligible designated beneficiary” (“EDB”) or some other exception applies. A designated beneficiary is any individual designated as a beneficiary by the employee or IRA owner. An EDB is any designated beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual’s status as an EDB is generally determined on the date of your death. An EDB (other than a minor child) can generally stretch distributions over their life or life expectancy if payments begin by the end of the calendar year following the year of your death and continuing over the EDB’s remaining life expectancy after the EDB’s death. However, all amounts must be fully distributed by the end of the year containing the 10th anniversary of the EDB’s death. Special rules apply to minors and Beneficiaries that are not individuals. Additional special rules apply to surviving spouses, see “Spousal Continuation” below. |
| • | Death on or after your required beginning date. In general, if you die on or after your required beginning date, and you have a designated beneficiary who is not an EDB, any remaining interest in your Qualified Annuity must continue to be distributed over the longer of your remaining life expectancy and your designated beneficiary’s life expectancy (or more rapidly), but all amounts must be distributed within 10 years of your death. If your Beneficiary is an EDB (other than a minor child), distributions must continue over the longer of your remaining life expectancy and the EDB’s life expectancy (or more rapidly), but all amounts must be distributed within 10 years of the EDB’s death. Special rules apply to EDBs who are minors and Beneficiaries that are not individuals. |
| • | Annuity payments. If you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by us) in order to comply with the post-death distribution requirements. |
| • | Other rules. The post-death distribution requirements do not apply if the employee or IRA owner elected annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity. |
| If your beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your beneficiary designations. |
| In addition, these post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the employee or IRA owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated beneficiary of the deceased employee or IRA owner dies after January 1, 2020, and the designated beneficiary had elected the lifetime payout rule or was under the at-least-as rapidly rule, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated beneficiary’s death. Hence, this 10-year rule will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020. |
| • | Spousal continuation. If your beneficiary is your spouse, such surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after their death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to their own IRA, or by electing to treat your IRA as their own IRA. However, in certain circumstances the surviving spouse may have to take “hypothetical RMDs” (i.e., catch-up amounts required in accordance with the regulations). |
The post-death distribution requirements are complex in numerous respects. Treasury has issued final and proposed regulations that may impact these required minimum distribution requirements. We reserve the right to make changes in order to comply with the final and proposed regulations, or any regulations published in the future. Any such changes will apply uniformly to affected Owners or Beneficiaries and will be made with such notice to affected Owners or Beneficiaries as is feasible under the circumstances. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
Unless payments are being made in the form of an annuity, a Beneficiary has the flexibility to take out more each year than mandated under the required minimum distribution rules.
Note that in 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Inherited IRAs, other than IRAs inherited by the owner’s spouse, do not qualify as retirement assets for purposes of protection under the federal bankruptcy laws.
Until withdrawn, amounts in a Qualified Annuity continue to be tax deferred. Amounts withdrawn each year, including amounts that are required to be withdrawn under the required minimum distribution rules, are subject to tax. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
For a Roth IRA, if death occurs before the entire interest is distributed, the death benefit must be distributed under the same rules applied to IRAs where death occurs before the required beginning date. Similar rules may apply to designated Roth accounts under an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Consult your plan sponsor and tax advisor for more information on designated Roth accounts.
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10% Additional Tax for Early Withdrawals from a Qualified Annuity
You may owe a 10% additional tax on the taxable part of distributions received from an IRA, SEP, Roth IRA, TDA or qualified retirement plan. Amounts are not subject to this additional tax if:
| • | the amount is paid on or after you reach age 59½ or die; |
| • | the amount received is attributable to your becoming disabled; or |
| • | generally the amount paid or received is in the form of substantially equal periodic payments (as defined in the Code) not less frequently than annually. (Please note that substantially equal periodic payments must continue until the later of reaching age 59½ or five years. Certain modification of payments or additional contributions to the Annuity during that time period will result in retroactive application of the 10% additional tax.) |
There are a number of other exceptions to this tax that may apply. In addition, distributions that satisfy certain exceptions to this tax may be repaid in certain circumstances. You should consult your tax advisor for further details.
Withholding
For 403(b) Tax Deferred annuities, we will withhold federal income tax at the rate of 20% for any eligible rollover distribution paid by us to or for a plan participant, unless such distribution is “directly” rolled over into another qualified plan, IRA (including the IRA variations described above), SEP, governmental 457(b) plan or TDA. An eligible rollover distribution is defined under the tax law as a distribution from an employer plan under 401(a), a TDA or a governmental 457(b) plan, excluding any distribution that is part of a series of substantially equal payments (at least annually) made over the life expectancy of the employee or the joint life expectancies of the employee and his designated Beneficiary, any distribution made for a specified period of 10 years or more, any distribution that is a required minimum distribution and any hardship distribution. Regulations also specify certain other items which are not considered eligible rollover distributions. We will not withhold for payments made from trustee owned Annuities or for payments under a 457 plan. For all other distributions, unless you elect otherwise, we will withhold federal income tax from the taxable portion of such distribution at an appropriate percentage. The rate of withholding on annuity payments where no mandatory withholding is required is determined on the basis of the withholding certificate that you file with us. If you do not file a certificate, we will automatically withhold federal taxes on the following basis:
| • | For any annuity payments not subject to mandatory withholding, you will have taxes withheld under the applicable default withholding rules; and |
| • | For all other distributions, we will withhold at a 10% rate. |
If no U.S. taxpayer identification number is provided, no election out of withholding will be allowed, and we will automatically withhold using the default withholding rules. In addition, if you are a U.S. person (which includes a resident alien), and you request a payment be delivered outside the U.S., we are required to withhold income tax.
We will provide you with forms and instructions concerning the right to elect that no amount be withheld from payments in the ordinary course. However, you should know that, in any event, you are liable for payment of federal income taxes (including any estimated tax liabilities) on the taxable portion of the distributions, and you should consult with your tax advisor to find out more information on your potential liability if you fail to pay such taxes. There may be additional state income tax withholding requirements.
Special tax rules apply to withholding for nonresident aliens, and we generally withhold income tax for nonresident aliens at a 30% rate. A different withholding rate may be applicable to a nonresident alien based on the terms of an existing income tax treaty between the United States and the nonresident alien’s country.
ERISA Requirements
ERISA (the “Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974”) and the Code prevent a fiduciary and other “parties in interest” with respect to a plan (and, for these purposes, an IRA would also constitute a “plan”) from receiving any benefit from any party dealing with the plan, as a result of the sale of the Annuity. Administrative exemptions under ERISA generally permit the sale of insurance/annuity products to plans, provided that certain information is disclosed to the person purchasing the Annuity. This information has to do primarily with the fees, charges, discounts and other costs related to the Annuity, as well as any commissions paid to any agent selling the Annuity. Information about any applicable fees, charges, discounts, penalties or adjustments may be found in the applicable sections of this prospectus. Information about sales representatives and commissions may be found in the sections of this prospectus addressing distribution of the Annuities.
Other relevant information required by the exemptions is contained in the contract and accompanying documentation.
Please consult with your tax advisor if you have any questions about ERISA and these disclosure requirements.
Spousal Consent Rules for Retirement Plans – Qualified Annuities
If you are married at the time your payments commence, you may be required by federal law to choose an income option that provides survivor annuity income to your spouse, unless your spouse waives that right. Similarly, if you are married at the time of your death, federal law may require all or a portion of the Death Benefit to be paid to your spouse, even if you designated someone else as your Beneficiary. A brief explanation of the applicable rules follows. For more information, consult the terms of your retirement arrangement.
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Defined Benefit Plans and Money Purchase Pension Plans. If you are married at the time your payments commence, federal law requires that benefits be paid to you in the form of a “qualified joint and survivor annuity” (QJSA), unless you and your spouse waive that right, in writing. Generally, this means that you will receive a reduced payment during your life and, upon your death, your spouse will receive at least one-half of what you were receiving for life. You may elect to receive another income option if your spouse consents to the election and waives his or her right to receive the QJSA. If your spouse consents to the alternative form of payment, your spouse may not receive any benefits from the plan upon your death. Federal law also requires that the plan pay a Death Benefit to your spouse if you are married and die before you begin receiving your benefit. This benefit must be available in the form of an Annuity for your spouse’s lifetime and is called a “qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity” (QPSA). If the plan pays Death Benefits to other Beneficiaries, you may elect to have a Beneficiary other than your spouse receive the Death Benefit, but only if your spouse consents to the election and waives his or her right to receive the QPSA. If your spouse consents to the alternate Beneficiary, your spouse will receive no benefits from the plan upon your death. Any QPSA waiver prior to your attaining age 35 will become null and void on the first day of the calendar year in which you attain age 35, if still employed.
Defined Contribution Plans (including 401(k) Plans and ERISA 403(b) Annuities). Spousal consent to a distribution is generally not required. Upon your death, your spouse will receive the entire Death Benefit, even if you designated someone else as your Beneficiary, unless your spouse consents in writing to waive this right. Also, if you are married and elect an Annuity as a periodic income option, federal law requires that you receive a QJSA (as described above), unless you and your spouse consent to waive this right.
IRAs, non-ERISA 403(b) Annuities, and 457 Plans. Spousal consent to a distribution usually is not required unless specifically required under the terms of the plan. Upon your death, any Death Benefit will be paid to your designated Beneficiary.
Reporting and Withholding for Escheated Amounts
Revenue Rulings 2018-17 and 2020-24 provide that an amount transferred from an IRA or 401(a) qualified retirement plan to a state’s unclaimed property fund is subject to federal income tax withholding at the time of transfer. The amount transferred is also subject to federal tax reporting. Consistent with these Rulings, we will withhold federal and state income taxes and report to the applicable Owner or Beneficiary as required by law when amounts are transferred to a state’s unclaimed property fund. Non-qualified annuity contracts generally are subject to the same or similar federal income tax reporting and withholding requirements as IRAs and qualified retirement plans. As a result, we may determine in the future that we have an obligation to follow similar guidelines with respect to any amounts escheated from your Non-qualified Annuity.
Gifts and Generation-skipping Transfers
If you transfer your Annuity to another person for less than adequate consideration, there may be gift tax consequences in addition to income tax consequences. Also, if you transfer your Annuity to a person two or more generations younger than you (such as a grandchild or grandniece) or to a person that is more than 37½ years younger than you, there may be generation-skipping transfer tax consequences.
Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships
U.S. Treasury Department regulations provide that for federal tax purposes, the term “spouse” does not include individuals (whether of the opposite sex or the same sex) who have entered into a registered domestic partnership, civil union, or other similar formal relationship that is not denominated as a marriage under the laws of the state where the relationship was entered into, regardless of domicile. As a result, if a Beneficiary of a deceased Owner and the Owner were parties to such a relationship, the Beneficiary will be required by federal tax law to take distributions from the Contract in the manner applicable to non-spouse Beneficiaries and will not be able to continue the Contract. Please consult with your tax or legal advisor before electing the Spousal Benefit for a civil union partner or domestic partner.
64
As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Company nor the Registered Separate Account or Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. is a party to any material legal proceedings outside of the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. Although the Company and its affiliates are involved in pending and threatened legal proceedings in the normal course of its business, we do not anticipate that the outcome of any such legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the Registered Separate Account, or the Company’s ability to meet its obligations under the Annuity, or the ability of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. to meet its obligations related to the Annuity.
65
The financial statements of the Registered Separate Account and Pruco Life are incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information.
66
HOW WILL I RECEIVE STATEMENTS AND REPORTS?
We send any statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at your last known address of record. You should therefore give us prompt notice of any address change. We reserve the right, to the extent permitted by law and subject to your prior consent, to provide any prospectus, prospectus supplements, confirmations, statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOVA-STAT. or any other electronic means. We send a confirmation statement to you each time a transaction is made affecting Account Value, such as transfers, exchanges or withdrawals. We also send quarterly statements detailing the activity affecting your Annuity during the calendar quarter. We may confirm regularly scheduled transactions, such as systematic withdrawals (including 72(t) payments and required minimum distributions), and bank drafting, in quarterly statements instead of confirming them immediately. You should review the information in these statements carefully. You may request additional reports. We reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each such additional report.
Any errors or corrections on transactions for your Annuity must be reported to us at our Service Center as soon as possible to assure proper accounting to your Annuity. For transactions that are confirmed immediately, we assume all transactions are accurate unless you notify us otherwise within 30 days from the date you receive the confirmation. For transactions that are first confirmed on the quarterly statement, we assume all transactions are accurate unless you notify us within 30 days from the date you receive the quarterly statement. All transactions confirmed immediately or by quarterly statement are deemed conclusive after the applicable 30-day period. We may also send an annual report and a semi-annual report containing applicable financial statements for the Registered Separate Account and the Portfolios, as of December 31 and June 30, respectively, to Owners or, with your prior consent, make such documents available electronically through our website or other electronic means.
Please communicate with us using the telephone number and addresses below for the purposes described. Failure to send mail to the proper address may result in a delay in our receiving and processing your request.
Prudential’s Annuities Service Center
Call our Customer Service Team at 1-888-PRU-2888 during normal business hours.
Internet
Access information about your Annuity at: www.prudential.com/annuities
Correspondence Sent by Regular Mail
Prudential
Annuities Service Center
P.O.
Box 7960
Philadelphia,
PA 19176
Correspondence Sent by Overnight*, Certified or Registered Mail
Prudential
Annuities Service Center
1600
Malone Street
Millville,
NJ 08332
*Please note that overnight correspondence sent through the United States Postal Service may be delivered to the P.O. Box listed above, which could delay receipt of your correspondence at our Service Center. Overnight mail sent through other methods (e.g., Federal Express, United Parcel Service) will be delivered to the address listed below.
Correspondence sent by regular mail to our Service Center should be sent to the address shown above. Your correspondence will be picked up at this address and then delivered to our Service Center. Your correspondence is not considered received by us until it is received at our Service Center. Where this prospectus refers to the day when we receive a Purchase Payment, request, election, notice, transfer or any other transaction request from you, we mean the day on which that item (or the last requirement needed for us to process that item) arrives in complete and proper form at our Service Center or via the appropriate telephone or fax number if the item is a type we accept by those means. There are two main exceptions: if the item arrives at our Service Center (1) on a day that is not a business day, or (2) after the close of a business day, then, in each case, we are deemed to have received that item on the next business day.
You can obtain account information by calling our automated response system and at www.prudential.com/contact-us, our website. Our Customer Service representatives are also available during business hours to provide you with information about your account. You can request certain transactions through our telephone voice response system, our website or through a customer service representative. You can provide authorization for a third party, including your attorney-in-fact acting pursuant to a power of attorney, to access your account information and perform certain transactions on your account. You will need to complete a form provided by us which identifies those transactions that you wish to authorize via telephonic and electronic means and whether you wish to authorize a third party to perform any such transactions. Please note that unless you tell us otherwise, we deem that all transactions that are directed by your financial professional with respect to your Annuity have been authorized by you. We require that you or your
67
representative provide proper identification before performing transactions over the telephone or through our website. This may include a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will be provided to you upon issue of your Annuity or you may establish or change your PIN by calling our automated response system and at www.prudential.com/contact-us. Any third party that you authorize to perform financial transactions on your account will be assigned a PIN for your account.
Transactions requested via telephone are recorded. To the extent permitted by law, we will not be responsible for any claims, loss, liability or expense in connection with a transaction requested by telephone or other electronic means if we acted on such transaction instructions after following reasonable procedures to identify those persons authorized to perform transactions on your Annuity using verification methods which may include a request for your Social Security number, PIN or other form of electronic identification. We may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions if we did not follow such procedures.
Pruco Life does not guarantee access to telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic information or that we will be able to accept transaction instructions via such means at all times. Nor, due to circumstances beyond our control, can we provide any assurances as to the delivery of transaction instructions submitted to us by regular and/or express mail. Regular and/or express mail (if operational) will be the only means by which we will accept transaction instructions when telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic means are unavailable or delayed. Pruco Life reserves the right to limit, restrict or terminate telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic transaction privileges at any time.
PRUDENTIAL, THE PRUDENTIAL LOGO AND THE ROCK DESIGN ARE TRADEMARKS OF PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL, INC. AND ITS RELATED ENTITIES, REGISTERED IN MANY JURISDICTIONS WORLDWIDE. USED UNDER LICENSE.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE VARIABLE ANNUITY AND AST ARE SERVICE MARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA AND ARE USED UNDER LICENSE BY ITS AFFILIATES.
68
APPENDIX A - INVESTMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT
Certain Investment Options may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See the Cover Page for additional information.
Variable Options
The following is the list of Portfolios available under the Contract. More information about the Portfolios is available in the prospectuses for the Portfolios, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOVA-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an email to service@prudential.com. Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Portfolio Companies
The current expenses and performance information below reflects fee and expenses of the Portfolio, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your Contract may charge. Expenses would be higher, and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. The Portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Allocation |
AST
Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.86% |
16.17% |
8.81% |
9.59% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.87% |
14.35% |
6.96% |
8.05% |
|
Fixed Income |
AST
Core Fixed Income Portfolio1 |
0.68% |
7.15% |
-1.10% |
2.30% |
|
Equity |
AST
International Equity Portfolio1 |
1.02% |
32.84% |
5.76% |
10.00% |
|
Allocation |
AST
J.P. Morgan Conservative Multi-Asset Portfolio1,♦ |
0.92% |
10.37% |
3.31% |
5.19% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Equity Portfolio1 |
0.84% |
14.88% |
13.25% |
12.47% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Growth Portfolio1 |
0.87% |
17.06% |
11.35% |
16.27% |
A-1
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Value Portfolio1 |
0.81% |
16.05% |
12.97% |
11.35% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Multi-Asset Diversified Plus Portfolio1,♦ |
1.13% |
13.55% |
5.58% |
5.73% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Multi-Asset Diversified Portfolio1,♦ |
0.90% |
15.55% |
6.86% |
8.28% |
|
Allocation |
AST
PGIM Aggressive Multi-Asset Portfolio1 |
0.90% |
16.00% |
8.22% |
8.26% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.89% |
11.33% |
3.76% |
5.45% |
|
Equity |
AST
Small-Cap Equity Portfolio1 |
1.01% |
7.41% |
1.81% |
10.39% |
|
Equity |
Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares† |
1.07% |
18.10% |
13.83% |
15.59% |
|
Equity |
NVIT
Fidelity Institutional AM®
Emerging Markets Fund - Class
D1,♦ |
1.46% |
35.77% |
0.70% |
5.98% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Global Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.73% |
22.03% |
10.04% |
11.41% |
|
Fixed Income |
PSF
PGIM Government Money Market Portfolio - Class I |
0.32% |
4.05% |
3.06% |
1.96% |
A-2
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Fixed Income |
PSF
PGIM High Yield Bond Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.57% |
8.90% |
4.85% |
6.92% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Blend Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.46% |
18.52% |
12.33% |
13.96% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Growth Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.60% |
14.27% |
10.69% |
16.62% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Value Portfolio - Class I |
0.43% |
16.88% |
13.90% |
11.39% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Small-Cap Stock Index Portfolio - Class I |
0.38% |
5.69% |
6.97% |
9.52% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Stock Index Portfolio - Class I |
0.28% |
17.56% |
14.09% |
14.51% |
| The additional information below may be applicable to the Portfolios listed in the above table. |
| PGIM Fixed Income is a business unit of PGIM, Inc. |
| PGIM Investments LLC manages each of the Portfolios of The Prudential Series Fund (PSF). |
| PGIM Investments LLC manages each of the Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust (AST). AST Investment Services, Inc. serves as co-manager, along with PGIM Investments LLC, to many of the Portfolios of AST. |
| PGIM Real Estate is a business unit of PGIM, Inc. |
| 1. | These Portfolios are also offered in other variable annuity contracts that utilize a predetermined mathematical formula to manage the guarantees offered in connection with optional benefits. |
| Those other variable annuity contracts offer certain optional living benefits that utilize a predetermined mathematical formula (the “formula”) to manage the guarantees offered in connection with those optional benefits. The formula monitors each contract Owner’s Account Value daily and, if necessary, will systematically transfer amounts among investment options. The formula transfers funds between the Variable Options for those variable annuity contracts and an AST Bond Portfolio Variable Option or a fixed account (those AST Bond Portfolios or a fixed account may not be available in connection with the annuity contracts offered through this prospectus). You should be aware that the operation of the formula in those other variable annuity contracts may result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the underlying Portfolios that are available with your contract. These asset flows could adversely impact the underlying Portfolios, including their risk profile, expenses and performance. Because transfers between the Variable Options and the AST Bond Variable Option or a fixed account can be frequent and the amount transferred can vary from day to day, any of the underlying Portfolios could experience the following effects, among others: |
| (a) | a Portfolio’s investment performance could be adversely affected by requiring a subadvisor to purchase and sell securities at inopportune times or by otherwise limiting the subadvisor’s ability to fully implement the Portfolio’s investment strategy; |
| (b) | the subadvisor may be required to hold a larger portion of assets in highly liquid securities than it otherwise would hold, which could adversely affect performance if the highly liquid securities underperform other securities (e.g., equities) that otherwise would have been held; and |
| (c) | a Portfolio may experience higher turnover and greater negative asset flows than it would have experienced without the formula, which could result in higher operating expense ratios and higher transaction costs for the Portfolio compared to other similar funds. |
| The efficient operation of the asset flows among Portfolios triggered by the formula depends on active and liquid markets. If market liquidity is strained, the asset flows may not operate as intended. For example, it is possible that illiquid markets or other market stress could cause delays in the transfer of cash from one Portfolio to another Portfolio, which in turn could adversely impact performance. |
| Before you allocate to the Variable Option with the AST Portfolios listed above, you should consider the potential effects on the Portfolios that are the result of the operation of the formula in the variable annuity contracts that are unrelated to your Variable Annuity. Please work with your financial professional to determine which Portfolios are appropriate for your needs. |
| ♦ | This information includes annual expenses that reflect temporary or other fee reductions or waivers. Please see the Portfolio prospectus for additional information. |
| † | Additional information regarding the Portfolio is presented below. Please see the Portfolio prospectus for additional information. |
| Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares The Portfolio pays an investment advisory fee rate that adjusts up or down by a variable of up to 0.15% (assuming constant assets) on a monthly basis based upon the Portfolio’s performance relative to its benchmark index during a measurement period. |
A-3
Fixed Options
The following is a list of Fixed Options currently available under the Contract. We may change the features of the Fixed Options listed below, offer new Fixed Options, and terminate existing Fixed Options. We will provide you with written notice before doing so. For more information about the Fixed Options, see “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” in this prospectus.
|
Name |
Term |
Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate* |
|
DCA Fixed Rate Option1 |
6 Month |
3% |
|
DCA Fixed Rate Option1 |
12 Month |
3% |
|
Fixed Interest Rate Option1 |
1 Year |
2% for contract years 1-10; 3% thereafter |
*The rate shown was the last Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate issued before the product closed to new customers. Your Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate is the amount shown on your Contract and can vary by state. Please consult with your representative for availability and current rates
1Available for Contract Without Credit only.
Stipulated Investment Options if You Elect Certain Optional Benefits
Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Portfolio Companies.
|
Optional Benefit Name |
Allowable Benefit Allocations: |
|
Lifetime Five Income Benefit |
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio |
|
AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio | |
|
AST J.P. Morgan Conservative Multi-Asset Portfolio | |
|
AST Multi-Asset Diversified Plus Portfolio | |
|
AST Multi-Asset Diversified Portfolio | |
|
AST PGIM Aggressive Multi-Asset Portfolio | |
|
AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio |
A-4
APPENDIX B – CALCULATION OF EARNINGS APPRECIATOR BENEFIT
Example 1:
Assume that a purchase payment of $70,000 is made on the contract date. Assume that no withdrawals or subsequent purchase payments are made and that the Contract Value used in the death benefit calculation is $120,000. Also assume that the owner (or joint owner, if older) is younger than age 66 on the date the application is signed.
|
45% of lesser of: |
|
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment |
$70,000 |
|
Contract Value minus Adjusted Purchase Payment |
$50,000 |
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit |
45% of $50,000 = $22,500 |
Example
2:
Assume that
a 60 year old purchases a contract on 1/1/2001 with a $50,000 purchase payment.
The owner’s initial purchase payment (purchase payment #1) grows to $90,000 on 1/1/2005, giving the contract $40,000 IN EARNINGS, all allocated to the initial purchase payment. On this date, the owner makes an additional purchase payment of $60,000. The $60,000 purchase payment increases the Contract Value to $150,000 ($90,000 + $60,000). At this time, there are no earnings allocated to the additional purchase payment (purchase payment #2). However, future earnings will now be allocated to the two purchase payments in the following proportions:
(purchase
payment#1 + earnings)/total Contract Value = ($50,000 + $40,000*)/$150,000 = 60%
(purchase
payment#2 + earnings)/total Contract Value = ($60,000 + $0)/$150,000 = 40%
On 1/1/2009 the owner makes a withdrawal of $38,000. The Contract Value has grown an additional $40,000 from $150,000 on 1/1/2005 to $190,000 on 1/1/2009 prior to the withdrawal. The $40,000 IN NEW EARNINGS will be allocated among the two purchase payments prior to the withdrawal using the percentages determined above.
$40,000 IN NEW EARNINGS
Earnings Allocated to Adjusted Purchase Payment #1 (60% of $40,000) = $24,000
Earnings Allocated to Adjusted Purchase Payment # 2 (40% of $40,000) = $16,000
The earnings allocated to each purchase payment now are as follows:
|
Before New Earnings |
$40,000 New Earnings |
Total | |
|
Purchase Payment #1 |
$50,000 |
$0 |
$50,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #1 |
$40,000 |
$24,000 |
$64,000 |
|
Purchase Payment #2 |
$60,000 |
$0 |
$60,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #2 |
$0 |
$16,000 |
$16,000 |
|
$150,000 |
$40,000 |
$190,000 |
The withdrawal of $38,000 reduces the Contract Value by 20% ($38,000/$190,000). The withdrawal will reduce both purchase payments and the earnings allocated to each of them by 20% as shown below.
|
Before Withdrawal |
Reduced by 20% | |
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment #1 |
$50,000 |
$40,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #1 |
$64,000 |
$51,200 |
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment #2 |
$60,000 |
$48,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #2 |
$16,000 |
$12,800 |
|
$190,000 |
$152,000 |
‘The Contract Value grows $20,000 from $152,000 on 1/1/2009 to $172,000 on 1/1/2011. THE $20,000 IN NEW EARNINGS will be allocated among the two purchase payments using the percentages determined above.
B-1
$20,000 IN NEW EARNINGS
Earnings Allocated to Adjusted Purchase Payment #1 (60% of $20,000) = $12,000
Earnings Allocated to Adjusted Purchase Payment #2 (40% of $20,000) = $8,000
The earnings allocated to each purchase payment now are as follows:
|
Before New Earnings |
$20,000 New Earnings |
Total | |
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment #1 |
$40,000 |
$0 |
$40,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #1 |
$51,200 |
$12,000 |
$63,200 |
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment #2 |
$48,000 |
$0 |
$48,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #2 |
$12,800 |
$8,000 |
$20,800 |
|
$152,000 |
$20,000 |
$172,000 |
Now let’s calculate the total Earnings Appreciator Benefit as of 1/1/2011:
|
Benefit on Purchase Payment #1 45% of lesser of: |
Benefit on Purchase Payment #2 45% of lesser of: | |
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment |
$40,000 |
$48,000 |
|
Allocated Earnings |
$63,200 |
$20,800 |
|
45% of $40,000 |
$18,000 |
$9,360 |
| TOTAL EARNINGS APPRECIATOR BENEFIT: $18,000 + $9,360 = $27,360 |
B-2
This prospectus describes the important features of the Annuity and provides information about Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”, “we”, “our”, “the Company”, or “us”) and the Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account (Separate Account).
We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Statement of Additional Information (SAI), dated May 1, 2026 that includes additional information about the Annuity, Pruco Life and the Separate Account. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The SAI is available from us, without charge, upon request. To request a copy of the SAI, to ask about your Annuity, or to make other investor inquiries, please call 1-888-PRU-2888.
We file periodic reports and other information about the Annuity and the Separate Account as required under the federal securities laws. Those reports and other information about us are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and copies of reports and other information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
|
Edgar Contract Identifier: C000003352 |
SPAOVAPROS |
PRUCO
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
Pruco
Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
A
Prudential Financial Company
751
Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777
STRATEGIC
PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE 3 VARIABLE ANNUITY
Flexible
Premium Deferred Annuities
Prospectus
Dated: May
1, 2026
This prospectus describes the Strategic Partners Annuity One 3 Variable Annuity, a flexible premium deferred variable annuity contract (“Contract” or “Annuity”) offered by Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”, “we”, “our”, “the Company”, or “us”). The Annuity provides for the potential accumulation of retirement savings through investment in the Contract’s investment options during the Savings Stage and retirement income through annuitization during the Payout Period. The Contract is intended for retirement or other long-term investment purposes.
The types of investment options currently offered under the Annuity include variable investment options with underlying mutual funds (“Variable Options”), a One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option, a Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option, and a Market Value Adjustment Option that offers a fixed rate of interest for a set period of time called a “Guarantee Period.” See “Appendix A” for additional information about each investment option.
If you are receiving this prospectus, it is because you currently own the Annuity. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales.
This prospectus describes all the investment options, features, and benefits that we make available under the Annuity. The availability of investment options, features and benefits described in this prospectus may vary depending on the broker-dealer through which the Contract is sold (“financial intermediary variations”). We have identified all such financial intermediary variations that are known or reasonably available to us. Financial intermediary variations may be imposed by some broker-dealers without our knowledge. For example, your Financial Professional may not recommend a particular investment option or benefit to you because of a decision by the Financial Professional’s broker-dealer not to offer that investment option or benefit to its customers. Taking into consideration the breadth of our distribution network, we are unable to obtain information about all financial intermediary variations without unreasonable effort or expense. You should discuss with your Financial Professional any limitations, restrictions, or other variations related to the investment options, benefits or other features available to you through your Financial Professional.
The Annuity is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. Withdrawals may reduce the level of various optional benefit guarantees and could result in taxes and tax penalties. In addition, premature withdrawals from a Market Value Adjustment Option will result in a Market Value Adjustment. In extreme circumstances, the maximum potential loss resulting from a negative Market Value Adjustment is 100% of the amount invested in a Market Value Adjustment Option.
The Company’s obligations under the Annuity are subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.
In compliance with U.S. law, we deliver this prospectus to Annuity Owners that currently reside outside of the United States. However, we may not market or offer benefits, features, or enhancements to prospective or current Annuity Owners while outside of the United States.
This Annuity provides a Credit which can be recaptured in certain circumstances described in this prospectus. This Credit may be more than offset by fees and charges in this Annuity, which are described in this prospectus. These fees and charges may be higher than other, similar products that do not offer a Credit.
These Annuities are NOT deposits or obligations of, or issued, guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are NOT insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable annuities and market value adjusted annuities, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at www.investor.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 1-888-PRU-2888 OR VISIT: WWW.PRUDENTIAL.COM/ANNUITIES
SPAO3PROS
Table of Contents
We have tried to make this Prospectus as easy to read and understand as possible. By the nature of the contract, however, certain technical words or terms are unavoidable. We have identified the following as some of these words or terms.
Accumulation Phase: The period that begins with the contract date (which we define below) and ends when you start receiving income payments, or earlier if the contract is terminated through a full withdrawal or payment of a death benefit.
Adjusted Contract Value: When you begin receiving income payments, the value of your contract adjusted for any market value adjustment minus any charge we impose for premium taxes and withdrawal charges.
Adjusted Purchase Payment: Your invested purchase payment is adjusted for any subsequent withdrawals. The adjusted purchase payment is used only for calculations of the Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
Annual Income Amount: This is the annual amount of income you are eligible for life under the optional benefits.
Annual Withdrawal Amount: Under the terms of the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, an amount that you can withdraw each year as long as there is Protected Withdrawal remaining. The Annual Withdrawal Amount is set initially to equal 7% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value, but will be adjusted to reflect subsequent purchase payments, withdrawals, and any step-up.
Annuitant: The person whose life determines the amount of income payments that we will make. Except as indicated below, if the annuitant dies before the annuity date, the co-annuitant (if any) becomes the annuitant if the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met. If, upon the death of the annuitant, there is no surviving eligible co-annuitant, and the owner is not the annuitant, then the owner becomes the annuitant.
Generally,
if an annuity is owned by an entity and the entity has named a co-annuitant, the co-annuitant will become the annuitant upon the death
of the annuitant,
and no death benefit is payable. Unless we agree otherwise, the contract is eligible to have a co-annuitant designation only if the entity
that owns the contract
is (1) a plan described in Internal Revenue Code
Section
72(s)(5)(A)(i) (or any successor Code section thereto); (2) an entity described in Code Section 72(u)(1) (or any successor Code section
thereto); or (3)
a custodial account established pursuant to the provisions in Code Section 408(a) (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial
Account”).
Where the contract is held by a Custodial Account, the co-annuitant will not automatically become the annuitant upon the death of the annuitant. Upon the death of the annuitant, the Custodial Account will have the choice, subject to our rules, to either elect to receive the death benefit or elect to continue the contract. If the contract is continued, then the Contract Value as of the date of due proof of death of the annuitant will reflect the amount that would have been payable had a death benefit been paid.
Annuity Date: The date when income payments are scheduled to begin. You must have our permission to change the annuity date. If the co-annuitant becomes the annuitant due to the death of the annuitant, and the co-annuitant is older than the annuitant, then the annuity date will be based on the age of the co-annuitant, provided that the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met (e.g., the co-annuitant cannot be older than a specified age). If the co-annuitant is younger than the annuitant, then the annuity date will remain unchanged.
Beneficiary: The person(s) or entity you have chosen to receive a death benefit.
Benefit Fixed Rate Account: An investment option offered as part of this contract that is used only if you elected the optional Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit. Amounts allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account earn a fixed rate of interest, and are held within our general account. You may not allocate purchase payments to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Rather, Contract Value is transferred to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account only under the asset transfer feature of the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit.
Business Day: A day on which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business. Our business day generally ends at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Co-Annuitant: The person shown on the contract data pages who becomes the annuitant (if eligible) upon the death of the annuitant if the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met. No Co-Annuitant may be designated if the owner is a non-natural person.
Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Contingent Annuitant: The natural person named to become the Annuitant upon the death of Annuitant prior to the Annuity Date. A Contingent Annuitant may be named only in limited circumstances involving an Annuity issued to a Custodial Account or to a tax-qualified retirement plan.
Contract Date: The date we accept your initial purchase payment and all necessary paperwork in good order at the Prudential Annuity Service Center. Contract anniversaries are measured from the contract date. A contract year starts on the contract date or on a contract anniversary.
Contract Owner, Owner, or You: The person entitled to the ownership rights under the contract.
Contract Value: This is the total value of your contract, equal to the sum of the values of your investment in each investment option you have chosen. Your Contract Value will go up or down based on the performance of the investment options you choose.
Contract with Credit: A version of the annuity contract that provides for a bonus credit with each purchase payment that you make and has higher withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs than the Contract Without Credit.
1
Contract without Credit: A version of the annuity contract that does not provide a credit and has lower withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs than the Contract With Credit.
Credit: An amount we allocate to your Annuity’s Account Value each time you make a Purchase Payment. The amount of the Credit is payable from our general account. The amount of the Credit depends on the cumulative amount of Purchase Payments you have made to your Annuity, payable as a percentage of each specific Purchase Payment.
If you choose the Contract With Credit, this is the bonus amount that we allocate to your account each time you make a purchase payment. The amount of the credit is a percentage of the purchase payment. Bonus credits generally are not recaptured once the free look period expires. Our reference in the preceding sentence to “generally are not recaptured” refers to the fact that we have the contractual right to deduct, from the death benefit we pay, the amount of any credit corresponding to a purchase payment made within one year of death.
Custodial Account: A trust or Custodial Account that qualifies as an individual retirement account as defined in Section 408(a) of the Code, including a Roth IRA that satisfies the definitions in Sections 408(a) and 408A of the Code.
Daily Value: For purposes of the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, which we describe below, the Contract Value as of the end of each business day. The Daily Value on the contract date is equal to your purchase payment.
Death Benefit: If a death benefit is payable, the beneficiary you designate will receive, at a minimum, the total invested purchase payments, reduced proportionally by withdrawals, or a potentially greater amount related to Variable Option appreciation. The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit, or Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, was available for an additional charge. See the “Benefits Available Under the Contract” section of this prospectus.
Death Benefit Target Date: With respect to the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, the later of the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current contract owner, the older of either joint owner or (if owned by an entity) the annuitant, or five years after the contract date.
Designated Life: For purposes of the Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit, Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit and Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Plus benefit, a Designated Life refers to each of two natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit and at the first death of one of them.
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option (DCA Fixed Rate Option): An investment option that offers a fixed rate of interest for a selected period during which periodic transfers are automatically made to selected Variable Options or to the one-year fixed interest rate option.
Earnings Appreciator Benefit (EAB): An optional benefit available for an additional charge that may provide a supplemental death benefit based on earnings under the contract.
Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value: Under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit only, a sum that we add to your existing Protected Withdrawal Value, provided that you have not made any withdrawal during the first ten years that your Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit has been in effect and you otherwise meet the conditions set forth in the rider and this prospectus.
Excess Income/Excess Withdrawal: Refers to cumulative withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount (the Total Annual Income Amount for Highest Daily Lifetime Five). Under the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, Excess Withdrawal refers to cumulative withdrawals that exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount.
Fixed Allocation: An allocation of Account Value that is to be credited a fixed rate of interest for a specified Guarantee Period during the accumulation period.
Fixed Interest Rate Options: Investment options that offer a fixed rate of interest for either a one-year period (fixed rate option) or a selected period during which periodic transfers are made to selected Variable Options or to the one-year fixed rate option.
Good Order: An instruction received at the Prudential Annuity Service Center, utilizing such forms, signatures and dating as we require, which is sufficiently clear that we do not need to exercise any discretion to follow such instructions.
Guarantee Period: A period of time during which your invested purchase payment in the market value adjustment option earns interest at the declared rate. We may offer one or more guarantee periods.
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB): An optional benefit available for an additional charge that guarantees that the death benefit that the beneficiary receives will be no less than a certain GMDB protected value. The GMDB is a different death benefit than the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, which we describe below.
GMDB Protected Value: The amount guaranteed under the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit, which may equal the GMDB roll-up value, the GMDB step-up value, or the greater of the two. The GMDB protected value will be subject to certain age restrictions and time durations, however, it will still increase by subsequent invested purchase payments and reduce proportionally by withdrawals.
GMDB Roll-Up: We use the GMDB roll-up value to compute the GMDB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. The GMDB roll-up is equal to the invested purchase payments compounded daily at an effective annual interest rate starting on the date that each invested purchase payment is made, subject to a cap, and reduced by the effect of withdrawals.
2
GMDB Step-Up: We use the GMDB step-up value to compute the GMDB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. Generally speaking, the GMDB step-up establishes a “high water mark” of protected value that we would pay upon death, even if the Contract Value has declined. For example, if the GMDB step-up were set at $100,000 on a contract anniversary, and the Contract Value subsequently declined to $80,000 on the date of death, the GMDB step-up value would nonetheless remain $100,000 (assuming no additional purchase payments or withdrawals).
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB): An optional benefit available for an additional charge that guarantees that the income payments you receive during the income phase will be no less than a certain GMIB protected value applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates.
GMIB Protected Value: We use the GMIB protected value to calculate annuity payments should you annuitize under the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit.
The value is calculated daily and is equal to the GMIB roll-up, until the GMIB roll-up either reaches its cap or if we stop applying the annual interest rate based on the age of the annuitant, number of contract anniversaries or number of years since last GMIB reset. At such point, the GMIB protected value will be increased by any subsequent invested purchase payments, and any withdrawals will proportionally reduce the GMIB protected value. The GMIB protected value is not available as a cash surrender benefit or a death benefit, nor is it used to calculate the cash surrender value or death benefit.
GMIB Reset: You may elect to “step-up” or “reset” your GMIB protected value if your Contract Value is greater than the current GMIB protected value. Upon exercise of the reset provision, your GMIB protected value will be reset to equal your current Contract Value. You are limited to two resets over the life of your contract, provided that certain annuitant age requirements are met.
GMIB Roll-Up: We will use the GMIB roll-up value to compute the GMIB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit. The GMIB roll-up is equal to the invested purchase payments (after a reset, the Contract Value at the time of the reset) compounded daily at an effective annual interest rate starting on the date each invested purchase payment is made, subject to a cap, and reduced proportionally by withdrawals.
Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional cost, guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Contract Value. We no longer offer Highest Daily Lifetime Five.
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit: An optional benefit that is available for an additional charge. The benefit guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is the same class of optional benefit as our Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit, but differs (among other things) with respect to how the Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated and how the lifetime withdrawals are calculated. We no longer offer Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit: An optional benefit that is available for an additional charge. The benefit guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is the same class of optional benefit as our Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit, but differs (among other things) with respect to how the Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated and how the lifetime withdrawals are calculated. We no longer offer Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus.
Highest Daily Value Death Benefit: An optional death benefit available for an additional charge that can provide a death benefit that exceeds the Contract Value on the date of death. The amount of the death benefit is determined with reference to the Highest Daily Value, as defined below. We no longer offer the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit.
Income Appreciator Benefit (IAB): An optional benefit, for an additional charge, that provided a supplemental living benefit based on earnings under the contract. We no longer offer the Income Appreciator Benefit.
IAB Automatic Withdrawal Payment Program A series of payments consisting of a portion of your Contract Value and Income Appreciator Benefit paid to you in equal installments over a 10 year period, which you may choose, if you elect to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit during the accumulation phase.
IAB Credit: An amount we add to your Contract Value that is credited in equal installments over a 10 year period, which you may choose, if you elected to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit during the accumulation phase.
Income Options: Options under the contract that define the frequency and duration of income payments. In your contract, we also refer to these as payout or annuity options.
Income Phase: The period during which you receive income payments under the contract.
Invested Purchase Payments: Your purchase payments (which we define below) less any deduction we make for any tax charge.
Joint Owner: The person named as the joint owner, who shares ownership rights with the owner as defined in the contract. A joint owner must be a natural person.
3
Lifetime Five Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional cost, guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. We no longer offer Lifetime Five.
Market Value Adjustment: An adjustment to your Contract Value or withdrawal proceeds that is based on the relationship between interest you are currently earning within the Market Value Adjustment Option and prevailing interest rates. This adjustment may be positive or negative.
Market Value Adjustment Option: This investment option may offer various guarantee periods and pays a fixed rate of interest with respect to each Guarantee Period. We impose a market value adjustment on withdrawals or transfers that you make from this option prior to the end of its Guarantee Period.
Net Purchase Payments: Your total purchase payments less any withdrawals you have made.
Proportional Withdrawals: A method that involves calculating the percentage of your Contract Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn. In general, proportional withdrawals result in a reduction to the applicable benefit value by reducing such value in the same proportion as the Contract Value was reduced by the withdrawal as of the date the withdrawal occurred.
Protected Withdrawal Value: An amount that we guarantee regardless of the investment performance of your Contract Value. For the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit only, we refer to an amount that we guarantee regardless of the investment performance of your Contract Value as the “Total Protected Withdrawal Value”.
Prudential Annuity Service Center: For general correspondence: P.O. Box 7960, Philadelphia, PA 19176. For express overnight mail: 1600 Malone Street, Millville, NJ 08332. The telephone number is (888) PRU-2888. Prudential’s Web site is www.prudential.com/annuities.
Purchase Payments: The amount of money you pay us to purchase the contract. Generally, you can make additional purchase payments at any time during the accumulation phase.
Registered Separate Account: (Separate Account) Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, which holds the assets supporting the Variable Options. Assets held in the Registered Separate Account are kept separate from all of our other assets and may not be charged with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct.
Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional cost, guarantees until the later death of two Designated Lives (as defined in this Prospectus) the ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. We no longer offer Spousal Lifetime Five.
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional charge, guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. The benefit is the spousal version of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit but differs (among other things) with respect to how the Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated and how the lifetime withdrawals are calculated. We no longer offer Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional charge, guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. The benefit is the spousal version of the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit and is the same class of optional benefit as our Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit, but differs (among other things) with respect to how the Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated and how the lifetime withdrawals are calculated. We no longer offer Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus.
Statement Of Additional Information: A document containing certain additional information about the Strategic Partners Annuity One 3 variable annuity. We have filed the Statement of Additional Information with the Securities and Exchange Commission and it is legally a part of this prospectus. To learn how to obtain a copy of the Statement of Additional Information, see the front cover of this prospectus.
Tax Deferral: This is a way to increase your assets without currently being taxed. Generally, you do not pay taxes on your contract earnings until a distribution is taken from your contract. You should be aware that tax favored plans (such as IRAs) already provide tax deferral regardless of whether they invest in annuity contracts. See the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
Valuation Day: Every day the NYSE is open for trading or any other day the Securities and Exchange Commission requires mutual funds or unit investment trusts to be valued, not including any day: (1) trading on the NYSE is restricted; (2) an emergency, as determined by the SEC, exists making redemption or valuation of securities held in the Separate Account impractical; or (3) the SEC, by order, permits the suspension or postponement for the protection of security holders.
Variable Option: A division of the Registered Separate Account. The Variable Option also may be referred to in this prospectus and the Annuity as a Variable Sub-account or Sub-account.
4
The Annuity referenced in this prospectus and applicable riders is no longer available for new sales or re-elections.
Purpose of the Contract
The Annuity is a long-term investment designed for long-term retirement purposes because it allows you to accumulate retirement savings and also offers annuity payment options when you are ready to begin receiving income. This Annuity is a “flexible premium deferred annuity.” It is called “flexible premium” because you have considerable flexibility in the timing and amount of premium payments. Generally, investors “defer” receiving annuity payments until after an Accumulation Period. This Annuity may be appropriate for investors accumulating retirement savings on a tax deferred basis and would seek guaranteed income through an annuity payment option.
Phases of the Contract
The Annuity features two distinct phases - the accumulation period and the payout period. During the accumulation period your Account Value is allocated to one or more investment options. See “Investment Options” below. During the payout period (after annuitization), you can elect to receive annuity payments (1) for a fixed period (up to 25 years); (2) for life; or (3) under an interest payment option. We currently make annuity payments available on a fixed basis. After Annuitization, the Death Benefits and optional benefits described in this prospectus will no longer apply. We reserve the right to make available other annuity options. See the “Annuity Period” section of this prospectus.
Investment Options
Variable Options: The Variable Options we make available each invest in an underlying Portfolio whose share price generally fluctuates each day. The Variable Options do not provide any level of protection against negative returns. You are at risk of losing principal and any earnings if you allocate funds to a Portfolio.
One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option: The One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option provides a fixed rate of interest for one-year.
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option: The Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option provides a fixed rate of interest for a selected period during which periodic transfers are automatically made to selected Variable Options or to the One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option.
Market Value Adjustment Option: Market Value Adjustment Options provide a fixed rate of return for a set period of time called a “Guarantee Period.” An investment in the Market Value Adjustment Options may be appropriate for investors who seek a fixed rate of return on either all or a portion of their Account Value and do not need access to their money before the end of the Guarantee Period. We may offer fewer available Guarantee Periods in Contracts With Credit than in Contracts Without Credit. This option is not available for contracts issued in some states. If amounts are withdrawn from a Guarantee Period, other than during the 30-day period immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, they will be subject to a market value adjustment even if they are not subject to a withdrawal charge. If you withdraw or transfer assets from a Market Value Adjustment Option at a time other than during the 30-day period immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment, which may increase or decrease your initial amount invested. You could lose a significant amount of money due to a negative Market Value Adjustment. The following transactions, when they occur at a time other than during the 30-day period immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, are subject to a Market Value Adjustment: (i) partial withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, Required Minimum Distributions, and withdrawals under any optional Living Benefit), (ii) surrenders, (iii) exercise of the right to cancel, (iv) transfers, and (v) the deduction of fees.
Additional information about the Investment Options is provided in Appendix A to the prospectus.
Contract Features
Credits: If you purchase the Contract With Credit, we will add a credit amount to your Contract Value with each purchase payment you make. The bonus credit that we pay with respect to any purchase payment depends on (i) the age of the older of the owner or joint owner on the date on which the purchase payment is made and (ii) the amount of the purchase payment.
Death Benefits: The Annuity offers a basic Death Benefit that could protect your retirement savings if you die during a period of declining markets, depending on when you die. The Annuity also offers an optional death benefit that increases the level of protection for your Beneficiaries for an additional fee.
Living Benefits: We offered optional benefits for an additional fee that guarantee your ability to take withdrawals for life as a percentage of an initial guaranteed benefit base, even after your Account Value falls to zero (unless it does so due to a withdrawal of Excess Income). The Account Value has no guarantees, may fluctuate, and can lose value. As part of these benefits, you are required to invest only in certain permitted Investment Options. For more information, please see Appendix A.
Withdrawals: You are allowed to withdraw a limited amount of money from your Annuity on an annual basis without any charges.
5
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
6
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.500%* |
1.556%* | |
|
Portfolio Company fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.25%1 |
0.90%2 | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and “Appendix
A”
for more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
| |
|
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fee Table” and “Charges and Adjustments” sections of this prospectus. | |||
7
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract without Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
8
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract without Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.400%* |
1.465%* | |
|
Portfolio Company fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.25%1 |
0.90%2 | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and “Appendix
A”
for more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost| |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
| |
|
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fee Table” and “Charges and Adjustments” sections of this prospectus. | |||
9
|
Risks | |
|
Is there a Risk of Loss from Poor Performance? |
Yes. |
|
Is this a Short-Term Investment? |
No. |
|
What are the Risks Associated with the Investment Options? |
An
investment in the Contract is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary depending on the performance
of the Investment Options you select. Each of the Investment Options available under the Contract, including the
Variable Options and the Market Value Adjustment options, has its own unique risks. You should review the investment options
before making an investment decision. The Market Value Adjustment options may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment,
which can be negative, causing you to lose money. |
|
What are the Risks Related to the Insurance Company? |
An
investment in the Contract is subject to the risks related to the Company. Any obligations (including under any Fixed Allocation),
guarantees, or benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of the Company. More information about the
Company, including its financial strength ratings, is available upon request. Such requests can be made toll-free at 1-888-PRU-2888. |
|
Restrictions | |
10
|
Are there Restrictions on the Investment Options? |
Yes.
We reserve the right to:
Certain
Investment Options may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See
the Cover
Page
for additional
information. |
|
Are there any Restrictions on Contract Benefits? |
Yes.
For
more information on optional benefits under the Contract, please refer to the “Benefits
Available Under the Contract”
section of this
prospectus. |
|
Taxes | |
|
What are the Contract’s Tax Implications? |
You
should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under
the Contract. There is no additional tax benefit if you purchase the Contract through a tax-qualified plan or individual retirement
account (IRA). Withdrawals will be subject to ordinary income tax, and may be subject to a 10% additional tax for distributions
taken prior to age 59½. |
|
Conflicts of Interest | |
|
How are Investment Professionals Compensated? |
Investment
professionals may receive compensation for selling the Contract to investors and may have a financial incentive to
offer or recommend the Contract over another investment. This compensation is paid in the form of commissions, based on
your investment in the Contract. |
11
|
Should I Exchange My Contract? |
Some
investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you a new contract in place of the one you already own.
You should only exchange your Contract if you determine after comparing the features, fees, and risks of both contracts,
and any fees or penalties to terminate the existing Contract, that it is preferable to purchase the new contract, rather
than continue to own your existing Contract. This Contract is no longer sold. |
12
The following tables describe the fees, expenses, and adjustments that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from an Investment Option or from the Annuity. Please refer to your Contract specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.
The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time you buy the Contract, surrender or make withdrawals from the Contract, transfer Account Value between Investment Options, or request duplicate reports. State premium taxes may also be deducted. These fees and charges are described in more detail within this prospectus in the “Charges and Adjustments” section.
|
Transaction Expenses |
Maximum |
|
Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
None |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - with Credit Option (as a percentage of each purchase payment) |
8.00% |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - without Credit Option (as a percentage of each purchase payment)1 |
7.00% |
|
Transfer Fee2 |
$30 |
|
Transfer Fee (Beneficiary Continuation Option only) each transfer after 20 |
$10 |
|
Additional Copies of Reports3 |
$50 |
| 1. | The charge is a percentage of each applicable Purchase Payment deducted upon surrender or withdrawal. The period is measured from the date of each Purchase Payment. The following percentages apply based on the year of the surrender or withdrawal: |
| 2. | Currently, we charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in a contract year. As shown in the table, we can increase that charge up to a maximum of $30, but have no current intention to do so. We will not charge you for transfers made in connection with Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto-Rebalancing and do not count them toward the limit of 12 free transfers per year. We will charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in each Annuity Year. |
| 3. | We do not currently assess this fee. However, we reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each additional report (i.e., confirmation statement or quarterly statement) you request. |
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
|
Contract with credit |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract without credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
The next table describes the adjustments, in addition to any transaction expenses, that apply if all or a portion of the Account Value is removed from a Market Value Adjustment Option before the expiration of a specified period.
|
Adjustments |
|
|
Market Value Adjustment Maximum Potential Loss (as a percentage of Unadjusted Account Value in the Market Value Adjustment Option)1 |
100% |
| 1. | The following transactions, when they occur more than 30 days immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, are subject to a Market Value Adjustment: (i) partial withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, Required Minimum Distributions, and withdrawals under any Optional Benefit), (ii) surrenders, (iii) exercise of the right to cancel, (iv) transfers (other than scheduled DCA transfers), and (v) the deduction of fees. |
The next table describes the maximum fees and expenses that you will pay each year during the time that you own the Annuity (not including Portfolio fees and expenses). Your current fees and expenses may be less than the maximum. If you choose to purchase an optional benefit, you will pay additional charges, as shown below.
|
Annual Annuity Expenses |
Maximum |
|
Administrative Expenses (assessed annually on the Annuity’s anniversary date or upon surrender)1,2 |
$60.00 |
|
Base
Contract Expenses (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options)3 |
1.525% |
|
Optional Benefits Expenses |
|
|
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (based on the GMIB Protected Income Value) |
1.00% |
|
Lifetime Five Income Benefit (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
1.50% |
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|
Optional Benefits Expenses |
|
|
Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
1.50% |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
1.50% |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit (based on the Protected Withdrawal Value) |
1.50% |
|
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit (based on the Protected Withdrawal Value) |
1.50% |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Plus Income Benefit (based on the greater of the Account Value and Protected Withdrawal Value) |
1.50% |
|
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Plus Income Benefit (based on the greater of the Account Value and Protected Withdrawal Value) |
1.50% |
|
Income Appreciator Benefit |
0.25% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Roll-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.25% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Step-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.25% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Greater of Roll-Up or Step-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.35% |
|
Highest Daily Value Death Benefit |
0.50% |
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit |
0.75% |
| 1. | The Administrative Expense is referred to as “Annual Maintenance Fee” elsewhere in this Prospectus. The Administrative Expense is only applicable if Account Value is less than $75,000. Fee may differ in certain States. |
| 2. | The Administrative Expense for the Beneficiary Continuation Option is the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value. |
| 3. | Beneficiaries are assessed a Settlement Service Charge of 1.03% (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options). |
The next item shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the Portfolios that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the Annuity. Expenses shown may change over time and may be higher or lower in the future. A complete list of Portfolios available under the Annuity, including their annual expenses, may be found at Appendix A of this prospectus.
|
Annual Portfolio Expenses | ||
|
(expenses that are deducted from Portfolio assets, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses) |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|
0.28% |
1.56% | |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Variable Options with the cost of investing in other annuity contracts that offer variable options. These costs include Transaction Expenses, Annual Annuity Expenses, and Annual Portfolio Expenses.
The Example assumes all Account Value is allocated to the Variable Options. The Example does not reflect the Market Value Adjustment. Your costs could differ from those shown below if you invest in the Market Value Adjustment Options.
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The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Variable Options for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and assumes the most expensive combination of Annual Portfolio Expenses and optional benefits available for an additional charge which includes Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, Income Appreciator Benefit, Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit and Earnings Appreciator Benefit. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE 3 WITH CREDIT | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$14,171 |
$26,658 |
$38,353 |
$64,151 |
$12,904 |
$23,041 |
$32,641 |
$54,412 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,171 |
$18,658 |
$31,353 |
$64,151 |
$4,904 |
$15,041 |
$25,641 |
$54,412 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,171 |
$18,658 |
$31,353 |
$64,151 |
$4,904 |
$15,041 |
$25,641 |
$54,412 |
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE 3 WITHOUT CREDIT | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$13,071 |
$23,375 |
$33,912 |
$63,427 |
$11,803 |
$19,746 |
$28,168 |
$53,571 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,071 |
$18,375 |
$30,912 |
$63,427 |
$4,803 |
$14,746 |
$25,168 |
$53,571 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,071 |
$18,375 |
$30,912 |
$63,427 |
$4,803 |
$14,746 |
$25,168 |
$53,571 |
15
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE CONTRACT
The risks identified below are the principal risks of investing in the Annuity. The Annuity may be subject to additional risks other than those identified and described in this prospectus.
Risk of Loss: You could lose money by investing in the Annuity, including your principal investment. An investment in the Annuity is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Risks Associated with Variable Options: You take all the investment risk for amounts allocated to one or more of the Variable Options, which invest in Portfolios. If the Variable Options you select increase in value, then your Account Value goes up; if they decrease in value, your Account Value goes down. How much your Account Value goes up or down depends on the performance of the Portfolios in which your Variable Options invest. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Portfolio. An investment in the Annuity is subject to the risk of poor investment performance, and the value of your investment can vary depending on the performance of the selected Portfolio(s), each of which has its own unique risks. You should review the Portfolios before making an investment decision. We reserve the right to add, eliminate, substitute or combine Variable Options as Investment Options available under the Annuity or to close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates.
Risks Associated with the Market Value Adjustment Options: We determine the interest rates credited to the Market Value Adjustment Options in our sole discretion, subject to guaranteed minimums, and we may change the rates for new Guarantee Periods at any time. Any change in interest rates do not affect Guarantee Periods that began before the date of the change. There is a risk that the interest rates for new Guarantee Periods will be lower than the rates that were previously in effect. In addition, if you withdraw or transfer assets from a Market Value Adjustment Option, other than during the 30 day period immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment, which may increase or decrease your initial amount invested. You could lose up to 100% of your investment in a Market Value Adjustment Option as a result of a negative Market Value Adjustment. Generally, if yields are higher at the time of Market Value Adjustment application than they were at the beginning of the Guarantee Period, the Market Value Adjustment will be negative.
Early Withdrawal Risk: The Annuity is not a short-term investment vehicle and is not an appropriate investment for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The Annuity is designed to provide benefits on a long-term basis. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether the Annuity is consistent with your financial situation and objectives. Withdrawals under the Annuity, including partial withdrawals and a full surrender, may be subject to negative Market Value Adjustments and negative tax consequences. If you have elected certain Optional Benefits, a withdrawal may reduce the amount of your Benefit on more than a dollar-for-dollar basis. While the Annuity provides a Death Benefit, the amount of that benefit is subject to investment gains and losses and is reduced for any withdrawals you take.
Insurance Company Risk: No company other than Pruco Life has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Pruco Life owes under the Annuity, including amounts allocated to the fixed allocations, which are supported by our general account and are subject to our claims-paying ability. Assets in the general account are not segregated for the exclusive benefit of any particular contract or obligation. General account assets are also available to our general creditors and for conducting routine business activities, such as the payment of salaries, rent and other ordinary business expenses. You should look to the financial strength of Pruco Life for its claims-paying ability. Pruco Life is also subject to risks related to disasters and other events, such as storms, earthquakes, fires, outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as COVID-19), utility failures, terrorist acts, political and social developments, and military and governmental actions. These risks are often collectively referred to as “business continuity” risks. These events could adversely affect Pruco Life and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although Pruco Life has business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that Pruco Life may not be able to provide required services, process transactions, deliver documents or calculate values. It is also possible that service levels may decline as a result of such events.
Possible Adverse Tax Consequences: The tax considerations associated with the Annuity vary and can be complicated. The tax considerations discussed in this prospectus are general in nature and describe only federal income tax law (not state, local, foreign or other federal tax laws). Before making a Purchase Payment or taking other action related to your Annuity, you should consult with a qualified tax advisor for complete information and advice. For example, distributions from your Annuity are generally subject to ordinary income taxation on the amount of any investment gain unless the distribution qualifies as a non-taxable exchange or transfer. In addition, if you take a distribution prior to the taxpayer’s age 59½, you may be subject to a 10% additional tax in addition to ordinary income taxes on any gain.
Possible Fees on Access to Account Value: We may apply fees if you access your Account Value during the Accumulation Period or surrender your Annuity. For example, in addition to possible tax consequences discussed above, you may incur fees for accessing your Account Value such as an annual maintenance fee, Tax Charge and/or a charge for any optional benefits. In addition, we may assess a Market Value Adjustment for withdrawals from a Fixed Allocation.
Credit Recapture: In certain circumstances we may recapture any Credits applied to your Contract if you access your Account Value during the accumulation period or surrender your Annuity.
Annuity Changes Risk: We reserve the right to limit the number of transfers you may make or to impose a minimum transfer amount. We also reserve the right to add, eliminate, substitute or combine Variable Options as Investment Options available under the Annuity or to close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates. We may limit, suspend or reject any additional Purchase Payment at any time on a non-discriminatory basis. If we do so, you may no longer be able to increase the values associated with
16
an optional living benefit or increase the amount of the death benefit under an optional death benefit through subsequent Purchase Payments. This would also impact your ability to make annual contributions to certain qualified Annuities. In addition, we may impose limitations on an investment professional’s or investment advisor’s ability to request financial transactions on your behalf.
Cyber Security and Business Continuity Risks: With the increasing use of technology and computer systems in general and, in particular, the Internet to conduct necessary business functions, the Company is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. These risks, which are often collectively referred to as “cyber security” risks, may include deliberate or malicious attacks, as well as unintentional events and occurrences. These risks are heightened by our offering of increasingly complex products, such as those that feature automatic asset transfer or reallocation strategies, and by our employment of complex investment, trading and hedging programs. Cyber security is generally defined as the technology, operations and related protocol surrounding and protecting a user’s computer hardware, network, systems and applications and the data transmitted and stored therewith. These measures ensure the reliability of a user’s systems, as well as security, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data assets.
Deliberate cyber attacks can include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access (including physical break-ins) to computer systems in order to misappropriate and/or disclose sensitive or confidential information; deleting, corrupting or modifying data; and causing operational disruptions. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (in order to prevent access to computer networks). In addition to deliberate breaches engineered by external actors, cyber security risks can also result from the conduct of malicious, exploited or careless insiders, whose actions may result in the destruction, release or disclosure of confidential or proprietary information stored on an organization’s systems.
The Company is also subject to risks related to disasters and other events, such as storms, earthquakes, fires, outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as COVID-19), utility failures, terrorist acts, political and social developments, and military and governmental actions. These risks are often collectively referred to as “business continuity” risks. These events could adversely affect the Company and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although the Company has business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that the Company may not be able to provide required services, process transactions, deliver documents or calculate values. It is also possible that service levels may decline as a result of such events.
Cyber security events, disasters and similar events, whether deliberate or unintentional, that could impact the Company and Contract owners could arise not only in connection with our own administration of the Annuity, but also with entities operating the Annuity’s Portfolios and with third-party service providers. Cyber security and other events affecting any of the entities involved with the offering and administration of the Annuity may cause significant disruptions in the business operations related to the Annuity. Potential impacts may include, but are not limited to, potential financial losses under the Annuity, your inability to conduct transactions under the Annuity and/or with respect to a Portfolio, an inability to calculate unit values with respect to the Annuity and/or the net asset value (“NAV”) with respect to a Portfolio, and disclosures of your personal or confidential account information.
In addition to direct impacts to you, cyber security and other events described above may result in adverse impacts to the Company, including regulatory inquiries, regulatory proceedings, regulatory and/or legal and litigation costs, and reputational damage. Costs incurred by the Company may include reimbursement and other expenses, including the costs of litigation and litigation settlements and additional compliance costs. Considerable expenses also may be incurred by the Company in enhancing and upgrading computer systems and systems security following a cyber security failure or responding to a disaster or similar event. The rapid proliferation of technologies, as well as the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, and others continue to pose new and significant cyber security threats. In addition, the global spread of COVID-19 has caused the Company and its service providers to implement business continuity plans, including widespread use of work-from-home arrangements. Although the Company, our service providers, and the Portfolios offered under the Annuity may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate risks, there can be no guarantee or assurance that such plans or systems will be effective, or that all risks that exist, or may develop in the future, have been completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. Furthermore, the Company cannot control or assure the efficacy of the cyber security and business continuity plans and systems implemented by third-party service providers, the Portfolios, and the issuers in which the Portfolios invest.
The military invasion of Ukraine initiated by Russia in February 2022 and the resulting response by the United States and other countries have led to economic disruptions, as well as increased volatility and uncertainty in the financial markets. It is not possible to predict the ultimate duration and scope of the conflict, or the future impact on U.S. and global economies and financial markets.
Artificial Intelligence Risk: In addition to the cyber security risks described above, the development, adoption and use of AI, including generative artificial intelligence (“Generative AI”), by us and by third parties on whom we rely may increase existing operational risks or create new operational risks that we are not currently anticipating. AI technologies offer potential benefits in areas such as customer service personalization and process automation, and we expect to use AI and Generative AI to help deliver products and services and support critical functions. We also expect third parties on whom we rely to do the same. There are significant risks involved in developing and deploying AI, and there can be no assurance that its use will enhance our products or services or be beneficial to our business, including our efficiency or profitability. The risk that AI and Generative AI may be misused is increased by the relative newness of the technology, the speed at which it is being adopted, and the lack of laws, regulations or standards governing its use. Such misuse could expose the Company to legal or regulatory risk, damage customer relationships or cause reputational harm. Further, our ability to continue to develop and efficiently deploy AI technologies depends on access to specific third-party equipment and other physical infrastructure, such as processing hardware and network capacity, the availability and pricing of which is difficult to control, especially in a highly competitive environment. Our competitors may also adopt AI or Generative AI more quickly or more effectively than we do, which could cause competitive harm. Because the Generative AI technology is so new, some of the potential risks of Generative AI are currently unknowable.
17
DESCRIPTION OF INSURANCE COMPANY, REGISTERED SEPARATE ACCOUNT, AND INVESTMENT OPTIONS
The Contract is issued by Pruco Life Insurance Company located at 751 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777. Pruco Life is obligated to pay all amounts promised to investors under the Contract, subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.
Pruco Life is a stock life insurance company organized in 1971 under the laws of the State of Arizona. It is licensed to sell life insurance and annuities in the District of Columbia, Guam and in all states except New York. Pruco Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“Prudential”), a New Jersey stock life insurance company that has been doing business since 1875. Prudential is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (“Prudential Financial”), a New Jersey insurance holding company. No company other than Pruco Life has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Pruco Life owes under its annuity contracts. Among other things, this means that where you participate in an optional living benefit or death benefit and the value of that benefit exceeds your current Account Value, you would rely solely on the ability of Pruco Life to make payments under the benefit out of its own assets. As Pruco Life’s ultimate parent, Prudential Financial, however, exercises significant influence over the operations and capital structure of Pruco Life.
Pursuant to the delivery obligations under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 159 thereunder, we deliver this prospectus to current contract owners that reside outside of the United States. In addition, we may not market or offer benefits, features or enhancements to prospective or current contract owners while outside of the United States.
Rule 12h-7
With respect to the offering of Index Strategies, the Company relies on the exemption provided by Rule 12h-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from the requirement to file reports pursuant to Section 15(d) of that Act.
Claims of Creditors
To the extent permitted by law, no payment or value under this Annuity is subject to the claims of your creditors or those of any other Owner, any Annuitant, or any Beneficiary.
Deferral of Transactions
We may defer any annuity payment for a period not to exceed the lesser of 6 months or the period permitted by law. If we defer a distribution or transfer from any annuity payout for more than thirty days, we will pay interest as required by state law. We may defer any distribution from any Allocation Option or any transfer from Allocation Options for a period not to exceed seven calendar days from the date the transaction is affected.
WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?
The Separate Accounts are where Pruco Life sets aside and invests the assets supporting the Annuity. The assets of each Separate Account are held in the name of Pruco Life, and legally belong to us. We will maintain assets in each Separate Account with a total market value at least equal to the cash Surrender Value and other liabilities we must maintain related to the Annuity obligations supported by such assets. The obligations under the Annuity are those of Pruco Life, which is the issuer of the Annuity and the depositor of the Separate Accounts. More detailed information about Pruco Life, including its audited financial statements, is provided in the Statement of Additional Information.
Pruco Life Insurance Company Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
The assets supporting obligations based on allocations to the Variable Options are held in sub-accounts of Pruco Life Insurance Company Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, also referred to as “Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account”. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account assets that are held in support of the Variable Option are kept separate from all our other assets and may not be chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct. Thus, income, gains and losses from assets allocated to Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account are credited to or charged against Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account, without regard to other income, gains or losses of Pruco Life or any other of our Separate Accounts.
Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account was established by us pursuant to Arizona law on June 16, 1995. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account also holds assets of other annuities issued by us with values and benefits that vary according to the investment performance of Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account.
Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account consists of multiple Variable Options. Each Variable Option invests only in a single mutual fund or mutual fund portfolio. The name of each Variable Option generally corresponds to the name of the Portfolio. Each Variable Option in Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account may have several different Unit Prices to reflect the Insurance Charge, Distribution Charge (when applicable) and the charges for any optional benefits that are offered under the Annuity issued by us through Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account is registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) as a unit investment trust, which is a type of investment company.
18
The SEC does not supervise investment policies, management or practices of Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account. We may offer new Variable Options, eliminate Variable Options, or combine Variable Options at our sole discretion. We may also close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing annuities or close Variable Options for annuities purchased on or after specified dates.
In addition to rights that we specifically reserve elsewhere in this prospectus, we reserve the right to perform any or all of the following:
| • | offer new Variable Options, eliminate Variable Options, substitute Variable Options or combine Variable Options; |
| • | close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or close Variable Options for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates; |
| • | combine the Separate Account with separate accounts; |
| • | deregister the Separate Account under the Investment Company Act of 1940; |
| • | manage the Separate Account as a management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or in any other form permitted by law; |
| • | make changes required by any change in the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, or any other changes to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s interpretation thereof; |
| • | establish a provision in the Annuity for federal income taxes if we determine, in our sole discretion, that we will incur a tax as the result of the operation of the Separate Account; |
| • | make any changes required by federal or state laws with respect to annuity contracts; and |
| • | to the extent dictated by any underlying Portfolio, impose a redemption fee or restrict transfers within any Variable Option |
We will first notify you and receive any necessary SEC and/or state approval before making such a change. If an underlying mutual fund is liquidated, we will ask you to reallocate any amount in the liquidated fund. If you do not reallocate these amounts, we will reallocate such amounts only in accordance with SEC pronouncements and only after obtaining an order from the SEC, if required. If investment in the Portfolios or a particular Portfolio is no longer possible, or in our discretion becomes inappropriate for purposes of the Annuity, or for any other rationale in our sole judgment, we may substitute another portfolio or investment Portfolios without your consent. The substituted portfolio may have different fees and expenses. Substitution may be made with respect to existing investments or the investment of future Purchase Payments, or both. However, we will not make such substitution without any required approval of the SEC and any applicable state insurance departments. In addition, we may close Portfolios to allocation of Purchase Payments or Account Value, or both, at any time in our sole discretion. We do not control the underlying mutual funds, so we cannot guarantee that any of those funds will always be available.
Values and benefits based on allocations to the Variable Options will vary with the investment performance of the underlying mutual funds or fund Portfolios, as applicable. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Variable Option. Your Account Value allocated to the Variable Options may increase or decrease. You bear the entire investment risk. There is no assurance that the Account Value of your Annuity will equal or be greater than the total of the Purchase Payments you make to us.
The General Account: Our general obligations and any guaranteed benefits under the Annuity are supported by our General Account and are subject to our claims paying ability. Assets in the General Account are not segregated for the exclusive benefit of any particular contract or obligation. General Account assets are also available to our general creditors and for conducting routine business activities, such as the payment of salaries, rent and other ordinary business expenses. The General Account is subject to regulation and supervision by the Arizona Department of Insurance and to the insurance laws and regulations of all jurisdictions where we are authorized to do business.
Fixed Rate Options
We offer three fixed interest rate options:
| • | a one-year fixed interest rate option, |
| • | a dollar cost averaging fixed rate option (DCA Fixed Rate Option), and |
| • | Market Value Adjustment Options |
When you select one of these options, your payment will earn interest at the established rate for the applicable interest rate period. A new interest rate period is established every time you allocate or transfer money into a fixed interest rate option. (You may not transfer amounts from other investment options into the DCA Fixed Rate Option.) You may have money allocated in more than one interest rate period at the same time. This could result in your money earning interest at different rates and each interest rate period maturing at a different time. While these interest rates may change from time to time, they will not be less than the minimum interest rate dictated by applicable state law. We may offer lower interest rates for Contracts With Credit than for Contracts Without Credit. The interest rates we pay on the fixed interest rate options may be influenced by the asset-based charges assessed against the Separate Account.
Payments allocated to the fixed interest rate options become part of Pruco Life’s general assets. Please note that if you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Five, you cannot invest in either of these fixed interest rate options.
One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option
19
We set a one-year base guaranteed annual interest rate for the one-year fixed interest rate option. Additionally, we may provide a higher interest rate on each purchase payment allocated to this option for the first year after the payment. This higher interest rate will not apply to amounts transferred from other investment options within the contract or amounts remaining in this option for more than one year.
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option
You may allocate all or part of any purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Under this option, you automatically transfer amounts over a stated period (currently, six or twelve months) from the DCA Fixed Rate Option to the Variable Options and/or to the one-year fixed interest rate option, as you select. We will invest the assets you allocate to the DCA Fixed Rate Option in our general account until they are transferred. You may not transfer from other investment options to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Transfers to the one-year fixed interest rate option will remain in the general account.
If you choose to allocate all or part of a purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option, the minimum amount of the purchase payment you may allocate is $2,000. The first periodic transfer will occur on the date you allocate your purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Subsequent transfers will occur on the monthly anniversary of the first transfer. Currently, you may choose to have the purchase payment allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option transferred to the selected Variable Options, or to the one-year fixed interest rate option in either six or twelve monthly installments, and you may not change that number of monthly installments after you have chosen the DCA Fixed Rate Option. You may allocate to both the six-month and twelve-month options. (In the future, we may make available other numbers of transfers and other transfer schedules--for example, quarterly as well as monthly.)
If you choose a six-payment transfer schedule, each transfer generally will equal 1/6th of the amount you allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option, and if you choose a twelve-payment transfer schedule, each transfer generally will equal 1/12th of the amount you allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. In either case, the final transfer amount generally will also include the credited interest. You may change at any time the investment options into which the DCA Fixed Rate Option assets are transferred. You may make a one time transfer of the remaining value out of your DCA Fixed Rate Option, if you so choose. Transfers from the DCA Fixed Rate Option do not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowed under the contract.
If you make a withdrawal or have a fee assessed from your contract, and all or part of that withdrawal or fee comes out of the DCA Fixed Rate Option, we will recalculate the periodic transfer amount to reflect the change. This recalculation may include some or all of the interest credited to the date of the next scheduled transfer. If a withdrawal or fee assessment reduces the monthly transfer amount below $100, we will transfer the remaining balance in the DCA Fixed Rate Option on the next scheduled transfer date.
By investing amounts on a regular basis instead of investing the total amount at one time, the DCA Fixed Rate Option may decrease the effect of Variable Option fluctuation on the investment of your purchase payment. Of course, dollar cost averaging cannot ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.
Market Value Adjustment (MVA) Options
We offer MVA Options of different durations during the Accumulation Period. When you allocate your Account Value to an MVA Option, you earn a fixed rate of interest as long as you remain invested for a set period of time called a Guarantee Period. Amounts in MVA Options are supported by our general account and subject to our claims paying ability.
Under the MVA Options, you earn interest over the Guarantee Period selected. A Guarantee Period begins when all or part of a Purchase Payment is allocated to a particular Guarantee Period. The Market Value Adjustment Options may not be available through all firms.
We credit interest to amounts held within the Market Value Adjustment Options at the applicable declared rates in effect when the Guarantee Period begins.
The interest rate declared for a Market Value Adjustment Option will be no less than the minimum guaranteed interest rate. The minimum guaranteed interest rate that applies to you may vary depending on the state in which your Annuity was issued, but it will be shown on your Annuity specifications page and will never be less than (a) 3% (for MVA Options) or (b) the minimum rate required under state law or regulation; whichever is greater. We may, from time to time, declare new interest rates for new Purchase Payments that are higher than the minimum guaranteed interest rate. Any change in interest rates does not affect Market Value Adjustment Options that were in effect before the date of the change. At the time that we confirm the allocation of your Purchase Payment to a Market Value Adjustment Option, we will advise you of the interest rate in effect. To inquire as to the current rates, please contact our Annuity Service Center at 1-888-PRU-2888 or at ’www.prudential.com/annuities.
If you withdraw or transfer assets from a Market Value Adjustment Option, other than during the 30 day period immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment, which may be positive or negative. You could lose a significant amount of money due to a negative Market Value Adjustment. The following transactions, when they occur more than 30 days immediately following the end of the Guarantee
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Period, are subject to a Market Value Adjustment: (i) partial withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, Required Minimum Distributions, and withdrawals under any Optional Benefit), (ii) surrenders, (iii) exercise of the right to cancel, (iv) transfers, and (v) the deduction of fees. For more information about Market Value Adjustments, see “Charges and Adjustments”.
Variable Options
Each Variable Option invests exclusively in a single Portfolio. The Account Value allocated to a Variable Option will vary based on the investment experience of the corresponding Portfolio in which it invests. There is a risk of loss of the entire amount invested. Please refer to Appendix A for certain information regarding each Portfolio, including (i) its name, (ii) its type (e.g., money market fund, bond fund, balanced fund, etc.), (iii) its investment advisor and any sub-advisor, (iv) current expenses, and (v) performance. There is no guarantee that any underlying Portfolio will meet its investment objective. Each Portfolio has issued a prospectus that contains more detailed information about the Portfolio. The prospectuses for the Portfolios can be found online at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAO3-USP. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-888- PRU-2888.
Each underlying Portfolio is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act. Shares of the underlying Portfolios are sold to Separate Accounts of life insurance companies offering variable annuity and variable life insurance products. The shares may also be sold directly to qualified pension and retirement plans.
Voting Rights
We are the legal owner of the shares of the underlying Portfolios in which the Variable Options invest. However, under current SEC rules, you have voting rights in relation to Account Value allocated to the Variable Options. If an underlying Portfolio requests a vote of shareholders, we will vote our shares based on instructions received from Owners with Account Value allocated to that Variable Option. Owners have the right to vote an amount equal to the number of shares attributable to their Annuity. If we do not receive voting instructions in relation to certain shares, we will vote those shares in the same manner and proportion as the shares for which we have received instructions. This voting procedure is sometimes referred to as “mirror voting” because, as indicated in the immediately preceding sentence, we mirror the votes that are actually cast, rather than decide on our own how to vote. We will also “mirror vote” shares that are owned directly by us or an affiliate (excluding shares held in the Separate Account of an affiliated insurer). In addition, because all the shares of a given Portfolio held within the Separate Account are legally owned by us, we intend to vote all of such shares when that underlying Portfolio seeks a vote of its shareholders. As such, all such shares will be counted towards whether there is a quorum at the underlying Portfolio’s shareholder meeting and toward the ultimate outcome of the vote. Thus, under “mirror voting,” it is possible that the votes of a small percentage of Owners who actually vote will determine the ultimate outcome.
We may, if required by state insurance regulations, disregard voting instructions if they would require shares to be voted so as to cause a change in the sub-classification or investment objectives of one or more of the available Variable Options or to approve or disapprove an investment advisory contract for a Portfolio. In addition, we may disregard voting instructions that would require changes in the investment policy or investment advisor of one or more of the Portfolios associated with the available Variable Options, provided that we reasonably disapprove such changes in accordance with applicable federal or state regulations. If we disregard Owner voting instructions, we will advise Owners of our action and the reasons for such action in the next available annual or semi-annual report.
We will furnish those Owners who have Account Value allocated to a Variable Option whose underlying Portfolio has requested a “proxy” vote with proxy materials and the necessary forms to provide us with their voting instructions. Generally, you will be asked to provide instructions for us to vote on matters such as changes in a fundamental investment strategy, adoption of a new investment advisory agreement, or matters relating to the structure of the underlying Portfolio that require a vote of shareholders. We reserve the right to change the voting procedures described above if applicable SEC rules change.
Similar Funds
The Portfolios are not publicly traded mutual funds. They are only available as investment options in variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by insurance companies, or in some cases, to participants in certain qualified retirement plans. However, some of the Portfolios available as Variable Options under the variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies are managed by the same advisor or subadvisor as a retail mutual fund of the same or similar name that the Portfolio may have been modeled after at its inception. Certain retail mutual funds may also have been modeled after a Portfolio. While the investment objective and policies of the retail mutual funds and the Portfolios may be substantially similar, the actual investments will differ to varying degrees. Differences in the performance of the funds can be expected, and in some cases could be substantial. You should not compare the performance of a publicly traded mutual fund with the performance of any similarly named Portfolio offered as a Variable Option.
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Material Conflicts
In the future, it may become disadvantageous for Separate Accounts of variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts to invest in the same underlying Portfolios. Neither the companies that invest in the Portfolios nor the Portfolios currently foresee any such disadvantage. The Board of Directors for each Portfolio intends to monitor events in order to identify any material conflict between variable life insurance policy owners and variable annuity contract owners and to determine what action, if any, should be taken. Material conflicts could result from such things as:
| (1. | changes in state insurance law; |
| (2. | changes in federal income tax law; |
| (3. | changes in the investment management of any Variable Option; or |
| (4. | differences between voting instructions given by variable life insurance policy owners and variable annuity contract owners. |
Fees and Payments Received by Us
As detailed below, we and our affiliates receive substantial payments from the underlying Portfolios and/or related entities, such as the Portfolios’ advisors and subadvisors. Because these fees and payments are made to us and our affiliates, allocations you make to the underlying Portfolios benefit us financially. In selecting Portfolios available under the Annuity, we consider the payments that will be made to us.
We may receive Rule 12b-1 fees which compensate us and our affiliate, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., for distribution and administrative services. These fees are paid by the underlying Portfolio out of each Portfolio’s assets and are therefore borne by Owners.
We may also receive administrative services payments from the Portfolios or the advisors of the underlying Portfolios or their affiliates, which are referred to as “revenue sharing” payments. The maximum combined 12b-1 fees and revenue sharing payments we receive with respect to a Portfolio are generally equal to an annual rate of 0.55% of the average assets allocated to the Portfolio under the Annuity (in certain cases, however, this amount may be equal to an annual rate of 0.60% of the average assets allocated to the Portfolio). We expect to make a profit on these fees and payments and consider them when selecting the Portfolios available under the Annuity.
In addition, an advisor or subadvisor of a Portfolio or a distributor of the Annuity (not the Portfolios) may also compensate us by providing reimbursement, defraying the costs of, or paying directly for, among other things, marketing and/or administrative services and/or other services they provide in connection with the Annuity. These services may include, but are not limited to: sponsoring or co-sponsoring various promotional, educational or marketing meetings and seminars attended by distributors, wholesalers, and/or broker dealer firms’ registered representatives, and creating marketing material discussing the Annuity, available options, and underlying Portfolios. The amounts paid depend on the nature of the meetings, the number of meetings attended by the advisor, subadvisor, or distributor, the number of participants and attendees at the meetings, the costs expected to be incurred, and the level of the advisor’s, subadvisor’s or distributor’s participation. These payments or reimbursements may not be offered by all advisors, subadvisors, or distributors and the amounts of such payments may vary between and among each advisor, subadvisor, and distributor depending on their respective participation. We may also consider these payments and reimbursements when selecting the Portfolios available under the Annuity. For the annual period ended December 31, 2025, with regard to the total annual amounts that were paid (or as to which a payment amount was accrued) under the kinds of arrangements described in this paragraph, the amounts for any particular advisor, subadvisor or distributor ranged from $125.19 to $275,000. These amounts relate to all individual variable annuity contracts issued by Pruco Life or its affiliates, not only the Annuity covered by this prospectus.
In addition to the payments that we receive from underlying Portfolios and/or their affiliates, those same Portfolios and/or their affiliates may make payments to us and/or other insurers within the Prudential Financial group related to the offering of investment options within variable annuities or life insurance offered by different Prudential business units.
We may substitute one or more of the underlying mutual funds used by the Variable Options. We may also cease to allow investments in existing funds. We would not do this without the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and any necessary state insurance departments. You will be given specific notice in advance of any substitution we intend to make.
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There are charges and other expenses associated with the contract that reduce the return on your investment. These charges and expenses are described below.
The charges under the contracts are designed to cover, in the aggregate, our direct and indirect costs of selling, administering and providing benefits under the contracts. They are also designed, in the aggregate, to compensate us for the risks of loss we assume pursuant to the contracts. If, as we expect, the charges that we collect from the contracts exceed our total costs in connection with the contracts, we will earn a profit. Otherwise, we will incur a loss. The rates of certain of our charges have been set with reference to estimates of the amount of specific types of expenses or risks that we will incur. In most cases, this prospectus identifies such expenses or risks in the name of the charge; however, the fact that any charge bears the name of, or is designed primarily to defray a particular expense or risk does not mean that the amount we collect from that charge will never be more than the amount of such expense or risk. Nor does it mean that we may not also be compensated for such expense or risk out of any other charges we are permitted to deduct by the terms of the contract.
INSURANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES
If you choose an optional Benefit option, the insurance and administrative cost also includes a charge to cover our assumption of the associated risk. The mortality risk portion of the charge is for assuming the risk that the annuitant(s) will live longer than expected based on our life expectancy tables. When this happens, we pay a greater number of annuity payments. We also incur the risk that the death Benefit amount exceeds the Contract Value. The expense risk portion of the charge is for assuming the risk that the current charges will be insufficient in the future to cover the cost of administering the contract. The administrative expense portion of the charge compensates us for the expenses associated with the administration of the contract. This includes preparing and issuing the contract; establishing and maintaining contract records; preparation of confirmations and annual reports; personnel costs; legal and accounting fees; filing fees; and systems costs.
We calculate the insurance and administrative charge based on the average daily value of all assets allocated to the Variable Options. These charges are not assessed against amounts allocated to the fixed interest rate options. The amount of the charge depends on the death benefit (or other) option that you choose.
The death benefit charge is equal to:
| • | 1.40% on an annual basis if you choose the base death benefit, |
| • | 1.65% on an annual basis if you choose either the roll-up or step-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option, (i.e., 0.25% in addition to the base death benefit charge), or |
| • | 1.75% on an annual basis if you choose the greater of the roll-up and step-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option (i.e., 0.35% in addition to the base death benefit charge). |
We impose an additional insurance and administrative charge of 0.10% annually (of Contract Value attributable to the Variable Options) for the Contract With Credit.
If the charges under the contract are not sufficient to cover our expenses, then we will bear the loss. We do, however, expect to profit from these charges. Any profits made from these charges may be used by us to pay for the costs of distributing the contracts. If you choose the Contract With Credit, we will also use any profits from this charge to recoup our costs of providing the credit.
The charges that we discuss in this section are assessed against the assets of the separate account. Certain of these charges are part of the base annuity and other charges are assessed only if any available optional benefit is selected. If a fixed interest rate option is available under your contract, the interest rate that we credit to that option may be reduced by an amount that corresponds to the asset-based charges to which you are subject under the Variable Options.
A withdrawal charge may apply if you make a full or partial withdrawal during the withdrawal charge period for a purchase payment. The amount and duration of the withdrawal charge depends on whether you choose the Contract With Credit or the Contract Without Credit. The withdrawal charge varies with the number of contract anniversaries that have elapsed since each purchase payment being withdrawn was made. Specifically, we maintain an “age” for each purchase payment you have made by keeping track of how many contract anniversaries have passed since the purchase payment was made.
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The withdrawal charge is the percentage, shown below, of the amount withdrawn.
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
|
Contract With Credit |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract Without Credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
If a withdrawal is effective on the day before a contract anniversary, the withdrawal charge percentage as of the next following contract anniversary will apply.
If you request a withdrawal, we will deduct an amount from the Contract Value that is sufficient to pay the withdrawal charge, and provide you with the amount requested.
If you request a full withdrawal, we will provide you with the full amount of the Contract Value after making deductions for charges.
Each contract year, you may withdraw a specified amount of your Contract Value without incurring a withdrawal charge. We make this “charge-free amount” available to you subject to approval of this feature in your state. We determine the charge-free amount available to you in a given contract year on the contract anniversary that begins that year. In calculating the charge-free amount, we divide purchase payments into two categories - payments that are subject to a withdrawal charge and those that are not. We determine the charge-free amount based only on purchase payments that are subject to a withdrawal charge. The charge-free amount in a given contract year is equal to 10% of the sum of all the purchase payments subject to the withdrawal charge that you have made as of the applicable contract anniversary. During the first contract year, the charge-free amount is equal to 10% of the initial purchase payment.
When you make a withdrawal (including a withdrawal under a lifetime withdrawal benefit), we will deduct the amount of the withdrawal first from the available charge-free amount. Any excess amount will then be deducted from purchase payments in excess of the charge-free amount and subject to applicable withdrawal charges. Once you have withdrawn all purchase payments, additional withdrawals will come from any earnings. We do not impose withdrawal charges on earnings.
If a withdrawal or transfer is taken from a market value adjustment guarantee period prior to the expiration of the rate guarantee period, we will make a market value adjustment to the withdrawal amount, including the withdrawal charge. We will then apply a withdrawal charge to the adjusted amount.
If you choose the Contract With Credit and make a withdrawal that is subject to a withdrawal charge, we may use part of that withdrawal charge to recoup our costs of providing the credit.
Withdrawal charges will never be greater than permitted by applicable law.
On each contract anniversary during the accumulation phase, if your Contract Value is less than $75,000, we will deduct the lesser of $35 or 2% of your Contract Value, for administrative expenses (this fee may differ in certain states). While this is what we currently charge, we may increase this charge up to a maximum of $60. Also, we may raise the level of the Contract Value at which we waive this fee. The charge will be deducted proportionately from each of the contract’s Variable Options, fixed interest rate options, and guarantee periods within the market value adjustment option. This same charge will also be deducted when you surrender your contract if your Contract Value is less than $75,000.
BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION CHARGES
If your beneficiary takes the Beneficiary Continuation Option, we deduct a Settlement Service Charge. The charge is assessed daily against the average assets allocated to the Variable Options, and is equal to an annual charge of 1.00%. In addition, the beneficiary will incur an annual maintenance fee equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value if the Contract Value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. The fee will not apply if it is assessed 30 days prior to a surrender request. Finally, transfers in excess of 20 per year will incur a $10 transfer fee.
Some states, municipalities, and other jurisdictions charge premium taxes or similar taxes on annuities that we are required to pay. The amount of tax will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is subject to change. We currently deduct the Tax Charge from the Account Value upon Annuitization. The Tax Charge is designed to approximate the taxes that we are required to pay and is assessed as a percentage of the Account Value. The Tax Charge currently ranges up to 3.5%. We reserve the right to deduct the Tax Charge from Purchase Payments when received or from Surrender Value upon surrender. Surrender Value refers to the Account Value less any applicable Tax Charges. We may also assess a charge equal to any Company Taxes or other taxes which may be imposed against the Separate Accounts.
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You can make 12 free transfers every contract year. We measure a contract year from the date we issue your contract (contract date). If you make more than 12 transfers in a contract year (excluding Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto-Rebalancing), we will deduct a transfer fee of $25 for each additional transfer. We have the right to increase this fee up to a maximum of $30 per transfer, but we have no current plans to do so. We will deduct the transfer fee on a proportional basis from the investment options from which the transfer is made. The transfer fee is deducted before the market value adjustment, if any, is calculated. There is a different transfer fee under the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
We pay company income taxes on the taxable corporate earnings created by this separate account product. While we may consider company income taxes when pricing our products, we do not currently include such income taxes in the Tax Charges you pay under the contract. We will periodically review the issue of charging for taxes and may impose a charge in the future. We reserve the right to impose a charge for taxes if we determine, in our sole discretion, that we will incur a tax as a result of the administration of the Annuity, including any tax imposed with respect to the operation of the Separate Account or General Account.
In calculating our corporate income tax liability, we derive certain corporate income tax benefits associated with the investment of company assets, including Separate Account assets, which are treated as company assets under applicable income tax law. These benefits reduce our overall corporate income tax liability. Under current law, such benefits include foreign tax credits and corporate dividend received deductions. We do not pass these tax benefits through to holders of the Separate Account annuity contracts because (i) the owners are not the owners of the assets generating these benefits under applicable income tax law and (ii) we do not currently include company income taxes in the tax charges you pay under the contract. We reserve the right to change these tax practices.
Benefits Available Under the Contract
For information about the benefits available under the Contract and their corresponding changes, please refer to the section titled “Benefits Available Under the Contract” in this prospectus.
When you allocate a purchase payment or a transfer to the Variable Options, we in turn invest in shares of a corresponding underlying portfolios. Those funds charge fees that are in addition to the contract-related fees described in this section. For certain funds, expenses are reduced pursuant to expense waivers and comparable arrangements. In general, these expense waivers and comparable arrangements are not guaranteed, and may be terminated at any time. For additional information about these fund fees, please consult the prospectuses for the funds.
We send any statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at your last known address of record. You may request additional reports. We reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each such additional report.
MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT OPTION CHARGES AND ADJUSTMENTS
No specific fees or expenses are deducted when determining the rates we credit to a Market Value Adjustment Option. However, for some of the same reasons that we deduct the insurance charge against the Account Value allocated to the Variable Options, we also take into consideration mortality, expense, administration, profit, and other factors in determining the interest rates we credit to a Market Value Adjustment Option.
Market Value Adjustment: If you withdraw or transfer assets from a Market Value Adjustment Option more than 30 days immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment, which may increase or decrease your initial amount invested. You could lose up to 100% of your investment in a Market Value Adjustment Option as a result of a negative Market Value Adjustment. The following transactions, when they occur more than 30 days immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, are subject to a Market Value Adjustment: (i) partial withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, Required Minimum Distributions, and withdrawals under any Optional Living Benefit), (ii) surrenders, (iii) exercise of the right to cancel, (iv) transfers (other than scheduled DCA transfers), and (v) the deduction of fees.
The Market Value Adjustment is calculated at the time of the transaction by multiplying the Unadjusted Account Value of the Market Value Adjustment Option (before the transaction is processed) by the Market Value Adjustment factor. The Market Value Adjustment factor is determined using a formula that takes into account (i) the difference between Constant Maturity Treasury rates established at the inception of the Market Value Adjustment Option and at the time of calculation, (ii) the amount of time remaining in the Guarantee Period, and (iii) a Liquidity Factor of 0.25%. If you decide to Free Look your Annuity, we will not apply the Liquidity Factor. Generally, if yields are higher at the time of Market Value Adjustment application than they were at the beginning of the Guarantee Period, the Market Value Adjustment will be negative. Generally, if yields are lower at the time of Market Value Adjustment application than they were at the beginning of the Guarantee Period, the Market Value Adjustment will be positive.
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A negative Market Value Adjustment will reduce your Account Value and Surrender Value on a dollar-for-dollar basis. A negative Market Value Adjustment could reduce the basic death benefit amount by an amount greater than the value withdrawn. See “Death Benefits” for more information. A negative Market Value Adjustment could also cause the total withdrawal amount to exceed guarantees offered under the Optional Living Benefits, which could permanently reduce your future guarantees under the benefit. See “Benefits Available Under the Contract” for more information.
Generally, the interest rates we offer for Market Value Adjustment Options will reflect the investment returns available on the types of investments we make to support our fixed rate guarantees. The Market Value Adjustment is intended to protect us from losses on these investments when we must pay out amounts that are removed from a Market Value Adjustment Option prior to the end of the Guarantee Period.
You may request a quote of the impact an early distribution would have on your Account Value by contacting our Service Center at 1-888-PRU-2888. Values fluctuate daily and the actual Market Value Adjustment applied at the time a transaction is processed may be more or less than the values quoted at the time of your call. Additional information about the calculation of the Market Value Adjustment, including the Market Value Adjustment formula and examples, can be found in the Statement of Additional Information.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CONTRACTS
The Strategic Partners Annuity One 3 Variable Annuity is a contract between you, the owner, and US, Pruco Life Insurance Company (Pruco Life, we or us).
Under our contract, in exchange for your payment to us, we promise to pay you a guaranteed income stream that can begin any time on or after the third contract anniversary. Your annuity is in the accumulation phase until you decide to begin receiving annuity payments. The date you begin receiving annuity payments is the annuity date. On the annuity date, your contract switches to the income phase.
This annuity contract benefits from tax deferral when it is sold outside a tax-favored plan (generally called a non-qualified annuity). Tax deferral means that you are not taxed on earnings or appreciation on the assets in your contract until you take a distribution from your contract.
If you purchase the annuity contract in a tax-favored plan such as an IRA, that plan generally provides tax deferral even without investing in an annuity contract. In other words, you need not purchase this contract to gain the preferential tax treatment provided by your retirement plan. Therefore, before purchasing an annuity in a tax-favored plan, you should consider whether its features and benefits beyond tax deferral, including the death benefit and income benefits, meet your needs and goals. You should consider the relative features, benefits and costs of this annuity compared with any other investment that you may use in connection with your retirement plan or arrangement.
There are two basic versions of Strategic Partners Annuity One 3 variable annuity.
Contract With Credit.
| • | provides for a bonus credit that we add to each purchase payment that you make, |
| • | has higher withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs than the Contract Without Credit, |
| • | may provide a lower interest rate for fixed interest rate options and the Market Value Adjustment Option than the Contract Without Credit, and |
| • | may provide fewer available market value adjustment guarantee periods than the Contract Without Credit. |
Contract Without Credit.
| • | does not provide a credit, |
| • | has lower withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs than the Contract With Credit, |
| • | may provide a higher interest rate for fixed interest rate options and the Market Value Adjustment Option than the Contract With Credit, and |
| • | may provide more market value adjustment guarantee periods than the Contract With Credit. |
Unless we state otherwise, when we use the word contract, it applies to both versions.
In replacing another annuity you may own, please consider all charges associated with that annuity. Credits applicable to bonus products, such as the Contract With Credit, should not be viewed as an offset of any surrender charge that applies to another annuity contract you may currently own.
Because of the higher withdrawal charges, if you choose the Contract With Credit and you withdraw a purchase payment, depending upon the performance of the investment options you choose, you may be worse off than if you had chosen the Contract Without Credit. We do not recommend purchase of either version of Strategic Partners Annuity One 3 if you anticipate having to withdraw a significant amount of your purchase payments within a few years of making those purchase payments.
Strategic Partners Annuity One 3 is a variable annuity contract. During the accumulation phase, you can allocate your assets among the Variable Options, guaranteed fixed interest rate options and a market value adjustment option. If you select Variable Options, the amount of money you are able to accumulate in your contract during the accumulation phase depends upon the investment performance of the underlying mutual fund(s) associated with that Variable Option.
Because the underlying mutual funds’ portfolios fluctuate in value depending upon market conditions, your Contract Value can either increase or decrease. This is important, since the amount of the annuity payments you receive during the income phase depends upon the value of your contract at the time you begin receiving payments.
As the owner of the contract, you have all of the decision-making rights under the contract. You will also be the annuitant unless you designate someone else. The annuitant is the person whose life is used to determine how much and how long (if applicable) the annuity payments will continue once the annuity phase begins. On or after the annuity date, the annuitant may not be changed.
The beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you designate to receive any death benefit. You may change the beneficiary any time prior to the annuity date by making a written request to us.
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If you change your mind about owning Strategic Partners Annuity One 3, you may cancel your contract within 10 days after receiving it (or whatever period is required by applicable law). You can request a refund by returning the contract either to the representative who sold it to you, or to the Prudential Annuity Service Center at the address shown on the first page of this prospectus. You will receive, depending on applicable state law:
| • | Your full purchase payment, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding; or |
| • | The amount your contract is worth as of the day we receive your request, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding. This amount may be more or less than your original payment. We impose neither a withdrawal charge nor any market value adjustment if you cancel your contract under this provision. |
If you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will deduct any credit we had added to your Contract Value. To the extent dictated by state law, we will include in your refund the amount of any fees and charges that we deducted.
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS
We limit your ability to transfer among your contract’s Variable Options as permitted by applicable law. We impose a yearly restriction on transfers. Specifically, once you have made 20 transfers among the Variable Options during a contract year, we will accept any additional transfer request during that year only if the request is submitted to us in writing with an original signature and otherwise is in good order. For purposes of this transfer restriction, we (i) do not view a facsimile transmission as a “writing”,
(ii) will treat multiple transfer requests submitted on the same business day as a single transfer, and (iii) do not count any transfer that involves one of our systematic programs, such as asset allocation and automated withdrawals.
Frequent transfers among Variable Options in response to short-term fluctuations in markets, sometimes called “market timing,” can make it very difficult for a portfolio manager to manage an underlying mutual fund’s investments. Frequent transfers may cause the fund to hold more cash than otherwise necessary, disrupt management strategies, increase transaction costs, or affect performance. For those reasons, the contract was not designed for persons who make programmed, large, or frequent transfers.
In light of the risks posed to contract owners and other fund investors by frequent transfers, we reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any contract year for all existing or new contract owners, and to take the other actions discussed below. We also reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any contract year or to refuse any transfer request for an owner or certain owners if: (a) we believe that excessive transfer activity (as we define it) or a specific transfer request or group of transfer requests may have a detrimental effect on accumulation unit values or the share prices of the underlying mutual funds; or (b) we are informed by a fund (e.g., by the fund’s portfolio manager) that the purchase or redemption of fund shares must be restricted because the fund believes the transfer activity to which such purchase and redemption relates would have a detrimental effect on the share prices of the affected fund. Without limiting the above, the most likely scenario where either of the above could occur would be if the aggregate amount of a trade or trades represented a relatively large proportion of the total assets of a particular underlying mutual fund. In furtherance of our general authority to restrict transfers as described above, and without limiting other actions we may take in the future, we have adopted the following specific restrictions:
| • | With respect to each Variable Option (other than the Prudential Money Market Portfolio), we track amounts exceeding a certain dollar threshold that were transferred into the option. If you transfer such amount into a particular Variable Option, and within 30 calendar days thereafter transfer (the “Transfer Out”) all or a portion of that amount into another Variable Option, then upon the Transfer Out, the former Variable Option becomes restricted (the “Restricted Option”). Specifically, we will not permit subsequent transfers into the Restricted Option for 90 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Option invests in a non-international fund, or 180 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Option invests in an international fund. For purposes of this rule, we do not (i) count transfers made in connection with one of our systematic programs, such as asset allocation and automated withdrawals and (ii) categorize as a transfer the first transfer that you make after the contract date, if you make that transfer within 30 calendar days after the contract date. Even if an amount becomes restricted under the foregoing rules, you are still free to redeem the amount from your contract at any time. |
| • | We reserve the right to effect exchanges on a delayed basis for all contracts. That is, we may price an exchange involving a Variable Option on the business day subsequent to the business day on which the exchange request was received. Before implementing such a practice, we would issue a separate written notice to contract owners that explains the practice in detail. In addition, if we do implement a delayed exchange policy, we will apply the policy on a uniform basis to all contracts in the relevant class. |
| • | The portfolios may have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to excessive trading of their respective shares, and we reserve the right to enforce these policies and procedures. The prospectuses for the portfolios describe any such policies and procedures, which may be more or less restrictive than the policies and procedures we have adopted. Under SEC rules, we are required to: (1) enter into a written agreement with each portfolio or its principal underwriter that obligates us to provide to the portfolio promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual contract owners, and (2) execute instructions from the portfolio to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific contract owners who violate the excessive trading policies established by the portfolio. In addition, you should be aware that some portfolios may receive “omnibus” purchase and redemption orders from other insurance companies or intermediaries such as retirement plans. The omnibus orders reflect the aggregation and netting of multiple orders from individual owners of variable insurance contracts and/or individual retirement plan participants. The omnibus nature of these orders may limit the portfolios in their ability to apply their excessive trading policies and procedures. In addition, the other insurance companies |
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| and/or retirement plans may have different policies and procedures or may not have any such policies and procedures because of contractual limitations. For these reasons, we cannot guarantee that the portfolios (and thus contract owners) will not be harmed by transfer activity relating to other insurance companies and/or retirement plans that may invest in the portfolios. |
| • | A portfolio also may assess a short term trading fee in connection with a transfer out of the Variable Option investing in that portfolio that occurs within a certain number of days following the date of allocation to the Variable Option. Each portfolio determines the amount of the short term trading fee and when the fee is imposed. The fee is retained by or paid to the portfolio and is not retained by us. The fee will be deducted from your Contract Value, to the extent allowed by law. At present, no Portfolio has adopted a short-term trading fee. |
| • | If we deny one or more transfer requests under the foregoing rules, we will inform you promptly of the circumstances concerning the denial. |
| • | We will not implement these rules in jurisdictions that have not approved contract language authorizing us to do so, or may implement different rules in certain jurisdictions if required by such jurisdictions. Contract owners in jurisdictions with such limited transfer restrictions, and contract owners who own variable life insurance or variable annuity contracts (regardless of jurisdiction) that do not impose the above- referenced transfer restrictions, might make more numerous and frequent transfers than contract owners who are subject to such limitations. Because contract owners who are not subject to the same transfer restrictions may have the same underlying mutual fund portfolios available to them, unfavorable consequences associated with such frequent trading within the underlying mutual fund (e.g., greater portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, or performance or tax issues) may affect all contract owners. Apart from jurisdiction-specific and contract differences in transfer restrictions, we will apply these rules uniformly, and will not waive a transfer restriction for any contract owner. |
Although our transfer restrictions are designed to prevent excessive transfers, they are not capable of preventing every potential occurrence of excessive transfer activity.
DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS
The dollar cost averaging (DCA) feature (which is distinct from the DCA Fixed Rate Option) allows you to systematically transfer either a fixed dollar amount or a percentage out of any Variable Option into any other Variable Options or the one-year fixed interest rate option. You can have these automatic transfers occur monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually. By investing amounts on a regular basis instead of investing the total amount at one time, dollar cost averaging may decrease the effect of Variable Option fluctuation on the investment of your purchase payment. Of course, dollar cost averaging cannot ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
Transfers will be made automatically on the schedule you choose until the entire amount you chose to have transferred has been transferred or until you tell us to discontinue the transfers. You can allocate subsequent purchase payments to be transferred under this option at any time.
Your transfers will occur on the last calendar day of each transfer period you have selected, provided that the NYSE is open on that date. If the NYSE is not open on a particular transfer date, the transfer will take effect on the next business day.
Any dollar cost averaging transfers you make do not count toward the 12 free transfers you are allowed each contract year. The dollar cost averaging feature is available only during the contract accumulation phase and is offered without charge.
We recognize the value of having asset allocation models when deciding how to allocate your purchase payments among the investment options. If you choose to participate in the Asset Allocation Program, your representative will give you a questionnaire to complete that will help determine a program that is appropriate for you. Your asset allocation will be prepared based on your answers to the questionnaire. You will not be charged for this service, and you are not obligated to participate or to invest according to program recommendations.
Asset allocation is a sophisticated method of diversification which allocates assets among classes in order to manage investment risk and enhance returns over the long term. However, asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. You are not obligated to participate or to invest according to the program recommendations. We do not intend to provide any personalized investment advice in connection with these programs and you should not rely on these programs as providing individualized investment recommendations to you. The asset allocation programs do not guarantee better investment results. We reserve the right to terminate or change the asset allocation programs at any time. You should consult your representative before electing any asset allocation program.
Once your money has been allocated among the Variable Options, the actual performance of the investment options may cause your allocation to shift. For example, an investment option that initially holds only a small percentage of your assets could perform much better than another investment option. Over time, this option could increase to a larger percentage of your assets than you desire. You can direct us to automatically rebalance your assets to return to your original allocation percentage or to a subsequent allocation percentage you select. We will rebalance only the Variable Options that you have designated. The DCA account cannot participate in this feature.
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You may choose to have your rebalancing occur monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. The rebalancing will occur on the last calendar day of the period you have chosen, provided that the NYSE is open on that date. If the NYSE is not open on that date, the rebalancing will take effect on the next business day.
Any transfers you make because of auto-rebalancing are not counted toward the 12 free transfers you are allowed per year. This feature is available only during the contract accumulation phase, and is offered without charge. If you choose auto-rebalancing and dollar cost averaging, auto-rebalancing will take place after the transfers from your DCA account.
MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT OPTION
Under the Market Value Adjustment Option, we may offer one or more of several guarantee periods provided that the interest rate we are able to declare will be no less than the minimum interest rate dictated by applicable state law with respect to any guarantee period.
We may offer fewer available guarantee periods in Contracts With Credit than in Contracts Without Credit. This option is not available for contracts issued in some states.
If amounts are withdrawn from a guarantee period, other than during the 30-day period immediately following the end of the guarantee period, they will be subject to a market value adjustment even if they are not subject to a withdrawal charge.
You will earn interest on your invested purchase payment at the rate that we have declared for the guarantee period you have chosen. You must invest at least $1,000 if you choose this option. We may offer lower interest rates for Contracts With Credit than for Contracts Without Credit.
Subject to certain restrictions, you can transfer money among the Variable Options and the one-year fixed interest rate option. The minimum transfer amount is the lesser of $250 or the amount in the investment option from which the transfer is to be made. In addition, you can transfer your Contract Value out of a Market Value Adjustment guarantee period into another Market Value Adjustment guarantee period, into a Variable Option, or into a one-year fixed interest rate option, although a Market Value Adjustment will apply to any transfer you make outside the 30-day period discussed above. You may transfer Contract Value into the Market Value Adjustment Option at any time, provided it is at least $1,000.
In general, you may make your transfer request by telephone, electronically, or otherwise in paper form to the Prudential Annuity Service Center. We have procedures in place to confirm that instructions received by telephone or electronically are genuine. We will not be liable for following unauthorized telephone or electronic instructions that we reasonably believed to be genuine. Your transfer request will take effect at the end of the business day on which it was received in good order by us, or by certain entities that we have specifically designated. Our business day generally closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Our business day may close earlier, for example if regular trading on the NYSE closes early. Transfer requests received after the close of the business day will take effect at the end of the next business day.
With regard to the Market Value Adjustment Option, you can specify the guarantee period from which you wish to transfer. If you request a transfer from the Market Value Adjustment Option, but you do not specify the guarantee period from which funds are to be taken, then we will transfer funds from the guarantee period that has the least time remaining until its maturity date.
YOU CAN MAKE TRANSFERS OUT OF A FIXED INTEREST RATE OPTION, OTHER THAN THE DCA FIXED RATE OPTION, ONLY DURING THE 30-DAY PERIOD FOLLOWING THE END OF THE ONE YEAR INTEREST RATE PERIOD. TRANSFERS FROM THE DCA FIXED RATE OPTION ARE MADE ON A PERIODIC BASIS FOR THE PERIOD THAT YOU SELECT.
During the contract accumulation phase, you can make up to 12 transfers each contract year, among the investment options, without charge. (As noted in the fee table, we have different transfer charges under the Beneficiary Continuation Option). Currently, we charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in a contract year, and we have the right to increase this charge up to $30. (Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto- Rebalancing transfers do not count toward the 12 free transfers per year.)
For purposes of the 12 free transfers per year that we allow, we will treat multiple transfers that are submitted on the same business day as a single transfer.
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We can begin making annuity payments any time on or after the third contract anniversary (or as required by state law if different). Annuity payments must begin no later than the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday (unless we agree to another date).
Upon annuitization, any value in a guarantee period of the market value adjustment option may be subject to a market value adjustment.
The Strategic Partners Annuity One 3 variable annuity contract offers an optional Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, which we describe below. Your annuity options vary depending upon whether you choose this benefit.
Depending upon the annuity option you choose, you may incur a withdrawal charge when the income phase begins. Currently, if permitted by state law, we deduct any applicable withdrawal charge if you choose Option 1 for a period shorter than five years, Option 3, or certain other annuity options that we may make available. We do not deduct a withdrawal charge if you choose Option 1 for a period of five years or longer or Option 2. For information about withdrawal charges, see Section “Fee Table” section of this prospectus. For qualified annuities, the period certain option may be limited to 10 years or less depending on the circumstances.
Please note that annuitization essentially involves converting your Contract Value to an annuity payment stream, the length of which depends on the terms of the applicable annuity option. Thus, once annuity payments begin, your death benefit is determined solely under the terms of the applicable annuity payment option, and you no longer participate in any optional living benefit (unless you have annuitized under that benefit).
PAYMENT PROVISIONS WITHOUT THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT
We make the income plans described below available at any time before the annuity date. These plans are called “annuity options” or “settlement options.” During the income phase, all of the annuity options under this contract are fixed annuity options. This means that your participation in the Variable Options ends on the annuity date. If an annuity option is not selected by the annuity date, the Life Income Annuity Option (Option 2, described below) will automatically be selected unless prohibited by applicable law. GENERALLY, ONCE THE ANNUITY PAYMENTS BEGIN, THE ANNUITY OPTION CANNOT BE CHANGED AND YOU CANNOT MAKE WITHDRAWALS. IN ADDITION TO THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS DISCUSSED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU CHOOSE AN OPTIONAL LIFETIME WITHDRAWAL BENEFIT, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BENEFIT. PLEASE SEE “CHARGES” SECTION OF THIS PROSPECTUS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
OPTION 1: ANNUITY PAYMENTS FOR A FIXED PERIOD
Under this option, we will make equal payments for the period chosen, up to 25 years (but not to exceed life expectancy). The annuity payments may be made monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually, as you choose, for the fixed period. If the annuitant dies during the income phase, payments will continue to the beneficiary for the remainder of the fixed period or, if the beneficiary so chooses, we will make a single lump-sum payment. The amount of the lump sum payment is determined by calculating the present value of the unpaid future payments. This is done by using the interest rate used to compute the actual payments. The interest rate will be at least 3% a year.
Life Income Annuity Option: Under this option, we will make annuity payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually as long as the annuitant is alive. If the annuitant dies before we have made 10 years worth of payments, we will pay the beneficiary in one lump sum the present value of the annuity payments scheduled to have been made over the remaining portion of that 10 year period, unless we were specifically instructed that such remaining annuity payments continue to be paid to the beneficiary. The present value of the remaining annuity payments is calculated by using the interest rate used to compute the amount of the original 120 payments. The interest rate will be at least 3% a year.
If an annuity option is not selected by the annuity date, this is the option we will automatically select for you, unless prohibited by applicable law. If the life income annuity option is prohibited by applicable law, then we will pay you a lump sum in lieu of this option.
OPTION 3: INTEREST PAYMENT OPTION
Interest Payment Option: Under this option, we will credit interest on the adjusted Contract Value until you request payment of all or part of the adjusted Contract Value. We can make interest payments on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis or allow the interest to accrue on your contract assets. Under this option, we will pay you interest at an effective rate of at least 3% a year. This option is not available if you hold your contract in an IRA.
Under this option, all gain in the annuity will be taxable as of the annuity date, however, you can withdraw part or all of the Contract Value that we are holding at any time.
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We currently offer a variety of other annuity options not described above. At the time annuity payments are chosen, we may make available to you any of the fixed annuity options that are offered at your annuity date.
If your contract is held under a tax-favored plan, you should consider the required minimum distribution rules under the tax law when selecting your annuity option.
HOW WE DETERMINE ANNUITY PAYMENTS
Generally speaking, the annuity phase of the contract involves our distributing to you in increments the value that you have accumulated. We make these incremental payments either over a specified time period (e.g., 15 years) (fixed period annuities) or for the duration of the life of the annuitant (and possibly co-annuitant) (life annuities). There are certain assumptions that are common to both fixed period annuities and life annuities. In each type of annuity, we assume that the value you apply at the outset toward your annuity payments earns interest throughout the payout period at the guaranteed minimum rate of 3%.
Other assumptions that we use for life annuities and fixed period annuities differ, as detailed in the following overview:
Fixed
Period Annuities
We
previously offered fixed period annuities only under the Income Appreciator Benefit and non-GMIB annuity options. Generally speaking,
in determining the
amount of each annuity payment under a fixed period annuity, we start with the adjusted Contract Value, add interest assumed to be earned
over the fixed period, and divide the sum by the number of payments you have requested. The life expectancy of the annuitant and co-annuitant
are relevant to this
calculation only in that we will not allow you to select a fixed period that exceeds life expectancy.
Life
Annuities
There
are more variables that affect our calculation of life annuity payments. Most importantly, we make several assumptions about the annuitant’s
or co-annuitant’s
life expectancy, including the following:
| • | The Annuity 2000 Mortality Table is the starting point for our life expectancy assumptions. This table anticipates longevity of an insured population based on historical experience and reflecting anticipated experience for the year 2000. |
Guaranteed
Annuity Payments
Because
life expectancy has lengthened over the past few decades, and likely will increase in the future, our life annuity calculations anticipate
these developments.
We do this largely by making a hypothetical reduction in the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), in lieu of using the annuitant’s
(or co-annuitant’s)
actual age, in calculating the payment amounts. By using such a reduced age, we base our calculations on a younger person, who generally
would live longer and therefore draw life annuity payments over a longer time period. Given the longer pay-out period, the payments made
to the younger person
would be less than those made to an older person. We make two such age adjustments:
| (1) | First, we start with the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant) on his/her most recent birthday and reduce that age by two years, with respect to guaranteed payments under life annuities |
| (2) | Second, for life annuities, we make a further age reduction according to the table in your contract entitled “Translation of Adjusted Age.” As indicated in the table, the further into the future the first annuity payment is, the longer we expect the person receiving those payments to live, and the more we reduce the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) age. |
Current
Annuity Payments
Immediately
above, we have referenced how we determine annuity payments based on “guaranteed” annuity purchase rates. By “guaranteed”
annuity purchase
rates, we mean the minimum annuity purchase rates that are set forth in your annuity contract and thus contractually guaranteed by us.
“Current”
annuity purchase rates, in contrast, refer to the annuity purchase rates that we are applying to contracts that are entering the annuity
phase at a given
point in time. These current annuity purchase rates vary from period to period, depending on changes in interest rates and other factors.
We do not guarantee
any particular level of current annuity purchase rates. When calculating current annuity purchase rates, we use the actual age of the
annuitant (or co-annuitant),
rather than any reduced age.
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BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT
The following table summarizes information about the benefits available under the Annuity. Certain Contract Benefits may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See the Cover Page for additional information.
|
Name of Benefit |
Purpose |
Standard or Optional |
Maximum Fee* |
Restrictions/Limitations |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts over time equal to an initial principal value, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance. |
Optional |
1.00% |
None. |
|
Lifetime
Five Income |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Spousal
Lifetime Five |
Guarantees until the later death of two Designated Lives the ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit2 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit2 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit2 |
The benefit is the spousal version of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit. Guarantees until the later death of two Designated Lives the ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus1 |
The benefit is the spousal version of the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Income Appreciator1 |
Provides an additional income amount during the accumulation period or upon annuitization that can be used to help cover some of the impact taxes may have on your distributions |
Optional |
0.25% |
None. |
|
Base Death Benefit |
Provides protection for your beneficiary(ies) by ensuring that they do not receive less than your Account Value. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – RollUp1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or a 5% annual increase on purchase payments adjusted for withdrawals. |
Optional |
0.25% |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – StepUp1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or the highest value of the contract on any contract anniversary date. |
Optional |
0.25% |
None. |
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|
Name of Benefit |
Purpose |
Standard or Optional |
Maximum Fee* |
Restrictions/Limitations |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Greater of Roll-Up or Step-Up1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or the greater of the Roll-Up or Step-Up value. |
Optional |
0.35% |
None. |
|
Highest Daily Value Death Benefit1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit and the Highest Daily Value |
Optional |
0.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies). |
Optional |
0.75% |
None. |
|
Dollar Cost Averaging |
Allows you to systematically transfer a percentage amount out of any Variable Option and into any other Variable Option(s). |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Auto-Rebalancing |
You can direct us to automatically rebalance your assets to return to your original allocation percentage or to a subsequent allocation percentage you select. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Asset Allocation |
A method of diversification which allocates assets among classes. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
| 1. | These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity. |
| 2. | These benefits are no longer available for election. |
GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT
The Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB), is an optional benefit that guarantees that once the income period begins, your income payments will be no less than the GMIB protected value applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates. If you want the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, you must elect it when you make your initial purchase payment. Once elected, the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit cannot be revoked. This benefit may not be available in your state. The GMIB protected value is calculated daily and is equal to the GMIB roll-up until the GMIB roll-up either reaches its cap or if we stop applying the annual interest rate based on the age of the annuitant, number of contract anniversaries, or number of years since the last GMIB reset, as described below. At this point, the GMIB protected value will be increased by any subsequent invested purchase payments and reduced by the effect of withdrawals.
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit is subject to certain restrictions described below. The annuitant must be 75 or younger in order for you to elect the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit. If you choose the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, we will impose an annual charge equal to 0.50% for contracts sold on or after January 20, 2004, or upon subsequent state approval (0.45% for all other contracts), of the average GMIB protected value described below. The maximum GMIB charge is 1.00% of average GMIB protected value. Please note that the charge is calculated based on average GMIB protected value, not Contract Value. Thus, for example, the fee would not decline on account of a reduction in Contract Value. In some states this fee may be lower. Under the contract terms governing the GMIB, we can require GMIB participants to invest only in designated underlying mutual funds or can require GMIB participants to invest according to an asset allocation model.
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT, YOU MUST WAIT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE INCOME PHASE. THE WAITING PERIOD IS THE PERIOD EXTENDING FROM THE CONTRACT DATE TO THE 7th CONTRACT ANNIVERSARY BUT, IF THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT HAS BEEN RESET (AS DESCRIBED BELOW), THE WAITING PERIOD IS THE 7 YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING WITH THE DATE OF THE MOST RECENT RESET. IN LIGHT OF THIS WAITING PERIOD UPON RESETS, IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED THAT YOU RESET YOUR GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT IF THE REQUIRED BEGINNING DATE UNDER IRS MINIMUM DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS WOULD COMMENCE DURING THE 7 YEAR WAITING PERIOD. SEE “TAXES” FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON IRS REQUIREMENTS.
Once the waiting period has elapsed, you will have a 30-day period each year, beginning on the contract anniversary (or in the case of a reset, the anniversary of the most recent reset), during which you may begin the income phase with the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit by submitting the necessary forms in good order to the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
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The GMIB roll-up is equal to the invested purchase payments (after a reset, the Contract Value at the time of the reset), increased daily at an effective annual interest rate of 5% starting on the date each invested purchase payment is made, until the cap is reached (GMIB roll-up cap). We will reduce this amount by the effect of withdrawals. The GMIB roll-up cap is equal to two times each invested purchase payment (for a reset, two times the sum of
| (1) | the Contract Value at the time of the reset, and |
| (2) | any invested purchase payments made subsequent to the reset). |
Even if the GMIB roll-up cap has not been reached, we will nevertheless stop increasing the GMIB roll-up value by the effective annual interest rate on the latest of:
| • | the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 80th birthday, |
| • | the 7th contract anniversary, or |
| • | 7 years from the most recent GMIB reset (as described below). |
However, even if we stop increasing the GMIB roll-up value by the effective annual interest rate, we will still increase the GMIB protected value by subsequent invested purchase payments, reduced proportionally by withdrawals.
Effect of Withdrawals
In any contract year when the GMIB protected value is increasing at the rate of 5%, withdrawals will first reduce the GMIB protected value on a dollar-for-dollar basis, by the same dollar amount of the withdrawal up to the first 5% of GMIB protected value calculated on the contract anniversary (or, during the first contract year, on the contract date). Any withdrawals made after the dollar-for-dollar limit has been reached will proportionally reduce the GMIB protected value. We calculate the proportional reduction by dividing the Contract Value after the withdrawal by the Contract Value immediately following the withdrawal of any available dollar-for-dollar amount. The resulting percentage is multiplied by the GMIB protected value after subtracting the amount of the withdrawal that does not exceed 5%. In each contract year during which the GMIB protected value has stopped increasing at the 5% rate, withdrawals will reduce the GMIB protected value proportionally. The GMIB roll-up cap is reduced by the sum of all reductions described above.
The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions assume: 1.) the contract date and the effective date of the GMIB are January 1, 2006; 2.) an initial purchase payment of $250,000; 3.) an initial GMIB protected value of $250,000; 4.) an initial 200% cap of $500,000; and 5.) an initial dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500 (5% of $250,000):
Example 1. Dollar-for-Dollar Reduction
A $10,000 withdrawal is taken on February 1, 2006 (in the first contract year). No prior withdrawals have been taken. Immediately prior to the withdrawal, the GMIB protected value is $251,038.10 (the initial value accumulated for 31 days at an annual effective rate of 5%). As the amount withdrawn is less than the dollar-for-dollar limit:
| • | The GMIB protected value is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $251,038.10 to $241,038.10). |
| • | The GMIB 200% cap is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $500,000 to $490,000). |
| • | The remaining dollar-for-dollar limit (“Remaining Limit”) for the balance of the first contract year is also reduced by the amount withdrawn (from $12,500 to $2,500). |
Example 2. Dollar-for-Dollar and Proportional Reductions A second $10,000 withdrawal is taken on March 1, 2006 (still within the first contract year). Immediately before the withdrawal, the Contract Value is $220,000 and the GMIB protected value is $241,941.95. As the amount withdrawn exceeds the Remaining Limit of $2,500 from Example 1:
| • | The GMIB protected value is first reduced by the Remaining Limit (from $241,941.95 to $239,441.95). |
| • | The result is then further reduced by the ratio of A to B, where: |
| ○ | A is the amount withdrawn less the Remaining Limit ($10,000 - $2,500, or $7,500). |
| ○ | B is the Contract Value less the Remaining Limit ($220,000 - $2,500, or $217,500). The resulting GMIB protected value is: $239,441.95 × (1 - ($7,500/$217,500)), or $231,185.33. |
| • | The GMIB 200% cap is reduced by the sum of all reductions above ($490,000 - $2,500 - $8,256.62, or $479,243.38). |
| • | The Remaining Limit is set to zero (0) for the balance of the first contract year. |
Example 3. Dollar-for-Dollar Limit in Second Contract Year A $10,000 withdrawal is made on the first anniversary of the contract date, January 1, 2007 (second contract year). Prior to the withdrawal, the GMIB protected value is $240,837.69. The dollar-for-dollar limit is equal to 5% of this amount, or $12,041.88. As the amount withdrawn is less than the dollar-for-dollar limit:
| • | The GMIB protected value is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., reduced by $10,000, from $240,837.69 to $230,837.69). |
| • | The GMIB 200% cap is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $479,243.38 to $469,243.38). |
| • | The Remaining Limit for the balance of the second contract year is also reduced by the amount withdrawn (from $12,041.88 to $2,041.88). |
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GMIB Reset Feature
You may elect to “reset” your GMIB protected value to equal your current Contract Value twice over the life of the contract. You may only exercise this reset option if the annuitant has not yet reached his or her 76th birthday. If you reset, you must wait a new 7-year period from the most recent reset to exercise the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit. Further, we will reset the GMIB roll-up cap to equal two times the GMIB protected value as of such date. Additionally, if you reset, we will determine the GMIB payout amount by using the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates (specified in your contract) based on the number of years since the most recent reset. These purchase rates may be less advantageous than the rates that would have applied absent a reset.
Payout Amount
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit payout amount is based on the age and sex (where applicable) of the annuitant (and, if there is one, the co-annuitant). After we first deduct a charge for any applicable premium taxes that we are required to pay, the payout amount will equal the greater of:
| (1) | the GMIB protected value as of the date you exercise the GMIB payout option, applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates (which are generally less favorable than the annuity purchase rates for annuity payments not involving GMIB) and based on the annuity payout option as described below, or |
| (2) | the adjusted Contract Value - that is, the value of the contract adjusted for any market value adjustment minus any charge we impose for premium taxes and withdrawal charges - as of the date you exercise the GMIB payout option applied to the current annuity purchase rates then in use. |
GMIB Annuity Payout Options
We currently offer two Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit annuity payout options. Each option involves payment for at least a period certain of ten years. In calculating the amount of the payments under the GMIB, we apply certain assumed interest rates, equal to 2% annually for a waiting period of 7-9 years, and 2.5% annually for waiting periods of 10 years or longer for contracts sold on or after January 20, 2004, or upon subsequent state approval (and 2.5% annually for a waiting period of 7-9 years, 3% annually for a waiting period of 10-14 years, and 3.5% annually for waiting periods of 15 years or longer for all other contracts).
GMIB OPTION 1: SINGLE LIFE PAYOUT OPTION
We will make monthly payments for as long as the annuitant lives, with payments for a period certain. We will stop making payments after the later of the death of the annuitant or the end of the period certain.
GMIB OPTION 2: JOINT LIFE PAYOUT OPTION
In the case of an annuitant and co-annuitant, we will make monthly payments for the joint lifetime of the annuitant and co-annuitant, with payments for a period certain. If the co-annuitant dies first, we will continue to make payments until the later of the death of the annuitant and the end of the period certain. If the annuitant dies first, we will continue to make payments until the later of the death of the co-annuitant and the end of the period certain, but if the period certain ends first, we will reduce the amount of each payment to 50% of the original amount.
You have no right to withdraw amounts early under either GMIB payout option. We may make other payout frequencies available, such as quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
GMIB Annuity Payments
Because life expectancy has lengthened over the past few decades, and likely will increase in the future, our life annuity calculations anticipate these developments. We do this largely by making a hypothetical reduction in the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), in lieu of using the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) actual age, in calculating the payment amounts. By using such a reduced age, we base our calculations on a younger person, who generally would live longer and therefore draw life annuity payments over a longer time period. Given the longer pay-out period, the payments made to the younger person would be less than those made to an older person. We make two such age adjustments:
| (1) | First, for all annuities, we start with the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant) on his/her most recent birthday and reduce that age by either four years, for life annuities under the GMIB sold in contracts on or after January 20, 2004, upon subsequent state approval, or two years otherwise. For the reasons explained above in this section, the four year age reduction causes a greater reduction in the amount of the annuity payments than does the two-year age reduction as explained in the Guaranteed Annuity Payments Section. |
| (2) | Second, for life annuities under both versions of GMIB we make a further age reduction according to the table in your contract entitled “Translation of Adjusted Age.” As indicated in the table, the further into the future the first annuity payment is, the longer we expect the person receiving those payments to live, and the more we reduce the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) age. |
Because we do not impose a new waiting period for each subsequent purchase payment, if you choose the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, we reserve the right to limit subsequent purchase payments if we discover that by the timing of your purchase payments, your GMIB protected value is increasing in ways we did not intend. In determining whether to limit purchase payments, we will look at purchase payments which are disproportionately
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larger than your initial purchase payment and other actions that may artificially increase the GMIB protected value. Certain state laws may prevent us from limiting your subsequent purchase payments. You must exercise one of the GMIB payout options described above no later than 30 days after the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s attainment of age 95 (age 92 for contracts used as a funding vehicle for IRAs).
You should note that GMIB is designed to provide a type of insurance that serves as a safety net only in the event that your Contract Value declines significantly due to negative investment performance. If your Contract Value is not significantly affected by negative investment performance, it is unlikely that the purchase of GMIB will result in your receiving larger annuity payments than if you had not purchased GMIB. This is because the assumptions that we use in computing the GMIB, such as the annuity purchase rates, (which include assumptions as to age-setbacks and assumed interest rates), are more conservative than the assumptions that we use in computing non-GMIB annuity payout options. Therefore, you may generate higher income payments if you were to annuitize a lower Contract Value at the current annuity purchase rates, than if you were to annuitize under the GMIB with a higher GMIB protected value than your Contract Value but at the annuity purchase rates guaranteed under the GMIB.
Terminating the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit cannot be terminated by the owner once elected. The GMIB automatically terminates as of the date the contract is fully surrendered, on the date the death benefit is payable to your beneficiary (unless your surviving spouse elects to continue the contract), or on the date that your Contract Value is transferred to begin making annuity payments. The GMIB may also be terminated if you designate a new annuitant who would not be eligible to elect the GMIB based on his or her age at the time of the change.
Upon termination of the GMIB, we will deduct the charge from your Contract Value for the portion of the contract year since the prior contract anniversary (or the contract date if in the first contract year).
LIFETIME FIVE INCOME BENEFIT (LIFETIME FIVE)
The Lifetime Five Income Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
Lifetime Five could have been elected only where the Annuitant and the Owner were the same person or, if the Annuity Owner is an entity, where there was only one Annuitant. The Annuitant must have been at least 45 years old when the benefit is elected. The Lifetime Five Income Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit. As long as your Lifetime Five Income Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then permitted and available option(s) with this benefit.
The benefit guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (called the “Protected Withdrawal Value”), regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. There are two options – one is designed to provide an annual withdrawal amount for life (the “Life Income Benefit”) and the other is designed to provide a greater annual withdrawal amount as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value (adjusted as described below) (the “Withdrawal Benefit”). If there is no Protected Withdrawal Value, the withdrawal benefit will be zero. You do not choose between these two options; each option will continue to be available as long as your Annuity has an Account Value and the Lifetime Five is in effect. Certain benefits under Lifetime Five may remain in effect even if the Account Value of your Annuity is zero. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Account Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Account Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to determine the amount of each annual payment under the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is determined as of the date you make your first withdrawal under your contract following your election of Lifetime Five. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of:
| A. | the Contract Value on the date you elect Lifetime Five, plus any additional Purchase Payments (and any Credits), each growing at 5% per year from the date of your election of the benefit, or application of the Purchase Payment to your contract, as applicable, until the date of your first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier; |
| B. | the Contract Value on the date of the first withdrawal from your contract, prior to the withdrawal; |
| C. | the highest Contract Value on each contract anniversary, plus subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits) prior to the first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier. |
With respect to A and C above, after the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, each value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits).
If you elect Lifetime Five at the time you purchase your contract, the Contract Value will be your initial Purchase Payment (plus any Credits).
If you make additional Purchase Payments after your first withdrawal, the Protected Withdrawal Value will be increased by the amount of each additional Purchase Payment (plus any Credits).
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The Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced each time a withdrawal is made on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the Annual Withdrawal Amount, per Contract Year, of the Protected Withdrawal Value and on the greater of a dollar-for-dollar basis or a pro rata basis for withdrawals in a Contract Year in excess of that amount until the Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. At that point the Annual Withdrawal Amount will be zero until such time (if any) as the Contract reflects a Protected Withdrawal Value (for example, due to a step-up or additional purchase payments being made into the Contract).
Step-Up of the Protected Withdrawal Value
You may elect to step-up your Protected Withdrawal Value if, due to positive Variable Option performance, your Contract Value is greater than the Protected Withdrawal Value.
If you elected the Lifetime Five benefit on or after March 20, 2006:
| • | you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value on or after the 1st anniversary of the first withdrawal under the Lifetime Five benefit. |
| • | the Protected Withdrawal Value can be stepped up again on or after the 1st anniversary of the preceding step-up. |
If you elected the Lifetime Five benefit prior to March 20, 2006 and that original election remains in effect:
| • | you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value on or after the 5th anniversary of the first withdrawal under the Lifetime Five benefit. |
| • | the Protected Withdrawal Value can be stepped up again on or after the 5th anniversary of the preceding step-up. |
In either scenario (i.e., elections before or after March 20, 2006) if you elect to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value under the benefit, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under the Lifetime Five benefit have changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of step-up. Upon election of the step-up, we increase the Protected Withdrawal Value to be equal to the then current Contract Value. For example, assume your initial Protected Withdrawal Value was $100,000 and you have made cumulative withdrawals of $40,000, reducing the Protected Withdrawal Value to $60,000. On the date you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value, your Contract Value is equal to $75,000. You could elect to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value to $75,000 on the date you are eligible. If your current Annual Income Amount and Annual Withdrawal Amount are less than they would be if we did not reflect the step-up in Protected Withdrawal Value, then we will increase these amounts to reflect the step-up as described below.
An optional automatic step-up (“Auto Step-Up”) feature is available for this benefit. This feature may be elected at the time the benefit is elected or at any time while the benefit is in force.
If you elected Lifetime Five on or after March 20, 2006 and have also elected the Auto Step-Up feature:
| • | the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st contract anniversary that is at least one year after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. |
| • | your Protected Withdrawal Value will only be stepped-up if 5% of the Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by any amount. |
| • | if at the time of the first Auto Step-Up opportunity, 5% of the Contract Value is not greater than the Annual Income Amount, an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive contract anniversary until a step-up occurs. |
| • | once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the first contract anniversary that is at least one year after the most recent step-up. |
If you elected Lifetime Five prior to March 20, 2006 and have also elected the Auto Step-Up feature:
| • | the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the contract anniversary that is at least five years after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. |
| • | your Protected Withdrawal Value will only be stepped-up if 5% of the Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by 5% or more. |
| • | if at the time of the first Auto Step-Up opportunity, 5% of the Contract Value does not exceed the Annual Income Amount by 5% or more, an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive contract anniversary until a step-up occurs. |
| • | once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the contract anniversary that is at least 5 years after the most recent step-up. |
In either scenario (i.e., elections before or after March 20, 2006), if on the date that we implement an Auto Step-Up to your Protected Withdrawal Value, the charge for Lifetime Five has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Subject to our rules and restrictions, you will still be permitted to manually step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value even if you elect the Auto Step-Up feature.
Key Feature - Annual Income Amount Under the Life Income Benefit
The initial Annual Income Amount is equal to 5% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active. Under Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (Excess Income), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent
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years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. A withdrawal can be considered Excess Income under the Life Income Benefit even though it does not exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount under the Withdrawal Benefit. When you elect a step-up (or an auto step-up is effected), your Annual Income Amount increases to equal 5% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current contract year, if such amount is greater than your Annual Income Amount. Your Annual Income Amount also increases if you make additional purchase payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 5% of any additional purchase payments (plus any Credits). Any increase will be added to your Annual Income Amount beginning on the day that the step-up is effective or the purchase payment is made. A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Income Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore, a subsequent increase in the Annual Income Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Income Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
Key Feature - Annual Withdrawal Amount Under the Withdrawal Benefit
The initial Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to 7% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value. Under Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals each contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount, your Protected Withdrawal Value will be reduced on a “dollar-for-dollar” basis. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Withdrawal Amount (Excess Withdrawal), your Annual Withdrawal Amount will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see the examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. When you elect a step-up (or an auto step-up is effected), your Annual Withdrawal Amount increases to equal 7% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current contract year, if such amount is greater than your Annual Withdrawal Amount. Your Annual Withdrawal Amount also increases if you make additional purchase payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 7% of any additional purchase payments (plus any Credits). A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Withdrawal Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore, a subsequent increase in the Annual Withdrawal Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Withdrawal Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
Lifetime Five does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount. You are not required to withdraw all or any portion of the Annual Withdrawal Amount or Annual Income Amount in each contract year.
| • | If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Withdrawal Amount under the Withdrawal Benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Withdrawal Amount to subsequent contract years. However, because the Protected Withdrawal Value is only reduced by the actual amount of withdrawals you make under these circumstances, any unused Annual Withdrawal Amount may extend the period of time until the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. |
| • | If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount under the Life Income Benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years. However, because the Protected Withdrawal Value is only reduced by the actual amount of withdrawals you make under these circumstances, any unused Annual Income Amount may extend the period of time until the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. |
Examples of Withdrawals
The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions and the step-up of the Protected Withdrawal Value, Annual Withdrawal Amount and Annual Income Amount assume:
| 1. | the contract date and the effective date of Lifetime Five are February 1, 2005; |
| 2. | an initial purchase payment of $250,000; |
| 3. | the Contract Value on February 1, 2006 is equal to $265,000; and |
| 4. | the first withdrawal occurs on March 1, 2006 when the Contract Value is equal to $263,000; and |
| 5. | the Account Value on March 1, 2011 is equal to $240,000. The values set forth here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charge for Lifetime Five. |
The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated as the greatest of (a), (b) and (c):
| 1. | Purchase payment accumulated at 5% per year from February 1, 2005 until March 1, 2006 (393 days) = $250,000 × 1.05^(393/365)/ = $263,484.33 |
| 2. | Contract Value on March 1, 2006 (the date of the first withdrawal) = $263,000 |
| 3. | Contract Value on February 1, 2006 (the first contract anniversary) = $265,000 |
Therefore, the initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to $265,000. The Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to $18,550 under the Withdrawal Benefit (7% of $265,000). The Annual Income Amount is equal to $13,250 under the Life Income Benefit (5% of $265,000).
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Example 1. Dollar-for-Dollar Reduction
If $10,000 was withdrawn (less than both the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $18,550 - $10,000 = $8,550 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years remains at $18,550 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $13,250 - $10,000 = $3,250. |
| Annual Income Amount for future contract years remains at $13,250 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced by $10,000 from $265,000 to $255,000 |
Example 2. Dollar-for-Dollar and Proportional Reductions
a) If $15,000 was withdrawn (more than the Annual Income Amount but less than the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $18,550 - $15,000 = $3,550 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years remains at $18,550 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($15,000 - $13,250 = $1,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income Annual Income Amount = $1,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $93 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $93 = $13,157 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced by $15,000 from $265,000 to $250,000 |
b) If $25,000 was withdrawn (more than both the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Withdrawal Amount ($25,000 - $18,550 = $6,450) reduces Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Withdrawal Amount = Excess Withdrawal/Contract Value before Excess Withdrawal × Annual Withdrawal Amount = $6,450/($263,000 - $18,550) × $18,550 = $489 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years = $18,550 - $489 = $18,061 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($25,000 - $13,250 = $11,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $11,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $623 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $623 = $12,627 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is first reduced by the Annual Withdrawal Amount ($18,550) from $265,000 to $246,450. It is further reduced by the greater of a dollar-for-dollar reduction or a proportional reduction. |
| • | Dollar-for-dollar reduction = $25,000 - $18,550 = $6,450 |
| • | Proportional reduction = Excess Withdrawal/Contract Value before Excess Withdrawal × Protected Withdrawal Value = $6,450/($263,000 - $18,550) × $246,450 = $6,503 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value = $246,450 - max [$6,450, $6,503] = $239,947 |
Example 3. Step-up of the Protected Withdrawal Value
If the Annual Income Amount ($13,250) is withdrawn each year starting on March 1, 2006 for a period of 5 years, the Protected Withdrawal Value on March 1, 2011 would be reduced to $198,750 {$265,000 − ($13,250 × 5)}. If a step-up is elected on March 1, 2011, then the following values would result:
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value = Account Value on March 1, 2011 = $240,000 |
| • | Annual Income Amount is equal to the greater of the current Annual Income Amount or 5% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value. Current Annual Income Amount is $13,250. 5% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value is 5% of $240,000, which is $12,000. Therefore, the Annual Income Amount remains $13,250. |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to the greater of the current Annual Withdrawal Amount or 7% of the stepped up Protected Withdrawal Value. Current Annual Withdrawal Amount is $18,550. 7% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value is 7% of $240,000, which is $16,800. Therefore the Annual Withdrawal Amount remains $18,550. |
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Benefits Under Lifetime Five
| • | If your Contract Value is equal to zero, and the cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year are greater than the Annual Withdrawal Amount, Lifetime Five will terminate. To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount and amounts are still payable under both the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit, you will be given the choice of receiving the payments under the Life Income Benefit or under the Withdrawal Benefit. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining amounts under the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit would be payable even though your Account Value was reduced to zero. Once you make this election we will make an additional payment for that contract year equal to either the remaining Annual Income Amount or Annual Withdrawal Amount for the contract year, if any, depending on the option you choose. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal either the Annual Income Amount or the Annual Withdrawal Amount as described in this Prospectus. You will not be able to change the option after your election and no further purchase payments will be accepted under your contract. If you do not make an election, we will pay you annually under the Life Income Benefit. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount but less than or equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount and amounts are still payable under the Withdrawal Benefit, you will receive the payments under the Withdrawal Benefit. In the year of a withdrawal that reduced your Contract Value to zero, we will make an additional payment to equal any remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount and make payments equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount in each subsequent year (until the Protected Withdrawal Value is depleted). Once your Contract Value equals zero no further purchase payments will be accepted under your contract. |
| • | If annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is any Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years or any remaining Protected Withdrawal Value, you can elect one of the following three options: |
| A. | apply your Contract Value to any annuity option available; |
| B. | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We make such annuity payments until the annuitant’s death; or |
| C. | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we pay out any remaining Protected Withdrawal Value as annuity payments. Each year such annuity payments will equal the Annual Withdrawal Amount or the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value if less. We make such annuity payments until the earlier of the annuitant’s death or the date the Protected Withdrawal Value is depleted. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a single life fixed annuity with five payments certain using the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| A. | the present value of future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your contract; and |
| B. | the Contract Value. If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will determine a Protected Withdrawal Value and calculate an Annual Income Amount and an Annual Withdrawal Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under Lifetime Five are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any withdrawal charges. |
| • | Withdrawals made while Lifetime Five is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Lifetime Five does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable withdrawal charges). If you surrender your contract, you will receive the current Contract Value, not the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing Lifetime Five. Lifetime Five provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Protected Withdrawal Value or Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount or Annual Withdrawal Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | In general, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly-adopted requirements. Subsequent to any change in requirements, transfers of Contract Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to the new investment limitations. |
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| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of Lifetime Five
We no longer permit elections of Lifetime Five. If you wish, you may cancel the Lifetime Five benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Lifetime Five benefit provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and in accordance with any applicable age requirements). Once the Lifetime Five benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Lifetime Five benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post- issue basis. If you cancel Lifetime Five, you lose all guarantees under the benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Charges under the Benefit
The maximum charge for Lifetime Five is 1.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Variable Options. The charge is deducted daily.
Termination of Lifetime Five
The benefit terminates automatically when your Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero. You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective. The benefit terminates upon your surrender of your Annuity, upon the death of the Annuitant, upon a change in ownership of your Annuity that changes the tax identification number of the Owner, upon change in the Annuitant or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments. While you may terminate your benefit at any time, we may not terminate the benefit other than in the circumstances listed above.
The charge for Lifetime Five will no longer be deducted from your Account Value upon termination of the benefit
Additional Tax Considerations for Qualified Contracts
If you purchase an annuity contract as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, the minimum distribution rules under the Code require that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity contract beginning after the applicable age. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount and the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount in any contract year that required minimum distributions due from your contract are greater than such amounts. Any such payments will reduce your Protected Withdrawal Value. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the contract payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any additional tax or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as required minimum distribution provisions under the tax law. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
SPOUSAL LIFETIME FIVE INCOME BENEFIT (SPOUSAL LIFETIME FIVE)
The Spousal Lifetime Five benefit is no longer available for new elections.
Spousal Lifetime Five must have been elected based on two Designated Lives, as described below. Each Designated Life must have been at least 55 years old when the benefit was elected. The Spousal Lifetime Five benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit or optional death benefit. As long as your Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then permitted and available option(s) with this benefit
The benefit guarantees until the later death of two natural persons that are each other’s spouses at the time of election of Spousal Lifetime Five (the “Designated Lives”, each a “Designated Life”) the ability to withdraw an annual amount (Spousal Life Income Benefit) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. The Spousal Life Income Benefit may remain in effect even if the Contract Value is zero. Spousal Lifetime Five may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your annuity, wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments and you wish either spouse to be able to continue the Spousal Life Income Benefit after the death of the first. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit - the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Account Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under the Spousal Life Income Benefit when and if your Account Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
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Key Feature - Initial Protected Withdrawal Value.
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to determine the amount of each annual payment under the Spousal Life Income Benefit. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is determined as of the date you make your first withdrawal under your contract following your election of Spousal Lifetime Five. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of:
| (A) | the Contract Value on the date you elect Spousal Lifetime Five, plus any additional Purchase Payments (and any Credits), each growing at 5% per year from the date of your election of the benefit, or application of the Purchase Payment to your contract, as applicable, until the date of your first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier; |
| (B) | the Contract Value on the date of the first withdrawal from your contract, prior to the withdrawal; |
| (C) | the highest Contract Value on each contract anniversary, plus subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits) prior to the first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier. |
With respect to A and C above, after the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, each value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits).
Key Feature - Annual Income Amount Under the Spousal Life Income Benefit
The initial Annual Income Amount is equal to 5% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active. Under Spousal Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year. If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount under the Spousal Life Income Benefit in any Annuity Year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent Annuity Years. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. The Spousal Lifetime Five benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your Annuity or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount.
Step-Up of Annual Income Amount
You may elect to step-up your Annual Income Amount if, due to positive market performance, 5% of your Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount. You are eligible to step-up the Annual Income Amount on or after the 1st anniversary of the first withdrawal under Spousal Lifetime Five. The Annual Income Amount can be stepped up again on or after the 1st anniversary of the preceding step-up. If you elect to step-up the Annual Income Amount, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under Spousal Lifetime Five have changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. When you elect a step-up, your Annual Income Amount increases to equal 5% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current annuity year. Your Annual Income Amount also increases if you make additional Purchase Payments (plus any Credits). The amount of the increase is equal to 5% of any additional Purchase Payments. Any increase will be added to your Annual Income Amount beginning on the day that the step-up is effective or the Purchase Payment is made. A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Income Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore a subsequent increase in the Annual Income Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Income Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
An optional automatic step-up (“Auto Step-Up”) feature is available for this benefit. This feature may be elected at the time the benefit is elected or at any time while the benefit is in force. If you elect this feature, the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st contract anniversary that is at least one year after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Spousal Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. At this time, your Annual Income Amount will be stepped-up if 5% of your Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by any amount. If 5% of the Contract Value does not exceed the Annual Income Amount, then an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive contract anniversary until a step-up occurs. Once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st contract anniversary that is at least 1 year after the most recent step-up. If, on the date that we implement an Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Spousal Lifetime Five has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Subject to our rules and restrictions, you will still be permitted to manually step-up the Annual Income Amount even if you elect the Auto Step-Up feature.
Spousal Lifetime Five does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Spousal Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount under Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years.
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Examples of withdrawals and step-up
The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions and the step-up of the Annual Income Amount assume:
| (1) | the contract date and the effective date of Spousal Lifetime Five are February 1, 2005; |
| (2) | an initial purchase payment of $250,000; |
| (3) | the Contract Value on February 1, 2006 is equal to $265,000; and |
| (4) | the first withdrawal occurs on March 1, 2006 when the Contract Value is equal to $263,000; and |
| (5) | the Account Value on February 1, 2010 is equal to $280,000. |
The values set forth here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charge for the Spousal Lifetime Income Five Benefit or any other fees and charges. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated as the greatest of (a), (b) and (c):
| (a) | Purchase payment accumulated at 5% per year from February 1, 2005 until March 1, 2006 (393 days) = $250,000 × 1.05Ã(393/365) = $263,484.33 |
| (b) | Contract Value on March 1, 2006 (the date of the first withdrawal) = $263,000 |
| (c) | Contract Value on February 1, 2006 (the first contract anniversary) = $265,000 |
Therefore, the initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to $265,000. The Annual Income Amount is equal to $13,250 under the Spousal Life Income Benefit (5% of $265,000).
Example 1. Dollar-for-Dollar Reduction
If $10,000 was withdrawn (less than the Annual Income Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $13,250 - $10,000 = $3,250 Annual Income Amount for future contract years remains at $13,250 |
Example 2. Dollar-for-Dollar and Proportional Reductions
| • | If $15,000 was withdrawn (more than the Annual Income Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result: |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($15,000 - $13,250 = $1,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $1,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $93 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $93 = $13,157 |
Example 3. Step-Up of the Annual Income Amount
If a step-up of the Annual Income Amount is requested on February 1, 2010 or the Auto Step-Up feature was elected, the step-up would occur because 5% of the Contract Value, which is $14,000 (5% of $280,000), is greater than the Annual Income Amount of $13,250. The new Annual Income Amount will be equal to $14,000.
Benefits Under Spousal Lifetime Five
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount and amounts are still payable under the Spousal Life Income Benefit, we will make an additional payment for that contract year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the contract year, if any. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described above. No further purchase payments will be accepted under your contract. We will make payments until the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life as long as the Designated Lives were spouses at the time of the first death. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Spousal Life Income Benefit terminates and no additional payments will be made. |
| • | If annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is any Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (1) | apply your Contract Value to any annuity option available; or |
| (2) | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life as long as the Designated Lives were spouses at the time of the first death. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office.
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| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity with five payments certain using the same basis that is used to calculate the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the same basis that is used to calculate the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your contract; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
| • | If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will determine an initial Protected Withdrawal Value and calculate an Annual Income Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under Spousal Lifetime Five are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any withdrawal charges. |
| • | Withdrawals made while Spousal Lifetime Five is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Spousal Lifetime Five does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable withdrawal charges). If you surrender your contract, you will receive the current surrender value, not the Protected Withdrawals Value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing Spousal Lifetime Five. Spousal Lifetime Five provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| ○ | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| ○ | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | In general, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then-available option(s) that we may prescribe, in order to maintain Spousal Lifetime Five. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly-adopted requirements. Subsequent to any change in requirements, transfers of Account Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to the new investment limitations. |
| • | There may be circumstances where you will continue to be charged the full amount for Spousal Lifetime Five even when the benefit is only providing a guarantee of income based on one life with no survivorship. |
| • | In order for the surviving Designated Life to continue Spousal Lifetime Five upon the death of an owner, the Designated Life must elect to assume ownership of the contract under the Spousal Continuance Option. When the Annuity is owned by a Custodial Account, in order for Spousal Lifetime Five to be continued after the death of the first Designated Life (the Annuitant), the Custodial Account must elect to continue the Annuity and the second Designated Life (the Contingent Annuitant) will be named as the new Annuitant. See “Spousal Continuation of Annuity” in this Prospectus. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designation under the Benefit
We no longer permit elections of Spousal Lifetime Five - whether for those who currently participate in Spousal Lifetime Five or for those who are buying an Annuity for the first time. If you wish, you may cancel the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit. You may then elect any other available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit, provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and any applicable age requirements). Once the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post-issue basis. If you cancel the benefit, you lose all guarantees under the benefit, and your guarantee under any new benefit you elect will be based on your Account Value at that time. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
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Spousal Lifetime Five could only be elected based on two Designated Lives. Designated Lives must be natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit. Spousal Lifetime Five only could be elected where the Owner, Annuitant, and Beneficiary designations are as follows:
| • | One contract owner, where the annuitant and the contract owner are the same person and the beneficiary is the contract owner’s spouse. The contract owner/annuitant and the beneficiary each must be at least 55 years old at the time of election; or |
| • | Co-contract owners, where the contract owners are each other’s spouses. The beneficiary designation must be the surviving spouse or the spouses names equally. The first named contract owner must be the annuitant. Both contract owners must each be 55 years old at the time of election. |
| • | One contract owner, where the owner is a custodial account established to hold retirement assets for the benefit of the annuitant pursuant to the provisions of Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”), the beneficiary is the Custodial Account, and the spouse of the annuitant is the co-annuitant. Both the annuitant and co-annuitant must each be at least 55 years old at the time of election. |
We do not permit a change of Owner under this benefit, except as follows:
| (1) | if one Owner dies and the surviving spousal Owner assumes the Annuity or |
| (2) | if the Annuity initially is co-owned, but thereafter the Owner who is not the Annuitant is removed as Owner. We permit changes of beneficiary designations under this benefit. If the Designated Lives divorce, however, the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit may not be divided as part of the divorce settlement or judgment. Nor may the divorcing spouse who retains ownership of the Contract appoint a new Designated Life upon remarriage. Our current administrative procedure is to treat the division of a Contract as a withdrawal from the existing Contract. The non-owner spouse may then decide whether he or she wishes to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Contract, subject to the rules that are current at the time of purchase. |
Charges under the Benefit
The maximum charge for Spousal Lifetime Five is 1.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Variable Options. The charge is deducted daily.
Termination of Spousal Lifetime Five
The benefit terminates automatically when your Annual Income Amount equals zero. The benefit also terminates upon your surrender of the Contract, upon the first Designated Life to die if the Contract is not continued, upon the second Designated Life to die or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments. You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as Spousal Lifetime Five and elect a new living benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. We reserve the right to waive, change and/or further limit the election frequency in the future.
The charge for Spousal Lifetime Five will no longer be deducted from your Contract Value upon termination of the benefit.
Additional Tax Considerations for Qualified Contracts
If you purchase an annuity contract as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, the minimum distribution rules under the Code require that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your contract beginning after the applicable age. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the contract owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any contract year that required minimum distributions due from your contract are greater than such amounts. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the annuity payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any additional tax or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as required minimum distributions under the tax law. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME FIVE INCOME BENEFIT (HD5)
The Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the states of Florida and New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit. For Annuities issued in Florida and New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
The income benefit under Highest Daily Lifetime Five currently is based on a single “designated life” who is at least 55 years old on the date that the benefit was acquired. The Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit. Any DCA program that transfers Contract Value from a Fixed Allocation is also not available as Fixed Allocations are not permitted with the benefit. As long as your Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then-permitted and available investment option(s) with this benefit.
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The benefit guarantees until the death of the single designated life the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Total Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Total Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Contract, and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Five, and in Appendix C to this Prospectus, we set forth the formula under which we make the asset transfers. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Contract Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
As discussed below, a key component of Highest Daily Lifetime Five is the Total Protected Withdrawal Value, which is an amount that is distinct from Contract Value. Because each of the Total Protected Withdrawal Value and Total Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Total Annual Income Amount remains. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Total Annual Income Amount for the rest of your life, provided that you have not made “excess withdrawals.” Excess withdrawals, as discussed below, will reduce your Total Annual Income Amount. Thus, you could experience a scenario in which your Contract Value was zero, and, due to your excess withdrawals, your Total Annual Income Amount also was reduced to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under Highest Daily Lifetime Five.
KEY FEATURE - Total Protected Withdrawal Value
The Total Protected Withdrawal Value is used to determine the amount of the annual payments under Highest Daily Lifetime Five. The Total Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of the Protected Withdrawal Value and any Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value that may exist. We describe how we determine Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value, and when we begin to calculate it, below. If you do not meet the conditions described below for obtaining Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value, then Total Protected Withdrawal Value is simply equal to Protected Withdrawal Value.
The Protected Withdrawal Value initially is equal to the Contract Value on the date that you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Five. On each Valuation day thereafter, until the earlier of the first withdrawal or ten years after the date of your election of the Benefit, we recalculate the Protected Withdrawal Value. Specifically, on each such Valuation day (the “Current Valuation Day”), the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of: the Protected Withdrawal Value for the immediately preceding Valuation day (the “Prior Valuation Day”), appreciated at the daily equivalent of 5% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Valuation Day and the Current Valuation Day (i.e., one day for successive business days, but more than one calendar day for Valuation days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any Purchase Payment (including any associated Credit) made on the Current Valuation Day; and the Contract Value.
If you have not made a withdrawal prior to the tenth anniversary of the date you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five (which we refer to as the “Tenth Anniversary”), we will continue to calculate a Protected Withdrawal Value. On or after the Tenth Anniversary and up until the date of the first withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of the Protected Withdrawal Value on the Tenth Anniversary or your Contract Value.
The Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value is only calculated if you do not take a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary. Thus, if you do take a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value. If no such withdrawal is taken, then on or after the Tenth Anniversary up until the date of the first withdrawal, the Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the sum of:
| (1) | 200% of the Contract Value on the date you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five; |
| (2) | 200% of all Purchase Payments (and any associated Credits) made during the one-year period after the date you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five; and |
| (3) | 100% of all Purchase Payments (and any associated Credits) made more than one year after the date you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five, but prior to the date of your first withdrawal. |
We cease these daily calculations of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value (and therefore, the Total Protected Withdrawal Value) when you make your first withdrawal. However, as discussed below, subsequent Purchase Payments (and any associated Credits) will increase the Total Annual Income Amount, while “excess” withdrawals (as described below) may decrease the Total Annual Income Amount.
KEY FEATURE - Total Annual Income Amount under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit
The initial Total Annual Income Amount is equal to 5% of the Total Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. For purposes of the mathematical formula described below, we also calculate a Highest Daily Annual Income Amount, which is initially equal to 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value. Under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit, if your cumulative withdrawals in a Contract Year are less than or equal to the Total Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Total Annual Income Amount in subsequent Contract Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Total Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Contract Year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Total Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Total Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charge that may apply.
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Any Purchase Payment that you make will increase the then-existing Total Annual Income Amount and Highest Daily Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to 5% of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits).
If your Annuity permits additional Purchase Payments, we may limit any additional purchase payment(s) if we determine that as a result of the timing and amounts of your additional purchase payments and withdrawals, the Annual Income Amount is being increased in an unintended fashion. Among the factors we will use in making a determination as to whether an action is designed to increase the Annual Income Amount in an unintended fashion is the relative size of additional purchase payment(s). Subject to state law, we reserve the right to not accept additional purchase payments if we are not then offering this benefit for new elections. We will exercise such reservation of right for all annuity purchasers in the same class in a nondiscriminatory manner. Except for Annuities issued in the states of Florida and New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments to Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit. For Annuities issued in Florida and New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up”) is included as part of this Benefit. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Total Annual Income Amount if your Contract Value increases subsequent to your first withdrawal. We begin examining the Contract Value for purposes of this feature starting with the anniversary of the Contract Date (the “Contract Anniversary”) immediately after your first withdrawal under the Benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Contract Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on the Valuation days corresponding to the end of each quarter that (i) is based on your Contract Year, rather than a calendar year; (ii) is subsequent to the first withdrawal; and (iii) falls within the immediately preceding Contract Year. If the end of any such quarter falls on a holiday or a weekend, we use the next Valuation day. We multiply each of those quarterly Contract Values by 5%, adjust each such quarterly value for subsequent withdrawals and Purchase Payments, and then select the highest of those values. If the highest of those values exceeds the existing Total Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Total Annual Income Amount intact. In later years, (i.e., after the first Contract Anniversary after the first withdrawal) we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each Contract Anniversary, by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values on the end of the four immediately preceding quarters. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up to your Total Annual Income Amount, the charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Five has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Five upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject.
The Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Total Annual Income Amount. Under Highest Daily Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a Contract Year are less than or equal to the Total Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Total Annual Income Amount in subsequent Contract Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Total Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Contract Year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Total Annual Income Amount in any Contract Year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Total Annual Income Amount to subsequent Contract Years.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions and the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values depicted here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Contract Date is December 1, 2006. |
| • | The Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit is elected on March 5, 2007. |
Dollar-for-dollar reductions
On May 2, 2007, the Total Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in a Total Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Contract on this date, the remaining Total Annual Income Amount for that Contract Year (up to and including December 1, 2007) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Total Annual Income Amount - $6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500.
Proportional reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on August 6, 2007 and the Contract Value at the time of this withdrawal is $110,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Total Annual Income Amount for that Contract Year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount - $1,500 - reduces the Total Annual Income Amount in future Contract Years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there were other withdrawals in that Contract Year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Total Annual Income Amount).
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Here is the calculation:
|
Contract Value Before withdrawal |
$110,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$106,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$106,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.41% |
|
Total Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.41% |
$84.51 |
|
Total Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,915.49 |
Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up
On each Contract Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Contract Anniversary) of the highest quarterly value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Contract Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
Benefits Under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Program.
To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Total Annual Income Amount and amounts are still payable under Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that Contract Year equal to the remaining Total Annual Income Amount for the Contract Year. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining Total Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent Contract Years we make payments that equal the Total Annual Income Amount as
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described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current Contract Year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Total Annual Income Amount, the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit terminates, and no additional payments will be made.
If annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your Contract, or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is a Total Annual Income Amount due in subsequent Contract Years, you can elect one of the following two options:
| (1) | apply your Contract Value to any annuity option available; or |
| (2) | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Total Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office.
In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments in the form of a single life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your Contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of:
| (1) | the present value of the future Total Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your Contract; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Total Annual Income Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date that annuity payments are to begin.
Please note that payments that we make under this Benefit after the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday will be treated as annuity payments.
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Contract, including any withdrawal charge. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Contract. The Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable withdrawal charge). If you surrender your Contract, you will receive the current surrender value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your Contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit. The Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Total Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic Benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the Benefit, and to maintain the benefit,100% of your Contract Value must be allocated to the permitted Variable Options. However, the mathematical formula component of the Benefit as described below may transfer Contract Value to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account as of the effective date of the Benefit in some circumstances. |
| • | You cannot allocate Purchase Payments or transfer Contract Value to a Fixed Interest Rate Option if you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five. |
| • | Transfers to and from the Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account triggered by the mathematical formula component of the Benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under the Contract. |
| • | In general, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the Benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the Benefit, the new requirement will apply only to new elections of the Benefit, and we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly-adopted requirements. Subsequent to any change in requirements, transfers of Contract Value and allocation of additional Purchase Payments may be subject to the new investment limitations. |
| • | The maximum charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Five is 1.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Variable Options. This charge is in addition to any other fees under the contract. You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any |
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| withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. Also, the cost to us of providing the benefit is a factor, among many, that we consider when determining the interest rate credited under the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, and therefore, we credit lower interest rates due to this factor than we otherwise would. |
| • | The basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designations Under the Benefit
Highest Daily Lifetime Five is no longer available for new elections. For Highest Daily Lifetime Five, there must have been either a single Owner who is the same as the Annuitant, or if the Annuity is entity-owned, there must have been a single natural person Annuitant. In either case, the Annuitant must have been at least 55 years old
Any change of the Annuitant under the Annuity will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime Five. Similarly, any change of Owner will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime Five, except if (a) the new Owner has the same taxpayer identification number as the previous owner (b) ownership is transferred from a custodian or other entity to the Annuitant, or vice versa or (c) ownership is transferred from one entity to another entity that satisfies our administrative ownership guidelines.
We no longer permit elections of Highest Daily Lifetime Five. If you wish, you may cancel the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit, provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and any applicable age requirements). Upon cancellation of the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit, any Contract Value allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account used with the mathematical formula will be reallocated to the Permitted Variable Options according to your most recent allocation instructions or, in absence of such instructions, on a proportional basis. Once the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post-issue basis. If you cancel the benefit, you lose all guarantees under the benefit, your guarantee under any new benefit you elect will be based on your Contract Value at that time. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate the Benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the Benefit, any guarantee provided by the Benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election will apply as described above. The Benefit terminates: (i) upon your termination of the Benefit (ii) upon your surrender of the Contract (iii) upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (iv) upon the death of the Annuitant (v) if both the Contract Value and Total Annual Income Amount equal zero or (vi) if you fail to meet our requirements for issuing the Benefit. If you terminate the benefit, you will lose the Protected Withdrawal Value, Annual Income Amount, as well as any Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value and Return of Principal Guarantees. Upon termination of Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we cease deducting the charge for the Benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (as defined below) to your Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options). Upon termination, we may limit or prohibit investment in the Fixed Allocations.
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
(a) your Contract Value on the day that you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five; and
(b) the sum of each Purchase Payment you made (including any Credits) during the one-year period after you elected the Benefit.
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (described below), in the same proportion that each such investment option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately prior to the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a purchase payment when calculating your Total Protected Withdrawal Value, your death Benefit, or the amount of any other optional Benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if you take a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee.
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Mathematical Formula Component of Highest Daily Lifetime Five
As indicated above, we limit the Variable Options to which you may allocate Contract Value if you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Five. For purposes of this Benefit, we refer to those permitted Variable Options as the “Permitted Variable Options”. As a requirement of participating in Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we require that you participate in our mathematical formula, under which we may transfer Contract Value between the Permitted Variable Options and a fixed interest rate account that is part of our general account (the “Benefit Fixed Rate Account”). We determine whether to make a transfer, and the amount of any transfer, under a non-discretionary formula, discussed below. The Benefit Fixed Rate Account is available only with this Benefit, and thus you may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Contract Value to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. The interest rate that we pay with respect to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account is reduced by an amount that corresponds generally to the charge that we assess against your Variable Options for Highest Daily Lifetime Five. The Benefit Fixed Rate Account is not subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940 or the Securities Act of 1933.
Under the formula component of Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we monitor your Contract Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Any transfer would be made in accordance with a formula, which is set forth in the schedule supplement to the endorsement for this Benefit (and also appears in the Appendices to this prospectus). Speaking generally, the formula, which we apply each Valuation day, operates as follows. The formula starts by identifying your Protected Withdrawal Value for that day and then multiplies that figure by 5%, to produce a projected (i.e., hypothetical) Highest Daily Annual Income Amount. Then, using our actuarial tables, we produce an estimate of the total amount we would target in our allocation model, based on the projected Highest Daily Annual Income Amount each year for the rest of your life. In the formula, we refer to that value as the “Target Value” or “L”. If you have already made a withdrawal, your projected Highest Daily Annual Income Amount (and thus your Target Value) would take into account any automatic step-up that was scheduled to occur according to the step-up formula described above. Next, the formula subtracts from the Target Value the amount held within the Benefit Fixed Rate Account on that day, and divides that difference by the amount held within the Permitted Variable Options. That ratio, which essentially isolates the amount of your Target Value that is not offset by amounts held within the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, is called the “Target Ratio” or “r”. If the Target Ratio exceeds a certain percentage (currently 83%), it means essentially that too much Target Value is not offset by assets within the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, and therefore we will transfer an amount from your Permitted Variable Options to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Conversely, if the Target Ratio falls below a certain percentage (currently 77%), then a transfer from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account to the Permitted Variable Options would occur. Note that the formula is calculated with reference to the Highest Daily Annual Income Amount, rather than with reference to the Total Annual Income Amount. If you select the new mathematical formula, see the discussion regarding the 90% cap.
As you can glean from the formula, poor investment performance of your Contract Value may result in a transfer of a portion of your variable Contract Value to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, because such poor investment performance will tend to increase the Target Ratio. Moreover, “flat” investment returns of your Contract Value over a period of time also could result in the transfer of your Contract Value to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Because the amount allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Contract. In deciding how much to transfer, we use another formula, which essentially seeks to rebalance amounts held in the Permitted Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account so that the Target Ratio meets a target, which currently is equal to 80%. Once elected, the ratios we use will be fixed.
While you are not notified, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Contract Value either to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. The formula is designed primarily to mitigate the financial risks that we incur in providing the guarantee under Highest Daily Lifetime Five.
Depending on the results of the formula calculation, we may, on any day:
| • | Not make any transfer between the Permitted Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account; or |
| • | If a portion of your Contract Value was previously allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, transfer all or a portion of those amounts to the Permitted Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options). Amounts taken out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be withdrawn for this purpose on a last-in, first-out basis (an amount renewed into a new guarantee period under the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be deemed a new investment for purposes of this last-in, first-out rule); or |
| • | Transfer all or a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options on a proportional basis to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. The interest that you earn on such transferred amount will be equal to the annual rate that we have set for that day, and we will credit the daily equivalent of that annual interest until the earlier of one year from the date of the transfer or the date that such amount in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account is transferred back to the Permitted Variable Options. |
Therefore, at any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. If your entire Contract Value is transferred to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, then based on the way the formula operates, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account to the Permitted Variable Options and the entire Contract Value would remain in the Benefit Rate Fixed Account. If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Variable Options according to your allocation instructions. Such additional purchase payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Once the purchase payments are allocated to your Annuity, they will also be subject to the formula, which may result in immediate transfers to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, if dictated by the formula. The amounts of any such transfer will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.
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Prior to the first withdrawal, the primary driver of transfers to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account is the difference between your Contract Value and your Total Protected Withdrawal Value. If none of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, then over time the formula permits an increasing difference between the Contract Value and the Total Protected Withdrawal Value before a transfer to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account occurs. Therefore, as time goes on, while none of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, the smaller the difference between the Total Protected Withdrawal Value and the Contract Value, the more the Contract Value can decrease prior to a transfer to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account.
Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Variable Options, and its impact on your Contract Value, will differ from market cycle to market cycle producing different transfer activity under the formula. The amount and timing of transfers to and from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account pursuant to the formula depend on various factors unique to your Annuity and are not necessarily directly correlated with the securities markets, bond markets, interest rates or any other market or index. Some of the factors that determine the amount and timing of transfers (as applicable to your Annuity), include:
| • | The difference between your Contract Value and your Total Protected Withdrawal Value; |
| • | The amount of time Highest Daily Lifetime Five has been in effect on your Annuity; |
| • | The amount allocated to and the performance of the Permitted Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account; |
| • | Any additional Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect); and |
| • | Any withdrawals you take from your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect). |
Because the amount allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Annuity. The greater the amounts allocated to either the Benefit Fixed Rate Account or to the Permitted Variable Options, the greater the impact performance of that Variable Option has on your Contract Value and thus the greater the impact on whether (and how much) your Contract Value is transferred to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. It is possible, under the formula, that if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and it has positive performance, the formula might transfer a portion of your Account Value to the Permitted Variable Options, even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is negative. Conversely, if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and it has negative performance, the formula may transfer additional amounts from your Permitted Variable Options to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is positive.
Any Account Value in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will not participate in the positive or negative investment experience of the Permitted Variable Options until it is transferred out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase a contract as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the minimum distribution rules under the Code require that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your contract beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than 5 percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Total Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Total Annual Income Amount in any Contract Year that required minimum distributions due from your Contract are greater than such amounts. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the contract payment and death Benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any additional tax or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as required minimum distribution under the tax law. Please note, however, that any withdrawal you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value and an amount under the Return of Principal Guarantee. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Please see the Tax Considerations section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this Benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Five through a non-qualified annuity, and your annuity has received Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value and/or an additional amount under the Return of Principal Guarantee, as with all withdrawals, once all purchase payments are returned under the contract, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
Optional 90% Cap Rule for the Formula Under Highest Daily Lifetime Five.
If you currently own an Annuity and have elected the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit, you can elect this feature which utilizes a new mathematical formula. The new formula is described below and will (if you elect it) replace the “Transfer Calculation” portion of the mathematical formula currently used in connection with your benefit on a prospective basis. There is no cost to adding this feature to your Annuity. This election may only be made once and may not be revoked once elected. This feature is available subject to state approval. The new formula is found in Appendix C. Only the election of the 90% cap will prevent all of your Contract Value from being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. If all of your Contract Value is currently allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, it will not transfer back to the Permitted Variable Options unless you elect the 90% Cap Rule. If you make additional Purchase Payments, they may or may not result in a transfer to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account.
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Under the new formula, the formula will not execute a transfer to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account that results in more than 90% of your Contract Value being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (“90% cap” or “90% Cap Rule”). Thus, on any Valuation Day, if the formula would require a transfer into the Benefit Fixed Rate Account that would result in more than 90% of the Contract Value being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, only the amount that results in exactly 90% of the Contract Value being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be transferred. Additionally, future transfers into the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will not be made (regardless of the performance of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and the Permitted Variable Options) at least until there is first a transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Once this transfer occurs out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, future amounts may be transferred to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account if dictated by the formula (subject to the 90% cap). At no time will the formula make a transfer to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account that results in greater than 90% of your Contract Value being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. However, it is possible that, due to the investment performance of your allocations in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and your allocations in the Permitted Variable Options you have selected, your Contract Value could be more than 90% invested in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account.
If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity while the 90% cap is in effect, the formula will not transfer any of such additional purchase payments to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account at least until there is first a transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, regardless of how much of your Contract Value is in the Permitted Variable Options. This means that there could be scenarios under which, because of the additional purchase payments you make, less than 90% of your entire Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, and the formula will still not transfer any of your Contract Value to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (at least until there is first a transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account). For example:
| • | March 19, 2009 – a transfer is made to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account that results in the 90% cap being met and now $90,000 is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and $10,000 is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options. |
| • | March 20, 2009 – you make an additional purchase payment of $10,000. No transfers have been made from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account to the Permitted Variable Options since the cap went into effect on March 19, 2009. |
| • | As of March 20, 2009 (and at least until first a transfer is made out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account under the formula) – the $10,000 payment is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options and now you have 82% in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and 18% in the Permitted Variable Options (such that $20,000 is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options and $90,000 is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account). |
| • | Once there is a transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (of any amount), the formula will operate as described above, meaning that the formula could transfer amounts to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account if dictated by the formula (subject to the 90% cap). |
Under the operation of the formula, the 90% cap may come into existence and may be removed multiple times while you participate in the benefit. We will continue to monitor your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account as dictated by the formula. Once you elect this feature, the new transfer formula described above will be the formula for your Annuity.
In the event that more than ninety percent (90%) of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and you have elected this feature, up to ten percent (10%) of your Contract Value currently allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be transferred to your Permitted Variable Options, such that after the transfer, 90% of your Contract Value on the date of the transfer is in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. The transfer to the Permitted Variable Options will be based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options). Amounts taken out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be withdrawn for this purpose on a last-in, first-out basis (an amount renewed into a new guarantee period under the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be deemed a new investment for purposes of this last-in, first-out rule).
Once the 90% Cap Rule is met, future transfers into the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will not be made (regardless of the performance of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and the Permitted Variable Options) at least until there is a first transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Once this transfer occurs out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, future amounts may be transferred to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account if dictated by the formula.
Please be aware that after the initial transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account upon election of the 90% cap, there is no assurance that future transfers out will occur, or the amount of such future transfers, as a result of the election of the 90% cap. These transfers will be determined by the mathematical formula and depend on a number of factors unique to your annuity.
Important Considerations When Electing the New Formula:
| • | At any given time, some, most or none of your Contract Value may be allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. |
| • | Please be aware that because of the way the new 90% cap formula operates, it is possible that more than or less than 90% of your Contract Value may be allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. |
| • | Because the charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Five is assessed against the daily net assets of the Variable Options, that charge will be assessed against all assets transferred into the Permitted Variable Options. |
| • | If this feature is elected, any Contract Value transferred to the Permitted Variable Options is subject to the investment performance of those Variable Options. Your Contract Value can go up or down depending of the performance of the Permitted Variable Options you select. |
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HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN INCOME BENEFIT (HD7)
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
The income benefit under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven currently is based on a single “designated life” who is at least 55 years old on the date that the benefit is acquired. The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit, although you may have elected any optional death benefit other than the Highest Daily Value death benefit. As long as your Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then permitted and available investment option(s) with this benefit. For a more detailed description of the permitted investment options, see the Investment options section of this prospectus. We no longer permit new elections of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven guarantees until the death of the single designated life the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity, and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and in Highest Daily Lifetime Seven guarantees until the death of the single designated life the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity, and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and in Appendix D to this prospectus, we set forth the formula under which we make the asset transfers. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Account Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if our Contract Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
As discussed below, a key component of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is the Protected Withdrawal Value. Because each of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Annual Income Amount remains. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Annual Income Amount for the rest of your life, provided that you have not made “excess withdrawals.” Excess withdrawals, as discussed below, will reduce your Annual Income Amount. Thus, you could experience a scenario in which your Contract Value was zero, and, due to your excess withdrawals, your Annual Income Amount also was reduced to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
KEY FEATURE - Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to calculate the initial Annual Income Amount. On the effective date of the benefit, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to your Contract Value. On each Valuation day thereafter, until the earlier of the tenth anniversary of benefit election (the “Tenth Anniversary Date”) or the date of the first withdrawal, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the “Periodic Value” described in the next paragraph.
The “Periodic Value” initially is equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation day thereafter, until the earlier of the first withdrawal or the Tenth Anniversary Date, we recalculate the Periodic Value. We stop determining the Periodic Value upon the earlier of your first withdrawal after the effective date of the benefit or the Tenth Anniversary Date. On each Valuation day (the “Current Valuation Day”), the Periodic Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value for the immediately preceding Valuation day (the “Prior Valuation Day”) appreciated at the daily equivalent of 7% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Valuation Day and the Current Valuation Day (i.e., one day for successive Valuation Days, but more than one calendar day for business days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any adjusted Purchase Payment made on the Current Valuation day; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. If you make a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary Date, the Protected Withdrawal Value on the date of the withdrawal is equal to the greatest of: |
| (a) | the Contract Value; or |
| (b) | the Periodic Value on the date of the withdrawal. |
If you have not made a withdrawal on or before the Tenth Anniversary Date, your Protected Withdrawal Value subsequent to the Tenth Anniversary Date is equal to the greatest of:
| (1) | the Contract Value; or |
| (2) | the Periodic Value on the Tenth Anniversary Date, increased for subsequent adjusted Purchase Payments; or |
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| (3) | the sum of: |
| (a) | 200% of the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit; |
| (b) | 200% of all adjusted Purchase Payments made within one year after the effective date of the benefit; and |
| (c) | all adjusted Purchase Payments made after one year following the effective date of the benefit up to the date of the first withdrawal. |
On and after the date of your first withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments, is reduced by withdrawals, including your first withdrawal (as described below), and is increased if you qualify for a step-up (as described below). Irrespective of these calculations, your Protected Withdrawal Value will always be at least equal to your Contract Value.
KEY FEATURE - Annual Income Amount under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit
The Annual Income Amount is equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. The percentage depends on the age of the Annuitant on the date of the first withdrawal after election of the benefit. The percentages are: 5% for ages 74 and younger, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older.
Under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. Withdrawals of any amount up to and including the Annual Income Amount will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the withdrawal. Withdrawals of Excess Income will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the same ratio as the reduction to the Annual Income Amount.
Any Purchase Payment that you make will (i) increase the then-existing Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to a percentage of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits) based on the age of the Annuitant at the time of the first withdrawal (the percentages are: 5% for ages 74 and younger, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older) and (ii) increase the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits).
If your Annuity permits additional purchase payments, we may limit any additional purchase payment(s) if we determine that as a result of the timing and amounts of your additional purchase payments and withdrawals, the Annual Income Amount is being increased in an unintended fashion. Among the factors we will use in making a determination as to whether an action is designed to increase the Annual Income Amount in an unintended fashion is the relative size of additional purchase payment(s). Subject to state law, we reserve the right to not accept additional purchase payments if we are not then offering this benefit for new elections. We will exercise such reservation of right for all annuity purchasers in the same class in a nondiscriminatory manner. Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up”) is included as part of this benefit. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Annual Income Amount if your Contract Value increases subsequent to your first withdrawal. We begin examining the Contract Value for purposes of the Highest Quarterly Step-Up starting with the anniversary of the Contract Date of the Annuity (the “Contract Anniversary”) immediately after your first withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Contract Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on the Valuation days corresponding to the end of each quarter that (i) is based on your contract year, rather than a calendar year; (ii) is subsequent to the first withdrawal; and (iii) falls within the immediately preceding contract year. If the end of any such quarter falls on a holiday or a weekend, we use the next Valuation day. Having identified each of those quarter-end Contract Values, we then multiply each such value by a percentage that varies based on the age of the Annuitant on the Contract Anniversary as of which the step-up would occur. The percentages are 5% for ages 74 and younger, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older. Thus, we multiply each quarterly value by the applicable percentage, adjust each such quarterly value for subsequent withdrawals and Purchase Payments, and then select the highest of those values. If the highest of those values exceeds the existing Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Annual Income Amount intact. In later years, (i.e., after the first Contract Anniversary after the first withdrawal) we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each Contract Anniversary, by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values on the end of the four immediately preceding quarters. At the time that we increase your Annual Income Amount, we also increase your Protected Withdrawal Value to equal the highest quarterly value upon which your step-up was based. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject.
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The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, if your cumulative withdrawals in an contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values depicted here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Contract Date is December 1, 2007 |
| • | The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit is elected on March 5, 2008 |
| • | The Annuitant was 70 years old when he/she elected the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit |
Dollar-for-Dollar Reductions
On May 2, 2008, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in an Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (since the Annuitant is younger than 75 at the time of the 1st withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value, in this case 5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Annuity on this date, the remaining Annual Income Amount for that contract year (up to and including December 1, 2008) is $3,500.
This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Annual Income Amount - $6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500.
Proportional Reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on August 6, 2008 and the Contract Value at the time of this withdrawal is $110,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Annual Income Amount for that contract year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount - $1,500
| • | reduces the Annual Income Amount in future contract years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there were other withdrawals in that contract year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Annual Income Amount). |
Here is the calculation:
|
Contract Value Before withdrawal |
$110,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$106,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$106,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.41% |
|
Total Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.41% |
$84.51 |
|
Total Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,915.49 |
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Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up
On each Contract Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Contract Anniversary) of the highest quarterly value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Contract Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
BENEFITS UNDER THE HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN PROGRAM
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount or as a result of the fee that we assess for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and amounts are still payable under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that contract year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the contract year. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit terminates, and no additional payments are made. However, if a withdrawal in the latter scenario was taken to meet required minimum distribution requirements under the Annuity, then the benefit will not terminate, and we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount in the form of a fixed annuity. |
| • | If Annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your Annuity, or if you decide to begin receiving Annuity payments and there is a Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (1) | apply your Contract Value to any Annuity option available; or |
| (2) | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office.
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| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments in the form of a single life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such Annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of the future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
| • | If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
| • | Please note that payments that we make under this benefit after the Contract Anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday will be treated as annuity payments. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Contract, including any CDSC. Note that if your withdrawal of the Annual Income Amount in a given Annuity Year exceeds the applicable free withdrawal amount under the Annuity (but is not considered Excess Income), we will not impose any CDSC on the amount of that withdrawal. However, we may impose a CDSC on the portion of a withdrawal that is deemed Excess Income. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Contract. The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable CDSC). If you surrender your Contract you will receive the current surrender value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your Contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit, and to maintain the benefit, 100% of your Contract Value must be allocated to the permitted Variable Options. |
| • | You cannot allocate Purchase Payments or transfer Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (see description below) if you elect this benefit. A summary description of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio appears within the prospectus section entitled “What Investment Options Can I Choose?” You can find a copy of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio prospectus by going to www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAO3-USP. |
| • | Transfers to and from the elected Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio triggered by the mathematical formula component of the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under the contract. |
| • | You must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to elect and maintain the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Account Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Account Value in accordance with our newly adopted requirements. |
| • | Subject to any change in requirements, transfer of Account Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to new investment limitations. |
| • | The maximum charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is 1.50% annually of the Protected Withdrawal Value. We deduct this fee at the end of each quarter, where each such quarter is part of a year that begins on the effective date of the benefit or an anniversary thereafter. Thus, on each such quarter-end (or the next Valuation day, if the quarter-end is not a Valuation day), we deduct 0.375% of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the end of the quarter. We deduct the fee pro rata from each of your Variable Options including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Since this fee is based on the Protected Withdrawal Value the fee for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven may be greater than it would have been, had it been based on the Contract Value alone. If the fee to be deducted exceeds the current Contract Value, we will reduce the Contract Value to zero, and continue the benefit as described above. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
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Election of and Designations under the Benefit
We no longer permit new elections of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
For Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, there must be either a single Owner who is the same as the Annuitant, or if the Contract is entity owned, there must be a single natural person Annuitant. In either case, the Annuitant must be at least 55 years old.
Any change of the Annuitant under the Contract will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. Similarly, any change of Owner will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, except if (a) the new Owner has the same taxpayer identification number as the previous owner (b) ownership is transferred from a custodian to the Annuitant, or vice versa or (c) ownership is transferred from one entity to another entity that satisfies our administrative ownership guidelines.
If you wish, you may cancel the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and any applicable age requirements). Upon cancellation of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, any Contract Value allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio used with the formula will be reallocated to the Permitted Variable Options according to your most recent allocation instructions or, in absence of such instructions, pro rata. You should be aware that upon termination of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, you will lose the Protected Withdrawal Value (including the Tenth Anniversary Date Guarantee), Annual Income Amount, and the Return of Principal Guarantee that you had accumulated under the benefit. Thus, the initial guarantees under any newly-elected benefit will be based on your current Contract Value at the time you elect a new benefit. Once the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post-issue basis. If you cancel the benefit, you lose all guarantees under the benefit, and your guarantee under any new benefit you elect will be based on your Contract Value at that time. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
| (1) | your Contract Value on the day that you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Seven; and |
| (2) | the sum of each Purchase Payment you made (including any Credits) during the one-year period after you elected the benefit. |
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options (including the Bond Portfolio used with this benefit), in the same proportion that each such Variable Option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately before the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Protected Withdrawal Value, your death benefit, or the amount of any optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Highest Daily Lifetime Seven and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if you take a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee.
Termination of the Program
You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election will apply as described above. The benefit terminates: (i) upon your termination of the benefit (ii) upon your surrender of the Contract (iii) as of the Latest Annuity Date or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (although if you have elected to take the Annual Income Amount in the form of Annuity payments, we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount), (iv) upon the death of the Annuitant (v) if both the Contract Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero or (vi) if you cease to meet our requirements for issuing the benefit (see Elections and Designations under the Program).
Upon termination of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven other than upon the death of the Annuitant, we impose any accrued fee for the benefit (i.e., the fee for the pro-rated portion of the year since the fee was last assessed), and thereafter we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to your Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options).
Mathematical Formula Component of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven
As indicated above, we limit the Variable Options to which you may allocate Contract Value if you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. For purposes of this benefit, we refer to those permitted Variable Options as the “Permitted Variable Options”. As a requirement of participating in Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we require that you participate in our specialized program, under which we may transfer Contract Value between the Permitted Variable Options and a specified bond fund within the Advanced Series Trust (the “AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio”). We determine whether to make a transfer, and the amount of any transfer, under a non-discretionary formula, discussed below. The AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is available only with this
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benefit, and thus you may not allocate Purchase Payments to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Under the formula component of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we monitor your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Portfolios you have chosen and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Any transfer would be made in accordance with a formula, which is set forth in the Appendices to this prospectus.
Speaking generally, the formula, which we apply each Valuation day, operates as follows. The formula starts by identifying an income basis for that day and then multiplies that figure by 5%, to produce a projected (i.e., hypothetical) income amount. Note that we use 5% in the formula, irrespective of the Annuitant’s attained age. Then we produce an estimate of the total amount we would target in our allocation model, based on the projected income amount and factors set forth in the formula. In the formula, we refer to that value as the “Target Value” or “L”. If you have already made a withdrawal, your projected income amount (and thus your Target Value) would take into account any automatic step-up, any subsequent purchase payments, and any excess withdrawals. Next, the formula subtracts from the Target Value the amount held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio on that day, and divides that difference by the amount held within the Permitted Variable Options. That ratio, which essentially isolates the amount of your Target Value that is not offset by amounts held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, is called the “Target Ratio” or “r”. If the Target Ratio exceeds a certain percentage (currently 83%), it means essentially that too much Target Value is not offset by assets within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, and therefore we will transfer an amount from your Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Conversely, if the Target Ratio falls below a certain percentage (currently 77%), then a transfer from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options would occur.
If you elect the new formula (90% Cap Rule), see discussion regarding that feature.
As you can glean from the formula, poor investment performance of your Contract Value may cause us to transfer some of your variable Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, because such poor investment performance will tend to increase the Target Ratio. Moreover, “flat” investment returns of your Contract Value over a period of time also could result in the transfer of your Contract Value from the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. In deciding how much to transfer, we use another formula, which essentially seeks to re-balance amounts held in the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio so that the Target Ratio meets a target, which currently is equal to 80%. Once you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, the ratios we use will be fixed.
While you are not notified when your Contract reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Contract Value either to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula by which the reallocation triggers operate is designed primarily to mitigate the financial risks that we incur in providing the guarantee under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Depending on the results of the calculation relative to the reallocation triggers, we may, on any day:
| • | Not make any transfer between the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; or |
| • | If a portion of your Contract Value was previously allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, transfer all or a portion of those amounts to the Permitted Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options); or |
| • | Transfer all or a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options on a proportional basis to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
Therefore, at any given time, some, none, or all of your Contract Value may be allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. If your entire Contract Value is transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then based on the way the formula operates, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options and the entire Contract Value would remain in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Variable Options according to your allocation instructions. Such additional purchase payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Once the purchase payments are allocated to your Annuity, they will also be subject to the formula, which may result in immediate transfers to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolios, if dictated by the formula. The amounts of any such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.
Prior to the first withdrawal, the primary driver of transfers to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is difference between your Contract Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value. If none of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then over time the formula permits an increasing difference between the Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value before a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs. Therefore, as time goes on, while none of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, the smaller the difference between the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Contract Value, the more the Contract Value can decrease prior to a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Variable Options, and its impact on your Contract Value, will differ from market cycle to market cycle producing different transfer activity under the formula. The amount and timing of transfers to and from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio pursuant to the formula depend on various factors unique to your Annuity and are not necessarily directly correlated with the securities markets, bond markets, interest rates or any other market or index. Some of the factors that determine the amount and timing of transfers (as applicable to your Annuity), include:
| • | The difference between your Contract Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value; |
| • | The amount of time Highest Daily Lifetime Seven has been in effect on your Annuity; |
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| • | The amount allocated to and the performance of the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; |
| • | Any additional Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect); and |
| • | Any withdrawals you take from your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect). |
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase an annuity as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the Required Minimum Distribution rules under the Code provide that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than five (5) percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any Contract year that Required Minimum Distributions due from your Annuity are greater than such amounts. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the annuity payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any additional tax or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as Required Minimum Distribution provisions under the tax law. Please note, however, that any withdrawal you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee and the guaranteed amount described above under “KEY FEATURE - Protected Withdrawal Value”. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while this Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Please see the “Taxes” section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this Benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Seven through a non-qualified annuity, as with all withdrawals, once all Purchase Payments are returned under the contract, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN INCOME BENEFIT
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is the spousal version of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven must be elected based on two Designated Lives, as described below. Each Designated Life must be at least 59½ years old when the benefit was elected. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven was not available if you elect any other optional living benefit. As long as your Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then permitted and available investment option(s) with this program.
The benefit that guarantees until the later death of two natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit (the “Designated Lives”, and each, a “Designated Life”) the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Contract, wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments, and wish either spouse to be able to continue the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit after the death of the first spouse. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit - the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and in Appendix D to this prospectus, we set forth the formula under which we make those asset transfers.
As discussed below, a key component of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is the Protected Withdrawal Value. Because each of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Annual Income Amount remains. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Annual Income Amount until the death of the second Designated Life, provided that there have not been “excess withdrawals.” Excess withdrawals, as discussed below, will reduce your Annual Income Amount. Thus, you could experience a scenario in which your Contract Value was zero, and, due to your excess withdrawals, your Annual Income Amount also was reduced to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
KEY FEATURE - Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to calculate the initial Annual Income Amount. On the effective date of the benefit, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to your Contract Value. On each business day thereafter, until the earlier of the tenth anniversary of benefit election (the “Tenth Anniversary Date”) or the date of the first withdrawal, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the “Periodic Value” described in the next paragraph.
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The “Periodic Value” initially is equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit. On each business day thereafter, until the earlier of the first withdrawal or the Tenth Anniversary Date, we recalculate the Periodic Value. We stop determining the Periodic Value upon the earlier of your first withdrawal after the effective date of the benefit or the Tenth Anniversary Date. On each business day (the “Current Business Day”), the Periodic Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value for the immediately preceding business day (the “Prior Business Day”) appreciated at the daily equivalent of 7% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Business Day and the Current Business Day (i.e., one day for successive business Days, but more than one calendar day for business days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any adjusted Purchase Payment made on the Current Business Day; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
If you make a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary Date, the Protected Withdrawal Value on the date of the withdrawal is equal to the greatest of:
| (1) | the Contract Value; or |
| (2) | the Periodic Value on the date of the withdrawal. |
If you have not made a withdrawal on or before the Tenth Anniversary Date, your Protected Withdrawal Value subsequent to the Tenth Anniversary Date is equal to the greatest of:
| (1) | the Contract Value; or |
| (2) | the Periodic Value on the Tenth Anniversary Date, increased for subsequent adjusted Purchase Payments; or |
| (3) | the sum of: |
| (a) | 200% of the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit; |
| (b) | 200% of all adjusted Purchase Payments made within one year after the effective date of the benefit; and |
| (c) | all adjusted Purchase Payments made after one year following the effective date of the benefit up to the date of the first withdrawal. |
On and after the date of your first withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments, is reduced by withdrawals, including your first withdrawal (as described below), and is increased if you qualify for a step-up (as described below). Irrespective of these calculations, your Protected Withdrawal Value will always be at least equal to your Contract Value.
KEY FEATURE - Annual Income Amount under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit
The Annual Income Amount is equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. The percentage depends on the age of the youngest Designated Life on the date of the first withdrawal after election of the benefit. The percentages are: 5% for ages 79 and younger, 6% for ages 80 to 84, 7% for ages 85 to 89, and 8% for ages 90 and older. We use the age of the youngest Designated Life even if that Designated Life is no longer a participant under the Contract due to death or divorce.
Under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. Withdrawals of any amount up to and including the Annual Income Amount will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the withdrawal. Withdrawals of Excess Income will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the same ratio as the reduction to the Annual Income Amount.
Any Purchase Payment that you make will (i) increase the then-existing Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to a percentage of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits) based on the age of the Annuitant at the time of the first withdrawal (the percentages are: 5% for ages 79 and younger, 6% for ages 80-84, 7% for ages 85-89, and 8% for ages 90 and older) and (ii) increase the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits).
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up”) is included as part of this benefit. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Annual Income Amount if your Contract Value increases subsequent to your first withdrawal. We begin examining the Contract Value for purposes of the Highest Quarterly Step-Up starting with the anniversary of the Contract Date of the Annuity (the “Contract Anniversary”) immediately after your first withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Contract Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on the Valuation days corresponding to the end of each quarter that (i) is based on your contract year, rather than a calendar year;
(ii) is subsequent to the first withdrawal; and (iii) falls within the immediately preceding contract year. If the end of any such quarter falls on a holiday or a weekend, we use the next Valuation day. Having identified each of those quarter-end Contract Values, we then multiply each such value by a percentage that varies based on the age of the youngest Designated Life on the Contract Anniversary as of which the step-up would occur. The percentages are 5% for ages 79 and younger, 6% for ages 80-84, 7% for ages 85-89, and 8% for ages 90 and older. Thus, we multiply each quarterly value by the applicable percentage, adjust each such quarterly value for subsequent withdrawals and Purchase Payments, and then select the highest of those values. If the highest of those values exceeds the existing Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Annual Income Amount intact. In later years, (i.e., after the first Contract Anniversary after the first withdrawal) we determine whether an
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automatic step-up should occur on each Contract Anniversary, by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values on the end of the four immediately preceding quarters. At the time that we increase your Annual Income Amount, we also increase your Protected Withdrawal Value to equal the highest quarterly value upon which your step-up was based. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject.
The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your annuity, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values depicted here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Contract Date is December 1, 2007 |
| • | The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit is elected on March 5, 2008. |
| • | The youngest Designated Life was 70 years old when he/she elected the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. |
Dollar-for-Dollar Reductions
On May 2, 2008, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in an Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (since the youngest Designated Life is younger than 80 at the time of the 1st withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value, in this case 5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Annuity on this date, the remaining Annual Income Amount for that contract year (up to and including December 1, 2008) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Annual Income Amount - $6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500.
Proportional Reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on August 6, 2008 and the Contract Value at the time of this withdrawal is $110,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Annual Income Amount for that contract year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount - $1,500
- reduces the Annual Income Amount in future contract years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there were other withdrawals in that contract year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Annual Income Amount).
Here is the calculation:
|
Contract Value Before withdrawal |
$110,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$106,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$106,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.41% |
|
Total Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.41% |
$84.51 |
|
Total Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,915.49 |
Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up
On each Contract Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Contract Anniversary) of the highest quarterly value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Contract Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
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Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
BENEFITS UNDER THE SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN BENEFIT
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount or as a result of the fee that we assess for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and amounts are still payable under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that contract year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the contract year. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life as long as the Designated Lives were spouses at the time of the first death. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit terminates, and no additional payments will be made. However, if a withdrawal in the latter scenario was taken to meet required minimum distribution requirements under the contract, then the benefit will not terminate, and we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount in the form of a fixed annuity. |
| • | If Annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract, or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is a Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (a) | apply your Contract Value to any Annuity option available; or |
| (b) | request that, as of the date Annuity payments are to begin, we make Annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life as long as the Designated Lives were spouses at the time of the first death. If, due to death of a Designated Life or divorce prior to annuitization, only a single Designated Life remains, then annuity payments will be made as a life annuity for the lifetime of the Designated Life. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office.
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| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of the future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your Contract; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
| • | If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
| • | Please note that payments that we make under this benefit after the Contract Anniversary coinciding with or next following the older of the owner or Annuitant’s 95th birthday, will be treated as annuity payments. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any CDSC. Note that if your withdrawal of the Annual Income Amount in a given contract year exceeds the applicable free withdrawal amount under the contract (but is not considered Excess Income), we will not impose any CDSC on the amount of that withdrawal. However, we may impose a CDSC on the portion of a withdrawal that is deemed Excess Income. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable CDSC). If you surrender your contract you will receive the current surrender value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit. The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your contract value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit and to maintain the benefit,100% of your Contract Value must be allocated to the permitted Variable Options. |
| • | You cannot allocate Purchase Payments or transfer Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as described below) if you elect this benefit. A summary description of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio appears within the prospectus section entitled “What Investment Options Can I Choose?” You can find a copy of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio prospectus by going to www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAO3-USP. |
| • | Transfers to and from the elected Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio triggered by the mathematical formula component of the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity. |
| • | You must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to elect and maintain the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Account Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Account Value in accordance with our newly adopted requirements. Subject to any change in requirements, transfers of Account Value and allocation of Additional purchase payments may be subject to new investment limitations. |
| • | The maximum charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is 1.50% annually of the Protected Withdrawal Value. We deduct this fee at the end of each quarter, where each such quarter is part of a year that begins on the effective date of the benefit or an anniversary thereafter. Thus, on each such quarter-end (or the next Valuation day, if the quarter-end is not a Valuation day), we deduct 0.375% of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the end of the quarter. We deduct the fee pro rata from each of your Variable Options including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Since this fee is based on the Protected Withdrawal Value, the fee for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven may be greater than it would have been, had it been based on the Contract Value alone. If the fee to be deducted exceeds the current Contract Value, we will reduce the Contract Value to zero, and continue the benefit as described above. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit cause your Account Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit cause your Account Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
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Election of and Designations under the Benefit
We no longer permit new elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. Elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven must have been based on two Designated Lives. Designated Lives must be natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven could only be elected where the Owner, Annuitant, and Beneficiary designations are as follows:
We no longer permit new elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. Elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven must have been based on two Designated Lives. Designated Lives must be natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven could only be elected where the Owner, Annuitant, and Beneficiary designations are as follows:
| • | One Annuity Owner, where the Annuitant and the Owner are the same person and the beneficiary is the Owner’s spouse. The Owner/Annuitant and the beneficiary each must be at least 59 ½ years old at the time of election; or |
| • | Co-Annuity Owners, where the Owners are each other’s spouses. The beneficiary designation must be the surviving spouse, or the spouses named equally. One of the owners must be the Annuitant. Each Owner must each be at least 59 ½ years old at the time of election; or |
| • | One Annuity Owner, where the Owner is a custodial account established to hold retirement assets for the benefit of the Annuitant pursuant to the provisions of Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”), the beneficiary is the Custodial Account, and the spouse of the Annuitant is the Contingent Annuitant. Both the Annuitant and the Contingent Annuitant each must be at least 59½ years old at the time of election. |
We do not permit a change of Owner under this benefit, except as follows:
| (a) | if one Owner dies and the surviving spousal Owner assumes the Annuity or |
| (b) | if the contract initially is co-owned, but thereafter the Owner who is not the Annuitant is removed as Owner. We permit changes of beneficiary under this benefit. If the Designated Lives divorce, the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit may not be divided as part of the divorce settlement or judgment. Nor may the divorcing spouse who retains ownership of the contract appoint a new Designated Life upon re-marriage. Our current administrative procedure is to treat the division of an Annuity as a withdrawal from the existing Annuity. The non-owner spouse may then decide whether he or she wishes to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity, subject to the rules that are current at the time of purchase. |
If you wish, you may cancel any Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on any Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and any applicable age requirements). Upon cancellation of any Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, any Account Value allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio used with the pre-determined mathematical formula will be reallocated to the Permitted Variable Options according to your most recent allocation instruction or in absence of such instruction, on a proportional basis. You should be aware that upon termination of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, you will lose the Protected Withdrawal Value (including the Tenth Anniversary Date Guarantee), Annual Income Amount, and the Return of Principal Guarantee that you had accumulated under the benefit. Thus, the initial guarantees under any newly-elected benefit will be based on your current Account Value. Once the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit is cancelled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post-issue basis. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
a. your Contract Value on the day that you elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven; and
b. the sum of each Purchase Payment you made (including any Credits) during the one-year period after you elected the benefit.
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options (other than a Bond Portfolio used with this benefit), in the same proportion that each such Variable Option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately before the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Protected Withdrawal Value, your death benefit, or the amount of any optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if you take a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee.
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Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election will apply as described above. The benefit terminates: (i) if upon the death of the first Designated Life, the surviving Designated Life opts to take the death benefit under the contract (thus, the benefit does not terminate solely because of the death of the first Designated Life), (ii) upon the death of the second Designated Life, (iii) upon your termination of the benefit (although if you have elected to take annuity payments in the form of the Annual Income Amount, we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount), (iv) upon your surrender of the contract (v) as of the Latest Annuity Date or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (vi) if both the Contract Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero or (vii) if you cease to meet our requirements for issuing the benefit (see Election of and Designations under the Program).
Upon termination of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven other than upon death of a Designated Life, we impose any accrued fee for the benefit (i.e., the fee for the pro-rated portion of the year since the fee was last assessed), and thereafter we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as defined below) to your Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options).
Mathematical Formula Component of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven
As indicated above, we limit the Variable Options to which you may allocate Contract Value if you elect Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. For purposes of this benefit, we refer to those permitted Variable Options as the “Permitted Variable Options”. As a requirement of participating in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we require that you participate in our specialized program, under which we may transfer Contract Value between the Permitted Variable Options and a specified bond fund within the Advanced Series Trust (the “AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio”). We determine whether to make a transfer, and the amount of any transfer, under a non-discretionary formula, discussed below. The AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is available only with this benefit, and thus you may not allocate Purchase Payments to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Under the mathematical formula component of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we monitor your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Any transfer would be made in accordance with a formula, which is set forth in the Appendix D to this prospectus.
Speaking generally, the formula, which we apply each Valuation day, operates as follows. The formula starts by identifying an income basis for that day and then multiplies that figure by 5%, to produce a projected (i.e., hypothetical) income amount. Note that we use 5% in the formula, irrespective of the youngest Designated Life’s attained age. Then we produce an estimate of the total amount we would target in our allocation model, based on the projected income amount and factors set forth in the formula. In the formula, we refer to that value as the “Target Value” or “L”. If you have already made a withdrawal, your projected income amount (and thus your Target Value) would take into account any automatic step-up, any subsequent purchase payments, and any excess withdrawals. Next, the formula subtracts from the Target Value the amount held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio on that day, and divides that difference by the amount held within the Permitted Variable Options. That ratio, which essentially isolates the amount of your Target Value that is not offset by amounts held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, is called the “Target Ratio” or “r”. If the Target Ratio exceeds a certain percentage (currently 83%), it means essentially that too much Target Value is not offset by assets within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, and therefore we will transfer an amount from your Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio Conversely, if the Target Ratio falls below a certain percentage (currently 77%), then a transfer from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options would occur.
If you elect the formula (90% Cap Rule), see discussion regarding that feature.
As you can glean from the formula, poor investment performance of your contract value may result in a transfer of your variable Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, because such poor investment performance will tend to increase the Target Ratio. Moreover, “flat” investment returns on your Contract Value over a period of time also could result in the transfer of your Contract Value from the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Because the amount allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Annuity. In deciding how much to transfer, we use another formula, which essentially seeks to re-balance amounts held in the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio so that the Target Ratio meets a target, which currently is equal to 80%. Once you elect Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, the ratios we use will be fixed. For newly-issued Annuities that elect Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven and existing Annuities that elect Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, however, we reserve the right, subject to any required regulatory approval, to change the ratios.
While you are not notified when your contract reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Contract Value either to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula by which the reallocation triggers operate is designed primarily to mitigate the financial risks that we incur in providing the guarantee under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Depending on the results of the calculation relative to the reallocation triggers, we may, on any day:
| • | Not make any transfer between the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; or |
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| • | If a portion of your Contract Value was previously allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, transfer all or a portion of those amounts to the Permitted Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options);or |
| • | Transfer all or a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options on a proportional basis to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
Therefore, at any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. If your entire Account Value is transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then based on the way the formula operates, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options and the entire Account Value would remain in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Variable Options according to your allocation instructions. Such additional purchase payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Once the purchase payments are allocated to your Annuity, they will also be subject to the formula, which may result in immediate transfers to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolios, if dictated by the formula. The amounts of any such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.
Prior to the first withdrawal, the primary driver of transfers to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is difference between your Account Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value. If none of your Account Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then over time the formula permits an increasing difference between the Account Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value before a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs. Therefore, as time goes on, while none of your Account Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, the smaller the difference between the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Account Value, the more the Account Value can decrease prior to a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Variable Options, and its impact on your Account Value, will differ from market cycle to market cycle producing different transfer activity under the formula. The amount and timing of transfers to and from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio pursuant to the formula depend on various factors unique to your Annuity and are not necessarily directly correlated with the securities markets, bond markets, interest rates or any other market or index. Some of the factors that determine the amount and timing of transfers (as applicable to your Annuity), include:
| • | The difference between your Account Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value; |
| • | The amount of time Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven has been in effect on your Annuity; |
| • | The amount allocated to and the performance of the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; |
| • | Any additional Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect); and |
| • | Any withdrawals you take from your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect). |
Because the amount allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your contract. The greater the amounts allocated to either the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio or to the Permitted Variable Options, the greater the impact performance of that Variable Option has on your Contract Value and thus the greater the impact on whether (and how much) your Contract Value is transferred to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. It is possible, under the formula, that if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and that Variable Option has positive performance, the formula might transfer a portion of your Contract Value to the Permitted Variable Options, even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is negative. Conversely, if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and that Variable Option has negative performance, the formula may transfer additional amounts from your Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is positive.
If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated in accordance with your Annuity. Once allocated, they will also be subject to the formula described above and therefore may be transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, if dictated by the formula.
Any Account Value in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will not participate in the positive or negative investment experience of the Permitted Variable Options until it is transferred out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase an annuity as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the Required Minimum Distribution rules under the Code provide that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than five (5) percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any contract year that Required Minimum Distributions due from your Contract are greater than such amounts. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the annuity payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any additional tax or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as Required Minimum Distribution provisions under the tax law. Please note, however, that any withdrawal you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee and the guaranteed amount described above under “KEY FEATURE - Protected Withdrawal Value”. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
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As indicated, withdrawals made while this benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Please see the Taxes section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven through a non-qualified annuity, as with all withdrawals, once all Purchase Payments are returned under the contract, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME 7 PLUS INCOME BENEFIT (HD7 Plus)
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
Please note that if you terminate Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and elect another available living benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. The income benefit under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus currently is based on a single “designated life” who was at least 45 years old on the date that the benefit was elected. The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit, although you may elect any optional death benefit other than the Highest Daily Value death benefit. As long as your Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then permitted and available investment option(s) with this benefit. For a more detailed description of the permitted investment options, see the “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” section of this prospectus.
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus guarantees until the death of the single designated life (the Annuitant) the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Annual Income Amount for the rest of your life (“Lifetime Withdrawals”), provided that you have not made “excess withdrawals” that have resulted in your Contract Value being reduced to zero. We also permit you to make a one-time Non-Lifetime Withdrawal from your Annuity prior to taking Lifetime Withdrawals under the benefit. Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity, and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Contract Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
Although you are guaranteed the ability to withdraw your Annual Income Amount for life even if your Contract Value falls to zero, if you take an excess withdrawal that brings your Contract Value to zero, it is possible that your Annual Income Amount could also fall to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit.
Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to calculate the initial Annual Income Amount. The Protected Withdrawal Value is separate from your Contract Value and not available as cash or a lump sum. On the effective date of the benefit, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to your Contract Value. On each Valuation Day thereafter until the date of your first Lifetime Withdrawal (excluding any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal discussed below), the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the “Periodic Value” described in the next paragraphs.
The “Periodic Value” initially is equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation Day thereafter until the first Lifetime Withdrawal, we recalculate the Periodic Value. We stop determining the Periodic Value upon your first Lifetime Withdrawal after the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation Day (the “Current Valuation Day”), the Periodic Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value for the immediately preceding business day (the “Prior Valuation Day”) appreciated at the daily equivalent of 7% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Valuation Day and the Current Valuation Day (i.e., one day for successive Valuation Days, but more than one calendar day for Valuation Days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any adjusted Purchase Payment made on the Current Valuation Day (the Periodic Value is proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal); and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
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If you have not made a Lifetime Withdrawal on or before the 10th, 20th, or 25th Anniversary of the effective date of the benefit, your Periodic Value on the 10th, 20th, or 25th Anniversary of the benefit effective date is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value described above or, |
| (2) | the sum of (a), (b) and (c) below (proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawals): |
| (a) | 200% (on the 10th anniversary), 400% (on the 20th anniversary) or 600% (on the 25th anniversary) of the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit; |
| (b) | 200% (on the 10th anniversary), 400% (on the 20th anniversary) or 600% (on the 25th anniversary) of all adjusted purchase payments made within one year following the effective date of the benefit; and |
| (c) | all adjusted purchase payments made after one year following the effective date of the benefit. |
On and after the date of your first Lifetime Withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is increased by the amount of any subsequent purchase payments, is reduced by withdrawals, including your first Lifetime Withdrawal (as described below), and may be increased if you qualify for a step-up (as described below).
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a Lifetime Withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation Day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
| (1) | your Contract Value on the day that you elected Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal; and |
| (2) | the sum of each Purchase Payment proportionally reduced for any subsequent Non-Lifetime Withdrawal (including the amount of any associated Credits) you made during the one-year period after you elected the benefit. |
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options (including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio), in the same proportion that each such Variable Option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately before the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Protected Withdrawal Value, your death benefit, or the amount of any optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. Because the amount is added to Contract Value, it will also be subject to each charge under your Annuity based on Contract Value. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if you take a withdrawal (other than a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal) prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee. The Return of Principal Guarantee is referred to as the Guaranteed Minimum Account Value Credit in the benefit rider.
Key Feature - Annual Income Amount under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit
The Annual Income Amount is equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the first Lifetime Withdrawal and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. The percentage initially depends on the age of the Annuitant on the date of the first Lifetime Withdrawal after election of the benefit. The percentages are: 4% for ages 45 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½ – 74, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older.
Under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit, if your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year. If your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions for this Annuity that comply with our rules) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions are based on the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. Lifetime Withdrawals of any amount up to and including the Annual Income Amount will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the withdrawal. Withdrawals of Excess Income will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the same ratio as the reduction to the Annual Income Amount.
Note that if your withdrawal of the Annual Income Amount in a given Annuity Year exceeds the applicable free withdrawal amount under the Annuity (but is not considered Excess Income), we will not impose any CDSC on the amount of that withdrawal.
You may use the Systematic Withdrawal program to make withdrawals of the Annual Income Amount. Any systematic withdrawal will be deemed a Lifetime Withdrawal under this benefit.
Any Purchase Payment that you make subsequent to the election of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus will (i) increase the then-existing Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to a percentage of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits) based on the age of the Annuitant at the time of the first Lifetime Withdrawal (the percentages are: 4% for ages 45 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½ – 74, 6% for ages 75- 79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older) and (ii) increase the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits).
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If your Annuity permits additional purchase payments, we may limit any additional purchase payment(s) if we determine that as a result of the timing and amounts of your additional purchase payments and withdrawals, the Annual Income Amount is being increased in an unintended fashion. Among the factors we will use in making a determination as to whether an action is designed to increase the Annual Income Amount in an unintended fashion is the relative size of additional purchase payment(s). Subject to state law, we reserve the right to not accept additional purchase payments if we are not then offering this benefit for new elections. We will exercise such reservation of right for all annuity purchasers in the same class in a nondiscriminatory manner. Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
Highest Daily Auto Step-Up
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Daily Auto Step-Up”) is part of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Daily Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Annual Income Amount subsequent to your first Lifetime Withdrawal. The Highest Daily Auto Step-Up starts with the anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity (the “Annuity Anniversary”) immediately after your first Lifetime Withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Annuity Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on each Valuation Day within the immediately preceding Annuity Year after your first Lifetime Withdrawal. Having identified the highest daily value (after all daily values have been adjusted for subsequent purchase payments and withdrawals), we then multiply that value by a percentage that varies based on the age of the Annuitant on the Annuity Anniversary as of which the step-up would occur. The percentages are: 4% for ages 45 – less than 59 ½, 5% for ages 59 ½-74, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older. If that value exceeds the existing Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Annual Income Amount intact. The Contract Value on the Annuity Anniversary is considered the last daily step-up value of the Annuity Year. All daily valuations and annual step-ups will only occur on a Valuation Day. In later years (i.e., after the first Annuity Anniversary after the first Lifetime Withdrawal), we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each Annuity Anniversary, by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values that occurred on Valuation Days during the year. At the time that we increase your Annual Income Amount, we also increase your Protected Withdrawal Value to equal the highest daily value upon which your step-up was based only if that results in an increase to the Protected Withdrawal Value. Your Protected Withdrawal Value will never be decreased as a result of an income step-up. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Daily Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject.
If you establish a Systematic Withdrawal program, we will not automatically increase the withdrawal amount when there is an increase to the Annual Income Amount.
The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your Annuity, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, if your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount in any Annuity Year, you cannot carry over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent Annuity Years.
Because each of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Annual Income Amount remains.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Daily Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values shown here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Issue Date is December 1, 2008 |
| • | The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is elected on March 5, 2009 |
| • | The Annuitant was 70 years old when he/she elected the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
Example of dollar-for-dollar reductions
On November 24, 2009, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in an Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (since the Annuitant is between the ages of 59½ and 74 at the time of the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value, in this case 5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Annuity on this date, the remaining Annual Income Amount for that Annuity Year (up to and including December 1, 2009) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Annual Income Amount ($6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500).
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Example of proportional reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on November 27, 2009 and the Contract Value at the time and immediately prior to this withdrawal is $118,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Annual Income Amount for that Annuity Year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount of $1,500 – reduces the Annual Income Amount in future Annuity Years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there are other future withdrawals in that Annuity Year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Annual Income Amount).
Here is the calculation:
|
Account Value before Lifetime Withdrawal |
$118,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Account Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$114,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$114,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.31% |
|
Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.31% |
$78.60 |
|
Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,921.49 |
Example of highest daily auto step-up
On each Annuity Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Annuity Anniversary) of the highest daily value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Annuity Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Annuity Year. |
| • | The Annuity Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Annuity Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the annuity year. |
| • | The highest daily Unadjusted Account Value for this Annuity Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest daily Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Annuity Year. |
| • | The Annuity Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Annuity Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the annuity year. |
| • | The highest daily Unadjusted Account Value for this Annuity Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous highest daily Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
Non-Lifetime Withdrawal Feature
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You may take a one-time non-lifetime withdrawal (“Non-Lifetime Withdrawal”) under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. It is an optional feature of the benefit that you can only elect at the time of your first withdrawal. You cannot take a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal in an amount that would cause your Annuity’s Contract Value, after taking the withdrawal, to fall below the minimum Surrender Value (see “Access to Account Value – Can I Surrender My Annuity for Its Value?”). This Non-Lifetime Withdrawal will not establish your initial Annual Income Amount and the Periodic Value described above will continue to be calculated. However, the total amount of the withdrawal will proportionally reduce all guarantees associated with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. You must tell us if your withdrawal is intended to be the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal and not the first Lifetime Withdrawal under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. If you don’t elect the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, the first withdrawal you make will be the first Lifetime Withdrawal that establishes your Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount. Once you elect to take the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal or Lifetime Withdrawals, no additional Non-Lifetime Withdrawals may be taken.
The Non-Lifetime Withdrawal will proportionally reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Return of Principal guarantee. It will also proportionally reduce the Periodic Value guarantees on the tenth, twentieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries of the benefit effective date (see description in “Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value,” above). It will reduce all three by the percentage the total withdrawal amount (including any applicable CDSC) represents of the then current Contract Value immediately prior to the withdrawal. The Non-Lifetime Withdrawal could result in a lower Annual Income Amount at the time you take your first Lifetime Withdrawal depending on the amount of the proportional reduction described above and duration of time between your Non-Lifetime and first Lifetime Withdrawal. As such, you should carefully consider when it is most appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals under the benefit.
If you are participating in a Systematic Withdrawal program, the first withdrawal under the program cannot be classified as the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal.
Example – Non-Lifetime Withdrawal (proportional reduction)
This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges. It is intended to illustrate the proportional reduction of the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal under this benefit.
Assume the following:
| • | The Issue Date is December 1, 2008 |
| • | The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is elected on March 5, 2009 |
| • | The Contract Value at benefit election was $105,000 |
| • | The Annuitant was 70 years old when he/she elected the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
| • | No previous withdrawals have been taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
On May 2, 2009, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $125,000, the 10th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $210,000, the 10th benefit year Return of Principal guarantee is $105,000, the 20th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $420,000, the 25th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $630,000 and the Contract Value is $120,000. Assuming $15,000 is withdrawn from the Annuity on May 2, 2009 and is designated as a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, all guarantees associated with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit will be reduced by the ratio the total withdrawal amount represents of the Contract Value just prior to the withdrawal being taken.
Here is the calculation:
|
Withdrawal Amount divided by |
$15,000 |
|
Account Value before withdrawal |
$120,000 |
|
Equals ratio |
12.5% |
|
All guarantees will be reduced by the above ratio (12.5%) | |
|
Protected Withdrawal Value |
$109,375 |
|
10th benefit year Return of Principal |
$91,875 |
|
10th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$183,750 |
|
20th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$367,500 |
|
25th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$551,250 |
Required Minimum Distributions
Withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount, but which you are required to take as a required minimum distribution for this Annuity, will not reduce the Annual Income Amount for future years. No additional Annual Income Amounts will be available in an Annuity Year due to required minimum distributions unless the required minimum distribution amount is greater than the Annual Income Amount. Any withdrawal you take that exceeds the Annual Income Amount in Annuity Years that your required minimum distribution amount is not greater than the Annual Income Amount will be treated as an Excess Withdrawal under the benefit. If your required minimum distribution (as calculated by us for your Annuity and not previously withdrawn in the current calendar year) is greater than the Annual Income Amount, an amount equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount plus the difference between the required minimum distribution amount not previously withdrawn in the current calendar year and the Annual Income Amount will be available in the current Annuity Year without it being considered an excess withdrawal.
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In the event that a required minimum distribution is calculated in a calendar year that crosses more than one Annuity Year and you choose to satisfy the entire required minimum distribution for that calendar year in the next Annuity Year, the distribution taken in the next Annuity Year will reduce your Annual Income Amount in that Annuity Year on a dollar by dollar basis. If the required minimum distribution not taken in the prior Annuity Year is greater than the Annual Income Amount as guaranteed by the benefit in the current Annuity Year, the total required minimum distribution amount may be taken without being treated as an excess withdrawal.
In any year in which the requirement to take Required Minimum Distributions is suspended by law, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion and regardless of any position taken on this issue in a prior year, to treat any amount that would have been considered as a Required Minimum Distribution if not for the suspension as eligible for treatment as described herein.
Example – Required Minimum Distributions
The following example is purely hypothetical and is intended to illustrate a scenario in which the required minimum distribution amount in a given Annuity Year is greater than the Annual Income Amount.
Annual Income Amount = $5,000
Remaining Annual Income Amount = $3,000
Required Minimum Distribution = $6,000
The amount you may withdraw in the current Annuity Year without it being treated as an Excess Withdrawal is $4,000. ($3,000 + ($6,000 – $5,000) = $4,000).
If the $4,000 withdrawal is taken, the remaining Annual Income Amount will be zero and the remaining required minimum distribution amount of $2,000 may be taken in the subsequent Annuity Year (when your Annual Income Amount is reset to $5,000) without proportionally reducing all of the guarantees associated with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit as described above. The amount you may withdraw in the subsequent Annuity Year if you choose not to satisfy the required minimum distribution in the current Annuity Year (assuming the Annual Income Amount in the subsequent Annuity Year is $5,000), without being treated as an Excess Withdrawal is $6,000. This withdrawal must comply with all IRS guidelines in order to satisfy the required minimum distribution for the current calendar year.
Benefits Under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year that are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount or as a result of the fee that we assess for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, and amounts are still payable under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that Annuity Year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the Annuity Year. If you have not begun taking Lifetime Withdrawals and your Contract Value is reduced to zero as a result of the fee we assess for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first Lifetime Withdrawal on the date the Contract Value was reduced to zero and Lifetime Withdrawals will begin on the next Annuity anniversary. If this were to occur, you are not permitted to make additional purchase payments to your Annuity. Thus, in these scenarios, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent Annuity Years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the Annuity Year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit terminates, and no additional payments are made. However, if a withdrawal in the latter scenario was taken to satisfy a required minimum distribution under the Annuity, then the benefit will not terminate, and we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years until the death of the Designated Life. |
| • | If Annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your Annuity, or if you decide to begin receiving Annuity payments and there is an Annual Income Amount due in subsequent Annuity Years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (a) | apply your Contract Value to any Annuity option available; or |
| (b) | request that, as of the date Annuity payments are to begin, we make Annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. If this option is elected, the Annual Income Amount will not increase after annuity payments have begun. We will make payments until the death of the single Designated Life. We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office. |
| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments in the form of a single life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity. The amount that will be applied to provide such Annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of the future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
| • | If no Lifetime Withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first Lifetime Withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
| • | Please note that payments that we make under this benefit after the Annuity Anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday will be treated as annuity payments. |
Other Important Considerations
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| • | Withdrawals under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Annuity, including any applicable CDSC for the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal as well as withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Annuity. Any withdrawals made under the benefit will be taken on a proportional basis from the Variable Options (including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio). |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your Annuity while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (subject to our rules regarding time and amount of withdrawals), you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit, and to maintain the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Permitted Variable Options. |
| • | You cannot allocate purchase payments or transfer Account Value to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (see description below) if you elect this benefit. A summary description of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio appears within the prospectus section entitled “What Are The Investment Objectives and Policies of The Portfolios?”. You can find a copy of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio prospectus by going to www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAO3-USP. |
| • | Transfers to and from the elected Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio triggered by the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus mathematical formula will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity. |
| • | You must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly adopted requirements. Subject to any change in requirements, transfer of Contract Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to new investment limitations. |
| • | The maximum charge for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is 1.50% annually of the greater of Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value (PWV). We deduct this fee on each quarterly anniversary of the benefit effective date. Thus, on each such quarterly anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if the quarterly anniversary is not a Valuation Day), we deduct 0.375% of the greater of the prior day’s Contract Value or the prior day’s Protected Withdrawal Value at the end of the quarter. We deduct the fee pro rata from each of your Variable Options including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Since this fee is based on the greater of the Contract Value or the Protected Withdrawal Value, the fee for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus may be greater than it would have been, had it been based on the Contract Value alone. If the fee to be deducted exceeds the Contract Value at the benefit quarter, we will charge the remainder of the Contract Value for the benefit and continue the benefit as described above. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designations Under the Benefit
We no longer permit new elections of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. For Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, there must have been either a single Owner who is the same as the Annuitant, or if the Annuity is entity owned, there must be a single natural person Annuitant. In either case, the Annuitant must have been at least 45 years old.
Any change of the Annuitant under the Annuity will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Similarly, any change of Owner will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, except if (a) the new Owner has the same taxpayer identification number as the previous owner, (b) ownership is transferred from a custodian or other entity to the Annuitant, or vice versa or (c) ownership is transferred from one entity to another entity that satisfies our administrative ownership guidelines.
Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and elect a new living benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and will begin the new guarantees under the new benefit you elect based on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. We reserve the right to waive, change and/or further limit the election frequency in the future.
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Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election may apply. The benefit automatically terminates: (i) upon your termination of the benefit, (ii) upon your surrender of the Annuity, (iii) as of the Latest Annuity Date or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (although if you have elected to receive the Annual Income Amount in the form of Annuity payments, we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount), (iv) upon our receipt of due proof of the death of the Annuitant, (v) if both the Contract Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero, or (vi) if you cease to meet our requirements as described in “Election of and Designations under the Benefit”.
Upon termination of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus other than upon the death of the Annuitant, we impose any accrued fee for the benefit (i.e., the fee for the pro-rated portion of the year since the fee was last assessed), and thereafter we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to your Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options).
If a surviving spouse elects to continue the Annuity, the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit terminates. The spouse may elect the benefit subject to the restrictions discussed above.
How Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Transfers Account Value Between Your Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio
As indicated above, we limit the Variable Options to which you may allocate Contract Value if you elect Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. For purposes of this benefit, we refer to those permitted investment options as the “Permitted Variable Options”.
An integral part of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is the pre-determined mathematical formula used to transfer Contract Value between the Permitted Variable Options and a specified bond fund within the Advanced Series Trust (the “AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio”). The AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is available only with this benefit, and thus you may not allocate purchase payments to or make transfers to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula monitors your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfers amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula is set forth in Appendix D.
Speaking generally, the formula, which is applied each Valuation Day, operates as follows. The formula starts by identifying an income basis for that day and then multiplies that figure by 5%, to produce a projected (i.e., hypothetical) income amount. Note that 5% is used in the formula, irrespective of the Annuitant’s attained age. Then it produces an estimate of the total amount targeted in our allocation model, based on the projected income amount and factors set forth in the formula. In the formula, we refer to that value as the “Target Value” or “L”. If you have already made a withdrawal, your projected income amount (and thus your Target Value) would take into account any automatic step-up, any subsequent purchase payments (and associated purchase credits), and any excess withdrawals. Next, the formula subtracts from the Target Value the amount held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio on that day, and divides that difference by the amount held within the Permitted Variable Options. That ratio, which essentially isolates the amount of your Target Value that is not offset by amounts held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, is called the “Target Ratio” or “r”. If, on each of three consecutive Valuation Days, the Target Ratio is greater than 83% but less than or equal to 84.5%, the formula will, on such third Valuation Day, make a transfer from the Permitted Variable Options in which you are invested (subject to the 90% Cap Rule) to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Once a transfer is made, the three consecutive Valuation Days begin again. If, however, on any Valuation Day, the Target Ratio is above 84.5%, it will make a transfer from the Permitted Variable Options (subject to the 90% cap) to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as described above). If the Target Ratio falls below 78% on any Valuation Day, then a transfer from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options will occur.
The formula will not execute a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio that results in more than 90% of your Contract Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (“90% cap”). Thus, on any Valuation Day, if the formula would require a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio that would result in more than 90% of the Contract Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, only the amount that results in exactly 90% of the Contract Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will be transferred. Additionally, future transfers into the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will not be made (regardless of the performance of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the Permitted Variable Options) at least until there is first a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Once this transfer occurs out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, future amounts may be transferred to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio if dictated by the formula (subject to the 90% cap). At no time will the formula make a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio that results in greater than 90% of your Contract Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. However, it is possible that, due to the investment performance of your allocations in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and your allocations in the Permitted Variable Options you have selected, your account value could be more than 90% invested in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity while the 90% cap is in effect, the formula will not transfer any of such additional purchase payments to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio at least until there is first a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, regardless of how much of your Contract Value is in the Permitted Variable Options. This means that there could be scenarios under which, because of the additional
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purchase payments you make, less than 90% of your entire Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, and the formula will still not transfer any of your Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (at least until there is first a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio). For example,
| • | March 19, 2009 – a transfer is made to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio that results in the 90% cap being met and now $90,000 is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and $10,000 is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options. |
| • | March 20, 2009 – you make an additional purchase payment of $10,000. No transfers have been made from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options since the cap went into effect on March 19, 2009. |
| • | On March 20, 2009 (and at least until first a transfer is made out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio under the formula) – the $10,000 payment is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options and on this date you have 82% in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and 18% in the Permitted Variable Options (such that $20,000 is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options and $90,000 to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio). |
| • | Once there is a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (of any amount), the formula will operate as described above, meaning that the formula could transfer amounts to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio if dictated by the formula (subject to the 90% cap). |
Under the operation of the formula, the 90% cap may come into existence and be removed multiple times while you participate in the benefit. We will continue to monitor your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio as dictated by the formula.
As you can glean from the formula, poor or flat investment performance of your Contract Value may result in a transfer of a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio because such poor investment performance will tend to increase the Target Ratio. Because the amount allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Annuity. In deciding how much to transfer, we use another formula, which essentially seeks to re-balance amounts held in the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio so that the Target Ratio meets a target, which currently is equal to 80%. Once you elect Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, the values we use to compare to the Target Ratio will be fixed.
Additionally, on each monthly Annuity Anniversary (if the monthly Annuity Anniversary does not fall on a Valuation Day, the next Valuation Day will be used), following all of the above described daily calculations, a transfer may be made from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options. Any such transfer will be based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options). This transfer will automatically occur provided that the Target Ratio, as described above, would be less than 83% after the transfer. The formula will not execute a transfer if the Target Ratio after this transfer would occur would be greater than or equal to 83%.
The amount of the transfer will be equal to the lesser of:
| (1) | The total value of all your Contract Value in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, or |
| (2) | An amount equal to 5% of your total Contract Value. |
While you are not notified when your Annuity reaches a transfer trigger under the formula, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Contract Value either to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula by which the transfer operates is designed primarily to mitigate some of the financial risks that we incur in providing the guarantee under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Depending on the results of the calculations of the formula, we may, on any Valuation Day:
| • | Not make any transfer between the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; or |
| • | If a portion of your Contract Value was previously allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, transfer all or a portion of those amounts to the Permitted Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) pro rata (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options); or |
| • | Transfer a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options pro rata to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. At any given time, some, most or none of your Contract Value will be allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, as dictated by the formula. |
Prior to the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the primary driver of transfers to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is difference between your Contract Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value. If none of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then over time the formula permits an increasing difference between the Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value before a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs. Therefore, as time goes on, while none of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, the smaller the difference between the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Contract Value, the more the Contract Value can decrease prior to a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Variable Options, and its impact on your Contract Value, will differ from market cycle to market cycle producing different transfer activity under the formula. The amount and timing of transfers to and from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio pursuant to the formula depend on various factors unique to your Annuity and are not necessarily directly correlated with the securities
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markets, bond markets, interest rates or any other market or index. Some of the factors that determine the amount and timing of transfers (as applicable to your Annuity), include:
| • | The difference between your Contract Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value; |
| • | The amount of time Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus has been in effect on your Annuity; |
| • | The amount allocated to and the performance of the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; |
| • | Any additional Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect); and |
| • | Any withdrawals you take from your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect). |
Because the amount allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Annuity. The greater the amounts allocated to either the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio or to the Permitted Variable Options, the greater the impact performance of those investments have on your Contract Value and thus the greater the impact on whether (and how much) your Contract Value is transferred to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. It is possible, under the formula, that if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and that Variable Option has positive performance, the formula might transfer a portion of your Contract Value to the Permitted Variable Options, even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is negative. Conversely, if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and that Variable Option has negative performance, the formula may transfer additional amounts from your Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is positive.
If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated in accordance with your Annuity. Once allocated, they will also be subject to the formula described above and therefore may be transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, if dictated by the formula and subject to the 90% Cap Rule.
Any Contract Value in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will not participate in the positive or negative investment experience of the Permitted Variable Options until it is transferred out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase an annuity as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the required minimum distribution rules under the Code provide that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than five (5) percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any Annuity Year that required minimum distributions due from your Annuity are greater than such amounts. Please note that any withdrawal (except the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal) you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee and the guaranteed amount described above under “Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value”. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while this benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Annuity. Please see the “Taxes” section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus through a nonqualified annuity, as with all withdrawals, once all purchase payments are returned under the Annuity, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
If you take a partial withdrawal to satisfy RMD and designate that withdrawal as a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, please note all Non-Lifetime Withdrawal provisions will apply.
SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME 7 PLUS INCOME BENEFIT (SHD7 Plus)
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is the spousal version of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. If you elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and subsequently terminate the benefit, you may elect another available living benefit, subject to our current rules. See “Termination of Existing Benefits and Election of New Benefits”.
Please note that if you terminate Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and elect another benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus could have been elected based on two Designated Lives, as described below. The youngest Designated Life must have been at least 50 years old and the oldest Designated Life must have been at least 55 years old when the benefit was elected. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is not available if you elected any other optional benefit. As long as your Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit is in effect,
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you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then permitted and available investment option(s) with this benefit. For a more detailed description of permitted investment options, see the “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” section in this prospectus.
We previously offered a benefit that guarantees until the later death of two natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit (the “Designated Lives”, and each, a “Designated Life”) the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Annual Income Amount for the lives of the Designated Lives (“Lifetime Withdrawals”) provided you have not made “excess withdrawals” that have resulted in your Contract Value being reduced to zero. We also permit a one-time Non-Lifetime Withdrawal from your Annuity prior to taking Lifetime Withdrawals under the benefit. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity, wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments, and wish either spouse to be able to continue the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit after the death of the first spouse. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our predetermined mathematical formula in order to participate in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Contract Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
Although you are guaranteed the ability to withdraw your Annual Income Amount for life even if your Contract Value falls to zero, if you take an excess withdrawal that brings your Contract Value to zero, it is possible that your Annual Income Amount could also fall to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus.
Key Feature - Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to calculate the initial Annual Income Amount. The Protected Withdrawal Value is separate from your Contract Value and not available as cash or a lump sum. On the effective date of the benefit, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to your Contract Value. On each Valuation Day thereafter until the date of your first Lifetime Withdrawal (excluding any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal discussed below), the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the “Periodic Value” described in the next paragraph.
The “Periodic Value” initially is equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation Day thereafter until the first Lifetime Withdrawal, we recalculate the Periodic Value. We stop determining the Periodic Value upon your first Lifetime Withdrawal after the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation Day (the “Current Valuation Day”), the Periodic Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value for the immediately preceding business day (the “Prior Valuation Day”) appreciated at the daily equivalent of 7% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Valuation Day and the Current Valuation Day (i.e., one day for successive Valuation Days, but more than one calendar day for Valuation Days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any adjusted Purchase Payment made on the Current Valuation Day (the Periodic Value is proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal); and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
If you have not made a Lifetime Withdrawal on or before the 10th, 20th, or 25th Anniversary of the effective date of the benefit, your Periodic Value on the 10th, 20th, or 25th Anniversary of the benefit effective date is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value described above or, |
| (2) | the sum of (a), (b) and (c) (proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal): |
| (a) | 200% (on the 10th anniversary), 400% (on the 20th anniversary) or 600% (on the 25th anniversary) of the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit; |
| (b) | 200% (on the 10th anniversary), 400% (on the 20th anniversary) or 600% (on the 25th anniversary) of all adjusted purchase payments made within one year following the effective date of the benefit; and |
| (c) | All adjusted purchase payments made after one year following the effective date of the benefit. |
On and after the date of your first Lifetime Withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is increased by the amount of any subsequent purchase payments, is reduced by withdrawals, including your first Lifetime Withdrawal (as described below), and may be increased if you qualify for a step-up (as described below).
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a Lifetime Withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation Day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
| (a) | your Contract Value on the day that you elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal; and |
| (b) | the sum of each Purchase Payment proportionally reduced for any subsequent Non-Lifetime Withdrawal (including the amount of any associated Credits) you made during the one-year period after you elected the benefit. |
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If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options (including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio used with this benefit), in the same proportion that each such Variable Option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately before the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Protected Withdrawal Value, your death benefit, or the amount of any optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. Because the amount is added to your Contract Value, it will also be subject to each charge under your Annuity based on Contract Value. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if you take a withdrawal, including a required minimum distribution, (other than a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal) prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee. The Return of Principal Guarantee is referred to as the Guaranteed Minimum Account Value Credit in the benefit rider.
Key Feature – Annual Income Amount under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit
The Annual Income Amount is equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the first Lifetime Withdrawal and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. The percentage initially depends on the age of the youngest Designated Life on the date of the first Lifetime Withdrawal after election of the benefit. The percentages are: 4% for ages 50 – less than 59 ½, 5% for ages 59 ½ – 79, 6% for ages 80 to 84, 7% for ages 85 to 89, and 8% for ages 90 and older. We use the age of the youngest Designated Life even if that Designated Life is no longer a participant under the Annuity due to death or divorce.
Under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit, if your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year. If your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are in excess of the Annual Income Amount for any Annuity Year (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions for this Annuity that comply with our rules) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions are based on the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. Lifetime Withdrawals of any amount up to and including the Annual Income Amount will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the withdrawal. Withdrawals of Excess Income will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the same ratio as the reduction to the Annual Income Amount.
Note that if your withdrawal of the Annual Income Amount in a given Annuity Year exceeds the applicable free withdrawal amount under the Annuity (but is not considered Excess Income), we will not impose any CDSC on the amount of that withdrawal.
You may use the Systematic Withdrawal program to make withdrawals of the Annual Income Amount. Any systematic withdrawal will be deemed a Lifetime Withdrawal under this benefit.
Any Purchase Payment that you make subsequent to the election of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus will (i) increase the then-existing Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to a percentage of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credit) based on the age of the younger Annuitant at the time of the first Lifetime Withdrawal (the percentages are: 4% for ages 50 – less than 59 ½, 5% for ages 59 ½ – 79, 6% for ages 80-84, 7% for ages 85-89, and 8% for ages 90 and older), and (ii) increase the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credit).
If your Annuity permits additional purchase payments, we may limit any additional purchase payment(s) if we determine that as a result of the timing and amounts of your additional purchase payments and withdrawals, the Annual Income Amount is being increased in an unintended fashion. Among the factors we will use in making a determination as to whether an action is designed to increase the Annual Income Amount in an unintended fashion is the relative size of additional purchase payment(s). Subject to state law, we reserve the right to not accept additional purchase payments if we are not then offering this benefit for new elections. We will exercise such reservation of right for all annuity purchasers in the same class in a nondiscriminatory manner. Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
Highest Daily Auto Step-Up
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Daily Auto Step-Up”) is part of this benefit. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Daily Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Annual Income Amount subsequent to your first Lifetime Withdrawal. The Highest Daily Step-Up starts with the anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity (the “Annuity Anniversary”) immediately after your first Lifetime Withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Annuity Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on each Valuation Day within the immediately preceding Annuity Year after your first Lifetime Withdrawal. Having identified the highest daily value (after all daily values have been adjusted for subsequent purchase payments and withdrawals), we then multiply that value by a percentage that varies based on the age of the youngest Designated Life on the Annuity Anniversary as of which the step-up would occur. The percentages are 4% for ages 50 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½ – 79, 6% for ages 80-84, 7% for ages 85-89, and 8% for ages 90 and older. If that value exceeds the existing Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Annual Income Amount intact. The Contract Value on the Annuity Anniversary is considered the last daily step-up value of the Annuity Year. In
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later years (i.e., after the first Annuity Anniversary after the first Lifetime Withdrawal), we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each Annuity Anniversary by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values that occurred on Valuation Days during the year. At the time that we increase your Annual Income Amount, we also increase your Protected Withdrawal Value to equal the highest daily value upon which your step-up was based only if that results in an increase to the Protected Withdrawal Value. Your Protected Withdrawal Value will never be decreased as a result of an income step-up. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Daily Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject.
If you establish a Systematic Withdrawal program, we will not automatically increase the withdrawal amount when there is an increase to the Annual Income Amount.
The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your Annuity, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, if your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount in any Annuity Year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent Annuity Years.
Because each of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Annual Income Amount remains.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Daily Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values shown here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Issue Date is December 1, 2008 |
| • | The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is elected on March 5, 2009 |
| • | The younger Designated Life was 70 years old when he/she elected the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
Example of dollar-for-dollar reductions
On November 24, 2009, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in an Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (since the youngest designated life is between the ages of 59 ½ and 79 at the time of the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value, in this case 5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Annuity on this date, the remaining Annual Income Amount for that Annuity Year (up to and including December 1, 2009) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Annual Income Amount ($6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500).
Example of proportional reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on November 27, 2009 and the Account Value at the time and immediately prior to this withdrawal is $118,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Annual Income Amount for that Annuity Year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount of $1,500 – reduces the Annual Income Amount in future Annuity Years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Account Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there were other withdrawals in that Annuity Year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Annual Income Amount).
Here is the calculation:
|
Account Value before Lifetime Withdrawal |
$118,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Account Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$114,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Account Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$114,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.31% |
|
Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.31% |
$78.60 |
|
Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,921.40 |
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Example of highest daily auto step-up
On each Annuity Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Annuity Anniversary) of the highest daily value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Annuity Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Annuity Year. |
| • | The Annuity Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Annuity Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the annuity year. |
| • | The highest daily Unadjusted Account Value for this Annuity Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest daily Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Annuity Year. |
| • | The Annuity Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Annuity Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the annuity year. |
| • | The highest daily Unadjusted Account Value for this Annuity Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous highest daily Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
Non-Lifetime Withdrawal Feature
You may take a one-time non-lifetime withdrawal (“Non-Lifetime Withdrawal”) under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. It is an optional feature of the benefit that you can only elect at the time of your first withdrawal. You cannot take a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal in an amount that would cause your Annuity’s Contract Value, after taking the withdrawal, to fall below the minimum Surrender Value (see “Access to Account Value – Can I Surrender My Annuity for Its Value?”). This Non-Lifetime Withdrawal will not establish your initial Annual Income Amount and the Periodic Value above will continue to be calculated. However, the total amount of the withdrawal will proportionally reduce all guarantees associated with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. You must tell us if your withdrawal is intended to be the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal and not the first Lifetime Withdrawal under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. If you don’t elect the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, the first withdrawal you make will be the first Lifetime Withdrawal that establishes your Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount. Once you elect the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal or Lifetime Withdrawals, no additional Non-Lifetime Withdrawals may be taken.
The Non-Lifetime Withdrawal will proportionally reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Return of Principal guarantee. It will also proportionally reduce the Periodic Value guarantees on the tenth, twentieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries of the benefit effective date (see description in “Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value,” above). It will reduce all three by the percentage the total withdrawal amount (including any applicable CDSC) represents of the then current Contract Value immediately prior to the time of the withdrawal. The Non-Lifetime Withdrawal could result in a lower Annual Income Amount at the time you take your first Lifetime Withdrawal depending on the amount of the proportional reduction described above and duration of time between your Non-Lifetime and first Lifetime Withdrawal. As such, you should carefully consider when it is most appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals under the benefit.
If you are participating in a Systematic Withdrawal program, the first withdrawal under the program cannot be classified as the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal.
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Example – Non-Lifetime Withdrawal (proportional reduction)
This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges. It is intended to illustrate the proportional reduction of the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal under this benefit.
Assume the following:
| • | The Issue Date is December 1, 2008 |
| • | The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is elected on March 5, 2009 |
| • | The Contract Value at benefit election was $105,000 |
| • | The younger Designated Life was 70 years old when he/she elected the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
| • | No previous withdrawals have been taken under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
On May 2, 2009, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $125,000, the 10th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $210,000, the 10th benefit year Return of Principal guarantee is $105,000, the 20th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $420,000, the 25th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $630,000 and the Contract Value is $120,000. Assuming $15,000 is withdrawn from the Annuity on May 2, 2009 and is designated as a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, all guarantees associated with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit will be reduced by the ratio the total withdrawal amount represents of the Contract Value just prior to the withdrawal being taken.
Here is the calculation:
|
Withdrawal Amount divided by |
$15,000 |
|
Account Value before withdrawal |
$120,000 |
|
Equals ratio |
12.5% |
|
All guarantees will be reduced by the above ratio (12.5%) | |
|
Protected Withdrawal Value |
$109,375 |
|
10th benefit year Return of Principal |
$91,875 |
|
10th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$183,750 |
|
20th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$367,500 |
|
25th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$551,250 |
Required Minimum Distributions
Withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount, but which you are required to take as a required minimum distribution for this Annuity, will not reduce the Annual Income Amount for future years. No additional Annual Income Amounts will be available in an Annuity Year due to required minimum distributions unless the required minimum distribution amount is greater than the Annual Income Amount. Any withdrawal you take that exceeds the Annual Income Amount in Annuity Years that your required minimum distribution amount is not greater than the Annual Income Amount will be treated as an Excess Withdrawal under the benefit. If your required minimum distribution (as calculated by us for your Annuity and not previously withdrawn in the current calendar year) is greater than the Annual Income Amount, an amount equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount plus the difference between the required minimum distribution amount not previously withdrawn in the current calendar year and the Annual Income Amount will be available in the current Annuity Year without it being considered an excess withdrawal. In the event that a required minimum distribution is calculated in a calendar year that crosses more than one Annuity Year and you choose to satisfy the entire required minimum distribution for that calendar year in the next Annuity Year, the distribution taken in the next Annuity Year will reduce your Annual Income Amount in that Annuity Year on a dollar for dollar basis. If the required minimum distribution not taken in the prior Annuity Year is greater than the Annual Income Amount as guaranteed by the benefit in the current Annuity Year, the total required minimum distribution amount may be taken without being treated as an excess withdrawal.
In any year in which the requirement to take Required Minimum Distributions is suspended by law, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion and regardless of any position taken on this issue in a prior year, to treat any amount that would have been considered as a Required Minimum Distribution if not for the suspension as eligible for treatment as described herein.
Example – Required Minimum Distributions
The following example is purely hypothetical and is intended to illustrate a scenario in which the required minimum distribution amount in a given Annuity Year is greater than the Annual Income Amount.
Annual Income Amount = $5,000
Remaining Annual Income Amount = $3,000
Required Minimum Distribution = $6,000
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The amount you may withdraw in the current Annuity Year without it being treated as an Excess Withdrawal is $4,000. ($3,000 + ($6,000 – $5,000) = $4,000).
If the $4,000 withdrawal is taken, the remaining Annual Income Amount will be zero and the remaining required minimum distribution amount of $2,000 may be taken in the subsequent Annuity Year (when your Annual Income Amount is reset to $5,000) without proportionally reducing all guarantees associated with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit as described above. The amount you may withdraw in the subsequent Annuity Year if you choose not to satisfy the required minimum distribution in the current Annuity Year (assuming the Annual Income Amount in the subsequent Annuity Year is $5,000) without being treated as an Excess Withdrawal is $6,000. This withdrawal must comply with all IRS guidelines in order to satisfy the required minimum distribution for the current calendar year.
Benefits Under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount or as a result of the fee that we assess for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, and amounts are still payable under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that Annuity Year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the Annuity Year. If you have not begun taking Lifetime Withdrawals and your Contract Value is reduced to zero as a result of the fee we assess for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first Lifetime Withdrawal on the date the Contract Value was reduced to zero and Lifetime Withdrawals will begin on the next Annuity Anniversary. If this were to occur, you are not permitted to make additional purchase payments to your Annuity. Thus, in these scenarios, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent Annuity Years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the Annuity Year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit terminates, and no additional payments will be made. However, if a withdrawal in the latter scenario was taken to satisfy a required minimum distribution under the Annuity the benefit will not terminate, and we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years until the death of the second Designated Life. |
| • | If Annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your Annuity, or if you decide to begin receiving Annuity payments and there is an Annual Income Amount due in subsequent Annuity Years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (1) | apply your Contract Value to any Annuity option available; or |
| (2) | request that, as of the date Annuity payments are to begin, we make Annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life. If, due to death of a Designated Life or divorce prior to annuitization, only a single Designated Life remains, then Annuity payments will be made as a life annuity for the lifetime of the Designated Life. We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office. |
| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity. The amount that will be applied to provide such Annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of the future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
| • | If no Lifetime Withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first Lifetime Withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
| • | Please note that payments that we make under this benefit after the Annuity Anniversary coinciding with or next following the older of the owner or Annuitant’s 95th birthday will be treated as annuity payments. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Annuity, including any applicable CDSC for the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal as well as withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Annuity. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your Annuity while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (subject to program rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals), you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
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| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit, and to maintain the benefit, 100% of your Contract Value must have been allocated to the Permitted Variable Options. |
| • | You cannot allocate purchase payments or transfer Account Value to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as described below) if you elected this benefit. A summary description of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio appears in the prospectus section entitled “What Are The Investment Objectives and Policies of The Portfolios?”. You can find a copy of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio prospectus by going to www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAO3-USP. |
| • | Transfers to and from the elected Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio triggered by the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus pre-determined mathematical formula will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity. |
| • | You must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly adopted requirements. Subject to any change in requirements, transfers of Contract Value and allocation of Additional purchase payments may be subject to new investment limitations. |
| • | The maximum fee for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is 1.50% annually of the greater of Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value. We deduct this fee on each quarterly anniversary of the benefit effective date. Thus, on each such quarterly anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if the quarterly anniversary is not a Valuation Day), we deduct 0.375% of the greater of the prior day’s Contract Value, or the prior day’s Protected Withdrawal Value at the end of the quarter. We deduct the fee pro rata from each of your Variable Options including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Since this fee is based on the greater of the Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value, the fee for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus may be greater than it would have been, had it been based on the Contract Value alone. If the fee to be deducted exceeds the Contract Value, we will reduce the Contract Value to zero, and continue the benefit as described above. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designations Under the Benefit
We no longer permit new elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus could only be elected based on two Designated Lives. Designated Lives must be natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus only could be elected where the Owner, Annuitant, and Beneficiary designations are as follows:
| • | One Annuity Owner, where the Annuitant and the Owner are the same person and the beneficiary is the Owner’s spouse. The youngest Owner/Annuitant and the beneficiary must be at least 50 years old and the oldest must be at least 55 years old at the time of election; or |
| • | Co-Annuity Owners, where the Owners are each other’s spouses. The beneficiary designation must be the surviving spouse, or the spouses named equally. One of the owners must be the Annuitant. The youngest Owner must be at least 50 years old and the oldest owner must be at least 55 years old at the time of election; or |
| • | One Annuity Owner, where the Owner is a custodial account established to hold retirement assets for the benefit of the Annuitant pursuant to the provisions of Section 408(a) of the Code (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”), the beneficiary is the Custodial Account, and the spouse of the Annuitant is the Contingent Annuitant. The youngest of the Annuitant and the Contingent Annuitant must be at least 50 years old and the oldest must be at least 55 years old at the time of election. |
We do not permit a change of Owner under this benefit, except as follows: (a) if one Owner dies and the surviving spousal Owner assumes the Annuity, or (b) if the Annuity initially is co-owned, but thereafter the Owner who is not the Annuitant is removed as Owner. We permit changes of beneficiary designations under this benefit. If the Designated Lives divorce, however, the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit may not be divided as part of the divorce settlement or judgment. Nor may the divorcing spouse who retains ownership of the Annuity appoint a new Designated Life upon re-marriage. Our current administrative procedure is to treat the division of an Annuity as a withdrawal from the existing Annuity. The nonowner spouse may then decide whether he or she wishes to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity, subject to the rules that are current at the time of purchase.
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Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus could have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity or after the Issue Date, subject to our eligibility rules and restrictions. See “Termination of Existing Benefits and Election of New Benefits” for information pertaining to elections, termination and re-election of benefits. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit and elect a new living benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. We reserve the right to waive, change and/or further limit the election frequency in the future.
Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election may apply. The benefit automatically terminates: (i) if upon the death of the first Designated Life, the surviving Designated Life opts to take the death benefit under the Annuity (thus, the benefit does not terminate solely because of the death of the first Designated Life), (ii) upon the death of the second Designated Life, (iii) upon your termination of the benefit, (iv) upon your surrender of the Annuity, (v) as of the Latest Annuity Date or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (although if you have elected to take annuity payments in the form of the Annual Income Amount, we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount), (vi) if both the Contract Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero, or (vii) if you cease to meet our requirements as described in “Election of and Designations under the Benefit”.
Upon termination of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus other than upon death of a Designated Life, we impose any accrued fee for the benefit (i.e., the fee for the pro-rated portion of the year since the fee was last assessed), and thereafter we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as defined below) to your Variable Options based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such instruction) pro rata (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options).
How Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Transfers Account Value between Your Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio
See “How Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Transfers Account Value Between Your Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio” in this Prospectus for information regarding this component of the benefit.
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase an annuity as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the required minimum distribution rules under the Code provide that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than five (5) percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any Annuity Year that required minimum distributions due from your Annuity are greater than such amounts. Please note that any withdrawal (except the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal) you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee and the guaranteed amount described above under “Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value”. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while this benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Annuity. Please see the “Taxes” section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus through a nonqualified annuity, as with all withdrawals, once all purchase payments are returned under the Annuity, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
If you take a partial withdrawal to satisfy RMD and designate that withdrawal as a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, please note all Non-lifetime Withdrawal provisions will apply.
The Income Appreciator Benefit (IAB) is no longer available for new elections. It was an optional, supplemental income benefit that provided an additional income amount during the accumulation period or upon annuitization. The Income Appreciator Benefit was designed to provide you with additional funds that could be used to help defray the impact taxes may have on distributions from your contract. The benefit provided an opportunity to increase available income from your contract by multiplying your investment earnings by a percentage (either 15%, 20% or 25%) depending upon the length of time since you purchased your contract.
| • | The Income Appreciator Benefit, may not be revoked. |
| • | If you chose the Income Appreciator Benefit, we imposed a maximum charge equal to 0.25% of your Contract Value on each contract anniversary. See “Charges” section in this prospectus for more information. |
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Activation of the Income Appreciator Benefit
Following a waiting period of at least 7 years, there are 3 options available to activate the Income Appreciator Benefit:
| • | IAB Option 1: On the Annuity Date, elect to have the Income Appreciator Benefit added to the value of your annuity to determine your annuity payments |
| • | IAB Option 2: While the contract is in the Accumulation Phase, elect to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit through a 10-year payment program |
| • | IAB Option 3: Elect to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit as a credit to your Contract Value. |
Income Appreciator Benefit payments are treated as earnings and may be subject to tax upon withdrawal. See “Taxes” section in this prospectus for more information.
If you do not activate the benefit prior to the maximum annuitization age you may lose all or part of the IAB.
CALCULATION OF THE INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT
We will calculate the Income Appreciator Benefit amount as of the date we receive your written request in good order (or, for IAB Option 1, on the annuity date). We do this by multiplying the current earnings in the contract by the applicable Income Appreciator Benefit percentage based on the number of years the Income Appreciator Benefit has been in force. For purposes of calculating the Income Appreciator Benefit, earnings are calculated as the difference between the Contract Value and the sum of all Purchase Payments. Earnings do not include (1) any amount added to the Contract Value as a result of the Spousal Continuance Option, or (2) if we were to permit you to elect the Income Appreciator Benefit after the contract date, any earnings accrued under the contract prior to that election. Withdrawals reduce earnings first, then Purchase Payments, on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The table below shows the Income Appreciator Benefit percentages corresponding to the number of years the Income Appreciator Benefit has been in force.
|
Number of Years Income Appreciator has been in Force |
Income Appreciator Benefit Percentage |
|
0-6 |
0% |
|
7-9 |
15% |
|
10-14 |
20% |
|
15+ |
25% |
Example of the Calculation of the Income Appreciator Benefit, assume:
| • | Contract purchased:6/10/2002 |
| • | Total Purchase Payments: $100.000 |
| • | IAB activation date: 6/10/2009 |
| • | Contract Value on 6/10/2009: $250,626.57 |
| • | IAB fee: $626.57 (Fee is deducted first as activation of benefit occurred on contract anniversary) |
First, your Contract’s earnings is calculated: $250,626.57 - $626.57 - $100,000 = $150,000.00 Then your IAB value is determined: $150,000 x 15% = $22,500. (Note: 15% is the rate earnings will be multiplied by for a Contract that was purchased 7 years prior).
IAB Option 1 - Income Appreciator Benefit At Annuitization Under this option, if you choose to activate the Income Appreciator Benefit at annuitization, we will calculate the Income Appreciator Benefit amount on the annuity date and add it to the adjusted Contract Value for purposes of determining the amount available for annuitization. You may apply this amount to any annuity or settlement option over the lifetime of the annuitant, joint annuitants, or a period certain of at least 15 years (but not to exceed life expectancy).
UPON ANNUITIZATION, YOU MAY LOSE ALL OR A PORTION OF THE INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT IF YOU CHOOSE AN ANNUITY SETTLEMENT OPTION OTHER THAN ANY LIFETIME PAYOUT OPTION OR PERIOD CERTAIN OPTION FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS. IN SUCH INSTANCES, WE WOULD NOT REIMBURSE YOU FOR THE EXPENSES YOU HAD PAID US FOR THIS BENEFIT.
Effect of Income Appreciator Benefit on Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit If you exercise the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit feature and an Income Appreciator Benefit amount remains payable under your contract, the value we use to calculate the annuity payout amount will be the greater of:
| (1) | the adjusted Contract Value plus the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount, calculated at current IAB annuitization rates; or |
| (2) | the GMIB protected value plus the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount, calculated using the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates shown in the contract. |
If you exercise the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit feature and activate the Income Appreciator Benefit at the same time, you must choose among the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit annuity payout options available at the time.
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Terminating the Income Appreciator Benefit
The Income Appreciator Benefit will terminate on the earliest of:
| • | the date you make a total withdrawal from the contract; |
| • | the date a death benefit is payable if the contract is not continued by the surviving spouse under the Spousal Continuance Option; |
| • | the date the Income Appreciator Benefit amount is reduced to zero (generally ten years after activation) under IAB Options 2 and 3; |
| • | the date of annuitization; or |
| • | the date the contract terminates. Upon termination of the Income Appreciator Benefit, we cease imposing the associated charge. |
INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT OPTIONS DURING THE ACCUMULATION PHASE
You may choose IAB Option 1 at annuitization, but you may instead choose IAB Options 2 or 3 during the accumulation phase of your contract. Income Appreciator Benefit payments under IAB Options 2 and 3 will begin on the same day of the month as the contract date, beginning with the next month following our receipt of your request in good order.
Under IAB Options 2 and 3, you can choose to have the Income Appreciator Benefit amounts paid or credited monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.
IAB OPTIONS 2 AND 3 INVOLVE A TEN-YEAR PAYMENT PERIOD. IF THE 10-YEAR PAYMENT PERIOD WOULD END AFTER THE ANNUITY DATE AND YOU CHOOSE AN ANNUITY SETTLEMENT OPTION OTHER THAN ANY LIFETIME PAYOUT OPTION OR PERIOD CERTAIN OPTION OF AT LEAST 15 YEARS OR YOU MAKE A FULL WITHDRAWAL, YOU MAY LOSE ALL OR ANY REMAINING PORTION OF THE INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT. IN SUCH INSTANCES, WE WOULD NOT REIMBURSE YOU FOR THE EXPENSES YOU HAD PAID US FOR THIS BENEFIT.
IAB Option 2 - Income Appreciator Benefit Automatic Withdrawal Payment Program Under this option, you elect to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit during the accumulation phase. When you activate the benefit, a 10-year Income Appreciator Benefit automatic withdrawal payment program begins. We will pay you the Income Appreciator Benefit amount in equal installments over a 10-year payment period. You may combine this Income Appreciator Benefit amount with an automated withdrawal amount from your Contract Value, in which case each combined payment must be at least $100.
The maximum automated withdrawal payment amount that you may receive from your Contract Value under this Income Appreciator Benefit program in any contract year during the 10-year period may not exceed 10% of the Contract Value as of the date you activate the Income Appreciator Benefit.
Once we calculate the Income Appreciator Benefit, the amount will not be affected by changes in Contract Value due to the investment performance of any allocation option. Withdrawal charges may apply to automatic withdrawal payment amounts, but not to amounts attributable to the Income Appreciator Benefit.
After the ten-year payment period has ended, if the remaining Contract Value is $2,000 or more, the contract will continue. If the remaining Contract Value is less than $2,000 after the end of the 10-year payment period, we will pay you the remaining Contract Value and the contract will terminate. If the Contract Value falls below the minimum amount required to keep the contract in force due solely to investment results before the end of the 10- year payment period, we will continue to pay the Income Appreciator Benefit amount for the remainder of the 10-year payment period.
Discontinuing the Income Appreciator Benefit Automatic Withdrawal Payment Program Under IAB Option 2 You may discontinue the Income Appreciator Benefit payment program under IAB Option 2 and activate IAB Option 3 at any time after payments have begun and before the last payment is made. We will add the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount to the Contract Value at the same frequency as your initial election until the end of the 10-year payment period. We will treat any Income Appreciator Benefit amount added to the Contract Value as additional earnings. Unless you direct us otherwise, we will allocate these additions to the Variable Options, fixed interest rate options, or the market value adjustment option in the same proportions as your most recent purchase payment allocation percentages.
You may discontinue the Income Appreciator Benefit payment program under IAB Option 2 before the last payment is made and elect an annuity or settlement option. We will add the balance of the Income Appreciator Benefit amount for the 10-year payment period to the Contract Value in a lump sum before determining the adjusted Contract Value. The adjusted Contract Value may be applied to any annuity or settlement option that is paid over the lifetime of the annuitant, joint annuitants, or a period certain of at least 15 years (but not to exceed life expectancy).
IAB Option 3 - Income Appreciator Benefit Credit to Contract Value Under this option, you can activate the Income Appreciator Benefit and receive the benefit as credits to your Contract Value over a 10-year payment period. We will allocate these Income Appreciator Benefit credits to the Variable Options, the fixed interest rate options, or the market value adjustment option in the same manner as your current allocation, unless you direct us otherwise. We will waive the $1,000 minimum requirement for the market value adjustment option. We will calculate the Income Appreciator Benefit amount on the date we receive your written request in good order. Once we have calculated the Income Appreciator Benefit, the Income Appreciator Benefit credit will not be affected by changes in Contract Value due to the investment performance of any allocation option.
Before we add the last Income Appreciator Benefit credit to your Contract Value, you may switch to IAB Option 2 and receive the remainder of the Income Appreciator Benefit as payments to you (instead of credits to the Contract Value) under the Income Appreciator Benefit program for the remainder of the 10-year payment period.
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You can also request that any remaining payments in the 10-year payment period be applied to an annuity or settlement option that is paid over the lifetime of the annuitants, joint annuitants, or a period certain of at least 15 years (but not to exceed life expectancy).
Excess Withdrawals
During the 10 year period under IAB options 2 or 3, an “excess withdrawal” occurs when any amount is withdrawn from your Contract Value in a contract year that exceeds the sum of (1) 10% of the Contract Value as of the date the Income Appreciator Benefit was activated plus (2) earnings since the Income Appreciator Benefit was activated that have not been previously withdrawn.
We will deduct the excess withdrawal on a proportional basis from the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount. We will then calculate and apply a new reduced Income Appreciator Benefit amount.
Withdrawals you make in a contract year that do not exceed the sum of (1) 10% of the Contract Value as of the date the Income Appreciator Benefit was activated plus (2) earnings since the Income Appreciator Benefit was activated that have not been previously withdrawn do not reduce the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount. Additionally, if the amount withdrawn in any year is less than the excess withdrawal threshold, the difference between the amount withdrawn and the threshold can be carried over to subsequent years on a cumulative basis and withdrawn without causing a reduction to the Income Appreciator Benefit amount.
Effect of Total Withdrawal on Income Appreciator Benefit We will not make Income Appreciator Benefit payments after the date you make a total withdrawal of the contract surrender value.
The Death Benefit Feature Protects the Contract Value for the Beneficiary.
Beneficiary
The beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you name to receive any death benefit. The beneficiary is named at the time the contract is issued, unless you change it at a later date. Unless an irrevocable beneficiary has been named, during the accumulation period you can change the beneficiary at any time before the owner or last survivor, if there are spousal joint owners, dies. However, if the contract is jointly owned, the owner must name the joint owner and the joint owner must name the owner as the beneficiary. For entity-owned contracts, we pay a death benefit upon the death of the annuitant. If no beneficiary is named for a trust owner contract, the default beneficiary will be the contract owner.
CALCULATION OF THE DEATH BENEFIT
If the owner or joint owner dies during the accumulation phase, we will, upon receiving the appropriate proof of death and any other needed documentation in good order (proof of death), pay a death benefit to the beneficiary designated by the deceased owner or joint owner. If there is a sole owner and there is only one beneficiary who is the owner’s spouse on the date of death, then the surviving spouse may continue the contract under the Spousal Continuance Option. If there are an owner and joint owner of the contract, and the owner’s spouse is both the joint owner and the beneficiary on the date of death, then, at the death of the first to die, the death benefit will be paid to the surviving owner or the surviving owner may continue the contract under the Spousal Continuance Option.
Upon receiving appropriate proof of death, the beneficiary will receive the greater of the following:
| (1) | The current Contract Value (as of the time we receive proof of death in good order). If you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will first deduct any credit corresponding to a purchase payment made within one year of death. We impose no market value adjustment on Contract Value held within the market value adjustment option when a death benefit is paid. |
| (2) | Either the base death benefit, which equals the total invested purchase payments you have made proportionally reduced by any withdrawals, or, |
| (I) | if you have chosen a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB), the GMDB protected value or |
| (II) | if you have chosen the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, a death benefit equal to the highest daily value (computed as described below in this section). |
Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated:
The contract was issued with purchase payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Variable Option performance, the account value had decreased to $80,000. If the owner died, the death benefit would still be $100,000. This amount, however, is reduced proportionally when you make a withdrawal from the contract. If the contract owner had withdrawn 50% of the remaining $80,000, the death benefit would also be reduced by 50%. Since the death benefit had been $100,000, it would now be $50,000.
GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT
The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit provided an enhanced death benefit upon the death of the sole owner or the first to die of the owner or joint owner during the accumulation phase.
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The GMDB protected value option can be equal to the:
| • | GMDB roll-up, |
| • | GMDB step-up, or |
| • | Greater of the GMDB roll-up and the GMDB step-up. |
The GMDB protected value is calculated daily.
IF THE SOLE OWNER OR THE OLDER OF THE OWNER AND JOINT OWNER IS LESS THAN AGE 80 ON THE CONTRACT DATE, the GMDB roll-up is equal to the invested purchase payments, increased daily at an effective annual interest rate of 5% starting on the date that each invested purchase payment is made. The GMDB roll-up value will increase by subsequent invested purchase payments and reduce by the effect of withdrawals.
We stop increasing the GMDB roll-up by the effective annual interest rate on the later of:
| • | the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the sole owner’s or older owner’s 80th birthday, or |
| • | the 5th contract anniversary. |
However, the GMDB protected value will still increase by subsequent invested purchase payments and reduce by the effect of withdrawals.
Withdrawals will first reduce the GMDB protected value on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the first 5% of GMDB protected value calculated on the contract anniversary (on the contract date in the first contract year), then proportionally by any amounts exceeding the 5%.
IF THE SOLE OWNER OR THE OLDER OF THE OWNER AND JOINT OWNER IS BETWEEN AGE 80 AND 85 ON THE CONTRACT DATE, the GMDB roll-up is equal to the invested purchase payments, increased daily at an effective annual interest rate of 3% of all invested purchase payments, starting on the date that each invested purchase payment is made. We will increase the GMDB roll-up by subsequent invested purchase payments and reduce it by the effect of withdrawals.
We stop increasing the GMDB roll-up by the effective annual interest rate on the 5th contract anniversary. However we will continue to reduce the GMDB protected value by the effect of withdrawals.
Withdrawals will first reduce the GMDB protected value on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the first 3% of GMDB protected value calculated on the contract anniversary (on the contract date in the first contract year), then proportionally by any amounts exceeding the 3%.
IF THE SOLE OWNER OR THE OLDER OF THE OWNER AND JOINT OWNER IS LESS THAN AGE 80 ON THE CONTRACT DATE, the GMDB step-up before the first contract anniversary is the initial invested purchase payment increased by subsequent invested purchase payments, and proportionally reduced by the effect of withdrawals. The GMDB step-up on each contract anniversary will be the greater of the previous GMDB step-up and the Contract Value as of such contract anniversary. Between contract anniversaries, the GMDB step-up will increase by invested purchase payments and reduce proportionally by withdrawals.
We stop increasing the GMDB step-up by any appreciation in the Contract Value on the later of:
| • | the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the sole or older owner’s 80th birthday, or |
| • | the 5th contract anniversary. |
However, we still increase the GMDB protected value by subsequent invested purchase payments and proportionally reduce it by withdrawals.
Here is an example of a proportional reduction:
The current Contract Value is $100,000 and the protected value is $80,000. The owner makes a withdrawal that reduces the Contract Value by 25% (including the effect of any withdrawal charges).The new protected value is $60,000, or 75% of what it was before the withdrawal.
IF THE SOLE OWNER OR THE OLDER OF THE OWNER AND JOINT OWNER IS BETWEEN AGE 80 AND 85 ON THE CONTRACT DATE, the GMDB step-up before the third contract anniversary is the sum of invested purchase payments, reduced by the effect of withdrawals. On the third contract anniversary, we will adjust the GMDB step-up to the greater of the then current GMDB step-up or the Contract Value as of that contract anniversary. Thereafter, we will only increase the GMDB protected value by subsequent invested purchase payments and proportionally reduce it by withdrawals.
GMDB Greater of Roll-Up and Step-Up
Under this option, the death benefit is equal to the greater of the step-up value and the roll-up value, calculated as described above.
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Special rules apply if the beneficiary is the spouse of the owner, and the contract does not have a joint owner. In that case, upon the death of the owner, the spouse will have the choice of the following:
| • | If the sole beneficiary under the contract is the owner’s spouse, and the other requirements of the Spousal Continuance Option are met, then the contract can continue, and the spouse will become the new owner of the contract; or |
| • | The spouse can receive the death benefit. A surviving spouse who is eligible for the Spousal Continuance Option must choose between that benefit and receiving the death benefit during the first 60 days following our receipt of proof of death. |
If ownership of the contract changes as a result of the owner assigning it to someone else, we will reset the value of the death benefit to equal the Contract Value on the date the change of ownership occurs, and for purposes of computing the future death benefit, we will treat that Contract Value as a purchase payment occurring on that date.
Depending on applicable state law, some death benefit options may not be available or may be subject to certain restrictions under your contract.
If the contract has an owner and a joint owner and they are spouses at the time that one dies, the Spousal Continuance Option may apply. If the contract has an owner and a joint owner and they are not spouses at the time one dies, we will pay the death benefit and the contract will end. Joint ownership may not be allowed in your state.
HIGHEST DAILY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT
The Highest Daily Value Death Benefit is no longer available for new elections. If an Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must have been age 79 or less at the time the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit was elected. If an Annuity has joint Owners, the older Owner must be age 79 or less. If there are joint Owners, death of the Owner refers to the first to die of the joint Owners. If an Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must have been age 79 or less at the time of election and death of the Owner refers to the death of the Annuitant. If you elected this benefit, you must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the permitted and available option(s) with this benefit.
The HDV death benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.
IF THE CONTRACT OWNER DIES BEFORE THE DEATH BENEFIT TARGET DATE, THE DEATH BENEFIT EQUALS THE GREATER OF:
| • | the base death benefit; and |
| • | the HDV as of the contract owner’s date of death. |
IF THE CONTRACT OWNER DIES ON OR AFTER THE DEATH BENEFIT TARGET DATE, THE DEATH BENEFIT EQUALS THE GREATER OF:
| • | the base death benefit; and |
| • | the HDV on the Death Benefit Target Date plus the sum of all purchase payments less the sum of all proportional withdrawals since the Death Benefit Target Date. |
The amount determined by this calculation is increased by any purchase payments received after the contract owner’s date of death and decreased by any proportional withdrawals since such date.
The Highest Daily Value Death Benefit described above was offered in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. The Highest Daily Value Benefit was not available if you elected the Spousal Lifetime Five, Highest Daily Lifetime Five, Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefits or the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit.
Key Terms Used with the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit:
| • | The Death Benefit Target Date for the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit is the later of an Contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, or the older of either the joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned, or five years after the Issue Date of an Annuity. |
| • | The Highest Daily Value equals the highest of all previous “Daily Values” less proportional withdrawals since such date and plus any purchase payments (plus associated Purchase Credits applied more than twelve (12) months prior to the date of death) since such date. |
| • | The Daily Value is the Account Value as of the end of each Valuation Day. The Daily Value on the Issue Date is equal to your Purchase Payment (plus associated Purchase Credits applied more than twelve (12) months prior to the date of death). |
| • | Proportional Withdrawals are determined by calculating the percentage of your Contract Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn. Proportional withdrawals result in a reduction to the Highest Daily Value by reducing such value in the same proportion as the Contract Value was reduced by the withdrawal as of the date the withdrawal occurred. For example, if your Highest Daily Value is $125,000 and you subsequently withdraw $10,000 at a time when your Account Value is equal to $100,000 (a 10% reduction), when calculating the optional Death Benefit we will reduce your Highest Daily Value ($125,000) by 10% or $12,500. |
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CALCULATION OF THE HIGHEST DAILY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT
Examples of Highest Daily Value Death Benefit Calculation The following are examples of how the HDV death benefit is calculated. Each example assumes an initial purchase payment of $50,000. Each example assumes that there is one contract owner who is age 70 on the contract date.
Example with Variable Option Increase and Death Before Death Benefit Target Date Assume that the contract owner’s Contract Value has generally been increasing due to positive Variable Option performance and that no withdrawals have been made. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Contract Value is $75,000; however, the Highest Daily Value was $90,000. Assume as well that the contract owner has died before the Death Benefit Target Date. The death benefit is equal to the greater of HDV or the base death benefit. The death benefit would be the Highest Daily Value ($90,000) because it is greater than the amount that would have been payable under the base death benefit ($75,000).
Example with Withdrawals Assume that the Contract Value has been increasing due to positive Variable Option performance and the contract owner made a withdrawal of $15,000 in contract year 7 when the Contract Value was $75,000. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Contract Value is $80,000; however, the Highest Daily Value ($90,000) was attained during the fifth contract year. Assume as well that the contract owner has died before the Death Benefit Target Date. The Death Benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Daily Value (proportionally reduced by the subsequent withdrawal) or the base death benefit.
|
Highest Daily Value |
= |
$90,000 - [$90,000 × $15,000/$75,000] |
|
|
|
= |
$90,000 - $18,000 |
|
|
|
= |
$72,000.00 |
|
|
Base Death Benefit |
= |
max [$80,000, $50,000 - ($50,000 × $15,000/$75,000)] |
|
|
|
= |
max [$80,000, $40,000] |
|
|
|
= |
$80,000.00 |
|
|
The Death Benefit therefore is $80,000 |
| ||
Example with Death after Death Benefit Target Date Assume that the contract owner’s Contract Value has generally been increasing due to positive Variable Option performance and that no withdrawals had been made prior to the Death Benefit Target Date. Further assume that the contract owner dies after the Death Benefit Target Date, when the Contract Value is $75,000. The Highest Daily Value on the Death Benefit Target Date was $80,000; however, following the Death Benefit Target Date, the contract owner made a purchase payment of $15,000 and later had taken a withdrawal of $5,000 when the Contract Value was $70,000. The death benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Daily Value on the Death Benefit Target Date plus purchase payments minus proportional withdrawals after the Death Benefit Target Date or the base death benefit.
|
Highest Daily Value |
= |
$80,000 + $15,000 - [($80,000 + $15,000) × $5,000/$70,000 |
|
|
|
= |
$80,000 + $15,000 - $6,786 |
|
|
|
= |
$88,214 |
|
|
Base Death Benefit |
= |
max [$75,000, ($50,000 + $15,000) - [($50,000 + $15,000) × $5,000/$70,000] |
|
|
|
= |
max [$75,000, $60,357] |
|
|
|
= |
$75,000 |
|
|
The Death Benefit therefore is $88,214 |
| ||
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With respect to a death benefit paid before March 19, 2007, the death benefit payout options were:
| • | Choice 1. Lump sum payment of the death benefit. If the beneficiary did not choose a payout option within sixty days, the beneficiary would have received this payout option. |
| • | Choice 2. The payment of the entire death benefit within a period of 5 years from the date of death of the first-to-die of the owner or joint owner. |
The entire death benefit would have included any increases or losses resulting from the performance of the variable or fixed interest rate options during this period. During this period the beneficiary could: reallocate the Contract Value among the variable, fixed interest rate, or the market value adjustment options; name a beneficiary to receive any remaining death benefit in the event of the beneficiary’s death; and make withdrawals from the Contract Value, in which case, any such withdrawals will not be subject to any withdrawal charges. However, the beneficiary could not make any purchase payments to the contract.
During this 5-year period, we would continue to deduct from the death benefit proceeds the charges and costs that were associated with the features and benefits of the contract. Some of these features and benefits may not be available to the beneficiary, such as the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit.
| • | Choice 3. Payment of the death benefit under an annuity or annuity settlement option over the lifetime of the beneficiary or over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary with distribution beginning within one year of the date of death of the owner. |
Any portion of the death benefit not applied under Choice 3 within one year of the date of death of the first to die must be distributed within five years of that date of death.
With respect to a death benefit paid on or after March 19, 2007, unless the surviving spouse opts to continue the contract (or spousal continuance is required under the terms of your contract), a beneficiary of the death benefit may generally, within 60 days of providing proof of death, take the death benefit as described below:
Alternative Death Benefit Payment Options – Annuities owned by Individuals (not associated with Tax-Favored Plans)
Except in the case of Spousal Continuance as described below, upon your death, certain distributions must be made under the Non-qualified Annuity. The required distributions depend on whether you die before you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity or after you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity.
If you die on or after the annuity date, the remaining portion of the interest in the Annuity must be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death.
In the event of your death before the annuity date, the death benefit must be distributed:
| • | by the five-year anniversary of the date of death; or |
| • | as a series of annuity payments not extending beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary or over the life of the beneficiary. Payments under this option must begin within one year of the date of death. If the Beneficiary does not begin installments by such time, then no partial withdrawals will be permitted thereafter, and we require that the Beneficiary take the Death Benefit as a lump sum within the five-year deadline. If we do not receive instructions on where to send the payment within five-years of the date of death, the funds will be escheated. |
Unless you have made an election prior to death benefit proceeds becoming due, a beneficiary can elect to receive the death benefit proceeds under the Beneficiary Continuation Option as described in the section entitled “Beneficiary Continuation Option”, below.
Alternative Death Benefit Payment Options – Annuities Held by Tax-Favored Plans
Upon your death under an IRA or Roth IRA, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements. The post-death distribution requirements were amended, applicable generally with respect to deaths occurring after 2019, by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (which includes the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement” Act (SECURE Act)), and further clarified by the associated final and proposed regulations. We reserve our rights to implement any additional regulations addressing these requirements in the future. The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances. The following rules generally apply to deaths after 2019:
| • | 10-year rule: If you have a designated Beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated Beneficiary is an “eligible designated Beneficiary” (“EDB”) or some other exception applies. |
| • | Eligible designated beneficiaries: A designated Beneficiary is any individual designated as a Beneficiary by the IRA owner. An EDB is any designated Beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual’s status as an EDB is generally determined on the date of your death. |
| • | Other applicable rules: This 10-year post-death distribution period applies regardless of whether you die before your required beginning date, or you die on or after that date (including after distributions have commenced in the form of an annuity). However, if you die on or after the required beginning date, then annual distributions will be required from the Annuity during the 10-year period. If the Beneficiary is an EDB and the EDB dies before the entire interest is distributed under this 10-year rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB’s death (i.e., a new 10-year distribution period begins). |
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Instead of taking distributions under the 10-year rule, an EDB can stretch distributions over life, or over a period not extending beyond life expectancy, provided that such distributions commence within one year of your death, subject to certain special rules. In addition, if your minor child is an EDB, the child will cease to be an EDB on the date the child reaches the age of 21, and any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after that date (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years).
It is important to note that under prior law, annuity payments that commenced under a method that satisfied the distribution requirements while the IRA Owner was alive could continue to be made under that method after the death of the IRA owner. However, under the current law, if you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the current law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by Prudential) in order to comply with the post-death distribution requirements.
The post-death distribution requirements do not apply if annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity.
If your Beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed under prior law in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your Beneficiary designations.
In addition, the current post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the IRA Owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated Beneficiary of the deceased IRA Owner dies after January 1, 2020, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated Beneficiary’s death. Hence, this 10-year rule will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated Beneficiary of an IRA Owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated Beneficiary of an IRA Owner who died prior to 2020.
| • | Spousal continuation. Under the current law, as under prior law, if your Beneficiary is your spouse, such surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after their death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to their own IRA, or by treating your IRA as their own IRA subject to specific limits under the proposed regulations. The post-death distribution requirements are complex in numerous respects. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. You may wish to consult a professional tax adviser for tax advice as to your particular situation. |
The tax consequences to the beneficiary may vary among the different death benefit payment options. See the “Taxes” section of this prospectus and consult your tax advisor.
BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION
Instead of receiving the death benefit in a single payment, or under an annuity option, a beneficiary may take the death benefit under an alternative death benefit payment option, as provided by the Code and described above. This “Beneficiary Continuation Option” is described below and is available for an IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, 403(b), or a non-qualified contract. The Beneficiary Continuation Option is only available within a limited time period from the deceased date of death and for certain designated beneficiaries as detailed below.
Under the Beneficiary Continuation Option:
| • | The owner’s contract will be continued in the owner’s name, for the benefit of the beneficiary. |
| • | The beneficiary will incur a Settlement Service Charge which is an annual charge assessed on a daily basis against the average assets allocated to the Variable Options. The charge is 1.00% per year. |
| • | The beneficiary will incur an annual maintenance fee equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value if the Contract Value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. The fee will not apply if it is assessed 30 days prior to a surrender request. |
| • | The initial Contract Value will be equal to any death benefit (including any optional death benefit) that would have been payable to the beneficiary if they had taken a lump sum distribution. |
| • | The available Variable Options will be among those available to the Owner at the time of death, however certain Variable Options may not be available. |
| • | The beneficiary may request transfers among Variable Options, subject to the same limitations and restrictions that applied to the Owner. Transfers in excess of 20 per year will incur a $10 transfer fee. |
| • | No additional Purchase Payments can be applied to the contract. |
| • | The basic death benefit and any optional benefits elected by the owner will no longer apply to the beneficiary. |
| • | The beneficiary can request a withdrawal of all or a portion of the Contract Value at any time without application of any applicable CDSC unless the Beneficiary Continuation Option was the payout predetermined by the owner and the owner restricted the beneficiary’s withdrawal rights. |
| • | Withdrawals are not subject to CDSC. |
| • | Upon the death of the beneficiary, any remaining Contract Value will be paid in a lump sum to the person(s) named by the beneficiary, unless the beneficiary named a successor who may continue receiving payments. |
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| • | All amounts in the Contract must be paid out to the Beneficiary according to the Required Distribution rules described in the “Taxes” section. |
Until withdrawn, amounts in an IRA, 403(b) or other “qualified investment” continue to be tax deferred. Amounts withdrawn each year, including amounts that are required to be withdrawn under the Minimum Distribution rules, are subject to tax. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
For
a Roth IRA, if death occurs before the entire interest is distributed, the death benefit must be distributed under the same rules applied
to IRAs where
death
occurs before the date Required Minimum Distributions must begin under the Code.
Currently only investment options corresponding to Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust and the Prudential Money Market Portfolio of the Prudential Series Fund are available under the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
Your beneficiary will be provided with a prospectus and a settlement agreement that will describe this option. Please contact us for additional information on the availability, restrictions and limitations that will apply to a beneficiary under the beneficiary continuation option. We may pay compensation to the selling broker-dealer based on amounts held in the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
Payment under this option may be limited based on federal income tax requirements. See the “Taxes” section for more information on the limitations that may apply to this option.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit is no longer available for new elections. The Earnings Appreciator Benefit (EAB) is an optional, supplemental death benefit that provides a benefit payment upon the death of the sole owner or first-to-die of the owner or joint owner during the accumulation phase. Any Earnings Appreciator Benefit payment we make will be in addition to any other death benefit payment we make under the contract. This benefit may not be available in your state.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit is designed to provide a beneficiary with additional funds when we pay a death benefit in order to defray the impact taxes may have on that payment. Because individual circumstances vary, you should consult with a qualified tax advisor to determine whether it would be appropriate for you to elect the Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
If you want the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, you generally must elect it at the time you apply for the contract. If you elect the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, you may not later revoke it. You may, if you wish, select both the Earnings Appreciator Benefit and the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit.
Upon our receipt of proof of death in good order, we will determine an Earnings Appreciator Benefit by multiplying the Earnings Appreciator Benefit percentage below by the lesser of: (i) the then-existing amount of earnings under the contract, or (ii) an amount equal to 3 times the sum of all purchase payments previously made under the contract.
For purposes of computing earnings and purchase payments under the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, we calculate earnings as the difference between the Contract Value and the sum of all purchase payments. Withdrawals reduce earnings first, then purchase payments, on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
EAB percentages are as follows:
| • | 40% if the owner is age 70 or younger on the date the application is signed. |
| • | 25% if the owner is between ages 71 and 75 on the date the application is signed. |
| • | 15% if the owner is between ages 76 and 79 on the date the application is signed. |
If the contract is owned jointly, the age of the older of the owner or joint owner determines the EAB percentage.
If the surviving spouse is continuing the contract in accordance with the Spousal Continuance Option (See “Spousal Continuation Of Annuity”), the following conditions apply:
| • | In calculating the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, we will use the age of the surviving spouse at the time that the Spousal Continuance Option is activated to determine the applicable EAB percentage. |
| • | We will not allow the surviving spouse to continue the Earnings Appreciator Benefit (or bear the charge associated with this benefit) if he or she is age 80 or older on the date that the Spousal Continuance Option is activated. |
| • | If the Earnings Appreciator Benefit is continued, we will calculate any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit payable upon the surviving spouse’s death by treating the Contract Value (as adjusted under the terms of the Spousal Continuance Option) as the first purchase payment. |
Terminating the Earnings Appreciator Benefit The Earnings Appreciator Benefit will terminate on the earliest of:
| • | the date you make a total withdrawal from the contract, |
| • | the date a death benefit is payable if the contract is not continued by the surviving spouse under the Spousal Continuance Option, |
| • | the date the contract terminates, or |
| • | the date you annuitize the contract. |
Upon termination of the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, we cease imposing the associated charge.
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SPOUSAL CONTINUATION OF ANNUITY
This Option is available if, on the date we receive proof of the owner’s death (or annuitant’s death, for custodial contracts) in good order (1) there is only one owner of the contract and there is only one beneficiary who is the owner’s spouse, or (2) there are an owner and joint owner of the contract, and the joint owner is the owner’s spouse and the owner’s beneficiary under the contract or (3) (i) the contract is held by a Custodial Account established to hold retirement assets for the benefit of the natural person annuitant pursuant to the provisions of Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”), and (ii) the custodian of the account has elected to continue the contract, and designate the surviving spouse as annuitant. Continuing the contract in the latter scenario will result in the contract no longer qualifying for tax deferral under the Internal Revenue Code. However, such tax deferral should result from the ownership of the contract by the Custodial Account. Spousal continuance may also be available where the contract is owned by certain other types of entity-owners. Please consult your tax or legal advisor.
In no event, however, can the annuitant be older than the maximum age for annuitization on the date of the owner’s death, nor can the surviving spouse be older than 95 on the date of the owner’s death (or the annuitant’s death, in the case of a custodially-owned contract referenced above). Assuming the above conditions are present, the surviving spouse (or custodian, for the custodially-owned contracts referenced above) can elect the Spousal Continuance Option, but must do so no later than 60 days after furnishing proof of death in good order.
Upon activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, the Contract Value is adjusted to equal the amount of the death benefit to which the surviving spouse would have been entitled. This Contract Value will serve as the basis for calculating any death benefit payable upon the death of the surviving spouse. We will allocate any increase in the adjusted Contract Value among the variable, fixed interest rate or market value adjustment options in the same proportions that existed immediately prior to the spousal continuance adjustment. We will waive the $1,000 minimum requirement for the market value adjustment option.
Under the Spousal Continuance Option, we waive any potential withdrawal charges applicable to purchase payments made prior to activation of the Spousal Continuance Option. However, we will continue to impose withdrawal charges on purchase payments made after activation of this benefit. In addition, the Contract Value allocated to the market value adjustment option will remain subject to a potential market value adjustment.
IF YOU ELECTED THE BASE DEATH BENEFIT, then upon activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greater of:
| • | the Contract Value, or |
| • | the sum of all invested purchase payments (adjusted for withdrawals), |
plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
IF YOU ELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT WITH THE GMDB ROLL-UP, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greater of:
| • | the Contract Value, or |
| • | the GMDB roll-up, |
| • | plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit. |
IF YOU HAVE ELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT WITH THE GMDB STEP-UP, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greater of:
| • | the Contract Value, or |
| • | the GMDB step-up, |
| • | plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit. |
IF YOU HAVE ELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT WITH THE GREATER OF THE GMDB ROLL-UP AND GMDB STEPUP, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greatest of:
| • | the Contract Value, |
| • | the GMDB roll-up, or |
| • | the GMDB step-up, |
| • | plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit. |
IF YOU HAVE ELECTED THE HIGHEST DAILY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT, we will adjust the
Contract Value to equal the greater of:
| • | the Contract Value, or |
| • | the Highest Daily Value, |
| • | plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit. |
After we have made the adjustment to Contract Value set out immediately above, we will continue to compute the GMDB roll-up and the GMDB step-up, or HDV death benefit (as applicable), under the surviving spousal owner’s contract, and will do so in accordance with the preceding discussion in this section.
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If the contract is being continued by the surviving spouse, the attained age of the surviving spouse will be the basis used in determining the death benefit payable under the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit or Highest Daily Value Death Benefit provisions of the contract. The contract may not be continued upon the death of a spouse who had assumed ownership of the contract through the exercise of the Spousal Continuance Option.
IF YOU ELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT, it will be continued for the surviving spousal owner. All provisions of the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (i.e., waiting period, GMIB roll-up cap, etc.) will remain the same as on the date of the owner’s death. If the GMIB reset feature was never exercised, the surviving spousal owner can exercise the GMIB reset feature twice. If the original owner had previously exercised the GMIB reset feature once, the surviving spousal owner can exercise the GMIB reset once. However, the surviving spouse (or new annuitant designated by the surviving spouse) must be under 76 years of age at the time of reset. If the original owner had previously exercised the GMIB reset feature twice, the surviving spousal owner may not exercise the GMIB reset at all. If the attained age of the surviving spouse at activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, when added to the remainder of the GMIB waiting period to be satisfied, would preclude the surviving spouse from utilizing the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, we will revoke the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit under the contract at that time and we will no longer charge for that benefit.
IF YOU ELECTED THE ONE OF THE LIFETIME WITHDRAWAL BENEFITS, on the owner’s death, the Benefit will end. However, if the owner’s surviving spouse would be eligible to acquire the Benefit as if he/she were a new purchaser, then the surviving spouse may elect the Benefit under the Spousal Continuance Option.
IF YOU ELECTED THE INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT, on the owner’s death (or first-to-die, in the case of joint owners), the Income Appreciator Benefit will end unless the contract is continued by the deceased owner’s surviving spouse under the Spousal Continuance Option. If the contract is continued by the surviving spouse, we will continue to pay the balance of any Income Appreciator Benefit payments until the earliest to occur of the following:
(a) the date on which 10 years’ worth of IAB automatic withdrawal payments or IAB credits, as applicable, have been paid, (b) the latest date on which annuity payments would have had to have commenced had the owner not died (i.e., the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday), or (c) the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitants’ surviving spouse’s 95th birthday.
If the Income Appreciator Benefit has not been in force for 7 contract years, the surviving spouse may not activate the benefit until it has been in force for 7 contract years. If the attained age of the surviving spouse at activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, when added to the remainder of the Income Appreciator Benefit waiting period to be satisfied, would preclude the surviving spouse from utilizing the Income Appreciator Benefit, we will revoke the Income Appreciator Benefit under the contract at that time and we will no longer charge for that benefit. If the Income Appreciator Benefit has been in force for 7 contract years or more, but the benefit has not been activated, the surviving spouse may activate the benefit at any time after the contract has been continued. If the Income Appreciator Benefit is activated after the contract is continued by the surviving spouse, the Income Appreciator Benefit calculation will exclude any amount added to the contract at the time of spousal continuance resulting from any death benefit value exceeding the Contract Value.
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Please note that these Annuities are no longer available for new sales.
The initial purchase payment is the amount of money you give us to purchase the contract. Unless we agree otherwise, and subject to our rules, the minimum initial purchase payment is $10,000. We must approve any initial and additional Purchase Payments where the total amount of Purchase Payments equal $1,000,000 or more with respect to this Annuity and any other annuities you are purchasing from us (or that you already own) and/or our affiliates. To the extent allowed by state law, that required approval also will apply to a proposed change of owner of the Annuity, if as a result of the ownership change, total Purchase Payments with respect to this Annuity and all other annuities owned by the new Owner would equal or exceed that $1 million threshold. With some restrictions, you can make additional purchase payments by means other than electronic fund transfer of no less than $500 at any time during the accumulation phase. However, we impose a minimum of $100 with respect to additional purchase payments made through electronic fund transfers. (You may not make additional purchase payments if you purchase a contract issued in Massachusetts, or if you purchase a Contract With Credit issued in Pennsylvania.)
You may purchase this contract only if the oldest of the owner, joint owner, annuitant, or co-annuitant is age 85 or younger on the contract date. Certain age limits apply to certain features and benefits described herein. No subsequent purchase payments may be made on or after the earliest of the 86th birthday of:
| • | the owner, |
| • | the joint owner, |
| • | the annuitant, or |
| • | the co-annuitant. |
Currently, the maximum aggregate purchase payments you may make is $20 million. We limit the maximum total purchase payments in any contract year other than the first to $2 million absent our prior approval. Depending on applicable state law, other limits may apply.
ALLOCATION OF PURCHASE PAYMENTS
When you purchase a contract, we will allocate your invested purchase payment among the variable or fixed interest rate options, or the market value adjustment option based on the percentages you choose. The percentage of your allocation to a particular investment option can range in whole percentages from 0% to 100%.
When you make an additional purchase payment, it will be allocated in the same way as your most recent purchase payment, unless you tell us otherwise. Allocations to the DCA Fixed Rate Option must be no less than $2,000 and, allocations to the market value adjustment option must be no less than $1,000.
You may change your allocation of future invested purchase payments at any time. Contact the Prudential Annuity Service Center for details.
Applicable laws designed to counter terrorists and prevent money laundering might, in certain circumstances, require us to block a contract owner’s ability to make certain transactions, and thereby refuse to accept purchase payments or requests for transfers, partial withdrawals, total withdrawals, death benefits, or income payments until instructions are received from the appropriate regulator. We also may be required to provide additional information about you and your contract to government regulators
If you purchase the Contract With Credit, we will add a credit amount to your Contract Value with each purchase payment you make. The credit amount is allocated to the variable or fixed interest rate investment options or the market value adjustment option in the same percentages as the purchase payment.
The bonus credit that we pay with respect to any purchase payment depends on (i) the age of the older of the owner or joint owner on the date on which the purchase payment is made and (ii) the amount of the purchase payment. Specifically, if the elder owner is 80 or younger on the date that the purchase payment is made, then we will add a bonus credit to the purchase payment equal to 4% if the purchase payment is less than $250,000; 5% if the purchase payment is equal to or greater than $250,000 but less than $1 million; or 6% if the purchase payment is $1 million or greater; and if the elder owner is aged 81-85 on the date that the purchase payment is made, then we will add a bonus credit equal to 3% of the amount of the purchase payment.
Under the Contract With Credit, if the owner returns the contract during the free look period, we will recapture the bonus credits. If we pay a death benefit under the contract, we have a contractual right to recapture any credit we applied within one year of the date of death.
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Examples of Recapturing Credits
The following are hypothetical examples of how Credits could be recaptured. These examples do not cover every potential situation. These are the only situations in which Credits may be recaptured.
Recapture from payment of Death Benefits
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. If the Death Benefit becomes payable in the 9th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the entire amount of the prior Credits ($2,400). |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $4,400. If death occurs in the 16th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced but only in the amount of those Credits applied within the previous 12-months. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credits that were applied) occurred more than 12-months before the date of death, the Death Benefit would not be reduced by the amount of the Credits applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 12-months of the date of death. Therefore, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the amount of the Credits payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($400). |
| • | NOTE: If the Death Benefit would otherwise have been equal to the Purchase Payments minus any withdrawals due to poor investment performance, we will not reduce the amount of the Death Benefit by the amount of the Credits as shown in Example 2 above. |
The value of the variable portion of your contract will go up or down depending on the investment performance of the Variable Options you choose. To determine the value of your contract allocated to the Variable Options, we use a unit of measure called an accumulation unit. An accumulation unit works like a share of a mutual fund.
Every day we determine the value of an accumulation unit for each of the Variable Options. We do this by:
| (1) | adding up the total amount of money allocated to a specific investment option, |
| (2) | subtracting from that amount insurance charges and any other applicable charges such as for taxes, and |
| (3) | dividing this amount by the number of outstanding accumulation units. |
When you make a purchase payment to a Variable Option, we credit your contract with accumulation units of the Variable Options for the investment options you choose. We determine the number of accumulation units credited to your contract by dividing the amount of the purchase payment, plus (if you have purchased the Contract With Credit) any applicable credit, allocated to a Variable Option by the unit price of the accumulation unit for that Variable Option. We calculate the unit price for each investment option after the NYSE closes each day and then credit your contract. The value of the accumulation units can increase, decrease, or remain the same from day to day.
We cannot guarantee that your Contract Value will increase or that it will not fall below the amount of your total purchase payments.
When you allocate Account Value to a Variable Option, you are purchasing Units of the Variable Option. Each Variable Option invests exclusively in shares of an underlying Portfolio. The value of the Units fluctuates with the Variable Option fluctuations of the Portfolios. The value of the Units also reflects the daily accrual for the Insurance Charge, and if you elected one or more optional benefits whose annualized charge is deducted daily, the additional charge for such benefits.
Each Valuation Day, we determine the price for a Unit of each Variable Option, called the “Unit Price” or Unit Value. The Unit Price is used for determining the value of transactions involving Units of the Variable Options. We determine the number of Units involved in any transaction by dividing the dollar value of the transaction by the Unit Price of the Variable Option as of the Valuation Day. There may be several different Unit Prices for each Variable Option to reflect the Insurance Charge and the charges for any optional benefits. The Unit Price for the Units you purchase will be based on the total charges for the benefits that apply to your Annuity.
Example
Assume you allocate $5,000 to a Variable Option. On the Valuation Day you make the allocation, the Unit Price is $14.83. Your $5,000 buys 337.154 Units of the Variable Option. Assume that later, you wish to transfer $3,000 of your Account Value out of that Variable Option and into another Variable Option. On the Valuation Day you request the transfer, the Unit Price of the original Variable Option has increased to $16.79 and the Unit Price of the new Variable Option is $17.83. To transfer $3,000, we redeem 178.677 Units at the current Unit Price, leaving you 158.477 Units. We then buy $3,000 of Units of the new Variable Option at the Unit Price of $17.83. You would then have 168.255 Units of the new Variable Option.
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VALUING THE MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT OPTIONS
During the Guarantee Period, we use the concept of an “Interim Value” for the Market Value Adjustment Options. The Interim Value can be calculated on any day and is equal to the initial value allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Option, plus all interest credited to the Market Value Adjustment Option as of the date calculated. The Interim Value does not include the impact of any Market Value Adjustment. If there have been any transfers or withdrawals from a Market Value Adjustment Option, the Interim Value will reflect the withdrawal of those amounts and any interest credited to those amounts before they were withdrawn. To determine the value of a Market Value Adjustment Option on any day more than 30 days immediately following the end of its Guarantee Period, we multiply the Unadjusted Account Value of the Market Value Adjustment Option by the Market Value Adjustment factor. See “Charges and Adjustments” and “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” for more information about the Market Value Adjustment.
PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS
Pruco Life is generally open to process financial transactions on those days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. There may be circumstances where the NYSE does not open on a regularly scheduled date or time or closes at an earlier time than scheduled (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Generally, financial transactions requested in Good Order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be processed according to the value next determined following the close of business. Financial transactions requested on a non-business day or after the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be processed based on the value next computed on the next Valuation Day.
We will not process any financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders on days the NYSE is closed. Pruco Life will also not process financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders or transfers on any day that:
| • | trading on the NYSE is restricted; |
| • | an emergency, as determined by the SEC, exists making redemption or valuation of securities held in the Separate Account impractical; or |
| • | the SEC, by order, permits the suspension or postponement for the protection of security holders. |
In certain circumstances, we may need to correct the processing of an order. In such circumstances, we may incur a loss or receive a gain depending upon the price of the security when the order was executed and the price of the security when the order is corrected. With respect to any gain that may result from such order correction, we will retain any such gain as additional compensation for these correction services.
Initial Purchase Payments: We are required to allocate your initial Purchase Payment to the Variable Options within two (2) Valuation Days after we receive the Purchase Payment in Good Order at our Service Office. If we do not have all the required information to allow us to issue your Annuity, we may retain the Purchase Payment while we try to reach you or your representative to obtain all of our requirements. If we are unable to obtain all of our required information within five (5) Valuation Days, we are required to return the Purchase Payment to you at that time, unless you specifically consent to our retaining the Purchase Payment while we gather the required information. Once we obtain the required information, we will invest the Purchase Payment (and any associated Purchase Credit) and issue an Annuity within two (2) Valuation Days.
With respect to your initial Purchase Payment and any additional purchase payments pending investment in our Separate Account, we may hold the amount temporarily in a suspense account and we may earn interest on such amount. You will not be credited with interest during that period. The monies held in the suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors. Also, the Purchase Payment will not be reduced nor increased due to Variable Option fluctuations during that period.
As permitted by applicable law, the broker-dealer firm through which you purchase your Annuity may forward your initial Purchase Payment to us prior to approval of your purchase by a registered principal of the firm. These arrangements are subject to a number of regulatory requirements, including that customer funds will be deposited in a segregated bank account and held by the insurer until such time that the insurer is notified of the firm’s principal approval and is provided with the application, or is notified of the firm principal’s rejection. In addition, the insurer must promptly return the customer’s funds at the customer’s request prior to the firm’s principal approval or upon the firm’s rejection of the application. The monies held in the bank account will be held in a suspense account within our general account and we may earn interest on amounts held in that suspense account. Contract owners will not be credited with any interest earned on amounts held in that suspense account. The monies in such suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors.
Additional Purchase Payments: We will apply any additional Purchase Payments (and any associated Purchase Credit) as of the Valuation Day that we receive the Purchase Payment at our Service Office in Good Order. We may limit, restrict, suspend or reject any additional Purchase Payments at any time, on a non-discriminatory basis. See “Purchases and Contract Value”. With respect to your Additional Purchase Payments that are pending investment in our Separate Account, we may hold the amount temporarily in a suspense account and we may earn interest on such amount. You will not be credited with interest during that period. The monies held in the suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors. Also, the Purchase Payment will not be reduced nor increased due to Variable Option fluctuations during that period.
Scheduled Transactions: Scheduled transactions include transfers under Dollar Cost Averaging, the Asset Allocation Program, Auto Rebalancing, Systematic Withdrawals, Systematic Investments, Required Minimum Distributions, substantially equal periodic payments under section 72(t)/72(q) of the Code, annuity payments and fees that are assessed daily as a percentage of the net assets of the Variable Options. Scheduled transactions are processed and valued as of the date they are scheduled, unless the scheduled day is not a Valuation Day. In that case, the transaction will be processed
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and valued on the next Valuation Day, unless (with respect to Required Minimum Distributions, substantially equal periodic payments under Section 72 (t)/72(q) of the Code, annuity payments and fees that are assessed daily as a percentage of the net assets of the Variable Options only), the next Valuation Day falls in the subsequent calendar year, in which case the transaction will be processed and valued on the prior Valuation Day.
In addition, if: you are taking your Annual Income Amount through our systematic withdrawal program; and the scheduled day is not a Valuation Day; and the next Valuation Day will occur in a new contract year, the transaction will be processed and valued on the prior Valuation Day.
Unscheduled Transactions: “Unscheduled” transactions include any other non-scheduled transfers and requests for partial withdrawals or Free Withdrawals or Surrenders. With respect to certain written requests to withdraw Account Value, we may seek to verify the requesting Owner’s signature. Specifically, we reserve the right to perform a signature verification for (a) any withdrawal exceeding a certain dollar amount and (b) a withdrawal exceeding a certain dollar amount if the payee is someone other than the Owner. In addition, we will not honor a withdrawal request in which the requested payee is the financial professional or agent of record. We reserve the right to request a signature guarantee with respect to a written withdrawal request. If we do perform a signature verification, we will pay the withdrawal proceeds within 7 days after the withdrawal request was received by us in Good Order and will process the transaction in accordance with the discussion in “Processing And Valuing Transactions”.
Critical Care Access & Death Benefits: Critical Care Access requests and Death Benefit claims require our review and evaluation before processing. We price such transactions as of the date we receive at our Service Office in Good Order all supporting documentation we require for such transactions.
We generally pay any surrender request or death benefit claims from the Separate Account within 7 days of our receipt of your request in Good Order at our Service Office.
Termination of Optional Benefits: If any optional benefit terminates, we will no longer deduct the charge we apply to purchase the optional benefit. Certain optional benefits may be added after you have purchased your Annuity. On the date a charge no longer applies or a charge for an optional benefit begins to be deducted, your Annuity will become subject to a different daily asset-based charge. This change may result in the number of Units attributed to your Annuity and the value of those Units being different than it was before the change; however, the adjustment in the number of Units and Unit Price will not affect your Account Value (although the change in charges that are deducted will affect your Account Value).
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You can Access Your Money by:
| • | MAKING A WITHDRAWAL (EITHER PARTIAL OR FULL); OR |
| • | CHOOSING TO RECEIVE ANNUITY PAYMENTS DURING THE INCOME PHASE. |
TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU
When you make a full withdrawal, you will receive the value of your contract minus any applicable charges and fees. We will calculate the value of your contract and charges, if any, as of the date we receive your request in good order at the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
Gross Withdrawal or Net Withdrawal. Generally, you can request either a gross withdrawal or a net withdrawal. If, however, you are taking your withdrawal through a systematic withdrawal program, you may only be permitted to take that withdrawal on a gross basis. In a gross withdrawal, you request a specific withdrawal amount with the understanding that the amount you actually receive is reduced by any applicable CDSC or tax withholding. In a net withdrawal, you request a withdrawal for an exact dollar amount with the understanding that any applicable deduction for CDSC or tax withholding is taken from your Account Value. This means that an amount greater than the amount of your requested withdrawal will be deducted from your Account Value. To make sure that you receive the full amount requested, we calculate the entire amount, including the amount generated due to the CDSC or tax withholding, that will need to be withdrawn. We then apply the CDSC or tax withholding to that entire amount. As a result, you will pay a greater CDSC or have more tax withheld if you elect a net withdrawal.
Unless you tell us otherwise, any partial withdrawal and related withdrawal charges will be taken proportionately from all of the investment options you have selected. The minimum Contract Value that must remain in order to keep the contract in force after a withdrawal is $2,000. If you request a withdrawal amount that would reduce the Contract Value below this minimum, we will withdraw the maximum amount available that, with the withdrawal charge, would not reduce the Contract Value below such minimum.
With respect to the Variable Options, we will generally pay the withdrawal amount, less any required tax withholding, within seven days after we receive a withdrawal request in good order. We will deduct applicable charges, if any, from the assets in your contract.
With respect to the market value adjustment option, you may specify the guarantee period from which you would like to make a withdrawal. If you indicate that the withdrawal is to originate from the market value adjustment option, but you do not specify which guarantee period is to be involved, then we will take the withdrawal from the guarantee period that has the least time remaining until its maturity date. If you indicate that you wish to make a withdrawal, but do not specify the investment options to be involved, then we will take the withdrawal from your Contract Value on a pro rata basis from each investment option that you have. In that situation, we will aggregate the Contract Value in each of the guarantee periods that you have within the market value adjustment option for purposes of making that pro rata calculation. The portion of the withdrawal associated with the market value adjustment option then will be taken from the guarantee periods with the least amount of time remaining until the maturity date, irrespective of the original length of the guarantee period. You should be aware that a withdrawal may avoid a withdrawal charge based on the charge-free amount that we allow, yet still be subject to a market value adjustment.
Income Taxes, Tax Penalties, and Certain Restrictions also may Apply to any Withdrawal. See “Taxes” section in this prospectus for more information.
We offer an automated withdrawal feature. This feature enables you to receive periodic withdrawals in monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual intervals. We will process your withdrawals at the end of the business day at the intervals you specify. We will continue at these intervals until you tell us otherwise. You can make withdrawals from any designated investment option or proportionally from all investment options (other than a guarantee period within the market value adjustment option). The minimum automated withdrawal amount you can make is generally $100. An assignment of the contract terminates any automated withdrawal program that you had in effect.
Systematic Withdrawals based on the charge free amount may be available, but only if the contract is still within the surrender charge period. The withdrawals will be calculated based only on the purchase payments that are still subject to CDSC.
Income Taxes, Tax Penalties, Withdrawal Charges, and Certain Restrictions may Apply to Automated Withdrawals. See “Taxes” section in this prospectus for more information.
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Where permitted by law, you may request to surrender your Annuity prior to the Annuity Date without application of all withdrawal charges and annual contract fee if the Owner or Joint Owner (if applicable) becomes confined to an eligible nursing home, hospital or becomes terminally ill. The amount payable will be your Account Value.
This waiver of any applicable withdrawal charges and annual contract fee is subject to our rules in place at the time of your request, which currently include but are not limited to the following:
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) is first confined in an eligible nursing home or eligible hospital while your Annuity is in force and remains confined for at least 90 days in a row; |
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) is first diagnosed as having a terminal illness while your Annuity is in force; |
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) must be alive as of the date we pay the proceeds of such surrender request; |
| • | we must receive satisfactory proof of the Owner’s, or Joint Owner’s (if applicable), confinement in an eligible nursing home, eligible hospital or terminal illness in writing on a form satisfactory to us; and |
| • | proceeds will only be sent by check or electronic fund transfer directly to the Owner |
Critical Care Access is not available in all states.
REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS
If a withdrawal is taken from a tax qualified contract under the minimum distribution option in order to satisfy an Internal Revenue Service mandatory distribution requirement only with respect to that contract’s account balance, we will waive withdrawal charges. See “Taxes” section of this prospectus.
In any year in which the requirement to take Required Minimum Distributions is suspended by law, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion and regardless of any position taken on this issue in a prior year, to treat any amount that would have been considered as a Required Minimum Distribution if not for the suspension as eligible for treatment as described herein.
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The tax considerations associated with an Annuity vary depending on whether the Annuity is (i) owned by an individual or non-natural person, and not associated with a tax-favored retirement plan, or (ii) held under a tax-favored retirement plan. We discuss the tax considerations for these categories of Annuities below. The discussion is general in nature and describes only federal income tax law. We generally do not describe state, local, foreign or other federal tax laws. It is based on current law and interpretations which may change. The information provided is not intended as tax advice. The federal income tax treatment of the Annuity is unclear in certain circumstances, and you should always consult a qualified tax advisor regarding the application of law to individual circumstances. Generally, the cost basis in an Annuity is the amount you pay into your Annuity, or into an annuity exchanged for your Annuity, on an after-tax basis less any withdrawals of such payments. Cost basis for a tax-favored retirement plan is provided only in limited circumstances, such as for contributions to a Roth IRA or nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA. We do not track cost basis for tax-favored retirement plans, which is the responsibility of the Owner.
On advisory products, you may be able to establish, subject to our rules and restrictions, an advisory fee deduction program for a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity such that charges for investment advisory fees are not taxable to the Annuity Owner. Please note that there are additional requirements that must be satisfied in order for investment advisory fee charges paid from a Non-qualified Annuity to be treated as not taxable.
The discussion below generally assumes that the Annuity is issued to the Annuity Owner. For Annuities issued under the Beneficiary Continuation Option or as a Beneficiary Annuity, refer to the Taxes Payable by Beneficiaries for a Non-qualified Annuity and Required Distributions Upon Your Death for Qualified Annuities sections below.
In general, as used in this prospectus, a Non-qualified Annuity is owned by an individual or non-natural person and is not associated with a tax-favored retirement plan.
Taxes Payable by You
We believe the Annuity is an Annuity for tax purposes. Accordingly, as a general rule, you should not pay any tax until you receive money under the Annuity. Generally, all Annuity contracts issued by the same company (and affiliates) to you during the same calendar year must be treated as one Annuity for purposes of determining the amount of any withdrawal that is subject to tax under the rules described below. We treat advisory fee payments as an expense of the Annuity and not a taxable distribution if your Non-qualified Annuity satisfies the requirements of a Private Letter Ruling issued to us by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). In accordance with the PLR, advisory fee payments from your Non-qualified Annuity are treated as an expense as long as your advisor attests to us that the PLR requirements have been met, including that the advisory fees will not exceed 1.5% of the Annuity’s cash value and the Annuity only pays the advisor for fees related to investment advice with respect to the Annuity and no other services. The PLR does not generally allow such favorable tax treatment of advisory fee payments where a commission is also paid on the Annuity.
It is possible that the IRS could assert that some or all of the charges for the optional living or death benefits under the Annuity should be treated for federal income tax purposes as a partial withdrawal from the Annuity. If this were the case, the charge for this benefit could be deemed a withdrawal and treated as taxable income to the extent there are earnings in the Annuity. Additionally, for Owners under age 59½, the taxable income attributable to the charge for the benefit could be subject to the 10% additional tax. If the IRS determines that the charges for one or more benefits under the Annuity are taxable withdrawals, then the sole, primary, or surviving Owner will be provided with a notice from us describing available alternatives regarding these benefits.
Taxes on Withdrawals and Surrender Before Annuity Payments Begin
If you make a withdrawal from your Annuity or surrender it before annuity payments begin, the amount you receive will be taxed as ordinary income, rather than as a return of cost basis, until all gain has been withdrawn. At any time, there is no gain in your Annuity, payments will be treated as a nontaxable return of cost basis until all cost basis has been returned. After all cost basis is returned, all subsequent amounts will be taxed as ordinary income. An exception to this treatment exists for contracts that include Purchase Payments made prior to August 14, 1982 that are issued via 1035 exchange. Withdrawals from a contract with Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 are treated as a return of cost basis in the Annuity first until those pre-August 14, 1982 Purchase Payments are withdrawn. Moreover, income allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 is not subject to the 10% additional tax.
You will generally be taxed on any withdrawals from the Annuity while you are alive even if the withdrawal is paid to someone else. Withdrawals under any of the optional living benefits or as a systematic payment are taxed under these rules. If you assign or pledge all or part of your Annuity as collateral for a loan, the part assigned generally will be treated as a withdrawal and subject to income tax to the extent of gain. If the entire Account Value is assigned or pledged, subsequent increases in the Account Value are also treated as withdrawals for as long as the assignment or pledge remains in place. The cost basis is increased by the amount includible in income with respect to such assignment or pledge. If you transfer your Annuity for less than full consideration, such as by gift, you will also trigger tax on any gain in the Annuity. Under most circumstances, this rule does not apply if you transfer the Annuity to your spouse or if you transfer the Annuity incident to divorce.
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If you choose to receive payments under an interest payment option, or a Beneficiary chooses to receive a death benefit under an interest payment option, that election will be treated, for tax purposes, as surrendering your Annuity and will immediately subject any gain in the Annuity to income tax and possibly the 10% additional tax.
Taxes on Annuity Payments
If you select an annuity payment option as described in the “Annuity Period” section of this prospectus, a portion of each annuity payment you receive will be treated as a partial return of your cost basis and will not be taxed. The remaining portion will be taxed as ordinary income. Generally, the nontaxable portion is determined by multiplying the annuity payment you receive by a fraction, the numerator of which is your cost basis (less any amounts previously received tax-free) and the denominator of which is the total expected payments under the Annuity. After the full amount of your cost basis has been recovered tax-free, the full amount of the annuity payments will be taxable. If annuity payments stop due to the death of the Annuitant before the full amount of your cost basis has been recovered, a tax deduction may be allowed for the unrecovered amount.
If your Account Value is reduced to zero but the Annuity remains in force due to a benefit provision, further distributions from the Annuity will be reported as annuity payments, using an exclusion ratio based upon the undistributed cost basis in the Annuity and the total value of the anticipated future payments until such time as all cost basis has been recovered.
Maximum Annuity Date
You must commence annuity payments no later than the first day of the calendar month following the maximum Annuity Date for your Annuity. Upon reaching the maximum Annuity Date you can no longer make Purchase Payments, surrender, exchange, or transfer your contract. The maximum Annuity Date may be the same as the Latest Annuity Date as described elsewhere in this prospectus. For some of our Annuities, you can choose to defer the Annuity Date beyond the default or Latest Annuity Date, as applicable, described in your Annuity. However, the IRS may not then consider your Annuity to be an Annuity under the tax law.
Please refer to your Annuity contract for the maximum Annuity Date.
Partial Annuitization
We do not currently permit partial annuitization.
Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income
The Code includes a Medicare tax on investment income. This tax assesses a 3.8% surtax on the lesser of (1) net investment income or (2) the excess of “modified adjusted gross income” over a threshold amount. The “threshold amount” is $250,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child, $125,000 for married taxpayers filing separately, $200,000 for all others, and approximately $16,000 for estates and certain trusts. The taxable portion of payments received as a withdrawal, surrender, annuity payment, death benefit payment or any other actual or deemed distribution under the Annuity will be considered investment income for purposes of this surtax.
10% Additional Tax for Early Withdrawal from a Non-Qualified Annuity
You may owe a 10% additional tax on the taxable part of distributions received from your Non-qualified Annuity. Amounts are not subject to this additional tax if:
| • | the amount is paid on or after you reach age 59½; |
| • | the amount is paid on or after your death (or the death of the Annuitant when the owner is not an individual); |
| • | the amount received is attributable to your becoming disabled (as defined in the Code); |
| • | generally the amount paid or received is in the form of substantially equal periodic payments (as defined in the Code) not less frequently than annually (please note that substantially equal periodic payments must continue until the later of reaching age 59½ or five years and the impermissible modification of payments during that time period will result in retroactive application of the 10% additional tax); or |
| • | the amount received is paid under an immediate Annuity (within the meaning of the Code) and the annuity start date is no more than one year from the date of purchase (the first monthly annuity payment being required to be paid within 13 months). |
Other exceptions to this tax may apply. You should consult your tax advisor for further details.
Special Rules in Relation to Tax-free Exchanges Under Section 1035
Section 1035 of the Code permits certain tax-free exchanges of a life insurance contract, annuity contract or endowment contract for an Annuity, including tax-free exchanges of annuity death benefits for a Beneficiary Annuity. Partial exchanges may be treated in the same way as tax-free 1035 exchanges of entire contracts, therefore avoiding current taxation of the partially exchanged amount as well as the 10% additional tax on pre-age 59½ withdrawals. In Revenue Procedure 2011-38, the IRS indicated that, for partial exchanges on or after October 24, 2011, where there is a surrender or distribution from either the initial annuity contract or receiving annuity contract within 180 days of the date on which the partial exchange was completed
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(other than an amount received as an annuity for a period of 10 years or more or during one or more lives), the IRS may not treat the transaction as a tax-free Section 1035 exchange. The IRS will apply general tax rules to determine the substance and treatment of the transaction in such cases. We strongly urge you to discuss any partial exchange transaction of this type with your tax advisor before proceeding with the transaction.
If an Annuity is purchased through a tax-free exchange of a life insurance contract, annuity contract or endowment contract that was purchased prior to August 14, 1982, then any Purchase Payments made to the original contract prior to August 14, 1982 will be treated as made to the new Annuity prior to that date. Generally, such pre-August 14, 1982 withdrawals are treated as a return of cost basis first until Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 are withdrawn. Moreover, income allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982, is not subject to the 10% additional tax.
After you elect an Annuity Payout Option, we do not allow you to exchange your Annuity.
Taxes Payable by Beneficiaries for a Non-Qualified Annuity
If an Owner dies before the Annuity Date, the Death Benefit distributions are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The value of the Death Benefit, as determined under federal law, is also included in the Owner’s estate for federal estate tax purposes. Generally, the same income tax rules described above would also apply to amounts received by your Beneficiary. Choosing an option other than a lump sum Death Benefit may defer taxes. Certain minimum distribution requirements apply upon your death, as discussed further below in the Annuity Qualification section. Tax consequences to the Beneficiary vary depending upon the Death Benefit payment option selected. Generally, for payment of the Death Benefit:
| • | As a lump sum payment, the Beneficiary is taxed in the year of payment on gain in the Annuity. |
| • | Within 5 years of death of Owner, the Beneficiary is taxed on the lump sum payment. The Death Benefit must be taken as one lump sum payment within 5 years of the death of the Owner. Partial withdrawals are not permitted to be paid to Beneficiaries under our Annuity contracts. |
| • | Under an Annuity or Annuity settlement option where distributions begin within one year of the date of death of the Owner, the Beneficiary is taxed on each payment with part as gain and part as return of cost basis. After the full amount of cost basis has been recovered tax-free, the full amount of the annuity payments will be taxable. |
After the Annuity Date, if a period certain remains under the annuity option and the Annuitant dies before the end of that period, any remaining payments made to the Beneficiary will be fully excluded from income until the remaining cost basis is recovered and all annuity payments thereafter are fully includible in income. If we allow the Beneficiary to commute the remaining payments in a lump sum, the proceeds will be taxable as a surrender.
Considerations for Contingent Annuitants: We may allow the naming of a contingent Annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity is held by a pension plan or a tax favored retirement plan, or held by a Custodial Account. In such a situation, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the Annuity continues after the death of the Annuitant. However, tax deferral should be provided instead by the pension plan, tax favored retirement plan, or Custodial Account. We may also allow the naming of a contingent annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity is held by an entity owner when such Annuities do not qualify for tax deferral under the current tax law. This does not supersede any benefit language which may restrict the use of the contingent annuitant.
Reporting and Withholding on Distributions
Amounts distributed from an Annuity are subject to federal and state income tax reporting and withholding. In general, we will withhold federal income tax from the taxable portion of such distribution based on the type of distribution. In the case of an annuity payment, we apply default withholding under the applicable tax rules unless you designate a different withholding status. In the case of all other distributions, we will withhold at a 10% rate. You may generally elect a different tax withholding rate or elect not to have tax withheld from your payments. An election out of withholding must be made on forms that we provide. If you are a U.S. person (which includes a resident alien), and you request a payment be delivered outside the United States or do not provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number, we are required to withhold income tax.
State income tax withholding rules vary and we will withhold based on the rules of your state of residence. Special tax rules apply to withholding for nonresident aliens, and we generally withhold income tax for nonresident aliens at a 30% rate. A different withholding rate may be applicable to a nonresident alien based on the terms of an existing income tax treaty between the United States and the nonresident alien’s country. Please refer to the discussion below regarding withholding rules for a Qualified Annuity.
Regardless of the amount withheld by us, you are liable for payment of income taxes (including any estimated taxes that may be due) on the taxable portion of distributions from the Annuity. You should consult with your tax advisor regarding the payment of the correct amount of these income taxes and potential liability if you fail to pay such taxes.
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Entity Owners
Where an Annuity is held by a non-natural person (e.g., a corporation, partnership), other than as an agent or nominee for a natural person (or in other limited circumstances), increases in the value of the Annuity over its cost basis will be subject to tax annually.
Where an Annuity is issued to a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT), increases in the value of the Annuity over its cost basis will be subject to tax reporting annually. As there are charges for the optional living and death benefits described elsewhere in this prospectus, and such charges reduce the contract value of the Annuity, trustees of the CRT should discuss with their legal advisors whether election of such optional living or death benefits violates their fiduciary duty to the remainder beneficiary.
Where an Annuity is issued to a trust, and such trust is characterized as a grantor trust under the Code, such Annuity is generally not considered to be held by a non-natural person and will be subject to the tax reporting and withholding requirements generally applicable to a Non-qualified Annuity held by a natural person, provided that all grantors of the trust are natural persons. At this time, we will not issue an Annuity to grantor trusts with more than two grantors.
Where the Annuity is owned by a grantor trust, the Annuity must be distributed within five years after the date of the first grantor’s death (or the Annuitant’s death in certain instances) under Section 72(s) of the Code.
See the “Payout Options” section for scenarios where a Death Benefit or Surrender Value is payable depending upon the underlying facts.
Trusts are required to complete and submit a Certificate of Entity form, and we will tax report based on the information provided on this form.
Annuity Qualification
Diversification And Investor Control. In order to qualify for the tax rules applicable to Annuities described above, the investment assets in the Non-qualified Annuity Variable Options must be diversified according to certain rules under the Code. Each Portfolio is required to diversify its investments each quarter so that no more than 55% of the value of its assets is represented by any one investment, no more than 70% is represented by any two investments, no more than 80% is represented by any three investments, and no more than 90% is represented by any four investments. Generally, securities of a single issuer are treated as one investment, and obligations of each U.S. Government agency and instrumentality (such as the Government National Mortgage Association) are treated as issued by separate issuers. In addition, any security issued, guaranteed or insured (to the extent so guaranteed or insured) by the U.S. or an instrumentality of the U.S. will be treated as a security issued by the U.S. Government or its instrumentality, where applicable. We believe the Portfolios underlying the Variable Options of the Annuity meet these diversification requirements.
An additional requirement for qualification for the tax treatment described above is that we, and not you as the Annuity Owner, must have sufficient control over the underlying assets to be treated as the owner of the underlying assets for tax purposes. The tax law limits the amount of control you may have over choosing investments for your Annuity. If this “investor control” rule is violated your Annuity assets will be considered owned directly by you and you lose the favorable tax treatment generally afforded to annuities.
While we also believe these investor control rules will be met, the Treasury Department may promulgate guidelines under which a variable annuity will not be treated as an annuity contract for tax purposes if persons with ownership rights have excessive control over the investments underlying such variable annuity contract. It is unclear whether such guidelines, if in fact promulgated, would have retroactive effect. It is also unclear what effect, if any, such guidelines might have on transfers between the Investment Options offered pursuant to this prospectus. We reserve the right to take any action, including modifications to your Annuity or the Investment Options, required to comply with such guidelines if promulgated. Any such changes will apply uniformly to affected Owners and will be made with such notice to affected Owners as is feasible under the circumstances.
Required Distributions Upon Your Death for a Non-Qualified Annuity.
Upon your death, certain distributions must be made under the Annuity. The required distributions depend on whether you die before you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity or after you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity. If you die on or after the Annuity Date, the remaining portion of the interest in the Annuity must be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death. If you die before the Annuity Date, the entire interest in the Annuity must be distributed within five years after the date of death, or as periodic payments over a period not extending beyond the life or life expectancy of the designated Beneficiary (provided such payments begin within one year of your death). If the Beneficiary does not begin installments within one year of the date of death, no partial withdrawals will be permitted thereafter, and we require that the Beneficiary take the Death Benefit as a lump sum within the five-year deadline. Your designated Beneficiary is the person to whom benefit rights under the Annuity pass by reason of death, and must be a natural person in order to elect a periodic payment option based on life expectancy or a period exceeding five years. Additionally, if the Annuity is payable to (or for the benefit of) your surviving spouse, that portion of the Annuity may be continued with your spouse as the Owner. For Non-qualified Annuities owned by a non-natural person, the required distribution rules generally apply upon the death of the Annuitant. This means, for example, that for an Annuity held by a non-natural person (such as a trust) for which there is named a co-annuitant, then such required distributions will be triggered by the death of the first co-annuitant to die.
Changes To Your Annuity. We reserve the right to make any changes we deem necessary to assure that your Annuity qualifies as an Annuity for tax purposes. Any such changes will apply to all Annuity Owners and you will be given notice to the extent feasible under the circumstances.
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In general, as used in this prospectus, a Qualified Annuity is an Annuity with applicable endorsements for a tax-favored plan or a Non-Qualified Annuity held by a tax-favored retirement plan.
The following is a general discussion of the tax considerations for Qualified Annuities. This Annuity may or may not be available for all types of the tax-favored retirement plans discussed below. This discussion assumes that you have satisfied the eligibility requirements for any tax-favored retirement plan. Please consult your financial professional prior to purchase to confirm if this Annuity is available for a particular type of tax-favored retirement plan or whether we will accept the type of contribution you intend for this Annuity.
A Qualified Annuity may have been purchased for use in connection with:
| • | Individual retirement accounts and annuities (IRAs), including inherited IRAs (which we refer to as a Beneficiary IRA), which are subject to Sections 408(a) and 408(b) of the Code; |
| • | Roth IRAs, including inherited Roth IRAs (which we refer to as a Beneficiary Roth IRA) under Section 408A of the Code; |
| • | A corporate Pension or Profit-sharing plan (subject to 401(a) of the Code); |
| • | H.R. 10 plans (also known as Keogh Plans, subject to 401(a) of the Code); |
| • | Tax Sheltered Annuities (subject to 403(b) of the Code, also known as Tax Deferred Annuities or TDAs); |
| • | Section 457 plans (subject to 457 of the Code). |
A Non-qualified Annuity may have been purchased by a 401(a) trust, a custodial IRA or a custodial Roth IRA account, or a Section 457 plan, which can hold other permissible assets. The terms and administration of the trust or custodial account or plan in accordance with the laws and regulations for 401(a) plans, IRAs or Roth IRAs, or a Section 457 plan, as applicable, are the responsibility of the applicable trustee or custodian.
You should be aware that tax favored plans such as IRAs generally provide income tax deferral regardless of whether they invest in Annuities. This means that when a tax favored plan invests in an Annuity, it generally does not result in any additional tax benefits (such as income tax deferral and income tax free transfers).
Types of Tax-favored Plans
IRAs. The “IRA Disclosure Statement” and “Roth IRA Disclosure Statement” which accompany the prospectus contain information about eligibility, contribution limits, tax particulars, and other IRA information. In addition to this information (the material terms are summarized in this prospectus and in those Disclosure Statements), the IRS requires that you have a “Free Look” after making an initial contribution to the Annuity. During this time, you can cancel the Annuity by notifying us in writing, and we will refund the greater of all purchase payments under the Annuity or the Account Value, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding.
Contribution Limits/Rollovers. Subject to the minimum purchase payment requirements of an Annuity, you may purchase an Annuity for an IRA in connection with a “rollover” of amounts from a qualified retirement plan, as a transfer from another IRA, by making a contribution consisting of your IRA contributions and catch-up contributions, if applicable, attributable to the prior year during the period from January 1 to April 15 (or the later applicable due date of your federal income tax return, without extension), or as a current year contribution. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. The tax law also provides for a catch-up provision for individuals who are age 50 and above, allowing these individuals an additional $1,000 contribution each year. The $1,000 catch-up contribution for IRA owners age 50 or older is indexed for inflation starting in 2024 in accordance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (which includes SECURE 2.0 of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0”). You may be able to claim a deduction for your contributions depending on your modified adjusted gross income. Go to www.irs.gov for the limits for each year.
The “rollover” rules under the Code are fairly technical; however, an individual (or his or her surviving spouse) may generally “roll over” certain distributions from tax favored retirement plans (either directly or within 60 days from the date of these distributions) if he or she meets the requirements for distribution. Once you buy an Annuity, you can make regular IRA contributions under the Annuity (to the extent permitted by law and the terms of the Annuity). For IRA rollovers, an individual can only make an IRA to IRA rollover if the individual has not made a rollover involving any IRAs owned by the individual in the prior 12 months. An IRA transfer is a tax-free trustee-to-trustee “transfer” from one IRA account to another. IRA transfers are not subject to this 12-month rule. There is no age limitation with regard to contributions to a traditional IRA as long as the earned income requirements are met.
In some circumstances, non-spouse Beneficiaries may roll over to an IRA amounts due from qualified plans, 403(b) plans, and governmental 457(b) plans. However, the rollover rules applicable to non-spouse Beneficiaries under the Code are more restrictive than the rollover rules applicable to Owner/participants and spouse Beneficiaries. Generally, non-spouse Beneficiaries may roll over distributions from tax favored retirement plans only as a direct rollover. An inherited IRA must be directly rolled over from the employer plan or transferred from an IRA and must be titled in the name of the deceased (i.e., John Doe deceased for the benefit of Jane Doe). No additional contributions can be made to an inherited IRA. In this prospectus, an inherited IRA is also referred to as a Beneficiary Annuity.
Required Provisions. Annuities that are IRAs (or endorsements that are part of the contract) must contain certain provisions:
| • | You, as Owner of the Annuity, must be the “Annuitant” under the contract (except in certain cases involving the division of property under a decree of divorce); |
| • | Your rights as Owner are non-forfeitable; |
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| • | You cannot sell, assign or pledge the Annuity; |
| • | The annual contribution you pay cannot be greater than the maximum amount allowed by law, including catch-up contributions if applicable (which does not include any rollover amounts or amounts transferred by trustee-to-trustee transfer); |
| • | The date on which required minimum distributions must begin cannot be later than April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age (see the Required Minimum Distribution rules for more details); and |
| • | Death and annuity payments must meet Required Minimum Distribution rules described below. |
Usually, the full amount of any distribution from an IRA (including a distribution from this Annuity) which is not a transfer or rollover is taxable. As taxable income, these distributions are subject to the general income tax withholding rules described earlier regarding an Annuity in the Non-qualified Annuity section. In addition to this normal tax liability, you may also be liable for the following, depending on your actions:
| • | A 10% early withdrawal additional tax described below; |
| • | Liability for “prohibited transactions” if you, for example, borrow against the value of an IRA; or |
| • | Failure to take a Required Minimum Distribution, also described below. |
If you make any non-deductible contributions to your IRA, a portion of any subsequent distribution may be tax-free as a return of those contributions. You are required to keep track of this and determine the taxable and non-taxable portions. IRS rules require that we report the full amount of any distribution as taxable.
Simplified Employee Pensions (SEP). SEPs are a variation on a standard IRA, and Annuities issued to a SEP must satisfy the same general requirements described under IRAs (above). There are, however, some differences:
| • | If you participate in a SEP, you generally do not include in income any employer contributions made to the SEP on your behalf up to the lesser of (a) the annual employer contribution limit as indexed for inflation, or (b) 25% of your taxable compensation paid by the contributing employer (not including the employer’s SEP contribution as compensation for these purposes). However, for these purposes, compensation in excess of certain limits established by the IRS will not be considered. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution and catch-up limits and compensation limit. |
| • | SEPs must satisfy certain participation and nondiscrimination requirements not generally applicable to IRAs; and |
| • | SEPs that contain a salary reduction or “SARSEP” provision prior to 1997 may permit salary deferrals from employee income with the employer making these contributions to the SEP. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. However, no new “salary reduction” or “SARSEPs” can be established after 1996. Individuals participating in a SARSEP who are age 50 or above by the end of the year are permitted to contribute an additional catch-up contribution amount. These amounts are indexed for inflation and may depend on the participant’s age. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution limit and catch-up contribution limit. Not all Annuities issued by us are available for SARSEPs. |
| • | You will also be provided the same information, and have the same “Free Look” period, as you would have if you purchased the Annuity for a standard IRA. |
| • | Roth contributions are permitted for SEP IRAs starting in 2023. The Company does not currently offer Roth contributions for SEP IRAs, but we reserve the right to offer this contribution type in the future. |
ROTH IRAs. The “Roth IRA Disclosure Statement” contains information about eligibility, contribution limits, tax particulars and other Roth IRA information. Like standard IRAs, income within a Roth IRA accumulates tax-free, and contributions are subject to specific limits. Roth IRAs have, however, the following differences:
| • | Contributions to a Roth IRA cannot be deducted from your gross income; |
| • | “Qualified distributions” from a Roth IRA are excludable from gross income. A “qualified distribution” is a distribution that satisfies two requirements: (1) the distribution must be made (a) after the Owner of the IRA attains age 59½; (b) after the Owner’s death; (c) due to the Owner’s disability; or (d) for a qualified first time homebuyer distribution within the meaning of Section 72(t)(2)(F) of the Code; and (2) the distribution must be made in the year that is at least five tax years after the first year for which a contribution was made to any Roth IRA established for the Owner. Distributions from a Roth IRA that are not qualified distributions will be treated as made first from contributions and then from earnings and earnings will be taxed generally in the same manner as distributions from a traditional IRA. |
| • | If eligible (including meeting income limitations and earnings requirements), you may make contributions to a Roth IRA during your lifetime, and distributions are not required during the owner’s lifetime. |
Subject to the minimum Purchase Payment requirements of an Annuity, you may purchase an Annuity for a Roth IRA in connection with a “rollover” of amounts of another traditional IRA, SEP, SIMPLE-IRA (subject to a timing restriction), employer sponsored retirement plan (under Sections 401(a) or 403(b) of the Code) or Roth IRA. You may also purchase an Annuity for a Roth IRA, if you meet certain income limitations, by making a contribution consisting of your Roth IRA contributions and catch-up contributions, if applicable, attributable to the prior year during the period from January 1 to April 15 (or the applicable due date of your federal income tax return, without extension), or as a current year contribution. The Code permits persons who receive certain qualifying distributions from such non-Roth IRAs, to directly rollover or make, within 60 days, a “rollover” of all or any part of the amount of such distribution to a Roth IRA which they establish (a “conversion”). The conversion of non-Roth accounts triggers current taxation (but is not subject to a 10% early distribution additional tax unless a distribution that is allocable to the rollover contribution is distributed within 5 years of the conversion).
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In addition, SECURE 2.0 amends the Code to allow for tax and penalty free rollovers from 529 accounts to Roth IRAs, under certain conditions. Starting in 2024, beneficiaries of 529 college savings accounts would be permitted to roll over up to $35,000 over the course of their lifetime from any 529 account in their name to their Roth IRA. These rollovers generally are also subject to Roth IRA annual contribution limits, and the 529 account must have been open for at least 15 years, among other requirements.
The Code also permits the recharacterization of current year contribution amounts from a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA, or from a Roth IRA to a traditional IRA. Recharacterization is accomplished through a trustee-to-trustee transfer of a contribution (or a portion of a contribution) plus earnings, between different types of IRAs. A properly recharacterized contribution is treated as a contribution made to the second IRA instead of the first IRA. Such recharacterization must be completed by the applicable tax return due date (with extensions). However, no recharacterizations of conversions can be made.
Once an Annuity has been purchased, regular Roth IRA contributions will be accepted to the extent permitted by law and the terms of the Annuity. In addition, an individual receiving an eligible rollover distribution from a designated Roth account under an employer plan may roll over the distribution to a Roth IRA even if the individual is not eligible to make regular contributions to a Roth IRA. Non-spouse Beneficiaries receiving a distribution from an employer sponsored retirement plan under Sections 401(a) or 403(b) of the Code can also directly roll over contributions to a Roth IRA. However, it is our understanding of the Code that non-spouse Beneficiaries cannot “rollover” benefits from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
TDAs. In general, you may own a Tax Deferred Annuity (also known as a TDA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA), 403(b) plan or 403(b) Annuity) if you are an employee of a tax-exempt organization (as defined under Code Section 501(c)(3)) or a public educational organization, and you may make contributions to a TDA so long as your employer maintains such a plan and your rights to the Annuity are non-forfeitable. Contributions to a TDA, and any earnings, are not taxable until distribution. You may also make contributions to a TDA under a salary reduction agreement subject to specific limits. Individuals participating in a TDA who are age 50 or above by the end of the year will be permitted to contribute an additional amount. This amount is indexed for inflation. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution limit and catch-up contribution limit. Further, you may roll over TDA amounts to another TDA or an IRA. You may also roll over TDA amounts to a qualified retirement plan, a SEP and a governmental 457(b) plan. An Annuity may generally only qualify as a TDA if distributions of salary deferrals (other than “grandfathered” amounts held as of December 31, 1988) may be made only on account of:
| • | Your attainment of age 59½; |
| • | Your severance of employment; |
| • | Your death; |
| • | Your total and permanent disability; or |
| • | Hardship |
In any event, you must begin receiving distributions from your TDA by April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age or retire, whichever is later. These distribution limits do not apply either to transfers or exchanges of investments under the Annuity, or to any “direct transfer” of your interest in the Annuity to another employer’s TDA plan or mutual fund “custodial account” described under Code Section 403(b)(7). Employer contributions to TDAs are subject to the same general contribution, nondiscrimination, and minimum participation rules applicable to “qualified” retirement plans.
Caution: Under IRS regulations we can accept contributions, transfers and rollovers only if we have entered into an information-sharing agreement, or its functional equivalent, with the applicable employer or its agent. In addition, in order to comply with the regulations, we will only process certain transactions (e.g., transfers, withdrawals, hardship distributions and, if applicable, loans) with employer approval. This means that if you request one of these transactions we will not consider your request to be in Good Order, and will not therefore process the transaction, until we receive the employer’s approval in written or electronic form.
Late Rollover Self-Certification
You may be able to apply a rollover contribution to your IRA or qualified retirement plan after the 60-day deadline through a self-certification procedure established by the IRS. Please consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your eligibility to use this self-certification procedure. As indicated in this IRS guidance, we, as a financial institution, are not required to accept your self-certification for waiver of the 60-day deadline.
Required Minimum Distributions and Payment Options
If you hold the Annuity under an IRA (or other tax-favored plan), Required Minimum Distribution rules must be satisfied. This means that generally payments must start by April 1 of the year after the year you reach the applicable age (“required beginning date”) and must be made for each year thereafter. For a TDA or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than 5% owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs and designated Roth accounts under employer sponsored plans are not subject to these rules during the Owner’s lifetime.
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|
If you were born... |
Your “applicable age” is... |
|
Before July 1, 1949 |
70½ |
|
After June 30, 1949 and before 1951 |
72 |
|
After 1950 and before 1960 |
73 |
|
After 1959 |
75 |
The amount of the payment must at least equal the minimum required under the IRS rules. Several choices are available for calculating the minimum amount. More information on the mechanics of this calculation is available on request. Please contact us at a reasonable time before the Required Minimum Distribution deadline so that a timely distribution is made. Please note that there is a 25% excise tax (a 50% excise tax applied prior to the 2023 taxable year) on the amount of any required minimum distribution not made in a timely manner. The excise tax on failure is further reduced from 25% to 10% if corrected in a timely manner and certain other conditions are met in accordance with SECURE 2.0.
Required Minimum Distributions are calculated based on the sum of the Account Value and the actuarial present value of any additional living and death benefits from optional riders that you have purchased under the Annuity. As a result, the Required Minimum Distributions may be larger than if the calculation were based on the Account Value only, which may in turn result in an earlier (but not before the required beginning date) distribution of amounts under the Annuity and an increased amount of taxable income distributed to the Annuity Owner, and a reduction of payments under the living and death benefit optional riders.
You can use the Minimum Distribution option to satisfy the Required Minimum Distribution rules for an Annuity without either beginning annuity payments or surrendering the Annuity. Under this option, we will distribute to you the Required Minimum Distribution amount, less any other partial withdrawals that you made during the year. Such amount will be based on the value of the Annuity as of December 31 of the prior year, but is determined without regard to other tax favored retirement plans you may own. If a trustee-to-trustee transfer or direct rollover of the full contract value is requested when there is an active Required Minimum Distribution program running, the Required Minimum Distribution will be removed and sent to the Owner prior to the remaining funds being sent to the transfer institution.
Although the IRS rules determine the required amount to be distributed from your IRA each year, certain payment alternatives are still available to you. In accordance with SECURE 2.0, a new optional method for calculating your RMDs may be available if you have an IRA in an annuity payout (or partial annuity payout), and an IRA in the deferral stage. Please contact your tax advisor to determine if this calculation method is appropriate for you. In addition, if you own more than one IRA, you can choose to satisfy your minimum distribution requirement for each of your IRAs by withdrawing that amount from any of your non-Roth IRAs. If you inherit more than one IRA or more than one Roth IRA from the same Owner, similar rules apply. These rules may also apply to other types of tax favored retirement plans such as TDAs.
Charitable IRA Distributions
Certain qualified IRA distributions used for charitable purposes are eligible for an exclusion from gross income, up to $100,000 (indexed for inflation beginning after 2023), for otherwise taxable IRA distributions from a traditional or Roth IRA. A qualified charitable distribution is a distribution that is made (1) directly by the IRA trustee to certain qualified charitable organizations and (2) on or after the date the IRA owner attains age 70½. Distributions that are excluded from income under this provision are not taken into account in determining the individual’s deductions, if any, for charitable contributions. The amount of your qualified charitable distributions that are excluded from income for a tax year is reduced (but not below zero) by the excess of: (1) the total amount of your IRA deductions allowed for all tax years ending on or after the date you attain age 70½, over (2) the total amount of reductions for all tax years preceding the current tax year. You should consult your tax advisor about whether a one-time distribution up to $50,000 (indexed for inflation beginning after 2023) that is made from your IRA to a “split-interest entity” can be excluded from your gross income.
The IRS has currently indicated that an IRA trustee is not responsible for determining whether a distribution to a charity is one that satisfies the requirements of the charitable giving incentive. Unless otherwise required in the future by the IRS, we will report the distribution as a normal IRA distribution on Form 1099-R. In those instances, individuals are responsible for reflecting the distributions as charitable IRA distributions on their personal tax returns. However, if we receive certification that the distribution satisfies the requirements, we will report the distribution as a charitable IRA distribution on Form 1099-R.
Required Distributions Upon Your Death for a Qualified Annuity
Upon your death under an IRA, Roth IRA, 403(b) or other employer sponsored plan, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements. For Owner and Beneficiary deaths prior to 2020, please consult your tax advisor regarding the applicable post-death distribution requirements.
The information provided below applies to Owner and Beneficiary deaths after 2019. In addition, if you are an employee under a governmental plan, such as a section 403(b) plan of a public school or a governmental 457(b) plan, this law applies if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, this law generally applies if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).
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| • | Death before your required beginning date. If you die before your required beginning date, and you have a designated beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated beneficiary is an “eligible designated beneficiary” (“EDB”) or some other exception applies. A designated beneficiary is any individual designated as a beneficiary by the employee or IRA owner. An EDB is any designated beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual’s status as an EDB is generally determined on the date of your death. An EDB (other than a minor child) can generally stretch distributions over their life or life expectancy if payments begin by the end of the calendar year following the year of your death and continuing over the EDB’s remaining life expectancy after the EDB’s death. However, all amounts must be fully distributed by the end of the year containing the 10th anniversary of the EDB’s death. Special rules apply to minors and Beneficiaries that are not individuals. Additional special rules apply to surviving spouses, see “Spousal Continuation” below. |
| • | Death on or after your required beginning date. In general, if you die on or after your required beginning date, and you have a designated beneficiary who is not an EDB, any remaining interest in your Qualified Annuity must continue to be distributed over the longer of your remaining life expectancy and your designated beneficiary’s life expectancy (or more rapidly), but all amounts must be distributed within 10 years of your death. If your Beneficiary is an EDB (other than a minor child), distributions must continue over the longer of your remaining life expectancy and the EDB’s life expectancy (or more rapidly), but all amounts must be distributed within 10 years of the EDB’s death. Special rules apply to EDBs who are minors and Beneficiaries that are not individuals. |
| • | Annuity payments. If you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by us) in order to comply with the post-death distribution requirements. |
| • | Other rules. The post-death distribution requirements do not apply if the employee or IRA owner elected annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity. |
| If your beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your beneficiary designations. |
| In addition, these post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the employee or IRA owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated beneficiary of the deceased employee or IRA owner dies after January 1, 2020, and the designated beneficiary had elected the lifetime payout rule or was under the at-least-as rapidly rule, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated beneficiary’s death. Hence, this 10-year rule will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020. |
| • | Spousal continuation. If your beneficiary is your spouse, such surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after their death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to their own IRA, or by electing to treat your IRA as their own IRA. However, in certain circumstances the surviving spouse may have to take “hypothetical RMDs” (i.e., catch-up amounts required in accordance with the regulations). |
The post-death distribution requirements are complex in numerous respects. Treasury has issued final and proposed regulations that may impact these required minimum distribution requirements. We reserve the right to make changes in order to comply with the final and proposed regulations, or any regulations published in the future. Any such changes will apply uniformly to affected Owners or Beneficiaries and will be made with such notice to affected Owners or Beneficiaries as is feasible under the circumstances. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
Unless payments are being made in the form of an annuity, a Beneficiary has the flexibility to take out more each year than mandated under the required minimum distribution rules.
Note that in 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Inherited IRAs, other than IRAs inherited by the owner’s spouse, do not qualify as retirement assets for purposes of protection under the federal bankruptcy laws.
Until withdrawn, amounts in a Qualified Annuity continue to be tax deferred. Amounts withdrawn each year, including amounts that are required to be withdrawn under the required minimum distribution rules, are subject to tax. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
For a Roth IRA, if death occurs before the entire interest is distributed, the death benefit must be distributed under the same rules applied to IRAs where death occurs before the required beginning date. Similar rules may apply to designated Roth accounts under an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Consult your plan sponsor and tax advisor for more information on designated Roth accounts.
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10% Additional Tax for Early Withdrawals from a Qualified Annuity
You may owe a 10% additional tax on the taxable part of distributions received from an IRA, SEP, Roth IRA, TDA or qualified retirement plan. Amounts are not subject to this additional tax if:
| • | the amount is paid on or after you reach age 59½ or die; |
| • | the amount received is attributable to your becoming disabled; or |
| • | generally the amount paid or received is in the form of substantially equal periodic payments (as defined in the Code) not less frequently than annually. (Please note that substantially equal periodic payments must continue until the later of reaching age 59½ or five years. Certain modification of payments or additional contributions to the Annuity during that time period will result in retroactive application of the 10% additional tax.) |
There are a number of other exceptions to this tax that may apply. In addition, distributions that satisfy certain exceptions to this tax may be repaid in certain circumstances. You should consult your tax advisor for further details.
Withholding
For 403(b) Tax Deferred annuities, we will withhold federal income tax at the rate of 20% for any eligible rollover distribution paid by us to or for a plan participant, unless such distribution is “directly” rolled over into another qualified plan, IRA (including the IRA variations described above), SEP, governmental 457(b) plan or TDA. An eligible rollover distribution is defined under the tax law as a distribution from an employer plan under 401(a), a TDA or a governmental 457(b) plan, excluding any distribution that is part of a series of substantially equal payments (at least annually) made over the life expectancy of the employee or the joint life expectancies of the employee and his designated Beneficiary, any distribution made for a specified period of 10 years or more, any distribution that is a required minimum distribution and any hardship distribution. Regulations also specify certain other items which are not considered eligible rollover distributions. We will not withhold for payments made from trustee owned Annuities or for payments under a 457 plan. For all other distributions, unless you elect otherwise, we will withhold federal income tax from the taxable portion of such distribution at an appropriate percentage. The rate of withholding on annuity payments where no mandatory withholding is required is determined on the basis of the withholding certificate that you file with us. If you do not file a certificate, we will automatically withhold federal taxes on the following basis:
| • | For any annuity payments not subject to mandatory withholding, you will have taxes withheld under the applicable default withholding rules; and |
| • | For all other distributions, we will withhold at a 10% rate. |
If no U.S. taxpayer identification number is provided, no election out of withholding will be allowed, and we will automatically withhold using the default withholding rules. In addition, if you are a U.S. person (which includes a resident alien), and you request a payment be delivered outside the U.S., we are required to withhold income tax.
We will provide you with forms and instructions concerning the right to elect that no amount be withheld from payments in the ordinary course. However, you should know that, in any event, you are liable for payment of federal income taxes (including any estimated tax liabilities) on the taxable portion of the distributions, and you should consult with your tax advisor to find out more information on your potential liability if you fail to pay such taxes. There may be additional state income tax withholding requirements.
Special tax rules apply to withholding for nonresident aliens, and we generally withhold income tax for nonresident aliens at a 30% rate. A different withholding rate may be applicable to a nonresident alien based on the terms of an existing income tax treaty between the United States and the nonresident alien’s country.
ERISA Requirements
ERISA (the “Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974”) and the Code prevent a fiduciary and other “parties in interest” with respect to a plan (and, for these purposes, an IRA would also constitute a “plan”) from receiving any benefit from any party dealing with the plan, as a result of the sale of the Annuity. Administrative exemptions under ERISA generally permit the sale of insurance/annuity products to plans, provided that certain information is disclosed to the person purchasing the Annuity. This information has to do primarily with the fees, charges, discounts and other costs related to the Annuity, as well as any commissions paid to any agent selling the Annuity. Information about any applicable fees, charges, discounts, penalties or adjustments may be found in the applicable sections of this prospectus. Information about sales representatives and commissions may be found in the sections of this prospectus addressing distribution of the Annuities.
Other relevant information required by the exemptions is contained in the contract and accompanying documentation.
Please consult with your tax advisor if you have any questions about ERISA and these disclosure requirements.
Spousal Consent Rules for Retirement Plans – Qualified Annuities
If you are married at the time your payments commence, you may be required by federal law to choose an income option that provides survivor annuity income to your spouse, unless your spouse waives that right. Similarly, if you are married at the time of your death, federal law may require all or a portion of the Death Benefit to be paid to your spouse, even if you designated someone else as your Beneficiary. A brief explanation of the applicable rules follows. For more information, consult the terms of your retirement arrangement.
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Defined Benefit Plans and Money Purchase Pension Plans. If you are married at the time your payments commence, federal law requires that benefits be paid to you in the form of a “qualified joint and survivor annuity” (QJSA), unless you and your spouse waive that right, in writing. Generally, this means that you will receive a reduced payment during your life and, upon your death, your spouse will receive at least one-half of what you were receiving for life. You may elect to receive another income option if your spouse consents to the election and waives his or her right to receive the QJSA. If your spouse consents to the alternative form of payment, your spouse may not receive any benefits from the plan upon your death. Federal law also requires that the plan pay a Death Benefit to your spouse if you are married and die before you begin receiving your benefit. This benefit must be available in the form of an Annuity for your spouse’s lifetime and is called a “qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity” (QPSA). If the plan pays Death Benefits to other Beneficiaries, you may elect to have a Beneficiary other than your spouse receive the Death Benefit, but only if your spouse consents to the election and waives his or her right to receive the QPSA. If your spouse consents to the alternate Beneficiary, your spouse will receive no benefits from the plan upon your death. Any QPSA waiver prior to your attaining age 35 will become null and void on the first day of the calendar year in which you attain age 35, if still employed.
Defined Contribution Plans (including 401(k) Plans and ERISA 403(b) Annuities). Spousal consent to a distribution is generally not required. Upon your death, your spouse will receive the entire Death Benefit, even if you designated someone else as your Beneficiary, unless your spouse consents in writing to waive this right. Also, if you are married and elect an Annuity as a periodic income option, federal law requires that you receive a QJSA (as described above), unless you and your spouse consent to waive this right.
IRAs, non-ERISA 403(b) Annuities, and 457 Plans. Spousal consent to a distribution usually is not required unless specifically required under the terms of the plan. Upon your death, any Death Benefit will be paid to your designated Beneficiary.
Reporting and Withholding for Escheated Amounts
Revenue Rulings 2018-17 and 2020-24 provide that an amount transferred from an IRA or 401(a) qualified retirement plan to a state’s unclaimed property fund is subject to federal income tax withholding at the time of transfer. The amount transferred is also subject to federal tax reporting. Consistent with these Rulings, we will withhold federal and state income taxes and report to the applicable Owner or Beneficiary as required by law when amounts are transferred to a state’s unclaimed property fund. Non-qualified annuity contracts generally are subject to the same or similar federal income tax reporting and withholding requirements as IRAs and qualified retirement plans. As a result, we may determine in the future that we have an obligation to follow similar guidelines with respect to any amounts escheated from your Non-qualified Annuity.
Gifts and Generation-skipping Transfers
If you transfer your Annuity to another person for less than adequate consideration, there may be gift tax consequences in addition to income tax consequences. Also, if you transfer your Annuity to a person two or more generations younger than you (such as a grandchild or grandniece) or to a person that is more than 37½ years younger than you, there may be generation-skipping transfer tax consequences.
Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships
U.S. Treasury Department regulations provide that for federal tax purposes, the term “spouse” does not include individuals (whether of the opposite sex or the same sex) who have entered into a registered domestic partnership, civil union, or other similar formal relationship that is not denominated as a marriage under the laws of the state where the relationship was entered into, regardless of domicile. As a result, if a Beneficiary of a deceased Owner and the Owner were parties to such a relationship, the Beneficiary will be required by federal tax law to take distributions from the Contract in the manner applicable to non-spouse Beneficiaries and will not be able to continue the Contract. Please consult with your tax or legal advisor before electing the Spousal Benefit for a civil union partner or domestic partner.
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As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Company nor the Registered Separate Account or Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. is a party to any material legal proceedings outside of the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. Although the Company and its affiliates are involved in pending and threatened legal proceedings in the normal course of its business, we do not anticipate that the outcome of any such legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the Registered Separate Account, or the Company’s ability to meet its obligations under the Annuity, or the ability of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. to meet its obligations related to the Annuity.
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The financial statements of the Registered Separate Account and Pruco Life are incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information.
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HOW WILL I RECEIVE STATEMENTS AND REPORTS?
We send any statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at your last known address of record. You should therefore give us prompt notice of any address change. We reserve the right, to the extent permitted by law and subject to your prior consent, to provide any prospectus, prospectus supplements, confirmations, statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAO3-USP. or any other electronic means. We send a confirmation statement to you each time a transaction is made affecting Account Value, such as transfers, exchanges or withdrawals. We also send quarterly statements detailing the activity affecting your Annuity during the calendar quarter. We may confirm regularly scheduled transactions, such as systematic withdrawals (including 72(t) payments and required minimum distributions), and bank drafting, in quarterly statements instead of confirming them immediately. You should review the information in these statements carefully. You may request additional reports. We reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each such additional report.
Any errors or corrections on transactions for your Annuity must be reported to us at our Service Center as soon as possible to assure proper accounting to your Annuity. For transactions that are confirmed immediately, we assume all transactions are accurate unless you notify us otherwise within 30 days from the date you receive the confirmation. For transactions that are first confirmed on the quarterly statement, we assume all transactions are accurate unless you notify us within 30 days from the date you receive the quarterly statement. All transactions confirmed immediately or by quarterly statement are deemed conclusive after the applicable 30-day period. We may also send an annual report and a semi-annual report containing applicable financial statements for the Registered Separate Account and the Portfolios, as of December 31 and June 30, respectively, to Owners or, with your prior consent, make such documents available electronically through our website or other electronic means.
Please communicate with us using the telephone number and addresses below for the purposes described. Failure to send mail to the proper address may result in a delay in our receiving and processing your request.
Prudential’s Annuities Service Center
Call our Customer Service Team at 1-888-PRU-2888 during normal business hours.
Internet
Access information about your Annuity at: www.prudential.com/annuities
Correspondence Sent by Regular Mail
Prudential
Annuities Service Center
P.O.
Box 7960
Philadelphia,
PA 19176
Correspondence Sent by Overnight*, Certified or Registered Mail
Prudential
Annuities Service Center
1600
Malone Street
Millville,
NJ 08332
*Please note that overnight correspondence sent through the United States Postal Service may be delivered to the P.O. Box listed above, which could delay receipt of your correspondence at our Service Center. Overnight mail sent through other methods (e.g., Federal Express, United Parcel Service) will be delivered to the address listed below.
Correspondence sent by regular mail to our Service Center should be sent to the address shown above. Your correspondence will be picked up at this address and then delivered to our Service Center. Your correspondence is not considered received by us until it is received at our Service Center. Where this prospectus refers to the day when we receive a Purchase Payment, request, election, notice, transfer or any other transaction request from you, we mean the day on which that item (or the last requirement needed for us to process that item) arrives in complete and proper form at our Service Center or via the appropriate telephone or fax number if the item is a type we accept by those means. There are two main exceptions: if the item arrives at our Service Center (1) on a day that is not a business day, or (2) after the close of a business day, then, in each case, we are deemed to have received that item on the next business day.
You can obtain account information by calling our automated response system and at www.prudential.com/contact-us, our website. Our Customer Service representatives are also available during business hours to provide you with information about your account. You can request certain transactions through our telephone voice response system, our website or through a customer service representative. You can provide authorization for a third party, including your attorney-in-fact acting pursuant to a power of attorney, to access your account information and perform certain transactions on your account. You will need to complete a form provided by us which identifies those transactions that you wish to authorize via telephonic and electronic
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means and whether you wish to authorize a third party to perform any such transactions. Please note that unless you tell us otherwise, we deem that all transactions that are directed by your financial professional with respect to your Annuity have been authorized by you. We require that you or your representative provide proper identification before performing transactions over the telephone or through our website. This may include a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will be provided to you upon issue of your Annuity or you may establish or change your PIN by calling our automated response system and at www.prudential.com/contact-us. Any third party that you authorize to perform financial transactions on your account will be assigned a PIN for your account.
Transactions requested via telephone are recorded. To the extent permitted by law, we will not be responsible for any claims, loss, liability or expense in connection with a transaction requested by telephone or other electronic means if we acted on such transaction instructions after following reasonable procedures to identify those persons authorized to perform transactions on your Annuity using verification methods which may include a request for your Social Security number, PIN or other form of electronic identification. We may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions if we did not follow such procedures.
Pruco Life does not guarantee access to telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic information or that we will be able to accept transaction instructions via such means at all times. Nor, due to circumstances beyond our control, can we provide any assurances as to the delivery of transaction instructions submitted to us by regular and/or express mail. Regular and/or express mail (if operational) will be the only means by which we will accept transaction instructions when telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic means are unavailable or delayed. Pruco Life reserves the right to limit, restrict or terminate telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic transaction privileges at any time.
PRUDENTIAL, THE PRUDENTIAL LOGO AND THE ROCK DESIGN ARE TRADEMARKS OF PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL, INC. AND ITS RELATED ENTITIES, REGISTERED IN MANY JURISDICTIONS WORLDWIDE. USED UNDER LICENSE.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE 3 VARIABLE ANNUITY, HIGHEST DAILY, HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME, AND AST ARE SERVICE MARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA AND ARE USED UNDER LICENSE BY ITS AFFILIATES.
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APPENDIX A - INVESTMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT
Certain Investment Options may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See the Cover Page for additional information.
Variable Options
The following is the list of Portfolios available under the Contract. More information about the Portfolios is available in the prospectuses for the Portfolios, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAO3-USP. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an email to service@prudential.com. Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Portfolio Companies.
The current expenses and performance information below reflects fee and expenses of the Portfolio, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your Contract may charge. Expenses would be higher, and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. The Portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Allocation |
AST
Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.86% |
16.17% |
8.81% |
9.59% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.87% |
14.35% |
6.96% |
8.05% |
|
Fixed Income |
AST
Core Fixed Income Portfolio1 |
0.68% |
7.15% |
-1.10% |
2.30% |
|
Equity |
AST
International Equity Portfolio1 |
1.02% |
32.84% |
5.76% |
10.00% |
|
Fixed Income |
AST
Investment Grade Bond Portfolio1,2,♦ |
0.69% |
8.57% |
-0.12% |
3.39% |
|
Allocation |
AST
J.P. Morgan Conservative Multi-Asset Portfolio1,♦ |
0.92% |
10.37% |
3.31% |
5.19% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Equity Portfolio1 |
0.84% |
14.88% |
13.25% |
12.47% |
A-1
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Growth Portfolio1 |
0.87% |
17.06% |
11.35% |
16.27% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Value Portfolio1 |
0.81% |
16.05% |
12.97% |
11.35% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Multi-Asset Diversified Plus Portfolio1,♦ |
1.13% |
13.55% |
5.58% |
5.73% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Multi-Asset Diversified Portfolio1,♦ |
0.90% |
15.55% |
6.86% |
8.28% |
|
Allocation |
AST
PGIM Aggressive Multi-Asset Portfolio1 |
0.90% |
16.00% |
8.22% |
8.26% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.89% |
11.33% |
3.76% |
5.45% |
|
Equity |
AST
Small-Cap Equity Portfolio1 |
1.01% |
7.41% |
1.81% |
10.39% |
|
Equity |
Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares† |
1.07% |
18.10% |
13.83% |
15.59% |
|
Equity |
NVIT
Fidelity Institutional AM®
Emerging Markets Fund - Class
D1,♦ |
1.46% |
35.77% |
0.70% |
5.98% |
A-2
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Equity |
PSF
Global Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.73% |
22.03% |
10.04% |
11.41% |
|
Fixed Income |
PSF
PGIM Government Money Market Portfolio - Class I |
0.32% |
4.05% |
3.06% |
1.96% |
|
Fixed Income |
PSF
PGIM High Yield Bond Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.57% |
8.90% |
4.85% |
6.92% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Blend Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.46% |
18.52% |
12.33% |
13.96% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Growth Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.60% |
14.27% |
10.69% |
16.62% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Value Portfolio - Class I |
0.43% |
16.88% |
13.90% |
11.39% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Small-Cap Stock Index Portfolio - Class I |
0.38% |
5.69% |
6.97% |
9.52% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Stock Index Portfolio - Class I |
0.28% |
17.56% |
14.09% |
14.51% |
| The additional information below may be applicable to the Portfolios listed in the above table. |
| PGIM Fixed Income is a business unit of PGIM, Inc. |
| PGIM Investments LLC manages each of the Portfolios of The Prudential Series Fund (PSF). |
| PGIM Investments LLC manages each of the Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust (AST). AST Investment Services, Inc. serves as co-manager, along with PGIM Investments LLC, to many of the Portfolios of AST. |
| PGIM Real Estate is a business unit of PGIM, Inc. |
| 1. | These Portfolios are also offered in other variable annuity contracts that utilize a predetermined mathematical formula to manage the guarantees offered in connection with optional benefits. |
| Those other variable annuity contracts offer certain optional living benefits that utilize a predetermined mathematical formula (the “formula”) to manage the guarantees offered in connection with those optional benefits. The formula monitors each contract Owner’s Account Value daily and, if necessary, will systematically transfer amounts among investment options. The formula transfers funds between the Variable Options for those variable annuity contracts and an AST Bond Portfolio Variable Option or a fixed account (those AST Bond Portfolios or a fixed account may not be available in connection with the annuity contracts offered through this prospectus). You should be aware that the operation of the formula in those other variable annuity contracts may result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the underlying Portfolios that are available with your contract. These asset flows could adversely impact the underlying Portfolios, including their risk profile, expenses and performance. Because transfers between the Variable Options and the AST Bond Variable Option or a fixed account can be frequent and the amount transferred can vary from day to day, any of the underlying Portfolios could experience the following effects, among others: |
| (a) | a Portfolio’s investment performance could be adversely affected by requiring a subadvisor to purchase and sell securities at inopportune times or by otherwise limiting the subadvisor’s ability to fully implement the Portfolio’s investment strategy; |
| (b) | the subadvisor may be required to hold a larger portion of assets in highly liquid securities than it otherwise would hold, which could adversely affect performance if the highly liquid securities underperform other securities (e.g., equities) that otherwise would have been held; and |
| (c) | a Portfolio may experience higher turnover and greater negative asset flows than it would have experienced without the formula, which could result in higher operating expense ratios and higher transaction costs for the Portfolio compared to other similar funds. |
| The efficient operation of the asset flows among Portfolios triggered by the formula depends on active and liquid markets. If market liquidity is strained, the asset flows may not operate as intended. For example, it is possible that illiquid markets or other market stress could cause delays in the transfer of cash from one Portfolio to another Portfolio, which in turn could adversely impact performance. |
| Before you allocate to the Variable Option with the AST Portfolios listed above, you should consider the potential effects on the Portfolios that are the result of the operation of the formula in the variable annuity contracts that are unrelated to your Variable Annuity. Please work with your financial professional to determine which Portfolios are appropriate for your needs. |
| 2. | The AST Investment Grade Bond Variable Option is not available for allocation of Purchase Payments or contract Owner transfers. |
| ♦ | This information includes annual expenses that reflect temporary or other fee reductions or waivers. Please see the Portfolio prospectus for additional information. |
| † | Additional information regarding the Portfolio is presented below. Please see the Portfolio prospectus for additional information. |
| Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares The Portfolio pays an investment advisory fee rate that adjusts up or down by a variable of up to 0.15% (assuming constant assets) on a monthly basis based upon the Portfolio’s performance relative to its benchmark index during a measurement period. |
A-3
Fixed Options
The following is a list of Fixed Options currently available under the Contract. We may change the features of the Fixed Options listed below, offer new Fixed Options, and terminate existing Fixed Options. We will provide you with written notice before doing so. For more information about the Fixed Options, see “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” in this prospectus.
Note: If amounts are withdrawn from Market Value Adjustment options before the end of its term, we will apply a Contract Adjustment. This may result in a significant reduction in your Contract value. For more information about Market Value Adjustment options, please refer to the “Charges and Adjustments” section of this prospectus.
|
Name |
Term |
Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate* |
|
Benefit Fixed Rate Account1 |
N/A |
2% for contract years 1-10%; 3% thereafter |
|
DCA Fixed Rate Option |
6 Month |
3% |
|
DCA Fixed Rate Option |
12 Month |
3% |
|
Fixed Interest Rate Option |
1 Year |
2% for contract years 1-10%; 3% thereafter |
|
Market Value Adjustment Option |
7 Year |
3% |
|
Market Value Adjustment Option |
8 Year |
3% |
|
Market Value Adjustment Option |
9 Year |
3% |
|
Market Value Adjustment Option |
10 Year |
3% |
*The rate shown was the last Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate issued before the product closed to new customers. Your Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate is the amount shown on your Contract and can vary by state. Please consult with your representative for availability and current rates.
1Not available for allocations.
A-4
Stipulated Investment Options if you Elect Certain Optional Benefits
Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Portfolio Companies.
|
Optional Benefit Name: |
Permitted Investment Options: |
|
Lifetime Five Income Benefit |
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio |
|
Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit |
AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit |
AST J.P. Morgan Conservative Multi-Asset Portfolio |
|
Highest Daily Value Death Benefit |
AST Multi-Asset Diversified Plus Portfolio |
|
|
AST Multi-Asset Diversified Portfolio |
|
|
AST PGIM Aggressive Multi-Asset Portfolio |
|
|
AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio |
|
Optional Benefit Name: |
All Investment Options Permitted, EXCEPT These: |
|
Highest
Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit |
Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares |
A-5
APPENDIX B – ASSET TRANSFER FORMULA UNDER HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME FIVE BENEFIT
We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Upon your election of Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we will not alter the asset transfer formula that applies to your contract. However, as discussed in
Section 5, we reserve the right to modify this formula with respect to those who elect Highest Daily Lifetime Five in the future.
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:
| • | Cu - the upper target is established on the effective date of the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit (the “Effective Date”) and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 83%. |
| • | Ct - the target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 80%. |
| • | Cl - the lower target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 77%. |
| • | L - the target value as of the current business day. |
| • | r - the target ratio. |
| • | a - the factors used in calculating the target value. These factors are established on the Effective Date and are not changed for the life of the guarantee. The factors that we use currently are derived from the a2000 Individual Annuity Mortality Table with an assumed interest rate of 3%. Each number in the table “a” factors (which appears below) represents a factor, which when multiplied by the Highest Daily Annual Income Amount, projects our total liability for the purpose of asset transfers under the guarantee. |
| • | Q - age based factors used in calculating the target value. These factors are established on the Effective Date and are not changed for the life of the guarantee. The factor is currently set equal to 1. |
| • | V - the total value of all Permitted Variable Options in the annuity. |
| • | F - the total value of all Benefit Fixed Rate Account allocations. |
| • | I - the income value prior to the first withdrawal. The income value is equal to what the Highest Daily Annual Income Amount would be if the first withdrawal were taken on the date of calculation. After the first withdrawal the income value equals the greater of the Highest Daily Annual Income Amount, the quarterly step-up amount times the annual income percentage, and the Contract Value times the annual income percentage. |
| • | T - the amount of a transfer into or out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. |
| • | I% - annual income amount percentage. This factor is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, this percentage is equal to 5%. |
TARGET VALUE CALCULATION:
On each business day, a target value (L) is calculated, according to the following formula. If the variable Contract Value (V) is equal to zero, no calculation is necessary.
|
L |
= |
I * Q * a |
Transfer Calculation:
The following formula, which is set on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines when a transfer is required:
|
Target Ratio r |
= |
(L - F) / V. |
| • | If r (greater than) Cu, assets in the Permitted Variable Options are transferred to Benefit Fixed Rate Account. |
| • | If r (less than) Cl, and there are currently assets in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (F (greater than) 0), assets in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account are transferred to the Permitted Variable Options. |
The following formula, which is set on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines the transfer amount:
|
T |
= |
{Min(V, [L - F - V × Ct] / (1 - Ct)) |
T (greater than) 0, Money moving from the Permitted Variable Options to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account |
|
T |
= |
{Min(F, - [L - F - V × Ct] / (1 - Ct)) |
T (less than) 0, Money moving from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account to the Permitted Variable Options |
Example:
Male age 65 contributes $100,000 into the Permitted Sub accounts, the value drops to $92,300 during year one and the current income amount is $5,000.67, end of day one. A table of values for “a” appears below.
B-1
Target Value Calculation:
|
L |
= |
I × Q × a |
|
|
= |
5000.67 × 1 × 15.34 |
|
|
= |
76,710.28 |
Target Ratio:
|
r |
= |
(L - F) / V |
|
|
= |
(76,710.28 - 0) / 92,300.00 |
|
|
= |
83.11% |
Since r (greater than) Cu ( because 83.11% (greater than) 83%) a transfer into the Benefit Fixed rate Account occurs.
|
T |
= |
{Min (V, [L - F - V × Ct] / (1 - Ct))} |
|
|
= |
{Min (92,300.00, [76,710.28 - 0 - 92,300.00 × 0.80] / (1 - 0.80))} |
|
|
= |
{Min (92,300.00, 14,351.40)} |
|
|
= |
14,351.40 |
B-2
Age 65 “a” Factors for Liability Calculations (for the corresponding Year and Month of the Benefit)*
|
Year |
Month 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
1 |
15.34 |
15.31 |
15.27 |
15.23 |
15.20 |
15.16 |
15.13 |
15.09 |
15.05 |
15.02 |
14.98 |
14.95 |
|
2 |
14.91 |
14.87 |
14.84 |
14.80 |
14.76 |
14.73 |
14.69 |
14.66 |
14.62 |
14.58 |
14.55 |
14.51 |
|
3 |
14.47 |
14.44 |
14.40 |
14.36 |
14.33 |
14.29 |
14.26 |
14.22 |
14.18 |
14.15 |
14.11 |
14.07 |
|
4 |
14.04 |
14.00 |
13.96 |
13.93 |
13.89 |
13.85 |
13.82 |
13.78 |
13.74 |
13.71 |
13.67 |
13.63 |
|
5 |
13.60 |
13.56 |
13.52 |
13.48 |
13.45 |
13.41 |
13.37 |
13.34 |
13.30 |
13.26 |
13.23 |
13.19 |
|
6 |
13.15 |
13.12 |
13.08 |
13.04 |
13.00 |
12.97 |
12.93 |
12.89 |
12.86 |
12.82 |
12.78 |
12.75 |
|
7 |
12.71 |
12.67 |
12.63 |
12.60 |
12.56 |
12.52 |
12.49 |
12.45 |
12.41 |
12.38 |
12.34 |
12.30 |
|
8 |
12.26 |
12.23 |
12.19 |
12.15 |
12.12 |
12.08 |
12.04 |
12.01 |
11.97 |
11.93 |
11.90 |
11.86 |
|
9 |
11.82 |
11.78 |
11.75 |
11.71 |
11.67 |
11.64 |
11.60 |
11.56 |
11.53 |
11.49 |
11.45 |
11.42 |
|
10 |
11.38 |
11.34 |
11.31 |
11.27 |
11.23 |
11.20 |
11.16 |
11.12 |
11.09 |
11.05 |
11.01 |
10.98 |
|
11 |
10.94 |
10.90 |
10.87 |
10.83 |
10.79 |
10.76 |
10.72 |
10.69 |
10.65 |
10.61 |
10.58 |
10.54 |
|
12 |
10.50 |
10.47 |
10.43 |
10.40 |
10.36 |
10.32 |
10.29 |
10.25 |
10.21 |
10.18 |
10.14 |
10.11 |
|
13 |
10.07 |
10.04 |
10.00 |
9.96 |
9.93 |
9.89 |
9.86 |
9.82 |
9.79 |
9.75 |
9.71 |
9.68 |
|
14 |
9.64 |
9.61 |
9.57 |
9.54 |
9.50 |
9.47 |
9.43 |
9.40 |
9.36 |
9.33 |
9.29 |
9.26 |
|
15 |
9.22 |
9.19 |
9.15 |
9.12 |
9.08 |
9.05 |
9.02 |
8.98 |
8.95 |
8.91 |
8.88 |
8.84 |
|
16 |
8.81 |
8.77 |
8.74 |
8.71 |
8.67 |
8.64 |
8.60 |
8.57 |
8.54 |
8.50 |
8.47 |
8.44 |
|
17 |
8.40 |
8.37 |
8.34 |
8.30 |
8.27 |
8.24 |
8.20 |
8.17 |
8.14 |
8.10 |
8.07 |
8.04 |
|
18 |
8.00 |
7.97 |
7.94 |
7.91 |
7.88 |
7.84 |
7.81 |
7.78 |
7.75 |
7.71 |
7.68 |
7.65 |
|
19 |
7.62 |
7.59 |
7.55 |
7.52 |
7.49 |
7.46 |
7.43 |
7.40 |
7.37 |
7.33 |
7.30 |
7.27 |
|
20 |
7.24 |
7.21 |
7.18 |
7.15 |
7.12 |
7.09 |
7.06 |
7.03 |
7.00 |
6.97 |
6.94 |
6.91 |
|
21 |
6.88 |
6.85 |
6.82 |
6.79 |
6.76 |
6.73 |
6.70 |
6.67 |
6.64 |
6.61 |
6.58 |
6.55 |
|
22 |
6.52 |
6.50 |
6.47 |
6.44 |
6.41 |
6.38 |
6.36 |
6.33 |
6.30 |
6.27 |
6.24 |
6.22 |
|
23 |
6.19 |
6.16 |
6.13 |
6.11 |
6.08 |
6.05 |
6.03 |
6.00 |
5.97 |
5.94 |
5.92 |
5.89 |
|
24 |
5.86 |
5.84 |
5.81 |
5.79 |
5.76 |
5.74 |
5.71 |
5.69 |
5.66 |
5.63 |
5.61 |
5.58 |
|
25 |
5.56 |
5.53 |
5.51 |
5.48 |
5.46 |
5.44 |
5.41 |
5.39 |
5.36 |
5.34 |
5.32 |
5.29 |
|
26 |
5.27 |
5.24 |
5.22 |
5.20 |
5.18 |
5.15 |
5.13 |
5.11 |
5.08 |
5.06 |
5.04 |
5.01 |
|
27 |
4.99 |
4.97 |
4.95 |
4.93 |
4.91 |
4.88 |
4.86 |
4.84 |
4.82 |
4.80 |
4.78 |
4.75 |
|
28 |
4.73 |
4.71 |
4.69 |
4.67 |
4.65 |
4.63 |
4.61 |
4.59 |
4.57 |
4.55 |
4.53 |
4.51 |
|
29 |
4.49 |
4.47 |
4.45 |
4.43 |
4.41 |
4.39 |
4.37 |
4.35 |
4.33 |
4.32 |
4.30 |
4.28 |
|
30 |
4.26 |
4.24 |
4.22 |
4.20 |
4.18 |
4.17 |
4.15 |
4.13 |
4.11 |
4.09 |
4.07 |
4.06 |
|
31 |
4.04 |
4.02 |
4.00 |
3.98 |
3.97 |
3.95 |
3.93 |
3.91 |
3.90 |
3.88 |
3.86 |
3.84 |
|
32 |
3.83 |
3.81 |
3.79 |
3.78 |
3.76 |
3.74 |
3.72 |
3.71 |
3.69 |
3.67 |
3.66 |
3.64 |
|
33 |
3.62 |
3.61 |
3.59 |
3.57 |
3.55 |
3.54 |
3.52 |
3.50 |
3.49 |
3.47 |
3.45 |
3.44 |
|
34 |
3.42 |
3.40 |
3.39 |
3.37 |
3.35 |
3.34 |
3.32 |
3.30 |
3.29 |
3.27 |
3.25 |
3.24 |
|
35 |
3.22 |
3.20 |
3.18 |
3.17 |
3.15 |
3.13 |
3.12 |
3.10 |
3.08 |
3.07 |
3.05 |
3.03 |
|
36 |
3.02 |
3.00 |
2.98 |
2.96 |
2.95 |
2.93 |
2.91 |
2.90 |
2.88 |
2.86 |
2.85 |
2.83 |
|
37 |
2.81 |
2.79 |
2.78 |
2.76 |
2.74 |
2.73 |
2.71 |
2.69 |
2.68 |
2.66 |
2.64 |
2.62 |
|
38 |
2.61 |
2.59 |
2.57 |
2.56 |
2.54 |
2.52 |
2.51 |
2.49 |
2.47 |
2.45 |
2.44 |
2.42 |
|
39 |
2.40 |
2.39 |
2.37 |
2.35 |
2.34 |
2.32 |
2.30 |
2.29 |
2.27 |
2.25 |
2.24 |
2.22 |
|
40 |
2.20 |
2.19 |
2.17 |
2.15 |
2.14 |
2.12 |
2.11 |
2.09 |
2.07 |
2.06 |
2.04 |
2.02 |
|
41 |
2.01 |
1.84 |
1.67 |
1.51 |
1.34 |
1.17 |
1.00 |
0.84 |
0.67 |
0.50 |
0.33 |
0.17 |
| * | The values set forth in this table are applied to all ages. |
B-3
APPENDIX C – FORMULA UNDER HIGHEST DAILY LIFFETIME SEVEN INCOME BENEFIT AND SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN INCOME BENEFIT
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:
| • | Cu – the upper target is established on the effective date of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit (the “Effective Date”) and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 83%. |
| • | Ct – the target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 80%. |
| • | Cl – the lower target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 77%. |
| • | L – the target value as of the current business day. |
| • | r – the target ratio. |
| • | a – factors used in calculating the target value. These factors are established on the Effective Date and are not changed for the life of the guarantee. |
| • | V – the total value of all Permitted Variable Options in the annuity. |
| • | B – the total value of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | P – Income Basis. Prior to the first withdrawal, the Income Basis is the Protected Withdrawal Value calculated as if the first withdrawal were taken on the date of calculation. After the first withdrawal, the Income Basis is equal to the greater of (1) the Protected Withdrawal Value at the time of the first withdrawal, adjusted for additional purchase payments including the amount of any associated Credits, and adjusted proportionally for excess withdrawals*, (2) any highest quarterly value increased for additional purchase payments including the amount of any associated Credits, and adjusted for withdrawals, and (3) the Contract Value. |
| • | T – the amount of a transfer into or out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| * | Note: withdrawals of less than the Annual Income Amount do not reduce the Income Basis. |
TARGET VALUE CALCULATION:
On each business day, a target value (L) is calculated, according to the following formula. If the variable account value (V) is equal to zero, no calculation is necessary.
|
L |
= |
0.05 × P × a |
Transfer Calculation:
The following formula, which is set on the Benefit Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines when a transfer is required:
|
Target Ratio r |
= |
(L – B) / V. |
| • | If r (greater than) Cu, assets in the Permitted Variable Options are transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | If r (less than) Cl, and there are currently assets in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (B (greater than) 0), assets in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio are transferred to the Permitted Variable Options according to most recent allocation instructions. |
The following formula, which is set on the Benefit Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines the transfer amount:
|
T |
= |
{Min (V, [L - F - V × Ct] / (1 - Ct))} |
Money moving from the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
|
T |
= |
{Min(B,- [L - B - V × Ct] / (1-Ct))} |
Money moving from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options |
C-1
“a” Factors for Liability Calculations ((for the corresponding Year and Month of the Benefit))*
|
Year |
Month 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
1 |
15.34 |
15.31 |
15.27 |
15.23 |
15.20 |
15.16 |
15.13 |
15.09 |
15.05 |
15.02 |
14.98 |
14.95 |
|
2 |
14.91 |
14.87 |
14.84 |
14.80 |
14.76 |
14.73 |
14.69 |
14.66 |
14.62 |
14.58 |
14.55 |
14.51 |
|
3 |
14.47 |
14.44 |
14.40 |
14.36 |
14.33 |
14.29 |
14.26 |
14.22 |
14.18 |
14.15 |
14.11 |
14.07 |
|
4 |
14.04 |
14.00 |
13.96 |
13.93 |
13.89 |
13.85 |
13.82 |
13.78 |
13.74 |
13.71 |
13.67 |
13.63 |
|
5 |
13.60 |
13.56 |
13.52 |
13.48 |
13.45 |
13.41 |
13.37 |
13.34 |
13.30 |
13.26 |
13.23 |
13.19 |
|
6 |
13.15 |
13.12 |
13.08 |
13.04 |
13.00 |
12.97 |
12.93 |
12.89 |
12.86 |
12.82 |
12.78 |
12.75 |
|
7 |
12.71 |
12.67 |
12.63 |
12.60 |
12.56 |
12.52 |
12.49 |
12.45 |
12.41 |
12.38 |
12.34 |
12.30 |
|
8 |
12.26 |
12.23 |
12.19 |
12.15 |
12.12 |
12.08 |
12.04 |
12.01 |
11.97 |
11.93 |
11.90 |
11.86 |
|
9 |
11.82 |
11.78 |
11.75 |
11.71 |
11.67 |
11.64 |
11.60 |
11.56 |
11.53 |
11.49 |
11.45 |
11.42 |
|
10 |
11.38 |
11.34 |
11.31 |
11.27 |
11.23 |
11.20 |
11.16 |
11.12 |
11.09 |
11.05 |
11.01 |
10.98 |
|
11 |
10.94 |
10.90 |
10.87 |
10.83 |
10.79 |
10.76 |
10.72 |
10.69 |
10.65 |
10.61 |
10.58 |
10.54 |
|
12 |
10.50 |
10.47 |
10.43 |
10.40 |
10.36 |
10.32 |
10.29 |
10.25 |
10.21 |
10.18 |
10.14 |
10.11 |
|
13 |
10.07 |
10.04 |
10.00 |
9.96 |
9.93 |
9.89 |
9.86 |
9.82 |
9.79 |
9.75 |
9.71 |
9.68 |
|
14 |
9.64 |
9.61 |
9.57 |
9.54 |
9.50 |
9.47 |
9.43 |
9.40 |
9.36 |
9.33 |
9.29 |
9.26 |
|
15 |
9.22 |
9.19 |
9.15 |
9.12 |
9.08 |
9.05 |
9.02 |
8.98 |
8.95 |
8.91 |
8.88 |
8.84 |
|
16 |
8.81 |
8.77 |
8.74 |
8.71 |
8.67 |
8.64 |
8.60 |
8.57 |
8.54 |
8.50 |
8.47 |
8.44 |
|
17 |
8.40 |
8.37 |
8.34 |
8.30 |
8.27 |
8.24 |
8.20 |
8.17 |
8.14 |
8.10 |
8.07 |
8.04 |
|
18 |
8.00 |
7.97 |
7.94 |
7.91 |
7.88 |
7.84 |
7.81 |
7.78 |
7.75 |
7.71 |
7.68 |
7.65 |
|
19 |
7.62 |
7.59 |
7.55 |
7.52 |
7.49 |
7.46 |
7.43 |
7.40 |
7.37 |
7.33 |
7.30 |
7.27 |
|
20 |
7.24 |
7.21 |
7.18 |
7.15 |
7.12 |
7.09 |
7.06 |
7.03 |
7.00 |
6.97 |
6.94 |
6.91 |
|
21 |
6.88 |
6.85 |
6.82 |
6.79 |
6.76 |
6.73 |
6.70 |
6.67 |
6.64 |
6.61 |
6.58 |
6.55 |
|
22 |
6.52 |
6.50 |
6.47 |
6.44 |
6.41 |
6.38 |
6.36 |
6.33 |
6.30 |
6.27 |
6.24 |
6.22 |
|
23 |
6.19 |
6.16 |
6.13 |
6.11 |
6.08 |
6.05 |
6.03 |
6.00 |
5.97 |
5.94 |
5.92 |
5.89 |
|
24 |
5.86 |
5.84 |
5.81 |
5.79 |
5.76 |
5.74 |
5.71 |
5.69 |
5.66 |
5.63 |
5.61 |
5.58 |
|
25 |
5.56 |
5.53 |
5.51 |
5.48 |
5.46 |
5.44 |
5.41 |
5.39 |
5.36 |
5.34 |
5.32 |
5.29 |
|
26 |
5.27 |
5.24 |
5.22 |
5.20 |
5.18 |
5.15 |
5.13 |
5.11 |
5.08 |
5.06 |
5.04 |
5.01 |
|
27 |
4.99 |
4.97 |
4.95 |
4.93 |
4.91 |
4.88 |
4.86 |
4.84 |
4.82 |
4.80 |
4.78 |
4.75 |
|
28 |
4.73 |
4.71 |
4.69 |
4.67 |
4.65 |
4.63 |
4.61 |
4.59 |
4.57 |
4.55 |
4.53 |
4.51 |
|
29 |
4.49 |
4.47 |
4.45 |
4.43 |
4.41 |
4.39 |
4.37 |
4.35 |
4.33 |
4.32 |
4.30 |
4.28 |
|
30 |
4.26 |
4.24 |
4.22 |
4.20 |
4.18 |
4.17 |
4.15 |
4.13 |
4.11 |
4.09 |
4.07 |
4.06 |
|
31 |
4.04 |
4.02 |
4.00 |
3.98 |
3.97 |
3.95 |
3.93 |
3.91 |
3.90 |
3.88 |
3.86 |
3.84 |
|
32 |
3.83 |
3.81 |
3.79 |
3.78 |
3.76 |
3.74 |
3.72 |
3.71 |
3.69 |
3.67 |
3.66 |
3.64 |
|
33 |
3.62 |
3.61 |
3.59 |
3.57 |
3.55 |
3.54 |
3.52 |
3.50 |
3.49 |
3.47 |
3.45 |
3.44 |
|
34 |
3.42 |
3.40 |
3.39 |
3.37 |
3.35 |
3.34 |
3.32 |
3.30 |
3.29 |
3.27 |
3.25 |
3.24 |
|
35 |
3.22 |
3.20 |
3.18 |
3.17 |
3.15 |
3.13 |
3.12 |
3.10 |
3.08 |
3.07 |
3.05 |
3.03 |
|
36 |
3.02 |
3.00 |
2.98 |
2.96 |
2.95 |
2.93 |
2.91 |
2.90 |
2.88 |
2.86 |
2.85 |
2.83 |
|
37 |
2.81 |
2.79 |
2.78 |
2.76 |
2.74 |
2.73 |
2.71 |
2.69 |
2.68 |
2.66 |
2.64 |
2.62 |
|
38 |
2.61 |
2.59 |
2.57 |
2.56 |
2.54 |
2.52 |
2.51 |
2.49 |
2.47 |
2.45 |
2.44 |
2.42 |
|
39 |
2.40 |
2.39 |
2.37 |
2.35 |
2.34 |
2.32 |
2.30 |
2.29 |
2.27 |
2.25 |
2.24 |
2.22 |
|
40 |
2.20 |
2.19 |
2.17 |
2.15 |
2.14 |
2.12 |
2.11 |
2.09 |
2.07 |
2.06 |
2.04 |
2.02 |
|
41 |
2.01 |
1.84 |
1.67 |
1.51 |
1.34 |
1.17 |
1.00 |
0.84 |
0.67 |
0.50 |
0.33 |
0.17 |
| * | The values set forth in this table are applied to all ages. |
C-2
APPENDIX
D – FORMULA FOR HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME 7 PLUS INCOME BENEFIT AND
SPOUSAL
HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME 7 PLUS INCOME BENEFIT
TRANSFERS
OF ACCOUNT VALUE BETWEEN YOUR PERMITTED VARIABLE OPTIONS AND
THE
AST INVESTMENT GRADE BOND PORTFOLIO
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULAS:
| • | Cu – the upper target is established on the effective date of the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus/Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit (the “Effective Date”) and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 83%. |
| • | Cus – The secondary upper target is established on the effective date of the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus/Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit (the “Effective Date”) and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently it is 84.5% |
| • | Ct – the target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 80%. |
| • | Cl – the lower target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 78%. |
| • | L – the target value as of the current Valuation Day. |
| • | r – the target ratio. |
| • | a – factors used in calculating the target value. These factors are established on the Effective Date and are not changed for the life of the guarantee. (See below for the table of “a” factors) |
| • | Vv – the total value of all Permitted Variable Options in the Annuity. |
| • | VF – the total value of all elected Fixed Rate Options in the Annuity |
| • | B – the total value of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | P – Income Basis. Prior to the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Income Basis is equal to the Protected Withdrawal Value calculated as if the first Lifetime Withdrawal were taken on the date of calculation. After the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Income Basis is equal to the greater of (1) the Protected Withdrawal Value on the date of the first Lifetime Withdrawal, increased for additional purchase payments, including the amount of any associated Credits, and adjusted proportionally for excess withdrawals*, and (2) any highest daily Account Value occurring on or after the date of the first Lifetime Withdrawal and prior to or including the date of this calculation increased for additional purchase payments including the amount of any associated Credits, and adjusted for Lifetime Withdrawals. |
| • | T – the amount of a transfer into or out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
| • | TM – the amount of a monthly transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
| * | Note: Lifetime Withdrawals of less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount do not reduce the Income Basis. |
DAILY CALCULATIONS
TARGET VALUE CALCULATION:
On each Valuation Day, a target value (L) is calculated, according to the following formula. If the variable Account Value (VV+ VF) is equal to zero, no calculation is necessary.
|
L |
= |
0.05 × P × a |
TRANSFER CALCULATION:
The following formula, which is set on the Benefit Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines when a transfer is required:
|
Target Ratio r |
= |
(L - B) / (VV + VF). |
| • | If on the third consecutive Valuation Day r > Cu and r ≤ Cus or if on any day r > Cus, and subject to the 90% Cap Rule described below, assets in the Permitted Variable Options (including DCA Fixed Rate Options used with any applicable 6 or 12 Month DCA Program) are transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | If r < Cl, and there are currently assets in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (B > 0), assets in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio are transferred to the Permitted Variable Options according to most recent allocation instructions. |
The following formula, which is set on the Benefit Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines the transfer amount:
|
T |
= |
Min (MAX (0, (0.90 × (VV + VF + B)) – B), [L – B – (VV + VF) × Ct]/(1 – Ct)) |
Money is transferred from the Permitted Variable Options and Fixed Rate Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
|
T |
= |
{Min (B, – [L – B – (VV + VF) × Ct]/(1 – Ct))} |
Money is transferred from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options |
D-1
90% Cap Rule: If, on any Valuation Day, a transfer into the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs which results in 90% of the Account Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, any transfers into the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will be suspended, even if the formula would otherwise dictate that a transfer into the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio should occur. Transfers out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and into the elected Variable Options will still be allowed. The suspension will be lifted once a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs. Due to the performance of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the elected Variable Options, the Account Value could be more than 90% invested in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
MONTHLY CALCULATION
On each monthly anniversary of the Annuity Issue Date and following the daily Transfer Calculation above, the following formula determines if a transfer from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options will occur:
If, after the daily Transfer Calculation is performed,
|
{Min (B,.05 × (VV + VF + B))} < (Cu × (VV + VF) – L + B) / (1 – Cu), then | |||
|
TM |
= |
{Min (B,.05 × (VV + VF + B))} |
Money is transferred from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options. |
D-2
“a”
Factors for Liability Calculations
(for
the corresponding Year and Month of the Benefit)*
|
Year |
Month |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
1 |
15.34 |
15.31 |
15.27 |
15.23 |
15.20 |
15.16 |
15.13 |
15.09 |
15.05 |
15.02 |
14.98 |
14.95 |
|
2 |
14.91 |
14.87 |
14.84 |
14.80 |
14.76 |
14.73 |
14.69 |
14.66 |
14.62 |
14.58 |
14.55 |
14.51 |
|
3 |
14.47 |
14.44 |
14.40 |
14.36 |
14.33 |
14.29 |
14.26 |
14.22 |
14.18 |
14.15 |
14.11 |
14.07 |
|
4 |
14.04 |
14.00 |
13.96 |
13.93 |
13.89 |
13.85 |
13.82 |
13.78 |
13.74 |
13.71 |
13.67 |
13.63 |
|
5 |
13.60 |
13.56 |
13.52 |
13.48 |
13.45 |
13.41 |
13.37 |
13.34 |
13.30 |
13.26 |
13.23 |
13.19 |
|
6 |
13.15 |
13.12 |
13.08 |
13.04 |
13.00 |
12.97 |
12.93 |
12.89 |
12.86 |
12.82 |
12.78 |
12.75 |
|
7 |
12.71 |
12.67 |
12.63 |
12.60 |
12.56 |
12.52 |
12.49 |
12.45 |
12.41 |
12.38 |
12.34 |
12.30 |
|
8 |
12.26 |
12.23 |
12.19 |
12.15 |
12.12 |
12.08 |
12.04 |
12.01 |
11.97 |
11.93 |
11.90 |
11.86 |
|
9 |
11.82 |
11.78 |
11.75 |
11.71 |
11.67 |
11.64 |
11.60 |
11.56 |
11.53 |
11.49 |
11.45 |
11.42 |
|
10 |
11.38 |
11.34 |
11.31 |
11.27 |
11.23 |
11.20 |
11.16 |
11.12 |
11.09 |
11.05 |
11.01 |
10.98 |
|
11 |
10.94 |
10.90 |
10.87 |
10.83 |
10.79 |
10.76 |
10.72 |
10.69 |
10.65 |
10.61 |
10.58 |
10.54 |
|
12 |
10.50 |
10.47 |
10.43 |
10.40 |
10.36 |
10.32 |
10.29 |
10.25 |
10.21 |
10.18 |
10.14 |
10.11 |
|
13 |
10.07 |
10.04 |
10.00 |
9.96 |
9.93 |
9.89 |
9.86 |
9.82 |
9.79 |
9.75 |
9.71 |
9.68 |
|
14 |
9.64 |
9.61 |
9.57 |
9.54 |
9.50 |
9.47 |
9.43 |
9.40 |
9.36 |
9.33 |
9.29 |
9.26 |
|
15 |
9.22 |
9.19 |
9.15 |
9.12 |
9.08 |
9.05 |
9.02 |
8.98 |
8.95 |
8.91 |
8.88 |
8.84 |
|
16 |
8.81 |
8.77 |
8.74 |
8.71 |
8.67 |
8.64 |
8.60 |
8.57 |
8.54 |
8.50 |
8.47 |
8.44 |
|
17 |
8.40 |
8.37 |
8.34 |
8.30 |
8.27 |
8.24 |
8.20 |
8.17 |
8.14 |
8.10 |
8.07 |
8.04 |
|
18 |
8.00 |
7.97 |
7.94 |
7.91 |
7.88 |
7.84 |
7.81 |
7.78 |
7.75 |
7.71 |
7.68 |
7.65 |
|
19 |
7.62 |
7.59 |
7.55 |
7.52 |
7.49 |
7.46 |
7.43 |
7.40 |
7.37 |
7.33 |
7.30 |
7.27 |
|
20 |
7.24 |
7.21 |
7.18 |
7.15 |
7.12 |
7.09 |
7.06 |
7.03 |
7.00 |
6.97 |
6.94 |
6.91 |
|
21 |
6.88 |
6.85 |
6.82 |
6.79 |
6.76 |
6.73 |
6.70 |
6.67 |
6.64 |
6.61 |
6.58 |
6.55 |
|
22 |
6.52 |
6.50 |
6.47 |
6.44 |
6.41 |
6.38 |
6.36 |
6.33 |
6.30 |
6.27 |
6.24 |
6.22 |
|
23 |
6.19 |
6.16 |
6.13 |
6.11 |
6.08 |
6.05 |
6.03 |
6.00 |
5.97 |
5.94 |
5.92 |
5.89 |
|
24 |
5.86 |
5.84 |
5.81 |
5.79 |
5.76 |
5.74 |
5.71 |
5.69 |
5.66 |
5.63 |
5.61 |
5.58 |
|
25 |
5.56 |
5.53 |
5.51 |
5.48 |
5.46 |
5.44 |
5.41 |
5.39 |
5.36 |
5.34 |
5.32 |
5.29 |
|
26 |
5.27 |
5.24 |
5.22 |
5.20 |
5.18 |
5.15 |
5.13 |
5.11 |
5.08 |
5.06 |
5.04 |
5.01 |
|
27 |
4.99 |
4.97 |
4.95 |
4.93 |
4.91 |
4.88 |
4.86 |
4.84 |
4.82 |
4.80 |
4.78 |
4.75 |
|
28 |
4.73 |
4.71 |
4.69 |
4.67 |
4.65 |
4.63 |
4.61 |
4.59 |
4.57 |
4.55 |
4.53 |
4.51 |
|
29 |
4.49 |
4.47 |
4.45 |
4.43 |
4.41 |
4.39 |
4.37 |
4.35 |
4.33 |
4.32 |
4.30 |
4.28 |
|
30 |
4.26 |
4.24 |
4.22 |
4.20 |
4.18 |
4.17 |
4.15 |
4.13 |
4.11 |
4.09 |
4.07 |
4.06** |
| * | The values set forth in this table are applied to all ages. |
| ** | In all subsequent years and months thereafter, the annuity factor is 4.06 |
D-3
MAILING
This prospectus describes the important features of the Annuity and provides information about Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”, “we”, “our”, “the Company”, or “us”) and Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account (Separate Account).
We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Statement of Additional Information (SAI), dated May 1, 2026 that includes additional information about the Annuity, Pruco Life and the Separate Account. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The SAI is available from us, without charge, upon request. To request a copy of the SAI, to ask about your Annuity, or to make other investor inquiries, please call 1-888-PRU-2888.
We file periodic reports and other information about the Annuity and the Separate Account as required under the federal securities laws. Those reports and other information about us are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and copies of reports and other information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
[THIS PAGE WAS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
[THIS PAGE WAS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
[THIS PAGE WAS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
The
Prudential Insurance Company of America
751
Broad Street
Newark,
NJ 07102-3777
|
Edgar Contract Identifier: C000228667; C000264562 |
SPAO3PROS |
PRUCO
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
Pruco
Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
A
Prudential Financial Company
751
Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777
STRATEGIC PARTNERS PLUS VARIABLE ANNUITY
Flexible
Premium Deferred Annuities
Prospectus
Dated: May 1, 2026
This prospectus describes the Strategic Partners Plus Variable Annuity, a flexible premium deferred variable annuity contract (the “Contract”), offered by Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”, “we”, “our”, “the Company”, or “us”). The Annuity provides for the potential accumulation of retirement savings through investment in the Contract’s investment options during the Savings Stage and retirement income through annuitization during the Payout Period. The Contract is intended for retirement or other long-term investment purposes.
The types of investment options currently offered under the Annuity include variable investment options with underlying mutual funds (“Variable Options”), a one-year fixed rate option, and a dollar cost averaging fixed rate option (DCA Fixed Rate Option) that offer a fixed rate of interest for a set period of time called an interest rate period. See “Appendix A” for additional information about each investment option.
If you are receiving this prospectus, it is because you currently own the Annuity. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales.
This prospectus describes all the investment options, features, and benefits that we make available under the Annuity. The availability of investment options, features and benefits described in this prospectus may vary depending on the broker-dealer through which the Contract is sold (“financial intermediary variations”). We have identified all such financial intermediary variations that are known or reasonably available to us. Financial intermediary variations may be imposed by some broker-dealers without our knowledge. For example, your Financial Professional may not recommend a particular investment option or benefit to you because of a decision by the Financial Professional’s broker-dealer not to offer that investment option or benefit to its customers. Taking into consideration the breadth of our distribution network, we are unable to obtain information about all financial intermediary variations without unreasonable effort or expense. You should discuss with your Financial Professional any limitations, restrictions, or other variations related to the investment options, benefits or other features available to you through your Financial Professional.
This prospectus describes three classes of Contracts:
| • | Contract With Credit Withdrawal Charge (Bonus Credits Vest Over Seven Year Period) |
| • | Contract With Credit Withdrawal Charge (Bonus Credits Generally Not Recaptureable After Expiration of Free Look Period) |
| • | Contract without credit. Except as otherwise indicated, provisions of this prospectus apply to all classes. |
This prospectus sets forth information about the Annuity that you should know before investing. Please read this prospectus and keep it for future reference. The Annuity is a complex investment that involves risks, including potential loss of principal.
The Annuity is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. Withdrawals may reduce the level of various optional benefit guarantees and could result in taxes and tax penalties.
The Company’s obligations under the Annuity are subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.
In compliance with U.S. law, we deliver this prospectus to Annuity Owners that currently reside outside of the United States. However, we may not market or offer benefits, features, or enhancements to prospective or current Annuity Owners while outside of the United States.
This Annuity provides a Credit which can be recaptured in certain circumstances described in this prospectus. This Credit may be more than offset by fees and charges in this Annuity, which are also described in this prospectus. These fees and charges may be higher than other, similar products that do not offer a Credit.
These Annuities are NOT deposits or obligations of, or issued, guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are NOT insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable annuities and market value adjusted annuities, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at www.investor.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 1-888-PRU-2888 OR VISIT: WWW.PRUDENTIAL.COM/ANNUITIES
SPAOPLUSPROS
Table of Contents
We have tried to make this prospectus as easy to read and understand as possible. By the nature of the contract, however, certain technical words or terms are unavoidable. We have identified the following as some of these words or terms.
Accumulation Phase: The period that begins with the Contract Date (which we define below) and ends when you start receiving income payments, or earlier if the contract is terminated through a full withdrawal or payment of a Death Benefit.
Adjusted Contract Value: When you begin receiving income payments, the value of your contract minus any charge we impose for premium taxes and withdrawal charges.
Adjusted Purchase Payment: Your invested purchase payment is adjusted for any subsequent withdrawals. The adjusted purchase payment is used only for calculations of the Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
Annual Income Amount: Under the terms of the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, an amount that you can withdraw each year as long as the annuitant lives. The Annual Income Amount is set initially as a percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value, but will be adjusted to reflect subsequent purchase payments, withdrawals, and any step-up.
Annual Withdrawal Amount: Under the terms of the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, an amount that you can withdraw each year as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value remaining. The Annual Withdrawal Amount is set initially to equal 7% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value, but will be adjusted to reflect subsequent purchase payments, withdrawals, and any step-up.
Annuitant: The person whose life determines the amount of income payments that we will pay. If the annuitant dies before the annuity date, the co-annuitant (if any) becomes the annuitant if the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met. If, upon the death of the annuitant, there is no surviving eligible co-annuitant, and the owner is not the annuitant, then the owner becomes the annuitant.
Generally, if an annuity is owned by an entity and the entity has named a co-annuitant, the co-annuitant will become the annuitant upon the death of the annuitant, and no death benefit is payable. Unless we agree otherwise, the contract is eligible to have a co-annuitant designation only if the entity that owns the contract is (1) a plan described in Internal Revenue Code Section 72(s)(5)(A)(i) (or any successor Code section thereto); or (2) a custodial account established pursuant to the provisions in Code Section 408(a) (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”).
Where the contract is held by a Custodial Account, the co-annuitant will not automatically become the annuitant upon the death of the annuitant. Upon the death of the annuitant, the Custodial Account will have the choice, subject to our rules, to either elect to receive the death benefit or elect to continue the contract. If the contract is continued, then the Contract Value as of the date of due proof of death of the annuitant will reflect the amount that would have been payable had a death benefit been paid.
Annuity Date: The date when income payments are scheduled to begin. You must have our permission to change the Annuity Date. If the Co-Annuitant becomes the Annuitant due to the death of the Annuitant, and the Co-Annuitant is older than the Annuitant, then the Annuity Date will be based on the age of the Co-Annuitant, provided that the Contract’s requirements for changing the Annuity Date are met (e.g., the Co-Annuitant cannot be older than a specified age). If the Co-Annuitant is younger than the Annuitant, then the Annuity Date will remain unchanged.
Beneficiary: The person(s) or entity you have chosen to receive a Death Benefit.
Business Day: A day on which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business. Our business day generally ends at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Co-Annuitant: The person shown on the contract data pages who becomes the annuitant (if eligible) upon the death of the annuitant if the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met.
Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Contingent Annuitant: The natural person named to become the Annuitant upon the death of Annuitant prior to the Annuity Date. A Contingent Annuitant may be named only in limited circumstances involving an Annuity issued to a Custodial Account or to a tax-qualified retirement plan.
Contract Date: The date we accept your initial purchase payment and all necessary paperwork in good order at the Prudential Annuity Service Center. Contract anniversaries are measured from the contract date. A contract year starts on the contract date or on a contract anniversary.
Contract Owner, Owner, or You: The person entitled to the ownership rights under the contract.
Contract Value: This is the total value of your contract, equal to the sum of the values of your investment in each investment option you have chosen. Your Contract Value will go up or down based on the performance of the investment options you choose.
Contract with Credit: A version of the annuity contract that provides for a bonus credit with each purchase payment that you make and has higher withdrawal charges and (with respect to the later version of the contract) higher insurance and administrative costs than the Contract Without Credit.
Contract without Credit: A version of the annuity contract that does not provide a credit and has lower withdrawal charges than the Contract With Credit and (with respect to the later version of the Contract With Credit) lower insurance and administrative costs.
1
Credit: An amount we allocate to your Annuity’s Account Value each time you make a Purchase Payment. The amount of the Credit is payable from our general account. The amount of the Credit depends on the cumulative amount of Purchase Payments you have made to your Annuity, payable as a percentage of each specific Purchase Payment.
If you choose the Contract With Credit, this is the bonus amount that we allocate to your account each time you make a purchase payment. The amount of the credit is a percentage of the purchase payment. Under one version of the Contract With Credit, the credit is subject to a vesting schedule, which means that if you withdraw all or part of a purchase payment within a certain period, or you begin the income phase or we pay a death benefit during that period, we may recapture all or part of the credit. Under another version of the Contract With Credit, bonus credits generally are not recaptured once the free look period expires. Our reference in the preceding sentence to “generally are not recaptured” refers to the fact that we have the contractual right to deduct, from the death benefit we pay, the amount of any credit corresponding to a purchase payment made within one year before death. We have the ability to recapture such credits under both versions of the Contract with Credit. See the “Credits” section of this prospectus for more information.
Custodial Account: A trust or Custodial Account that qualifies as an individual retirement account as defined in Section 408(a) of the Code, including a Roth IRA that satisfies the definitions in Sections 408(a) and 408A of the Code.
Death Benefit: If a death benefit is payable, the beneficiary you designate will receive, at a minimum, the total invested purchase payments, reduced proportionally by withdrawals, or a potentially greater amount related to Variable Option appreciation. The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit was available for an additional charge. See the “Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit” section of this prospectus for more information.
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option (“DCA Fixed Rate Option”): An investment option that offers a fixed rate of interest for a selected period during which periodic transfers are automatically made to selected Variable Options.
Earnings Appreciator Benefit (“EAB”): An optional benefit that was available for an additional charge which provided a supplemental death benefit based on earnings under the contract.
Fixed Interest Rate Options: Under the Contract Without Credit, these are investment options that offer a fixed rate of interest for either a one-year period (fixed rate option) or a selected period during which periodic transfers are made to selected Variable Options.
Good Order: An instruction received at the Prudential Annuity Service Center, utilizing such forms, signatures and dating as we require, which is sufficiently clear that we do not need to exercise any discretion to follow such instructions.
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (“GMDB”): An optional benefit for an additional charge that guarantees that the death benefit that the beneficiary receives will be no less than a certain GMDB protected value.
GMDB Protected Value: The amount guaranteed under the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit, which may equal the GMDB roll-up value, the GMDB step-value, or the greater of the two. The GMDB protected value will be subject to certain age restrictions and time durations, however, it will still increase by subsequent invested purchase payments and reduce proportionally by withdrawals.
GMDB Roll-Up: We use the GMDB roll-up value to compute the GMDB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. The GMDB roll-up is equal to the invested purchase payments compounded daily at an effective annual interest rate starting on the date that each invested purchase payment is made, subject to a cap, and reduced proportionally by withdrawals.
GMDB Step-Up: We use the GMDB step-up value to compute the GMDB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. Generally speaking, the GMDB step-up establishes a “high water mark” of protected value that we would pay upon death, even if the Contract Value has declined. For example, if the GMDB step-up were set at $100,000 on a contract anniversary, and the Contract Value subsequently declined to $80,000 on the date of death, the GMDB step-up value would nonetheless remain $100,000 (assuming no additional purchase payments or withdrawals).
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (“GMIB”): An optional benefit that was available for an additional charge that guaranteed that the income payments you receive during the income phase would be no less than a certain GMIB protected value applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates.
GMIB Protected Value: We use the GMIB protected value to calculate annuity payments should you annuitize under the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit. The value is calculated daily and is equal to the GMIB roll-up, until the GMIB roll-up either reaches its cap or if we stop applying the annual interest rate based on the age of the annuitant or number of contract anniversaries. At such point, the GMIB protected value will be increased by any subsequent invested purchase payments, and any withdrawals will proportionally reduce the GMIB protected value. The GMIB protected value is not available as a cash surrender benefit or a death benefit, nor is it used to calculate the cash surrender value or death benefit.
Income Options: Options under the contract that define the frequency and duration of income payments. In your contract, we also refer to these as payout or annuity options.
Income Phase: The period during which you receive income payments under the contract.
Invested Purchase Payments: Your purchase payments (which we define below) less any deduction we make for any tax charge.
Joint Owner: The person named as the joint owner, who shares ownership rights with the owner as defined in the contract. A joint owner must be a natural person.
2
Lifetime Five Income Benefit: An optional benefit available for an additional charge that guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (called the “Protected Withdrawal Value”), regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. There are two options -- one is designed to provide an annual withdrawal amount for life and the other is designed to provide a greater annual withdrawal amount (than the first option) as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value.
Net Purchase Payments: Your total purchase payments less any withdrawals you have made.
Proportional Withdrawals: A method that involves calculating the percentage of your Contract Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn. Proportional withdrawals result in a reduction to the applicable benefit value by reducing such value in the same proportion as the Contract Value was reduced by the withdrawal as of the date the withdrawal occurred.
Protected Withdrawal Value: Under the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, an amount that we guarantee regardless of the investment performance of your Contract Value. Please refer to “Benefits Available Under the Contract - Lifetime Five Income Benefit” more information on how the Protected Withdrawal Value is determined.
Purchase Payments: The amount of money you pay us to purchase the contract. Generally, you can make additional Purchase Payments at any time during the Accumulation Phase.
Registered Separate Account: (Separate Account) Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, which holds the assets supporting the Variable Options. Assets held in the Registered Separate Account are kept separate from all of our other assets and may not be charged with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct.
Statement of Additional Information: A document containing certain additional information about the Strategic Partners Plus variable annuity. We have filed the Statement of Additional Information with the Securities and Exchange Commission and it is legally a part of this prospectus. To learn how to obtain a copy of the Statement of Additional Information, see the front cover of this prospectus.
Tax Deferral: This is a way to increase your assets without currently being taxed. Generally, you do not pay taxes on your contract earnings until a distribution is taken from your contract. You should be aware that tax favored plans (such as IRAs) already provide tax deferral regardless of whether they invest in annuity contracts. See the “Taxes” section of this prospectus for more information.
Variable Option: A division of the Registered Separate Account. The Variable Option also may be referred to in this prospectus and the Annuity as a Variable Sub-account or Sub-account.
3
The Annuity referenced in this prospectus and applicable riders is no longer available for new sales or re-elections.
Purpose of the Contract
The Annuity is a long-term investment designed for long-term retirement purposes because it allows you to accumulate retirement savings and also offers annuity payment options when you are ready to begin receiving income. This Annuity is a “flexible premium deferred annuity.” It is called “flexible premium” because you have considerable flexibility in the timing and amount of premium payments. Generally, investors “defer” receiving annuity payments until after an Accumulation Period. This Annuity may be appropriate for investors accumulating retirement savings on a tax deferred basis and would seek guaranteed income through an annuity payment option.
Phases of the Contract
The Annuity features two distinct phases - the accumulation period and the payout period. During the accumulation period your Account Value is allocated to one or more investment options. See “Investment Options” below. During the payout period (after annuitization), you can elect to receive annuity payments (1) for a fixed period (up to 25 years); (2) for life; or (3) under an interest payment option. We currently make annuity payments available on a fixed basis. After Annuitization, the Death Benefits and optional benefits described in this prospectus will no longer apply. We reserve the right to make available other annuity options. See the “Annuity Period” section of this prospectus.
Investment Options
Variable Options: The Variable Options we make available each invest in an underlying Portfolio whose share price generally fluctuates each day. The Variable Options do not provide any level of protection against negative returns. You are at risk of losing principal and any earnings if you allocate funds to a Portfolio.
Fixed Rate Options: If you choose the Contract Without Credit, the Annuity offers two fixed interest rate options (“Fixed Rate Options”). The One-year Fixed Interest Rate Option provides a guaranteed annual interest rate that we set. The Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option automatically transfers amounts over a stated period (either six or twelve months) from the DCA Fixed Rate Option to the Variable Options you select.
Additional information about the Investment Options is provided in Appendix A to the prospectus.
Contract Features
Credits: If you purchase the Contract With Credit, we will add a credit amount to your Contract Value with each purchase payment you make. The bonus credit that we pay with respect to any purchase payment depends on (i) the age of the older of the owner or joint owner on the date on which the purchase payment is made and (ii) the amount of the purchase payment.
Death Benefits: The Annuity offers a basic Death Benefit that could protect your retirement savings if you die during a period of declining markets, depending on when you die. The Annuity also offers an optional death benefit that increases the level of protection for your Beneficiaries for an additional fee.
Living Benefits: We offered optional benefits for an additional fee that guarantee your ability to take withdrawals for life as a percentage of an initial guaranteed benefit base, even after your Account Value falls to zero (unless it does so due to a withdrawal of Excess Income). The Account Value has no guarantees, may fluctuate, and can lose value. As part of these benefits, you are required to invest only in certain permitted Investment Options. For more information, please see Appendix A.
Withdrawals: You are allowed to withdraw a limited amount of money from your Annuity on an annual basis without any charges.
4
|
Important
Information You Should Consider About the Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
5
|
Important
Information You Should Consider About the Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.500%* |
1.553%* | |
|
Portfolio Company fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.20%1* |
0.60%2* | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and “Appendix
A” for
more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
||
|
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fee Table” and“Charges and Adjustments” section of this prospectus. | |||
6
|
Important
Information You Should Consider About Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.500%* |
1.553%* | |
|
Portfolio Company fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.20%1* |
0.60%2* | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and “Appendix
A” for
more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
||
|
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fee Table” and “Charges and Adjustments” sections of this prospectus. | |||
7
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contact Without Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.400%* |
1.459%* | |
|
Portfolio Company fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.20%1* |
0.60%2* | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and “Appendix
A” for
more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
||
|
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fee Table” and “Charges and Adjustments” sections of this prospectus. | |||
8
|
Risks | |
|
Is there a Risk of Loss from Poor Performance? |
Yes. |
|
Is this a Short-Term Investment? |
No. |
|
What are the Risks Associated with the Investment Options? |
An
investment in the Contract is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary depending on the performance
of the Investment Options you select. Each of the Investment Options available under the Contract, including the
Variable Options and Fixed Allocations, has its own unique risks. You should review the investment options before making
an investment decision. |
|
What are the Risks Related to the Insurance Company? |
An
investment in the Contract is subject to the risks related to the Company. Any obligations (including under any Fixed Allocation),
guarantees, or benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of the Company. More information about the Company,
including its financial strength ratings, is available upon request. Such requests can be made toll free at 1-888-PRU-2888. |
|
Restrictions | |
|
Are there Restrictions on the Investment Options? |
Yes.
We reserve the right to
Certain
Investment Options may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See
the Cover
Page for
additional
information. |
9
|
Are there any Restrictions on Contract Benefits? |
Yes.
For
more information on optional benefits under the Contract, please refer to the “Benefits
Available Under the Contract”
section of this prospectus. |
|
Taxes | |
|
What are the Contract’s Tax Implications? |
You
should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under
the Contract. There is no additional tax benefit if you purchase the Contract through a tax-qualified plan or individual retirement
account (“IRA”). Withdrawals will be subject to ordinary income tax, and may be subject to a 10% additional tax for
distributions taken prior to age 59½. |
10
|
Conflicts of Interest | |
|
How are Investment Professionals Compensated? |
Investment
professionals may receive compensation for selling the Contract to investors and may have a financial incentive to
offer or recommend the Contract over another investment. This compensation is paid in the form of commissions, based on
your investment in the Contract. |
|
Should I Exchange My Contract? |
Some
investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you a new Contract in place of the one you already own.
You should only exchange your Contract if you determine after comparing the features, fees, and risks of both contracts,
and any fees or penalties to terminate the existing Contract, that it is preferable to purchase the new contract, rather
than continue to own your existing Contract. This Contract is no longer sold. |
11
The following tables describe the fees, expenses, and adjustments that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from an Investment Option or from the Annuity. Please refer to your Contract specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.
The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time you buy the Contract, surrender or make withdrawals from the Contract, transfer Account Value between Investment Options, or request duplicate reports. State premium taxes may also be deducted. These fees and charges are described in more detail within this prospectus in the “Charges and Adjustments” section.
|
Transaction Expenses |
Maximum |
|
Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
None |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - with Credit Option (Bonus Credits vest over seven year period)1 |
7.00% |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - with Credit Option (Bonus Credits Generally Not Recapturable After Expiration of Free Look Period)1 |
8.00% |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - without Credit Option (as a percentage of each purchase payment)1 |
7.00% |
|
Transfer Fee2 |
$30 |
|
Transfer Fee (Beneficiary Continuation Option only) each transfer after 20 |
$10 |
|
Premium Tax Imposed on Us by Certain States/Jurisdictions3 |
Up to 3.50% of Contract Value |
|
Additional Copies of Reports4 |
$50 |
| 1. | Each contract year, you may withdraw a specified amount of your Contract Value without incurring a withdrawal charge. We will waive the withdrawal charge if we pay a death benefit or under certain other circumstances. See “Withdrawal Charge” section in this prospectus. In certain states reduced withdrawal charges may apply under the Contract With Credit. Your contract contains the applicable charges. |
| 2. | Currently, we charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in a contract year. As shown in the table, we can increase that charge up to a maximum of $30, but have no current intention to do so. We will not charge you for transfers made in connection with Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto-Rebalancing, and do not count them toward the limit of 12 free transfers per year. We will charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in each Annuity Year. |
| 3. | We reserve the right to deduct the charge either at the time the tax is imposed, upon a full surrender of the Contract, or upon annuitization. |
| 4. | We do not currently assess this fee. However, we reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each additional report (i.e., confirmation statement or quarterly statement) you request. |
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
|
Contract
With Credit Withdrawal
Charge |
7.00% |
7.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract
With Credit Withdrawal
Charge |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract without credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
The next table describes the maximum fees and expenses that you will pay each year during the time that you own the Annuity (not including Portfolio fees and expenses). Your current fees and expenses by be less than the maximum. If you choose to purchase an optional benefit, you will pay additional charges, as shown below.
12
|
Annual Annuity Expenses |
Maximum |
|
Administrative Expenses (assessed annually on the Annuity’s anniversary date or upon surrender)1,2 |
$60 |
|
Base Contract Expenses (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options)3 |
|
|
with
Credit |
1.53% |
|
Optional Benefits Expenses |
|
|
Earning Appreciator Benefit |
0.20% |
|
Lifetime Five (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
1.50% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (based on the GMIB Protected Income Value) |
1.00% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Roll-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.20% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Step-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.20% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Greater of Roll-Up or Step-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.30% |
| 1. | The Administrative Expense is referred to as “Annual Maintenance Fee” elsewhere in this Prospectus. For the original version of the contract, if your Contract Value is $50,000 or more, we do not deduct a charge. For the later version of the contract, if your Contract Value is $75,000 or more, we do not deduct a charge. |
| 2. | The Administrative Expense for the Beneficiary Continuation Option is the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value. |
| 3. | For beneficiaries who elect the Beneficiary Continuation Option, the fee is only applicable if Account Value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. Beneficiaries are assessed a Settlement Service Charge of 1.03% (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options). |
The next item shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the Portfolios that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the Annuity. Expenses shown may change over time and may be higher or lower in the future. A complete list of Portfolios available under the Annuity, including their annual expenses, may be found at Appendix A of this prospectus.
|
Annual Portfolio Expenses | ||
|
(expenses that are deducted from Portfolio assets, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses) |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|
0.28% |
1.56% | |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Variable Options with the cost of investing in other annuity contracts that offer variable options. These costs include Transaction Expenses, Annual Annuity Expenses, and Annual Portfolio Expenses.
The Example assumes all Account Value is allocated to the Variable Options.
The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the annuity contract for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and assumes the most expensive combination of Annual Portfolio Expenses and optional benefits available for an additional charge which includes Lifetime Five, GMDB Combo and Earning Appreciator Benefit. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY PLUS WITHOUT CREDIT | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$13,149 |
$23,209 |
$32,961 |
$58,041 |
$11,894 |
$19,681 |
$27,467 |
$48,929 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,149 |
$18,209 |
$29,961 |
$58,041 |
$4,894 |
$14,681 |
$24,467 |
$48,929 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,149 |
$18,209 |
$29,961 |
$58,041 |
$4,894 |
$14,681 |
$24,467 |
$48,929 |
13
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY PLUS WITH CREDIT | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$13,138 |
$23,376 |
$32,561 |
$50,798 |
$11,870 |
$19,733 |
$26,760 |
$40,570 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,138 |
$15,376 |
$25,561 |
$50,798 |
$3,870 |
$11,733 |
$19,760 |
$40,570 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,138 |
$15,376 |
$25,561 |
$50,798 |
$3,870 |
$11,733 |
$19,760 |
$40,570 |
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY PLUS WITH CREDIT AND VESTING OVER SEVEN YEAR PERIOD | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$12,138 |
$22,376 |
$30,561 |
$50,798 |
$10,870 |
$18,733 |
$24,760 |
$40,570 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,138 |
$15,376 |
$25,561 |
$50,798 |
$3,870 |
$11,733 |
$19,760 |
$40,570 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$5,138 |
$15,376 |
$25,561 |
$50,798 |
$3,870 |
$11,733 |
$19,760 |
$40,570 |
14
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE CONTRACT
The risks identified below are the principal risks of investing in the Annuity. The Annuity may be subject to additional risks other than those identified and described in this prospectus.
Risk of Loss: You could lose money by investing in the Annuity, including your principal investment. An investment in the Annuity is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Risks Associated with Variable Options: You take all the investment risk for amounts allocated to one or more of the Variable Options, which invest in Portfolios. If the Variable Options you select increase in value, then your Account Value goes up; if they decrease in value, your Account Value goes down. How much your Account Value goes up or down depends on the performance of the Portfolios in which your Variable Options invest. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Portfolio. An investment in the Annuity is subject to the risk of poor investment performance, and the value of your investment can vary depending on the performance of the selected Portfolio(s), each of which has its own unique risks. You should review the Portfolios before making an investment decision. We reserve the right to add, eliminate, substitute or combine Variable Options as Investment Options available under the Annuity or to close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates.
Early Withdrawal Risk: The Annuity is not a short-term investment vehicle and is not an appropriate investment for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The Annuity is designed to provide benefits on a long-term basis. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether the Annuity is consistent with your financial situation and objectives. Withdrawals under the Annuity, including partial withdrawals and a full surrender, may be subject to negative tax consequences. If you have elected certain Optional Benefits, a withdrawal may reduce the amount of your Benefit on more than a dollar-for-dollar basis. While the Annuity provides a Death Benefit, the amount of that benefit is subject to investment gains and losses and is reduced for any withdrawals you take.
Insurance Company Risk: No company other than Pruco Life has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Pruco Life owes under the Annuity, including amounts allocated to the Fixed Rate Options, which are supported by our general account and are subject to our claims-paying ability. Assets in the general account are not segregated for the exclusive benefit of any particular contract or obligation. General account assets are also available to our general creditors and for conducting routine business activities, such as the payment of salaries, rent and other ordinary business expenses. You should look to the financial strength of Pruco Life for its claims-paying ability. Pruco Life is also subject to risks related to disasters and other events, such as storms, earthquakes, fires, outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as COVID-19), utility failures, terrorist acts, political and social developments, and military and governmental actions. These risks are often collectively referred to as “business continuity” risks. These events could adversely affect Pruco Life and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although Pruco Life has business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that Pruco Life may not be able to provide required services, process transactions, deliver documents or calculate values. It is also possible that service levels may decline as a result of such events.
Possible Adverse Tax Consequences: The tax considerations associated with the Annuity vary and can be complicated. The tax considerations discussed in this prospectus are general in nature and describe only federal income tax law (not state, local, foreign or other federal tax laws). Before making a Purchase Payment or taking other action related to your Annuity, you should consult with a qualified tax advisor for complete information and advice. For example, distributions from your Annuity are generally subject to ordinary income taxation on the amount of any investment gain unless the distribution qualifies as a non-taxable exchange or transfer. In addition, if you take a distribution prior to the taxpayer’s age 59½, you may be subject to a 10% additional tax in addition to ordinary income taxes on any gain.
Possible Fees on Access to Account Value: We may apply fees if you access your Account Value during the Accumulation Period or surrender your Annuity. For example, in addition to possible tax consequences discussed above, you may incur fees for accessing your Account Value such as a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge, Annual Maintenance Fee, Tax Charge, and/or a charge for any optional benefit.
Credit Recapture: In certain circumstances we may recapture any Credits applied to your Contract if you access your Account Value during the accumulation period or surrender your Annuity.
Annuity Changes Risk: We reserve the right to limit the number of transfers you may make or to impose a minimum transfer amount. We also reserve the right to add, eliminate, substitute or combine Variable Options as Investment Options available under the Annuity or to close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates. We may limit, suspend or reject any additional Purchase Payment at any time on a non-discriminatory basis. If we do so, you may no longer be able to increase the values associated with an optional living benefit or increase the amount of the death benefit under an optional death benefit through subsequent Purchase Payments. This would also impact your ability to make annual contributions to certain qualified Annuities. In addition, we may impose limitations on an investment professional’s or investment advisor’s ability to request financial transactions on your behalf.
Cyber Security and Business Continuity Risks: With the increasing use of technology and computer systems in general and, in particular, the Internet to conduct necessary business functions, the Company is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. These risks, which are often collectively referred to as “cyber security” risks, may include deliberate or malicious attacks, as well as unintentional events and occurrences. These risks are heightened by our offering of increasingly complex products, such as those that feature automatic asset transfer or reallocation strategies, and by our employment of complex investment, trading and hedging programs. Cyber security is generally defined as the technology, operations and related
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protocol
surrounding
and protecting a user’s computer hardware, network, systems and applications and the data transmitted and stored therewith. These
measures ensure the
reliability of a user’s systems, as well as the security, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data assets.
Deliberate cyber attacks can include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access (including physical break-ins) to computer systems in order to misappropriate and/or disclose sensitive or confidential information; deleting, corrupting or modifying data; and causing operational disruptions. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (in order to prevent access to computer networks). In addition to deliberate breaches engineered by external actors, cyber security risks can also result from the conduct of malicious, exploited or careless insiders, whose actions may result in the destruction, release or disclosure of confidential or proprietary information stored on an organization’s systems.
The Company is also subject to risks related to disasters and other events, such as storms, earthquakes, fires, outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as COVID-19), utility failures, terrorist acts, political and social developments, and military and governmental actions. These risks are often collectively referred to as “business continuity” risks. These events could adversely affect the Company and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although the Company has business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that the Company may not be able to provide required services, process transactions, deliver documents or calculate values. It is also possible that service levels may decline as a result of such events.
Cyber security events, disasters and similar events, whether deliberate or unintentional, that could impact the Company and Contract owners could arise not only in connection with our own administration of the Annuity, but also with entities operating the Annuity’s Portfolios and with third-party service providers. Cyber security and other events affecting any of the entities involved with the offering and administration of the Annuity may cause significant disruptions in the business operations related to the Annuity. Potential impacts may include, but are not limited to, potential financial losses under the Annuity, your inability to conduct transactions under the Annuity and/or with respect to a Portfolio, an inability to calculate unit values with respect to the Annuity and/or the net asset value (“NAV”) with respect to a Portfolio, and disclosures of your personal or confidential account information.
In addition to direct impacts to you, cyber security and other events described above may result in adverse impacts to the Company, including regulatory inquiries, regulatory proceedings, regulatory and/or legal and litigation costs, and reputational damage. Costs incurred by the Company may include reimbursement and other expenses, including the costs of litigation and litigation settlements and additional compliance costs. Considerable expenses also may be incurred by the Company in enhancing and upgrading computer systems and systems security following a cyber security failure or responding to a disaster or similar event. The rapid proliferation of technologies, as well as the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, and others continue to pose new and significant cyber security threats. In addition, the global spread of COVID-19 has caused the Company and its service providers to implement business continuity plans, including widespread use of work-from-home arrangements. Although the Company, our service providers, and the Portfolios offered under the Annuity may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate risks, there can be no guarantee or assurance that such plans or systems will be effective, or that all risks that exist, or may develop in the future, have been completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. Furthermore, the Company cannot control or assure the efficacy of the cyber security and business continuity plans and systems implemented by third-party service providers, the Portfolios, and the issuers in which the Portfolios invest.
The military invasion of Ukraine initiated by Russia in February 2022 and the resulting response by the United States and other countries have led to economic disruptions, as well as increased volatility and uncertainty in the financial markets. It is not possible to predict the ultimate duration and scope of the conflict, or the future impact on U.S. and global economies and financial markets.
Artificial Intelligence Risk: In addition to the cyber security risks described above, the development, adoption and use of AI, including generative artificial intelligence (“Generative AI”), by us and by third parties on whom we rely may increase existing operational risks or create new operational risks that we are not currently anticipating. AI technologies offer potential benefits in areas such as customer service personalization and process automation, and we expect to use AI and Generative AI to help deliver products and services and support critical functions. We also expect third parties on whom we rely to do the same. There are significant risks involved in developing and deploying AI, and there can be no assurance that its use will enhance our products or services or be beneficial to our business, including our efficiency or profitability. The risk that AI and Generative AI may be misused is increased by the relative newness of the technology, the speed at which it is being adopted, and the lack of laws, regulations or standards governing its use. Such misuse could expose the Company to legal or regulatory risk, damage customer relationships or cause reputational harm. Further, our ability to continue to develop and efficiently deploy AI technologies depends on access to specific third-party equipment and other physical infrastructure, such as processing hardware and network capacity, the availability and pricing of which is difficult to control, especially in a highly competitive environment. Our competitors may also adopt AI or Generative AI more quickly or more effectively than we do, which could cause competitive harm. Because the Generative AI technology is so new, some of the potential risks of Generative AI are currently unknowable.
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DESCRIPTION OF INSURANCE COMPANY, REGISTERED SEPARATE ACCOUNT, AND INVESTMENT OPTIONS
The Contract is issued by Pruco Life Insurance Company located at 751 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777. Pruco Life is obligated to pay all amounts promised to investors under the Contract, subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.
Pruco Life is a stock life insurance company organized in 1971 under the laws of the State of Arizona. It is licensed to sell life insurance and annuities in the District of Columbia, Guam and in all states except New York. Pruco Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“Prudential”), a New Jersey stock life insurance company that has been doing business since 1875. Prudential is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (“Prudential Financial”), a New Jersey insurance holding company. No company other than Pruco Life has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Pruco Life owes under its annuity contracts. Among other things, this means that where you participate in an optional living benefit or death benefit and the value of that benefit exceeds your current Account Value, you would rely solely on the ability of Pruco Life to make payments under the benefit out of its own assets. As Pruco Life’s ultimate parent, Prudential Financial, however, exercises significant influence over the operations and capital structure of Pruco Life.
Pursuant to the delivery obligations under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 159 thereunder, we deliver this prospectus to current contract owners that reside outside of the United States. In addition, we may not market or offer benefits, features or enhancements to prospective or current contract owners while outside of the United States.
Claims of Creditors
To the extent permitted by law, no payment or value under this Annuity is subject to the claims of your creditors or those of any other Owner, any Annuitant, or any Beneficiary.
Deferral of Transactions
We may defer any annuity payment for a period not to exceed the lesser of 6 months or the period permitted by law. If we defer a distribution or transfer from any annuity payout for more than thirty days, we will pay interest as required by state law. We may defer any distribution from any Allocation Option or any transfer from Allocation Options for a period not to exceed seven calendar days from the date the transaction is affected.
WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?
The Separate Accounts are where Pruco Life sets aside and invests the assets supporting the Annuity. The assets of each Separate Account are held in the name of Pruco Life, and legally belong to us. We will maintain assets in each Separate Account with a total market value at least equal to the cash Surrender Value and other liabilities we must maintain related to the Annuity obligations supported by such assets. The obligations under the Annuity are those of Pruco Life, which is the issuer of the Annuity and the depositor of the Separate Accounts. More detailed information about Pruco Life, including its audited financial statements, is provided in the Statement of Additional Information.
Pruco Life Insurance Company Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
The assets supporting obligations based on allocations to the Variable Options are held in sub-accounts of Pruco Life Insurance Company Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, also referred to as “Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account”. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account assets that are held in support of the Variable Option are kept separate from all our other assets and may not be chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct. Thus, income, gains and losses from assets allocated to Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account are credited to or charged against Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account, without regard to other income, gains or losses of Pruco Life or any other of our Separate Accounts.
Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account was established by us pursuant to Arizona law on June 16, 1995. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account also holds assets of other annuities issued by us with values and benefits that vary according to the investment performance of Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account.
Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account consists of multiple Variable Options. Each Variable Option invests only in a single mutual fund or mutual fund portfolio. The name of each Variable Option generally corresponds to the name of the Portfolio. Each Variable Option in Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account may have several different Unit Prices to reflect the Insurance Charge, Distribution Charge (when applicable) and the charges for any optional benefits that are offered under the Annuity issued by us through Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account is registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) as a unit investment trust, which is a type of investment company. The SEC does not supervise investment policies, management or practices of Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account. We may offer new Variable Options, eliminate Variable Options, or combine Variable Options at our sole discretion. We may also close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing annuities or close Variable Options for annuities purchased on or after specified dates.
In addition to rights that we specifically reserve elsewhere in this prospectus, we reserve the right to perform any or all of the following:
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| • | offer new Variable Options, eliminate Variable Options, substitute Variable Options or combine Variable Options; |
| • | close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or close Variable Options for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates; |
| • | combine the Separate Account with separate accounts; |
| • | deregister the Separate Account under the Investment Company Act of 1940; |
| • | manage the Separate Account as a management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or in any other form permitted by law; |
| • | make changes required by any change in the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, or any other changes to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s interpretation thereof; |
| • | establish a provision in the Annuity for federal income taxes if we determine, in our sole discretion, that we will incur a tax as the result of the operation of the Separate Account; |
| • | make any changes required by federal or state laws with respect to annuity contracts; and |
| • | to the extent dictated by any underlying Portfolio, impose a redemption fee or restrict transfers within any Variable Option |
We will first notify you and receive any necessary SEC and/or state approval before making such a change. If an underlying mutual fund is liquidated, we will ask you to reallocate any amount in the liquidated fund. If you do not reallocate these amounts, we will reallocate such amounts only in accordance with SEC pronouncements and only after obtaining an order from the SEC, if required. If investment in the Portfolios or a particular Portfolio is no longer possible, or in our discretion becomes inappropriate for purposes of the Annuity, or for any other rationale in our sole judgment, we may substitute another portfolio or investment Portfolios without your consent. The substituted portfolio may have different fees and expenses. Substitution may be made with respect to existing investments or the investment of future Purchase Payments, or both. However, we will not make such substitution without any required approval of the SEC and any applicable state insurance departments. In addition, we may close Portfolios to allocation of Purchase Payments or Account Value, or both, at any time in our sole discretion. We do not control the underlying mutual funds, so we cannot guarantee that any of those funds will always be available.
Values and benefits based on allocations to the Variable Options will vary with the investment performance of the underlying mutual funds or fund Portfolios, as applicable. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Variable Option. Your Account Value allocated to the Variable Options may increase or decrease. You bear the entire investment risk. There is no assurance that the Account Value of your Annuity will equal or be greater than the total of the Purchase Payments you make to us.
The General Account: Our general obligations and any guaranteed benefits under the Annuity are supported by our General Account and are subject to our claims paying ability. Assets in the General Account are not segregated for the exclusive benefit of any particular contract or obligation. General Account assets are also available to our general creditors and for conducting routine business activities, such as the payment of salaries, rent and other ordinary business expenses. The General Account is subject to regulation and supervision by the Arizona Department of Insurance and to the insurance laws and regulations of all jurisdictions where we are authorized to do business.
Fixed Rate Options
If you choose the Contract Without Credit, we offer two fixed interest rate options:
| • | a one-year fixed interest rate option, and |
| • | a dollar cost averaging fixed rate option (DCA Fixed Rate Option). |
When you select one of these options, your payment will earn interest at the established rate for the applicable interest rate period. A new interest rate period is established every time you allocate or transfer money into a fixed interest rate option. (You may not transfer amounts from other investment options into the DCA Fixed Rate Option.) You may have money allocated in more than one interest rate period at the same time. This could result in your money earning interest at different rates and each interest rate period maturing at a different time. While these interest rates may change from time to time, they will not be less than the minimum interest rate dictated by applicable state law. The interest rates we pay on the fixed interest rate options may be influenced by the asset-based charges assessed against the Separate Account.
Payments allocated to the fixed interest rate options become part of Pruco Life’s general assets.
One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option
We set a one year guaranteed annual interest rate for the one-year fixed interest rate option. The one-year fixed interest rate option is not available if you choose the Contract With Credit.
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Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option
With the Contract Without Credit, you may allocate all or part of any purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Under this option, you automatically transfer amounts over a stated period (currently, six or twelve months) from the DCA Fixed Rate Option to the Variable Options you select. We will invest the assets you allocate to the DCA Fixed Rate Option in our general account until they are transferred. You may not transfer from other investment options to the DCA Fixed Rate Option.
If you choose to allocate all or part of a purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option, the minimum amount of the purchase payment you may allocate is $5,000. The first periodic transfer will occur on the date you allocate your purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Subsequent transfers will occur on the monthly anniversary of the first transfer. Currently, you may choose to have the purchase payment allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option transferred to the selected Variable Options in either six or twelve monthly installments, and you may not change that number of monthly installments after you have chosen the DCA Fixed Rate Option. You may allocate to both the six-month and twelve-month options. (In the future, we may make available other numbers of transfers and other transfer schedules--for example, quarterly as well as monthly.)
If you choose a six-payment transfer schedule, each transfer generally will equal 1/6th of the amount you allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option, and if you choose a twelve-payment transfer schedule, each transfer generally will equal 1/12th of the amount you allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. In either case, the final transfer amount generally will also include the credited interest. You may change at any time the Variable Options into which the DCA Fixed Rate Option assets are transferred. Transfers from the DCA Fixed Rate Option do not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowed under the contract.
If you make a withdrawal or have a fee assessed from your contract, and all or part of that withdrawal or fee comes out of the DCA Fixed Rate Option, we will recalculate the periodic transfer amount to reflect the change. This recalculation may include some or all of the interest credited to the date of the next scheduled transfer. If a withdrawal or fee assessment reduces the monthly transfer amount below $100, we will transfer the remaining balance in the DCA Fixed Rate Option on the next scheduled transfer date.
By investing amounts on a regular basis instead of investing the total amount at one time, the DCA Fixed Rate Option may decrease the effect of Variable Option fluctuation on the investment of your purchase payment. Of course, dollar cost averaging cannot ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.
Variable Options
Each Variable Option invests exclusively in a single Portfolio. The Account Value allocated to a Variable Option will vary based on the investment experience of the corresponding Portfolio in which it invests. There is a risk of loss of the entire amount invested. Please refer to Appendix A for certain information regarding each Portfolio, including (i) its name, (ii) its type (e.g., money market fund, bond fund, balanced fund, etc.), (iii) its investment advisor and any sub-advisor, (iv) current expenses, and (v) performance. There is no guarantee that any underlying Portfolio will meet its investment objective. Each Portfolio has issued a prospectus that contains more detailed information about the Portfolio. The prospectuses for the Portfolios can be found online at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-888- PRU-2888.
Each underlying Portfolio is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act. Shares of the underlying Portfolios are sold to Separate Accounts of life insurance companies offering variable annuity and variable life insurance products. The shares may also be sold directly to qualified pension and retirement plans.
Voting Rights
We are the legal owner of the shares of the underlying Portfolios in which the Variable Options invest. However, under current SEC rules, you have voting rights in relation to Account Value allocated to the Variable Options. If an underlying Portfolio requests a vote of shareholders, we will vote our shares based on instructions received from Owners with Account Value allocated to that Variable Option. Owners have the right to vote an amount equal to the number of shares attributable to their Annuity. If we do not receive voting instructions in relation to certain shares, we will vote those shares in the same manner and proportion as the shares for which we have received instructions. This voting procedure is sometimes referred to as “mirror voting” because, as indicated in the immediately preceding sentence, we mirror the votes that are actually cast, rather than decide on our own how to vote. We will also “mirror vote” shares that are owned directly by us or an affiliate (excluding shares held in the Separate Account of an affiliated insurer). In addition, because all the shares of a given Portfolio held within the Separate Account are legally owned by us, we intend to vote all of such shares when that underlying Portfolio seeks a vote of its shareholders. As such, all such shares will be counted towards whether there is a quorum at the underlying Portfolio’s shareholder meeting and toward the ultimate outcome of the vote. Thus, under “mirror voting,” it is possible that the votes of a small percentage of Owners who actually vote will determine the ultimate outcome.
We may, if required by state insurance regulations, disregard voting instructions if they would require shares to be voted so as to cause a change in the sub-classification or investment objectives of one or more of the available Variable Options or to approve or disapprove an investment advisory contract for a Portfolio. In addition, we may disregard voting instructions that would require changes in the investment policy or investment advisor of one or more of the Portfolios associated with the available Variable Options, provided that we reasonably disapprove such changes in accordance with applicable federal or state regulations. If we disregard Owner voting instructions, we will advise Owners of our action and the reasons for such action in the next available annual or semi-annual report.
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We will furnish those Owners who have Account Value allocated to a Variable Option whose underlying Portfolio has requested a “proxy” vote with proxy materials and the necessary forms to provide us with their voting instructions. Generally, you will be asked to provide instructions for us to vote on matters such as changes in a fundamental investment strategy, adoption of a new investment advisory agreement, or matters relating to the structure of the underlying Portfolio that require a vote of shareholders. We reserve the right to change the voting procedures described above if applicable SEC rules change.
Similar Funds
The Portfolios are not publicly traded mutual funds. They are only available as investment options in variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by insurance companies, or in some cases, to participants in certain qualified retirement plans. However, some of the Portfolios available as Variable Options under the variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies are managed by the same advisor or subadvisor as a retail mutual fund of the same or similar name that the Portfolio may have been modeled after at its inception. Certain retail mutual funds may also have been modeled after a Portfolio. While the investment objective and policies of the retail mutual funds and the Portfolios may be substantially similar, the actual investments will differ to varying degrees. Differences in the performance of the funds can be expected, and in some cases could be substantial. You should not compare the performance of a publicly traded mutual fund with the performance of any similarly named Portfolio offered as a Variable Option.
Material Conflicts
In the future, it may become disadvantageous for Separate Accounts of variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts to invest in the same underlying Portfolios. Neither the companies that invest in the Portfolios nor the Portfolios currently foresee any such disadvantage. The Board of Directors for each Portfolio intends to monitor events in order to identify any material conflict between variable life insurance policy owners and variable annuity contract owners and to determine what action, if any, should be taken. Material conflicts could result from such things as:
| 1. | changes in state insurance law; |
| 2. | changes in federal income tax law; |
| 3. | changes in the investment management of any Variable Option; or |
| 4. | differences between voting instructions given by variable life insurance policy owners and variable annuity contract owners. |
Fees and Payments Received by Us
As detailed below, we and our affiliates receive substantial payments from the underlying Portfolios and/or related entities, such as the Portfolios’ advisors and subadvisors. Because these fees and payments are made to us and our affiliates, allocations you make to the underlying Portfolios benefit us financially. In selecting Portfolios available under the Annuity, we consider the payments that will be made to us.
We may receive Rule 12b-1 fees which compensate us and our affiliate, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., for distribution and administrative services. These fees are paid by the underlying Portfolio out of each Portfolio’s assets and are therefore borne by Owners.
We may also receive administrative services payments from the Portfolios or the advisors of the underlying Portfolios or their affiliates, which are referred to as “revenue sharing” payments. The maximum combined 12b-1 fees and revenue sharing payments we receive with respect to a Portfolio are generally equal to an annual rate of 0.55% of the average assets allocated to the Portfolio under the Annuity (in certain cases, however, this amount may be equal to an annual rate of 0.60% of the average assets allocated to the Portfolio). We expect to make a profit on these fees and payments and consider them when selecting the Portfolios available under the Annuity.
In addition, an advisor or subadvisor of a Portfolio or a distributor of the Annuity (not the Portfolios) may also compensate us by providing reimbursement, defraying the costs of, or paying directly for, among other things, marketing and/or administrative services and/or other services they provide in connection with the Annuity. These services may include, but are not limited to: sponsoring or co-sponsoring various promotional, educational or marketing meetings and seminars attended by distributors, wholesalers, and/or broker dealer firms’ registered representatives, and creating marketing material discussing the Annuity, available options, and underlying Portfolios. The amounts paid depend on the nature of the meetings, the number of meetings attended by the advisor, subadvisor, or distributor, the number of participants and attendees at the meetings, the costs expected to be incurred, and the level of the advisor’s, subadvisor’s or distributor’s participation. These payments or reimbursements may not be offered by all advisors, subadvisors, or distributors and the amounts of such payments may vary between and among each advisor, subadvisor, and distributor depending on their respective participation. We may also consider these payments and reimbursements when selecting the Portfolios available under the Annuity. For the annual period ended December 31, 2025, with regard to the total annual amounts that were paid (or as to which a payment amount was accrued) under the kinds of arrangements described in this paragraph, the amounts for any particular advisor, subadvisor or distributor ranged from $125.19 to $275,000. These amounts relate to all individual variable annuity contracts issued by Pruco Life or its affiliates, not only the Annuity covered by this prospectus.
In addition to the payments that we receive from underlying Portfolios and/or their affiliates, those same Portfolios and/or their affiliates may make payments to us and/or other insurers within the Prudential Financial group related to the offering of investment options within variable annuities or life insurance offered by different Prudential business units.
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We may substitute one or more of the underlying mutual funds used by the Variable Options. We may also cease to allow investments in existing funds. We would not do this without the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and any necessary state insurance departments. You will be given specific notice in advance of any substitution we intend to make.
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There are charges and other expenses associated with the contract that reduce the return on your investment. These charges and expenses are described below.
The charges under the contracts are designed to cover, in the aggregate, our direct and indirect costs of selling, administering and providing benefits under the contracts. They are also designed, in the aggregate, to compensate us for the risks of loss we assume pursuant to the contracts. If, as we expect, the charges that we collect from the contracts exceed our total costs in connection with the contracts, we will earn a profit. Otherwise, we will incur a loss. The rates of certain of our charges have been set with reference to estimates of the amount of specific types of expenses or risks that we will incur. In most cases, this prospectus identifies such expenses or risks in the name of the charge; however, the fact that any charge bears the name of, or is designed primarily to defray a particular expense or risk does not mean that the amount we collect from that charge will never be more than the amount of such expense or risk. Nor does it mean that we may not also be compensated for such expense or risk out of any other charges we are permitted to deduct by the terms of the contract.
INSURANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES
Each day, we make a deduction for the insurance and administrative charges. These charges cover our expenses for mortality and expense risk, administration, marketing and distribution. If you choose optional benefits, the insurance and administrative charge also includes a charge to cover our assumption of the associated risk. The mortality risk portion of the charge is for assuming the risk that the annuitant(s) will live longer than expected based on our life expectancy tables. When this happens, we pay a greater number of annuity payments. We also incur the risk that the death benefit amount exceeds the Contract Value. The expense risk portion of the charge is for assuming the risk that the current charges will be insufficient in the future to cover the cost of administering the contract. The administrative expense portion of the charge compensates us for the expenses associated with the administration of the contract. This includes preparing and issuing the contract; establishing and maintaining contract records; preparation of confirmations and annual reports; personnel costs; legal and accounting fees; filing fees; and systems costs.
We calculate the insurance and administrative charge based on the average daily value of all assets allocated to the Variable Options. These charges are not assessed against amounts allocated to the fixed interest rate options. The amount of the charge depends on the death benefit (or other) option that you choose.
| • | The death benefit charge is equal to: |
| • | 1.40% on an annual basis if you choose the base death benefit, (1.50% for contract with credits in which credits are generally not recapturable) |
| • | 1.60% on an annual basis if you choose either the roll-up or step-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option, (1.70% for contract with credit in which credits are generally not recapturable), (i.e., 0.20% in addition to the base death benefit charge), or |
| • | 1.70% on an annual basis if you choose the greater of the roll-up and step-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option (1.80% for contract with credit in which credits are generally not recapturable), (i.e., 0.30% in addition to the base death benefit charge). |
As indicated immediately above, we impose an additional insurance and administrative charge of 0.10% annually (of account value attributable to the Variable Options) for the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits generally are not recapturable after expiration of the free look period. We do not assess this charge under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over a period of seven years.
If the charges under the contract are not sufficient to cover our expenses, then we will bear the loss. We do, however, expect to profit from these charges. Any profits made from these charges may be used by us to pay for the costs of distributing the contracts. If you choose the Contract With Credit, we will also use any profits from this charge to recoup our costs of providing the credit.
The charges that we discuss in this section are assessed against the assets of the separate account. Certain of these charges are part of the base annuity and other charges are assessed only if any available optional benefit is selected. If a fixed interest rate option is available under your contract, the interest rate that we credit to that option may be reduced by an amount that corresponds to the asset-based charges to which you are subject under the Variable Options.
A withdrawal charge may apply if you make a full or partial withdrawal during the withdrawal charge period for a purchase payment. The withdrawal charge may also apply if you begin the income phase during the withdrawal charge period, depending upon the annuity option you choose. The amount and duration of the withdrawal charge depends on whether you choose the Contract With Credit or the Contract Without Credit. The withdrawal charge varies with the number of contract anniversaries that have elapsed since each purchase payment was made. Specifically, we maintain an “age” for each purchase payment you have made by keeping track of how many contract anniversaries have passed since the purchase payment was made.
The withdrawal charge is the percentage, shown below, of the amount withdrawn.
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|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
|
Contract
With Credit Withdrawal
Charge |
7.00% |
7.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract
With Credit Withdrawal
Charge |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract without credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
|
Contract With Credit (Bonus Credits Vest Over Seven Year Period) |
7.00% |
7.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract
With
Credit (Bonus
Credits |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract Without Credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
If a withdrawal is effective on the day before a contract anniversary, the withdrawal charge percentage as of the next following contract anniversary will apply.
If you request a withdrawal, we will deduct an amount from the Contract Value that is sufficient to pay the withdrawal charge, and recapture any credit that has not vested under the vesting schedule, if you have chosen the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over several years and provide you with the amount requested.
If you request a full withdrawal, we will provide you with the full amount of the Contract Value after making deductions for charges.
Each contract year, you may withdraw a specified amount of your Contract Value without incurring a withdrawal charge. We make this “charge-free amount” available to you subject to approval of this feature in your state. We determine the charge-free amount available to you in a given contract year on the contract anniversary that begins that year. In calculating the charge-free amount, we divide purchase payments into two categories--payments that are subject to a withdrawal charge and those that are not. We determine the charge-free amount based only on purchase payments that are subject to a withdrawal charge. The charge-free amount in a given contract year is equal to 10% of the sum of all the purchase payments subject to the withdrawal charge that you have made as of the applicable contract anniversary. During the first contract year, the charge-free amount is equal to 10% of the initial purchase payment.
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When you make a withdrawal (including a withdrawal under the optional Lifetime Five Income Benefit), we will deduct the amount of the withdrawal first from the available charge-free amount. Any excess amount will then be deducted from purchase payments in excess of the charge-free amount and subject to applicable withdrawal charges. Once you have withdrawn all purchase payments, additional withdrawals will come from any earnings. We do not impose withdrawal charges on earnings.
If you choose the Contract With Credit and make a withdrawal that is subject to a withdrawal charge, we may use part of that withdrawal charge to recoup our costs of providing the credit.
Withdrawal charges will never be greater than permitted by applicable law.
Under the original version of the contract, we do not deduct a contract maintenance charge for administrative expenses while your Contract Value is $50,000 or more. If your Contract Value is less than $50,000 on a contract anniversary during the accumulation phase or when you make a full withdrawal, we will deduct $30 (or if your Contract Value is less than $1,500, then a lower amount equal to 2% of your Contract Value) for administrative expenses. Under the new version of the contract, we do not deduct a contract maintenance charge for administrative expenses while your Contract Value is $75,000 or more. If your Contract Value is less than $75,000 on a contract anniversary during the accumulation phase or when you make a full withdrawal, we will deduct $35 (or a lower amount equal to 2% of your Contract Value) for administrative expenses. (This fee may differ in certain states.) We may increase this charge up to a maximum of $60 per year. Also, we may raise the level of the Contract Value at which we waive this fee. We will deduct this charge proportionately from each of your contract’s investment options.
BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION CHARGES
If your beneficiary takes the death benefit under the beneficiary continuation option, we deduct a Settlement Service Charge. The charge is assessed daily against the average assets allocated to the Variable Options, and is equal to an annual charge of 1.00%. In addition, the beneficiary will incur an annual maintenance fee equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value if the Contract Value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. The fee will not apply if it is assessed 30 days prior to a surrender request. Finally, transfers in excess of 20 per year will incur a $10 transfer fee.
Some states, municipalities, and other jurisdictions charge premium taxes or similar taxes on annuities that we are required to pay. The amount of tax will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is subject to change. We currently deduct the Tax Charge from the Account Value upon Annuitization. The Tax Charge is designed to approximate the taxes that we are required to pay and is assessed as a percentage of the Account Value. The Tax Charge currently ranges up to 3.5%. We reserve the right to deduct the Tax Charge from Purchase Payments when received or from Surrender Value upon surrender. “Surrender Value” refers to the Account Value less any applicable Tax Charges. We may also assess a charge equal to any Company Taxes or other taxes which may be imposed against the Separate Accounts.
You can make 12 free transfers every contract year. We measure a contract year from the date we issue your contract (contract date). If you make more than 12 transfers in a contract year (excluding Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto-Rebalancing), we will deduct a transfer fee of $25 for each additional transfer. We have the right to increase this fee up to a maximum of $30 per transfer, but we have no current plans to do so. We will deduct the transfer fee on a proportional basis from the investment options from which the transfer is made. There is a different transfer fee under the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
We pay company income taxes on the taxable corporate earnings created by this separate account product. While we may consider company income taxes when pricing our products, we do not currently include such income taxes in the Tax Charges you pay under the Annuity. We will periodically review the issue of charging for taxes, and in the future, we may charge for taxes. We reserve the right to impose a charge for taxes if we determine, in our sole discretion, that we will incur a tax as a result of the administration of the Annuity, including any tax imposed with respect to the operation of the Separate Account or General Account.
In calculating our corporate income tax liability, we derive certain corporate income tax benefits associated with the investment of company assets, including Separate Account assets, which are treated as company assets under applicable income tax law. These benefits reduce our overall corporate income tax liability. Under current law, such benefits include foreign tax credits and corporate dividend received deductions. We do not pass these tax benefits through to holders of the Separate Account annuity contracts because (i) the contract owners are not the owners of the assets generating these benefits under applicable income tax law and (ii) we do not currently include company income taxes in the Tax Charges you pay under the contract. We reserve the right to change these tax practices.
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When you allocate a purchase payment or a transfer to the Variable Options, we in turn invest in shares of a corresponding underlying mutual fund. Those funds charge fees that are in addition to the contract-related fees described in this section. For certain funds, expenses are reduced pursuant to expense waivers and comparable arrangements. In general, these expense waivers and comparable arrangements are not guaranteed, and may be terminated at any time.
Benefits Available Under the Contract
For information about the benefits available under the Contract and their corresponding changes, please refer to the section titled “Benefits Available Under the Contract” in this prospectus.
CHARGE FOR ADDITIONAL REPORTS
We send any statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at your last known address of record. You may request additional reports. We reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each such additional report.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CONTRACTS
The Strategic Partners Plus Variable Annuity is a contract between you, the owner, and US, Pruco Life Insurance Company (Pruco Life, we or us).
Under our contract, in exchange for your payment to us, we promise to pay you a guaranteed income stream that can begin any time on or after the third contract anniversary. Your annuity is in the accumulation phase until you decide to begin receiving annuity payments. The date you begin receiving annuity payments is the annuity date. On the annuity date, your contract switches to the income phase.
This annuity contract benefits from tax deferral when it is sold outside a tax-favored plan (generally called a Non-qualified annuity). Tax deferral means that you are not taxed on earnings or appreciation on the assets in your contract until you take a distribution from your contract.
If you purchase the annuity contract in a tax-favored plan such as an IRA, that plan generally provides tax deferral even without investing in an annuity contract. In other words, you need not purchase this contract to gain the preferential tax treatment provided by your retirement plan. Therefore, before purchasing an annuity in a tax-favored plan, you should consider whether its features and benefits beyond tax deferral, including the death benefit and income benefits, meet your needs and goals. You should consider the relative features, benefits and costs of this annuity compared with any other investment that you may use in connection with your retirement plan or arrangement.
There are two basic versions of Strategic Partners Plus variable annuity.
Contract With Credit:
| • | provides for a bonus credit that we add to each purchase payment that you make, |
| • | comes in one version under which bonus credits generally are not recaptured after the expiration of the free look period, and another version under which bonus credits vest over a period of several years, |
| • | has higher withdrawal charges than the Contract Without Credit, |
| • | the version of the contract under which bonus credits generally are not recaptured after the free look period has higher insurance and administrative charges than the Contract Without Credit, and |
| • | has no fixed interest rate investment options available. |
Contract Without Credit:
| • | does not provide a credit, |
| • | has lower withdrawal charges than the Contract With Credit, |
| • | has lower insurance and administrative costs than the Contract With Credit under which the bonus credits generally are not recaptured after the free look period, and |
| • | offers two fixed interest rate investment options: a one-year fixed rate option and a dollar cost averaging fixed rate option. |
Beginning in 2002, we started offering a version of both the Contract Without Credit and the Contract With Credit that differ from previously-issued contracts with regard to maximum issue age, maximum annuitization age, Spousal Continuance Option, credit amount, contract maintenance charge, and minimum guaranteed interest rate.
Unless we state otherwise, when we use the word contract, it applies to both versions discussed herein.
In replacing another annuity you may own, please consider all charges associated with that annuity. Credits applicable to bonus products, such as the Contract With Credit, should not be viewed as an offset of any surrender charge that applies to another annuity contract you may currently own.
You may prefer the Contract With Credit if:
| • | You anticipate that you will not need to withdraw purchase payments any earlier than at least seven contract anniversaries after making them, |
| • | You do not wish to allocate purchase payments to the fixed interest rate options, and |
| • | You believe that the bonus credit is worth the higher withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs. |
| • | If you wish to have the option of allocating part of your Contract Value to the fixed interest rate options, you may prefer the Contract Without Credit. |
Because of the higher withdrawal charges, if you choose the Contract With Credit and you withdraw a purchase payment, depending upon the performance of the investment options you choose, you may be worse off than if you had chosen the Contract Without Credit. We do not recommend purchase of either version of Strategic Partners Plus if you anticipate having to withdraw a significant amount of your purchase payments within a few years of making those purchase payments.
Strategic Partners Plus is a variable annuity contract. During the accumulation phase, you can allocate your assets among the Variable Options and, if you choose the Contract Without Credit, guaranteed fixed interest rate options as well. If you select Variable Options, the amount of money you are able to accumulate in your contract during the accumulation phase depends upon the investment performance of the underlying mutual fund(s) associated with that Variable Option.
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Because the underlying mutual funds’ portfolios fluctuate in value depending upon market conditions, your Contract Value can either increase or decrease. This is important, since the amount of the annuity payments you receive during the income phase depends upon the value of your contract at the time you begin receiving payments.
As the owner of the contract, you have all of the decision-making rights under the contract. You will also be the annuitant unless you designate someone else. The annuitant is the person whose life is used to determine how much and how long (if applicable) the annuity payments will continue once the annuity phase begins. On or after the annuity date, the annuitant may not be changed.
The beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you designate to receive any death benefit. You may change the beneficiary any time prior to the annuity date by making a written request to us.
If you change your mind about owning Strategic Partners Plus, you may cancel your contract within 10 days after receiving it (or whatever period is required by applicable law). You can request a refund by returning the contract either to the representative who sold it to you, or to the Prudential Annuity Service Center at the address shown on the first page of this prospectus. You will receive, depending on applicable state law:
| • | Your full purchase payment, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding; or |
| • | The amount your contract is worth as of the day we receive your request, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding. This amount may be more or less than your original payment. |
If you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will deduct any credit we had added to your Contract Value. To the extent dictated by state law, we will include in your refund the amount of any fees and charges that we deducted.
Subject to certain restrictions, you can transfer money among the Variable Options and, if you have chosen the Contract Without Credit, the fixed interest rate options as well. The minimum transfer amount is the lesser of $250 or the amount in the investment option from which the transfer is to be made.
In general, you may make your transfer request by telephone, electronically, or otherwise in paper form to the Prudential Annuity Service Center. We have procedures in place to confirm that instructions received by telephone or electronically are genuine. We will not be liable for following unauthorized telephone or electronic instructions that we reasonably believed to be genuine. Your transfer request will take effect at the end of the business day on which it was received in good order by us, or by certain entities that we have specifically designated. Our business day generally closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Our business day may close earlier, for example if regular trading on the NYSE closes early. Transfer requests received after the close of the business day will take effect at the end of the next business day.
YOU CAN MAKE TRANSFERS OUT OF A FIXED INTEREST RATE OPTION, OTHER THAN THE DCA FIXED RATE OPTION, ONLY DURING THE 30-DAY PERIOD FOLLOWING THE END OF THE ONE YEAR INTEREST RATE PERIOD. TRANSFERS FROM THE DCA FIXED RATE OPTION ARE MADE ON A PERIODIC BASIS FOR THE PERIOD THAT YOU SELECT.
During the contract accumulation phase, you can make up to 12 transfers each contract year among the investment options, without charge. (As noted in the fee table, we have different transfer rules under the Beneficiary Continuation Option). Currently, we charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in a contract year, and we have the right to increase this charge up to $30. (Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto- Rebalancing transfers do not count toward the 12 free transfers per year.)
For purposes of the 12 free transfers per year that we allow, we will treat multiple transfers that are submitted on the same business day as a single transfer.
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS
We limit your ability to transfer among your contract’s Variable Options as permitted by applicable law. We impose a yearly restriction on transfers. Specifically, once you have made 20 transfers among the Variable Options during a contract year, we will accept any additional transfer request during that year only if the request is submitted to us in writing with an original signature and otherwise is in good order. For purposes of this transfer restriction, we (i) do not view a facsimile transmission as a “writing”, (ii) will treat multiple transfer requests submitted on the same business day as a single transfer, and (iii) do not count any transfer that involves one of our systematic programs, such as asset allocation and automated withdrawals.
Frequent transfers among Variable Options in response to short-term fluctuations in markets, sometimes called “market timing,” can make it very difficult for a portfolio manager to manage an underlying mutual fund’s investments. Frequent transfers may cause the fund to hold more cash than otherwise necessary, disrupt management strategies, increase transaction costs, or affect performance. For those reasons, the contract was not designed for persons who make programmed, large, or frequent transfers.
In light of the risks posed to contract owners and other fund investors by frequent transfers, we reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any contract year for all existing or new contract owners, and to take the other actions discussed below. We also reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any contract year or to refuse any transfer request for an owner or certain owners if: (a) we believe that excessive transfer activity (as we define it) or a specific transfer request or group of transfer requests may have a detrimental effect on accumulation unit values or the share prices of the
27
underlying mutual funds; or (b) we are informed by a fund (e.g., by the fund’s portfolio manager) that the purchase or redemption of fund shares must be restricted because the fund believes the transfer activity to which such purchase and redemption relates would have a detrimental effect on the share prices of the affected fund. Without limiting the above, the most likely scenario where either of the above could occur would be if the aggregate amount of a trade or trades represented a relatively large proportion of the total assets of a particular underlying mutual fund. In furtherance of our general authority to restrict transfers as described above, and without limiting other actions we may take in the future, we have adopted the following specific restrictions:
| • | With respect to each Variable Option (other than the Prudential Money Market Portfolio), we track amounts exceeding a certain dollar threshold that were transferred into the option. If you transfer such amount into a particular Variable Option, and within 30 calendar days thereafter transfer (the “Transfer Out”) all or a portion of that amount into another Variable Option, then upon the Transfer Out, the former Variable Option becomes restricted (the “Restricted Option”). Specifically, we will not permit subsequent transfers into the Restricted Option for 90 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Option invests in a non-international fund, or 180 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Option invests in an international fund. For purposes of this rule, we do not (i) count transfers made in connection with one of our systematic programs, such as asset allocation and automated withdrawals and (ii) categorize as a transfer the first transfer that you make after the contract date, if you make that transfer within 30 calendar days after the contract date. Even if an amount becomes restricted under the foregoing rules, you are still free to redeem the amount from your contract at any time. |
| • | We reserve the right to effect exchanges on a delayed basis for all contracts. That is, we may price an exchange involving a Variable Option on the business day subsequent to the business day on which the exchange request was received. Before implementing such a practice, we would issue a separate written notice to contract owners that explains the practice in detail. In addition, if we do implement a delayed exchange policy, we will apply the policy on a uniform basis to all contracts in the relevant class. |
| • | The portfolios may have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to excessive trading of their respective shares, and we reserve the right to enforce these policies and procedures. The prospectuses for the portfolios describe any such policies and procedures, which may be more or less restrictive than the policies and procedures we have adopted. Under SEC rules, we are required to: (1) enter into a written agreement with each portfolio or its principal underwriter that obligates us to provide to the portfolio promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual contract owners, and (2) execute instructions from the portfolio to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific contract owners who violate the excessive trading policies established by the portfolio. In addition, you should be aware that some portfolios may receive “omnibus” purchase and redemption orders from other insurance companies or intermediaries such as retirement plans. The omnibus orders reflect the aggregation and netting of multiple orders from individual owners of variable insurance contracts and/or individual retirement plan participants. The omnibus nature of these orders may limit the portfolios in their ability to apply their excessive trading policies and procedures. In addition, the other insurance companies and/or retirement plans may have different policies and procedures or may not have any such policies and procedures because of contractual limitations. For these reasons, we cannot guarantee that the portfolios (and thus contract owners) will not be harmed by transfer activity relating to other insurance companies and/or retirement plans that may invest in the portfolios. |
| • | A portfolio also may assess a short term trading fee in connection with a transfer out of the Variable Option investing in that portfolio that occurs within a certain number of days following the date of allocation to the Variable Option. Each portfolio determines the amount of the short term trading fee and when the fee is imposed. The fee is retained by or paid to the portfolio and is not retained by us. The fee will be deducted from your Contract Value, to the extent permitted by law. At present, no Portfolio has adopted a short-term trading fee. |
| • | If we deny one or more transfer requests under the foregoing rules, we will inform you promptly of the circumstances concerning the denial. |
| • | We will not implement these rules in jurisdictions that have not approved contract language authorizing us to do so, or may implement different rules in certain jurisdictions if required by such jurisdictions. Contract owners in jurisdictions with such limited transfer restrictions, and contract owners who own variable life insurance or variable annuity contracts (regardless of jurisdiction) that do not impose the above-referenced transfer restrictions, might make more numerous and frequent transfers than contract owners who are subject to such limitations. Because contract owners who are not subject to the same transfer restrictions may have the same underlying mutual fund portfolios available to them, unfavorable consequences associated with such frequent trading within the underlying mutual fund (e.g., greater portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, or performance or tax issues) may affect all contract owners. Apart from jurisdiction-specific and contract differences in transfer restrictions, we will apply these rules uniformly, and will not waive a transfer restriction for any contract owner. |
Although our transfer restrictions are designed to prevent excessive transfers, they are not capable of preventing every potential occurrence of excessive transfer activity.
DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS
The dollar cost averaging (DCA) feature (which is distinct from the DCA Fixed Rate Option) allows you to systematically transfer either a fixed dollar amount or a percentage out of any Variable Option and into any other Variable Options. You can have these automatic transfers occur monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. By investing amounts on a regular basis instead of investing the total amount at one time, dollar cost averaging may decrease the effect of Variable Option fluctuation on the investment of your purchase payment. Of course, dollar cost averaging cannot ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
Transfers will be made automatically on the schedule you choose until the entire amount you chose to have transferred has been transferred or until you tell us to discontinue the transfers. You can allocate subsequent purchase payments to be transferred under this option at any time.
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Your transfers will occur on the last calendar day of each transfer period you have selected, provided that the NYSE is open on that date. If the NYSE is not open on a particular transfer date, the transfer will take effect on the next business day.
Any dollar cost averaging transfers you make do not count toward the 12 free transfers you are allowed each contract year. The dollar cost averaging feature is available only during the contract accumulation phase and is offered without charge.
We recognize the value of having asset allocation models when deciding how to allocate your purchase payments among the investment options. If you choose to participate in the Asset Allocation Program, your representative will give you a questionnaire to complete that will help determine a program that is appropriate for you. Your asset allocation will be prepared based on your answers to the questionnaire. You will not be charged for this service, and you are not obligated to participate or to invest according to program recommendations.
Asset allocation is a sophisticated method of diversification which allocates assets among classes in order to manage investment risk and enhance returns over the long term. However, asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. You are not obligated to participate or to invest according to the program recommendations. We do not intend to provide any personalized investment advice in connection with these programs and you should not rely on these programs as providing individualized investment recommendations to you. The asset allocation programs do not guarantee better investment results. We reserve the right to terminate or change the asset allocation programs at any time. You should consult your representative before electing any asset allocation program.
Once you have allocated your money among the Variable Options, the actual performance of the investment options may cause your allocation to shift. For example, an investment option that initially holds only a small percentage of your assets could perform much better than another investment option. Over time, this option could increase to a larger percentage of your assets than you desire. You can direct us to automatically rebalance your assets to return to your original allocation percentage or to a subsequent allocation percentages you select. We will rebalance only the Variable Options that you have designated. If you also participate in the DCA feature, then the Variable Option from which you make the DCA transfers will not be rebalanced.
You may choose to have your rebalancing occur monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. The rebalancing will occur on the last calendar day of the period you have chosen, provided that the NYSE is open on that date. If the NYSE is not open on that date, the rebalancing will take effect on the next business day.
Any transfers you make because of auto-rebalancing are not counted toward the 12 free transfers you are allowed per year. This feature is available only during the contract accumulation phase, and is offered without charge. If you choose auto-rebalancing and dollar cost averaging, auto-rebalancing will take place after the transfers from your DCA account.
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We can begin making annuity payments any time on or after the third contract anniversary (or as required by state law if different). Annuity payments must begin no later than the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday (unless we agree to another date). (Under the original version of the contract, annuity payments must begin no later than the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 90th birthday). For qualified annuities, the period certain option may be limited to 10 years or less depending on the circumstances.
The Strategic Partners Plus variable annuity contract offered an optional Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, which we describe below. Your annuity options vary depending upon whether you chose this benefit.
Depending upon the annuity option you choose, you may incur a withdrawal charge when the income phase begins. Currently, if permitted by state law, we deduct any applicable withdrawal charge if you choose Option 1 for a period shorter than five years, Option 3, or certain other annuity options that we may make available. We do not deduct a withdrawal charge if you choose Option 1 for a period of five years or longer or Option 2. For information about withdrawal charges, see “Charges” section in this prospectus. In addition, if you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will recapture any credits that have not vested when you begin the income phase. See “Credits,” in this prospectus..
Please note that annuitization essentially involves converting your Contract Value to an annuity payment stream, the length of which depends on the terms of the applicable annuity option. Thus, once annuity payments begin, your death benefit is determined solely under the terms of the applicable annuity payment option, and you no longer participate in any optional living benefit (unless you have annuitized under that benefit).
PAYMENT PROVISIONS WITHOUT THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT
We make the income plans described below available at any time before the annuity date. These plans are called “annuity options” or “settlement options.” During the income phase, all of the annuity options under this contract are fixed annuity options. This means that participation in the Variable Options ends on the annuity date. If an annuity option is not selected by the annuity date, the Life Income Annuity Option (Option 2, described below) will automatically be selected for you unless prohibited by applicable law. GENERALLY, ONCE THE ANNUITY PAYMENTS BEGIN, THE ANNUITY OPTION CANNOT BE CHANGED AND YOU CANNOT MAKE WITHDRAWALS. IN ADDITION TO THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS DISCUSSED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU CHOOSE THE OPTIONAL LIFETIME FIVE INCOME BENEFITS, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BENEFIT. PLEASE SEE “CHARGES” SECTION IN THIS PROSPECTUS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
OPTION 1: ANNUITY PAYMENTS FOR A FIXED PERIOD
Annuity Payments for a Fixed Period: Under this option, we will make equal payments for the period chosen, up to 25 years (but not to exceed life expectancy). The annuity payments may be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, as you choose, for the fixed period. If the annuitant dies during the income phase, payments will continue to the beneficiary for the remainder of the fixed period or, if the beneficiary so chooses, we will make a single lump sum payment. The amount of the lump sum payment is determined by calculating the present value of the unpaid future payments. This is done by using the interest rate used to compute the actual payments. The interest rate will be at least 3% a year.
OPTION 2: LIFE INCOME ANNUITY OPTION
Life Income Annuity Option: Under this option, we will make annuity payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually as long as the annuitant is alive. If the annuitant dies before we have made 10 years worth of payments, we will pay the beneficiary in one lump sum the present value of the annuity payments scheduled to have been made over the remaining portion of that 10 year period, unless we were specifically instructed that such remaining annuity payments continue to be paid to the beneficiary. The present value of the remaining annuity payments is calculated by using the interest rate used to compute the amount of the original 120 payments. The interest rate will be at least 3% a year.
If an annuity option is not selected by the annuity date, this is the option we will automatically select for you, unless prohibited by applicable law. If the life income annuity option is prohibited by applicable law, then we will pay you a lump sum in lieu of this option.
OPTION 3: INTEREST PAYMENT OPTION
Interest Payment Option: Under this option, we will credit interest on the adjusted Contract Value until you request payment of all or part of the adjusted Contract Value. We can make interest payments on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis or allow the interest to accrue on your contract assets. Under this option, we will pay you interest at an effective rate of at least 3% a year. This option is not available if you hold your contract in an IRA.
Under this option, all gain in the annuity will be taxable as of the annuity date, however, you can withdraw part of or all of the Contract Value that we are holding at any time.
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We currently offer a variety of other annuity options not described above. At the time annuity payments are chosen, we may make available to you any of the fixed annuity options then offered at your annuity date.
If your contract is held under a tax-favored plan, you should consider the required minimum distribution rules under the tax law when selecting your annuity option.
HOW WE DETERMINE ANNUITY PAYMENTS
Generally speaking, the annuity phase of the contract involves our distributing to you in increments the value that you have accumulated. We make these incremental payments either over a specified time period (e.g., 15 years) (fixed period annuities) or for the duration of the life of the annuitant (and possibly co-annuitant) (life annuities). There are certain assumptions that are common to both fixed period annuities and life annuities. In each type of annuity, we assume that the value you apply at the outset toward your annuity payments earns interest throughout the payout period. For annuity options within the GMIB, this interest rate ranges from 3% to 3.5%. For non-GMIB annuity options, the guaranteed minimum rate is 3%. The GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates in your contract depict the minimum amounts we will pay (per $1000 of adjusted Contract Value). If our current annuity purchase rates on the annuity date are more favorable to you than the guaranteed rates, we will make payments based on those more favorable rates.
Other assumptions that we use for life annuities and fixed period annuities differ, as detailed in the following overview:
Fixed Period Annuities
We offered fixed period annuities only under the non-GMIB annuity options. Generally speaking, in determining the amount of each annuity payment under a fixed period annuity, we start with the adjusted Contract Value, add interest assumed to be earned over the fixed period, and divide the sum by the number of payments you have requested. The life expectancy of the annuitant and co-annuitant are relevant to this calculation only in that we will not allow you to select a fixed period that exceeds life expectancy.
Life Annuities
There are more variables that affect our calculation of life annuity payments. Most importantly, we make several assumptions about the annuitant’s or co-annuitant’s life expectancy, including the following:
| • | The Annuity 2000 Mortality Table is the starting point for our life expectancy assumptions. This table anticipates longevity of an insured population based on historical experience and reflecting anticipated experience for the year 2000. |
Guaranteed and GMIB Annuity Payments
Because life expectancy has lengthened over the past few decades, and likely will increase in the future, our life annuity calculations anticipate these developments. We do this largely by making a hypothetical reduction in the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), in lieu of using the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) actual age, in calculating the payment amounts. By using such a reduced age, we base our calculations on a younger person, who generally would live longer and therefore draw life annuity payments over a longer time period. Given the longer pay-out period, the payments made to the younger person would be less than those made to an older person. We make two such age adjustments:
| 1. | First, for all annuities, we start with the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant) on his/her most recent birthday and reduce that age by two years, with respect to guaranteed payments. |
| 2. | Second, for life annuities under GMIB as well as guaranteed payments under life annuities not involving GMIB, we make a further age reduction according to the table in your contract entitled “Translation of Adjusted Age.” As indicated in the table, the further into the future the first annuity payment is, the longer we expect the person receiving those payments to live, and the more we reduce the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) age. |
Current Annuity Payments
Immediately above, we have referenced how we determine annuity payments based on “guaranteed” annuity purchase rates. By “guaranteed” annuity purchase rates, we mean the minimum annuity purchase rates that are set forth in your annuity contract and thus contractually guaranteed by us. “Current” annuity purchase rates, in contrast, refer to the annuity purchase rates that we are applying to contracts that are entering the annuity phase at a given point in time. These current annuity purchase rates vary from period to period, depending on changes in interest rates and other factors. We do not guarantee any particular level of current annuity purchase rates. When calculating current annuity purchase rates, we use the actual age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), rather than any reduced age.
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BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT
The following table summarizes information about the benefits available under the Annuity. Certain Contract Benefits may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See the Cover Page for additional information.
|
Name of Benefit |
Purpose |
Standard or Optional |
Maximum Fee |
Restrictions/Limitations |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts over time equal to an initial principal value, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance. |
Optional |
1.00% |
None. |
|
Lifetime Five Income Benefit2 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Base Death Benefit |
Provides protection for your beneficiary(ies) by ensuring that they do not receive less than your Account Value. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Roll-Up1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or a 5% annual increase on purchase payments adjusted for withdrawals. |
Optional |
0.20% |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Step-Up1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or the highest value of the contract on any contract anniversary date. |
Optional |
0.20% |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Greater of Roll-Up or Step-Up1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or the greater of the Roll-Up or Step-Up value. |
Optional |
0.30% |
None. |
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit1 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies). |
Optional |
0.20% |
None. |
|
Dollar Cost Averaging |
Allows you to systematically transfer a percentage amount out of an investment option and into any other Variable Option(s). |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Auto-Rebalancing |
You can direct us to automatically rebalance your assets to return to your original allocation percentage or to a subsequent allocation percentage you select. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Asset Allocation |
A method of diversification which allocates assets among classes. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
| 1. | These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity. |
| 2. | These benefits are no longer available for election. |
The Lifetime Five Income Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
Lifetime Five could have been elected only where the Annuitant and the Owner were the same person or, if the Annuity Owner is an entity, where there was only one Annuitant. The Annuitant must have been at least 45 years old when the benefit is elected. The Lifetime Five Income Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit. As long as your Lifetime Five Income Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then permitted and available option(s) with this benefit.
The benefit guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (called the “Protected Withdrawal Value”), regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. There are two options – one is designed to provide an annual withdrawal amount for life (the “Life Income Benefit”) and the other is designed to provide a greater annual withdrawal amount as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value (adjusted as described below) (the “Withdrawal Benefit”). If there is no Protected Withdrawal Value, the withdrawal benefit will be zero. You do not choose between these two options; each option will
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continue to be available as long as your Annuity has an Account Value and the Lifetime Five is in effect. Certain benefits under Lifetime Five may remain in effect even if the Account Value of your Annuity is zero. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Account Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Account Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to determine the amount of each annual payment under the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is determined as of the date you make your first withdrawal under your contract following your election of Lifetime Five. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of:
| a. | the Contract Value on the date you elect Lifetime Five, plus any additional Purchase Payments (and any Credits), each growing at 5% per year from the date of your election of the benefit, or application of the Purchase Payment to your contract, as applicable, until the date of your first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier; |
| b. | the Contract Value on the date of the first withdrawal from your contract, prior to the withdrawal; |
| c. | the highest Contract Value on each contract anniversary, plus subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits) prior to the first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier. |
With respect to A and C above, after the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, each value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits).
If you elect Lifetime Five at the time you purchase your contract, the Contract Value will be your initial Purchase Payment (plus any Credits).
If you make additional Purchase Payments after your first withdrawal, the Protected Withdrawal Value will be increased by the amount of each additional Purchase Payment (plus any Credits).
The Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced each time a withdrawal is made on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the Annual Withdrawal Amount, per Contract Year, of the Protected Withdrawal Value and on the greater of a dollar-for-dollar basis or a pro rata basis for withdrawals in a Contract Year in excess of that amount until the Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. At that point the Annual Withdrawal Amount will be zero until such time (if any) as the Contract reflects a Protected Withdrawal Value (for example, due to a step-up or additional purchase payments being made into the Contract).
Step-Up of the Protected Withdrawal Value
You may elect to step-up your Protected Withdrawal Value if, due to positive Variable Option performance, your Contract Value is greater than the Protected Withdrawal Value.
If you elected the Lifetime Five benefit on or after March 20, 2006:
| • | you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value on or after the 1st anniversary of the first withdrawal under the Lifetime Five benefit |
| • | the Protected Withdrawal Value can be stepped up again on or after the 1st anniversary of the preceding step-up |
If you elected the Lifetime Five benefit prior to March 20, 2006 and that original election remains in effect:
| • | you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value on or after the 5th anniversary of the first withdrawal under the Lifetime Five benefit. the Protected Withdrawal Value can be stepped up again on or after the 5th anniversary of the preceding step-up |
In either scenario (i.e., elections before or after March 20, 2006) if you elect to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value under the benefit, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under the Lifetime Five benefit have changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of step-up. Upon election of the step-up, we increase the Protected Withdrawal Value to be equal to the then current Contract Value. For example, assume your initial Protected Withdrawal Value was $100,000 and you have made cumulative withdrawals of $40,000, reducing the Protected Withdrawal Value to $60,000. On the date you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value, your Contract Value is equal to $75,000. You could elect to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value to $75,000 on the date you are eligible. If your current Annual Income Amount and Annual Withdrawal Amount are less than they would be if we did not reflect the step-up in Protected Withdrawal Value, then we will increase these amounts to reflect the step-up as described below.
An optional automatic step-up (“Auto Step-Up”) feature is available for this benefit. This feature may be elected at the time the benefit is elected or at any time while the benefit is in force.
If you elected Lifetime Five on or after March 20, 2006 and have also elected the Auto Step-Up feature:
| • | the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st contract anniversary that is at least one year after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. |
| • | your Protected Withdrawal Value will only be stepped-up if 5% of the Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by any amount |
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| • | if at the time of the first Auto Step-Up opportunity, 5% of the Contract Value is not greater than the Annual Income Amount, an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive contract anniversary until a step-up occurs. |
| • | once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st contract anniversary that is at least one year after the most recent step-up. |
If you elected Lifetime Five prior to March 20, 2006 and have also elected the Auto Step-Up feature:
| • | the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the contract anniversary that is at least five years after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. |
| • | your Protected Withdrawal Value will only be stepped-up if 5% of the Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by 5% or more. |
| • | if at the time of the first Auto Step-Up opportunity, 5% of the Contract Value does not exceed the Annual Income Amount by 5% or more, an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive contract anniversary until a step-up occurs. |
| • | once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the contract anniversary that is at least 5 years after the most recent step-up. |
In either scenario (i.e., elections before or after March 20, 2006), if on the date that we implement an Auto Step-Up to your Protected Withdrawal Value, the charge for Lifetime Five has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Subject to our rules and restrictions, you will still be permitted to manually step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value even if you elect the Auto Step-Up feature.
Key Feature - Annual Income Amount Under the Life Income Benefit
The initial Annual Income Amount is equal to 5% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active. Under Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (Excess Income), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. A withdrawal can be considered Excess Income under the Life Income Benefit even though it does not exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount under the Withdrawal Benefit. When you elect a step-up (or an auto step-up is effected), your Annual Income Amount increases to equal 5% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current contract year, if such amount is greater than your Annual Income Amount. Your Annual Income Amount also increases if you make additional purchase payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 5% of any additional purchase payments (plus any Credits). Any increase will be added to your Annual Income Amount beginning on the day that the step-up is effective or the purchase payment is made. A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Income Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore, a subsequent increase in the Annual Income Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Income Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
Key Feature - Annual Withdrawal Amount Under the Withdrawal Benefit
The initial Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to 7% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value. Under Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals each contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount, your Protected Withdrawal Value will be reduced on a “dollar-for-dollar” basis. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Withdrawal Amount (Excess Withdrawal), your Annual Withdrawal Amount will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see the examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. When you elect a step-up (or an auto step-up is effected), your Annual Withdrawal Amount increases to equal 7% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current contract year, if such amount is greater than your Annual Withdrawal Amount. Your Annual Withdrawal Amount also increases if you make additional purchase payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 7% of any additional purchase payments (plus any Credits). A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Withdrawal Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore, a subsequent increase in the Annual Withdrawal Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Withdrawal Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
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Lifetime Five does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount. You are not required to withdraw all or any portion of the Annual Withdrawal Amount or Annual Income Amount in each contract year.
| • | If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Withdrawal Amount under the Withdrawal Benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Withdrawal Amount to subsequent contract years. However, because the Protected Withdrawal Value is only reduced by the actual amount of withdrawals you make under these circumstances, any unused Annual Withdrawal Amount may extend the period of time until the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. |
| • | If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount under the Life Income Benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years. However, because the Protected Withdrawal Value is only reduced by the actual amount of withdrawals you make under these circumstances, any unused Annual Income Amount may extend the period of time until the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. |
Examples of Withdrawals
The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions and the step-up of the Protected Withdrawal Value, Annual Withdrawal Amount and Annual Income Amount assume: 1.) the contract date and the effective date of Lifetime Five are February 1, 2005; 2.) an initial purchase payment of $250,000; 3.) the Contract Value on February 1, 2006 is equal to $265,000; and 4.) the first withdrawal occurs on March 1, 2006 when the Contract Value is equal to $263,000 and 5.) the Account Value on March 1, 2011 is equal to $240,000.. The values set forth here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charge for Lifetime Five.
The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated as the greatest of (a), (b) and (c):
| a. | Purchase payment accumulated at 5% per year from February 1, 2005 until March 1, 2006 (393 days) = $250,000 × 1.05/(393/365)/ = $263,484.33 |
| b. | Contract Value on March 1, 2006 (the date of the first withdrawal) = $263,000 |
| c. | Contract Value on February 1, 2006 (the first contract anniversary) = $265,000 |
Therefore, the initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to $265,000. The Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to $18,550 under the Withdrawal Benefit (7% of $265,000). The Annual Income Amount is equal to $13,250 under the Life Income Benefit (5% of $265,000).
Example 1. Dollar-for-Dollar Reduction
If $10,000 was withdrawn (less than both the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $18,550 - $10,000 = $8,550 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years remains at $18,550 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $13,250 - $10,000 = $3,250. Annual Income Amount for future contract years remains at $13,250 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced by $10,000 from $265,000 to $255,000 |
Example 2. Dollar-for-Dollar and Proportional Reductions
a) If $15,000 was withdrawn (more than the Annual Income Amount but less than the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $18,550 - $15,000 = $3,550 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years remains at $18,550 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($15,000 - $13,250 = $1,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $1,750^($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $93 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $93 = $13,157 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced by $15,000 from $265,000 to $250,000 |
b) If $25,000 was withdrawn (more than both the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Withdrawal Amount ($25,000 - $18,550 = $6,450) reduces Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years. |
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| • | Reduction to Annual Withdrawal Amount = Excess Withdrawal/Contract Value before Excess Withdrawal × Annual Withdrawal Amount = $6,450/($263,000 - $18,550) × $18,550 = $489 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years = $18,550 - $489 = $18,061 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($25,000 - $13,250 = $11,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $11,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $623 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $623 = $12,627 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is first reduced by the Annual Withdrawal Amount ($18,550) from $265,000 to $246,450. It is further reduced by the greater of a dollar-for-dollar reduction or a proportional reduction. |
| • | Dollar-for-dollar reduction = $25,000 - $18,550 = $6,450 |
| • | Proportional reduction = Excess Withdrawal/Contract Value before Excess Withdrawal × Protected Withdrawal Value = $6,450/($263,000 - $18,550) × $246,450 = $6,503. Protected Withdrawal Value = $246,450 - max [$6,450, $6,503] = $239,947 |
Example 3. Step-up of the Protected Withdrawal Value
If the Annual Income Amount ($13,250) is withdrawn each year starting on March 1, 2006 for a period of 5 years, the Protected Withdrawal Value on March 1, 2011 would be reduced to $198,750 {$265,000 − ($13,250 × 5)}. If a step-up is elected on March 1, 2011, then the following values would result:
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value = Account Value on March 1, 2011 = $240,000 |
| • | Annual Income Amount is equal to the greater of the current Annual Income Amount or 5% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value. Current Annual Income Amount is $13,250. 5% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value is 5% of $240,000, which is $12,000. Therefore, the Annual Income Amount remains $13,250. |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to the greater of the current Annual Withdrawal Amount or 7% of the stepped up Protected Withdrawal Value. Current Annual Withdrawal Amount is $18,550. 7% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value is 7% of $240,000, which is $16,800. Therefore the Annual Withdrawal Amount remains $18,550. |
Benefits Under Lifetime Five. If your Contract Value is equal to zero, and the cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year are greater than the Annual Withdrawal Amount, Lifetime Five will terminate. To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount and amounts are still payable under both the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit, you will be given the choice of receiving the payments under the Life Income Benefit or under the Withdrawal Benefit. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining amounts under the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit would be payable even though your Account Value was reduced to zero. Once you make this election we will make an additional payment for that contract year equal to either the remaining Annual Income Amount or Annual Withdrawal Amount for the contract year, if any, depending on the option you choose. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal either the Annual Income Amount or the Annual Withdrawal Amount as described in this Prospectus. You will not be able to change the option after your election and no further purchase payments will be accepted under your contract. If you do not make an election, we will pay you annually under the Life Income Benefit. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount but less than or equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount and amounts are still payable under the Withdrawal Benefit, you will receive the payments under the Withdrawal Benefit. In the year of a withdrawal that reduced your Contract Value to zero, we will make an additional payment to equal any remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount and make payments equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount in each subsequent year (until the Protected Withdrawal Value is depleted). Once your Contract Value equals zero no further purchase payments will be accepted under your contract. If annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is any Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years or any remaining Protected Withdrawal Value, you can elect one of the following three options:
| 1. | apply your Contract Value to any annuity option available; |
| 2. | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We make such annuity payments until the annuitant’s death; or |
| 3. | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we pay out any remaining Protected Withdrawal Value as annuity payments. Each year such annuity payments will equal the Annual Withdrawal Amount or the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value if less. We make such annuity payments until the earlier of the annuitant’s death or the date the Protected Withdrawal Value is depleted. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at the Prudential Annuity Service Center. In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a single life fixed annuity with five payments certain using the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of:
| 1. | the present value of future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your contract; and |
| 2. | the Contract Value. |
If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will determine a Protected Withdrawal Value and calculate an Annual Income Amount and an Annual Withdrawal Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin.
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Other Important Considerations
Withdrawals under Lifetime Five are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any withdrawal charges.
| • | Withdrawals made while Lifetime Five is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Lifetime Five does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable withdrawal charges). If you surrender your contract, you will receive the current Contract Value, not the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing Lifetime Five. Lifetime Five provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Protected Withdrawal Value or Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount or Annual Withdrawal Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | In general, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly-adopted requirements. Subsequent to any change in requirements, transfers of Contract Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to the new investment limitations. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of Lifetime Five
We no longer permit elections of Lifetime Five. If you wish, you may cancel the Lifetime Five benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Lifetime Five benefit provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and in accordance with any applicable age requirements). Once the Lifetime Five benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Lifetime Five benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post- issue basis. If you cancel Lifetime Five, you lose all guarantees under the benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Charges under the Benefit
The maximum charge for Lifetime Five is 1.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Variable Options. The charge is deducted daily.
Termination of Lifetime Five
The benefit terminates automatically when your Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero. You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective. The benefit terminates upon your surrender of your Annuity, upon the death of the Annuitant, upon a change in ownership of your Annuity that changes the tax identification number of the Owner, upon change in the Annuitant or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments. While you may terminate your benefit at any time, we may not terminate the benefit other than in the circumstances listed above.
The charge for Lifetime Five will no longer be deducted from your Account Value upon termination of the benefit.
Additional Tax Considerations for Qualified Contracts
If you purchase an annuity contract as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, the minimum distribution rules under the Code require that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity contract beginning after the applicable age. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount and the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount in any contract year that required minimum distributions due from your contract are greater than such amounts. Any such payments will reduce your Protected Withdrawal Value. In addition, the amount and duration of
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payments under the contract payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any penalty or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as required minimum distribution provisions under the tax law. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB), was an optional benefit that guaranteed that once the income period begins, your income payments would be no less than the GMIB protected value applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates. The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit must be continued until at least the end of the seventh contract year. If, after the seventh contract year, you decide to stop participating in the GMIB, you may do so (if permitted by state law) but you will not be able to reinstate it.
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit is subject to certain restrictions described below.
| • | The annuitant must have been 70 or younger at benefit election, and you must also have participated in the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. |
| • | The maximum GMIB charge is 1.00% of average GMIB protected value. Please note that the charge is calculated based on average GMIB protected value, not Contract Value. Thus, for example, the fee would not decline on account of a reduction in Contract Value. |
| • | TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT, YOU MUST WAIT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE INCOME PHASE. THE LENGTH OF THAT WAITING PERIOD DEPENDS UPON THE AGE OF THE ANNUITANT (OR, IF THERE IS A CO-ANNUITANT AS WELL, THE AGE OF THE OLDER OF THE TWO) AS SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING CHART: |
|
Age at Issue of Contract |
Contract Anniversary When GMIB Becomes Available |
|
0 - 45 |
15 |
|
46 |
14 |
|
47 |
13 |
|
48 |
12 |
|
49 |
11 |
|
50 or more |
10 |
Once that waiting period has elapsed, you will have a 30-day period each year, beginning on the contract anniversary, during which you may begin the income phase with the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit by submitting the necessary forms in good order to the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
EFFECT OF WITHDRAWALS
The protected value will equal the “roll-up value,” which is the total of all invested purchase payments compounded daily at an effective annual rate of 5%, subject to a cap of 200% of all invested purchase payments. Both the roll-up and the cap are reduced proportionally by withdrawals. When the roll-up” value no longer increases, your protected value will continue to increase by any subsequent invested purchase payments, and reduce by the effect of any withdrawals.
Payout
Amount
The Guaranteed
Minimum Income Benefit payout amount is based on the age and sex (where applicable) of the annuitant (and, if there is one, the co-annuitant).
After we first deduct a charge for any applicable premium taxes that we are required to pay, the payout amount will equal the greater
of:
| 1) | the GMIB protected value as of the date you exercise the GMIB payout option, applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates (which are generally less favorable than the annuity purchase rates for annuity payments not involving GMIB) and based on the annuity payout option as described below, or |
| 2) | the adjusted Contract Value--that is, the value of the contract minus any charge we impose for premium taxes and withdrawal charges--as of the date you exercise the GMIB payout option applied to the current annuity purchase rates then in use. |
GMIB
Annuity Payout Options
We
currently offer two Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit annuity payout options. Each option involves payment for at least a “period
certain.” In calculating
the amount of the payments under the GMIB, we apply certain assumed interest rates, equal to 3% annually for a waiting period of 10-14
years, and 3.5% annually
for waiting periods of 15 years or longer.
Single Life Payout Option: We will make monthly payments for as long as the annuitant lives, with payments for a period certain. We will stop making payments after the later of the death of the annuitant or the end of the period certain.
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Joint Life Payout Option: In the case of an annuitant and co-annuitant, we will make monthly payments for the joint lifetime of the annuitant and co-annuitant, with payments for a period certain. If the co-annuitant dies first, we will continue to make payments until the later of the death of the annuitant and the end of the period certain. If the annuitant dies first, we will continue to make payments until the later of the death of the co-annuitant and the end of the period certain, but if the period certain ends first, we will reduce the amount of each payment to 50% of the original amount.
You have no right to withdraw amounts early under either GMIB payout option. We may make other payout frequencies available, such as quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
The “period certain” for the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit depends upon the annuitant’s age on the date you exercise the GMIB payout option:
|
Age |
Period Certain |
|
80 or Less |
10 Years |
|
81 |
9 Years |
|
82 |
8 Years |
|
83 |
7 Years |
|
84 |
6 Years |
|
85 or More |
5 Years |
|
Age |
Period Certain |
|
80 or less |
10 Years |
|
81 |
9 Years |
|
82 |
8 Years |
|
83 |
7 Years |
|
84 |
6 Years |
|
85 or more |
5 Years |
Because we do not impose a new waiting period for each subsequent purchase payment, if you chose the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, we reserve the right to limit subsequent purchase payments if we discover that by the timing of your purchase payments, your GMIB protected value is increasing in ways we did not intend. In determining whether to limit purchase payments, we will look at purchase payments which are disproportionately larger than your initial purchase payment and other actions that may artificially increase the GMIB protected value. Certain state laws may prevent us from limiting your subsequent purchase payments. You must exercise one of the GMIB payout options described above no later than 30 days after the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s attainment of age 90 (with respect to the original version of the contract) and age 95 (with respect to the later version of the contract).
You should note that GMIB is designed to provide a type of insurance that serves as a safety net only in the event that your Contract Value declines significantly due to negative investment performance. If your Contract Value is not significantly affected by negative investment performance, it is unlikely that the purchase of GMIB will result in your receiving larger annuity payments than if you had not purchased GMIB. This is because the assumptions that we use in computing the GMIB, such as the annuity purchase rates, (which include assumptions as to age-setbacks and assumed interest rates), are more conservative than the assumptions that we use in computing non-GMIB annuity payout options. Therefore, you may generate higher income payments if you were to annuitize a lower Contract Value at the current annuity purchase rates, than if you were to annuitize under the GMIB with a higher GMIB protected value than your Contract Value but at the annuity purchase rates guaranteed under the GMIB.
The Death Benefit Feature Protects The Contract Value For The Beneficiary.
Beneficiary
The beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you name to receive any death benefit. You name the beneficiary at the time the contract is issued, unless you change it at a later date. Unless an irrevocable beneficiary has been named, during the accumulation period you can change the beneficiary at any time before the owner dies. However, if the contract is jointly owned, the owner must name the joint owner and the joint owner must name the owner as the beneficiary. For entity-owned contracts, we pay a death benefit upon the death of the annuitant. If no beneficiary is named on a trust owned contract, the default beneficiary will be the contract owner.
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CALCULATION OF THE DEATH BENEFIT
If the sole owner dies during the accumulation phase, we will, upon receiving appropriate proof of death and any other needed documentation in good order (proof of death), pay a death benefit to the beneficiary designated by the owner. If the owner and joint owner are spouses, we will pay this death benefit upon the death of the last surviving spouse who continues the contract as sole owner.
Upon receiving appropriate proof of death, the beneficiary will receive the greater of the following:
| 1) | The current Contract Value (as of the time we receive proof of death in good order). If you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will first deduct any credit corresponding to a purchase payment made later than one year prior to death. |
| 2) | Either the base death benefit, which equals the total purchase payments you have made less any withdrawals, or, if you have chosen a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB), the GMDB protected value. |
Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated:
The contract was issued with purchase payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Variable Option performance, the account value had decreased to $80,000. If the owner died, the death benefit would still be $100,000. This amount, however, is reduced proportionally when you make a withdrawal from the contract. If the contract owner had withdrawn 50% of the remaining $80,000, the death benefit would also be reduced by 50%. Since the death benefit had been $100,000, it would now be $50,000.
GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT
Under the newer version of the contracts, you may elect the base death benefit if you are 85 or younger. Under both versions of the contracts described in this prospectus, you may elect a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit if you are 75 or younger.
The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit provided an enhanced death benefit upon the death of the sole or last surviving owner during the accumulation phase.
The GMDB protected value option can be equal to the:
| • | GMDB roll-up |
| • | GMDB step-up, or |
| • | Greater of the GMDB roll-up and the GMDB step-up. |
The GMDB protected value is calculated daily.
The GMDB roll-up value is equal to the invested purchase payments, increased daily at an effective annual rate of 5% starting on the date that each invested purchase payment is made. Both the GMDB roll-up and the cap value will increase by subsequent invested purchase payments and reduce proportionally by withdrawals.
The step-up value equals the highest value of the contract on any contract anniversary date--that is, on each contract anniversary, the new step-up value becomes the higher of the previous step-up value and the current Contract Value. Between anniversary dates, the step-up value is only increased by additional invested purchase payments and reduced proportionally by withdrawals.
If an owner who has purchased a Contract With Credit makes any purchase payment later than one year prior to death, we will adjust the death benefit to recapture any non-vested credit corresponding to that purchase payment.
Greater of Step-up and Roll-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Under this option, the protected value is equal to the greater of the step-up value and the roll-up value.
If you have chosen a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option and death occurs on or after age 80, the beneficiary will receive the greater of: 1) the current Contract Value as of the date that proof of death is received, and 2) the protected value of that death benefit as of age 80, reduced proportionally by any withdrawals and increased by subsequent purchase payments. For this purpose, an owner is deemed to reach age 80 on the contract anniversary on or following the owner’s actual 80th birthday (or if there is a joint owner, the contract anniversary on or following the older owner’s actual 80th birthday).
Here is an example of a proportional reduction:
The current Contract Value is $100,000 and the protected value is $80,000. The owner makes a withdrawal that reduces the Contract Value by 25% (including the effect of any withdrawal charges). The new protected value is $60,000, or 75% of what it was before the withdrawal.
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Special rules apply if the beneficiary is the spouse of the owner, and the contract does not have a joint owner. In that case, upon the death of the owner, the spouse will have the choice of the following:
| • | If the sole beneficiary under the contract is the owner’s spouse, and the other requirements of the Spousal Continuance Option are met, then the contract can continue, and the spouse will become the new owner of the contract; or |
| • | The spouse can receive the death benefit. If the spouse does wish to receive the death benefit, he or she must make that choice within the first 60 days following our receipt of proof of death. Otherwise, the contract will continue with the spouse as owner. |
If ownership of the contract changes as a result of the owner assigning it to someone else, we will reset the value of the death benefit to equal the Contract Value on the date the change of ownership occurs, and for purposes of computing the future death benefit, we will treat that Contract Value as a purchase payment occurring on that date.
Depending on applicable state law, some death benefit options may not be available or may be subject to certain restrictions under your contract.
If the contract has an owner and a joint owner and they are spouses at the time that one dies, the surviving spouse has the choice of the following:
| • | The contract can continue, with the surviving spouse as the sole owner of the contract; or |
| • | The surviving spouse can receive the adjusted Contract Value and the contract will end. If the surviving spouse does wish to receive the adjusted Contract Value, he or she must make that choice within the first 60 days following our receipt of proof of death. Otherwise, the contract will continue with the surviving spouse as the sole owner. |
If the contract has an owner and a joint owner, and they are not spouses at the time that one dies, the contract will not continue. Instead, the beneficiary will receive the adjusted Contract Value.
Joint ownership may not be allowed in your state.
With respect to a death benefit paid before March 19, 2007, the death benefit options were:
Choice 1. Lump sum payment of the death benefit. If the beneficiary did not choose a payout option within sixty days, the beneficiary would have received this payout option.
Choice 2. The payment of the entire death benefit within a period of 5 years from the date of death of the first-to-die of the owner or joint owner.
The entire death benefit would have included any increases or losses resulting from the performance of the variable or fixed interest rate options during this period. During this period the beneficiary could: reallocate the Contract Value among the variable options; name a beneficiary to receive any remaining death benefit in the event of the beneficiary’s death; and make withdrawals from the Contract Value, in which case, any such withdrawals will not be subject to any withdrawal charges. However, the beneficiary could not make any purchase payments to the contract.
During this 5-year period, we would continue to deduct from the death benefit proceeds the charges and costs that were associated with the features and benefits of the contract. Some of these features and benefits may not be available to the beneficiary, such as the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit.
Choice 3. Payment of the death benefit under an annuity or annuity settlement option over the lifetime of the beneficiary or over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary with distribution beginning within one year of the date of death of the owner.
If the owner and joint owner are spouses, any portion of the death benefit not applied under Choice 3 within one year of the date of death of the first to die must be distributed within five years of that date of death.
With respect to death benefits paid on or after March 19, 2007, unless the surviving spouse opts to continue the contract (or spousal continuance is required under the terms of your contract), a beneficiary of the death benefit may generally, within 60 days of providing proof of death, take the death benefit as described below.
Alternative Death Benefit Payment Options – Annuities owned by Individuals (not associated with Tax-Favored Plans)
Except in the case of spousal continuance as described below, upon your death, certain distributions must be made under the contract. The required distributions depend on whether you die before you start taking annuity payments under the contract or after you start taking annuity payments under the contract.
If you die on or after the annuity date, the remaining portion of the interest in the contract must be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death.
In the event of your death before the annuity date, the death benefit must be distributed:
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| • | by the five-year anniversary of the date of death; or |
| • | as a series of annuity payments not extending beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary or over the life of the beneficiary. Payments under this option must begin within one year of the date of death. If the Beneficiary does not begin installments by such time, then no partial withdrawals will be permitted thereafter, and we require that the Beneficiary take the Death Benefit as a lump sum within the five-year deadline. If we do not receive instructions on where to send the payment within five-years of the date of death, the funds will be escheated. |
Unless
you have made an election prior to death benefit proceeds becoming due, a beneficiary can elect to receive the death benefit proceeds
under the “Beneficiary
Continuation Option” as described below.
Alternative Death Benefit Payment Options – Annuities Held by Tax-Favored Plans
Upon your death under an IRA or Roth IRA, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements. The post-death distribution requirements were amended, applicable generally with respect to deaths occurring after 2019, by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (which includes the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement” Act (SECURE Act)), and further clarified by the associated final and proposed regulations. We reserve our rights to implement any additional regulations addressing these requirements in the future. The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances. The following rules generally apply to deaths after 2019:
| • | 10-year rule: If you have a designated Beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated Beneficiary is an “eligible designated Beneficiary” (“EDB”) or some other exception applies. |
| • | Eligible designated beneficiaries: A designated Beneficiary is any individual designated as a Beneficiary by the IRA owner. An EDB is any designated Beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual’s status as an EDB is generally determined on the date of your death. |
| • | Other applicable rules: This 10-year post-death distribution period applies regardless of whether you die before your required beginning date, or you die on or after that date (including after distributions have commenced in the form of an annuity). However, if you die on or after the required beginning date, then annual distributions will be required from the Annuity during the 10-year period. If the Beneficiary is an EDB and the EDB dies before the entire interest is distributed under this 10-year rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB’s death (i.e., a new 10-year distribution period begins). |
Instead of taking distributions under the 10-year rule, an EDB can stretch distributions over life, or over a period not extending beyond life expectancy, provided that such distributions commence within one year of your death, subject to certain special rules. In addition, if your minor child is an EDB, the child will cease to be an EDB on the date the child reaches the age of 21, and any remaining interest must be distributed with 10 years after that date (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years).
It is important to note that under prior law, annuity payments that commenced under a method that satisfied the distribution requirements while the IRA Owner was alive could continue to be made under that method after the death of the IRA owner. However, under the current law, if you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the current law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by Prudential) in order to comply with the post-death distribution requirements.
The post-death distribution requirements do not apply if annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the new requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity.
If your Beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed under prior law in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your Beneficiary designations.
In addition, the current post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the IRA Owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated Beneficiary of the deceased IRA Owner dies after January 1, 2020, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated Beneficiary’s death. Hence, this 10-year rule will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated Beneficiary of an IRA Owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated Beneficiary of an IRA Owner who died prior to 2020.
| • | Spousal continuation. Under the current law, as under prior law, if your Beneficiary is your spouse, such surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after their death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to their own IRA, or by treating your IRA as their own IRA subject to specific limits under the proposed regulations. The post-death distribution requirements are complex in numerous respects. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. |
The tax consequences to the beneficiary may vary among the different death benefit payment options. See the “Taxes” section of this prospectus, and consult your tax advisor.
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BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION
Instead of receiving the death benefit in a single payment, or under an annuity option, a beneficiary may also take the death benefit under an alternative death benefit payment option, as provided by the Code. This “Beneficiary Continuation Option” is described below and is only available for an IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, 403(b), or a Non-qualified contract. The Beneficiary Continuation Option is only available within a limited time period from the deceased date of death and for certain designated beneficiaries as detailed below.
Under the Beneficiary Continuation Option:
| • | The Owner’s contract will be continued in the Owner’s name, for the benefit of the beneficiary. |
| • | The beneficiary will be charged an amount equal to 1.00% daily against the average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. |
| • | The beneficiary will incur an annual maintenance fee equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value if the Contract Value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. The fee will not apply if it is assessed 30 days prior to a surrender request. |
| • | The initial Contract Value will be equal to any death benefit (including any optional death benefit) that would have been payable to the beneficiary if they had taken a lump sum distribution. |
| • | The available Variable Options will be among those available to the Owner at the time of death, however certain Variable Options may not be available. |
| • | The beneficiary may request transfers among Variable Options, subject to the same limitations and restrictions that applied to the Owner. Transfers in excess of 20 per year will incur a $10 transfer fee. |
| • | No additional Purchase Payments can be applied to the contract. |
| • | The basic death benefit and any optional benefits elected by the Owner will no longer apply to the beneficiary. |
| • | The beneficiary can request a withdrawal of all or a portion of the Contract Value at any time without application of any applicable CDSC unless the Beneficiary Continuation Option was the payout predetermined by the owner and the owner restricted the beneficiary’s withdrawal rights. |
| • | Withdrawals are not subject to CDSC. |
| • | Upon the death of the beneficiary, any remaining Contract Value will be paid in a lump sum to the person(s) named by the beneficiary, unless the beneficiary named a successor who may continue receiving payments. |
| • | all amounts in the Beneficiary Continuation Option must be paid out to the Beneficiary according to the Required Distribution rules described in the “Taxes” section. |
Currently only investment options corresponding to Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust and the Prudential Money Market Portfolio of The Prudential Series Fund are available under the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
Your beneficiary will be provided with a prospectus and a settlement agreement that will describe this option. Please contact us for additional information on the availability, restrictions and limitations that will apply to a beneficiary under the beneficiary continuation option. We may pay compensation to the selling broker-dealer based on amounts held in the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
Payment under this option may be limited based on federal income tax requirements. See the “Taxes” section for more information on the limitations that may apply to this option.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit was an optional, supplemental death benefit that provided a benefit payable upon the death of the sole or last surviving owner during the accumulation phase. Any Earnings Appreciator Benefit payment we make will be in addition to any other death benefit payment we make under the contract. You must have been 75 or younger in order to elect the Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
An Earnings Appreciator Benefit is calculated for each purchase payment you make. Your total Earnings Appreciator Benefit is the sum of the Earnings Appreciator Benefits for all of your purchase payments.
If the owner (or older of owner and joint owner if there is a joint owner) is younger than age 66 on the date the application is signed, the Earnings Appreciator Benefit for each purchase payment is 45% of the lesser of:
| • | The adjusted purchase payment (which means the invested purchase payment adjusted for partial withdrawals); or |
| • | Earnings attributed to that adjusted purchase payment. |
If the owner (or older of owner and joint owner if there is a joint owner) is age 66 or older (and younger than age 76) on the date the application is signed, the Earnings Appreciator Benefit for each purchase payment is 25% of the lesser of:
| • | The adjusted purchase payment (which means the invested purchase payment adjusted for partial withdrawals); or |
| • | Earnings attributed to that adjusted purchase payment. |
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The following rules apply to the calculation of the benefit:
| • | Each “adjusted purchase payment” is the invested purchase payment reduced on a proportional basis by any subsequent withdrawals. Reduction on a proportional basis means that we calculate the percentage of your current Contract Value being withdrawn and reduce each adjusted purchase payment made prior to the withdrawal by that percentage. For example, if your Contract Value is $40,000 and you withdraw $10,000, you have withdrawn 25% of your Contract Value. If you have two adjusted purchase payments prior to the withdrawal ($10,000 and $20,000), each of those adjusted purchase payments would be reduced by 25% (to $7,500 and $15,000). The amount of earnings allocated to each adjusted purchase payment is also reduced by the same percentage. These calculations, therefore, do not depend on the actual investment option from which the withdrawal is made, and they are different calculations than those that apply for other reasons under the contract, such as for the withdrawal charge or for tax purposes. |
| • | Earnings are periodically allocated to each adjusted purchase payment on a proportional basis. We calculate the amount of earnings since the last earnings allocation and we allocate those earnings proportionately among the adjusted purchase payments (based on the amount of each adjusted purchase payment plus the earnings previously allocated to that adjusted purchase payment). For example, if you have two adjusted purchase payments--one with an adjusted purchase payment and allocated earnings of $30,000 and the other with an adjusted purchase payment and allocated earnings of $20,000 (therefore 60% and 40% of the total respectively)--and your contract has earned $5,000 since the last calculation, 60% of the earnings ($3,000) will be allocated to the first adjusted purchase payment and 40% of the earnings ($2,000) will be allocated to the second adjusted purchase payment. This calculation, therefore, does not apply different rates of return to different purchase payments based on the investment options in which the particular purchase payment was invested. When allocating earnings at the time of a death benefit payment, we will first deduct from earnings the amount of any charges deducted and credit recaptured from your Contract Value at that time. |
| • | Under the Spousal Continuance Option, we will not allow the surviving spouse to continue the Earnings Appreciator Benefit (or bear the charge associated with that benefit) if that owner is age 76 or older when Spousal Continuance is activated. If the surviving spouse does continue the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, then we will calculate the benefit payable upon the surviving spouse’s death in the same manner as discussed above, except that we will treat the Contract Value (as adjusted to reflect the Spousal Continuance Option) as the first adjusted purchase payment against which the Earnings Appreciator percentages are applied. |
See Appendix B for examples of the benefit calculations.
TERMINATING THE EARNINGS APPRECIATOR BENEFIT
| • | The Earnings Appreciator Benefit will terminate on the earliest of: |
| • | the date you make a total withdrawal from the contract, |
| • | the date a death benefit is payable if the contract is not continued by the surviving spouse under the Spousal Continuance Option, |
| • | the date the contract terminates, or |
| • | the date you annuitize the contract. |
Upon termination of the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, we cease imposing the associated charge.
SPOUSAL CONTINUATION OF ANNUITY
This is an option that, depending on the contract options chosen, can give the owner’s surviving spouse a stepped-up account value upon the owner’s death. Any person who buys a contract and meets our eligibility criteria for this benefit receives the benefit without charge. The benefit must be selected within 60 days of the owner’s death, and may not be available under all contracts. The benefit described in this section applies only to the later version of this contract. Under the original version of this contract, no stepped-up Contract Value is available to a surviving spouse who continues the contract.
We offer the Spousal Continuance Option only if each of the following conditions is present on the date we receive proof of the owner’s death:
| 1. | there is only one owner of the contract and that owner is the sole annuitant, |
| 2. | there is only one beneficiary, |
| 3. | the beneficiary is the owner’s spouse, |
| 4. | the surviving spouse is not older than 95 on that date, and |
| 5. | the surviving spouse becomes the new owner and annuitant. |
The contract may not be continued upon the death of a spouse who had assumed ownership of the contract through the exercise of the Spousal Continuance Option.
Under the Spousal Continuance Option, we impose no withdrawal charge at the time of the owner’s death, and we will not impose any withdrawal charges on the surviving spouse with respect to the withdrawal of purchase payments made by the owner prior to the activation of the benefit. However, we will continue to impose withdrawal charges with respect to purchase payments made by the surviving spouse as new owner.
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IF YOU HAVE NOT SELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT FEATURE (I.E., YOU HAVE THE BASE DEATH BENEFIT), then upon the activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will adjust the Contract Value, as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, to equal the greater of the following: 1) the Contract Value as of the date of our receipt of proof of death or 2) the sum of all invested purchase payments (adjusted for withdrawals) made prior to the date on which we receive proof of the owner’s death. We will add the amount of any Earnings Appreciator Benefit that you have selected to each of the amounts specified immediately above.
IF YOU HAVE SELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT FEATURE WITH THE ROLL-UP OPTION, then upon the activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will adjust the Contract Value, as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, to equal the greater of the following: 1) the Contract Value as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, or 2) the roll-up value. We will add the amount of any Earnings Appreciator Benefit that you have selected to each of the amounts specified immediately above. When the Spousal Continuance Option is activated by a surviving spouse who is younger than 80, we will adjust the roll-up value under the surviving spouse’s contract to equal the Contract Value (adjusted, as described immediately above). In addition, in that case we will reset the surviving spouse’s roll-up cap to equal 200% of the Contract Value (adjusted, as described immediately above). We make no adjustment to the roll-up value or the roll-up cap if the surviving spouse is 80 or older, except to account for additional purchase payments and to reduce the roll-up value proportionately by withdrawals. If the surviving spouse was younger than 80 at the owner’s death, then we will continue to increase the roll-up value annually until the earlier of either (i) the surviving spouse’s attainment of age 80 or (ii) the attainment of the roll-up cap (i.e., the reset roll-up cap discussed above). Once the roll-up value ceases to increase, we thereafter will adjust the roll-up value only to account for subsequent purchase payments and to diminish it proportionally by withdrawals.
IF YOU HAVE SELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT FEATURE WITH THE STEP-UP GMDB OPTION, then upon the activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will adjust the Contract Value, as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, to equal the greater of the following: 1) the Contract Value as of the date of our receipt of proof of death, or 2) the step-up value. We will add the amount of any Earnings Appreciator Benefit that you have selected to each of the amounts specified immediately above. When the Spousal Continuance Option is activated by a surviving spouse younger than 80, we will adjust the step-up value to equal the Contract Value (adjusted, as described immediately above). We make no such adjustment if the surviving spouse is 80 or older. If the surviving spouse was younger than 80 at the owner’s death, then we will continue to adjust the step-up value annually until the surviving spouse’s attainment of age 80. After the surviving spouse attains age 80, we will continue to adjust the step-up value only to account for additional purchase payments and to reduce the step-up value proportionally by withdrawals.
IF YOU HAVE SELECTED THE GREATER OF ROLL-UP AND STEP-UP AS YOUR GMDB OPTION, then we will calculate those values upon activation of the Spousal Continuance Option in accordance with the procedures set out in the immediately preceding paragraphs and in your contract.
After activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will calculate the Earnings Appreciator Benefit in the manner discussed under “Earnings Appreciator Death Benefit”. We do not allow the surviving spouse to retain the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit under the Spousal Continuance Option (or bear the charge associated with that benefit).
See “Benefits Available Under the Contract - Lifetime Five Income Benefit” section with regard to Spousal Continuation of Lifetime Five.
In the preceding discussion of the Spousal Continuance Option, we intend references to attainment of age 80th to refer to the contract anniversary on or following the actual 80th birthday of the surviving spouse.
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Please note that these Annuities are no longer available for new sales.
The initial purchase payment is the amount of money you first pay us to purchase the contract. Unless we agree otherwise, and subject to our rules, the minimum initial purchase payment is $10,000. We must approve any initial and additional Purchase Payments where the total amount of Purchase Payments equal $1,000,000 or more with respect to this Annuity and any other annuities you are purchasing from us (or that you already own) and/or our affiliates. To the extent allowed by state law, that required approval also will apply to a proposed change of owner of the Annuity, if as a result of the ownership change, total Purchase Payments with respect to this Annuity and all other annuities owned by the new Owner would equal or exceed that $1 million threshold. With some restrictions, you can make additional purchase payments by means other than electronic fund transfer of no less than $1,000 at any time during the accumulation phase. However, we impose a minimum of $100 with respect to additional purchase payments made through electronic fund transfers.
You may purchase this contract only if the oldest of the owner, joint owner, annuitant, or co-annuitant is age 85 or younger (or age 80 depending on the version of the contract) on the contract date. Certain age limits apply to certain features and benefits described herein. No subsequent purchase payments may be made on or after the earliest of the 86th birthday (or 81st birthday depending on the version of the contract) of:
| • | the owner, |
| • | the joint owner, |
| • | the annuitant, or |
| • | the co-annuitant. |
Currently, the maximum aggregate purchase payments you may make is $20 million. We limit the maximum total purchase payments in any contract year, other than the first to $2 million absent our prior approval. Depending on applicable state law, other limits may apply.
ALLOCATION OF PURCHASE PAYMENTS
When you purchase a contract, we will allocate your invested purchase payment among the Variable Options or, if you choose the Contract Without Credit, the fixed interest rate options based on the percentages you choose. The percentage of your allocation to a particular investment option can range in whole percentages from 0% to 100%.
When you make an additional purchase payment, it will be allocated in the same way as your most recent purchase payment, unless you tell us otherwise. If you purchase the Contract Without Credit, allocations to the DCA Fixed Rate Option must be no less than $5,000.
You may change your allocation of future invested purchase payments at any time. Contact the Prudential Annuity Service Center for details.
Applicable laws designed to counter terrorists and prevent money laundering might, in certain circumstances, require us to block a contract owner’s ability to make certain transactions, and thereby refuse to accept purchase payments or requests for transfers, partial withdrawals, total withdrawals, death benefits, or income payments until instructions are received from the appropriate regulator. We also may be required to provide additional information about you and your contract to government regulators.
If you purchase the Contract With Credit, we will add a credit amount to your Contract Value with each purchase payment you make. The credit amount is allocated to the Variable Options in the same percentages as the purchase payment.
Under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over a seven year period, the credit percentage is currently equal to 4% of each purchase payment. With the approval of the SEC, we can change that credit percentage, but we guarantee it will never be less than 3%. Under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits generally are not recapturable after expiration of the free look period, the bonus credit that we pay with respect to any purchase payment depends on (i) the age of the older of the owner or joint owner on the date on which the purchase payment is made and (ii) the amount of the purchase payment. Specifically,. if the elder owner is 80 or younger on the date that the purchase payment is made, then we will add a bonus credit to the purchase payment equal to 4% if the purchase payment is less than $250,000 or 5% if the purchase payment is greater than or equal to $250,000; and if the elder owner is aged 81-85 on the date that the purchase payment is made, then we will add a bonus credit equal to 3% of the amount of the purchase payment.
Under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over a seven year period, each credit is subject to its own vesting schedule, which is shown below. If you make a withdrawal of all or part of a purchase payment, or you begin the income phase of the contract, we will recapture the non-vested portion of the credit attributable to that purchase payment. Withdrawals of purchase payments occur on a first-in first-out basis. This credit that we recapture is in addition to any withdrawal charges that may apply.
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Under the version of the Contract With Credit under which bonus credits vest over a seven year period, bonus credits vest according to the following schedule:
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Date of Each Purchase Payment |
Vested Percentage |
|
0 |
0% |
|
1 |
10% |
|
2 |
20% |
|
3 |
30% |
|
4 |
40% |
|
5 |
50% |
|
6 |
60% |
|
7 |
100% |
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Date of Each Purchase Payment |
Vested Percentage |
|
0 |
0.00% |
|
1 |
10.00% |
|
2 |
20.00% |
|
3 |
30.00% |
|
4 |
40.00% |
|
5 |
50.00% |
|
6 |
60.00% |
|
7 |
100.00% |
Under each version of the Contract With Credit, if we pay a death benefit under the contract, we have the right to recapture any credit we applied one year prior to the date of death or later.
Under each version of the Contract With Credit, we recapture bonus credits if the owner returns his or her contract during the free look period.
Depending upon the state in which your contract was issued, your contract may include a different vesting schedule.
Examples of Recapturing Credits under the version of the Contract With Credit Under Which Bonus Credits Vest Over Seven Years
The following are hypothetical examples of how Credits could be recaptured. These examples do not cover every potential situation. These are the only situations in which Credits may be recaptured.
Recapture from payment of Death Benefits
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. If the Death Benefit becomes payable in the 9th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the entire amount of the prior Credit ($2,400). |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $4,400. If death occurs in the 16th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced but only in the amount of the Credit applied within the previous 12-months. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credit that was applied) occurred more than 12-months before the date of death, the Death Benefit would not be reduced by the amount of the Credit applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 12-months of the date of death. Therefore, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the amount of the Credit payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($400). |
| • | NOTE: If the Death Benefit would otherwise have been equal to the Purchase Payments minus any withdrawals due to poor investment performance, we will not reduce the amount of the Death Benefit by the amount of the Credits as shown in Example 2 above. |
Recapture from Critical Care Surrenders
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| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You receive a Credit of $2,000 ($50,000 ×.04). The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill after the 5th but before the 6th contract anniversary after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the Critical Care surrender provision. Assuming the Credit was applied within 5 years of the date of diagnosis of the terminal illness, the amount that would be payable under the Critical Care surrender provision would be reduced by 50% of the amount of the Credit which is $1,000 ($2,000 × 0.5). |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 2nd contract year after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill after the 7th contract anniversary after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the Critical Care surrender provision. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credit that was applied) occurred more than 7 contract years before the diagnosis, the amount that would be payable upon the Critical Care surrender provision would not be reduced by the amount of the Credit applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 5 contract anniversaries of the date of diagnosis. Therefore, the amount that would be payable under the Critical Care surrender provision would be reduced by 50% of the amount of the Credit payable on the additional Purchase Payment which is $200 ($400 ×.05). |
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Recapture from Surrenders
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You receive a Credit of $2,000 ($50,000 ×.04). The Annuitant surrenders the annuity after the 5th but before the 6th contract anniversary. Assuming the Credit was applied within 5 years of the date of surrender, the amount that would be payable under the surrender would be reduced by 50% of the amount of the Credit which is $1,000 ($2,000 × 0.5) including any withdrawal charges and any contract fee, if applicable. |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 2nd contract year after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. The Annuitant surrenders the annuity after the 7th contract anniversary after the Issue Date. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credit that was applied) occurred more than 7 contract years before the surrender, the amount that would be payable upon the surrender would not be reduced by the amount of the Credit applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 5 contract anniversaries of the date of surrender. Therefore, the amount that would be payable under the surrender would be reduced by 50% of the amount of the Credit payable on the additional Purchase Payment $200 which is ($400 ×.05) including any withdrawal charges and any contract fee, if applicable. |
Examples of Recapturing Credits under the version of the Contract With Credit Generally not Recapturable After Expiration of Free Look Period
The following are hypothetical examples of how Credits could be recaptured. These examples do not cover every potential situation. These are the only situations in which Credits may be recaptured.
Recapture from payment of Death Benefits
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. If the Death Benefit becomes payable in the 9th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the entire amount of the prior Credit ($2,400). |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $4,400. If death occurs in the 16th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced but only in the amount of the Credit applied within the previous 12-months. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credit that was applied) occurred more than 12-months before the date of death, the Death Benefit would not be reduced by the amount of the Credit applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 12-months of the date of death. Therefore, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the amount of the Credit payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($400). |
| • | NOTE: If the Death Benefit would otherwise have been equal to the Purchase Payments minus any withdrawals due to poor investment performance, we will not reduce the amount of the Death Benefit by the amount of the Credits as shown in Example 2 above. |
The value of the variable portion of your contract will go up or down depending on the investment performance of the Variable Options you choose. To determine the value of your contract allocated to the Variable Options, we use a unit of measure called an accumulation unit. An accumulation unit works like a share of a mutual fund.
Every day we determine the value of an accumulation unit for each of the Variable Options. We do this by:
| 1. | adding up the total amount of money allocated to a specific investment option; |
| 2. | subtracting from that amount insurance charges and any other applicable charges such as for taxes; and |
| 3. | dividing this amount by the number of outstanding accumulation units. |
When you make a purchase payment to a Variable Option, we credit your contract with accumulation units of the Variable Option or Variable Options for the investment options you choose. We determine the number of accumulation units credited to your contract by dividing the amount of the purchase payment, plus (if you have purchased the Contract With Credit) any applicable credit, allocated to a Variable Option by the unit price of the accumulation unit for that investment option. We calculate the unit price for each investment option after the NYSE closes each day and then credit your contract. The value of the accumulation units can increase, decrease, or remain the same from day to day.
We cannot guarantee that your Contract Value will increase or that it will not fall below the amount of your total purchase payments.
When you allocate Account Value to a Variable Option, you are purchasing Units of the Variable Option. Each Variable Option invests exclusively in shares of an underlying Portfolio. The value of the Units fluctuates with the Variable Option fluctuations of the Portfolios. The value of the Units also reflects the daily accrual for the Insurance Charge, and if you elected one or more optional benefits whose annualized charge is deducted daily, the additional charge for such benefits.
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Each Valuation Day, we determine the price for a Unit of each Variable Option, called the “Unit Price” or “Unit Value”. The Unit Price is used for determining the value of transactions involving Units of the Variable Options. We determine the number of Units involved in any transaction by dividing the dollar value of the transaction by the Unit Price of the Variable Option as of the Valuation Day. There may be several different Unit Prices for each Variable Option to reflect the Insurance Charge and the charges for any optional benefits. The Unit Price for the Units you purchase will be based on the total charges for the benefits that apply to your Annuity.
Example
Assume you allocate $5,000 to a Variable Option. On the Valuation Day you make the allocation, the Unit Price is $14.83. Your $5,000 buys 337.154 Units of the Variable Option. Assume that later, you wish to transfer $3,000 of your Account Value out of that Variable Option and into another Variable Option. On the Valuation Day you request the transfer, the Unit Price of the original Variable Option has increased to $16.79 and the Unit Price of the new Variable Option is $17.83. To transfer $3,000, we redeem 178.677 Units at the current Unit Price, leaving you 158.477 Units. We then buy $3,000 of Units of the new Variable Option at the Unit Price of $17.83. You would then have 168.255 Units of the new Variable Option.
PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS
Pruco Life is generally open to process financial transactions on those days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. There may be circumstances where the NYSE does not open on a regularly scheduled date or time or closes at an earlier time than scheduled (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Generally, financial transactions requested in Good Order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be processed according to the value next determined following the close of business. Financial transactions requested on a non-business day or after the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be processed based on the value next computed on the next Valuation Day.
We will not process any financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders on days the NYSE is closed. Pruco Life will also not process financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders or transfers on any day that:
| • | trading on the NYSE is restricted; |
| • | an emergency, as determined by the SEC, exists making redemption or valuation of securities held in the Separate Account impractical; or |
| • | the SEC, by order, permits the suspension or postponement for the protection of security holders. |
In certain circumstances, we may need to correct the processing of an order. In such circumstances, we may incur a loss or receive a gain depending upon the price of the security when the order was executed and the price of the security when the order is corrected. With respect to any gain that may result from such order correction, we will retain any such gain as additional compensation for these correction services.
Initial Purchase Payments: We are required to allocate your initial Purchase Payment to the Variable Options within two (2) Valuation Days after we receive the Purchase Payment in Good Order at our Service Office. If we do not have all the required information to allow us to issue your Annuity, we may retain the Purchase Payment while we try to reach you or your representative to obtain all of our requirements. If we are unable to obtain all of our required information within five (5) Valuation Days, we are required to return the Purchase Payment to you at that time, unless you specifically consent to our retaining the Purchase Payment while we gather the required information. Once we obtain the required information, we will invest the Purchase Payment (and any associated Purchase Credit) and issue an Annuity within two (2) Valuation Days.
With respect to your initial Purchase Payment and any additional purchase payments pending investment in our Separate Account, we may hold the amount temporarily in a suspense account and we may earn interest on such amount. You will not be credited with interest during that period. The monies held in the suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors. Also, the Purchase Payment will not be reduced nor increased due to Variable Option fluctuations during that period.
As permitted by applicable law, the broker-dealer firm through which you purchase your Annuity may forward your initial Purchase Payment to us prior to approval of your purchase by a registered principal of the firm. These arrangements are subject to a number of regulatory requirements, including that customer funds will be deposited in a segregated bank account and held by the insurer until such time that the insurer is notified of the firm’s principal approval and is provided with the application, or is notified of the firm principal’s rejection. In addition, the insurer must promptly return the customer’s funds at the customer’s request prior to the firm’s principal approval or upon the firm’s rejection of the application. The monies held in the bank account will be held in a suspense account within our general account and we may earn interest on amounts held in that suspense account. Contract owners will not be credited with any interest earned on amounts held in that suspense account. The monies in such suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors.
Additional Purchase Payments: We will apply any additional Purchase Payments (and any associated Purchase Credit) as of the Valuation Day that we receive the Purchase Payment at our Service Office in Good Order. We may limit, restrict, suspend or reject any additional Purchase Payments at any time, on a non-discriminatory basis. See “Purchases and Contract Value”. With respect to your Additional Purchase Payments that are pending investment in our Separate Account, we may hold the amount temporarily in a suspense account and we may earn interest on such amount. You will not be credited with interest during that period. The monies held in the suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors. Also, the Purchase Payment will not be reduced nor increased due to Variable Option fluctuations during that period.
Scheduled Transactions: Scheduled transactions include transfers under Dollar Cost Averaging, the Asset Allocation Program, Auto Rebalancing, Systematic Withdrawals, Systematic Investments, Required Minimum Distributions, substantially equal periodic payments under section 72(t)/72(q) of the Code, annuity payments and fees that are assessed daily as a percentage of the net assets of the Variable Options. Scheduled transactions are
50
processed and valued as of the date they are scheduled, unless the scheduled day is not a Valuation Day. In that case, the transaction will be processed and valued on the next Valuation Day, unless (with respect to Required Minimum Distributions, substantially equal periodic payments under Section 72 (t)/72(q) of the Code, annuity payments and fees that are assessed daily as a percentage of the net assets of the Variable Options only), the next Valuation Day falls in the subsequent calendar year, in which case the transaction will be processed and valued on the prior Valuation Day.
In addition, if: you are taking your Annual Income Amount through our systematic withdrawal program; and the scheduled day is not a Valuation Day; and the next Valuation Day will occur in a new contract year, the transaction will be processed and valued on the prior Valuation Day.
Unscheduled Transactions: “Unscheduled” transactions include any other non-scheduled transfers and requests for partial withdrawals or Free Withdrawals or Surrenders. With respect to certain written requests to withdraw Account Value, we may seek to verify the requesting Owner’s signature. Specifically, we reserve the right to perform a signature verification for (a) any withdrawal exceeding a certain dollar amount and (b) a withdrawal exceeding a certain dollar amount if the payee is someone other than the Owner. In addition, we will not honor a withdrawal request in which the requested payee is the financial professional or agent of record. We reserve the right to request a signature guarantee with respect to a written withdrawal request. If we do perform a signature verification, we will pay the withdrawal proceeds within 7 days after the withdrawal request was received by us in Good Order and will process the transaction in accordance with the discussion in “Processing and Valuing Transactions”.
Critical Care Access & Death Benefits: Critical Care Access requests and Death Benefit claims require our review and evaluation before processing. We price such transactions as of the date we receive at our Service Office in Good Order all supporting documentation we require for such transactions.
We generally pay any surrender request or death benefit claims from the Separate Account within 7 days of our receipt of your request in Good Order at our Service Office.
Termination of Optional Benefits: If any optional benefit terminates, we will no longer deduct the charge we apply to purchase the optional benefit. Certain optional benefits may be added after you have purchased your Annuity. On the date a charge no longer applies or a charge for an optional benefit begins to be deducted, your Annuity will become subject to a different daily asset-based charge. This change may result in the number of Units attributed to your Annuity and the value of those Units being different than it was before the change; however, the adjustment in the number of Units and Unit Price will not affect your Account Value (although the change in charges that are deducted will affect your Account Value).
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You can Access Your Money by:
| • | MAKING A WITHDRAWAL (EITHER PARTIAL OR FULL); OR |
| • | CHOOSING TO RECEIVE ANNUITY PAYMENTS DURING THE INCOME PHASE. |
TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU
When you make a full withdrawal, you will receive the value of your contract minus any applicable charges and fees and, if you have purchased the Contract With Credit, after we have recaptured any credits that have not yet vested. We will calculate the value of your contract and charges, if any, as of the date we receive your request in good order at the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
Unless you tell us otherwise, any partial withdrawal and related withdrawal charges will be taken proportionately from all of the investment options you have selected. The minimum Contract Value that must remain in order to keep the contract in force after a withdrawal is $2,000. If you request a withdrawal amount that would reduce the Contract Value below this minimum, we will withdraw the maximum amount available that, with the withdrawal charge, would not reduce the Contract Value below such minimum.
Gross Withdrawal or Net Withdrawal. Generally, you can request either a gross withdrawal or a net withdrawal. If, however, you are taking your withdrawal through a systematic withdrawal program, you may only be permitted to take that withdrawal on a gross basis. In a gross withdrawal, you request a specific withdrawal amount with the understanding that the amount you actually receive is reduced by any applicable CDSC or tax withholding. In a net withdrawal, you request a withdrawal for an exact dollar amount with the understanding that any applicable deduction for CDSC or tax withholding is taken from your Account Value. This means that an amount greater than the amount of your requested withdrawal will be deducted from your Account Value. To make sure that you receive the full amount requested, we calculate the entire amount, including the amount generated due to the CDSC or tax withholding, that will need to be withdrawn. We then apply the CDSC or tax withholding to that entire amount. As a result, you will pay a greater CDSC or have more tax withheld if you elect a net withdrawal.
With respect to the Variable Options, we will generally pay the withdrawal amount, less any required tax withholding, within seven days after we receive a withdrawal request in good order. We will deduct applicable charges, if any, from the assets in your contract.
Income Taxes, Tax Penalties, and Certain Restrictions also may apply to any withdrawal you make. For a more complete explanation, see the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
We offer an automated withdrawal feature. This feature enables you to receive periodic withdrawals in monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual intervals. We will process your withdrawals at the end of the business day at the intervals you specify. We will continue at these intervals until you tell us otherwise. You can make withdrawals from any designated investment option or proportionally from all investment options. The minimum automated withdrawal amount you can make is generally $100. An assignment of the contract terminates any automated withdrawal program that you had in effect.
Systematic Withdrawals based on the charge free amount may be available, but only if the contract is still within the surrender charge period. The withdrawals will be calculated based only on the purchase payments that are still subject to CDSC.
Income Taxes, Tax Penalties, Withdrawal Charges, and certain restrictions may apply to automated withdrawals. For a more complete explanation, see the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
This waiver of any applicable withdrawal charges and annual contract fee is subject to our rules in place at the time of your request, which currently include but are not limited to the following:
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) is first confined in an eligible nursing home or eligible hospital while your Annuity is in force and remains confined for at least 90 days in a row; |
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) is first diagnosed as having a terminal illness while your Annuity is in force; |
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) must be alive as of the date we pay the proceeds of such surrender request; |
| • | we must receive satisfactory proof of the Owner’s, or Joint Owner’s (if applicable), confinement in an eligible nursing home, eligible hospital or terminal illness in writing on a form satisfactory to us; and |
| • | proceeds will only be sent by check or electronic fund transfer directly to the Owner |
Critical Care Access is not available in all states.
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REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS
If a withdrawal is taken from a tax qualified contract under the minimum distribution option in order to satisfy an Internal Revenue Service mandatory distribution requirement only with respect to that contract’s account balance, we will waive withdrawal charges. See “Taxes” section in this prospectus for more information.
In any year in which the requirement to take Required Minimum Distributions is suspended by law, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion and regardless of any position taken on this issue in a prior year, to treat any amount that would have been considered as a Required Minimum Distribution if not for the suspension as eligible for treatment as described herein.
53
The tax considerations associated with an Annuity vary depending on whether the Annuity is (i) owned by an individual or non-natural person, and not associated with a tax-favored retirement plan, or (ii) held under a tax-favored retirement plan. We discuss the tax considerations for these categories of Annuities below. The discussion is general in nature and describes only federal income tax law. We generally do not describe state, local, foreign or other federal tax laws. It is based on current law and interpretations which may change. The information provided is not intended as tax advice. The federal income tax treatment of the Annuity is unclear in certain circumstances, and you should always consult a qualified tax advisor regarding the application of law to individual circumstances. Generally, the cost basis in an Annuity is the amount you pay into your Annuity, or into an annuity exchanged for your Annuity, on an after-tax basis less any withdrawals of such payments. Cost basis for a tax-favored retirement plan is provided only in limited circumstances, such as for contributions to a Roth IRA or nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA. We do not track cost basis for tax-favored retirement plans, which is the responsibility of the Owner.
On advisory products, you may be able to establish, subject to our rules and restrictions, an advisory fee deduction program for a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity such that charges for investment advisory fees are not taxable to the Annuity Owner. Please note that there are additional requirements that must be satisfied in order for investment advisory fee charges paid from a Non-qualified Annuity to be treated as not taxable.
The discussion below generally assumes that the Annuity is issued to the Annuity Owner. For Annuities issued under the Beneficiary Continuation Option or as a Beneficiary Annuity, refer to the Taxes Payable by Beneficiaries for a Non-qualified Annuity and Required Distributions Upon Your Death for Qualified Annuities sections below.
In general, as used in this prospectus, a Non-qualified Annuity is owned by an individual or non-natural person and is not associated with a tax-favored retirement plan.
Taxes Payable by You
We believe the Annuity is an Annuity for tax purposes. Accordingly, as a general rule, you should not pay any tax until you receive money under the Annuity. Generally, all Annuity contracts issued by the same company (and affiliates) to you during the same calendar year must be treated as one Annuity for purposes of determining the amount of any withdrawal that is subject to tax under the rules described below. We treat advisory fee payments as an expense of the Annuity and not a taxable distribution if your Non-qualified Annuity satisfies the requirements of a Private Letter Ruling issued to us by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). In accordance with the PLR, advisory fee payments from your Non-qualified Annuity are treated as an expense as long as your advisor attests to us that the PLR requirements have been met, including that the advisory fees will not exceed 1.5% of the Annuity’s cash value and the Annuity only pays the advisor for fees related to investment advice with respect to the Annuity and no other services. The PLR does not generally allow such favorable tax treatment of advisory fee payments where a commission is also paid on the Annuity.
It is possible that the IRS could assert that some or all of the charges for the optional living or death benefits under the Annuity should be treated for federal income tax purposes as a partial withdrawal from the Annuity. If this were the case, the charge for this benefit could be deemed a withdrawal and treated as taxable income to the extent there are earnings in the Annuity. Additionally, for Owners under age 59½, the taxable income attributable to the charge for the benefit could be subject to the 10% additional tax. If the IRS determines that the charges for one or more benefits under the Annuity are taxable withdrawals, then the sole, primary, or surviving Owner will be provided with a notice from us describing available alternatives regarding these benefits.
Taxes on Withdrawals and Surrender Before Annuity Payments Begin
If you make a withdrawal from your Annuity or surrender it before annuity payments begin, the amount you receive will be taxed as ordinary income, rather than as a return of cost basis, until all gain has been withdrawn. At any time, there is no gain in your Annuity, payments will be treated as a nontaxable return of cost basis until all cost basis has been returned. After all cost basis is returned, all subsequent amounts will be taxed as ordinary income. An exception to this treatment exists for contracts that include Purchase Payments made prior to August 14, 1982 that are issued via 1035 exchange. Withdrawals from a contract with Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 are treated as a return of cost basis in the Annuity first until those pre-August 14, 1982 Purchase Payments are withdrawn. Moreover, income allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 is not subject to the 10% additional tax.
You will generally be taxed on any withdrawals from the Annuity while you are alive even if the withdrawal is paid to someone else. Withdrawals under any of the optional living benefits or as a systematic payment are taxed under these rules. If you assign or pledge all or part of your Annuity as collateral for a loan, the part assigned generally will be treated as a withdrawal and subject to income tax to the extent of gain. If the entire Account Value is assigned or pledged, subsequent increases in the Account Value are also treated as withdrawals for as long as the assignment or pledge remains in place. The cost basis is increased by the amount includible in income with respect to such assignment or pledge. If you transfer your Annuity for less than full consideration, such as by gift, you will also trigger tax on any gain in the Annuity. Under most circumstances, this rule does not apply if you transfer the Annuity to your spouse or if you transfer the Annuity incident to divorce.
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If you choose to receive payments under an interest payment option, or a Beneficiary chooses to receive a death benefit under an interest payment option, that election will be treated, for tax purposes, as surrendering your Annuity and will immediately subject any gain in the Annuity to income tax and possibly the 10% additional tax.
Taxes on Annuity Payments
If you select an annuity payment option as described in the “Annuity Period” section of this prospectus, a portion of each annuity payment you receive will be treated as a partial return of your cost basis and will not be taxed. The remaining portion will be taxed as ordinary income. Generally, the nontaxable portion is determined by multiplying the annuity payment you receive by a fraction, the numerator of which is your cost basis (less any amounts previously received tax-free) and the denominator of which is the total expected payments under the Annuity. After the full amount of your cost basis has been recovered tax-free, the full amount of the annuity payments will be taxable. If annuity payments stop due to the death of the Annuitant before the full amount of your cost basis has been recovered, a tax deduction may be allowed for the unrecovered amount.
If your Account Value is reduced to zero but the Annuity remains in force due to a benefit provision, further distributions from the Annuity will be reported as annuity payments, using an exclusion ratio based upon the undistributed cost basis in the Annuity and the total value of the anticipated future payments until such time as all cost basis has been recovered.
Maximum Annuity Date
You must commence annuity payments no later than the first day of the calendar month following the maximum Annuity Date for your Annuity. Upon reaching the maximum Annuity Date you can no longer make Purchase Payments, surrender, exchange, or transfer your contract. The maximum Annuity Date may be the same as the Latest Annuity Date as described elsewhere in this prospectus. For some of our Annuities, you can choose to defer the Annuity Date beyond the default or Latest Annuity Date, as applicable, described in your Annuity. However, the IRS may not then consider your Annuity to be an Annuity under the tax law.
Please refer to your Annuity contract for the maximum Annuity Date.
Partial Annuitization
We do not currently permit partial annuitization.
Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income
The Code includes a Medicare tax on investment income. This tax assesses a 3.8% surtax on the lesser of (1) net investment income or (2) the excess of “modified adjusted gross income” over a threshold amount. The “threshold amount” is $250,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child, $125,000 for married taxpayers filing separately, $200,000 for all others, and approximately $16,000 for estates and certain trusts. The taxable portion of payments received as a withdrawal, surrender, annuity payment, death benefit payment or any other actual or deemed distribution under the Annuity will be considered investment income for purposes of this surtax.
10% Additional Tax for Early Withdrawal from a Non-Qualified Annuity
You may owe a 10% additional tax on the taxable part of distributions received from your Non-qualified Annuity. Amounts are not subject to this additional tax if:
| • | the amount is paid on or after you reach age 59½; |
| • | the amount is paid on or after your death (or the death of the Annuitant when the owner is not an individual); |
| • | the amount received is attributable to your becoming disabled (as defined in the Code); |
| • | generally the amount paid or received is in the form of substantially equal periodic payments (as defined in the Code) not less frequently than annually (please note that substantially equal periodic payments must continue until the later of reaching age 59½ or five years and the impermissible modification of payments during that time period will result in retroactive application of the 10% additional tax); or |
| • | the amount received is paid under an immediate Annuity (within the meaning of the Code) and the annuity start date is no more than one year from the date of purchase (the first monthly annuity payment being required to be paid within 13 months). |
Other exceptions to this tax may apply. You should consult your tax advisor for further details.
Special Rules in Relation to Tax-free Exchanges Under Section 1035
Section 1035 of the Code permits certain tax-free exchanges of a life insurance contract, annuity contract or endowment contract for an Annuity, including tax-free exchanges of annuity death benefits for a Beneficiary Annuity. Partial exchanges may be treated in the same way as tax-free 1035 exchanges of entire contracts, therefore avoiding current taxation of the partially exchanged amount as well as the 10% additional tax on pre-age 59½ withdrawals. In Revenue Procedure 2011-38, the IRS indicated that, for partial exchanges on or after October 24, 2011, where there is a surrender or distribution from either the initial annuity contract or receiving annuity contract within 180 days of the date on which the partial exchange was completed
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(other than an amount received as an annuity for a period of 10 years or more or during one or more lives), the IRS may not treat the transaction as a tax-free Section 1035 exchange. The IRS will apply general tax rules to determine the substance and treatment of the transaction in such cases. We strongly urge you to discuss any partial exchange transaction of this type with your tax advisor before proceeding with the transaction.
If an Annuity is purchased through a tax-free exchange of a life insurance contract, annuity contract or endowment contract that was purchased prior to August 14, 1982, then any Purchase Payments made to the original contract prior to August 14, 1982 will be treated as made to the new Annuity prior to that date. Generally, such pre-August 14, 1982 withdrawals are treated as a return of cost basis first until Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 are withdrawn. Moreover, income allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982, is not subject to the 10% additional tax.
After you elect an Annuity Payout Option, we do not allow you to exchange your Annuity.
Taxes Payable by Beneficiaries for a Non-Qualified Annuity
If an Owner dies before the Annuity Date, the Death Benefit distributions are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The value of the Death Benefit, as determined under federal law, is also included in the Owner’s estate for federal estate tax purposes. Generally, the same income tax rules described above would also apply to amounts received by your Beneficiary. Choosing an option other than a lump sum Death Benefit may defer taxes. Certain minimum distribution requirements apply upon your death, as discussed further below in the Annuity Qualification section. Tax consequences to the Beneficiary vary depending upon the Death Benefit payment option selected. Generally, for payment of the Death Benefit:
| • | As a lump sum payment, the Beneficiary is taxed in the year of payment on gain in the Annuity. |
| • | Within 5 years of death of Owner, the Beneficiary is taxed on the lump sum payment. The Death Benefit must be taken as one lump sum payment within 5 years of the death of the Owner. Partial withdrawals are not permitted to be paid to Beneficiaries under our Annuity contracts. |
| • | Under an Annuity or Annuity settlement option where distributions begin within one year of the date of death of the Owner, the Beneficiary is taxed on each payment with part as gain and part as return of cost basis. After the full amount of cost basis has been recovered tax-free, the full amount of the annuity payments will be taxable. |
After the Annuity Date, if a period certain remains under the annuity option and the Annuitant dies before the end of that period, any remaining payments made to the Beneficiary will be fully excluded from income until the remaining cost basis is recovered and all annuity payments thereafter are fully includible in income. If we allow the Beneficiary to commute the remaining payments in a lump sum, the proceeds will be taxable as a surrender.
Considerations for Contingent Annuitants: We may allow the naming of a contingent Annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity is held by a pension plan or a tax favored retirement plan, or held by a Custodial Account. In such a situation, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the Annuity continues after the death of the Annuitant. However, tax deferral should be provided instead by the pension plan, tax favored retirement plan, or Custodial Account. We may also allow the naming of a contingent annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity is held by an entity owner when such Annuities do not qualify for tax deferral under the current tax law. This does not supersede any benefit language which may restrict the use of the contingent annuitant.
Reporting and Withholding on Distributions
Amounts distributed from an Annuity are subject to federal and state income tax reporting and withholding. In general, we will withhold federal income tax from the taxable portion of such distribution based on the type of distribution. In the case of an annuity payment, we apply default withholding under the applicable tax rules unless you designate a different withholding status. In the case of all other distributions, we will withhold at a 10% rate. You may generally elect a different tax withholding rate or elect not to have tax withheld from your payments. An election out of withholding must be made on forms that we provide. If you are a U.S. person (which includes a resident alien), and you request a payment be delivered outside the United States or do not provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number, we are required to withhold income tax.
State income tax withholding rules vary and we will withhold based on the rules of your state of residence. Special tax rules apply to withholding for nonresident aliens, and we generally withhold income tax for nonresident aliens at a 30% rate. A different withholding rate may be applicable to a nonresident alien based on the terms of an existing income tax treaty between the United States and the nonresident alien’s country. Please refer to the discussion below regarding withholding rules for a Qualified Annuity.
Regardless of the amount withheld by us, you are liable for payment of income taxes (including any estimated taxes that may be due) on the taxable portion of distributions from the Annuity. You should consult with your tax advisor regarding the payment of the correct amount of these income taxes and potential liability if you fail to pay such taxes.
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Entity Owners
Where an Annuity is held by a non-natural person (e.g., a corporation, partnership), other than as an agent or nominee for a natural person (or in other limited circumstances), increases in the value of the Annuity over its cost basis will be subject to tax annually.
Where an Annuity is issued to a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT), increases in the value of the Annuity over its cost basis will be subject to tax reporting annually. As there are charges for the optional living and death benefits described elsewhere in this prospectus, and such charges reduce the contract value of the Annuity, trustees of the CRT should discuss with their legal advisors whether election of such optional living or death benefits violates their fiduciary duty to the remainder beneficiary.
Where an Annuity is issued to a trust, and such trust is characterized as a grantor trust under the Code, such Annuity is generally not considered to be held by a non-natural person and will be subject to the tax reporting and withholding requirements generally applicable to a Non-qualified Annuity held by a natural person, provided that all grantors of the trust are natural persons. At this time, we will not issue an Annuity to grantor trusts with more than two grantors.
Where the Annuity is owned by a grantor trust, the Annuity must be distributed within five years after the date of the first grantor’s death (or the Annuitant’s death in certain instances) under Section 72(s) of the Code.
See the “Payout Options” section for scenarios where a Death Benefit or Surrender Value is payable depending upon the underlying facts.
Trusts are required to complete and submit a Certificate of Entity form, and we will tax report based on the information provided on this form.
Annuity Qualification
Diversification And Investor Control. In order to qualify for the tax rules applicable to Annuities described above, the investment assets in the Non-qualified Annuity Variable Options must be diversified according to certain rules under the Code. Each Portfolio is required to diversify its investments each quarter so that no more than 55% of the value of its assets is represented by any one investment, no more than 70% is represented by any two investments, no more than 80% is represented by any three investments, and no more than 90% is represented by any four investments. Generally, securities of a single issuer are treated as one investment, and obligations of each U.S. Government agency and instrumentality (such as the Government National Mortgage Association) are treated as issued by separate issuers. In addition, any security issued, guaranteed or insured (to the extent so guaranteed or insured) by the U.S. or an instrumentality of the U.S. will be treated as a security issued by the U.S. Government or its instrumentality, where applicable. We believe the Portfolios underlying the Variable Options of the Annuity meet these diversification requirements.
An additional requirement for qualification for the tax treatment described above is that we, and not you as the Annuity Owner, must have sufficient control over the underlying assets to be treated as the owner of the underlying assets for tax purposes. The tax law limits the amount of control you may have over choosing investments for your Annuity. If this “investor control” rule is violated your Annuity assets will be considered owned directly by you and you lose the favorable tax treatment generally afforded to annuities.
While we also believe these investor control rules will be met, the Treasury Department may promulgate guidelines under which a variable annuity will not be treated as an annuity contract for tax purposes if persons with ownership rights have excessive control over the investments underlying such variable annuity contract. It is unclear whether such guidelines, if in fact promulgated, would have retroactive effect. It is also unclear what effect, if any, such guidelines might have on transfers between the Investment Options offered pursuant to this prospectus. We reserve the right to take any action, including modifications to your Annuity or the Investment Options, required to comply with such guidelines if promulgated. Any such changes will apply uniformly to affected Owners and will be made with such notice to affected Owners as is feasible under the circumstances.
Required Distributions Upon Your Death for a Non-Qualified Annuity.
Upon your death, certain distributions must be made under the Annuity. The required distributions depend on whether you die before you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity or after you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity. If you die on or after the Annuity Date, the remaining portion of the interest in the Annuity must be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death. If you die before the Annuity Date, the entire interest in the Annuity must be distributed within five years after the date of death, or as periodic payments over a period not extending beyond the life or life expectancy of the designated Beneficiary (provided such payments begin within one year of your death). If the Beneficiary does not begin installments within one year of the date of death, no partial withdrawals will be permitted thereafter, and we require that the Beneficiary take the Death Benefit as a lump sum within the five-year deadline. Your designated Beneficiary is the person to whom benefit rights under the Annuity pass by reason of death, and must be a natural person in order to elect a periodic payment option based on life expectancy or a period exceeding five years. Additionally, if the Annuity is payable to (or for the benefit of) your surviving spouse, that portion of the Annuity may be continued with your spouse as the Owner. For Non-qualified Annuities owned by a non-natural person, the required distribution rules generally apply upon the death of the Annuitant. This means, for example, that for an Annuity held by a non-natural person (such as a trust) for which there is named a co-annuitant, then such required distributions will be triggered by the death of the first co-annuitant to die.
Changes To Your Annuity. We reserve the right to make any changes we deem necessary to assure that your Annuity qualifies as an Annuity for tax purposes. Any such changes will apply to all Annuity Owners and you will be given notice to the extent feasible under the circumstances.
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In general, as used in this prospectus, a Qualified Annuity is an Annuity with applicable endorsements for a tax-favored plan or a Non-Qualified Annuity held by a tax-favored retirement plan.
The following is a general discussion of the tax considerations for Qualified Annuities. This Annuity may or may not be available for all types of the tax-favored retirement plans discussed below. This discussion assumes that you have satisfied the eligibility requirements for any tax-favored retirement plan. Please consult your financial professional prior to purchase to confirm if this Annuity is available for a particular type of tax-favored retirement plan or whether we will accept the type of contribution you intend for this Annuity.
A Qualified Annuity may have been purchased for use in connection with:
| • | Individual retirement accounts and annuities (IRAs), including inherited IRAs (which we refer to as a Beneficiary IRA), which are subject to Sections 408(a) and 408(b) of the Code; |
| • | Roth IRAs, including inherited Roth IRAs (which we refer to as a Beneficiary Roth IRA) under Section 408A of the Code; |
| • | A corporate Pension or Profit-sharing plan (subject to 401(a) of the Code); |
| • | H.R. 10 plans (also known as Keogh Plans, subject to 401(a) of the Code); |
| • | Tax Sheltered Annuities (subject to 403(b) of the Code, also known as Tax Deferred Annuities or TDAs); |
| • | Section 457 plans (subject to 457 of the Code). |
A Non-qualified Annuity may have been purchased by a 401(a) trust, a custodial IRA or a custodial Roth IRA account, or a Section 457 plan, which can hold other permissible assets. The terms and administration of the trust or custodial account or plan in accordance with the laws and regulations for 401(a) plans, IRAs or Roth IRAs, or a Section 457 plan, as applicable, are the responsibility of the applicable trustee or custodian.
You should be aware that tax favored plans such as IRAs generally provide income tax deferral regardless of whether they invest in Annuities. This means that when a tax favored plan invests in an Annuity, it generally does not result in any additional tax benefits (such as income tax deferral and income tax free transfers).
Types of Tax-favored Plans
IRAs. The “IRA Disclosure Statement” and “Roth IRA Disclosure Statement” which accompany the prospectus contain information about eligibility, contribution limits, tax particulars, and other IRA information. In addition to this information (the material terms are summarized in this prospectus and in those Disclosure Statements), the IRS requires that you have a “Free Look” after making an initial contribution to the Annuity. During this time, you can cancel the Annuity by notifying us in writing, and we will refund the greater of all purchase payments under the Annuity or the Account Value, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding.
Contribution Limits/Rollovers. Subject to the minimum purchase payment requirements of an Annuity, you may purchase an Annuity for an IRA in connection with a “rollover” of amounts from a qualified retirement plan, as a transfer from another IRA, by making a contribution consisting of your IRA contributions and catch-up contributions, if applicable, attributable to the prior year during the period from January 1 to April 15 (or the later applicable due date of your federal income tax return, without extension), or as a current year contribution. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. The tax law also provides for a catch-up provision for individuals who are age 50 and above, allowing these individuals an additional $1,000 contribution each year. The $1,000 catch-up contribution for IRA owners age 50 or older is indexed for inflation starting in 2024 in accordance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (which includes SECURE 2.0 of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0”). You may be able to claim a deduction for your contributions depending on your modified adjusted gross income. Go to www.irs.gov for the limits for each year.
The “rollover” rules under the Code are fairly technical; however, an individual (or his or her surviving spouse) may generally “roll over” certain distributions from tax favored retirement plans (either directly or within 60 days from the date of these distributions) if he or she meets the requirements for distribution. Once you buy an Annuity, you can make regular IRA contributions under the Annuity (to the extent permitted by law and the terms of the Annuity). For IRA rollovers, an individual can only make an IRA to IRA rollover if the individual has not made a rollover involving any IRAs owned by the individual in the prior 12 months. An IRA transfer is a tax-free trustee-to-trustee “transfer” from one IRA account to another. IRA transfers are not subject to this 12-month rule. There is no age limitation with regard to contributions to a traditional IRA as long as the earned income requirements are met.
In some circumstances, non-spouse Beneficiaries may roll over to an IRA amounts due from qualified plans, 403(b) plans, and governmental 457(b) plans. However, the rollover rules applicable to non-spouse Beneficiaries under the Code are more restrictive than the rollover rules applicable to Owner/participants and spouse Beneficiaries. Generally, non-spouse Beneficiaries may roll over distributions from tax favored retirement plans only as a direct rollover. An inherited IRA must be directly rolled over from the employer plan or transferred from an IRA and must be titled in the name of the deceased (i.e., John Doe deceased for the benefit of Jane Doe). No additional contributions can be made to an inherited IRA. In this prospectus, an inherited IRA is also referred to as a Beneficiary Annuity.
Required Provisions. Annuities that are IRAs (or endorsements that are part of the contract) must contain certain provisions:
| • | You, as Owner of the Annuity, must be the “Annuitant” under the contract (except in certain cases involving the division of property under a decree of divorce); |
| • | Your rights as Owner are non-forfeitable; |
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| • | You cannot sell, assign or pledge the Annuity; |
| • | The annual contribution you pay cannot be greater than the maximum amount allowed by law, including catch-up contributions if applicable (which does not include any rollover amounts or amounts transferred by trustee-to-trustee transfer); |
| • | The date on which required minimum distributions must begin cannot be later than April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age (see the Required Minimum Distribution rules for more details); and |
| • | Death and annuity payments must meet Required Minimum Distribution rules described below. |
Usually, the full amount of any distribution from an IRA (including a distribution from this Annuity) which is not a transfer or rollover is taxable. As taxable income, these distributions are subject to the general income tax withholding rules described earlier regarding an Annuity in the Non-qualified Annuity section. In addition to this normal tax liability, you may also be liable for the following, depending on your actions:
| • | A 10% early withdrawal additional tax described below; |
| • | Liability for “prohibited transactions” if you, for example, borrow against the value of an IRA; or |
| • | Failure to take a Required Minimum Distribution, also described below. |
If you make any non-deductible contributions to your IRA, a portion of any subsequent distribution may be tax-free as a return of those contributions. You are required to keep track of this and determine the taxable and non-taxable portions. IRS rules require that we report the full amount of any distribution as taxable.
Simplified Employee Pensions (SEP). SEPs are a variation on a standard IRA, and Annuities issued to a SEP must satisfy the same general requirements described under IRAs (above). There are, however, some differences:
| • | If you participate in a SEP, you generally do not include in income any employer contributions made to the SEP on your behalf up to the lesser of (a) the annual employer contribution limit as indexed for inflation, or (b) 25% of your taxable compensation paid by the contributing employer (not including the employer’s SEP contribution as compensation for these purposes). However, for these purposes, compensation in excess of certain limits established by the IRS will not be considered. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution and catch-up limits and compensation limit. |
| • | SEPs must satisfy certain participation and nondiscrimination requirements not generally applicable to IRAs; and |
| • | SEPs that contain a salary reduction or “SARSEP” provision prior to 1997 may permit salary deferrals from employee income with the employer making these contributions to the SEP. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. However, no new “salary reduction” or “SARSEPs” can be established after 1996. Individuals participating in a SARSEP who are age 50 or above by the end of the year are permitted to contribute an additional catch-up contribution amount. These amounts are indexed for inflation and may depend on the participant’s age. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution limit and catch-up contribution limit. Not all Annuities issued by us are available for SARSEPs. |
| • | You will also be provided the same information, and have the same “Free Look” period, as you would have if you purchased the Annuity for a standard IRA. |
| • | Roth contributions are permitted for SEP IRAs starting in 2023. The Company does not currently offer Roth contributions for SEP IRAs, but we reserve the right to offer this contribution type in the future. |
ROTH IRAs. The “Roth IRA Disclosure Statement” contains information about eligibility, contribution limits, tax particulars and other Roth IRA information. Like standard IRAs, income within a Roth IRA accumulates tax-free, and contributions are subject to specific limits. Roth IRAs have, however, the following differences:
| • | Contributions to a Roth IRA cannot be deducted from your gross income; |
| • | “Qualified distributions” from a Roth IRA are excludable from gross income. A “qualified distribution” is a distribution that satisfies two requirements: (1) the distribution must be made (a) after the Owner of the IRA attains age 59½; (b) after the Owner’s death; (c) due to the Owner’s disability; or (d) for a qualified first time homebuyer distribution within the meaning of Section 72(t)(2)(F) of the Code; and (2) the distribution must be made in the year that is at least five tax years after the first year for which a contribution was made to any Roth IRA established for the Owner. Distributions from a Roth IRA that are not qualified distributions will be treated as made first from contributions and then from earnings and earnings will be taxed generally in the same manner as distributions from a traditional IRA. |
| • | If eligible (including meeting income limitations and earnings requirements), you may make contributions to a Roth IRA during your lifetime, and distributions are not required during the owner’s lifetime. |
Subject to the minimum Purchase Payment requirements of an Annuity, you may purchase an Annuity for a Roth IRA in connection with a “rollover” of amounts of another traditional IRA, SEP, SIMPLE-IRA (subject to a timing restriction), employer sponsored retirement plan (under Sections 401(a) or 403(b) of the Code) or Roth IRA. You may also purchase an Annuity for a Roth IRA, if you meet certain income limitations, by making a contribution consisting of your Roth IRA contributions and catch-up contributions, if applicable, attributable to the prior year during the period from January 1 to April 15 (or the applicable due date of your federal income tax return, without extension), or as a current year contribution. The Code permits persons who receive certain qualifying distributions from such non-Roth IRAs, to directly rollover or make, within 60 days, a “rollover” of all or any part of the amount of such distribution to a Roth IRA which they establish (a “conversion”). The conversion of non-Roth accounts triggers current taxation (but is not subject to a 10% early distribution additional tax unless a distribution that is allocable to the rollover contribution is distributed within 5 years of the conversion).
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In addition, SECURE 2.0 amends the Code to allow for tax and penalty free rollovers from 529 accounts to Roth IRAs, under certain conditions. Starting in 2024, beneficiaries of 529 college savings accounts would be permitted to roll over up to $35,000 over the course of their lifetime from any 529 account in their name to their Roth IRA. These rollovers generally are also subject to Roth IRA annual contribution limits, and the 529 account must have been open for at least 15 years, among other requirements.
The Code also permits the recharacterization of current year contribution amounts from a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA, or from a Roth IRA to a traditional IRA. Recharacterization is accomplished through a trustee-to-trustee transfer of a contribution (or a portion of a contribution) plus earnings, between different types of IRAs. A properly recharacterized contribution is treated as a contribution made to the second IRA instead of the first IRA. Such recharacterization must be completed by the applicable tax return due date (with extensions). However, no recharacterizations of conversions can be made.
Once an Annuity has been purchased, regular Roth IRA contributions will be accepted to the extent permitted by law and the terms of the Annuity. In addition, an individual receiving an eligible rollover distribution from a designated Roth account under an employer plan may roll over the distribution to a Roth IRA even if the individual is not eligible to make regular contributions to a Roth IRA. Non-spouse Beneficiaries receiving a distribution from an employer sponsored retirement plan under Sections 401(a) or 403(b) of the Code can also directly roll over contributions to a Roth IRA. However, it is our understanding of the Code that non-spouse Beneficiaries cannot “rollover” benefits from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
TDAs. In general, you may own a Tax Deferred Annuity (also known as a TDA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA), 403(b) plan or 403(b) Annuity) if you are an employee of a tax-exempt organization (as defined under Code Section 501(c)(3)) or a public educational organization, and you may make contributions to a TDA so long as your employer maintains such a plan and your rights to the Annuity are non-forfeitable. Contributions to a TDA, and any earnings, are not taxable until distribution. You may also make contributions to a TDA under a salary reduction agreement subject to specific limits. Individuals participating in a TDA who are age 50 or above by the end of the year will be permitted to contribute an additional amount. This amount is indexed for inflation. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution limit and catch-up contribution limit. Further, you may roll over TDA amounts to another TDA or an IRA. You may also roll over TDA amounts to a qualified retirement plan, a SEP and a governmental 457(b) plan. An Annuity may generally only qualify as a TDA if distributions of salary deferrals (other than “grandfathered” amounts held as of December 31, 1988) may be made only on account of:
| • | Your attainment of age 59½; |
| • | Your severance of employment; |
| • | Your death; |
| • | Your total and permanent disability; or |
| • | Hardship |
In any event, you must begin receiving distributions from your TDA by April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age or retire, whichever is later. These distribution limits do not apply either to transfers or exchanges of investments under the Annuity, or to any “direct transfer” of your interest in the Annuity to another employer’s TDA plan or mutual fund “custodial account” described under Code Section 403(b)(7). Employer contributions to TDAs are subject to the same general contribution, nondiscrimination, and minimum participation rules applicable to “qualified” retirement plans.
Caution: Under IRS regulations we can accept contributions, transfers and rollovers only if we have entered into an information-sharing agreement, or its functional equivalent, with the applicable employer or its agent. In addition, in order to comply with the regulations, we will only process certain transactions (e.g., transfers, withdrawals, hardship distributions and, if applicable, loans) with employer approval. This means that if you request one of these transactions we will not consider your request to be in Good Order, and will not therefore process the transaction, until we receive the employer’s approval in written or electronic form.
Late Rollover Self-Certification
You may be able to apply a rollover contribution to your IRA or qualified retirement plan after the 60-day deadline through a self-certification procedure established by the IRS. Please consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your eligibility to use this self-certification procedure. As indicated in this IRS guidance, we, as a financial institution, are not required to accept your self-certification for waiver of the 60-day deadline.
Required Minimum Distributions and Payment Options
If you hold the Annuity under an IRA (or other tax-favored plan), Required Minimum Distribution rules must be satisfied. This means that generally payments must start by April 1 of the year after the year you reach the applicable age (“required beginning date”) and must be made for each year thereafter. For a TDA or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than 5% owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs and designated Roth accounts under employer sponsored plans are not subject to these rules during the Owner’s lifetime.
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|
If you were born... |
Your “applicable age” is... |
|
Before July 1, 1949 |
70½ |
|
After June 30, 1949 and before 1951 |
72 |
|
After 1950 and before 1960 |
73 |
|
After 1959 |
75 |
The amount of the payment must at least equal the minimum required under the IRS rules. Several choices are available for calculating the minimum amount. More information on the mechanics of this calculation is available on request. Please contact us at a reasonable time before the Required Minimum Distribution deadline so that a timely distribution is made. Please note that there is a 25% excise tax (a 50% excise tax applied prior to the 2023 taxable year) on the amount of any required minimum distribution not made in a timely manner. The excise tax on failure is further reduced from 25% to 10% if corrected in a timely manner and certain other conditions are met in accordance with SECURE 2.0.
Required Minimum Distributions are calculated based on the sum of the Account Value and the actuarial present value of any additional living and death benefits from optional riders that you have purchased under the Annuity. As a result, the Required Minimum Distributions may be larger than if the calculation were based on the Account Value only, which may in turn result in an earlier (but not before the required beginning date) distribution of amounts under the Annuity and an increased amount of taxable income distributed to the Annuity Owner, and a reduction of payments under the living and death benefit optional riders.
You can use the Minimum Distribution option to satisfy the Required Minimum Distribution rules for an Annuity without either beginning annuity payments or surrendering the Annuity. Under this option, we will distribute to you the Required Minimum Distribution amount, less any other partial withdrawals that you made during the year. Such amount will be based on the value of the Annuity as of December 31 of the prior year, but is determined without regard to other tax favored retirement plans you may own. If a trustee-to-trustee transfer or direct rollover of the full contract value is requested when there is an active Required Minimum Distribution program running, the Required Minimum Distribution will be removed and sent to the Owner prior to the remaining funds being sent to the transfer institution.
Although the IRS rules determine the required amount to be distributed from your IRA each year, certain payment alternatives are still available to you. In accordance with SECURE 2.0, a new optional method for calculating your RMDs may be available if you have an IRA in an annuity payout (or partial annuity payout), and an IRA in the deferral stage. Please contact your tax advisor to determine if this calculation method is appropriate for you. In addition, if you own more than one IRA, you can choose to satisfy your minimum distribution requirement for each of your IRAs by withdrawing that amount from any of your non-Roth IRAs. If you inherit more than one IRA or more than one Roth IRA from the same Owner, similar rules apply. These rules may also apply to other types of tax favored retirement plans such as TDAs.
Charitable IRA Distributions
Certain qualified IRA distributions used for charitable purposes are eligible for an exclusion from gross income, up to $100,000 (indexed for inflation beginning after 2023), for otherwise taxable IRA distributions from a traditional or Roth IRA. A qualified charitable distribution is a distribution that is made (1) directly by the IRA trustee to certain qualified charitable organizations and (2) on or after the date the IRA owner attains age 70½. Distributions that are excluded from income under this provision are not taken into account in determining the individual’s deductions, if any, for charitable contributions. The amount of your qualified charitable distributions that are excluded from income for a tax year is reduced (but not below zero) by the excess of: (1) the total amount of your IRA deductions allowed for all tax years ending on or after the date you attain age 70½, over (2) the total amount of reductions for all tax years preceding the current tax year. You should consult your tax advisor about whether a one-time distribution up to $50,000 (indexed for inflation beginning after 2023) that is made from your IRA to a “split-interest entity” can be excluded from your gross income.
The IRS has currently indicated that an IRA trustee is not responsible for determining whether a distribution to a charity is one that satisfies the requirements of the charitable giving incentive. Unless otherwise required in the future by the IRS, we will report the distribution as a normal IRA distribution on Form 1099-R. In those instances, individuals are responsible for reflecting the distributions as charitable IRA distributions on their personal tax returns. However, if we receive certification that the distribution satisfies the requirements, we will report the distribution as a charitable IRA distribution on Form 1099-R.
Required Distributions Upon Your Death for a Qualified Annuity
Upon your death under an IRA, Roth IRA, 403(b) or other employer sponsored plan, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements. For Owner and Beneficiary deaths prior to 2020, please consult your tax advisor regarding the applicable post-death distribution requirements.
The information provided below applies to Owner and Beneficiary deaths after 2019. In addition, if you are an employee under a governmental plan, such as a section 403(b) plan of a public school or a governmental 457(b) plan, this law applies if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, this law generally applies if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).
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| • | Death before your required beginning date. If you die before your required beginning date, and you have a designated beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated beneficiary is an “eligible designated beneficiary” (“EDB”) or some other exception applies. A designated beneficiary is any individual designated as a beneficiary by the employee or IRA owner. An EDB is any designated beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual’s status as an EDB is generally determined on the date of your death. An EDB (other than a minor child) can generally stretch distributions over their life or life expectancy if payments begin by the end of the calendar year following the year of your death and continuing over the EDB’s remaining life expectancy after the EDB’s death. However, all amounts must be fully distributed by the end of the year containing the 10th anniversary of the EDB’s death. Special rules apply to minors and Beneficiaries that are not individuals. Additional special rules apply to surviving spouses, see “Spousal Continuation” below. |
| • | Death on or after your required beginning date. In general, if you die on or after your required beginning date, and you have a designated beneficiary who is not an EDB, any remaining interest in your Qualified Annuity must continue to be distributed over the longer of your remaining life expectancy and your designated beneficiary’s life expectancy (or more rapidly), but all amounts must be distributed within 10 years of your death. If your Beneficiary is an EDB (other than a minor child), distributions must continue over the longer of your remaining life expectancy and the EDB’s life expectancy (or more rapidly), but all amounts must be distributed within 10 years of the EDB’s death. Special rules apply to EDBs who are minors and Beneficiaries that are not individuals. |
| • | Annuity payments. If you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by us) in order to comply with the post-death distribution requirements. |
| • | Other rules. The post-death distribution requirements do not apply if the employee or IRA owner elected annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity. |
| If your beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your beneficiary designations. |
| In addition, these post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the employee or IRA owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated beneficiary of the deceased employee or IRA owner dies after January 1, 2020, and the designated beneficiary had elected the lifetime payout rule or was under the at-least-as rapidly rule, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated beneficiary’s death. Hence, this 10-year rule will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020. |
| • | Spousal continuation. If your beneficiary is your spouse, such surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after their death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to their own IRA, or by electing to treat your IRA as their own IRA. However, in certain circumstances the surviving spouse may have to take “hypothetical RMDs” (i.e., catch-up amounts required in accordance with the regulations). |
The post-death distribution requirements are complex in numerous respects. Treasury has issued final and proposed regulations that may impact these required minimum distribution requirements. We reserve the right to make changes in order to comply with the final and proposed regulations, or any regulations published in the future. Any such changes will apply uniformly to affected Owners or Beneficiaries and will be made with such notice to affected Owners or Beneficiaries as is feasible under the circumstances. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
Unless payments are being made in the form of an annuity, a Beneficiary has the flexibility to take out more each year than mandated under the required minimum distribution rules.
Note that in 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Inherited IRAs, other than IRAs inherited by the owner’s spouse, do not qualify as retirement assets for purposes of protection under the federal bankruptcy laws.
Until withdrawn, amounts in a Qualified Annuity continue to be tax deferred. Amounts withdrawn each year, including amounts that are required to be withdrawn under the required minimum distribution rules, are subject to tax. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
For a Roth IRA, if death occurs before the entire interest is distributed, the death benefit must be distributed under the same rules applied to IRAs where death occurs before the required beginning date. Similar rules may apply to designated Roth accounts under an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Consult your plan sponsor and tax advisor for more information on designated Roth accounts.
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10% Additional Tax for Early Withdrawals from a Qualified Annuity
You may owe a 10% additional tax on the taxable part of distributions received from an IRA, SEP, Roth IRA, TDA or qualified retirement plan. Amounts are not subject to this additional tax if:
| • | the amount is paid on or after you reach age 59½ or die; |
| • | the amount received is attributable to your becoming disabled; or |
| • | generally the amount paid or received is in the form of substantially equal periodic payments (as defined in the Code) not less frequently than annually. (Please note that substantially equal periodic payments must continue until the later of reaching age 59½ or five years. Certain modification of payments or additional contributions to the Annuity during that time period will result in retroactive application of the 10% additional tax.) |
There are a number of other exceptions to this tax that may apply. In addition, distributions that satisfy certain exceptions to this tax may be repaid in certain circumstances. You should consult your tax advisor for further details.
Withholding
For 403(b) Tax Deferred annuities, we will withhold federal income tax at the rate of 20% for any eligible rollover distribution paid by us to or for a plan participant, unless such distribution is “directly” rolled over into another qualified plan, IRA (including the IRA variations described above), SEP, governmental 457(b) plan or TDA. An eligible rollover distribution is defined under the tax law as a distribution from an employer plan under 401(a), a TDA or a governmental 457(b) plan, excluding any distribution that is part of a series of substantially equal payments (at least annually) made over the life expectancy of the employee or the joint life expectancies of the employee and his designated Beneficiary, any distribution made for a specified period of 10 years or more, any distribution that is a required minimum distribution and any hardship distribution. Regulations also specify certain other items which are not considered eligible rollover distributions. We will not withhold for payments made from trustee owned Annuities or for payments under a 457 plan. For all other distributions, unless you elect otherwise, we will withhold federal income tax from the taxable portion of such distribution at an appropriate percentage. The rate of withholding on annuity payments where no mandatory withholding is required is determined on the basis of the withholding certificate that you file with us. If you do not file a certificate, we will automatically withhold federal taxes on the following basis:
| • | For any annuity payments not subject to mandatory withholding, you will have taxes withheld under the applicable default withholding rules; and |
| • | For all other distributions, we will withhold at a 10% rate. |
If no U.S. taxpayer identification number is provided, no election out of withholding will be allowed, and we will automatically withhold using the default withholding rules. In addition, if you are a U.S. person (which includes a resident alien), and you request a payment be delivered outside the U.S., we are required to withhold income tax.
We will provide you with forms and instructions concerning the right to elect that no amount be withheld from payments in the ordinary course. However, you should know that, in any event, you are liable for payment of federal income taxes (including any estimated tax liabilities) on the taxable portion of the distributions, and you should consult with your tax advisor to find out more information on your potential liability if you fail to pay such taxes. There may be additional state income tax withholding requirements.
Special tax rules apply to withholding for nonresident aliens, and we generally withhold income tax for nonresident aliens at a 30% rate. A different withholding rate may be applicable to a nonresident alien based on the terms of an existing income tax treaty between the United States and the nonresident alien’s country.
ERISA Requirements
ERISA (the “Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974”) and the Code prevent a fiduciary and other “parties in interest” with respect to a plan (and, for these purposes, an IRA would also constitute a “plan”) from receiving any benefit from any party dealing with the plan, as a result of the sale of the Annuity. Administrative exemptions under ERISA generally permit the sale of insurance/annuity products to plans, provided that certain information is disclosed to the person purchasing the Annuity. This information has to do primarily with the fees, charges, discounts and other costs related to the Annuity, as well as any commissions paid to any agent selling the Annuity. Information about any applicable fees, charges, discounts, penalties or adjustments may be found in the applicable sections of this prospectus. Information about sales representatives and commissions may be found in the sections of this prospectus addressing distribution of the Annuities.
Other relevant information required by the exemptions is contained in the contract and accompanying documentation.
Please consult with your tax advisor if you have any questions about ERISA and these disclosure requirements.
Spousal Consent Rules for Retirement Plans – Qualified Annuities
If you are married at the time your payments commence, you may be required by federal law to choose an income option that provides survivor annuity income to your spouse, unless your spouse waives that right. Similarly, if you are married at the time of your death, federal law may require all or a portion of the Death Benefit to be paid to your spouse, even if you designated someone else as your Beneficiary. A brief explanation of the applicable rules follows. For more information, consult the terms of your retirement arrangement.
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Defined Benefit Plans and Money Purchase Pension Plans. If you are married at the time your payments commence, federal law requires that benefits be paid to you in the form of a “qualified joint and survivor annuity” (QJSA), unless you and your spouse waive that right, in writing. Generally, this means that you will receive a reduced payment during your life and, upon your death, your spouse will receive at least one-half of what you were receiving for life. You may elect to receive another income option if your spouse consents to the election and waives his or her right to receive the QJSA. If your spouse consents to the alternative form of payment, your spouse may not receive any benefits from the plan upon your death. Federal law also requires that the plan pay a Death Benefit to your spouse if you are married and die before you begin receiving your benefit. This benefit must be available in the form of an Annuity for your spouse’s lifetime and is called a “qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity” (QPSA). If the plan pays Death Benefits to other Beneficiaries, you may elect to have a Beneficiary other than your spouse receive the Death Benefit, but only if your spouse consents to the election and waives his or her right to receive the QPSA. If your spouse consents to the alternate Beneficiary, your spouse will receive no benefits from the plan upon your death. Any QPSA waiver prior to your attaining age 35 will become null and void on the first day of the calendar year in which you attain age 35, if still employed.
Defined Contribution Plans (including 401(k) Plans and ERISA 403(b) Annuities). Spousal consent to a distribution is generally not required. Upon your death, your spouse will receive the entire Death Benefit, even if you designated someone else as your Beneficiary, unless your spouse consents in writing to waive this right. Also, if you are married and elect an Annuity as a periodic income option, federal law requires that you receive a QJSA (as described above), unless you and your spouse consent to waive this right.
IRAs, non-ERISA 403(b) Annuities, and 457 Plans. Spousal consent to a distribution usually is not required unless specifically required under the terms of the plan. Upon your death, any Death Benefit will be paid to your designated Beneficiary.
Reporting and Withholding for Escheated Amounts
Revenue Rulings 2018-17 and 2020-24 provide that an amount transferred from an IRA or 401(a) qualified retirement plan to a state’s unclaimed property fund is subject to federal income tax withholding at the time of transfer. The amount transferred is also subject to federal tax reporting. Consistent with these Rulings, we will withhold federal and state income taxes and report to the applicable Owner or Beneficiary as required by law when amounts are transferred to a state’s unclaimed property fund. Non-qualified annuity contracts generally are subject to the same or similar federal income tax reporting and withholding requirements as IRAs and qualified retirement plans. As a result, we may determine in the future that we have an obligation to follow similar guidelines with respect to any amounts escheated from your Non-qualified Annuity.
Gifts and Generation-skipping Transfers
If you transfer your Annuity to another person for less than adequate consideration, there may be gift tax consequences in addition to income tax consequences. Also, if you transfer your Annuity to a person two or more generations younger than you (such as a grandchild or grandniece) or to a person that is more than 37½ years younger than you, there may be generation-skipping transfer tax consequences.
Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships
U.S. Treasury Department regulations provide that for federal tax purposes, the term “spouse” does not include individuals (whether of the opposite sex or the same sex) who have entered into a registered domestic partnership, civil union, or other similar formal relationship that is not denominated as a marriage under the laws of the state where the relationship was entered into, regardless of domicile. As a result, if a Beneficiary of a deceased Owner and the Owner were parties to such a relationship, the Beneficiary will be required by federal tax law to take distributions from the Contract in the manner applicable to non-spouse Beneficiaries and will not be able to continue the Contract. Please consult with your tax or legal advisor before electing the Spousal Benefit for a civil union partner or domestic partner.
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As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Company nor the Registered Separate Account or Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. is a party to any material legal proceedings outside of the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. Although the Company and its affiliates are involved in pending and threatened legal proceedings in the normal course of its business, we do not anticipate that the outcome of any such legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the Registered Separate Account, or the Company’s ability to meet its obligations under the Annuity, or the ability of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. to meet its obligations related to the Annuity.
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The financial statements of the Registered Separate Account and Pruco Life are incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information.
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HOW WILL I RECEIVE STATEMENTS AND REPORTS?
We send any statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at your last known address of record. You should therefore give us prompt notice of any address change. We reserve the right, to the extent permitted by law and subject to your prior consent, to provide any prospectus, prospectus supplements, confirmations, statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS-STAT. or any other electronic means. We send a confirmation statement to you each time a transaction is made affecting Account Value, such as transfers, exchanges or withdrawals. We also send quarterly statements detailing the activity affecting your Annuity during the calendar quarter. We may confirm regularly scheduled transactions, such as systematic withdrawals (including 72(t) payments and required minimum distributions), and bank drafting, in quarterly statements instead of confirming them immediately. You should review the information in these statements carefully. You may request additional reports. We reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each such additional report.
Any errors or corrections on transactions for your Annuity must be reported to us at our Service Center as soon as possible to assure proper accounting to your Annuity. For transactions that are confirmed immediately, we assume all transactions are accurate unless you notify us otherwise within 30 days from the date you receive the confirmation. For transactions that are first confirmed on the quarterly statement, we assume all transactions are accurate unless you notify us within 30 days from the date you receive the quarterly statement. All transactions confirmed immediately or by quarterly statement are deemed conclusive after the applicable 30-day period. We may also send an annual report and a semi-annual report containing applicable financial statements for the Registered Separate Account and the Portfolios, as of December 31 and June 30, respectively, to Owners or, with your prior consent, make such documents available electronically through our website or other electronic means.
Please communicate with us using the telephone number and addresses below for the purposes described. Failure to send mail to the proper address may result in a delay in our receiving and processing your request.
Prudential’s Annuities Service Center
Call our Customer Service Team at 1-888-PRU-2888 during normal business hours.
Internet
Access information about your Annuity at: www.prudential.com/annuities
Correspondence Sent by Regular Mail
Prudential
Annuities Service Center
P.O.
Box 7960
Philadelphia,
PA 19176
Correspondence Sent by Overnight*, Certified or Registered Mail
Prudential
Annuities Service Center
1600
Malone Street
Millville,
NJ 08332
*Please note that overnight correspondence sent through the United States Postal Service may be delivered to the P.O. Box listed above, which could delay receipt of your correspondence at our Service Center. Overnight mail sent through other methods (e.g., Federal Express, United Parcel Service) will be delivered to the address listed below.
Correspondence sent by regular mail to our Service Center should be sent to the address shown above. Your correspondence will be picked up at this address and then delivered to our Service Center. Your correspondence is not considered received by us until it is received at our Service Center. Where this prospectus refers to the day when we receive a Purchase Payment, request, election, notice, transfer or any other transaction request from you, we mean the day on which that item (or the last requirement needed for us to process that item) arrives in complete and proper form at our Service Center or via the appropriate telephone or fax number if the item is a type we accept by those means. There are two main exceptions: if the item arrives at our Service Center (1) on a day that is not a business day, or (2) after the close of a business day, then, in each case, we are deemed to have received that item on the next business day.
You can obtain account information by calling our automated response system and at www.prudential.com/contact-us, our website. Our Customer Service representatives are also available during business hours to provide you with information about your account. You can request certain transactions through our telephone voice response system, our website or through a customer service representative. You can provide authorization for a third party, including your attorney-in-fact acting pursuant to a power of attorney, to access your account information and perform certain transactions on your account. You will need to complete a form provided by us which identifies those transactions that you wish to authorize via telephonic and electronic means and whether you wish to authorize a third party to perform any such transactions. Please note that unless you tell us otherwise, we deem that all transactions that are directed by your financial professional with respect to your Annuity have been authorized by you. We require that you or your
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representative provide proper identification before performing transactions over the telephone or through our website. This may include a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will be provided to you upon issue of your Annuity or you may establish or change your PIN by calling our automated response system and at www.prudential.com/contact-us. Any third party that you authorize to perform financial transactions on your account will be assigned a PIN for your account.
Transactions requested via telephone are recorded. To the extent permitted by law, we will not be responsible for any claims, loss, liability or expense in connection with a transaction requested by telephone or other electronic means if we acted on such transaction instructions after following reasonable procedures to identify those persons authorized to perform transactions on your Annuity using verification methods which may include a request for your Social Security number, PIN or other form of electronic identification. We may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions if we did not follow such procedures.
Pruco Life does not guarantee access to telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic information or that we will be able to accept transaction instructions via such means at all times. Nor, due to circumstances beyond our control, can we provide any assurances as to the delivery of transaction instructions submitted to us by regular and/or express mail. Regular and/or express mail (if operational) will be the only means by which we will accept transaction instructions when telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic means are unavailable or delayed. Pruco Life reserves the right to limit, restrict or terminate telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic transaction privileges at any time.
PRUDENTIAL, THE PRUDENTIAL LOGO AND THE ROCK DESIGN ARE TRADEMARKS OF PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL, INC. AND ITS RELATED ENTITIES, REGISTERED IN MANY JURISDICTIONS WORLDWIDE. USED UNDER LICENSE.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS PLUS 3 VARIABLE ANNUITY, HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME, HIGHEST DAILY, AND AST ARE SERVICE MARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA AND ARE USED UNDER LICENSE BY ITS AFFILIATES.
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APPENDIX A – INVESTMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT
Certain Investment Options may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See the Cover Page for additional information.
Variable Options
The following is the list of Portfolios available under the Contract. More information about the Portfolios is available in the prospectuses for the Portfolios, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an email to service@prudential.com. Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Portfolio Companies.
The current expenses and performance information below reflects fee and expenses of the Portfolio, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your Contract may charge. Expenses would be higher, and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. The Portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Equity |
Allspring
VT Discovery All Cap Growth Fund - Class 11,♦ |
0.75% |
15.53% |
6.31% |
13.84% |
|
Equity |
Allspring
VT Opportunity Fund - Class 1♦ |
0.75% |
7.00% |
9.22% |
12.13% |
|
Equity |
Allspring
VT Small Cap Growth Fund - Class 11,♦ |
0.91% |
9.55% |
-0.70% |
10.22% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.86% |
16.17% |
8.81% |
9.59% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.87% |
14.35% |
6.96% |
8.05% |
|
Fixed Income |
AST
Core Fixed Income Portfolio1 |
0.68% |
7.15% |
-1.10% |
2.30% |
|
Equity |
AST
International Equity Portfolio1 |
1.02% |
32.84% |
5.76% |
10.00% |
|
Allocation |
AST
J.P. Morgan Conservative Multi-Asset Portfolio1,♦ |
0.92% |
10.37% |
3.31% |
5.19% |
A-1
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Equity Portfolio1 |
0.84% |
14.88% |
13.25% |
12.47% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Growth Portfolio1 |
0.87% |
17.06% |
11.35% |
16.27% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Value Portfolio1 |
0.81% |
16.05% |
12.97% |
11.35% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Multi-Asset Diversified Plus Portfolio1,♦ |
1.13% |
13.55% |
5.58% |
5.73% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Multi-Asset Diversified Portfolio1,♦ |
0.90% |
15.55% |
6.86% |
8.28% |
|
Allocation |
AST
PGIM Aggressive Multi-Asset Portfolio1 |
0.90% |
16.00% |
8.22% |
8.26% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.89% |
11.33% |
3.76% |
5.45% |
|
Equity |
AST
Small-Cap Equity Portfolio1 |
1.01% |
7.41% |
1.81% |
10.39% |
A-2
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Equity |
Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares† |
1.07% |
18.10% |
13.83% |
15.59% |
|
Equity |
NVIT
Fidelity Institutional AM®
Emerging Markets Fund - Class
D1,♦ |
1.46% |
35.77% |
0.70% |
5.98% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Global Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.73% |
22.03% |
10.04% |
11.41% |
|
Fixed Income |
PSF
PGIM Government Money Market Portfolio - Class I |
0.32% |
4.05% |
3.06% |
1.96% |
|
Fixed Income |
PSF
PGIM High Yield Bond Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.57% |
8.90% |
4.85% |
6.92% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Blend Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.46% |
18.52% |
12.33% |
13.96% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Growth Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.60% |
14.27% |
10.69% |
16.62% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Value Portfolio - Class I |
0.43% |
16.88% |
13.90% |
11.39% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Small-Cap Stock Index Portfolio - Class I |
0.38% |
5.69% |
6.97% |
9.52% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Stock Index Portfolio - Class I |
0.28% |
17.56% |
14.09% |
14.51% |
| The additional information below may be applicable to the Portfolios listed in the above table. |
| PGIM Fixed Income is a business unit of PGIM, Inc. |
| PGIM Investments LLC manages each of the Portfolios of The Prudential Series Fund (PSF). |
| PGIM Investments LLC manages each of the Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust (AST). AST Investment Services, Inc. serves as co-manager, along with PGIM Investments LLC, to many of the Portfolios of AST. |
| PGIM Real Estate is a business unit of PGIM, Inc. |
| 1. | These Portfolios are also offered in other variable annuity contracts that utilize a predetermined mathematical formula to manage the guarantees offered in connection with optional benefits. |
| Those other variable annuity contracts offer certain optional living benefits that utilize a predetermined mathematical formula (the “formula”) to manage the guarantees offered in connection with those optional benefits. The formula monitors each contract Owner’s Account Value daily and, if necessary, will systematically transfer amounts among investment options. The formula transfers funds between the Variable Options for those variable annuity contracts and an AST Bond Portfolio Variable Option or a fixed account (those AST Bond Portfolios or a fixed account may not be available in connection with the annuity contracts offered through this prospectus). You should be aware that the operation of the formula in those other variable annuity contracts may result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the underlying Portfolios that are available with your contract. These asset flows could adversely impact the underlying Portfolios, including their risk profile, expenses and performance. Because transfers between the Variable Options and the AST Bond Variable Option or a fixed account can be frequent and the amount transferred can vary from day to day, any of the underlying Portfolios could experience the following effects, among others: |
| (a) | a Portfolio’s investment performance could be adversely affected by requiring a subadvisor to purchase and sell securities at inopportune times or by otherwise limiting the subadvisor’s ability to fully implement the Portfolio’s investment strategy; |
| (b) | the subadvisor may be required to hold a larger portion of assets in highly liquid securities than it otherwise would hold, which could adversely affect performance if the highly liquid securities underperform other securities (e.g., equities) that otherwise would have been held; and |
| (c) | a Portfolio may experience higher turnover and greater negative asset flows than it would have experienced without the formula, which could result in higher operating expense ratios and higher transaction costs for the Portfolio compared to other similar funds. |
| The efficient operation of the asset flows among Portfolios triggered by the formula depends on active and liquid markets. If market liquidity is strained, the asset flows may not operate as intended. For example, it is possible that illiquid markets or other market stress could cause delays in the transfer of cash from one Portfolio to another Portfolio, which in turn could adversely impact performance. |
A-3
| Before you allocate to the Variable Option with the AST Portfolios listed above, you should consider the potential effects on the Portfolios that are the result of the operation of the formula in the variable annuity contracts that are unrelated to your Variable Annuity. Please work with your financial professional to determine which Portfolios are appropriate for your needs. |
| ♦ | This information includes annual expenses that reflect temporary or other fee reductions or waivers. Please see the Portfolio prospectus for additional information. |
| † | Additional information regarding the Portfolio is presented below. Please see the Portfolio prospectus for additional information. |
| Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares The Portfolio pays an investment advisory fee rate that adjusts up or down by a variable of up to 0.15% (assuming constant assets) on a monthly basis based upon the Portfolio’s performance relative to its benchmark index during a measurement period. |
Fixed Options
The following is a list of Fixed Options currently available under the Contract. We may change the features of the Fixed Options listed below, offer new Fixed Options, and terminate existing Fixed Options. We will provide you with written notice before doing so. For more information about the Fixed Options, see “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” in this prospectus.
|
Name |
Term |
Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate* |
|
DCA Fixed Rate Option1 |
6 Month |
3% |
|
DCA Fixed Rate Option1 |
12 Month |
3% |
|
Fixed Interest Rate Option1 |
1 Year |
2% for contract years 1-10; 3% thereafter |
*The rate shown was the last Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate issued before the product closed to new customers. Your Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate is the amount shown on your Contract and can vary by state. Please consult with your representative for availability and current rates.
1Available for Contract Without Credit only.
Stipulated Investment Options if You Elect Certain Optional Benefits
Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Portfolio Companies.
|
Optional Benefit Name |
Allowable Benefit Allocations: |
|
Lifetime Five Income Benefit |
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio |
|
AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio | |
|
AST J.P. Morgan Conservative Multi-Asset Portfolio | |
|
AST Multi-Asset Diversified Plus Portfolio | |
|
AST Multi-Asset Diversified Portfolio | |
|
AST PGIM Aggressive Multi-Asset Portfolio | |
|
AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio |
A-4
APPENDIX B – CALCULATION OF EARNINGS APPRECIATOR BENEFIT
Example 1: Assume that a purchase payment of $70,000 is made on the contract date. Assume that no withdrawals or subsequent purchase payments are made and that the Contract Value used in the death benefit calculation is $120,000. Also assume that the owner (or joint owner, if older) is younger than age 66 on the date the application is signed.
|
45% of lesser of: |
|
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment |
$70,000 |
|
Contract Value minus Adjusted Purchase Payment |
$50,000 |
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit |
45% of $50,000 = $22,500 |
Example 2: Assume that a 60 year old purchases a contract on 1/1/2001 with a $50,000 purchase payment.
The owner’s initial purchase payment (purchase payment #1) grows to $90,000 on 1/1/2005, giving the contract $40,000 IN EARNINGS, all allocated to the initial purchase payment. On this date, the owner makes an additional purchase payment of $60,000. The $60,000 purchase payment increases the Contract Value to $150,000 ($90,000 + $60,000). At this time, there are no earnings allocated to the additional purchase payment (purchase payment #2). However, future earnings will now be allocated to the two purchase payments in the following proportions:
(purchase payment#1 + earnings) / total Contract Value = ($50,000 + $40,000*) / $150,000 = 60%
(purchase
payment#2 + earnings) / total Contract Value = ($60,000 + $0) / $150,000 = 40%
On 1/1/2009 the owner makes a withdrawal of $38,000. The Contract Value has grown an additional $40,000 from $150,000 on 1/1/2005 to $190,000 on 1/1/2009 prior to the withdrawal. The $40,000 IN NEW EARNINGS will be allocated among the two purchase payments prior to the withdrawal using the percentages determined above.
$40,000 IN NEW EARNINGS
Earnings Allocated to Adjusted Purchase Payment #1 (60% of $40,000) = $24,000
Earnings Allocated to Adjusted Purchase Payment # 2 (40% of $40,000) = $16,000
The earnings allocated to each purchase payment now are as follows:
|
Before New Earnings |
$40,000 New Earnings |
Total | |
|
Purchase Payment #1 |
$50,000 |
$0 |
$50,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #1 |
$40,000 |
$24,000 |
$64,000 |
|
Purchase Payment #2 |
$60,000 |
$0 |
$60,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #2 |
$0 |
$16,000 |
$16,000 |
|
$150,000 |
$40,000 |
$190,000 |
The withdrawal of $38,000 reduces the Contract Value by 20% ($38,000/$190,000). The withdrawal will reduce both purchase payments and the earnings allocated to each of them by 20% as shown below.
|
Before Withdrawal |
Reduced by 20% | |
|
Purchase Payment #1 |
$50,000 |
$40,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #1 |
$64,000 |
$51,200 |
|
Purchase Payment #2 |
$60,000 |
$48,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #2 |
$16,000 |
$12,800 |
|
$190,000 |
$152,000 |
‘The Contract Value grows $20,000 from $152,000 on 1/1/2009 to $172,000 on 1/1/2011. THE $20,000 IN NEW EARNINGS will be allocated among the two purchase payments using the percentages determined above
B-1
$20,000 IN NEW EARNINGS
Earnings Allocated to Adjusted Purchase Payment #1 (60% of $20,000) = $12,000
Earnings Allocated to Adjusted Purchase Payment #2 (40% of $20,000) = $8,000
The earnings allocated to each purchase payment now are as follows:
|
Before New Earnings |
$20,000 New Earnings |
Total | |
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment #1 |
$40,000 |
$0 |
$40,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #1 |
$51,200 |
$12,000 |
$63,200 |
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment #2 |
$48,000 |
$0 |
$48,000 |
|
Earnings Allocated to #2 |
$12,800 |
$8,000 |
$20,800 |
|
$152,000 |
$20,000 |
$172,000 |
Now let’s calculate the total Earnings Appreciator Benefit as of 1/1/2011:
|
Benefit on Purchase Payment #1 45% of lesser of: |
Benefit on Purchase Payment #2 45% of lesser of: | |
|
Adjusted Purchase Payment |
$40,000 |
$48,000 |
|
Allocated Earnings |
$63,200 |
$20,800 |
|
45% of $40,000 |
$18,000 |
$9,360 |
| TOTAL EARNINGS APPRECIATOR BENEFIT: $18,000 + $9,360 = $27,360 |
B-2
This prospectus describes the important features of the Annuity and provides information about Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”, “we”, “our”, “the Company”, or “us”) and the Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account (Separate Account).
We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Statement of Additional Information (SAI), dated May 1, 2026 that includes additional information about the Annuity, Pruco Life and the Separate Account. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The SAI is available from us, without charge, upon request. To request a copy of the SAI, to ask about your Annuity, or to make other investor inquiries, please call 1-888-PRU-2888.
We file periodic reports and other information about the Annuity and the Separate Account as required under the federal securities laws. Those reports and other information about us are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and copies of reports and other information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
|
Edgar Contract Identifier: C000003385 |
SPAOPLUSPROS |
PRUCO
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
Pruco
Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
A
Prudential Financial Company
751
Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777
STRATEGIC
PARTNERS PLUS 3 VARIABLE ANNUITY
Flexible
Premium Deferred Annuities
Prospectus
Dated: May
1, 2026
This prospectus describes the Strategic Partners Plus 3 Variable Annuity, a flexible premium deferred variable annuity contract (the “Contract”), offered by Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”, “we”, “our”, “the Company”, or “us”). The annuity provides for the potential accumulation of retirement savings through investment in the Contract’s investment options during the Savings Stage and retirement income through annuitization during the Payout Period. The Contract is intended for retirement or other long-term investment purpose.
The types of investment options currently offered under the Annuity include variable investment options with underlying mutual funds (“Variable Options”), a One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option, a Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option, and a Market Value Adjustment Option that offers a fixed rate of interest for a set period of time called a “Guarantee Period.” See "Appendix A" for additional information about each investment option.
If you are receiving this prospectus, it is because you currently own the Annuity. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales.
This prospectus describes all the investment options, features, and benefits that we make available under the Annuity. The availability of investment options, features and benefits described in this prospectus may vary depending on the broker-dealer through which the Contract is sold (“financial intermediary variations”). We have identified all such financial intermediary variations that are known or reasonably available to us. Financial intermediary variations may be imposed by some broker-dealers without our knowledge. For example, your Financial Professional may not recommend a particular investment option or benefit to you because of a decision by the Financial Professional’s broker-dealer not to offer that investment option or benefit to its customers. Taking into consideration the breadth of our distribution network, we are unable to obtain information about all financial intermediary variations without unreasonable effort or expense. You should discuss with your Financial Professional any limitations, restrictions, or other variations related to the investment options, benefits or other features available to you through your Financial Professional.
The Annuity is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. Withdrawals may reduce the level of various optional benefit guarantees and could result in taxes and tax penalties. In addition, premature withdrawals from a Market Value Adjustment Option will result in a Market Value Adjustment. In extreme circumstances, the maximum potential loss resulting from a negative Market Value Adjustment is 100% of the amount invested in a Market Value Adjustment Option.
The Company’s obligations under the Annuity are subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.
In compliance with U.S. law, we deliver this prospectus to Annuity Owners that currently reside outside of the United States. However, we may not market or offer benefits, features, or enhancements to prospective or current Annuity Owners while outside of the United States.
This Annuity provides two options: an option with a Credit and an Option without Credit. This Credit may be more than offset by fees and charges in this Annuity, which are described in this prospectus. These fees and charges may be higher than other, similar products that do not offer a Credit.
These Annuities are NOT deposits or obligations of, or issued, guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are NOT insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable annuities and market value adjusted annuities, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at www.investor.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 1-888-PRU-2888 OR VISIT: WWW.PRUDENTIAL.COM/ANNUITIES
SPAOPLUS3PROS
Table of Contents
We have tried to make this prospectus as easy to read and understand as possible. By the nature of the contract, however, certain technical words or terms are unavoidable. We have identified the following as some of these words or terms.
Accumulation Phase: The period that begins with the contract date (which we define below) and ends when you start receiving income payments, or earlier if the contract is terminated through a full withdrawal or payment of a death benefit.
Adjusted Contract Value: When you begin receiving income payments, the value of your contract adjusted for any market value adjustment minus any charge we impose for premium taxes and withdrawal charges.
Adjusted Purchase Payment: Your invested Purchase Payment is adjusted for any subsequent withdrawals. The adjusted Purchase Payment is used only for calculations of the Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
Annual Income Amount: This is the annual amount of income you are eligible for life under the optional benefits.
Annual Withdrawal Amount: Under the terms of the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, an amount that you can withdraw each year as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value remaining. The Annual Withdrawal Amount is set initially to equal 7% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value, but will be adjusted to reflect subsequent Purchase Payments, withdrawals, and any step-up.
Annuitant: The person whose life determines the amount of income payments that we will make. Except as indicated below, if the annuitant dies before the annuity date, the co-annuitant (if any) becomes the annuitant if the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met. If, upon the death of the annuitant, there is no surviving eligible co-annuitant, and the owner is not the annuitant, then the owner becomes the annuitant.
Generally, if an annuity is owned by an entity and the entity has named a co-annuitant, the co-annuitant will become the annuitant upon the death of the annuitant, and no death benefit is payable. Unless we agree otherwise, the contract is eligible to have a co-annuitant designation only if the entity that owns the contract is (1) a plan described in Internal Revenue Code
Section 72(s)(5)(A)(i) (or any successor Code section thereto); (2) an entity described in Code Section 72(u)(1) (or any successor Code section thereto); or
(3) a custodial account established pursuant to the provisions in Code Section 408(a) (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”).
Where the contract is held by a Custodial Account, the co-annuitant will not automatically become the annuitant upon the death of the annuitant. Upon the death of the annuitant, the Custodial Account will have the choice, subject to our rules, to either elect to receive the death benefit or elect to continue the contract. If the contract is continued, then the Contract Value as of the date of due proof of death of the annuitant will reflect the amount that would have been payable had a death benefit been paid.
Annuity Date: The date when income payments are scheduled to begin. You must have our permission to change the annuity date. If the co-annuitant becomes the annuitant due to the death of the annuitant, and the co-annuitant is older than the annuitant, then the annuity date will be based on the age of the co-annuitant, provided that the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met (e.g., the co-annuitant cannot be older than a specified age). If the co-annuitant is younger than the annuitant, then the annuity date will remain unchanged.
Beneficiary: The person(s) or entity you have chosen to receive a death benefit.
Benefit Fixed Rate Account: An investment option offered as part of this contract that is used only if you elected the optional Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit. Amounts allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account earn a fixed rate of interest, and are held within our general account. You may not allocate Purchase Payments to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Rather, Contract Value is transferred to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account only under the asset transfer feature of the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit.
Business Day: A day on which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business. Our business day generally ends at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Co-Annuitant: The person shown on the contract data pages who becomes the annuitant (if eligible) upon the death of the annuitant if the contract’s requirements for changing the annuity date are met. No Co-Annuitant may be designated if the owner is a non-natural person.
Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Contingent Annuitant: The natural person named to become the Annuitant upon the death of Annuitant prior to the Annuity Date. A Contingent Annuitant may be named only in limited circumstances involving an Annuity issued to a Custodial Account or to a tax-qualified retirement plan.
Contract Date: The date we accept your initial Purchase Payment and all necessary paperwork in good order at the Prudential Annuity Service Center. Contract anniversaries are measured from the contract date. A contract year starts on the contract date or on a contract anniversary.
Contract Owner, Owner, or You: The person entitled to the ownership rights under the contract.
Contract Value: This is the total value of your contract, equal to the sum of the values of your investment in each investment option you have chosen. Your Contract Value will go up or down based on the performance of the investment options you choose.
Contract with Credit: A version of the annuity contract that provides for a bonus credit with each Purchase Payment that you make and has higher withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs than the Contract Without Credit.
1
Contract without Credit: A version of the annuity contract that does not provide a credit and has lower withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs than the Contract With Credit.
Credit: An amount we allocate to your Annuity’s Account Value each time you make a Purchase Payment. The amount of the Credit is payable from our general account. The amount of the Credit depends on the cumulative amount of Purchase Payments you have made to your Annuity, payable as a percentage of each specific Purchase Payment.
If you choose the Contract With Credit, this is the bonus amount that we allocate to your account each time you make a Purchase Payment. The amount of the credit is a percentage of the Purchase Payment. Bonus credits generally are not recaptured once the free look period expires. Our reference in the preceding sentence to “generally are not recaptured” refers to the fact that we have the contractual right to deduct, from the death benefit we pay, the amount of any credit corresponding to a Purchase Payment made within one year of death.
Custodial Account: A trust or Custodial Account that qualifies as an individual retirement account as defined in Section 408(a) of the Code, including a Roth IRA that satisfies the definitions in Sections 408(a) and 408A of the Code.
Daily Value: For purposes of the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, which we describe below, the Contract Value as of the end of each business day. The Daily Value on the contract date is equal to your Purchase Payment.
Death Benefit: If a death benefit is payable, the beneficiary you designate will receive, at a minimum, the total invested Purchase Payments, reduced proportionally by withdrawals, or a potentially greater amount related to Variable Option appreciation. The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit, or Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, was available for an additional charge. For more information on the Death Benefit, please refer to the “Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit” section of this prospectus.
Death Benefit Target Date: With respect to the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, the later of the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current contract owner, the older of either joint owner or (if owned by an entity) the annuitant, or five years after the contract date.
Designated Life: For purposes of the Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit, Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit and Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit, a Designated Life refers to each of two natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit and at the first death of one of them.
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option (DCA Fixed Rate Option): An investment option that offers a fixed rate of interest for a selected period during which periodic transfers are automatically made to selected Variable Options or to the one-year fixed interest rate option.
Earnings Appreciator Benefit (EAB): An optional benefit available for an additional charge that may provide a supplemental death benefit based on earnings under the contract.
Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value: Under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit only, a sum that we add to your existing Protected Withdrawal Value, provided that you have not made any withdrawal during the first ten years that your Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit has been in effect and you otherwise meet the conditions set forth in the rider and this prospectus.
Excess Income/Excess Withdrawal: Refers to cumulative withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount (the Total Annual Income Amount, for Highest Daily Lifetime Five). Under the Lifetime Five Income Benefit, Excess Withdrawal refers to cumulative withdrawals that exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount.
Fixed Allocation: An allocation of Account Value that is to be credited a fixed rate of interest for a specified Guarantee Period during the accumulation period.
Fixed Interest Rate Options: Investment options that offer a fixed rate of interest for either a one-year period (fixed rate option) or a selected period during which periodic transfers are made to selected Variable Options or to the one-year fixed rate option.
Good Order: An instruction received at the Prudential Annuity Service Center, utilizing such forms, signatures and dating as we require, which is sufficiently clear that we do not need to exercise any discretion to follow such instructions.
Guarantee Period: A period of time during which your invested Purchase Payment in the Market Value Adjustment Option earns interest at the declared rate. We may offer one or more guarantee periods.
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB): An optional benefit for an additional charge that guarantees that the death benefit that the beneficiary receives will be no less than a certain GMDB protected value. The GMDB is a different death benefit than the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, which we describe below.
GMDB Protected Value: The amount guaranteed under the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit, which may equal the GMDB roll-up value, the GMDB step-up value, or the greater of the two. The GMDB protected value will be subject to certain age restrictions and time durations, however, it will still increase by subsequent invested Purchase Payments and reduce proportionally by withdrawals.
GMDB Roll-Up: We use the GMDB roll-up value to compute the GMDB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. The GMDB roll-up is equal to the invested Purchase Payments compounded daily at an effective annual interest rate starting on the date that each invested Purchase Payment is made, subject to a cap, and reduced by the effect of withdrawals.
2
GMDB Step-Up: We use the GMDB step-up value to compute the GMDB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit. Generally speaking, the GMDB step-up establishes a “high water mark” of protected value that we would pay upon death, even if the Contract Value has declined. For example, if the GMDB step-up were set at $100,000 on a contract anniversary, and the Contract Value subsequently declined to $80,000 on the date of death, the GMDB step-up value would nonetheless remain $100,000 (assuming no additional Purchase Payments or withdrawals).
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB): An optional benefit available for an additional charge that guarantees that the income payments you receive during the income phase will be no less than a certain GMIB protected value applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates.
GMIB Protected Value: We use the GMIB protected value to calculate annuity payments should you annuitize under the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit.
The value is calculated daily and is equal to the GMIB roll-up, until the GMIB roll-up either reaches its cap or if we stop applying the annual interest rate based on the age of the annuitant, number of contract anniversaries or number of years since last GMIB reset. At such point, the GMIB protected value will be increased by any subsequent invested Purchase Payments, and any withdrawals will proportionally reduce the GMIB protected value. The GMIB protected value is not available as a cash surrender benefit or a death benefit, nor is it used to calculate the cash surrender value or death benefit.
GMIB Reset: You may elect to “step-up” or “reset” your GMIB protected value if your Contract Value is greater than the current GMIB protected value. Upon exercise of the reset provision, your GMIB protected value will be reset to equal your current Contract Value. You are limited to two resets over the life of your contract, provided that certain annuitant age requirements are met.
GMIB Roll-Up: We will use the GMIB roll-up value to compute the GMIB protected value of the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit. The GMIB roll-up is equal to the invested Purchase Payments (after a reset, the Contract Value at the time of the reset) compounded daily at an effective annual interest rate starting on the date each invested Purchase Payment is made, subject to a cap, and reduced proportionally by withdrawals.
Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional cost, guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Contract Value. We no longer offer Highest Daily Lifetime Five.
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit: An optional benefit that is available for an additional charge. The benefit guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is the same class of optional benefit as our Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit, but differs (among other things) with respect to how the Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated and how the lifetime withdrawals are calculated. We no longer offer Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit: An optional benefit that is available for an additional charge. The benefit guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is the same class of optional benefit as our Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit, but differs (among other things) with respect to how the Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated and how the lifetime withdrawals are calculated. We no longer offer Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus.
Highest Daily Value Death Benefit: An optional death benefit available for an additional charge that can provide a death benefit that exceeds the Contract Value on the date of death. The amount of the death benefit is determined with reference to the Highest Daily Value, as defined below. We no longer offer Highest Daily Value.
Income Appreciator Benefit (IAB): An optional benefit, that may be available for an additional charge, that provided a supplemental living benefit based on earnings under the contract. We no longer offer Income Appreciator Benefit.
IAB Automatic Withdrawal Payment Program: A series of payments consisting of a portion of your Contract Value and Income Appreciator Benefit paid to you in equal installments over a 10 year period, which you may choose, if you elect to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit during the accumulation phase.
IAB Credit: An amount we add to your Contract Value that is credited in equal installments over a 10 year period, which you may choose, if you elected to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit during the accumulation phase.
Income Options: Options under the contract that define the frequency and duration of income payments. In your contract, we also refer to these as payout or annuity options.
Income Phase: The period during which you receive income payments under the contract.
Invested Purchase Payments: Your Purchase Payments (which we define below) less any deduction we make for any tax charge.
Joint Owner: The person named as the joint owner, who shares ownership rights with the owner as defined in the contract. A joint owner must be a natural person.
3
Lifetime Five Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional cost, guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. We no longer offer Lifetime Five.
Market Value Adjustment: An adjustment to your Contract Value or withdrawal proceeds that is based on the relationship between interest you are currently earning within the Market Value Adjustment Option and prevailing interest rates. This adjustment may be positive or negative.
Market Value Adjustment Option: This investment option may offer various Guarantee Periods and pays a fixed rate of interest with respect to each Guarantee Period. We impose a market value adjustment on withdrawals or transfers that you make from this option prior to the end of its Guarantee Period.
Net Purchase Payments: Your total Purchase Payments less any withdrawals you have made.
Portfolio: Any underlying mutual fund which may be selected as an investment option by the owner. The terms “Fund” and “Portfolio” are used interchangeably. Some of the Portfolios use the term “Fund” and others use the term “Portfolio” in their respective prospectuses.
Proportional Withdrawals: A method that involves calculating the percentage of your Contract Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn. Proportional withdrawals result in a reduction to the applicable benefit value by reducing such value in the same proportion as the Contract Value was reduced by the withdrawal as of the date the withdrawal occurred.
Protected Withdrawal Value: An amount that we guarantee regardless of the investment performance of your Contract Value. For the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit only, we refer to an amount that we guarantee regardless of the investment performance of your Contract Value as the “Total Protected Withdrawal Value”.
Prudential Annuity Service Center: For general correspondence: P.O. Box 7960, Philadelphia, PA 19176. For express overnight mail: 1600 Malone St., Millville, NJ 08332. The telephone number is (888) PRU-2888. Prudential’s Web site is www.prudential.com/annuities.
Purchase Payments: The amount of money you pay us to purchase the contract. Generally, you can make additional Purchase Payments at any time during the accumulation phase.
Registered Separate Account: (Separate Account) Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, which holds the assets supporting the Variable Options. Assets held in the Registered Separate Account are kept separate from all of our other assets and may not be charged with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct.
Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional cost, guarantees until the later death of two Designated Lives (as defined in this Prospectus) the ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. We no longer offer Spousal Lifetime Five.
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional charge, guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. The benefit is the spousal version of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit but differs (among other things) with respect to how the Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated and how the lifetime withdrawals are calculated. We no longer offer Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit: An optional benefit that, for an additional charge, guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Protected Withdrawal Value. Subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals, we guarantee these withdrawal amounts, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value. The benefit is the spousal version of the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit and is the same class of optional benefit as our Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit, but differs (among other things) with respect to how the Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated and how the lifetime withdrawals are calculated. We no longer offer Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus.
Statement of Additional Information: A document containing certain additional information about the Strategic Partners Plus 3 variable annuity. We have filed the Statement of Additional Information with the Securities and Exchange Commission and it is legally a part of this prospectus. To learn how to obtain a copy of the Statement of Additional Information, see the front cover of this prospectus.
Tax Deferral: This is a way to increase your assets without currently being taxed. Generally, you do not pay taxes on your contract earnings until a distribution is taken from your contract. You should be aware that tax favored plans (such as IRAs) already provide tax deferral regardless of whether they invest in annuity contracts. For more information on Tax Deferral, please refer to the “Taxes” section of this prospectus.
Valuation Day: Every day the NYSE is open for trading or any other day the Securities and Exchange Commission requires mutual funds or unit investment trusts to be valued, not including any day: (1) trading on the NYSE is restricted; (2) an emergency, as determined by the SEC, exists making redemption or valuation of securities held in the Separate Account impractical; or (3) the SEC, by order, permits the suspension or postponement for the protection of security holders.
Variable Option: A division of the Registered Separate Account. The Variable Option also may be referred to in this prospectus and the Annuity as a Variable Sub-account or Sub-account.
4
The Annuity referenced in this prospectus and applicable riders is no longer available for new sales or re-elections.
Purpose of the Contract
The Annuity is a long-term investment designed for long-term retirement purposes because it allows you to accumulate retirement savings and also offers annuity payment options when you are ready to begin receiving income. This Annuity is a “flexible premium deferred annuity.” It is called “flexible premium” because you have considerable flexibility in the timing and amount of premium payments. Generally, investors “defer” receiving annuity payments until after an Accumulation Period. This Annuity may be appropriate for investors accumulating retirement savings on a tax deferred basis and would seek guaranteed income through an annuity payment option.
Phases of the Contract
The Annuity features two distinct phases - the accumulation period and the payout period. During the accumulation period your Account Value is allocated to one or more investment options. See “Investment Options” below. During the payout period (after annuitization), you can elect to receive annuity payments (1) for a fixed period (up to 25 years); (2) for life; or (3) under an interest payment option. We currently make annuity payments available on a fixed basis. After Annuitization, the Death Benefits and optional benefits described in this prospectus will no longer apply. We reserve the right to make available other annuity options. See the “Annuity Period” section of this prospectus.
Investment Options
Variable Options: The Variable Options we make available each invest in an underlying Portfolio whose share price generally fluctuates each day. The Variable Options do not provide any level of protection against negative returns. You are at risk of losing principal and any earnings if you allocate funds to a Portfolio.
One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option: The One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option provides a fixed rate of interest for one-year.
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option: The Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option provides a fixed rate of interest for a selected period during which periodic transfers are automatically made to selected Variable Options or to the One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option.
Market Value Adjustment Options: The Market Value Adjustment Options provide a fixed rate of return for a set period of time called a “Guarantee Period.” An investment in the Market Value Adjustment Options may be appropriate for investors who seek a fixed rate of return on either all or a portion of their Account Value and do not need access to their money before the end of the Guarantee Period. We may offer fewer available guarantee periods in Contracts With Credit than in Contracts Without Credit. This option is not available for contracts issued in some states.
If you withdraw or transfer assets from a Market Value Adjustment Option, other than the 30-day period immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment, which may increase or decrease your initial amount invested. You could lose a significant amount of money due to a negative Market Value Adjustment. The following transactions, when they occur more than 30 days after the end of the Guarantee Period, are subject to a Market Value Adjustment: (i) partial withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, Required Minimum Distributions, and withdrawals under any Optional Living Benefit), (ii) surrenders, (iii) exercise of the right to cancel, (iv) transfers, and (v) the deduction of fees.
Additional information about the Investment Options is provided in Appendix A to the prospectus.
Contract Features
Credits: If you purchase the Contract With Credit, we will add a credit amount to your Contract Value with each purchase payment you make. The bonus credit that we pay with respect to any purchase payment depends on (i) the age of the older of the owner or joint owner on the date on which the purchase payment is made and (ii) the amount of the purchase payment.
Death Benefits: The Annuity offers a basic Death Benefit that could protect your retirement savings if you die during a period of declining markets, depending on when you die. The Annuity also offers an optional death benefit that increases the level of protection for your Beneficiaries for an additional fee.
Living Benefits: We offered optional benefits for an additional fee that guarantee your ability to take withdrawals for life as a percentage of an initial guaranteed benefit base, even after your Account Value falls to zero (unless it does so due to a withdrawal of Excess Income). The Account Value has no guarantees, may fluctuate, and can lose value. As part of these benefits, you are required to invest only in certain permitted Investment Options. For more information, please see Appendix A.
Withdrawals: You are allowed to withdraw a limited amount of money from your Annuity on an annual basis without any charges.
5
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
6
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract with Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.500%* |
1.552%* | |
|
Portfolio Company fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.25%1* |
0.90%2* | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and "Appendix
A"
for more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
| |
|
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fee Table” and "Charges and Adjustments" sections of this prospectus. | |||
7
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract Without Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. | ||
|
Are there Transaction Charges? |
Yes. | ||
8
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract Without Credit | |||
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments | |||
|
Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. | ||
|
Annual Fee |
Minimum |
Maximum | |
|
Base Contract Fees |
1.400%* |
1.459%* | |
|
Portfolio Company fees and expenses |
0.28% |
1.56% | |
|
Optional
benefits available for an additional
charge |
0.25%1* |
0.90%2* | |
|
*Charge
based on average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. Please
refer to the “Charges
and Adjustments”
section and "Appendix
A"
for more information. | |||
|
Lowest
Annual Cost |
Highest
Annual Cost |
||
|
Assumes:
|
Assumes:
|
| |
|
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fee Table” and "Charges and Adjustments" sections of this prospectus. | |||
9
|
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract With or Without Credit | |
|
Risks | |
|
Is there a Risk of Loss from Poor Performance? |
Yes. |
|
Is this a Short-Term Investment? |
No. |
|
What are the Risks Associated with the Investment Options? |
An
investment in the Contract is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary depending on the performance of the
Investment Options you select. Each of the Investment Options available under the Contract, including the Variable Options
and the Market Value
Adjustment options, has its own unique risks. You should review the investment options before making an investment decision.
The Market Value Adjustment options may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be negative, causing you to lose money. |
|
What are the Risks Related to the Insurance Company? |
An
investment in the Contract is subject to the risks related to the Company. Any obligations (including under any Fixed Allocation), guarantees,
or benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of the Company. More information about the Company, including its financial
strength ratings, is available upon request. Such requests can be made toll free at 1-888-PRU-2888. |
|
Restrictions | |
|
Are there Restrictions on the Investment Options? |
Yes.
We reserve the right to:
Certain
Investment Options may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See
the Cover
Page
for additional information. |
10
|
Restrictions | |
|
Are there any Restrictions on Contract Benefits? |
Yes.
For
more information on optional benefits under the Contract, please refer to the “Benefits
Available Under the Contract”
section of this prospectus. |
|
Taxes | |
|
What are the Contract’s Tax Implications? |
You
should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under the Contract.
There is no additional tax benefit if you purchase the Contract through a tax-qualified plan or individual retirement account (IRA). Withdrawals
will be subject to ordinary income tax, and may be subject to a 10% additional tax for distributions taken prior to age 59½. |
|
Conflicts of Interest | |
|
How are Investment Professionals Compensated? |
Investment
professionals may receive compensation for selling the Contract to investors and may have a financial incentive to offer or recommend
the Contract over another investment. This compensation is paid in the form of commissions, based on your investment in the Contract. |
|
Should I Exchange My Contract? |
Some
investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you a new Contract in place of the one you already own. You should
only exchange your Contract if you determine after comparing the features, fees, and risks of both contracts, and any fees or penalties
to terminate the existing Contract, that it is preferable to purchase the new Contract, rather than continue to own your existing Contract.
This Contract is no longer sold. |
11
The following tables describe the fees, expenses, and adjustments that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from an Investment Option or from the Annuity. Please refer to your Contract specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.
The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time you buy the Contract, surrender or make withdrawals from the Contract, transfer Account Value between Investment Options, or request duplicate reports. State premium taxes may also be deducted. These fees and charges are described in more detail within this prospectus in the "Charges and Adjustments" section.
|
Transaction Expenses |
Maximum |
|
Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
None |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - with Credit Option (as a percentage of each purchase payment)1 |
8.00% |
|
Deferred Sales Charge - without Credit Option (as a percentage of each purchase payment)1 |
7.00% |
|
Transfer Fee2 |
$30 |
|
Transfer Fee (Beneficiary Continuation Option only) each transfer after 20 |
$10 |
|
Premium Tax Imposed on Us by Certain States/Jurisdictions3 |
Up to 3.50% of Contract Value |
|
Additional Copies of Reports4 |
$50 |
| 1. | Each contract year, you may withdraw a specified amount of your Contract Value without incurring a withdrawal charge. We will waive the withdrawal charge if we pay a death benefit or under certain other circumstances. See “Withdrawal Charge” in Section 7. In certain states reduced withdrawal charges may apply under the Contract With Credit. Your contract contains the applicable charges. |
| 2. | Currently, we charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in a contract year. As shown in the table, we can increase that charge up to a maximum of $30, but have no current intention to do so. We will not charge you for transfers made in connection with Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto-Rebalancing and do not count them toward the limit of 12 free transfers per year. There is a unique transfer fee under the Beneficiary Continuation Option. |
| 3. | We reserve the right to deduct the charge either at the time the tax is imposed, upon a full surrender of the Contract, or upon annuitization. |
| 4. | We do not currently assess this fee. However, we reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each additional report (i.e., confirmation statement or quarterly statement) you request. |
The following Contingent Deferred Sales Charge percentages apply based on the year of the surrender or withdrawal:
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
|
Contract with credit |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract without credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
The next table describes the adjustments, in addition to any transaction expenses, that apply if all or a portion of the Account Value is removed from a Market Value Adjustment Option before the expiration of a specified period.
|
Adjustments |
|
|
Market Value Adjustment Maximum Potential Loss (as a percentage of Unadjusted Account Value in the Market Value Adjustment Option)1 |
100% |
| 1. | The following transactions, when they occur more than 30 days immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, are subject to a Market Value Adjustment: (i) partial withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, Required Minimum Distributions, and withdrawals under any Optional Benefit), (ii) surrenders, (iii) exercise of the right to cancel, (iv) transfers (other than scheduled DCA transfers), and (v) the deduction of fees. |
The next table describes the maximum fees and expenses that you will pay each year during the time that you own the Annuity (not including Portfolio fees and expenses). Your current fees and expenses may be less than the maximum. If you choose to purchase an optional benefit, you will pay additional charges, as shown below.
12
|
Annual Annuity Expenses |
Maximum |
|
Administrative Expenses (assessed annually on the Annuity’s anniversary date or upon surrender)1,2 |
$60 |
|
Base
Contract Expenses (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options)3 |
|
|
Optional Benefits Expenses | |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (based on the GMIB Protected Income Value) |
1.00% |
|
Lifetime Five Income Benefit (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
1.50% |
|
Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
1.50% |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
1.50% |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit (based on the Protected Withdrawal Value) |
1.50% |
|
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit (based on the Protected Withdrawal Value) |
1.50% |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit (based on the greater of the Account Value and Protected Withdrawal Value) |
1.50% |
|
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit (based on the greater of the Account Value and Protected Withdrawal Value) |
1.50% |
|
Income Appreciator Benefit |
0.25% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Roll-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.25% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Step-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.25% |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Option – Greater of Roll-Up or Step-Up (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options) |
0.35% |
|
Highest Daily Value Death Benefit |
0.50% |
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit |
0.75% |
| 1. | The Administrative Expense is referred to as “Annual Maintenance Fee” elsewhere in this Prospectus. The Administrative Expense is only applicable if Account Value is less than $75,000. Fee may differ in certain States. |
| 2. | The Administrative Expense for the Beneficiary Continuation Option is the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value. |
| 3. | Beneficiaries are assessed a Settlement Service Charge of 1.03% (based on the average daily net assets of the Variable Options). |
The next item shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the Portfolios that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the Annuity. Expenses shown may change over time and may be higher or lower in the future. A complete list of Portfolios available under the Annuity, including their annual expenses, may be found at Appendix A of this prospectus.
|
Annual Portfolio Expenses | ||
|
(expenses that are deducted from Portfolio assets, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses) |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|
0.28% |
1.56% | |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Variable Options with the cost of investing in other annuity contracts that offer variable options. These costs include Transaction Expenses, Annual Annuity Expenses, and Annual Portfolio Expenses.
The Example assumes all Account Value is allocated to the Variable Options. The Example does not reflect the Market Value Adjustment. Your costs could differ from those shown below if you invest in the Market Value Adjustment Options.
13
The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Variable Options for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and assumes the most expensive combination of Annual Portfolio Company Expenses and optional benefits available for an additional charge, which includes the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus with Income Appreciator Benefit (IAB), Highest Daily Value Death Benefit and Earnings Appreciator Benefit. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY PLUS 3 WITH CREDIT AND HD 7 | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$14,272 |
$26,941 |
$38,793 |
$64,868 |
$13,006 |
$23,335 |
$33,111 |
$55,244 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,272 |
$18,941 |
$31,793 |
$64,868 |
$5,006 |
$15,335 |
$26,111 |
$55,244 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,272 |
$18,941 |
$31,793 |
$64,868 |
$5,006 |
$15,335 |
$26,111 |
$55,244 |
|
STRATEGIC PARTNERS ANNUITY PLUS 3 WITHOUT CREDIT | ||||||||
|
Assuming maximum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit |
Assuming minimum fees and expenses of any of the portfolios available with the benefit | |||||||
|
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs |
1 Yr |
3 Yrs |
5 Yrs |
10 Yrs | |
|
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$13,171 |
$23,658 |
$34,353 |
$64,151 |
$11,904 |
$20,041 |
$28,641 |
$54,412 |
|
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,171 |
$18,658 |
$31,353 |
$64,151 |
$4,904 |
$15,041 |
$25,641 |
$54,412 |
|
If you do not surrender or annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: |
$6,171 |
$18,658 |
$31,353 |
$64,151 |
$4,904 |
$15,041 |
$25,641 |
$54,412 |
14
Principal Risks Of Investing In The Contract
The risks identified below are the principal risks of investing in the Annuity. The Annuity may be subject to additional risks other than those identified and described in this prospectus.
Risk of Loss: You could lose money by investing in the Annuity, including your principal investment. An investment in the Annuity is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Risks Associated with Variable Options: You take all the investment risk for amounts allocated to one or more of the Variable Options, which invest in Portfolios. If the Variable Options you select increase in value, then your Account Value goes up; if they decrease in value, your Account Value goes down. How much your Account Value goes up or down depends on the performance of the Portfolios in which your Variable Options invest. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Portfolio. An investment in the Annuity is subject to the risk of poor investment performance, and the value of your investment can vary depending on the performance of the selected Portfolio(s), each of which has its own unique risks. You should review the Portfolios before making an investment decision. We reserve the right to add, eliminate, substitute or combine Variable Options as Investment Options available under the Annuity or to close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates.
Risks Associated with the Market Value Adjustment Options: We determine the interest rates credited to the Market Value Adjustment Options in our sole discretion, subject to guaranteed minimums, and we may change the rates for new Guarantee Periods at any time. Any change in interest rates do not affect Guarantee Periods that began before the date of the change. There is a risk that the interest rates for new Guarantee Periods will be lower than the rates that were previously in effect. In addition, if you withdraw or transfer assets from a Market Value Adjustment Option, other than during the 30 day period immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment, which may increase or decrease your initial amount invested. You could lose up to 100% of your investment in a Market Value Adjustment Option as a result of a negative Market Value Adjustment. Generally, if yields are higher at the time of Market Value Adjustment application than they were at the beginning of the Guarantee Period, the Market Value Adjustment will be negative.
Early Withdrawal Risk: The Annuity is not a short-term investment vehicle and is not an appropriate investment for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The Annuity is designed to provide benefits on a long-term basis. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether the Annuity is consistent with your financial situation and objectives. Withdrawals under the Annuity, including partial withdrawals and a full surrender, may be subject to negative Market Value Adjustments and negative tax consequences. If you have elected certain Optional Benefits, a withdrawal may reduce the amount of your Benefit on more than a dollar-for-dollar basis. While the Annuity provides a Death Benefit, the amount of that benefit is subject to investment gains and losses and is reduced for any withdrawals you take.
Insurance Company Risk: No company other than Pruco Life has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Pruco Life owes under the Annuity, including amounts allocated to the fixed allocations, which are supported by our general account and are subject to our claims-paying ability. Assets in the general account are not segregated for the exclusive benefit of any particular contract or obligation. General account assets are also available to our general creditors and for conducting routine business activities, such as the payment of salaries, rent and other ordinary business expenses. You should look to the financial strength of Pruco Life for its claims-paying ability. Pruco Life is also subject to risks related to disasters and other events, such as storms, earthquakes, fires, outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as COVID-19), utility failures, terrorist acts, political and social developments, and military and governmental actions. These risks are often collectively referred to as “business continuity” risks. These events could adversely affect Pruco Life and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although Pruco Life has business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that Pruco Life may not be able to provide required services, process transactions, deliver documents or calculate values. It is also possible that service levels may decline as a result of such events.
Possible Adverse Tax Consequences: The tax considerations associated with the Annuity vary and can be complicated. The tax considerations discussed in this prospectus are general in nature and describe only federal income tax law (not state, local, foreign or other federal tax laws). Before making a Purchase Payment or taking other action related to your Annuity, you should consult with a qualified tax advisor for complete information and advice. For example, distributions from your Annuity are generally subject to ordinary income taxation on the amount of any investment gain unless the distribution qualifies as a non-taxable exchange or transfer. In addition, if you take a distribution prior to the taxpayer’s age 59½, you may be subject to a 10% additional tax in addition to ordinary income taxes on any gain.
Possible Fees on Access to Account Value: We may apply fees if you access your Account Value during the Accumulation Period or surrender your Annuity. For example, in addition to possible tax consequences discussed above, you may incur fees for accessing your Account Value such as an annual maintenance fee, Tax Charge and/or a charge for any optional benefits. In addition, we may assess a Market Value Adjustment for withdrawals from a Fixed Allocation.
Credit Recapture: In certain circumstances we may recapture any Credits applied to your Contract if you access your Account Value during the accumulation period or surrender your Annuity.
Annuity Changes Risk: We reserve the right to limit the number of transfers you may make or to impose a minimum transfer amount. We also reserve the right to add, eliminate, substitute or combine Variable Options as Investment Options available under the Annuity or to close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates. We may limit, suspend or reject any additional Purchase Payment at any time on a non-discriminatory basis. If we do so, you may no longer be able to increase the values associated with
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an optional living benefit or increase the amount of the death benefit under an optional death benefit through subsequent Purchase Payments. This would also impact your ability to make annual contributions to certain qualified Annuities. In addition, we may impose limitations on an investment professional’s or investment advisor’s ability to request financial transactions on your behalf.
Cyber Security and Business Continuity Risks: With the increasing use of technology and computer systems in general and, in particular, the Internet to conduct necessary business functions, the Company is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. These risks, which are often collectively referred to as “cyber security” risks, may include deliberate or malicious attacks, as well as unintentional events and occurrences. These risks are heightened by our offering of increasingly complex products, such as those that feature automatic asset transfer or reallocation strategies, and by our employment of complex investment, trading and hedging programs. Cyber security is generally defined as the technology, operations and related protocol surrounding and protecting a user’s computer hardware, network, systems and applications and the data transmitted and stored therewith. These measures ensure the reliability of a user’s systems, as well as security, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data assets.
Deliberate cyber attacks can include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access (including physical break-ins) to computer systems in order to misappropriate and/or disclose sensitive or confidential information; deleting, corrupting or modifying data; and causing operational disruptions. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (in order to prevent access to computer networks). In addition to deliberate breaches engineered by external actors, cyber security risks can also result from the conduct of malicious, exploited or careless insiders, whose actions may result in the destruction, release or disclosure of confidential or proprietary information stored on an organization’s systems.
The Company is also subject to risks related to disasters and other events, such as storms, earthquakes, fires, outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as COVID-19), utility failures, terrorist acts, political and social developments, and military and governmental actions. These risks are often collectively referred to as “business continuity” risks. These events could adversely affect the Company and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although the Company has business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that the Company may not be able to provide required services, process transactions, deliver documents or calculate values. It is also possible that service levels may decline as a result of such events.
Cyber security events, disasters and similar events, whether deliberate or unintentional, that could impact the Company and Contract owners could arise not only in connection with our own administration of the Annuity, but also with entities operating the Annuity’s Portfolios and with third-party service providers. Cyber security and other events affecting any of the entities involved with the offering and administration of the Annuity may cause significant disruptions in the business operations related to the Annuity. Potential impacts may include, but are not limited to, potential financial losses under the Annuity, your inability to conduct transactions under the Annuity and/or with respect to a Portfolio, an inability to calculate unit values with respect to the Annuity and/or the net asset value (“NAV”) with respect to a Portfolio, and disclosures of your personal or confidential account information.
In addition to direct impacts to you, cyber security and other events described above may result in adverse impacts to the Company, including regulatory inquiries, regulatory proceedings, regulatory and/or legal and litigation costs, and reputational damage. Costs incurred by the Company may include reimbursement and other expenses, including the costs of litigation and litigation settlements and additional compliance costs. Considerable expenses also may be incurred by the Company in enhancing and upgrading computer systems and systems security following a cyber security failure or responding to a disaster or similar event. The rapid proliferation of technologies, as well as the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, and others continue to pose new and significant cyber security threats. In addition, the global spread of COVID-19 has caused the Company and its service providers to implement business continuity plans, including widespread use of work-from-home arrangements. Although the Company, our service providers, and the Portfolios offered under the Annuity may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate risks, there can be no guarantee or assurance that such plans or systems will be effective, or that all risks that exist, or may develop in the future, have been completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. Furthermore, the Company cannot control or assure the efficacy of the cyber security and business continuity plans and systems implemented by third-party service providers, the Portfolios, and the issuers in which the Portfolios invest.
The military invasion of Ukraine initiated by Russia in February 2022 and the resulting response by the United States and other countries have led to economic disruptions, as well as increased volatility and uncertainty in the financial markets. It is not possible to predict the ultimate duration and scope of the conflict, or the future impact on U.S. and global economies and financial markets.
Artificial Intelligence Risk: In addition to the cyber security risks described above, the development, adoption and use of AI, including generative artificial intelligence (“Generative AI”), by us and by third parties on whom we rely may increase existing operational risks or create new operational risks that we are not currently anticipating. AI technologies offer potential benefits in areas such as customer service personalization and process automation, and we expect to use AI and Generative AI to help deliver products and services and support critical functions. We also expect third parties on whom we rely to do the same. There are significant risks involved in developing and deploying AI, and there can be no assurance that its use will enhance our products or services or be beneficial to our business, including our efficiency or profitability. The risk that AI and Generative AI may be misused is increased by the relative newness of the technology, the speed at which it is being adopted, and the lack of laws, regulations or standards governing its use. Such misuse could expose the Company to legal or regulatory risk, damage customer relationships or cause reputational harm. Further, our ability to continue to develop and efficiently deploy AI technologies depends on access to specific third-party equipment and other physical infrastructure, such as processing hardware and network capacity, the availability and pricing of which is difficult to control, especially in a highly competitive environment. Our competitors may also adopt AI or Generative AI more quickly or more effectively than we do, which could cause competitive harm. Because the Generative AI technology is so new, some of the potential risks of Generative AI are currently unknowable.
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DESCRIPTION OF INSURANCE COMPANY, REGISTERED SEPARATE ACCOUNT, AND INVESTMENT OPTIONS
The Contract is issued by Pruco Life Insurance Company located at 751 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777. Pruco Life is obligated to pay all amounts promised to investors under the Contract, subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.
Pruco Life is a stock life insurance company organized in 1971 under the laws of the State of Arizona. It is licensed to sell life insurance and annuities in the District of Columbia, Guam and in all states except New York. Pruco Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“Prudential”), a New Jersey stock life insurance company that has been doing business since 1875. Prudential is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (“Prudential Financial”), a New Jersey insurance holding company. No company other than Pruco Life has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Pruco Life owes under its annuity contracts. Among other things, this means that where you participate in an optional living benefit or death benefit and the value of that benefit exceeds your current Account Value, you would rely solely on the ability of Pruco Life to make payments under the benefit out of its own assets. As Pruco Life’s ultimate parent, Prudential Financial, however, exercises significant influence over the operations and capital structure of Pruco Life.
Pursuant to the delivery obligations under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 159 thereunder, we deliver this prospectus to current contract owners that reside outside of the United States. In addition, we may not market or offer benefits, features or enhancements to prospective or current contract owners while outside of the United States.
Rule 12h-7
With respect to the offering of Index Strategies, the Company relies on the exemption provided by Rule 12h-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from the requirement to file reports pursuant to Section 15(d) of that Act.
Claims of Creditors
To the extent permitted by law, no payment or value under this Annuity is subject to the claims of your creditors or those of any other Owner, any Annuitant, or any Beneficiary.
Deferral of Transactions
We may defer any annuity payment for a period not to exceed the lesser of 6 months or the period permitted by law. If we defer a distribution or transfer from any annuity payout for more than thirty days, we will pay interest as required by state law. We may defer any distribution from any Allocation Option or any transfer from Allocation Options for a period not to exceed seven calendar days from the date the transaction is affected.
WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?
The Separate Accounts are where Pruco Life sets aside and invests the assets supporting the Annuity. The assets of each Separate Account are held in the name of Pruco Life, and legally belong to us. We will maintain assets in each Separate Account with a total market value at least equal to the cash Surrender Value and other liabilities we must maintain related to the Annuity obligations supported by such assets. The obligations under the Annuity are those of Pruco Life, which is the issuer of the Annuity and the depositor of the Separate Accounts. More detailed information about Pruco Life, including its audited financial statements, is provided in the Statement of Additional Information.
Pruco Life Insurance Company Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
The assets supporting obligations based on allocations to the Variable Options are held in sub-accounts of Pruco Life Insurance Company Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, also referred to as “Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account”. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account assets that are held in support of the Variable Option are kept separate from all our other assets and may not be chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct. Thus, income, gains and losses from assets allocated to Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account are credited to or charged against Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account, without regard to other income, gains or losses of Pruco Life or any other of our Separate Accounts.
Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account was established by us pursuant to Arizona law on June 16, 1995. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account also holds assets of other annuities issued by us with values and benefits that vary according to the investment performance of Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account.
Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account consists of multiple Variable Options. Each Variable Option invests only in a single mutual fund or mutual fund portfolio. The name of each Variable Option generally corresponds to the name of the Portfolio. Each Variable Option in Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account may have several different Unit Prices to reflect the Insurance Charge, Distribution Charge (when applicable) and the charges for any optional benefits that are offered under the Annuity issued by us through Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account. Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account is registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) as a unit investment trust, which is a type of investment company.
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The SEC does not supervise investment policies, management or practices of Pruco Life Variable Annuity Account. We may offer new Variable Options, eliminate Variable Options, or combine Variable Options at our sole discretion. We may also close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing annuities or close Variable Options for annuities purchased on or after specified dates.
In addition to rights that we specifically reserve elsewhere in this prospectus, we reserve the right to perform any or all of the following:
| • | offer new Variable Options, eliminate Variable Options, substitute Variable Options or combine Variable Options; |
| • | close Variable Options to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or close Variable Options for Annuities purchased on or after specified dates; |
| • | combine the Separate Account with separate accounts; |
| • | deregister the Separate Account under the Investment Company Act of 1940; |
| • | manage the Separate Account as a management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or in any other form permitted by law; |
| • | make changes required by any change in the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, or any other changes to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s interpretation thereof; |
| • | establish a provision in the Annuity for federal income taxes if we determine, in our sole discretion, that we will incur a tax as the result of the operation of the Separate Account; |
| • | make any changes required by federal or state laws with respect to annuity contracts; and |
| • | to the extent dictated by any underlying Portfolio, impose a redemption fee or restrict transfers within any Variable Option |
We will first notify you and receive any necessary SEC and/or state approval before making such a change. If an underlying mutual fund is liquidated, we will ask you to reallocate any amount in the liquidated fund. If you do not reallocate these amounts, we will reallocate such amounts only in accordance with SEC pronouncements and only after obtaining an order from the SEC, if required. If investment in the Portfolios or a particular Portfolio is no longer possible, or in our discretion becomes inappropriate for purposes of the Annuity, or for any other rationale in our sole judgment, we may substitute another portfolio or investment Portfolios without your consent. The substituted portfolio may have different fees and expenses. Substitution may be made with respect to existing investments or the investment of future Purchase Payments, or both. However, we will not make such substitution without any required approval of the SEC and any applicable state insurance departments. In addition, we may close Portfolios to allocation of Purchase Payments or Account Value, or both, at any time in our sole discretion. We do not control the underlying mutual funds, so we cannot guarantee that any of those funds will always be available.
Values and benefits based on allocations to the Variable Options will vary with the investment performance of the underlying mutual funds or fund Portfolios, as applicable. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Variable Option. Your Account Value allocated to the Variable Options may increase or decrease. You bear the entire investment risk. There is no assurance that the Account Value of your Annuity will equal or be greater than the total of the Purchase Payments you make to us.
The General Account: Our general obligations and any guaranteed benefits under the Annuity are supported by our General Account and are subject to our claims paying ability. Assets in the General Account are not segregated for the exclusive benefit of any particular contract or obligation. General Account assets are also available to our general creditors and for conducting routine business activities, such as the payment of salaries, rent and other ordinary business expenses. The General Account is subject to regulation and supervision by the Arizona Department of Insurance and to the insurance laws and regulations of all jurisdictions where we are authorized to do business.
Fixed Rate Options
We offer three fixed interest rate options:
| • | a one-year fixed interest rate option, |
| • | a dollar cost averaging fixed rate option (DCA Fixed Rate Option), and |
| • | Market Value Adjustment Options |
When you select one of these options, your payment will earn interest at the established rate for the applicable interest rate period. A new interest rate period is established every time you allocate or transfer money into a fixed interest rate option. (You may not transfer amounts from other investment options into the DCA Fixed Rate Option.) You may have money allocated in more than one interest rate period at the same time. This could result in your money earning interest at different rates and each interest rate period maturing at a different time. While these interest rates may change from time to time, they will not be less than the minimum interest rate dictated by applicable state law. We may offer lower interest rates for Contracts With Credit than for Contracts Without Credit. The interest rates we pay on the fixed interest rate options may be influenced by the asset-based charges assessed against the Separate Account.
Payments allocated to the fixed interest rate options become part of Pruco Life’s general assets. Please note that if you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Five, you cannot invest in either of these fixed interest rate options.
One-Year Fixed Interest Rate Option
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We set a one-year base guaranteed annual interest rate for the one-year fixed interest rate option. Additionally, we may provide a higher interest rate on each purchase payment allocated to this option for the first year after the payment. This higher interest rate will not apply to amounts transferred from other investment options within the contract or amounts remaining in this option for more than one year.
Dollar Cost Averaging Fixed Rate Option
You may allocate all or part of any purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Under this option, you automatically transfer amounts over a stated period (currently, six or twelve months) from the DCA Fixed Rate Option to the Variable Options and/or to the one-year fixed interest rate option, as you select. We will invest the assets you allocate to the DCA Fixed Rate Option in our general account until they are transferred. You may not transfer from other investment options to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Transfers to the one-year fixed interest rate option will remain in the general account.
If you choose to allocate all or part of a purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option, the minimum amount of the purchase payment you may allocate is $2,000. The first periodic transfer will occur on the date you allocate your purchase payment to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. Subsequent transfers will occur on the monthly anniversary of the first transfer. Currently, you may choose to have the purchase payment allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option transferred to the selected Variable Options, or to the one-year fixed interest rate option in either six or twelve monthly installments, and you may not change that number of monthly installments after you have chosen the DCA Fixed Rate Option. You may allocate to both the six-month and twelve-month options. (In the future, we may make available other numbers of transfers and other transfer schedules--for example, quarterly as well as monthly.)
If you choose a six-payment transfer schedule, each transfer generally will equal 1/6th of the amount you allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option, and if you choose a twelve-payment transfer schedule, each transfer generally will equal 1/12th of the amount you allocated to the DCA Fixed Rate Option. In either case, the final transfer amount generally will also include the credited interest. You may change at any time the investment options into which the DCA Fixed Rate Option assets are transferred. You may make a one time transfer of the remaining value out of your DCA Fixed Rate Option, if you so choose. Transfers from the DCA Fixed Rate Option do not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowed under the contract.
If you make a withdrawal or have a fee assessed from your contract, and all or part of that withdrawal or fee comes out of the DCA Fixed Rate Option, we will recalculate the periodic transfer amount to reflect the change. This recalculation may include some or all of the interest credited to the date of the next scheduled transfer. If a withdrawal or fee assessment reduces the monthly transfer amount below $100, we will transfer the remaining balance in the DCA Fixed Rate Option on the next scheduled transfer date.
By investing amounts on a regular basis instead of investing the total amount at one time, the DCA Fixed Rate Option may decrease the effect of Variable Option fluctuation on the investment of your purchase payment. Of course, dollar cost averaging cannot ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.
Market Value Adjustment (MVA) Options
We offer MVA Options of different durations during the Accumulation Period. When you allocate your Account Value to an MVA Option, you earn a fixed rate of interest as long as you remain invested for a set period of time called a Guarantee Period. Amounts in MVA Options are supported by our general account and subject to our claims paying ability.
Under the MVA Options, you earn interest over the Guarantee Period selected. A Guarantee Period begins when all or part of a Purchase Payment is allocated to a particular Guarantee Period. The Market Value Adjustment Options may not be available through all firms.
We credit interest to amounts held within the Market Value Adjustment Options at the applicable declared rates in effect when the Guarantee Period begins.
The interest rate declared for a Market Value Adjustment Option will be no less than the minimum guaranteed interest rate. The minimum guaranteed interest rate that applies to you may vary depending on the state in which your Annuity was issued, but it will be shown on your Annuity specifications page and will never be less than (a) 3% (for MVA Options) or (b) the minimum rate required under state law or regulation; whichever is greater. We may, from time to time, declare new interest rates for new Purchase Payments that are higher than the minimum guaranteed interest rate. Any change in interest rates does not affect Market Value Adjustment Options that were in effect before the date of the change. At the time that we confirm the allocation of your Purchase Payment to a Market Value Adjustment Option, we will advise you of the interest rate in effect. To inquire as to the current rates, please contact our Annuity Service Center at 1-888-PRU-2888 or at ‘www.prudential.com/annuities.
If you withdraw or transfer assets from a Market Value Adjustment Option, other than during the 30 day period immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment, which may be positive or negative. You could lose a significant amount of money due to a negative Market Value Adjustment. The following transactions, when they occur more than 30 days immediately following the end of the Guarantee
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Period, are subject to a Market Value Adjustment: (i) partial withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, Required Minimum Distributions, and withdrawals under any Optional Benefit), (ii) surrenders, (iii) exercise of the right to cancel, (iv) transfers, and (v) the deduction of fees. For more information about Market Value Adjustments, see “Charges and Adjustments”.
Variable Options
Each Variable Option invests exclusively in a single Portfolio. The Account Value allocated to a Variable Option will vary based on the investment experience of the corresponding Portfolio in which it invests. There is a risk of loss of the entire amount invested. Please refer to Appendix A for certain information regarding each Portfolio, including (i) its name, (ii) its type (e.g., money market fund, bond fund, balanced fund, etc.), (iii) its investment advisor and any sub-advisor, (iv) current expenses, and (v) performance. There is no guarantee that any underlying Portfolio will meet its investment objective. Each Portfolio has issued a prospectus that contains more detailed information about the Portfolio. The prospectuses for the Portfolios can be found online at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS3-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-888- PRU-2888.
Each underlying Portfolio is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act. Shares of the underlying Portfolios are sold to Separate Accounts of life insurance companies offering variable annuity and variable life insurance products. The shares may also be sold directly to qualified pension and retirement plans.
Voting Rights
We are the legal owner of the shares of the underlying Portfolios in which the Variable Options invest. However, under current SEC rules, you have voting rights in relation to Account Value allocated to the Variable Options. If an underlying Portfolio requests a vote of shareholders, we will vote our shares based on instructions received from Owners with Account Value allocated to that Variable Option. Owners have the right to vote an amount equal to the number of shares attributable to their Annuity. If we do not receive voting instructions in relation to certain shares, we will vote those shares in the same manner and proportion as the shares for which we have received instructions. This voting procedure is sometimes referred to as “mirror voting” because, as indicated in the immediately preceding sentence, we mirror the votes that are actually cast, rather than decide on our own how to vote. We will also “mirror vote” shares that are owned directly by us or an affiliate (excluding shares held in the Separate Account of an affiliated insurer). In addition, because all the shares of a given Portfolio held within the Separate Account are legally owned by us, we intend to vote all of such shares when that underlying Portfolio seeks a vote of its shareholders. As such, all such shares will be counted towards whether there is a quorum at the underlying Portfolio’s shareholder meeting and toward the ultimate outcome of the vote. Thus, under “mirror voting,” it is possible that the votes of a small percentage of Owners who actually vote will determine the ultimate outcome.
We may, if required by state insurance regulations, disregard voting instructions if they would require shares to be voted so as to cause a change in the sub-classification or investment objectives of one or more of the available Variable Options or to approve or disapprove an investment advisory contract for a Portfolio. In addition, we may disregard voting instructions that would require changes in the investment policy or investment advisor of one or more of the Portfolios associated with the available Variable Options, provided that we reasonably disapprove such changes in accordance with applicable federal or state regulations. If we disregard Owner voting instructions, we will advise Owners of our action and the reasons for such action in the next available annual or semi-annual report.
We will furnish those Owners who have Account Value allocated to a Variable Option whose underlying Portfolio has requested a “proxy” vote with proxy materials and the necessary forms to provide us with their voting instructions. Generally, you will be asked to provide instructions for us to vote on matters such as changes in a fundamental investment strategy, adoption of a new investment advisory agreement, or matters relating to the structure of the underlying Portfolio that require a vote of shareholders. We reserve the right to change the voting procedures described above if applicable SEC rules change.
Similar Funds
The Portfolios are not publicly traded mutual funds. They are only available as investment options in variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by insurance companies, or in some cases, to participants in certain qualified retirement plans. However, some of the Portfolios available as Variable Options under the variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies are managed by the same advisor or subadvisor as a retail mutual fund of the same or similar name that the Portfolio may have been modeled after at its inception. Certain retail mutual funds may also have been modeled after a Portfolio. While the investment objective and policies of the retail mutual funds and the Portfolios may be substantially similar, the actual investments will differ to varying degrees. Differences in the performance of the funds can be expected, and in some cases could be substantial. You should not compare the performance of a publicly traded mutual fund with the performance of any similarly named Portfolio offered as a Variable Option.
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Material Conflicts
In the future, it may become disadvantageous for Separate Accounts of variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts to invest in the same underlying Portfolios. Neither the companies that invest in the Portfolios nor the Portfolios currently foresee any such disadvantage. The Board of Directors for each Portfolio intends to monitor events in order to identify any material conflict between variable life insurance policy owners and variable annuity contract owners and to determine what action, if any, should be taken. Material conflicts could result from such things as:
| (1. | changes in state insurance law; |
| (2. | changes in federal income tax law; |
| (3. | changes in the investment management of any Variable Option; or |
| (4. | differences between voting instructions given by variable life insurance policy owners and variable annuity contract owners. |
Fees and Payments Received by Us
As detailed below, we and our affiliates receive substantial payments from the underlying Portfolios and/or related entities, such as the Portfolios’ advisors and subadvisors. Because these fees and payments are made to us and our affiliates, allocations you make to the underlying Portfolios benefit us financially. In selecting Portfolios available under the Annuity, we consider the payments that will be made to us.
We may receive Rule 12b-1 fees which compensate us and our affiliate, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., for distribution and administrative services. These fees are paid by the underlying Portfolio out of each Portfolio’s assets and are therefore borne by Owners.
We may also receive administrative services payments from the Portfolios or the advisors of the underlying Portfolios or their affiliates, which are referred to as “revenue sharing” payments. The maximum combined 12b-1 fees and revenue sharing payments we receive with respect to a Portfolio are generally equal to an annual rate of 0.55% of the average assets allocated to the Portfolio under the Annuity (in certain cases, however, this amount may be equal to an annual rate of 0.60% of the average assets allocated to the Portfolio). We expect to make a profit on these fees and payments and consider them when selecting the Portfolios available under the Annuity.
In addition, an advisor or subadvisor of a Portfolio or a distributor of the Annuity (not the Portfolios) may also compensate us by providing reimbursement, defraying the costs of, or paying directly for, among other things, marketing and/or administrative services and/or other services they provide in connection with the Annuity. These services may include, but are not limited to: sponsoring or co-sponsoring various promotional, educational or marketing meetings and seminars attended by distributors, wholesalers, and/or broker dealer firms’ registered representatives, and creating marketing material discussing the Annuity, available options, and underlying Portfolios. The amounts paid depend on the nature of the meetings, the number of meetings attended by the advisor, subadvisor, or distributor, the number of participants and attendees at the meetings, the costs expected to be incurred, and the level of the advisor’s, subadvisor’s or distributor’s participation. These payments or reimbursements may not be offered by all advisors, subadvisors, or distributors and the amounts of such payments may vary between and among each advisor, subadvisor, and distributor depending on their respective participation. We may also consider these payments and reimbursements when selecting the Portfolios available under the Annuity. For the annual period ended December 31, 2025, with regard to the total annual amounts that were paid (or as to which a payment amount was accrued) under the kinds of arrangements described in this paragraph, the amounts for any particular advisor, subadvisor or distributor ranged from $125.19 to $275,000. These amounts relate to all individual variable annuity contracts issued by Pruco Life or its affiliates, not only the Annuity covered by this prospectus.
In addition to the payments that we receive from underlying Portfolios and/or their affiliates, those same Portfolios and/or their affiliates may make payments to us and/or other insurers within the Prudential Financial group related to the offering of investment options within variable annuities or life insurance offered by different Prudential business units.
We may substitute one or more of the underlying mutual funds used by the Variable Options. We may also cease to allow investments in existing funds. We would not do this without the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and any necessary state insurance departments. You will be given specific notice in advance of any substitution we intend to make.
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There are charges and other expenses associated with the contract that reduce the return on your investment. These charges and expenses are described below.
The charges under the contracts are designed to cover, in the aggregate, our direct and indirect costs of selling, administering and providing benefits under the contracts. They are also designed, in the aggregate, to compensate us for the risks of loss we assume pursuant to the contracts. If, as we expect, the charges that we collect from the contracts exceed our total costs in connection with the contracts, we will earn a profit. Otherwise, we will incur a loss. The rates of certain of our charges have been set with reference to estimates of the amount of specific types of expenses or risks that we will incur. In most cases, this prospectus identifies such expenses or risks in the name of the charge; however, the fact that any charge bears the name of, or is designed primarily to defray a particular expense or risk does not mean that the amount we collect from that charge will never be more than the amount of such expense or risk. Nor does it mean that we may not also be compensated for such expense or risk out of any other charges we are permitted to deduct by the terms of the contract.
INSURANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES
If you choose an optional benefit, the insurance and administrative cost also includes a charge to cover our assumption of the associated risk. The mortality risk portion of the charge is for assuming the risk that the annuitant(s) will live longer than expected based on our life expectancy tables. When this happens, we pay a greater number of annuity payments. We also incur the risk that the death benefit amount exceeds the Contract Value. The expense risk portion of the charge is for assuming the risk that the current charges will be insufficient in the future to cover the cost of administering the contract. The administrative expense portion of the charge compensates us for the expenses associated with the administration of the contract. This includes preparing and issuing the contract; establishing and maintaining contract records; preparation of confirmations and annual reports; personnel costs; legal and accounting fees; filing fees; and systems costs.
We calculate the insurance and administrative charge based on the average daily value of all assets allocated to the Variable Options. These charges are not assessed against amounts allocated to the fixed interest rate options. The amount of the charge depends on the death benefit (or other) option that you choose.
The death benefit charge is equal to:
| • | 1.40% on an annual basis if you choose the base death benefit, |
| • | 1.65% on an annual basis if you choose either the roll-up or step-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option, (i.e., 0.25% in addition to the base death benefit charge), OR |
| • | 1.75% on an annual basis if you choose the greater of the roll-up and step-up Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option (i.e., 0.35% in addition to the base death benefit charge). |
We impose an additional insurance and administrative charge of 0.10% annually (of Contract Value attributable to the Variable Options) for the Contract With Credit.
If the charges under the contract are not sufficient to cover our expenses, then we will bear the loss. We do, however, expect to profit from these charges. Any profits made from these charges may be used by us to pay for the costs of distributing the contracts. If you choose the Contract With Credit, we will also use any profits from this charge to recoup our costs of providing the credit.
If a fixed interest rate option is available under your contract, the interest rate that we credit to that option may be reduced by an amount that corresponds to the asset-based charges to which you are subject under the Variable Options.
A withdrawal charge may apply if you make a full or partial withdrawal during the withdrawal charge period for a Purchase Payment. The amount and duration of the withdrawal charge depends on whether you choose the Contract With Credit or the Contract Without Credit. The withdrawal charge varies with the number of contract anniversaries that have elapsed since each Purchase Payment being withdrawn was made. Specifically, we maintain an “age” for each Purchase Payment you have made by keeping track of how many contract anniversaries have passed since the Purchase Payment was made.
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The withdrawal charge is the percentage, shown below, of the amount withdrawn.
|
Number of Contract Anniversaries Since Purchase Payment |
Year 0 |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
|
Contract with credit |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
8.00% |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
|
Contract without credit |
7.00% |
6.00% |
5.00% |
4.00% |
3.00% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
0.00% |
If a withdrawal is effective on the day before a contract anniversary, the withdrawal charge percentage as of the next following contract anniversary will apply.
If you request a withdrawal, we will deduct an amount from the Contract Value that is sufficient to pay the withdrawal charge, and provide you with the amount requested.
If you request a full withdrawal, we will provide you with the full amount of the Contract Value after making deductions for charges.
Each contract year, you may withdraw a specified amount of your Contract Value without incurring a withdrawal charge. We make this “charge-free amount” available to you subject to approval of this feature in your state. We determine the charge-free amount available to you in a given contract year on the contract anniversary that begins that year. In calculating the charge-free amount, we divide Purchase Payments into two categories - payments that are subject to a withdrawal charge and those that are not. We determine the charge-free amount based only on Purchase Payments that are subject to a withdrawal charge. The charge-free amount in a given contract year is equal to 10% of the sum of all the Purchase Payments subject to the withdrawal charge that you have made as of the applicable contract anniversary. During the first contract year, the charge-free amount is equal to 10% of the initial Purchase Payment.
When you make a withdrawal (including a withdrawal under a lifetime withdrawal benefit), we will deduct the amount of the withdrawal first from the available charge-free amount. Any excess amount will then be deducted from Purchase Payments in excess of the charge-free amount and subject to applicable withdrawal charges. Once you have withdrawn all Purchase Payments, additional withdrawals will come from any earnings. We do not impose withdrawal charges on earnings.
If a withdrawal or transfer is taken from a market value adjustment guarantee period prior to the expiration of the rate guarantee period, we will make a market value adjustment to the withdrawal amount, including the withdrawal charge. We will then apply a withdrawal charge to the adjusted amount.
If you choose the Contract With Credit and make a withdrawal that is subject to a withdrawal charge, we may use part of that withdrawal charge to recoup our costs of providing the credit.
Withdrawal charges will never be greater than permitted by applicable law.
On each contract anniversary during the accumulation phase, if your Contract Value is less than $75,000, we will deduct the lesser of $35 or 2% of your Contract Value, for administrative expenses (this fee may differ in certain states). While this is what we currently charge, we may increase this charge up to a maximum of $60. Also, we may raise the level of the Contract Value at which we waive this fee. The charge will be deducted proportionately from each of the contract’s investment options, fixed interest rate options, and guarantee periods within the market value adjustment option. This same charge will also be deducted when you surrender your contract if your Contract Value is less than $75,000.
BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION CHARGES
If your beneficiary elects the Beneficiary Continuation Option, we deduct a Settlement Service Charge. The charge is assessed daily against the average assets allocated to the Variable Options, and is equal to an annual charge of 1.00%. In addition, the beneficiary will incur an annual maintenance fee equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value if the Contract Value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. The fee will not apply if it is assessed 30 days prior to a surrender request. Finally, transfers in excess of 20 per year will incur a $10 transfer fee.
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Some states, municipalities, and other jurisdictions charge premium taxes or similar taxes on annuities that we are required to pay. The amount of tax will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is subject to change. We currently deduct the Tax Charge from the Account Value upon Annuitization. The Tax Charge is designed to approximate the taxes that we are required to pay and is assessed as a percentage of the Account Value. The Tax Charge currently ranges up to 3.5%. We reserve the right to deduct the Tax Charge from Purchase Payments when received or from Surrender Value upon surrender. Surrender Value refers to the Account Value less any applicable Tax Charges. We may also assess a charge equal to any Company Taxes or other taxes which may be imposed against the Separate Accounts.
You can make 12 free transfers every contract year. We measure a contract year from the date we issue your contract (contract date). If you make more than 12 transfers in a contract year (excluding Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto-Rebalancing), we will deduct a transfer fee of $25 for each additional transfer. We have the right to increase this fee up to a maximum of $30 per transfer, but we have no current plans to do so. We will deduct the transfer fee on a proportional basis from the investment options from which the transfer is made. The transfer fee is deducted before the market value adjustment, if any, is calculated. There is a different transfer fee under the Beneficiary Continuance Option.
We pay company income taxes on the taxable corporate earnings created by this separate account product. While we may consider company income taxes when pricing our products, we do not currently include such income taxes in the Tax Charges you pay under the Annuity. We will periodically review the issue of charging for taxes and may impose a charge in the future. We reserve the right to impose a charge for taxes if we determine, in our sole discretion, that we will incur a tax as a result of the administration of the Annuity, including any tax imposed with respect to the operation of the Separate Account or General Account.
In calculating our corporate income tax liability, we derive certain corporate income tax benefits associated with the investment of company assets, including Separate Account assets, which are treated as company assets under applicable income tax law. These benefits reduce our overall corporate income tax liability. Under current law, such benefits include foreign tax credits and corporate dividend received deductions. We do not pass these tax benefits through to holders of the Separate Account annuity contracts because:
(i) the contract owners are not the owners of the assets generating these benefits under applicable income tax law and (ii) we do not currently include company income taxes in the Tax Charges you pay under the contract. We reserve the right to change these tax practices.
We send any statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at your last known address of record. You may request additional reports. We reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each such additional report.
MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT OPTION CHARGES AND ADJUSTMENTS
No specific fees or expenses are deducted when determining the rates we credit to a Market Value Adjustment Option. However, for some of the same reasons that we deduct the insurance charge against the Account Value allocated to the Variable Options, we also take into consideration mortality, expense, administration, profit, and other factors in determining the interest rates we credit to a Market Value Adjustment Option.
Market Value Adjustment: If you withdraw or transfer assets from a Market Value Adjustment Option more than 30 days immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment, which may increase or decrease your initial amount invested. You could lose up to 100% of your investment in a Market Value Adjustment Option as a result of a negative Market Value Adjustment. The following transactions, when they occur more than 30 days immediately following the end of the Guarantee Period, are subject to a Market Value Adjustment: (i) partial withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, Required Minimum Distributions, and withdrawals under any Optional Living Benefit), (ii) surrenders, (iii) exercise of the right to cancel, (iv) transfers (other than scheduled DCA transfers), and (v) the deduction of fees.
The Market Value Adjustment is calculated at the time of the transaction by multiplying the Unadjusted Account Value of the Market Value Adjustment Option (before the transaction is processed) by the Market Value Adjustment factor. The Market Value Adjustment factor is determined using a formula that takes into account (i) the difference between Constant Maturity Treasury rates established at the inception of the Market Value Adjustment Option and at the time of calculation, (ii) the amount of time remaining in the Guarantee Period, and (iii) a Liquidity Factor of 0.25%. If you decide to Free Look your Annuity, we will not apply the Liquidity Factor. Generally, if yields are higher at the time of Market Value Adjustment application than they were at the beginning of the Guarantee Period, the Market Value Adjustment will be negative. Generally, if yields are lower at the time of Market Value Adjustment application than they were at the beginning of the Guarantee Period, the Market Value Adjustment will be positive.
A negative Market Value Adjustment will reduce your Account Value and Surrender Value on a dollar-for-dollar basis. A negative Market Value Adjustment could reduce the basic death benefit amount by an amount greater than the value withdrawn. See “Death Benefits” for more information. A negative Market Value Adjustment could also cause the total withdrawal amount to exceed guarantees offered under the Optional Living Benefits, which could permanently reduce your future guarantees under the benefit. See “Benefits Available Under the Contract” for more information.
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Generally, the interest rates we offer for Market Value Adjustment Options will reflect the investment returns available on the types of investments we make to support our fixed rate guarantees. The Market Value Adjustment is intended to protect us from losses on these investments when we must pay out amounts that are removed from a Market Value Adjustment Option prior to the end of the Guarantee Period.
You may request a quote of the impact an early distribution would have on your Account Value by contacting our Service Center at 1-888-PRU-2888. Values fluctuate daily and the actual Market Value Adjustment applied at the time a transaction is processed may be more or less than the values quoted at the time of your call. Additional information about the calculation of the Market Value Adjustment, including the Market Value Adjustment formula and examples, can be found in the Statement of Additional Information.
When you allocate a Purchase Payment or a transfer to the Variable Options, we in turn invest in shares of a corresponding underlying mutual fund. Those funds charge fees that are in addition to the contract-related fees described in this section. For certain funds, expenses are reduced pursuant to expense waivers and comparable arrangements. In general, these expense waivers and comparable arrangements are not guaranteed, and may be terminated at any time. For additional information about these fund fees, please consult the prospectuses for the funds.
Benefits Available Under the Contract
For information about the benefits available under the Contract and their corresponding changes, please refer to the section titled “Benefits Available Under the Contract” in this prospectus.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CONTRACTS
The Strategic Partners Plus 3 Variable Annuity is a contract between you, the owner, and US, Pruco Life Insurance Company (Pruco Life, we or us).
Under our contract, in exchange for your payment to us, we promise to pay you a guaranteed income stream that can begin any time on or after the third contract anniversary. Your annuity is in the accumulation phase until you decide to begin receiving annuity payments. The date you begin receiving annuity payments is the annuity date. On the annuity date, your contract switches to the income phase.
This annuity contract benefits from tax deferral when it is sold outside a tax-favored plan (generally called a Non-qualified annuity). Tax deferral means that you are not taxed on earnings or appreciation on the assets in your contract until you take a distribution from your contract.
If you purchase the annuity contract in a tax-favored plan such as an IRA, that plan generally provides tax deferral even without investing in an annuity contract. In other words, you need not purchase this contract to gain the preferential tax treatment provided by your retirement plan. Therefore, before purchasing an annuity in a tax-favored plan, you should consider whether its features and benefits beyond tax deferral, including the death benefit and income benefits, meet your needs and goals. You should consider the relative features, benefits and costs of this annuity compared with any other investment that you may use in connection with your retirement plan or arrangement.
There are two basic versions of Strategic Partners Plus 3 variable annuity.
Contract With Credit.
| • | provides for a bonus credit that we add to each Purchase Payment that you make, |
| • | has higher withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs than the Contract Without Credit, |
| • | may provide a lower interest rate for fixed interest rate options and the Market Value Adjustment Option than the Contract Without Credit, and |
| • | may provide fewer available market value adjustment guarantee periods than the Contract Without Credit. |
Contract Without Credit.
| • | does not provide a credit, |
| • | has lower withdrawal charges and insurance and administrative costs than the Contract With Credit, |
| • | may provide a higher interest rate for fixed interest rate options and the Market Value Adjustment Option than the Contract With Credit, and |
| • | may provide more market value adjustment guarantee periods than the Contract With Credit. |
Unless we state otherwise, when we use the word contract, it applies to both versions.
In replacing another annuity you may own, please consider all charges associated with that annuity. Credits applicable to bonus products, such as the Contract With Credit, should not be viewed as an offset of any surrender charge that applies to another annuity contract you may currently own.
Because of the higher withdrawal charges, if you choose the Contract With Credit and you withdraw a Purchase Payment, depending upon the performance of the investment options you choose, you may be worse off than if you had chosen the Contract Without Credit. We do not recommend purchase of either version of Strategic Partners Plus 3 if you anticipate having to withdraw a significant amount of your Purchase Payments within a few years of making those Purchase Payments.
Strategic Partners Plus 3 is a variable annuity contract. During the accumulation phase, you can allocate your assets among the Variable Options, guaranteed fixed interest rate options and a market value adjustment option. If you select Variable Options, the amount of money you are able to accumulate in your contract during the accumulation phase depends upon the investment performance of the underlying mutual fund(s) associated with that Variable Option.
Because the underlying mutual funds’ portfolios fluctuate in value depending upon market conditions, your Contract Value can either increase or decrease. This is important, since the amount of the annuity payments you receive during the income phase depends upon the value of your contract at the time you begin receiving payments.
As the owner of the contract, you have all of the decision-making rights under the contract. You will also be the annuitant unless you designate someone else. The annuitant is the person whose life is used to determine how much and how long (if applicable) the annuity payments will continue once the annuity phase begins. On or after the annuity date, the annuitant may not be changed.
The beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you designate to receive any death benefit. You may change the beneficiary any time prior to the annuity date.
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If you change your mind about owning Strategic Partners Plus 3, you may cancel your contract within 10 days after receiving it (or whatever period is required by applicable law). You can request a refund by returning the contract either to the representative who sold it to you, or to the Prudential Annuity Service Center at the address shown on the first page of this prospectus. You will receive, depending on applicable state law:
| • | Your full Purchase Payment, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding; or |
| • | The amount your contract is worth as of the day we receive your request, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding. This amount may be more or less than your original payment. We impose neither a withdrawal charge nor any market value adjustment if you cancel your contract under this provision. |
If you have purchased the Contract With Credit, we will deduct any credit we had added to your Contract Value. To the extent dictated by state law, we will include in your refund the amount of any fees and charges that we deducted.
TRANSFER AND REBALANCING PROGRAMS
MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT OPTION
Under the Market Value Adjustment Option, we may offer one or more of several guarantee periods provided that the interest rate we are able to declare will be no less than the minimum interest rate dictated by applicable state law with respect to any guarantee period.
We may offer fewer available guarantee periods in Contracts With Credit than in Contracts Without Credit. This option is not available for contracts issued in some states.
If amounts are withdrawn from a guarantee period, other than during the 30-day period immediately following the end of the guarantee period, they will be subject to a market value adjustment even if they are not subject to a withdrawal charge.
You will earn interest on your invested purchase payment at the rate that we have declared for the guarantee period you have chosen. You must invest at least $1,000 if you choose this option. We may offer lower interest rates for Contracts With Credit than for Contracts Without Credit.
TRANSFERS AMONG OPTIONS
Subject to certain restrictions, you can transfer money among the Variable Options and the one-year fixed interest rate option. The minimum transfer amount is the lesser of $250 or the amount in the investment option from which the transfer is to be made. In addition, you can transfer your Contract Value out of a market value adjustment guarantee period into another market value adjustment guarantee period, into a Variable Option, or into a one-year fixed interest rate option, although a market value adjustment will apply to any transfer you make outside the 30-day period discussed above. You may transfer Contract Value into the market value adjustment option at any time, provided it is at least $1,000.
In general, you may make your transfer request by telephone, electronically, or otherwise in paper form to the Prudential Annuity Service Center. We have procedures in place to confirm that instructions received by telephone or electronically are genuine. We will not be liable for following unauthorized telephone or electronic instructions that we reasonably believed to be genuine. Your transfer request will take effect at the end of the business day on which it was received in good order by us, or by certain entities that we have specifically designated. Our business day generally closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Our business day may close earlier, for example if regular trading on the NYSE closes early. Transfer requests received after the close of the business day will take effect at the end of the next business day.
With regard to the Market Value Adjustment Option, you can specify the guarantee period from which you wish to transfer. If you request a transfer from the market value adjustment option, but you do not specify the guarantee period from which funds are to be taken, then we will transfer funds from the guarantee period that has the least time remaining until its maturity date.
YOU CAN MAKE TRANSFERS OUT OF A FIXED INTEREST RATE OPTION, OTHER THAN THE DCA FIXED RATE OPTION, ONLY DURING THE 30-DAY PERIOD FOLLOWING THE END OF THE ONE YEAR INTEREST RATE PERIOD. TRANSFERS FROM THE DCA FIXED RATE OPTION ARE MADE ON A PERIODIC BASIS FOR THE PERIOD THAT YOU SELECT.
During the contract accumulation phase, you can make up to 12 transfers each contract year, among the investment options, without charge. (As noted in the fee table, we have different transfer charges under the Beneficiary Continuation Option). Currently, we charge $25 for each transfer after the twelfth in a contract year, and we have the right to increase this charge up to $30. (Dollar Cost Averaging and Auto- Rebalancing transfers do not count toward the 12 free transfers per year.)
For purposes of the 12 free transfers per year that we allow, we will treat multiple transfers that are submitted on the same business day as a single transfer.
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Dollar Cost Averaging Programs
The dollar cost averaging (DCA) feature (which is distinct from the DCA Fixed Rate Option) allows you to systematically transfer either a fixed dollar amount or a percentage out of any Variable Option into any other Variable Options or the one-year fixed interest rate option. You can have these automatic transfers occur monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. By investing amounts on a regular basis instead of investing the total amount at one time, dollar cost averaging may decrease the effect of Variable Option fluctuation on the investment of your Purchase Payment. Of course, dollar cost averaging cannot ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
Transfers will be made automatically on the schedule you choose until the entire amount you chose to have transferred has been transferred or until you tell us to discontinue the transfers. You can allocate subsequent Purchase Payments to be transferred under this option at any time.
Your transfers will occur on the last calendar day of each transfer period you have selected, provided that the NYSE is open on that date. If the NYSE is not open on a particular transfer date, the transfer will take effect on the next business day.
Any dollar cost averaging transfers you make do not count toward the 12 free transfers you are allowed each contract year. The dollar cost averaging feature is available only during the contract accumulation phase and is offered without charge.
Automatic Rebalancing Programs
Once your money has been allocated among the Variable Options, the actual performance of the investment options may cause your allocation to shift. For example, an investment option that initially holds only a small percentage of your assets could perform much better than another investment option. Over time, this option could increase to a larger percentage of your assets than you desire. You can direct us to automatically rebalance your assets to return to your original allocation percentage or to a subsequent allocation percentage you select. We will rebalance only the Variable Options that you have designated. The DCA account cannot participate in this feature.
You may choose to have your rebalancing occur monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. The rebalancing will occur on the last calendar day of the period you have chosen, provided that the NYSE is open on that date. If the NYSE is not open on that date, the rebalancing will take effect on the next business day.
Any transfers you make because of auto-rebalancing are not counted toward the 12 free transfers you are allowed per year. This feature is available only during the contract accumulation phase, and is offered without charge. If you choose auto-rebalancing and dollar cost averaging, auto-rebalancing will take place after the transfers from your DCA account.
We recognize the value of having asset allocation models when deciding how to allocate your Purchase Payments among the investment options. If you choose to participate in the Asset Allocation Program, your representative will give you a questionnaire to complete that will help determine a program that is appropriate for you. Your asset allocation will be prepared based on your answers to the questionnaire. You will not be charged for this service, and you are not obligated to participate or to invest according to program recommendations.
Asset allocation is a sophisticated method of diversification which allocates assets among classes in order to manage investment risk and enhance returns over the long term. However, asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. You are not obligated to participate or to invest according to the program recommendations. We do not intend to provide any personalized investment advice in connection with these programs and you should not rely on these programs as providing individualized investment recommendations to you. The asset allocation programs do not guarantee better investment results. We reserve the right to terminate or change the asset allocation programs at any time. You should consult your representative before electing any asset allocation program.
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS
We limit your ability to transfer among your contract’s Variable Options as permitted by applicable law. We impose a yearly restriction on transfers. Specifically, once you have made 20 transfers among the Variable Options during a contract year, we will accept any additional transfer request during that year only if the request is submitted to us in writing with an original signature and otherwise is in good order. For purposes of this transfer restriction, we (i) do not view a facsimile transmission as a “writing”, (ii) will treat multiple transfer requests submitted on the same business day as a single transfer, and (iii) do not count any transfer that involves one of our systematic programs, such as asset allocation and automated withdrawals.
Frequent transfers among Variable Options in response to short-term fluctuations in markets, sometimes called “market timing,” can make it very difficult for a portfolio manager to manage an underlying mutual fund’s investments. Frequent transfers may cause the fund to hold more cash than otherwise necessary, disrupt management strategies, increase transaction costs, or affect performance. For those reasons, the contract was not designed for persons who make programmed, large, or frequent transfers.
In light of the risks posed to contract owners and other fund investors by frequent transfers, we reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any contract year for all existing or new contract owners, and to take the other actions discussed below. We also reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any contract year or to refuse any transfer request for an owner or certain owners if: (a) we believe that excessive transfer activity (as we define it) or a specific transfer request or group of transfer requests may have a detrimental effect on accumulation unit values or the share prices of the
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underlying mutual funds; or (b) we are informed by a fund (e.g., by the fund’s portfolio manager) that the purchase or redemption of fund shares must be restricted because the fund believes the transfer activity to which such purchase and redemption relates would have a detrimental effect on the share prices of the affected fund. Without limiting the above, the most likely scenario where either of the above could occur would be if the aggregate amount of a trade or trades represented a relatively large proportion of the total assets of a particular underlying mutual fund. In furtherance of our general authority to restrict transfers as described above, and without limiting other actions we may take in the future, we have adopted the following specific restrictions:
| • | With respect to each Variable Option (other than the Prudential Money Market Portfolio), we track amounts exceeding a certain dollar threshold that were transferred into the option. If you transfer such amount into a particular Variable Option, and within 30 calendar days thereafter transfer (the “Transfer Out”) all or a portion of that amount into another Variable Option, then upon the Transfer Out, the former Variable Option becomes restricted (the “Restricted Option”). Specifically, we will not permit subsequent transfers into the Restricted Option for 90 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Option invests in a non-international fund, or 180 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Option invests in an international fund. For purposes of this rule, we do not (i) count transfers made in connection with one of our systematic programs, such as asset allocation and automated withdrawals and |
| • | (ii) categorize as a transfer the first transfer that you make after the contract date, if you make that transfer within 30 calendar days after the contract date. Even if an amount becomes restricted under the foregoing rules, you are still free to redeem the amount from your contract at any time. |
| • | We reserve the right to effect exchanges on a delayed basis for all contracts. That is, we may price an exchange involving a Variable Option on the business day subsequent to the business day on which the exchange request was received. Before implementing such a practice, we would issue a separate written notice to contract owners that explains the practice in detail. In addition, if we do implement a delayed exchange policy, we will apply the policy on a uniform basis to all contracts in the relevant class. |
| • | The portfolios may have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to excessive trading of their respective shares, and we reserve the right to enforce these policies and procedures. The prospectuses for the portfolios describe any such policies and procedures, which may be more or less restrictive than the policies and procedures we have adopted. Under SEC rules, we are required to: (1) enter into a written agreement with each portfolio or its principal underwriter that obligates us to provide to the portfolio promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual contract owners, and (2) execute instructions from the portfolio to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific contract owners who violate the excessive trading policies established by the portfolio. In addition, you should be aware that some portfolios may receive “omnibus” purchase and redemption orders from other insurance companies or intermediaries such as retirement plans. The omnibus orders reflect the aggregation and netting of multiple orders from individual owners of variable insurance contracts and/or individual retirement plan participants. The omnibus nature of these orders may limit the portfolios in their ability to apply their excessive trading policies and procedures. In addition, the other insurance companies and/or retirement plans may have different policies and procedures or may not have any such policies and procedures because of contractual limitations. For these reasons, we cannot guarantee that the portfolios (and thus contract owners) will not be harmed by transfer activity relating to other insurance companies and/or retirement plans that may invest in the portfolios. |
| • | A portfolio also may assess a short term trading fee in connection with a transfer out of the Variable Option investing in that portfolio that occurs within a certain number of days following the date of allocation to the Variable Option. Each portfolio determines the amount of the short term trading fee and when the fee is imposed. The fee is retained by or paid to the portfolio and is not retained by us. The fee will be deducted from your Contract Value, to the extent allowed by law. At present, no Portfolio has adopted a short-term trading fee. |
| • | If we deny one or more transfer requests under the foregoing rules, we will inform you promptly of the circumstances concerning the denial. |
| • | We will not implement these rules in jurisdictions that have not approved contract language authorizing us to do so, or may implement different rules in certain jurisdictions if required by such jurisdictions. Contract owners in jurisdictions with such limited transfer restrictions, and contract owners who own variable life insurance or variable annuity contracts (regardless of jurisdiction) that do not impose the above-referenced transfer restrictions, might make more numerous and frequent transfers than contract owners who are subject to such limitations. Because contract owners who are not subject to the same transfer restrictions may have the same underlying mutual fund portfolios available to them, unfavorable consequences associated with such frequent trading within the underlying mutual fund (e.g., greater portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, or performance or tax issues) may affect all contract owners. Apart from jurisdiction-specific and contract differences in transfer restrictions, we will apply these rules uniformly, and will not waive a transfer restriction for any contract owner. |
Although our transfer restrictions are designed to prevent excessive transfers, they are not capable of preventing every potential occurrence of excessive transfer activity.
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We can begin making annuity payments any time on or after the third contract anniversary (or as required by state law if different). Annuity payments must begin no later than the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday (unless we agree to another date).
Upon annuitization, any value in a guarantee period of the market value adjustment option may be subject to a market value adjustment.
The Strategic Partners Plus 3 variable annuity contract offers an optional Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, which we describe below. Your annuity options vary depending upon whether you choose this benefit.
Depending upon the annuity option you choose, you may incur a withdrawal charge when the income phase begins. Currently, if permitted by state law, we deduct any applicable withdrawal charge if you choose Option 1 for a period shorter than five years, Option 3, or certain other annuity options that we may make available. We do not deduct a withdrawal charge if you choose Option 1 for a period of five years or longer or Option 2. For information about withdrawal charges, please see the “Fee Table” section of this prospectus.
Please note that annuitization essentially involves converting your Contract Value to an annuity payment stream, the length of which depends on the terms of the applicable annuity option. Thus, once annuity payments begin, your death benefit is determined solely under the terms of the applicable annuity payment option, and you no longer participate in any optional living benefit (unless you have annuitized under that benefit).
PAYMENT PROVISIONS WITHOUT THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT
We make the income plans described below available at any time before the annuity date. These plans are called "annuity options" or "settlement options." During the income phase, all of the annuity options under this contract are fixed annuity options. This means that your participation in the Variable Options ends on the annuity date. If an annuity option is not selected by the annuity date, the Life Income Annuity Option (Option 2, described below) will automatically be selected unless prohibited by applicable law. GENERALLY, ONCE THE ANNUITY PAYMENTS BEGIN, THE ANNUITY OPTION CANNOT BE CHANGED AND YOU CANNOT MAKE WITHDRAWALS. IN ADDITION TO THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS DISCUSSED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU CHOOSE AN OPTIONAL LIFETIME WITHDRAWAL BENEFIT, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BENEFIT. PLEASE SEE “CHARGES” OF THIS PROSPECTUS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. For qualified annuities, the period certain option may be limited to 10 years or less depending on the circumstances.
Annuity Payments for a Fixed Period: Under this option, we will make equal payments for the period chosen, up to 25 years (but not to exceed life expectancy). The annuity payments may be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, as you choose, for the fixed period. If the annuitant dies during the income phase, payments will continue to the beneficiary for the remainder of the fixed period or, if the beneficiary so chooses, we will make a single lump-sum payment. The amount of the lump sum payment is determined by calculating the present value of the unpaid future payments. This is done by using the interest rate used to compute the actual payments. The interest rate will be at least 3% a year.
Life Income Annuity Option: Under this option, we will make annuity payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually as long as the annuitant is alive. If the annuitant dies before we have made 10 years worth of payments, we will pay the beneficiary in one lump sum the present value of the annuity payments scheduled to have been made over the remaining portion of that 10 year period, unless we were specifically instructed that such remaining annuity payments continue to be paid to the beneficiary. The present value of the remaining annuity payments is calculated by using the interest rate used to compute the amount of the original 120 payments. The interest rate will be at least 3% a year.
If an annuity option is not selected by the annuity date, this is the option we will automatically select for you, unless prohibited by applicable law. If the life income annuity option is prohibited by applicable law, then we will pay you a lump sum in lieu of this option.
Interest Payment Option: Under this option, we will credit interest on the adjusted Contract Value until you request payment of all or part of the adjusted Contract Value. We can make interest payments on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis or allow the interest to accrue on your contract assets. Under this option, we will pay you interest at an effective rate of at least 3% a year. This option is not available if you hold your contract in an IRA.
Under this option, all gain in the annuity will be taxable as of the annuity date, however, you can withdraw part or all of the Contract Value that we are holding at any time.
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We currently offer a variety of other annuity options not described above. At the time annuity payments are chosen, we may make available to you any of the fixed annuity options that are offered at your annuity date.
If your contract is held under a tax-favored plan, you should consider the required minimum distribution rules under the tax law when selecting your annuity option.
HOW WE DETERMINE ANNUITY PAYMENTS
Generally speaking, the annuity phase of the contract involves our distributing to you in increments the value that you have accumulated. We make these incremental payments either over a specified time period (e.g., 15 years) (fixed period annuities) or for the duration of the life of the annuitant (and possibly co-annuitant) (life annuities). There are certain assumptions that are common to both fixed period annuities and life annuities. In each type of annuity, we assume that the value you apply at the outset toward your annuity payments earns interest throughout the payout period at the guaranteed minimum rate of 3%.
Other assumptions that we use for life annuities and fixed period annuities differ, as detailed in the following overview:
Fixed Period Annuities
We previously offered fixed period annuities only under the Income Appreciator Benefit and non-GMIB annuity options. Generally speaking, in determining the amount of each annuity payment under a fixed period annuity, we start with the adjusted Contract Value, add interest assumed to be earned over the fixed period, and divide the sum by the number of payments you have requested. The life expectancy of the annuitant and co-annuitant are relevant to this calculation only in that we will not allow you to select a fixed period that exceeds life expectancy.
Life Annuities
There are more variables that affect our calculation of life annuity payments. Most importantly, we make several assumptions about the annuitant’s or co-annuitant’s life expectancy, including the following:
| • | The Annuity 2000 Mortality Table is the starting point for our life expectancy assumptions. This table anticipates longevity of an insured population based on historical experience and reflecting anticipated experience for the year 2000. |
Guaranteed Annuity Payments
Because life expectancy has lengthened over the past few decades, and likely will increase in the future, our life annuity calculations anticipate these developments. We do this largely by making a hypothetical reduction in the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), in lieu of using the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) actual age, in calculating the payment amounts. By using such a reduced age, we base our calculations on a younger person, who generally would live longer and therefore draw life annuity payments over a longer time period. Given the longer pay-out period, the payments made to the younger person would be less than those made to an older person. We make two such age adjustments:
| 1. | First, we start with the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant) on his/her most recent birthday and reduce that age by two years, with respect to guaranteed payments under life annuities. |
| 2. | Second, for life annuities, we make a further age reduction according to the table in your contract entitled “Translation of Adjusted Age.” As indicated in the table, the further into the future the first annuity payment is, the longer we expect the person receiving those payments to live, and the more we reduce the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) age. |
Current Annuity Payments
Immediately above, we have referenced how we determine annuity payments based on “guaranteed” annuity purchase rates. By “guaranteed” annuity purchase rates, we mean the minimum annuity purchase rates that are set forth in your annuity contract and thus contractually guaranteed by us. “Current” annuity purchase rates, in contrast, refer to the annuity purchase rates that we are applying to contracts that are entering the annuity phase at a given point in time. These current annuity purchase rates vary from period to period, depending on changes in interest rates and other factors. We do not guarantee any particular level of current annuity purchase rates. When calculating current annuity purchase rates, we use the actual age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), rather than any reduced age.
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BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT
The following table summarizes information about the benefits available under the Annuity. Certain Contract Benefits may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See the Cover Page for additional information.
|
Name of Benefit |
Purpose |
Standard or Optional |
Maximum Fee* |
Restrictions/Limitations |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts over time equal to an initial principal value, regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance. |
Optional |
1.00% |
None. |
|
Lifetime Five Income Benefit1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit1 |
Guarantees until the later death of two Designated Lives the ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of an initial principal value called the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit2 |
The benefit is the spousal version of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit. Guarantees until the later death of two Designated Lives the ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus1 |
Guarantees your ability to withdraw an annual amount equal to a percentage of a guaranteed benefit base called the Total Protected Withdrawal Value. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus1 |
The benefit is the spousal version of the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Income Benefit. |
Optional |
1.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Income Appreciator2 |
Provides an additional income amount during the accumulation period or upon annuitization that can be used to help cover some of the impact taxes may have on your distributions. |
Optional |
0.25% |
None. |
|
Base Death Benefit |
Provides protection for your beneficiary(ies) by ensuring that they do not receive less than your Account Value. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Roll-Up2 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or a 5% annual increase on purchase payments adjusted for withdrawals. |
Optional |
0.25% |
None. |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Step-Up2 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or the highest value of the contract on any contract anniversary date. |
Optional |
0.25% |
None. |
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|
Name of Benefit |
Purpose |
Standard or Optional |
Maximum Fee* |
Restrictions/Limitations |
|
Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit – Greater of Roll-Up or Step-Up2 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit or the greater of the Roll-Up or Step-Up value. |
Optional |
0.35% |
None. |
|
Highest Daily Value Death Benefit2 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing a death benefit equal to the greater of the basic Death Benefit and the Highest Daily Value. |
Optional |
0.50% |
You may not select certain Portfolios. |
|
Earnings Appreciator Benefit2 |
Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies). |
Optional |
0.75% |
None. |
|
Dollar Cost Averaging |
Allows you to systematically transfer a percentage amount out of an investment option and into any other Variable Option(s). |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Auto-Rebalancing |
You can direct us to automatically rebalance your assets to return to your original allocation percentage or to a subsequent allocation percentage you select. |
Standard |
None. |
None. |
|
Asset Allocation |
A method of diversification which allocates assets among classes. |
Standard |
None. |
None |
| 1. | These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity. |
| 2. | These benefits are no longer available for election. |
GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB), is an optional benefit that guarantees that once the income period begins, your income payments will be no less than the GMIB protected value applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates. If you want the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, you must elect it when you make your initial Purchase Payment. Once elected, the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit cannot be revoked. This benefit may not be available in your state. You may not elect both GMIB and the Lifetime Five Income Benefit.
The GMIB protected value is calculated daily and is equal to the GMIB roll-up until the GMIB roll-up either reaches its cap or if we stop applying the annual interest rate based on the age of the annuitant, number of contract anniversaries, or number of years since the last GMIB reset, as described below. At this point, the GMIB protected value will be increased by any subsequent invested Purchase Payments and reduced by the effect of withdrawals.
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit is subject to certain restrictions described below.
| • | The annuitant must be 75 or younger in order for you to elect the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit. |
| • | The maximum GMIB charge is 1.00% of average GMIB protected value. Please note that the charge is calculated based on average GMIB protected value, not Contract Value. Thus, for example, the fee would not decline on account of a reduction in Contract Value. In some states this fee may be lower. |
| • | Under the contract terms governing the GMIB, we can require GMIB participants to invest only in designated underlying mutual funds or can require GMIB participants to invest according to an asset allocation model. |
| • | TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT, YOU MUST WAIT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE INCOME PHASE. THE WAITING PERIOD IS THE PERIOD EXTENDING FROM THE CONTRACT DATE TO THE 7th CONTRACT ANNIVERSARY BUT, IF THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT HAS BEEN RESET (AS DESCRIBED BELOW), THE WAITING PERIOD IS THE 7 YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING WITH THE DATE OF THE MOST RECENT RESET. IN LIGHT OF THIS WAITING PERIOD UPON RESETS, IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED THAT YOU RESET YOUR GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT IF THE REQUIRED BEGINNING DATE UNDER IRS MINIMUM DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS WOULD COMMENCE DURING THE 7 YEAR WAITING PERIOD. SEE “TAXES” SECTION IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON IRS REQUIREMENTS. |
Once the waiting period has elapsed, you will have a 30-day period each year, beginning on the contract anniversary (or in the case of a reset, the anniversary of the most recent reset), during which you may begin the income phase with the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit by submitting the necessary forms in good order to the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
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The GMIB roll-up is equal to the invested Purchase Payments (after a reset, the Contract Value at the time of the reset), increased daily at an effective annual interest rate of 5% starting on the date each invested Purchase Payment is made, until the cap is reached (GMIB roll-up cap). We will reduce this amount by the effect of withdrawals. The GMIB roll-up cap is equal to two times each invested Purchase Payment (for a reset, two times the sum of
(1) the Contract Value at the time of the reset, and (2) any invested Purchase Payments made subsequent to the reset).
Even if the GMIB roll-up cap has not been reached, we will nevertheless stop increasing the GMIB roll-up value by the effective annual interest rate on the latest of:
| • | the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 80th birthday, |
| • | the 7th contract anniversary, or |
| • | 7 years from the most recent GMIB reset (as described below). |
However, even if we stop increasing the GMIB roll-up value by the effective annual interest rate, we will still increase the GMIB protected value by subsequent invested Purchase Payments, reduced proportionally by withdrawals.
Effect of Withdrawals
In any contract year when the GMIB protected value is increasing at the rate of 5%, withdrawals will first reduce the GMIB protected value on a dollar-for-dollar basis, by the same dollar amount of the withdrawal up to the first 5% of GMIB protected value calculated on the contract anniversary (or, during the first contract year, on the contract date). Any withdrawals made after the dollar-for-dollar limit has been reached will proportionally reduce the GMIB protected value. We calculate the proportional reduction by dividing the Contract Value after the withdrawal by the Contract Value immediately following the withdrawal of any available dollar-for-dollar amount. The resulting percentage is multiplied by the GMIB protected value after subtracting the amount of the withdrawal that does not exceed 5%. In each contract year during which the GMIB protected value has stopped increasing at the 5% rate, withdrawals will reduce the GMIB protected value proportionally. The GMIB roll-up cap is reduced by the sum of all reductions described above.
The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions assume: 1.) the contract date and the effective date of the GMIB are January 1, 2006; 2.) an initial purchase payment of $250,000; 3.) an initial GMIB protected value of $250,000; 4.) an initial 200% cap of $500,000; and 5.) an initial dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500 (5% of $250,000):
Example 1. Dollar-for-Dollar Reduction
A $10,000 withdrawal is taken on February 1, 2006 (in the first contract year). No prior withdrawals have been taken. Immediately prior to the withdrawal, the GMIB protected value is $251,038.10 (the initial value accumulated for 31 days at an annual effective rate of 5%). As the amount withdrawn is less than the dollar-for-dollar limit:
| • | The GMIB protected value is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $251,038.10 to $241,038.10). |
| • | The GMIB 200% cap is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $500,000 to $490,000). |
| • | The remaining dollar-for-dollar limit (“Remaining Limit”) for the balance of the first contract year is also reduced by the amount withdrawn (from $12,500 to $2,500). |
Example 2. Dollar-for-Dollar and Proportional Reductions A second $10,000 withdrawal is taken on March 1, 2006 (still within the first contract year). Immediately before the withdrawal, the Contract Value is $220,000 and the GMIB protected value is $241,941.95. As the amount withdrawn exceeds the Remaining Limit of $2,500 from Example 1:
| • | The GMIB protected value is first reduced by the Remaining Limit (from $241,941.95 to $239,441.95). |
| • | The result is then further reduced by the ratio of A to B, where: |
| • | A is the amount withdrawn less the Remaining Limit ($10,000 - $2,500, or $7,500). |
| • | B is the Contract Value less the Remaining Limit ($220,000 - $2,500, or $217,500). The resulting GMIB protected value is: $239,441.95 × (1 - ($7,500/$217,500)), or $231,185.33. |
| • | The GMIB 200% cap is reduced by the sum of all reductions above ($490,000 - $2,500 - $8,256.62, or $479,243.38). |
| • | The Remaining Limit is set to zero (0) for the balance of the first contract year |
Example 3. Dollar-for-Dollar Limit in Second Contract Year A $10,000 withdrawal is made on the first anniversary of the contract date, January 1, 2007 (second contract year). Prior to the withdrawal, the GMIB protected value is $240,837.69. The dollar-for-dollar limit is equal to 5% of this amount, or $12,041.88. As the amount withdrawn is less than the dollar-for-dollar limit:
| • | The GMIB protected value is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., reduced by $10,000, from $240,837.69 to $230,837.69). |
| • | The GMIB 200% cap is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $479,243.38 to $469,243.38). |
| • | The Remaining Limit for the balance of the second contract year is also reduced by the amount withdrawn (from $12,041.88 to $2,041.88). |
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GMIB Reset Feature
You may elect to “reset” your GMIB protected value to equal your current Contract Value twice over the life of the contract. You may only exercise this reset option if the annuitant has not yet reached his or her 76th birthday. If you reset, you must wait a new 7-year period from the most recent reset to exercise the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit. Further, we will reset the GMIB roll-up cap to equal two times the GMIB protected value as of such date. Additionally, if you reset, we will determine the GMIB payout amount by using the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates (specified in your contract) based on the number of years since the most recent reset. These purchase rates may be less advantageous than the rates that would have applied absent a reset.
Payout Amount
The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit payout amount is based on the age and sex (where applicable) of the annuitant (and, if there is one, the co-annuitant). After we first deduct a charge for any applicable premium taxes that we are required to pay, the payout amount will equal the greater of:
| (1) | the GMIB protected value as of the date you exercise the GMIB payout option, applied to the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates (which are generally less favorable than the annuity purchase rates for annuity payments not involving GMIB) and based on the annuity payout option as described below, or |
| (2) | the adjusted Contract Value - that is, the value of the contract adjusted for any market value adjustment minus any charge we impose for premium taxes and withdrawal charges - as of the date you exercise the GMIB payout option applied to the current annuity purchase rates then in use. |
GMIB Annuity Payout Options
We currently offer two Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit annuity payout options. Each option involves payment for at least a period certain of ten years. In calculating the amount of the payments under the GMIB, we apply certain assumed interest rates, equal to 2% annually for a waiting period of 7-9 years, and 2.5% annually for waiting periods of 10 years or longer for contracts sold on or after January 20, 2004, or upon subsequent state approval (and 2.5% annually for a waiting period of 7-9 years, 3% annually for a waiting period of 10-14 years, and 3.5% annually for waiting periods of 15 years or longer for all other contracts).
The GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates in your contract depict the minimum amounts we will pay (per $1000 of adjusted Contract Value). If our current annuity purchase rates on the annuity date are more favorable to you than the guaranteed rates, we will make payments based on those more favorable rates.
Single Life Payout Option: We will make monthly payments for as long as the annuitant lives, with payments for a period certain. We will stop making payments after the later of the death of the annuitant or the end of the period certain.
Joint Life Payout Option: In the case of an annuitant and co-annuitant, we will make monthly payments for the joint lifetime of the annuitant and co-annuitant, with payments for a period certain. If the co-annuitant dies first, we will continue to make payments until the later of the death of the annuitant and the end of the period certain. If the annuitant dies first, we will continue to make payments until the later of the death of the co-annuitant and the end of the period certain, but if the period certain ends first, we will reduce the amount of each payment to 50% of the original amount.
You have no right to withdraw amounts early under either GMIB payout option. We may make other payout frequencies available, such as quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
GMIB Annuity Payments
Because life expectancy has lengthened over the past few decades, and likely will increase in the future, our life annuity calculations anticipate these developments. We do this largely by making a hypothetical reduction in the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant), in lieu of using the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) actual age, in calculating the payment amounts. By using such a reduced age, we base our calculations on a younger person, who generally would live longer and therefore draw life annuity payments over a longer time period. Given the longer pay-out period, the payments made to the younger person would be less than those made to an older person. We make two such age adjustments:
| (1) | First, for all annuities, we start with the age of the annuitant (or co-annuitant) on his/her most recent birthday and reduce that age by either four years, for life annuities under the GMIB sold in contracts on or after January 20, 2004, upon subsequent state approval, or two years otherwise. For the reasons explained above in this section, the four year age reduction causes a greater reduction in the amount of the annuity payments than does the two-year age reduction as explained in the Guaranteed Annuity Payments Section. |
| (2) | Second, for life annuities under both versions of GMIB we make a further age reduction according to the table in your contract entitled “Translation of Adjusted Age.” As indicated in the table, the further into the future the first annuity payment is, the longer we expect the person receiving those payments to live, and the more we reduce the annuitant’s (or co-annuitant’s) age. |
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Because we do not impose a new waiting period for each subsequent Purchase Payment, if you choose the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, we reserve the right to limit subsequent Purchase Payments if we discover that by the timing of your Purchase Payments, your GMIB protected value is increasing in ways we did not intend. In determining whether to limit Purchase Payments, we will look at Purchase Payments which are disproportionately larger than your initial Purchase Payment and other actions that may artificially increase the GMIB protected value. Certain state laws may prevent us from limiting your subsequent Purchase Payments. You must exercise one of the GMIB payout options described above no later than 30 days after the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s attainment of age 95 (age 92 for contracts used as a funding vehicle for IRAs).
You should note that GMIB is designed to provide a type of insurance that serves as a safety net only in the event that your Contract Value declines significantly due to negative investment performance. If your Contract Value is not significantly affected by negative investment performance, it is unlikely that the purchase of GMIB will result in your receiving larger annuity payments than if you had not purchased GMIB. This is because the assumptions that we use in computing the GMIB, such as the annuity purchase rates, (which include assumptions as to age-setbacks and assumed interest rates), are more conservative than the assumptions that we use in computing non-GMIB annuity payout options. Therefore, you may generate higher income payments if you were to annuitize a lower Contract Value at the current annuity purchase rates, than if you were to annuitize under the GMIB with a higher GMIB protected value than your Contract Value but at the annuity purchase rates guaranteed under the GMIB.
Terminating the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit cannot be terminated by the owner once elected. The GMIB automatically terminates as of the date the contract is fully surrendered, on the date the death benefit is payable to your beneficiary (unless your surviving spouse elects to continue the contract), or on the date that your Contract Value is transferred to begin making annuity payments. The GMIB may also be terminated if you designate a new annuitant who would not be eligible to elect the GMIB based on his or her age at the time of the change.
Upon termination of the GMIB, we will deduct the charge from your Contract Value for the portion of the contract year since the prior contract anniversary (or the contract date if in the first contract year).
LIFETIME FIVE INCOME BENEFIT (LIFETIME FIVE)
The Lifetime Five Income Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
Lifetime Five could have been elected only where the Annuitant and the Owner were the same person or, if the Annuity Owner is an entity, where there was only one Annuitant. The Annuitant must have been at least 45 years old when the benefit is elected. The Lifetime Five Income Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit. As long as your Lifetime Five Income Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then permitted and available option(s) with this benefit.
The benefit guarantees your ability to withdraw amounts equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (called the “Protected Withdrawal Value”), regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on your Account Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. There are two options – one is designed to provide an annual withdrawal amount for life (the “Life Income Benefit”) and the other is designed to provide a greater annual withdrawal amount as long as there is Protected Withdrawal Value (adjusted as described below) (the “Withdrawal Benefit”). If there is no Protected Withdrawal Value, the withdrawal benefit will be zero. You do not choose between these two options; each option will continue to be available as long as your Annuity has an Account Value and the Lifetime Five is in effect. Certain benefits under Lifetime Five may remain in effect even if the Account Value of your Annuity is zero. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Account Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Account Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to determine the amount of each annual payment under the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is determined as of the date you make your first withdrawal under your contract following your election of Lifetime Five. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of: (A) the Contract Value on the date you elect Lifetime Five, plus any additional Purchase Payments (and any Credits), each growing at 5% per year from the date of your election of the benefit, or application of the Purchase Payment to your contract, as applicable, until the date of your first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier; (B) the Contract Value on the date of the first withdrawal from your contract, prior to the withdrawal; (C) the highest Contract Value on each contract anniversary, plus subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits) prior to the first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier. With respect to A and C above, after the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, each value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits).
| • | If you elect Lifetime Five at the time you purchase your contract, the Contract Value will be your initial Purchase Payment (plus any Credits). |
| • | If you make additional Purchase Payments after your first withdrawal, the Protected Withdrawal Value will be increased by the amount of each additional Purchase Payment (plus any Credits). |
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The Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced each time a withdrawal is made on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the Annual Withdrawal Amount, per Contract Year, of the Protected Withdrawal Value and on the greater of a dollar-for-dollar basis or a proportional basis for withdrawals in a Contract Year in excess of that amount until the Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. At that point the Annual Withdrawal Amount will be zero until such time (if any) as the Contract reflects a Protected Withdrawal Value (for example, due to a step-up or additional purchase payments being made into the Contract).
Step-Up of the Protected Withdrawal Value
You may elect to step-up your Protected Withdrawal Value if, due to positive Variable Option performance, your Contract Value is greater than the Protected Withdrawal Value.
If you elected the Lifetime Five benefit on or after March 20, 2006:
| • | you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value on or after the 1st anniversary of the first withdrawal under the Lifetime Five program. |
| • | the Protected Withdrawal Value can be stepped up again on or after the 1st anniversary of the preceding step-up. |
If you elected the Lifetime Five benefit prior to March 20, 2006 and that original election remains in effect:
| • | you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value on or after the 5th anniversary of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five benefit. |
| • | the Protected Withdrawal Value can be stepped up again on or after the 5th anniversary of the preceding step-up. |
In either scenario (i.e., elections before or after March 20, 2006) if you elect to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value under the benefit, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under the Lifetime Five benefit have changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of step-up. Upon election of the step-up, we increase the Protected Withdrawal Value to be equal to the then current Contract Value. For example, assume your initial Protected Withdrawal Value was $100,000 and you have made cumulative withdrawals of $40,000, reducing the Protected Withdrawal Value to $60,000. On the date you are eligible to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value, your Contract Value is equal to $75,000. You could elect to step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value to $75,000 on the date you are eligible. If your current Annual Income Amount and Annual Withdrawal Amount are less than they would be if we did not reflect the step-up in Protected Withdrawal Value, then we will increase these amounts to reflect the step-up as described below.
An optional automatic step-up (“Auto Step-Up”) feature is available for this benefit. This feature may be elected at the time the benefit is elected or at any time while the benefit is in force.
If you elected Lifetime Five on or after March 20, 2006 and have also elected the Auto Step-Up feature:
| • | the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st Contract Anniversary that is at least one year after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. |
| • | your Protected Withdrawal Value will only be stepped-up if 5% of the Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by any amount. |
| • | if at the time of the first Auto Step-Up opportunity, 5% of the Contract Value is not greater than the Annual Income Amount, an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive Contract Anniversary until a step-up occurs. |
| • | once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st Contract Anniversary that is at least one year after the most recent step-up. |
If you elected Lifetime Five prior to March 20, 2006 and have also elected the Auto Step-Up feature:
| • | the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the Contract Anniversary that is at least five years after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. |
| • | your Protected Withdrawal Value will only be stepped-up if 5% of the Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by 5% or more. |
| • | if at the time of the first Auto Step-Up opportunity, 5% of the Contract Value does not exceed the Annual Income Amount by 5% or more, an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive Contract Anniversary until a step-up occurs. |
| • | once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the Contract Anniversary that is at least 5 years after the most recent step-up. |
In either scenario (i.e., elections before or after March 20, 2006), if on the date that we implement an Auto Step-Up to your Protected Withdrawal Value, the charge for Lifetime Five has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Subject to our rules and restrictions, you will still be permitted to manually step-up the Protected Withdrawal Value even if you elect the Auto Step-Up feature.
Key Feature - Annual Income Amount Under the Life Income Benefit
The initial Annual Income Amount is equal to 5% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active. Under Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (Excess Income), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value
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immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. A withdrawal can be considered Excess Income under the Life Income Benefit even though it does not exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount under the Withdrawal Benefit. When you elect a step-up (or an auto step-up is effected), your Annual Income Amount increases to equal 5% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current contract year, if such amount is greater than your Annual Income Amount. Your Annual Income Amount also increases if you make additional purchase payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 5% of any additional purchase payments (plus any Credits). Any increase will be added to your Annual Income Amount beginning on the day that the step-up is effective or the purchase payment is made. A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Income Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore, a subsequent increase in the Annual Income Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Income Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
Key Feature - Annual Withdrawal Amount Under the Withdrawal Benefit
The initial Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to 7% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value. Under Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals each contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount, your Protected Withdrawal Value will be reduced on a “dollar-for-dollar” basis. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Withdrawal Amount (Excess Withdrawal), your Annual Withdrawal Amount will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see the examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. When you elect a step-up (or auto step-up is effected), your Annual Withdrawal Amount increases to equal 7% of your Contract Value after the step-up, adjusted for withdrawals within the current contract year, if such amount is greater than your Annual Withdrawal Amount. Your Annual Withdrawal Amount also increases if you make additional Purchase Payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 7% of any additional Purchase Payments (plus any Credits). A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Withdrawal Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore, a subsequent increase in the Annual Withdrawal Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Withdrawal Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
Lifetime Five does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount. You are not required to withdraw all or any portion of the Annual Withdrawal Amount or Annual Income Amount in each contract year.
| • | If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Withdrawal Amount under the Withdrawal benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Withdrawal Amount to subsequent contract years. However, because the Protected Withdrawal Value is only reduced by the actual amount of withdrawals you make under these circumstances, any unused Annual Withdrawal Amount may extend the period of time until the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. |
| • | If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount under the Life Income benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years. However, because the Protected Withdrawal Value is only reduced by the actual amount of withdrawals you make under these circumstances, any unused Annual Income Amount may extend the period of time until the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced to zero. |
Examples of Withdrawals and Step-Up
The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions and the step-up of the Protected Withdrawal Value, Annual Withdrawal Amount and Annual Income Amount assume: 1.) the contract date and the effective date of Lifetime Five are February 1, 2005; 2.) an initial Purchase Payment of $250,000; 3.) the Contract Value on February 1, 2006 is equal to $265,000; and 4.) the first withdrawal occurs on March 1, 2006 when the Contract Value is equal to $263,000 and 5.) the Account Value on March 1, 2011 is equal to $240,000. The values set forth here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charge for Lifetime Five.
The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated as the greatest of (a), (b) and (c):
| (a) | Purchase payment accumulated at 5% per year from February 1, 2005 until March 1, 2006 (393 days) = $250,000 × 1.05^(393/365)/ = $263,484.33 |
| (b) | Contract Value on March 1, 2006 (the date of the first withdrawal) = $263,000 |
| (c) | Contract Value on February 1, 2006 (the first contract anniversary) = $265,000 |
Therefore, the initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to $265,000. The Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to $18,550 under the Withdrawal Benefit (7% of $265,000). The Annual Income Amount is equal to $13,250 under the Life Income Benefit (5% of $265,000).
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Example 1. Dollar-for-Dollar Reduction
If $10,000 was withdrawn (less than both the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $18,550 - $10,000 = $8,550 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years remains at $18,550 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $13,250 - $10,000 = $3,250. |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years remains at $13,250 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced by $10,000 from $265,000 to $255,000 |
Example 2. Dollar-for-Dollar and Proportional Reductions
a) If $15,000 was withdrawn (more than the Annual Income Amount but less than the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $18,550 - $15,000 = $3,550 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years remains at $18,550 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($15,000 - $13,250 = $1,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $1,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $93 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $93 = $13,157 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is reduced by $15,000 from $265,000 to $250,000 |
b) If $25,000 was withdrawn (more than both the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Withdrawal Amount ($25,000 - $18,550 = $6,450) reduces Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Withdrawal Amount = Excess Withdrawal/Contract Value before Excess Withdrawal × Annual Withdrawal Amount = $6,450/($263,000 - $18,550) × $18,550 = $489 |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount for future contract years = $18,550 - $489 = $18,061 |
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($25,000 - $13,250 = $11,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $11,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $623 |
| • | Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $623 = $12,627 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value is first reduced by the Annual Withdrawal Amount ($18,550) from $265,000 to $246,450. It is further reduced by the greater of a dollar-for-dollar reduction or a proportional reduction. |
| • | Dollar-for-dollar reduction = $25,000 - $18,550 = $6,450 |
| • | Proportional reduction = Excess Withdrawal/Contract Value before Excess Withdrawal × Protected Withdrawal Value = $6,450/($263,000 - $18,550) × $246,450 = $6,503 |
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value = $246,450 - max [$6,450, $6,503] = $239,947 |
Example 3. Step-Up of the Protected Withdrawal Value
If the Annual Income Amount ($13,250) is withdrawn each year starting on March 1, 2006 for a period of 5 years, the Protected Withdrawal Value on March 1, 2011 would be reduced to $198,750 {$265,000 − ($13,250 × 5)}. If a step-up is elected on March 1, 2011, then the following values would result:
| • | Protected Withdrawal Value = Account Value on March 1, 2011 = $240,000 |
| • | Annual Income Amount is equal to the greater of the current Annual Income Amount or 5% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value. Current Annual Income Amount is $13,250. 5% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value is 5% of $240,000, which is $12,000. Therefore, the Annual Income Amount remains $13,250. |
| • | Annual Withdrawal Amount is equal to the greater of the current Annual Withdrawal Amount or 7% of the stepped up Protected Withdrawal Value. Current Annual Withdrawal Amount is $18,550. 7% of the stepped-up Protected Withdrawal Value is 7% of $240,000, which is $16,800. Therefore the Annual Withdrawal Amount remains $18,550. |
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Benefits Under Lifetime Five
| • | If your Contract Value is equal to zero, and the cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year are greater than the Annual Withdrawal Amount, Lifetime Five will terminate. To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount and amounts are still payable under both the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit, you will be given the choice of receiving the payments under the Life Income Benefit or under the Withdrawal Benefit. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining amounts under the Life Income Benefit and the Withdrawal Benefit would be payable even though your Account Value was reduced to zero. Once you make this election we will make an additional payment for that contract year equal to either the remaining Annual Income Amount or Annual Withdrawal Amount for the contract year, if any, depending on the option you choose. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal either the Annual Income Amount or the Annual Withdrawal Amount, as described in this Prospectus. You will not be able to change the option after your election and no further Purchase Payments will be accepted under your contract. If you do not make an election, we will pay you annually under the Life Income Benefit. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount but less than or equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount and amounts are still payable under the Withdrawal Benefit, you will receive the payments under the Withdrawal Benefit. In the year of a withdrawal that reduced your Contract Value to zero, we will make an additional payment to equal any remaining Annual Withdrawal Amount and make payments equal to the Annual Withdrawal Amount in each subsequent year (until the Protected Withdrawal Value is depleted). Once your Contract Value equals zero no further Purchase Payments will be accepted under your contract. |
| • | If annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is any Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years or any remaining Protected Withdrawal Value, you can elect one of the following three options: |
| (a) | apply your Contract Value to any annuity option available; |
| (b) | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We make such annuity payments until the annuitant’s death; or |
| (c) | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we pay out any remaining Protected Withdrawal Value as annuity payments. Each year such annuity payments will equal the Annual Withdrawal Amount or the remaining Protected Withdrawal Value if less. We make such annuity payments until the earlier of the annuitant’s death or the date the Protected Withdrawal Value is depleted. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a single life fixed annuity with five payments certain using the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (a) | the present value of future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your contract; and |
| (b) | the Contract Value. If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will determine a Protected Withdrawal Value and calculate an Annual Income Amount and an Annual Withdrawal Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under Lifetime Five are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any withdrawal charges. |
| • | Withdrawals made while Lifetime Five is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Lifetime Five does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable withdrawal charges). If you surrender your contract, you will receive the current Contract Value, not the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing Lifetime Five. Lifetime Five provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Protected Withdrawal Value or Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| ○ | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| ○ | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount or Annual Withdrawal Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
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| • | In general, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly-adopted requirements. Subsequent to any change in requirements, transfers of Contract Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to the new investment limitations. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of Lifetime Five
We no longer permit elections of Lifetime Five. If you wish, you may cancel the Lifetime Five benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Lifetime Five benefit provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and in accordance with any applicable age requirements). Once the Lifetime Five benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Lifetime Five benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post- issue basis. If you cancel Lifetime Five, you lose all guarantees under the benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Charges under the Benefit
The maximum charge for Lifetime Five is 1.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Variable Options. The charge is deducted daily.
Termination of Lifetime Five
The benefit terminates automatically when your Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero. You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective. The benefit terminates upon your surrender of your Annuity, upon the death of the Annuitant, upon a change in ownership of your Annuity that changes the tax identification number of the Owner, upon change in the Annuitant or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments. While you may terminate your benefit at any time, we may not terminate the benefit other than in the circumstances listed above.
The charge for the Lifetime Five benefit will no longer be deducted from your Account Value upon termination of the benefit.
Additional Tax Considerations for Qualified Contracts
If you purchase an annuity contract as an investment vehicle for "qualified" investments, including an IRA, the minimum distribution rules under the Code require that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity contract beginning after the applicable age. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner's lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Withdrawal Amount and the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount and the Annual Withdrawal Amount in any contract year that required minimum distributions due from your contract are greater than such amounts. Any such payments will reduce your Protected Withdrawal Value. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the contract payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any penalty or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as required minimum distribution provisions under the tax law. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
SPOUSAL LIFETIME FIVE INCOME BENEFIT (SPOUSAL LIFETIME FIVE)
The Spousal Lifetime Five benefit is no longer available for new elections.
Spousal Lifetime Five must have been elected based on two Designated Lives, as described below. Each Designated Life must have been at least 55 years old when the benefit was elected. The Spousal Lifetime Five benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit or optional death benefit. As long as your Spousal Lifetime Five Income Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then permitted and available option(s) with this benefit. The benefit guarantees until the later death of two natural persons that are each other’s spouses at the time of election of Spousal Lifetime Five (the “Designated Lives”, each a “Designated Life”) the ability to withdraw an annual amount (Spousal Life Income Benefit) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of market performance on the Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. The Spousal Life Income Benefit may remain in effect even if the Contract Value is zero. Spousal Lifetime Five may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your annuity, wish to ensure that market
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performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments and you wish either spouse to be able to continue the Spousal Life Income Benefit after the death of the first. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit - the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit.
Key Feature - Initial Protected Withdrawal Value.
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to determine the amount of each annual payment under the Spousal Life Income Benefit. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is determined as of the date you make your first withdrawal under your contract following your election of Spousal Lifetime Five. The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Contract Value on the date you elect Spousal Lifetime Five, plus any additional Purchase Payments (and any Credits), each growing at 5% per year from the date of your election of the benefit, or application of the Purchase Payment to your contract, as applicable, until the date of your first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier; |
| (2) | the Contract Value on the date of the first withdrawal from your contract, prior to the withdrawal; |
| (3) | the highest Contract Value on each contract anniversary, plus subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits) prior to the first withdrawal or the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, if earlier. |
With respect to A and C above, after the 10th anniversary of the benefit effective date, each value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments (plus any Credits).
Key Feature - Annual Income Amount Under the Spousal Life Income Benefit
The initial Annual Income Amount is equal to 5% of the initial Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active. Under Spousal Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year. If cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount under the Spousal Life Income Benefit in any Annuity Year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent Annuity Years. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any withdrawal charges that may apply. The Spousal Lifetime Five benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your Annuity or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount.
Step-Up of Annual Income Amount
You may elect to step-up your Annual Income Amount if, due to positive Variable Option performance, 5% of your Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount. You are eligible to step-up the Annual Income Amount on or after the 1st anniversary of the first withdrawal under Spousal Lifetime Five. The Annual Income Amount can be stepped up again on or after the 1st anniversary of the preceding step-up. If you elect to step-up the Annual Income Amount, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under Spousal Lifetime Five have changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. When you elect a step-up, your Annual Income Amount increases to equal 5% of your Contract Value after the step-up. adjusted for withdrawals within the current annuity year.
Your Annual Income Amount also increases if you make additional Purchase Payments. The amount of the increase is equal to 5% of any additional Purchase Payments (plus any Credits). Any increase will be added to your Annual Income Amount beginning on the day that the step-up is effective or the Purchase Payment is made. A determination of whether you have exceeded your Annual Income Amount is made at the time of each withdrawal; therefore a subsequent increase in the Annual Income Amount will not offset the effect of a withdrawal that exceeded the Annual Income Amount at the time the withdrawal was made.
An optional automatic step-up (“Auto Step-Up”) feature is available for this benefit. This feature may be elected at the time the benefit is elected or at any time while the benefit is in force. If you elect this feature, the first Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st Contract Anniversary that is at least one year after the later of (1) the date of the first withdrawal under Spousal Lifetime Five or (2) the most recent step-up. At this time, your Annual Income Amount will be stepped-up if 5% of your Contract Value is greater than the Annual Income Amount by any amount. If 5% of the Contract Value does not exceed the Annual Income Amount, then an Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on each successive Contract Anniversary until a step-up occurs. Once a step-up occurs, the next Auto Step-Up opportunity will occur on the 1st Contract Anniversary that is at least 1 year after the most recent step-up. If, on the date that we implement an Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Spousal Lifetime Five has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Subject to our rules and restrictions, you will still be permitted to manually step-up the Annual Income Amount even if you elect the Auto Step-Up feature.
Spousal Lifetime Five does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Spousal Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year.
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If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount under Spousal Lifetime Five Income benefit in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years.
Examples of Withdrawals and Step-Up
The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions and the step-up of the Annual Income Amount assume: 1.) the contract date and the effective date of Spousal Lifetime Five are February 1, 2005; 2.) an initial Purchase Payment of $250,000; 3.) the Contract Value on February 1, 2006 is equal to $265,000; and 4.) the first withdrawal occurs on March 1, 2006 when the Contract Value is equal to $263,000. and 5.) the Account Value on February 1, 2010 is equal to $280,000. The values set forth here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charge for the Spousal Lifetime Five Income benefit or any other fees and charges.
The initial Protected Withdrawal Value is calculated as the greatest of (a), (b) and (c):
| (1) | Purchase payment accumulated at 5% per year from February 1, 2005 until March 1, 2006 (393 days) = $250,000 × 1.05^(393/365)/ = $263,484.33 |
| (2) | Contract Value on March 1, 2006 (the date of the first withdrawal) = $263,000 |
| (3) | Contract Value on February 1, 2006 (the first Contract Anniversary) = $265,000 |
Therefore, the initial Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to $265,000. The Annual Income Amount is equal to $13,250 under the Spousal Life Income benefit (5% of $265,000).
Example 1. Dollar-for-Dollar Reduction
If $10,000 was withdrawn (less than the Annual Income Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $13,250 - $10,000 = $3,250 Annual Income Amount for future contract years remains at $13,250 |
Example 2. Dollar-for-Dollar and Proportional Reductions
If $15,000 was withdrawn (more than the Annual Income Amount) on March 1, 2006, then the following values would result:
| • | Remaining Annual Income Amount for current contract year = $0 |
| • | Excess of withdrawal over the Annual Income Amount ($15,000 - $13,250 = $1,750) reduces Annual Income Amount for future contract years. |
| • | Reduction to Annual Income Amount = Excess Income/Contract Value before Excess Income × Annual Income Amount = $1,750/($263,000 - $13,250) × $13,250 = $93. Annual Income Amount for future contract years = $13,250 - $93 = $13,157 |
Example 3. Step-Up of the Annual Income Amount
If a step-up of the Annual Income Amount is requested on February 1, 2010 or the Auto Step-Up feature was elected, the step-up would occur because 5% of the Contract Value, which is $14,000 (5% of $280,000), is greater than the Annual Income Amount of $13,250. The new Annual Income Amount will be equal to $14,000.
Benefits Under Spousal Lifetime Five
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount and amounts are still payable under the Spousal Life Income Benefit, we will make an additional payment for that contract year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the contract year, if any. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described above. No further Purchase Payments will be accepted under your contract. We will make payments until the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life as long as the Designated Lives were spouses at the time of the first death. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Spousal Life Income Benefit terminates and no additional payments will be made. |
| • | If annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is any Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (1) | apply your Contract Value to any annuity option available; or |
| (2) | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life as long as the Designated Lives were spouses at the time of the first death. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office.
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| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity with five payments certain using the same basis that is used to calculate the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the same basis that is used to calculate the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your contract; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
| • | If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will determine an initial Protected Withdrawal Value and calculate an Annual Income Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under Spousal Lifetime Five are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any withdrawal charges. |
| • | Withdrawals made while Spousal Lifetime Five is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Spousal Lifetime Five does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable withdrawal charges). If you surrender your contract, you will receive the current surrender value, not the Protected Withdrawal Value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing Spousal Lifetime Five. Spousal Lifetime Five provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | In general, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then-available option(s) that we may prescribe, in order to elect and maintain Spousal Lifetime Five. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly-adopted requirements. Subsequent to any change in requirements, transfers of Account Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to the new investment limitations. |
| • | There may be circumstances where you will continue to be charged the full amount for Spousal Lifetime Five even when the benefit is only providing a guarantee of income based on one life with no survivorship. |
| • | In order for the surviving Designated Life to continue Spousal Lifetime Five upon the death of an owner, the Designated Life must elect to assume ownership of the contract under the Spousal Continuance Option. When the Annuity is owned by a Custodial Account, in order for Spousal Lifetime Five to be continued after the death of the first Designated Life (the Annuitant), the Custodial Account must elect to continue the Annuity and the second Designated Life (the Contingent Annuitant) will be named as the new Annuitant. See “Spousal Continuation of Annuity” in this Prospectus. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of an Designation under the Benefit
We no longer permit elections of Spousal Lifetime Five - whether for those who currently participate in Spousal Lifetime Five or for those who are buying an Annuity for the first time. If you wish, you may cancel the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit. You may then elect any other available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit, provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and any applicable age requirements). Once the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post-issue basis. If you cancel the benefit, you lose all guarantees under the benefit, and your guarantee under any new benefit you elect will be based on your Account Value at that time. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
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| • | One contract owner, where the annuitant and the contract owner are the same person and the beneficiary is the contract owner’s spouse. The contract owner/annuitant and the beneficiary each must be at least 55 years old at the time of election; or Co-contract owners, where the contract owners are each other’s spouses, or the spouses named equally. The beneficiary designation must be the surviving spouse. The first named contract owner must be the annuitant. Both contract owners must each be 55 years old at the time of election. |
| • | One contract owner, where the owner is a custodial account established to hold retirement assets for the benefit of the annuitant pursuant to the provisions of Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”), the beneficiary is the Custodial Account, and the spouse of the annuitant is the co-annuitant. Both the annuitant and co-annuitant must each be at least 55 years old at the time of election. |
We do not permit a change of Owner under this benefit, except as follows:
| (1) | if one Owner dies and the surviving spousal Owner assumes the Annuity or |
| (2) | if the Annuity initially is co-owned, but thereafter the Owner who is not the Annuitant is removed as Owner. We permit changes of beneficiary designations under this benefit. If the Designated Lives divorce, however, the Spousal Lifetime Five benefit may not be divided as part of the divorce settlement or judgment. Nor may the divorcing spouse who retains ownership of the Contract appoint a new Designated Life upon remarriage. Our current administrative procedure is to treat the division of a Contract as a withdrawal from the existing Contract. The non-owner spouse may then decide whether he or she wishes to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Contract, subject to the rules that are current at the time of purchase. |
Charges under the Benefit
The maximum charge for Spousal Lifetime Five is 1.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Variable Options. The charge is deducted daily.
Termination of Spousal Lifetime Five
The benefit terminates automatically when your Annual Income Amount equals zero. The benefit also terminates upon your surrender of the Contract, upon the first Designated Life to die if the Contract is not continued, upon the second Designated Life to die or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments. You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as Spousal Lifetime Five and elect a new living benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. We reserve the right to waive, change and/or further limit the election frequency in the future.
The charge for Spousal Lifetime Five will no longer be deducted from your Contract Value upon termination of the benefit.
Additional Tax Considerations for Qualified Contracts
If you purchase an annuity contract as an investment vehicle for "qualified" investments, including an IRA, the minimum distribution rules under the Code require that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your contract beginning after the applicable age. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the contract owner's lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any contract year that required minimum distributions due from your contract are greater than such amounts. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the annuity payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any penalty or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as required minimum distributions under the tax law. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME FIVE INCOME BENEFIT (HD5)
The Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit is no longer offered for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the states of Florida and New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit. For Annuities issued in Florida and New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
The income benefit under Highest Daily Lifetime Five currently is based on a single “designated life” who is at least 55 years old on the date that the benefit was acquired. The Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit. Any DCA program that transfers Contract Value from a Fixed Allocation is also not available as Fixed Allocations are not permitted with the benefit. As long as your Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then-permitted and available investment option(s) with this benefit.
The benefit guarantees until the death of the single designated life the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Total Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Total Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals.
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The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Contract, and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments.
You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Five, and in "Appendix C" to this Prospectus, we set forth the formula under which we make the asset transfers. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Contract Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
As discussed below, a key component of Highest Daily Lifetime Five is the Total Protected Withdrawal Value, which is an amount that is distinct from Contract Value. Because each of the Total Protected Withdrawal Value and Total Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Total Annual Income Amount remains. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Total Annual Income Amount for the rest of your life, provided that you have not made “excess withdrawals.” Excess withdrawals, as discussed below, will reduce your Total Annual Income Amount. Thus, you could experience a scenario in which your Contract Value was zero, and, due to your excess withdrawals, your Total Annual Income Amount also was reduced to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under Highest Daily Lifetime Five.
KEY FEATURE - Total Protected Withdrawal Value
The Total Protected Withdrawal Value is used to determine the amount of the annual payments under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five. The Total Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of the Protected Withdrawal Value and any Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value that may exist. If you do not meet the conditions described below for obtaining Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value then Total Protected Withdrawal Value is simply equal to Protected Withdrawal Value. The Protected Withdrawal Value initially is equal to the Contract Value on the date that you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Five. On each Valuation day thereafter, until the earlier of the first withdrawal or ten years after the date of your election of the benefit, we recalculate the Protected Withdrawal Value. Specifically, on each such Valuation day (the “Current Valuation Day”), the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of:
| • | The Protected Withdrawal Value for the immediately preceding Valuation day (the “Prior Valuation Day”), appreciated at the daily equivalent of 5% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Valuation Day and the Current Valuation Day (i.e., one day for successive Valuation days, but more than one calendar day for business days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any Purchase Payment (including any associated credit) made on the Current Valuation Day; and |
| • | the Contract Value. |
If you have not made a withdrawal prior to the tenth anniversary of the date you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five (which we refer to as the “Tenth Anniversary”), we will continue to calculate a Protected Withdrawal Value. One or after Tenth Anniversary and up until the date of the first withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the greater of the Protected Withdrawal Value on the Tenth Anniversary or your Contract Value.
The Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value is only calculated if a distribution is not taken from your Annuity prior to the Tenth Anniversary. Thus, if ya distribution is taken prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value. If no such withdrawal is taken, then after the Tenth Anniversary up until the date of the first withdrawal, the Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the sum of:
| (1) | 200% of the Contract Value on the date you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five; |
| (2) | 200% of all Purchase Payments (and any associated credits) made during the one-year period after the date you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five; and |
| (3) | 100% of all Purchase Payments (and any associated credits) made more than one year after the date you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five, but prior to the date of your first withdrawal. |
We cease these daily calculations of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value (and therefore, the Total Protected Withdrawal Value) when you make your first withdrawal. However, as discussed below, subsequent Purchase Payments (and any associated credits) will increase the Total Annual Income Amount, while “excess” withdrawals (as described below) may decrease the Total Annual Income Amount.
KEY FEATURE - Total Annual Income Amount Under Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit
The initial Total Annual Income Amount is equal to 5% of the Total Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active an does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. For purposes of the mathematical formula described below, we also calculate a Highest Daily Annual Income Amount, which is initially equal to 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value. Under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Total Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Total Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Total Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Total Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Total Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. A Purchase Payment that you make will increase the then-existing Total Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to 5% of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated credits).
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If your Annuity permits additional Purchase Payments, we may limit any additional purchase payment(s) if we determine that as a result of the timing and amounts of your additional purchase payments and withdrawals, the Annual Income Amount is being increased in an unintended fashion. Among the factors we will use in making a determination as to whether an action is designed to increase the Annual Income Amount in an unintended fashion is the relative size of additional purchase payment(s). Subject to state law, we reserve the right to not accept additional purchase payments if we are not then offering this benefit for new elections. We will exercise such reservation of right for all annuity purchasers in the same class in a nondiscriminatory manner. Except for Annuities issued in the states of Florida and New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments to Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit. For Annuities issued in Florida and New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up”) is included as part of this benefit. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Total Annual Income Amount if your Contract Value increases subsequent to your first withdrawal. We begin examining Contract Values for purposes of this feature starting with the contract anniversary immediately after your first withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such contract anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on the Valuation days corresponding to the end of each quarter that (i) is based on your contract year, rather than a calendar year (ii) is subsequent to the first withdrawal and (iii) falls within the immediately preceding contract year. If the end of any such quarter falls on a holiday or a weekend, we use the next Valuation day. We multiply each of those quarterly Contract Values by 5%, adjust each such quarterly value for subsequent withdrawals and Purchase Payments, and then select the highest of those values. If the highest of those values exceeds the existing Total Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Total Annual Income Amount intact. In later years (i.e., after the first contract anniversary after the first withdrawal), we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each contract anniversary, by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values on the end of the four immediately preceding quarters. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up to your Total Annual Income Amount, the charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Five has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Five upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject.
The Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Total Annual Income Amount. Under Highest Daily Lifetime Five, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Total Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Total Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Total Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Total Annual Income Amount in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Total Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Quarterly Step-Up are set forth below. The values depicted here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit or any other fees and charges. Please assume the following for all three examples:
The contract is purchased on December 1, 2006. The Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit is elected on March 5, 2007.
Dollar-for-Dollar reductions
On May 2, 2007, the Total Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in a Total Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the contract on this date, the remaining Total Annual Income Amount for that contract year (up to and including December 1, 2007) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Total Annual Income Amount - $6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500.
Proportional Reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on August 6, 2007 and the Contract Value at the time of this withdrawal is $110,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Total Annual Income Amount for that contract year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount ($1,500) reduces the Total Annual Income Amount in future contract years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there were other withdrawals in that contract year, each withdrawal would result in another proportional reduction to the Total Annual Income Amount).
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Here is the calculation:
|
Contract Value Before withdrawal |
$110,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$106,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$106,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.41% |
|
Total Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.41% |
$84.51 |
|
Total Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,915.49 |
Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up
On each Contract Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Contract Anniversary) of the highest quarterly value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Contract Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
Benefits Under Highest Daily Lifetime Five
To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Total Annual Income Amount and amounts are still payable under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that contract year equal to the remaining Total Annual Income Amount for the contract year. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining Total Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal the Total Annual Income Amount as
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described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Total Annual Income Amount, the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit terminates, and no additional payments will be made.
If annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract, or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is a Total Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years, you can elect one of the following two options:
| (1) | Apply your Contract Value to any annuity option available; or |
| (2) | Request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Total Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office.
In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments in the form of a single life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of:
| (1) | The present value of the future Total Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your contract; and |
| (2) | The Contract Value. |
If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Total Annual Income Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the contract payments are to begin.
Please note that the payments that we make under this benefit after the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the Annuitant’s 95th birthday will be treated as annuity payments.
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any CDSC. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. The Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable CDSC). If you surrender your contract, you will receive the current surrender value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit. The Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Total Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| ○ | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| ○ | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | In general you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, the new requirement will apply only to new elections of the benefit, and we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly-adopted requirements. Subsequent to any change in requirements, transfers of Contract Value and allocation of additional Purchase Payments may be subject to the new investment limitations. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit, and to maintain the benefit, 100% of your Contract Value must be allocated to the permitted Variable Options. However, the mathematical formula component of the benefit as described below may transfer Contract Value to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account as of the effective date of the benefit in some circumstances |
| • | You cannot allocate Purchase Payments or transfer Contract Value to a Fixed Interest Rate Option if you elected this benefit. |
| • | Transfers to and from the Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Option triggered by the mathematical formula component of the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity |
| • | The maximum charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Five is 1.50% annually of the daily nest assets of the Variable Options. This charge is in addition to any other fees under the contract. You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. Also, the cost to us of providing the benefit is a factor, among many, that we consider when determining the interest rate credited under the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, and therefore, we credit lower interest rates due to this factor than we otherwise would. |
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| • | The basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designations Under the Benefit
Highest Daily Lifetime Five is no longer available for new elections. For Highest Daily Lifetime Five, there must have been either a single Owner who is the same as the Annuitant, or if the Annuity is entity-owned, there must have been a single natural person Annuitant. In either case, the Annuitant must have been at least 55 years old. Any change of the Annuitant under the Annuity will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime Five. Similarly, any change of Owner will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime Five, except if (a) the new Owner has the same taxpayer identification number as the previous owner (b) ownership is transferred from a custodian or other entity to the Annuitant, or vice versa or (c) ownership is transferred from one entity to another entity that satisfies our administrative ownership guidelines.
We no longer permit elections of Highest Daily Lifetime Five. If you wish, you may cancel the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit, provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and any applicable age requirements). Upon cancellation of the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit, any Contract Value allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account used with the mathematical formula will be reallocated to the Permitted Variable Options according to your most recent allocation instructions or, in absence of such instructions, on a proportional basis. Once the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post-issue basis. If you cancel the benefit, you lose all guarantees under the benefit, your guarantee under any new benefit you elect will be based on your Contract Value at that time. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election will apply as described above. We reserve the right to further limit the frequency election in the future. The benefit terminates: (i) upon your termination of the benefit, (ii) upon your surrender of the contract, (iii) upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments; (iv) upon the death of the designated life, (v) if both the Contract Value and Total Annual Income Amount equal zero, or (vi) if you fail to meet our requirements for issuing the benefit. If you terminate the benefit, you will lose the Protected Withdrawal Value, Annual Income Amount, as well as any Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value and Return of Principal Guarantees.
Upon termination of Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (as described below) to your Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options). Upon termination, we may limit or prohibit investment in the Fixed Allocations.
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
| (1) | your Contract Value on the day that you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five and |
| (2) | the sum of each Purchase Payment you made (including any credits) during the one-year period after you elected the benefit. |
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (described below), in the same proportion that each such investment option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately prior to the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Total Protected Withdrawal Value, your Death Benefit, or the amount of any other or optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Highest Daily Lifetime Five and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if a distribution is taken from your Annuity prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee.
Mathematical Formula Component of Highest Daily Lifetime Five
As indicated above, we limit the Variable Options to which you may allocate Contract Value if you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Five. For purposes of this Benefit, we refer to those permitted Variable Options as the “Permitted Variable Options”. As a requirement of participating in Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we require that you participate in our mathematical formula under which we may transfer Contract Value between the Permitted Variable Options and a fixed interest rate account that is part of our general account (the “Benefit Fixed Rate Account”). This required formula helps us manage our financial
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exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Benefit Fixed Rate Account).We determine whether to make a transfer, and the amount of any transfer, under a non-discretionary formula, discussed below. The Benefit Fixed Rate Account is available only with this Benefit, and thus you may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Contract Value to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. The interest rate that we pay with respect to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account is reduced by an amount that corresponds generally to the charge that we assess against your Variable Options for Highest Daily Lifetime Five. The Benefit Fixed Rate Account is not subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940 or the Securities Act of 1933.
Under the formula component of Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we monitor your Contract Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Any transfer would be made in accordance with a formula, which is set forth in the schedule supplement to the endorsement for this benefit (and also appears in the Appendices to this prospectus). Speaking generally, the formula, which we apply each Valuation day, operates as follows. The formula starts by identifying your Total Protected Withdrawal Value for that day and then multiplies that figure by 5%, to produce a projected (i.e., hypothetical) Highest Daily Annual Income Amount. Then, using our actuarial tables, we produce an estimate of the total amount we would target in our allocation model, based on the projected Highest Daily Annual Income Amount each year for the rest of your life. In the formula, we refer to that value as the “Target Value.” If you have already made a withdrawal, your projected Total Income Amount (and thus your Target Value) would take into account any automatic step-up that was scheduled to occur according to the step-up formula described above. Next, the formula subtracts from the Target Value the amount held within the Benefit Fixed Rate Account on that day, and divides that difference by the amount held within the Permitted Variable Options. That ratio, which essentially isolates the amount of your Target Value that is not offset by amounts held within the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, is called the “Target Ratio”. If the Target Ratio exceeds a certain percentage, (currently 83%) it means essentially that too much Target Value is not offset by assets within the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, and therefore we will transfer an amount from your Permitted Variable Options to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Conversely, if the Target Ratio falls below a certain percentage, then a transfer from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account to the Permitted Variable Options would occur. Note that the formula is calculated with reference to the Highest Daily Annual Income Amount, rather than with reference to the Total Annual Income Amount. If you select the new mathematical formula, see the discussion regarding the 90% cap.
As you can glean from the formula, poor investment performance of your Contract Value may result in a transfer of a portion of your variable Contract Value to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, because such poor investment performance will tend to increase the Target Ratio.. Moreover, “flat” investment returns of your Contract Value over a period of time also could result in the transfer of your Contract Value to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Because the amount allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Contract. In deciding how much to transfer, we use another formula, which essentially seeks to rebalance amounts held in the Permitted Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account so that the Target Ratio meets a target, which currently is equal to 80%. Once elected, the ratios we use will be fixed.
While you are not notified when the formula dictates a trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Contract Value either to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. The formula is designed primarily to mitigate the financial risks that we incur in providing the guarantee under Highest Daily Lifetime Five.
Depending on the results of the formula calculation we may:
| • | Not make any between the Permitted Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account transfer; or |
| • | If a portion of your Contract Value was previously allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, transfer all or a portion of those amounts to the Permitted Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options). Amounts taken out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be withdrawn for this purpose on a last-in, first-out basis (an amount renewed into a new guarantee period under the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be deemed a new investment for purposes of this last-in, first-out rule); or |
| • | Transfer all or a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options on a proportional basis to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. The interest that you earn on such transferred amount will be equal to the annual rate that we have set for that day, and we will credit the daily equivalent of that annual interest until the earlier of one year from the date of the transfer or the date that such amount in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account is transferred back to the Permitted Variable Options. |
Therefore, at any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. If your entire Contract Value is transferred to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, then based on the way the formula operates, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account to the Permitted Variable Options and the entire Contract Value would remain in the Benefit Rate Fixed Account. If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Variable Options according to your allocation instructions. Such additional purchase payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Once the purchase payments are allocated to your Annuity, they will also be subject to the formula, which may result in immediate transfers to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, if dictated by the formula. The amounts of any such transfer will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.
Prior to the first withdrawal, the primary driver of transfers to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account is the difference between your Contract Value and your Total Protected Withdrawal Value. If none of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, then over time the formula permits an increasing difference between the Contract Value and the Total Protected Withdrawal Value before a transfer to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account occurs. Therefore, as time goes on, while none of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, the smaller the difference between the Total Protected Withdrawal Value and the Contract Value, the more the Contract Value can decrease prior to a transfer to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account.
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Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Variable Options, and its impact on your Contract Value, will differ from market cycle to market cycle producing different transfer activity under the formula. The amount and timing of transfers to and from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account pursuant to the formula depend on various factors unique to your Annuity and are not necessarily directly correlated with the securities markets, bond markets, interest rates or any other market or index. Some of the factors that determine the amount and timing of transfers (as applicable to your Annuity), include:
| • | The difference between your Contract Value and your Total Protected Withdrawal Value; |
| • | The amount of time Highest Daily Lifetime Five has been in effect on your Annuity; |
| • | The amount allocated to and the performance of the Permitted Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account; |
| • | Any additional Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect); and |
| • | Any withdrawals you take from your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect). |
Because the amount allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Annuity. The greater the amounts allocated to either the Benefit Fixed Rate Account or to the Permitted Variable Options, the greater the impact performance of that Variable Option has on your Contract Value and thus the greater the impact on whether (and how much) your Contract Value is transferred to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. It is possible, under the formula, that if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and it has positive performance, the formula might transfer a portion of your Account Value to the Permitted Variable Options, even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is negative. Conversely, if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and it has negative performance, the formula may transfer additional amounts from your Permitted Variable Options to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is positive.
Any Account Value in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will not participate in the positive or negative investment experience of the Permitted Variable Options until it is transferred out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account.
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase a contract as an investment vehicle for "qualified" investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the minimum distribution rules under the Code require that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your contract beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than 5 percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner's lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Total Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Total Annual Income Amount in any Contract Year that required minimum distributions due from your Contract are greater than such amounts. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the contract payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any penalty or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as minimum distribution requirements. Please note, however, that any withdrawal you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value and an amount under the Return of Principal Guarantee. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Please see the Taxes section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this Benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Five through a Non-qualified annuity, and your annuity has received Enhanced Protected Withdrawal Value and/or an additional amount under the Return of Principal Guarantee, as with all withdrawals, once all Purchase Payments are returned under the contract, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
Optional 90% Cap Rule for the Formula Under Highest Daily Lifetime Five.
If you currently own an Annuity and have elected the Highest Daily Lifetime Five Income Benefit, you can elect this feature which utilizes a new mathematical formula. The new formula is described below and will (if you elect it) replace the “Transfer Calculation” portion of the mathematical formula currently used in connection with your benefit on a prospective basis. There is no cost to adding this feature to your Annuity. This election may only be made once and may not be revoked once elected. This feature is available subject to state approval. The new formula is found in "Appendix C". Only the election of the 90% cap will prevent all of your Contract Value from being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. If all of your Contract Value is currently allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, it will not transfer back to the Permitted Variable Options unless you elect the 90% Cap Rule. If you make additional Purchase Payments, they may or may not result in a transfer to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account.
Under the new formula, the formula will not execute a transfer to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account that results in more than 90% of your Contract Value being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (“90% cap” or “90% Cap Rule”). Thus, on any Valuation Day, if the formula would require a transfer into the Benefit Fixed Rate Account that would result in more than 90% of the Contract Value being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account, only the amount that results in exactly 90% of the Contract Value being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will be transferred. Additionally, future transfers into the Benefit Fixed Rate Account will not be made (regardless of the performance of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and the Permitted Variable Options) at least until there is first a transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Once this transfer occurs out of the Benefit Fixed Rate
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Account, future amounts may be transferred to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account if dictated by the formula (subject to the 90% cap). At no time will the formula make a transfer to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account that results in greater than 90% of your Contract Value being allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. However, it is possible that, due to the investment performance of your allocations in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and your allocations in the Permitted Variable Options you have selected, your Contract Value could be more than 90% invested in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account.
| (1) | March 19, 2009 – a transfer is made to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account that results in the 90% cap being met and now $90,000 is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and $10,000 is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options. |
| (2) | March 20, 2009 – you make an additional purchase payment of $10,000. No transfers have been made from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account to the Permitted Variable Options since the cap went into effect on March 19, 2009. |
| (3) | As of March 20, 2009 (and at least until first a transfer is made out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account under the formula) – the $10,000 payment is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options and now you have 82% in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account and 18% in the Permitted Variable Options (such that $20,000 is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options and $90,000 is allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account). |
| (4) | Once there is a transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (of any amount), the formula will operate as described above, meaning that the formula could transfer amounts to or from the Benefit Fixed Rate Account if dictated by the formula (subject to the 90% cap). |
Please be aware that after the initial transfer out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account upon election of the 90% cap, there is no assurance that future transfers out will occur, or the amount of such future transfers, as a result of the election of the 90% cap. These transfers will be determined by the mathematical formula and depend on a number of factors unique to your annuity.
Important Considerations When Electing the New Formula:
| (1) | At any given time, some, most or none of your Contract Value may be allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. |
| (2) | Please be aware that because of the way the new 90% cap formula operates, it is possible that more than or less than 90% of your Contract Value may be allocated to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. |
| (3) | Because the charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Five is assessed against the daily net assets of the Variable Options, that charge will be assessed against all assets transferred into the Permitted Variable Options. |
| (4) | If this feature is elected, any Contract Value transferred to the Permitted Variable Options is subject to the investment performance of those Variable Options. Your Contract Value can go up or down depending of the performance of the Permitted Variable Options you select. |
HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN INCOME BENEFIT (HD7)
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
The income benefit under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven currently is based on a single “designated life” who is at least 55 years old on the date that the benefit is acquired. The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit, although you may have elected any optional death benefit other than the Highest Daily Value death benefit. As long as your Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then permitted and available investment option(s) with this benefit. For a more detailed description of the permitted investment options, see the Investment options section of this prospectus. We no longer permit new elections of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Highest Daily Lifetime Seven guarantees until the death of the single designated life the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity, and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and in Appendix D to this prospectus, we set forth the formula under which we make the asset transfers. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Account Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
As discussed below, a key component of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is the Protected Withdrawal Value. Because each of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Annual Income Amount remains. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Annual Income Amount for the rest of your life, provided
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that you have not made “excess withdrawals.” Excess withdrawals, as discussed below, will reduce your Annual Income Amount. Thus, you could experience a scenario in which your Contract Value was zero, and, due to your excess withdrawals, your Annual Income Amount also was reduced to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
KEY FEATURE - Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to calculate the initial Annual Income Amount. On the effective date of the benefit, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to your Contract Value. On each Valuation day thereafter, until the earlier of the tenth anniversary of benefit election (the “Tenth Anniversary Date”) or the date of the first withdrawal, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the “Periodic Value” described in the next paragraph.
The “Periodic Value” initially is equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation day thereafter, until the earlier of the first withdrawal or the Tenth Anniversary Date, we recalculate the Periodic Value. We stop determining the Periodic Value upon the earlier of your first withdrawal after the effective date of the benefit or the Tenth Anniversary Date. On each Valuation day (the “Current Valuation Day”), the Periodic Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value for the immediately preceding Valuation day (the “Prior Valuation Day”) appreciated at the daily equivalent of 7% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Valuation Day and the Current Valuation Day (i.e., one day for successive Valuation Days, but more than one calendar day for Valuation days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any adjusted Purchase Payment made on the Current business day; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
If you make a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary Date, the Protected Withdrawal Value on the date of the withdrawal is equal to the greatest of:
a. the Contract Value; or
b. the Periodic Value on the date of the withdrawal.
If you have not made a withdrawal on or before the Tenth Anniversary Date, your Protected Withdrawal Value subsequent to the Tenth Anniversary Date is equal to the greatest of:
| (1) | the Contract Value; or |
| (2) | the Periodic Value on the Tenth Anniversary Date, increased for subsequent adjusted Purchase Payments; or |
| (3) | the sum of: |
| (a) | 200% of the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit; |
| (b) | 200% of all adjusted Purchase Payments made within one year after the effective date of the benefit; and |
| (c) | all adjusted Purchase Payments made after one year following the effective date of the benefit up to the date of the first withdrawal. |
On and after the date of your first withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments, is reduced by withdrawals, including your first withdrawal (as described below), and is increased if you qualify for a step-up (as described below). Irrespective of these calculations, your Protected Withdrawal Value will always be at least equal to your Contract Value.
KEY FEATURE - Annual Income Amount under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit
The Annual Income Amount is equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. The percentage depends on the age of the Annuitant on the date of the first withdrawal after election of the benefit. The percentages are: 5% for ages 74 and younger, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older. Under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. Withdrawals of any amount up to and including the Annual Income Amount will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the withdrawal. Withdrawals of Excess Income will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the same ratio as the reduction to the Annual Income Amount.
Any Purchase Payment that you make will (i) increase the then-existing Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to a percentage of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits) based on the age of the Annuitant at the time of the first withdrawal (the percentages are: 5% for ages 74 and younger, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older) and (ii) increase the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits).
If your Annuity permits additional purchase payments, we may limit any additional purchase payment(s) if we determine that as a result of the timing and amounts of your additional purchase payments and withdrawals, the Annual Income Amount is being increased in an unintended fashion. Among the factors we will use in making a determination as to whether an action is designed to increase the Annual Income Amount in an unintended fashion is the relative size of additional purchase payment(s). Subject to state law, we reserve the right to not accept additional purchase payments if we are not then offering this benefit for new elections. We will exercise such reservation of right for all annuity purchasers in the same class in a nondiscriminatory
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manner. Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up”) is included as part of this benefit. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Annual Income Amount if your Contract Value increases subsequent to your first withdrawal. We begin examining the Contract Value for purposes of the Highest Quarterly Step-Up starting with the anniversary of the Contract Date of the Annuity (the “Contract Anniversary”) immediately after your first withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Contract Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on the valuation days corresponding to the end of each quarter that:
| (1) | is based on your contract year, rather than a calendar year; |
| (2) | is subsequent to the first withdrawal; and |
| (3) | falls within the immediately preceding contract year. If the end of any such quarter falls on a holiday or a weekend, we use the next valuation day. Having identified each of those quarter-end Contract Values, we then multiply each such value by a percentage that varies based on the age of the Annuitant on the Contract Anniversary as of which the step-up would occur. The percentages are 5% for ages 74 and younger, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older. Thus, we multiply each quarterly value by the applicable percentage, adjust each such quarterly value for subsequent withdrawals and Purchase Payments, and then select the highest of those values. If the highest of those values exceeds the existing Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Annual Income Amount intact. In later years, (i.e., after the first Contract Anniversary after the first withdrawal) we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each Contract Anniversary, by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values on the end of the four immediately preceding quarters. At the time that we increase your Annual Income Amount, we also increase your Protected Withdrawal Value to equal the highest quarterly value upon which your step-up was based. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject. |
The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your contract, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, if your cumulative withdrawals in an contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values depicted here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Contract Date is December 1, 2007 |
| • | The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit is elected on March 5, 2008 |
| • | The Annuitant was 70 years old when he/she elected the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit |
Dollar-for-dollar reductions
On May 2, 2008, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in an Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (since the Annuitant is younger than 75 at the time of the 1st withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value, in this case 5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Annuity on this date, the remaining Annual Income Amount for that contract year (up to and including December 1, 2008) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Annual Income Amount - $6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500.
Proportional reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on August 6, 2008 and the Contract Value at the time of this withdrawal is $110,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Annual Income Amount for that contract year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount - $1,500
| • | reduces the Annual Income Amount in future contract years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there were other withdrawals in that contract year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Annual Income Amount). |
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Here is the calculation:
|
Contract Value Before withdrawal |
$100,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$106,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$106,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.41% |
|
Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.41% |
$84.51 |
|
Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,915.49 |
Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up
On each Contract Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Contract Anniversary) of the highest quarterly value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Contract Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
Benefits Under The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Program
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount or as a result of the fee that we assess for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and amounts are still payable under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that contract year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the contract year. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that |
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| reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit terminates, and no additional payments are made. However, if a withdrawal in the latter scenario was taken to meet required minimum distribution requirements under the Annuity, then the benefit will not terminate, and we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount in the form of a fixed annuity. |
| • | If Annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your Annuity, or if you decide to begin receiving Annuity payments and there is a Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (1) | apply your Contract Value to any Annuity option available; or |
| (2) | request that, as of the date annuity payments are to begin, we make annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. |
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office.
| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments in the form of a single life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such Annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of the future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
| • | If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
| • | Please note that payments that we make under this benefit after the Contract Anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday will be treated as annuity payments. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Contract, including any CDSC. Note that if your withdrawal of the Annual Income Amount in a given Annuity Year exceeds the applicable free withdrawal amount under the Annuity (but is not considered Excess Income), we will not impose any CDSC on the amount of that withdrawal. However, we may impose a CDSC on the portion of a withdrawal that is deemed Excess Income. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Contract. The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable CDSC). If you surrender your Contract you will receive the current surrender value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your Contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. The Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit, and to maintain the benefit, 100% of your Contract Value must be allocated to the permitted Variable Options. |
| • | You
cannot allocate Purchase Payments or transfer Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (see description below)
if you elect this
benefit. A summary description of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio appears within the prospectus section entitled “What
Investment Options Can I Choose?”. You can find a copy of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio prospectus by going to www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS3-STAT
Transfers to and from the elected Variable Options and an AST Investment Grade Bond
Portfolio triggered by the mathematical formula component of the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers
allowable under the contract. You must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that
we may prescribe in order to elect and maintain the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit,
we change our requirements for how Account Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Account
Value in accordance with our newly adopted requirements. Subject to any change in requirements, transfer of Account Value and allocation
of additional purchase payments may be subject to new investment limitations. The maximum charge for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is 1.50% annually of the Protected Withdrawal Value. We deduct this fee at the end of each quarter, where each such quarter is part of a year that begins on the effective date of the benefit or an anniversary thereafter. Thus, on each such quarter-end (or the next Valuation day, if the quarter-end is not a Valuation day), we deduct 0.375% of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the end of the quarter. We deduct the fee proportionally from each of your Variable Options including the AST |
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| Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Since this fee is based on the Protected Withdrawal Value the fee for Highest Daily Lifetime Seven may be greater than it would have been, had it been based on the Contract Value alone. If the fee to be deducted exceeds the current Contract Value, we will reduce the Contract Value to zero, and continue the benefit as described above. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designations under the Benefit
We no longer permit new elections of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
For Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, there must be either a single Owner who is the same as the Annuitant, or if the Contract is entity owned, there must be a single natural person Annuitant. In either case, the Annuitant must be at least 55 years old.
Any change of the Annuitant under the Contract will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. Similarly, any change of Owner will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, except if (a) the new Owner has the same taxpayer identification number as the previous owner (b) ownership is transferred from a custodian to the Annuitant, or vice versa or (c) ownership is transferred from one entity to another entity that satisfies our administrative ownership guidelines.
If you wish, you may cancel the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on the Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and any applicable age requirements). Upon cancellation of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, any Contract Value allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio used with the formula will be reallocated to the Permitted Variable Options according to your most recent allocation instructions or, in absence of such instructions, proportionally. You should be aware that upon termination of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, you will lose the Protected Withdrawal Value (including the Tenth Anniversary Date Guarantee), Annual Income Amount, and the Return of Principal Guarantee that you had accumulated under the benefit. Thus, the initial guarantees under any newly-elected benefit will be based on your current Contract Value at the time you elect a new benefit. Once the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit is canceled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post-issue basis. If you cancel the benefit, you lose all guarantees under the benefit, and your guarantee under any new benefit you elect will be based on your Contract Value at that time. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
| (a) | your Contract Value on the day that you elected Highest Daily Lifetime Seven; and |
| (b) | the sum of each Purchase Payment you made (including any Credits) during the one-year period after you elected the benefit. |
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options (including the Bond Portfolio used with this benefit), in the same proportion that each such Variable Option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately before the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Protected Withdrawal Value, your death benefit, or the amount of any optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Highest Daily Lifetime Seven and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if a distribution is taken from your Annuity prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee.
Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election will apply as described above. The benefit terminates: (i) upon your termination of the benefit (ii) upon your surrender of the Contract (iii) as of the Latest Annuity Date or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (although if you have elected to take the Annual Income Amount in the form of Annuity payments, we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount), (iv) upon the death of the Annuitant (v) if both the Contract Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero or (vi) if you cease to meet our requirements for issuing the benefit (see Elections and Designations under the Program).
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Upon termination of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven other than upon the death of the Annuitant, we impose any accrued fee for the benefit (i.e., the fee for the pro-rated portion of the year since the fee was last assessed), and thereafter we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to your Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options).
Mathematical Formula Component of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven
As indicated above, we limit the Variable Options to which you may allocate Contract Value if you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. For purposes of this benefit, we refer to those permitted Variable Options as the “Permitted Variable Options”. As a requirement of participating in Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we require that you participate in our specialized program, under which we may transfer Contract Value between the Permitted Variable Options and a specified bond fund within the Advanced Series Trust (the “AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio”). We determine whether to make a transfer, and the amount of any transfer, under a non-discretionary formula, discussed below. The AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is available only with this benefit, and thus you may not allocate Purchase Payments to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Under the component of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we monitor your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Any transfer would be made in accordance with a formula, which is set forth in the Appendices to this prospectus.
Speaking generally, the formula, which we apply each Valuation day, operates as follows. The formula starts by identifying an income basis for that day and then multiplies that figure by 5%, to produce a projected (i.e., hypothetical) income amount. Note that we use 5% in the formula, irrespective of the Annuitant’s attained age. Then we produce an estimate of the total amount we would target in our allocation model, based on the projected income amount and factors set forth in the formula. In the formula, we refer to that value as the “Target Value” or “L”. If you have already made a withdrawal, your projected income amount (and thus your Target Value) would take into account any automatic step-up, any subsequent purchase payments, and any excess withdrawals. Next, the formula subtracts from the Target Value the amount held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio on that day, and divides that difference by the amount held within the Permitted Variable Options. That ratio, which essentially isolates the amount of your Target Value that is not offset by amounts held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, is called the “Target Ratio” or “r”. If the Target Ratio exceeds a certain percentage (currently 83%), it means essentially that too much Target Value is not offset by assets within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, and therefore we will transfer an amount from your Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Conversely, if the Target Ratio falls below a certain percentage (currently 77%), then a transfer from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options would occur.
If you elect the new formula (90% Cap Rule), see discussion regarding that feature.
As you can glean from the formula, poor investment performance of your Contract Value may cause us to transfer some of your variable Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, because such poor investment performance will tend to increase the Target Ratio. Moreover, “flat” investment returns of your Contract Value over a period of time also could result in the transfer of your Contract Value from the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. In deciding how much to transfer, we use another formula, which essentially seeks to re-balance amounts held in the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio so that the Target Ratio meets a target, which currently is equal to 80%. Once you elect Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, the ratios we use will be fixed.
While you are not notified when your Contract reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Contract Value either to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula by which the reallocation triggers operate is designed primarily to mitigate the financial risks that we incur in providing the guarantee under Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
Depending on the results of the calculation relative to the reallocation triggers, we may, on any day:
| • | Not make any transfer between the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; or |
| • | If a portion of your Contract Value was previously allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, transfer all or a portion of those amounts to the Permitted Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options); or |
| • | Transfer all or a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options on a proportional basis to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | Therefore, at any given time, some, none, or all of your Contract Value may be allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. If your entire Contract Value is transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then based on the way the formula operates, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options and the entire Contract Value would remain in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Variable Options according to your allocation instructions. Such additional purchase payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Once the purchase payments are allocated to your Annuity, they will also be subject to the formula, which may result in immediate transfers to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolios, if dictated by the formula. The amounts of any such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below. |
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Prior to the first withdrawal, the primary driver of transfers to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is difference between your Contract Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value. If none of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then over time the formula permits an increasing difference between the Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value before a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs. Therefore, as time goes on, while none of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, the smaller the difference between the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Contract Value, the more the Contract Value can decrease prior to a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Variable Options, and its impact on your Contract Value, will differ from market cycle to market cycle producing different transfer activity under the formula. The amount and timing of transfers to and from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio pursuant to the formula depend on various factors unique to your Annuity and are not necessarily directly correlated with the securities markets, bond markets, interest rates or any other market or index. Some of the factors that determine the amount and timing of transfers (as applicable to your Annuity), include:
| (1) | The difference between your Contract Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value; |
| (2) | The amount of time Highest Daily Lifetime Seven has been in effect on your Annuity; |
| (3) | The amount allocated to and the performance of the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; |
| (4) | Any additional Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect); and |
| (5) | Any withdrawals you take from your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect). |
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase an annuity as an investment vehicle for "qualified" investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the Required Minimum Distribution rules under the Code provide that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than five (5) percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner's lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any Contract year that Required Minimum Distributions due from your Annuity are greater than such amounts. In addition, the amount and duration of payments under the annuity payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any penalty or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as Required Minimum Distribution provisions under the tax law. Please note, however, that any withdrawal you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee and the guaranteed amount described above under "KEY FEATURE - Protected Withdrawal Value". See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while this Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Please see the Taxes section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this Benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Highest Daily Lifetime Seven through a Non-qualified annuity, as with all withdrawals, once all Purchase Payments are returned under the contract, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN INCOME BENEFIT (SHD7)
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is the spousal version of Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. We no longer permit new elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven must be elected based on two Designated Lives, as described below. Each Designated Life must be at least 59½ years old when the benefit was elected. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven was not available if you elect any other optional living benefit. As long as your Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then permitted and available investment option(s) with this program.
The benefit that guarantees until the later death of two natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit (the “Designated Lives”, and each, a “Designated Life”) the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our benefit rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Contract, wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments, and wish either spouse to be able to continue the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit after the death of the first spouse. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit - the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and in Appendix D to this prospectus, we set forth the formula under which we make those asset transfers.
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As discussed below, a key component of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is the Protected Withdrawal Value. Because each of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Annual Income Amount remains. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Annual Income Amount until the death of the second Designated Life, provided that there have not been “excess withdrawals.” Excess withdrawals, as discussed below, will reduce your Annual Income Amount. Thus, you could experience a scenario in which your Contract Value was zero, and, due to your excess withdrawals, your Annual Income Amount also was reduced to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven.
KEY FEATURE - Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to calculate the initial Annual Income Amount. On the effective date of the benefit, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to your Contract Value. On each business day thereafter, until the earlier of the tenth anniversary of benefit election (the “Tenth Anniversary Date”) or the date of the first withdrawal, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the “Periodic Value” described in the next paragraph.
The “Periodic Value” initially is equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit. On each business day thereafter, until the earlier of the first withdrawal or the Tenth Anniversary Date, we recalculate the Periodic Value. We stop determining the Periodic Value upon the earlier of your first withdrawal after the effective date of the benefit or the Tenth Anniversary Date. On each business day (the “Current Business Day”), the Periodic Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value for the immediately preceding business day (the “Prior Business Day”) appreciated at the daily equivalent of 7% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Business Day and the Current Business Day (i.e., one day for successive business Days, but more than one calendar day for business days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any adjusted Purchase Payment made on the Current Business Day; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
If you make a withdrawal prior to the Tenth Anniversary Date, the Protected Withdrawal Value on the date of the withdrawal is equal to the greatest of:
| (a) | the Contract Value; or |
| (b) | the Periodic Value on the date of the withdrawal. |
If you have not made a withdrawal on or before the Tenth Anniversary Date, your Protected Withdrawal Value subsequent to the Tenth Anniversary Date is equal to the greatest of:
| (1) | the Contract Value; or |
| (2) | the Periodic Value on the Tenth Anniversary Date, increased for subsequent adjusted Purchase Payments; or |
| (3) | the sum of: |
| (a) | 200% of the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit; |
| (b) | 200% of all adjusted Purchase Payments made within one year after the effective date of the benefit; and |
| (c) | all adjusted Purchase Payments made after one year following the effective date of the benefit up to the date of the first withdrawal. |
On and after the date of your first withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is increased by the amount of any subsequent Purchase Payments, is reduced by withdrawals, including your first withdrawal (as described below), and is increased if you qualify for a step-up (as described below). Irrespective of these calculations, your Protected Withdrawal Value will always be at least equal to your Contract Value.
KEY FEATURE - Annual Income Amount under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit
The Annual Income Amount is equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the first withdrawal taken after the benefit becomes active and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. The percentage depends on the age of the youngest Designated Life on the date of the first withdrawal after election of the benefit. The percentages are: 5% for ages 79 and younger, 6% for ages 80 to 84, 7% for ages 85 to 89, and 8% for ages 90 and older. We use the age of the youngest Designated Life even if that Designated Life is no longer a participant under the Contract due to death or divorce.
Under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year. If your cumulative withdrawals are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions include the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. Withdrawals of any amount up to and including the Annual Income Amount will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the withdrawal. Withdrawals of Excess Income will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the same ratio as the reduction to the Annual Income Amount.
Any Purchase Payment that you make will (i) increase the then-existing Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to a percentage of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits) based on the age of the Annuitant at the time of the first withdrawal (the percentages are: 5% for ages 79 and younger, 6% for ages 80-84, 7% for ages 85-89, and 8% for ages 90 and older) and (ii) increase the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits).
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An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up”) is included as part of this benefit. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Annual Income Amount if your Contract Value increases subsequent to your first withdrawal. We begin examining the Contract Value for purposes of the Highest Quarterly Step-Up starting with the anniversary of the Contract Date of the Annuity (the “Contract Anniversary”) immediately after your first withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Contract Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on the Valuation Days corresponding to the end of each quarter that:
| (1) | is based on your contract year, rather than a calendar year; |
| (2) | is subsequent to the first withdrawal; and |
| (3) | falls within the immediately preceding contract year. If the end of any such quarter falls on a holiday or a weekend, we use the next Valuation Day. Having identified each of those quarter-end Contract Values, we then multiply each such value by a percentage that varies based on the age of the youngest Designated Life on the Contract Anniversary as of which the step-up would occur. The percentages are 5% for ages 79 and younger, 6% for ages 80-84, 7% for ages 85-89, and 8% for ages 90 and older. Thus, we multiply each quarterly value by the applicable percentage, adjust each such quarterly value for subsequent withdrawals and Purchase Payments, and then select the highest of those values. If the highest of those values exceeds the existing Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Annual Income Amount intact. In later years, (i.e., after the first Contract Anniversary after the first withdrawal) we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each Contract Anniversary, by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values on the end of the four immediately preceding quarters. At the time that we increase your Annual Income Amount, we also increase your Protected Withdrawal Value to equal the highest quarterly value upon which your step-up was based. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject. |
The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your annuity, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, if your cumulative withdrawals in a contract year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent contract years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that contract year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount in any contract year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent contract years.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values depicted here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Contract Date is December 1, 2007 |
| • | The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit is elected on March 5, 2008. |
| • | The youngest Designated Life was 70 years old when he/she elected the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. |
Dollar-for-dollar reductions
On May 2, 2008, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in an Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (since the youngest Designated Life is younger than 80 at the time of the 1st withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is 5% of the Protected withdrawal Value, in this case 5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Annuity on this date, the remaining Annual Income Amount for that contract year (up to and including December 1, 2008) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Annual Income Amount - $6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500.
Proportional reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on August 6, 2008 and the Contract Value at the time of this withdrawal is $110,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Annual Income Amount for that contract year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount - $1,500 reduces the Annual Income Amount in future contract years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there were other withdrawals in that contract year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Annual Income Amount).
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Here is the calculation:
|
Contract Value Before withdrawal |
$110,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$106,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$106,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.41% |
|
Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.41% |
$84.51 |
|
Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,915.49 |
Highest Quarterly Auto Step-Up
On each Contract Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Contract Anniversary) of the highest quarterly value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Contract Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Contract Year. |
| • | The Contract Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Contract Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the Contract Year. |
| • | The highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value for this Contract Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous quarterly Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest quarterly Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
BENEFITS UNDER THE SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN BENEFIT
To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative withdrawals that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount or as a result of the fee that we assess for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, and amounts are still payable under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that contract year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the contract year. Thus, in that scenario, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent contract years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life as long as the Designated Lives were
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spouses at the time of the first death. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the current contract year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit terminates, and no additional payments will be made. However, if a withdrawal in the latter scenario was taken to meet required minimum distribution requirements under the contract, then the benefit will not terminate, and we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount in the form of a fixed annuity.. If Annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your contract, or if you decide to begin receiving annuity payments and there is a Annual Income Amount due in subsequent contract years, you can elect one of the following two options:
(1)
apply your Contract Value to any Annuity option available; or
(2)
request that, as of the date Annuity payments are to begin, we make Annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We will
make payments until
the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life as long as
the Designated Lives
were spouses at the time of the first death. If, due to death of a Designated Life or divorce prior to annuitization, only a single Designated
Life remains, then annuity payments will be made as a life annuity for the lifetime of the Designated Life.
We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office.
In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your contract. The amount that will be applied to provide such annuity payments will be the greater of:
(1)
the present value of the future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the joint and
survivor or single
(as applicable) life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity
rates guaranteed in your
Contract; and
(2)
the Contract Value.
| • | If no withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
| • | Please note that payments that we make under this benefit after the Contract Anniversary coinciding with or next following the older of the owner or Annuitant’s 95th birthday, will be treated as annuity payments. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the contract, including any CDSC. Note that if your withdrawal of the Annual Income Amount in a given contract year exceeds the applicable free withdrawal amount under the contract (but is not considered Excess Income), we will not impose any CDSC on the amount of that withdrawal. However, we may impose a CDSC on the portion of a withdrawal that is deemed Excess Income. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit does not directly affect the Contract Value or surrender value, but any withdrawal will decrease the Contract Value by the amount of the withdrawal (plus any applicable CDSC). If you surrender your contract you will receive the current surrender value. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your contract while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven Benefit. The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value declines due to Variable Option performance, you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your contract value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit and to maintain the benefit, 100% of your Contract Value must be allocated to the permitted Variable Options. |
| • | You cannot allocate Purchase Payments or transfer Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as described below) if you elect this benefit. A summary description of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio appears within the prospectus section entitled “What Investment Options Can I Choose?” You can find a copy of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio prospectus by going to www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS3-STAT. |
| • | Transfers to and from the elected Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio triggered by the mathematical formula component of the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity. |
| • | You must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Account Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Account Value in accordance with our newly adopted requirements. |
| • | Subject to any change in requirements, transfers of Account Value and allocation of Additional purchase payments may be subject to new investment limitations. |
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| • | The maximum charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven is 1.50% annually of the Protected Withdrawal Value. We deduct this fee at the end of each quarter, where each such quarter is part of a year that begins on the effective date of the benefit or an anniversary thereafter. Thus, on each such quarter-end (or the next Valuation Day, if the quarter-end is not a Valuation Day), we deduct 0.375% of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the end of the quarter. We deduct the fee proportionally from each of your Variable Options including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Since this fee is based on the Protected Withdrawal Value, the fee for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven may be greater than it would have been, had it been based on the Contract Value alone. If the fee to be deducted exceeds the current Contract Value, we will reduce the Contract Value to zero, and continue the benefit as described above. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit cause your Account Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit cause your Account Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designations under the Benefit
| • | We no longer permit new elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. Elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven must have been based on two Designated Lives. Designated Lives must be natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven could only be elected where the Owner, Annuitant, and Beneficiary designations are as follows |
| • | One Annuity Owner, where the Annuitant and the Owner are the same person and the beneficiary is the Owner’s spouse. The Owner/Annuitant and the beneficiary each must be at least 59½ years old at the time of election; or |
| • | Co-Annuity Owners, where the Owners are each other’s spouses. The beneficiary designation must be the surviving spouse, or the spouses named equally. One of the owners must be the Annuitant. Each Owner must each be at least 59½ years old at the time of election; or |
| • | One Annuity Owner, where the Owner is a custodial account established to hold retirement assets for the benefit of the Annuitant pursuant to the provisions of Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”), the beneficiary is the Custodial Account, and the spouse of the Annuitant is the Contingent Annuitant. Both the Annuitant and the Contingent Annuitant each must be at least 59½ years old at the time of election. |
We do not permit a change of Owner under this benefit, except as follows: (a) if one Owner dies and the surviving spousal Owner assumes the Annuity or (b) if the contract initially is co-owned, but thereafter the Owner who is not the Annuitant is removed as Owner. We permit changes of beneficiary under this benefit. If the Designated Lives divorce, the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit may not be divided as part of the divorce settlement or judgment. Nor may the divorcing spouse who retains ownership of the contract appoint a new Designated Life upon re-marriage. Our current administrative procedure is to treat the division of an Annuity as a withdrawal from the existing Annuity. The non-owner spouse may then decide whether he or she wishes to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity, subject to the rules that are current at the time of purchase.
If you wish, you may cancel any Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit. You may then elect any other currently available living benefit on any Valuation Day after you have cancelled the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, provided the request is received in good order (subject to state availability and any applicable age requirements). Upon cancellation of any Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit, any Account Value allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio used with the pre-determined mathematical formula will be reallocated to the Permitted Variable Options according to your most recent allocation instruction or in absence of such instruction, on a proportional basis. You should be aware that upon termination of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, you will lose the Protected Withdrawal Value (including the Tenth Anniversary Date Guarantee), Annual Income Amount, and the Return of Principal Guarantee that you had accumulated under the benefit. Thus, the initial guarantees under any newly-elected benefit will be based on your current Account Value. Once the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit is cancelled you are not required to re-elect another optional living benefit and any subsequent benefit election may be made on or after the first Valuation Day following the cancellation of the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit provided that the benefit you are looking to elect is available on a post-issue basis. Any such new benefit may be more expensive.
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation Day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
a. your Contract Value on the day that you elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven; and
b. the sum of each Purchase Payment you made (including any Credits) during the one-year period after you elected the benefit.
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options (other than a Bond Portfolio used with this benefit), in the same proportion that each such Variable Option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately before the
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application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Protected Withdrawal Value, your death benefit, or the amount of any optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if a distribution is taken from your Annuity prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee.
Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election will apply as described above. The benefit terminates: (i) if upon the death of the first Designated Life, the surviving Designated Life opts to take the death benefit under the contract (thus, the benefit does not terminate solely because of the death of the first Designated Life), (ii) upon the death of the second Designated Life, (iii) upon your termination of the benefit (although if you have elected to take annuity payments in the form of the Annual Income Amount, we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount), (iv) upon your surrender of the contract (v) as of the Latest Annuity Date or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (vi) if both the Contract Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero or (vii) if you cease to meet our requirements for issuing the benefit (see Election of and Designations under the Program).
Upon termination of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven other than upon death of a Designated Life, we impose any accrued fee for the benefit (i.e., the fee for the pro-rated portion of the year since the fee was last assessed), and thereafter we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as defined below) to your Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options).
Mathematical Formula Component of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven
As indicated above, we limit the Variable Options to which you may allocate Contract Value if you elect Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. For purposes of this benefit, we refer to those permitted Variable Options as the “Permitted Variable Options”. As a requirement of participating in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we require that you participate in our specialize program, under which we may transfer Contract Value between the Permitted Variable Options and a specified bond fund within the Advanced Series Trust (the “AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio”). We determine whether to make a transfer, and the amount of any transfer, under a non-discretionary formula, discussed below. The AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is available only with this benefit, and thus you may not allocate Purchase Payments to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Under the mathematical component of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, we monitor your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Any transfer would be made in accordance with a formula, which is set forth in the Appendix D to this prospectus.
Speaking generally, the formula, which we apply each Valuation Day, operates as follows. The formula starts by identifying an income basis for that day and then multiplies that figure by 5%, to produce a projected (i.e., hypothetical) income amount. Note that we use 5% in the formula, irrespective of the youngest Designated Life’s attained age. Then we produce an estimate of the total amount we would target in our allocation model, based on the projected income amount and factors set forth in the formula. In the formula, we refer to that value as the “Target Value” or “L”. If you have already made a withdrawal, your projected income amount (and thus your Target Value) would take into account any automatic step-up, any subsequent purchase payments, and any excess withdrawals. Next, the formula subtracts from the Target Value the amount held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio on that day, and divides that difference by the amount held within the Permitted Variable Options. That ratio, which essentially isolates the amount of your Target Value that is not offset by amounts held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, is called the “Target Ratio” or “r”. If the Target Ratio exceeds a certain percentage (currently 83%), it means essentially that too much Target Value is not offset by assets within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, and therefore we will transfer an amount from your Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Conversely, if the Target Ratio falls below a certain percentage (currently 77%), then a transfer from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options would occur.
If you elect the formula (90% Cap Rule), see discussion regarding that feature.
As you can glean from the formula, poor investment performance of your contract value may result in a transfer of your variable Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, because such poor investment performance will tend to increase the Target Ratio. Moreover, “flat” investment returns on your Contract Value over a period of time also could result in the transfer of your Contract Value from the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Because the amount allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Annuity. In deciding how much to transfer, we use another formula, which essentially seeks to re-balance amounts held in the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio so that the Target Ratio meets a target, which currently is equal to 80%. Once you elect Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, the ratios we use will be fixed. For newly-issued Annuities that elect Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven and existing Annuities that elect Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, however, we reserve the right, subject to any required regulatory approval, to change the ratios.
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While you are not notified when your contract reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Contract Value either to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula by which the reallocation triggers operate is designed primarily to mitigate the financial risks that we incur in providing the guarantee under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven. Depending on the results of the calculation relative to the reallocation triggers, we may, on any day:
| • | Not make any transfer between the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; or |
| • | If a portion of your Contract Value was previously allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, transfer all or a portion of those amounts to the Permitted Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options). |
| • | Transfer all or a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options on a proportional basis to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
Therefore, at any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. If your entire Account Value is transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then based on the way the formula operates, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options and the entire Account Value would remain in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Variable Options according to your allocation instructions. Such additional purchase payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Once the purchase payments are allocated to your Annuity, they will also be subject to the formula, which may result in immediate transfers to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolios, if dictated by the formula. The amounts of any such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.
Prior to the first withdrawal, the primary driver of transfers to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is difference between your Account Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value. If none of your Account Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then over time the formula permits an increasing difference between the Account Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value before a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs. Therefore, as time goes on, while none of your Account Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, the smaller the difference between the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Account Value, the more the Account Value can decrease prior to a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Variable Options, and its impact on your Account Value, will differ from market cycle to market cycle producing different transfer activity under the formula. The amount and timing of transfers to and from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio pursuant to the formula depend on various factors unique to your Annuity and are not necessarily directly correlated with the securities markets, bond markets, interest rates or any other market or index. Some of the factors that determine the amount and timing of transfers (as applicable to your Annuity), include:
| • | The difference between your Account Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value; |
| • | The amount of time Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven has been in effect on your Annuity; |
| • | The amount allocated to and the performance of the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; |
| • | Any additional Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect); and |
| • | Any withdrawals you take from your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect). |
Because the amount allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your contract. The greater the amounts allocated to either the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio or to the Permitted Variable Options, the greater the impact performance of that Variable Option has on your Contract Value and thus the greater the impact on whether (and how much) your Contract Value is transferred to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. It is possible, under the formula, that if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and that Variable Option has positive performance, the formula might transfer a portion of your Contract Value to the Permitted Variable Options, even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is negative. Conversely, if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and that Variable Option has negative performance, the formula may transfer additional amounts from your Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is positive.
If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated in accordance with your Annuity. Once allocated, they will also be subject to the formula described above and therefore may be transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, if dictated by the formula.
Any Account Value in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will not participate in the positive or negative investment experience of the Permitted Variable Options until it is transferred out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase an annuity as an investment vehicle for "qualified" investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the Required Minimum Distribution rules under the Code provide that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than five (5) percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner's lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any contract year that Required Minimum Distributions due from your Contract are greater than such amounts. In addition, the amount
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and duration of payments under the annuity payment and death benefit provisions may be adjusted so that the payments do not trigger any penalty or excise taxes due to tax considerations such as Required Minimum Distribution provisions under the tax law. Please note, however, that any withdrawal you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee and the guaranteed amount described above under "KEY FEATURE - Protected Withdrawal Value". See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while this benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the contract. Please see the Taxes section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven through a Non-qualified annuity, as with all withdrawals, once all Purchase Payments are returned under the contract, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME 7 PLUS INCOME BENEFIT (HD7 Plus)
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is no longer offered for new elections. Please note that if you terminate Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and elect another available living benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. The income benefit under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus currently is based on a single “designated life” who was at least 45 years old on the date that the benefit was elected. The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit was not available if you elected any other optional living benefit, although you may elect any optional death benefit other than the Highest Daily Value death benefit. As long as your Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then permitted and available investment option(s) with this benefit. For a more detailed description of the permitted investment options, see the “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” section of this prospectus.
Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus guarantees until the death of the single designated life (the Annuitant) the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Annual Income Amount for the rest of your life (“Lifetime Withdrawals”), provided that you have not made “excess withdrawals” that have resulted in your Contract Value being reduced to zero. We also permit you to make a one-time Non-Lifetime Withdrawal from your Annuity prior to taking Lifetime Withdrawals under the benefit. Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity, and wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our pre-determined mathematical formula in order to participate in Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Contract Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
Although you are guaranteed the ability to withdraw your Annual Income Amount for life even if your Contract Value falls to zero, if you take an excess withdrawal that brings your Contract Value to zero, it is possible that your Annual Income Amount could also fall to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit.
Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to calculate the initial Annual Income Amount. The Protected Withdrawal Value is separate from your Contract Value and not available as cash or a lump sum. On the effective date of the benefit, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to your Contract Value. On each Valuation Day thereafter until the date of your first Lifetime Withdrawal (excluding any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal discussed below), the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the “Periodic Value” described in the next paragraphs.
The “Periodic Value” initially is equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation Day thereafter until the first Lifetime Withdrawal, we recalculate the Periodic Value. We stop determining the Periodic Value upon your first Lifetime Withdrawal after the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation Day (the “Current Valuation Day”), the Periodic Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value for the immediately preceding business day (the “Prior Valuation Day”) appreciated at the daily equivalent of 7% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Valuation Day and the Current Valuation Day (i.e., one day for successive Valuation Days, but more than one calendar day for Valuation Days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any adjusted Purchase Payment made on the Current Valuation Day (the Periodic Value is proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal); and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
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If you have not made a Lifetime Withdrawal on or before the 10th, 20th, or 25th Anniversary of the effective date of the benefit, your Periodic Value on the 10th, 20th, or 25th Anniversary of the benefit effective date is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value described above or, |
| (2) | the sum of (a), (b) and (c) below (proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawals): |
| (a) | 200% (on the 10th anniversary), 400% (on the 20th anniversary) or 600% (on the 25th anniversary) of the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit; |
| (b) | 200% (on the 10th anniversary), 400% (on the 20th anniversary) or 600% (on the 25th anniversary) of all adjusted purchase payments made within one year following the effective date of the benefit; and |
| (c) | all adjusted purchase payments made after one year following the effective date of the benefit. |
On and after the date of your first Lifetime Withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is increased by the amount of any subsequent purchase payments, is reduced by withdrawals, including your first Lifetime Withdrawal (as described below), and may be increased if you qualify for a step-up (as described below).
Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a Lifetime Withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation Day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
| (a) | your Contract Value on the day that you elected Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal; and |
| (b) | the sum of each Purchase Payment proportionally reduced for any subsequent Non-Lifetime Withdrawal (including the amount of any associated Credits) you made during the one-year period after you elected the benefit. |
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options (including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio), in the same proportion that each such Variable Option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately before the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Protected Withdrawal Value, your death benefit, or the amount of any optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. Because the amount is added to Contract Value, it will also be subject to each charge under your Annuity based on Contract Value. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if you take a withdrawal (other than a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal) prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee. The Return of Principal Guarantee is referred to as the Guaranteed Minimum Account Value Credit in the benefit rider.
Key Feature - Annual Income Amount under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit
The Annual Income Amount is equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the first Lifetime Withdrawal and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. The percentage initially depends on the age of the Annuitant on the date of the first Lifetime Withdrawal after election of the benefit. The percentages are: 4% for ages 45 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½ – 74, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older.
Under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit, if your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year. If your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are in excess of the Annual Income Amount (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions for this Annuity that comply with our rules) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions are based on the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. Lifetime Withdrawals of any amount up to and including the Annual Income Amount will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the withdrawal. Withdrawals of Excess Income will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the same ratio as the reduction to the Annual Income Amount.
Note that if your withdrawal of the Annual Income Amount in a given Annuity Year exceeds the applicable free withdrawal amount under the Annuity (but is not considered Excess Income), we will not impose any CDSC on the amount of that withdrawal.
You may use the Systematic Withdrawal program to make withdrawals of the Annual Income Amount. Any systematic withdrawal will be deemed a Lifetime Withdrawal under this benefit.
Any Purchase Payment that you make subsequent to the election of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus will (i) increase the then-existing Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to a percentage of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits) based on the age of the Annuitant at the time of the first Lifetime Withdrawal (the percentages are: 4% for ages 45 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½ – 74, 6% for ages 75- 79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older) and (ii) increase the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credits).
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If your Annuity permits additional purchase payments, we may limit any additional purchase payment(s) if we determine that as a result of the timing and amounts of your additional purchase payments and withdrawals, the Annual Income Amount is being increased in an unintended fashion. Among the factors we will use in making a determination as to whether an action is designed to increase the Annual Income Amount in an unintended fashion is the relative size of additional purchase payment(s). Subject to state law, we reserve the right to not accept additional purchase payments if we are not then offering this benefit for new elections. We will exercise such reservation of right for all annuity purchasers in the same class in a nondiscriminatory manner. Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
Highest Daily Auto Step-Up
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Daily Auto Step-Up”) is part of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Daily Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Annual Income Amount subsequent to your first Lifetime Withdrawal. The Highest Daily Auto Step-Up starts with the anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity (the “Annuity Anniversary”) immediately after your first Lifetime Withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Annuity Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on each Valuation Day within the immediately preceding Annuity Year after your first Lifetime Withdrawal. Having identified the highest daily value (after all daily values have been adjusted for subsequent purchase payments and withdrawals), we then multiply that value by a percentage that varies based on the age of the Annuitant on the Annuity Anniversary as of which the step-up would occur. The percentages are: 4% for ages 45 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½-74, 6% for ages 75-79, 7% for ages 80-84, and 8% for ages 85 and older. If that value exceeds the existing Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Annual Income Amount intact. The Contract Value on the Annuity Anniversary is considered the last daily step-up value of the Annuity Year. All daily valuations and annual step-ups will only occur on a Valuation Day. In later years (i.e., after the first Annuity Anniversary after the first Lifetime Withdrawal), we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each Annuity Anniversary, by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values that occurred on Valuation Days during the year. At the time that we increase your Annual Income Amount, we also increase your Protected Withdrawal Value to equal the highest daily value upon which your step-up was based only if that results in an increase to the Protected Withdrawal Value. Your Protected Withdrawal Value will never be decreased as a result of an income step-up. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Daily Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject.
If you establish a Systematic Withdrawal program, we will not automatically increase the withdrawal amount when there is an increase to the Annual Income Amount.
The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your Annuity, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, if your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount in any Annuity Year, you cannot carry over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent Annuity Years.
Because each of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Annual Income Amount remains.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Daily Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values shown here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Issue Date is December 1, 2008 |
| • | The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is elected on March 5, 2009 |
| • | The Annuitant was 70 years old when he/she elected the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
Example of dollar-for-dollar Reductions
On November 24, 2009, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in an Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (since the Annuitant is between the ages of 59½ and 74 at the time of the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value, in this case 5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Annuity on this date, the remaining Annual Income Amount for that Annuity Year (up to and including December 1, 2009) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Annual Income Amount ($6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500).
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Example of proportional reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on November 27, 2009 and the Contract Value at the time and immediately prior to this withdrawal is $118,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Annual Income Amount for that Annuity Year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount of $1,500 – reduces the Annual Income Amount in future Annuity Years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Contract Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there are other future withdrawals in that Annuity Year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Annual Income Amount).
Here is the calculation:
|
Account Value before Lifetime Withdrawal |
$118,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Account Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$114,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess |
$114,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.31% |
|
Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.31% |
$78.60 |
|
Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,921.49 |
Example of highest daily auto step-up
On each Annuity Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Annuity Anniversary) of the highest daily value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Annuity Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Annuity Year. |
| • | The Annuity Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Annuity Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the annuity year. |
| • | The highest daily Unadjusted Account Value for this Annuity Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest daily Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Annuity Year. |
| • | The Annuity Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Annuity Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the annuity year. |
| • | The highest daily Unadjusted Account Value for this Annuity Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous highest daily Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
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Non-Lifetime Withdrawal Feature
You may take a one-time non-lifetime withdrawal (“Non-Lifetime Withdrawal”) under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. It is an optional feature of the benefit that you can only elect at the time of your first withdrawal. You cannot take a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal in an amount that would cause your Annuity’s Contract Value, after taking the withdrawal, to fall below the minimum Surrender Value (see “Access to Account Value – Can I Surrender My Annuity for Its Value?”). This Non-Lifetime Withdrawal will not establish your initial Annual Income Amount and the Periodic Value described above will continue to be calculated. However, the total amount of the withdrawal will proportionally reduce all guarantees associated with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. You must tell us if your withdrawal is intended to be the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal and not the first Lifetime Withdrawal under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. If you don’t elect the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, the first withdrawal you make will be the first Lifetime Withdrawal that establishes your Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount. Once you elect to take the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal or Lifetime Withdrawals, no additional Non-Lifetime Withdrawals may be taken.
The Non-Lifetime Withdrawal will proportionally reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Return of Principal guarantee. It will also proportionally reduce the Periodic Value guarantees on the tenth, twentieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries of the benefit effective date (see description in “Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value,” above). It will reduce all three by the percentage the total withdrawal amount (including any applicable CDSC) represents of the then current Contract Value immediately prior to the withdrawal. The Non-Lifetime Withdrawal could result in a lower Annual Income Amount at the time you take your first Lifetime Withdrawal depending on the amount of the proportional reduction described above and duration of time between your Non-Lifetime and first Lifetime Withdrawal. As such, you should carefully consider when it is most appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals under the benefit.
If you are participating in a Systematic Withdrawal program, the first withdrawal under the program cannot be classified as the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal.
Example – Non-Lifetime Withdrawal (proportional reduction)
This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges. It is intended to illustrate the proportional reduction of the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal under this benefit.
Assume the following:
| • | The Issue Date is December 1, 2008 |
| • | The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is elected on March 5, 2009 |
| • | The Contract Value at benefit election was $105,000 |
| • | The Annuitant was 70 years old when he/she elected the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
| • | No previous withdrawals have been taken under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
On May 2, 2009, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $125,000, the 10th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $210,000, the 10th benefit year Return of Principal guarantee is $105,000, the 20th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $420,000, the 25th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $630,000 and the Contract Value is $120,000. Assuming $15,000 is withdrawn from the Annuity on May 2, 2009 and is designated as a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, all guarantees associated with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit will be reduced by the ratio the total withdrawal amount represents of the Contract Value just prior to the withdrawal being taken.
Here is the calculation:
|
Withdrawal Amount divided by |
$15,000 |
|
Account Value before withdrawal |
$120,000 |
|
Equals ratio |
12.5% |
|
All guarantees will be reduced by the above ratio (12.5%) | |
|
Protected Withdrawal Value |
$109,375 |
|
10th benefit year Return of Principal |
$91,875 |
|
10th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$183,750 |
|
20th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$367,500 |
|
25th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$551,250 |
Required Minimum Distributions
Withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount, but which you are required to take as a required minimum distribution for this Annuity, will not reduce the Annual Income Amount for future years. No additional Annual Income Amounts will be available in an Annuity Year due to required minimum distributions unless the required minimum distribution amount is greater than the Annual Income Amount. Any withdrawal you take that exceeds the Annual Income Amount in Annuity Years that your required minimum distribution amount is not greater than the Annual Income Amount will be treated as an Excess Withdrawal under the benefit. If your required minimum distribution (as calculated by us for your Annuity and not previously withdrawn in the
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current calendar year) is greater than the Annual Income Amount, an amount equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount plus the difference between the required minimum distribution amount not previously withdrawn in the current calendar year and the Annual Income Amount will be available in the current Annuity Year without it being considered an excess withdrawal.
In the event that a required minimum distribution is calculated in a calendar year that crosses more than one Annuity Year and you choose to satisfy the entire required minimum distribution for that calendar year in the next Annuity Year, the distribution taken in the next Annuity Year will reduce your Annual Income Amount in that Annuity Year on a dollar by dollar basis. If the required minimum distribution not taken in the prior Annuity Year is greater than the Annual Income Amount as guaranteed by the benefit in the current Annuity Year, the total required minimum distribution amount may be taken without being treated as an excess withdrawal.
In any year in which the requirement to take Required Minimum Distributions is suspended by law, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion and regardless of any position taken on this issue in a prior year, to treat any amount that would have been considered as a Required Minimum Distribution if not for the suspension as eligible for treatment as described herein.
Example – Required Minimum Distributions
The following example is purely hypothetical and is intended to illustrate a scenario in which the required minimum distribution amount in a given Annuity Year is greater than the Annual Income Amount.
Annual Income Amount = $5,000
Remaining Annual Income Amount = $3,000
Required Minimum Distribution = $6,000
The amount you may withdraw in the current Annuity Year without it being treated as an Excess Withdrawal is $4,000. ($3,000 + ($6,000 – $5,000) = $4,000).
If the $4,000 withdrawal is taken, the remaining Annual Income Amount will be zero and the remaining required minimum distribution amount of $2,000 may be taken in the subsequent Annuity Year (when your Annual Income Amount is reset to $5,000) without proportionally reducing all of the guarantees associated with the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit as described above. The amount you may withdraw in the subsequent Annuity Year if you choose not to satisfy the required minimum distribution in the current Annuity Year (assuming the Annual Income Amount in the subsequent Annuity Year is $5,000), without being treated as an Excess Withdrawal is $6,000. This withdrawal must comply with all IRS guidelines in order to satisfy the required minimum distribution for the current calendar year.
Benefits Under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year that are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount or as a result of the fee that we assess for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, and amounts are still payable under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that Annuity Year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the Annuity Year. If you have not begun taking Lifetime Withdrawals and your Contract Value is reduced to zero as a result of the fee we assess for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first Lifetime Withdrawal on the date the Contract Value was reduced to zero and Lifetime Withdrawals will begin on the next Annuity anniversary. If this were to occur, you are not permitted to make additional purchase payments to your Annuity. Thus, in these scenarios, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent Annuity Years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the single designated life. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the Annuity Year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit terminates, and no additional payments are made. However, if a withdrawal in the latter scenario was taken to satisfy a required minimum distribution under the Annuity, then the benefit will not terminate, and we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years until the death of the Designated Life. |
| • | If Annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your Annuity, or if you decide to begin receiving Annuity payments and there is an Annual Income Amount due in subsequent Annuity Years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (1) | apply your Contract Value to any Annuity option available; or |
| (2) | request that, as of the date Annuity payments are to begin, we make Annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. If this option is elected, the Annual Income Amount will not increase after annuity payments have begun. We will make payments until the death of the single Designated Life. We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office. |
| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments in the form of a single life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity. The amount that will be applied to provide such Annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of the future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the single life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the single life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
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| • | If no Lifetime Withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first Lifetime Withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
| • | Please note that payments that we make under this benefit after the Annuity Anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday will be treated as annuity payments. |
Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Annuity, including any applicable CDSC for the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal as well as withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Annuity. Any withdrawals made under the benefit will be taken on a proportional basis from the Variable Options (including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio). |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your Annuity while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. The Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (subject to our rules regarding time and amount of withdrawals), you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit, and to maintain the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Permitted Variable Options. |
| • | You cannot allocate purchase payments or transfer Account Value to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (see description below) if you elect this benefit. A summary description of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio appears within the prospectus section entitled “What Are The Investment Objectives and Policies of The Portfolios?”. You can find a copy of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio prospectus by going to www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS3-STAT. |
| • | Transfers to and from the elected Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio triggered by the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus mathematical formula will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity. |
| • | You must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly adopted requirements. Subject to any change in requirements, transfer of Contract Value and allocation of additional purchase payments may be subject to new investment limitations. |
| • | The maximum charge for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is 1.50% annually of the greater of Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value (PWV). We deduct this fee on each quarterly anniversary of the benefit effective date. Thus, on each such quarterly anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if the quarterly anniversary is not a Valuation Day), we deduct 0.375% of the greater of the prior day’s Contract Value or the prior day’s Protected Withdrawal Value at the end of the quarter. We deduct the fee proportionally from each of your Variable Options including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Since this fee is based on the greater of the Contract Value or the Protected Withdrawal Value, the fee for Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus may be greater than it would have been, had it been based on the Contract Value alone. If the fee to be deducted exceeds the Contract Value at the benefit quarter, we will charge the remainder of the Contract Value for the benefit and continue the benefit as described above. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designations Under the Benefit
We no longer permit new elections of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. For Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, there must have been either a single Owner who is the same as the Annuitant, or if the Annuity is entity owned, there must be a single natural person Annuitant. In either case, the Annuitant must have been at least 45 years old.
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Any change of the Annuitant under the Annuity will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Similarly, any change of Owner will result in cancellation of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, except if (a) the new Owner has the same taxpayer identification number as the previous owner, (b) ownership is transferred from a custodian or other entity to the Annuitant, or vice versa or (c) ownership is transferred from one entity to another entity that satisfies our administrative ownership guidelines.
Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and elect a new living benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and will begin the new guarantees under the new benefit you elect based on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. We reserve the right to waive, change and/or further limit the election frequency in the future.
Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election may apply. The benefit automatically terminates: (i) upon your termination of the benefit, (ii) upon your surrender of the Annuity, (iii) as of the Latest Annuity Date or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (although if you have elected to receive the Annual Income Amount in the form of Annuity payments, we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount), (iv) upon our receipt of due proof of the death of the Annuitant, (v) if both the Contract Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero, or (vi) if you cease to meet our requirements as described in “Election of and Designations under the Benefit”.
Upon termination of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus other than upon the death of the Annuitant, we impose any accrued fee for the benefit (i.e., the fee for the pro-rated portion of the year since the fee was last assessed), and thereafter we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to your Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options).
If a surviving spouse elects to continue the Annuity, the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit terminates. The spouse may elect the benefit subject to the restrictions discussed above.
How Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Transfers Account Value Between Your Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio
As indicated above, we limit the Variable Options to which you may allocate Contract Value if you elect Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. For purposes of this benefit, we refer to those permitted investment options as the “Permitted Variable Options”.
An integral part of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is the pre-determined mathematical formula used to transfer Contract Value between the Permitted Variable Options and a specified bond fund within the Advanced Series Trust (the “AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio”). The AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is available only with this benefit, and thus you may not allocate purchase payments to or make transfers to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula monitors your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfers amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula is set forth in Appendix D.
Speaking generally, the formula, which is applied each Valuation Day, operates as follows. The formula starts by identifying an income basis for that day and then multiplies that figure by 5%, to produce a projected (i.e., hypothetical) income amount. Note that 5% is used in the formula, irrespective of the Annuitant’s attained age. Then it produces an estimate of the total amount targeted in our allocation model, based on the projected income amount and factors set forth in the formula. In the formula, we refer to that value as the “Target Value” or “L”. If you have already made a withdrawal, your projected income amount (and thus your Target Value) would take into account any automatic step-up, any subsequent purchase payments (and associated purchase credits), and any excess withdrawals. Next, the formula subtracts from the Target Value the amount held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio on that day, and divides that difference by the amount held within the Permitted Variable Options. That ratio, which essentially isolates the amount of your Target Value that is not offset by amounts held within the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, is called the “Target Ratio” or “r”. If, on each of three consecutive Valuation Days, the Target Ratio is greater than 83% but less than or equal to 84.5%, the formula will, on such third Valuation Day, make a transfer from the Permitted Variable Options in which you are invested (subject to the 90% Cap Rule) to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Once a transfer is made, the three consecutive Valuation Days begin again. If, however, on any Valuation Day, the Target Ratio is above 84.5%, it will make a transfer from the Permitted Variable Options (subject to the 90% cap) to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as described above). If the Target Ratio falls below 78% on any Valuation Day, then a transfer from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options will occur.
The formula will not execute a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio that results in more than 90% of your Contract Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (“90% cap”). Thus, on any Valuation Day, if the formula would require a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio that would result in more than 90% of the Contract Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, only the amount that results in exactly 90% of the Contract Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will be transferred. Additionally, future transfers into the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will not be made (regardless of the performance of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the Permitted Variable Options) at least until there is first a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Once this transfer occurs out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, future amounts may be transferred to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio if dictated by the formula (subject to the 90% cap). At no time will the formula make a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio that results in
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greater than 90% of your Contract Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. However, it is possible that, due to the investment performance of your allocations in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and your allocations in the Permitted Variable Options you have selected, your account value could be more than 90% invested in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
If you make additional purchase payments to your Annuity while the 90% cap is in effect, the formula will not transfer any of such additional purchase payments to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio at least until there is first a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, regardless of how much of your Contract Value is in the Permitted Variable Options. This means that there could be scenarios under which, because of the additional purchase payments you make, less than 90% of your entire Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, and the formula will still not transfer any of your Contract Value to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (at least until there is first a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio). For example,
| • | March 19, 2009 – a transfer is made to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio that results in the 90% cap being met and now $90,000 is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and $10,000 is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options. |
| • | March 20, 2009 – you make an additional purchase payment of $10,000. No transfers have been made from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options since the cap went into effect on March 19, 2009. |
| • | On March 20, 2009 (and at least until first a transfer is made out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio under the formula) – the $10,000 payment is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options and on this date you have 82% in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and 18% in the Permitted Variable Options (such that $20,000 is allocated to the Permitted Variable Options and $90,000 to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio). |
| • | Once there is a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (of any amount), the formula will operate as described above, meaning that the formula could transfer amounts to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio if dictated by the formula (subject to the 90% cap). |
Under the operation of the formula, the 90% cap may come into existence and be removed multiple times while you participate in the benefit. We will continue to monitor your Contract Value daily and, if dictated by the formula, systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Variable Options you have chosen and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio as dictated by the formula.
As you can glean from the formula, poor or flat investment performance of your Contract Value may result in a transfer of a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio because such poor investment performance will tend to increase the Target Ratio. Because the amount allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Annuity. In deciding how much to transfer, we use another formula, which essentially seeks to re-balance amounts held in the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio so that the Target Ratio meets a target, which currently is equal to 80%. Once you elect Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, the values we use to compare to the Target Ratio will be fixed.
Additionally, on each monthly Annuity Anniversary (if the monthly Annuity Anniversary does not fall on a Valuation Day, the next Valuation Day will be used), following all of the above described daily calculations, a transfer may be made from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options. Any such transfer will be based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options). This transfer will automatically occur provided that the Target Ratio, as described above, would be less than 83% after the transfer. The formula will not execute a transfer if the Target Ratio after this transfer would occur would be greater than or equal to 83%.
The amount of the transfer will be equal to the lesser of:
| (a) | The total value of all your Contract Value in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, or |
| (b) | An amount equal to 5% of your total Contract Value. |
While you are not notified when your Annuity reaches a transfer trigger under the formula, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Contract Value either to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. The formula by which the transfer operates is designed primarily to mitigate some of the financial risks that we incur in providing the guarantee under Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Depending on the results of the calculations of the formula, we may, on any Valuation Day:
| • | Not make any transfer between the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; or |
| • | If a portion of your Contract Value was previously allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, transfer all or a portion of those amounts to the Permitted Variable Options, based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such existing instructions) proportionally (i.e., in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options); or |
| • | Transfer a portion of your Contract Value in the Permitted Variable Options proportionally to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
At any given time, some, most or none of your Contract Value will be allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, as dictated by the formula.
Prior to the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the primary driver of transfers to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is difference between your Contract Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value. If none of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, then over time the formula permits an increasing difference between the Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value before a transfer to the AST Investment Grade
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Bond Portfolio occurs. Therefore, as time goes on, while none of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, the smaller the difference between the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Contract Value, the more the Contract Value can decrease prior to a transfer to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Variable Options, and its impact on your Contract Value, will differ from market cycle to market cycle producing different transfer activity under the formula. The amount and timing of transfers to and from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio pursuant to the formula depend on various factors unique to your Annuity and are not necessarily directly correlated with the securities markets, bond markets, interest rates or any other market or index. Some of the factors that determine the amount and timing of transfers (as applicable to your Annuity), include:
| • | The difference between your Contract Value and your Protected Withdrawal Value; |
| • | The amount of time Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus has been in effect on your Annuity; |
| • | The amount allocated to and the performance of the Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio; |
| • | Any additional Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect); and |
| • | Any withdrawals you take from your Annuity (while the benefit is in effect). |
Because the amount allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the amount allocated to the Permitted Variable Options each is a variable in the formula, the investment performance of each affects whether a transfer occurs for your Annuity. The greater the amounts allocated to either the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio or to the Permitted Variable Options, the greater the impact performance of those investments have on your Contract Value and thus the greater the impact on whether (and how much) your Contract Value is transferred to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. It is possible, under the formula, that if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and that Variable Option has positive performance, the formula might transfer a portion of your Contract Value to the Permitted Variable Options, even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is negative. Conversely, if a significant portion of your Contract Value is allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and that Variable Option has negative performance, the formula may transfer additional amounts from your Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio even if the performance of your Permitted Variable Options is positive.
If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated in accordance with your Annuity. Once allocated, they will also be subject to the formula described above and therefore may be transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, if dictated by the formula and subject to the 90% Cap Rule.
Any Contract Value in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will not participate in the positive or negative investment experience of the Permitted Variable Options until it is transferred out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase an annuity as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the required minimum distribution rules under the Code provide that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than five (5) percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any Annuity Year that required minimum distributions due from your Annuity are greater than such amounts. Please note that any withdrawal (except the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal) you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee and the guaranteed amount described above under “Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value”. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while this benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Annuity. Please see the Taxes section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus through a Non-qualified annuity, as with all withdrawals, once all purchase payments are returned under the Annuity, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
If you take a partial withdrawal to satisfy RMD and designate that withdrawal as a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, please note all Non-Lifetime Withdrawal provisions will apply.
SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME 7 PLUS INCOME BENEFIT (SHD7 Plus)
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is no longer available for new elections.
Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
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Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is the spousal version of Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. We no longer offer Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. If you elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and subsequently terminate the benefit, you may elect another available living benefit, subject to our current rules. See “Termination of Existing Benefits and Election of New Benefits”.
Please note that if you terminate Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and elect another benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus could have been elected based on two Designated Lives, as described below. The youngest Designated Life must have been at least 50 years old and the oldest Designated Life must have been at least 55 years old when the benefit was elected. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is not available if you elected any other optional benefit. As long as your Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit is in effect, you must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then permitted and available investment option(s) with this benefit. For a more detailed description of permitted investment options, see the “General Description of Registrant, Depositor, and Portfolio Companies” section in this prospectus.
We previously offered a benefit that guarantees until the later death of two natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit (the “Designated Lives”, and each, a “Designated Life”) the ability to withdraw an annual amount (the “Annual Income Amount”) equal to a percentage of an initial principal value (the “Protected Withdrawal Value”) regardless of the impact of Variable Option performance on the Contract Value, subject to our rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals. You are guaranteed to be able to withdraw the Annual Income Amount for the lives of the Designated Lives (“Lifetime Withdrawals”) provided you have not made “excess withdrawals” that have resulted in your Contract Value being reduced to zero. We also permit a one-time Non-Lifetime Withdrawal from your Annuity prior to taking Lifetime Withdrawals under the benefit. The benefit may be appropriate if you intend to make periodic withdrawals from your Annuity, wish to ensure that Variable Option performance will not affect your ability to receive annual payments, and wish either spouse to be able to continue the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit after the death of the first spouse. You are not required to make withdrawals as part of the benefit – the guarantees are not lost if you withdraw less than the maximum allowable amount each year under the rules of the benefit. As discussed below, we require that you participate in our predetermined mathematical formula in order to participate in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Withdrawals are taken first from your own Contract Value. We are only required to begin making lifetime income payments to you under our guarantee when and if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (unless the benefit has terminated).
Although you are guaranteed the ability to withdraw your Annual Income Amount for life even if your Contract Value falls to zero, if you take an excess withdrawal that brings your Contract Value to zero, it is possible that your Annual Income Amount could also fall to zero. In that scenario, no further amount would be payable under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus.
Key Feature - Protected Withdrawal Value
The Protected Withdrawal Value is used to calculate the initial Annual Income Amount. The Protected Withdrawal Value is separate from your Contract Value and not available as cash or a lump sum. On the effective date of the benefit, the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to your Contract Value. On each Valuation Day thereafter until the date of your first Lifetime Withdrawal (excluding any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal discussed below), the Protected Withdrawal Value is equal to the “Periodic Value” described in the next paragraph.
The “Periodic Value” initially is equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation Day thereafter until the first Lifetime Withdrawal, we recalculate the Periodic Value. We stop determining the Periodic Value upon your first Lifetime Withdrawal after the effective date of the benefit. On each Valuation Day (the “Current Valuation Day”), the Periodic Value is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value for the immediately preceding business day (the “Prior Valuation Day”) appreciated at the daily equivalent of 7% annually during the calendar day(s) between the Prior Valuation Day and the Current Valuation Day (i.e., one day for successive Valuation Days, but more than one calendar day for Valuation Days that are separated by weekends and/or holidays), plus the amount of any adjusted Purchase Payment made on the Current Valuation Day (the Periodic Value is proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal); and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
If you have not made a Lifetime Withdrawal on or before the 10th, 20th, or 25th Anniversary of the effective date of the benefit, your Periodic Value on the 10th, 20th, or 25th Anniversary of the benefit effective date is equal to the greater of:
| (1) | the Periodic Value described above or, |
| (2) | the sum of (a), (b) and (c) (proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal): |
| (a) | 200% (on the 10th anniversary), 400% (on the 20th anniversary) or 600% (on the 25th anniversary) of the Contract Value on the effective date of the benefit; |
| (b) | 200% (on the 10th anniversary), 400% (on the 20th anniversary) or 600% (on the 25th anniversary) of all adjusted purchase payments made within one year following the effective date of the benefit; and |
| (c) | All adjusted purchase payments made after one year following the effective date of the benefit. |
On and after the date of your first Lifetime Withdrawal, your Protected Withdrawal Value is increased by the amount of any subsequent purchase payments, is reduced by withdrawals, including your first Lifetime Withdrawal (as described below), and may be increased if you qualify for a step-up (as described below).
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Return of Principal Guarantee
If you have not made a Lifetime Withdrawal before the Tenth Anniversary, we will increase your Contract Value on that Tenth Anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if that anniversary is not a Valuation Day), if the requirements set forth in this paragraph are met. On the Tenth Anniversary, we add:
| (a) | your Contract Value on the day that you elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus proportionally reduced for any Non-Lifetime Withdrawal; and |
| (b) | the sum of each Purchase Payment proportionally reduced for any subsequent Non-Lifetime Withdrawal (including the amount of any associated Credits) you made during the one-year period after you elected the benefit. |
If the sum of (a) and (b) is greater than your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we increase your Contract Value to equal the sum of (a) and (b), by contributing funds from our general account. If the sum of (a) and (b) is less than or equal to your Contract Value on the Tenth Anniversary, we make no such adjustment. The amount that we add to your Contract Value under this provision will be allocated to each of your Variable Options (including the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio used with this benefit), in the same proportion that each such Variable Option bears to your total Contract Value, immediately before the application of the amount. Any such amount will not be considered a Purchase Payment when calculating your Protected Withdrawal Value, your death benefit, or the amount of any optional benefit that you may have selected, and therefore will have no direct impact on any such values at the time we add this amount. Because the amount is added to your Contract Value, it will also be subject to each charge under your Annuity based on Contract Value. This potential addition to Contract Value is available only if you have elected Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus and if you meet the conditions set forth in this paragraph. Thus, if you take a withdrawal, including a required minimum distribution, (other than a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal) prior to the Tenth Anniversary, you are not eligible to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee. The Return of Principal Guarantee is referred to as the Guaranteed Minimum Account Value Credit in the benefit rider.
Key Feature – Annual Income Amount under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Benefit
The Annual Income Amount is equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Withdrawal Value at the first Lifetime Withdrawal and does not reduce in subsequent Annuity Years, as described below. The percentage initially depends on the age of the youngest Designated Life on the date of the first Lifetime Withdrawal after election of the benefit. The percentages are: 4% for ages 50 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½ – 79, 6% for ages 80 to 84, 7% for ages 85 to 89, and 8% for ages 90 and older. We use the age of the youngest Designated Life even if that Designated Life is no longer a participant under the Annuity due to death or divorce.
Under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit, if your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year. If your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are in excess of the Annual Income Amount for any Annuity Year (“Excess Income”), your Annual Income Amount in subsequent years will be reduced (except with regard to required minimum distributions for this Annuity that comply with our rules) by the result of the ratio of the Excess Income to the Contract Value immediately prior to such withdrawal (see examples of this calculation below). Reductions are based on the actual amount of the withdrawal, including any CDSC that may apply. Lifetime Withdrawals of any amount up to and including the Annual Income Amount will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the withdrawal. Withdrawals of Excess Income will reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value by the same ratio as the reduction to the Annual Income Amount.
Note that if your withdrawal of the Annual Income Amount in a given Annuity Year exceeds the applicable free withdrawal amount under the Annuity (but is not considered Excess Income), we will not impose any CDSC on the amount of that withdrawal.
You may use the Systematic Withdrawal program to make withdrawals of the Annual Income Amount. Any systematic withdrawal will be deemed a Lifetime Withdrawal under this benefit.
Any Purchase Payment that you make subsequent to the election of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus will (i) increase the then-existing Annual Income Amount by an amount equal to a percentage of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credit) based on the age of the younger Annuitant at the time of the first Lifetime Withdrawal (the percentages are: 4% for ages 50 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½ – 79, 6% for ages 80-84, 7% for ages 85-89, and 8% for ages 90 and older), and (ii) increase the Protected Withdrawal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (including the amount of any associated Credit).
If your Annuity permits additional purchase payments, we may limit any additional purchase payment(s) if we determine that as a result of the timing and amounts of your additional purchase payments and withdrawals, the Annual Income Amount is being increased in an unintended fashion. Among the factors we will use in making a determination as to whether an action is designed to increase the Annual Income Amount in an unintended fashion is the relative size of additional purchase payment(s). Subject to state law, we reserve the right to not accept additional purchase payments if we are not then offering this benefit for new elections. We will exercise such reservation of right for all annuity purchasers in the same class in a nondiscriminatory manner. Except for Annuities issued in the state of New Jersey, effective September 14, 2012, we no longer accept additional purchase payments for Annuities with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. For Annuities issued in New Jersey, this restriction does not apply and you may continue to make additional Purchase Payments at this time.
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Highest Daily Auto Step-Up
An automatic step-up feature (“Highest Daily Auto Step-Up”) is part of this benefit. As detailed in this paragraph, the Highest Daily Auto Step-Up feature can result in a larger Annual Income Amount subsequent to your first Lifetime Withdrawal. The Highest Daily Step-Up starts with the anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity (the “Annuity Anniversary”) immediately after your first Lifetime Withdrawal under the benefit. Specifically, upon the first such Annuity Anniversary, we identify the Contract Value on each Valuation Day within the immediately preceding Annuity Year after your first Lifetime Withdrawal. Having identified the highest daily value (after all daily values have been adjusted for subsequent purchase payments and withdrawals), we then multiply that value by a percentage that varies based on the age of the youngest Designated Life on the Annuity Anniversary as of which the step-up would occur. The percentages are 4% for ages 50 – less than 59½, 5% for ages 59½ – 79, 6% for ages 80-84, 7% for ages 85-89, and 8% for ages 90 and older. If that value exceeds the existing Annual Income Amount, we replace the existing amount with the new, higher amount. Otherwise, we leave the existing Annual Income Amount intact. The Contract Value on the Annuity Anniversary is considered the last daily step-up value of the Annuity Year. In later years (i.e., after the first Annuity Anniversary after the first Lifetime Withdrawal), we determine whether an automatic step-up should occur on each Annuity Anniversary by performing a similar examination of the Contract Values that occurred on Valuation Days during the year. At the time that we increase your Annual Income Amount, we also increase your Protected Withdrawal Value to equal the highest daily value upon which your step-up was based only if that results in an increase to the Protected Withdrawal Value. Your Protected Withdrawal Value will never be decreased as a result of an income step-up. If, on the date that we implement a Highest Daily Auto Step-Up to your Annual Income Amount, the charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus has changed for new purchasers, you may be subject to the new charge at the time of such step-up. Prior to increasing your charge for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus upon a step-up, we would notify you, and give you the opportunity to cancel the automatic step-up feature. If you receive notice of a proposed step-up and accompanying fee increase, you should carefully evaluate whether the amount of the step-up justifies the increased fee to which you will be subject.
If you establish a Systematic Withdrawal program, we will not automatically increase the withdrawal amount when there is an increase to the Annual Income Amount.
The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit does not affect your ability to make withdrawals under your Annuity, or limit your ability to request withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. Under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, if your cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year are less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount, they will not reduce your Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years, but any such withdrawals will reduce the Annual Income Amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis in that Annuity Year.
If, cumulatively, you withdraw an amount less than the Annual Income Amount in any Annuity Year, you cannot carry-over the unused portion of the Annual Income Amount to subsequent Annuity Years.
Because each of the Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount is determined in a way that is not solely related to Contract Value, it is possible for the Contract Value to fall to zero, even though the Annual Income Amount remains.
Examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions, and the Highest Daily Auto Step-Up are set forth below. The values shown here are purely hypothetical, and do not reflect the charges for the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit or any other fees and charges. Assume the following for all three examples:
| • | The Issue Date is December 1, 2008 |
| • | The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is elected on March 5, 2009 |
| • | The younger Designated Life was 70 years old when he/she elected the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
Example of dollar-for-dollar reductions
On November 24, 2009, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $120,000, resulting in an Annual Income Amount of $6,000 (since the youngest designated life is between the ages of 59½ and 79 at the time of the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is 5% of the Protected Withdrawal Value, in this case 5% of $120,000). Assuming $2,500 is withdrawn from the Annuity on this date, the remaining Annual Income Amount for that Annuity Year (up to and including December 1, 2009) is $3,500. This is the result of a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the Annual Income Amount ($6,000 less $2,500 = $3,500).
Example of proportional reductions
Continuing the previous example, assume an additional withdrawal of $5,000 occurs on November 27, 2009 and the Account Value at the time and immediately prior to this withdrawal is $118,000. The first $3,500 of this withdrawal reduces the Annual Income Amount for that Annuity Year to $0. The remaining withdrawal amount of $1,500 – reduces the Annual Income Amount in future Annuity Years on a proportional basis based on the ratio of the excess withdrawal to the Account Value immediately prior to the excess withdrawal. (Note that if there were other withdrawals in that Annuity Year, each would result in another proportional reduction to the Annual Income Amount).
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Here is the calculation:
|
Account Value before Lifetime Withdrawal |
$118,000.00 |
|
Less amount of “non” excess withdrawal |
$3,500.00 |
|
Account Value immediately before excess withdrawal of $1,500 |
$114,500.00 |
|
Excess withdrawal amount |
$1,500.00 |
|
Divided by Contract Value immediately before excess withdrawal |
$114,500.00 |
|
Ratio |
1.31% |
|
Annual Income Amount |
$6,000.00 |
|
Less Ratio of 1.31% |
$78.60 |
|
Annual Income Amount for the future contract years |
$5,921.40 |
Example of highest daily auto step-up
On each Annuity Anniversary date after the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Annual Income Amount is stepped-up if the applicable Withdrawal Percentage (based on the Annuitant’s age on that Annuity Anniversary) of the highest daily value since your first Lifetime Withdrawal (or last Annuity Anniversary in subsequent years), adjusted for withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments is greater than the Annual Income Amount, adjusted for Excess Income and additional Purchase Payments.
Example 1 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Annuity Year. |
| • | The Annuity Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Annuity Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the annuity year. |
| • | The highest daily Unadjusted Account Value for this Annuity Year through June 30 is $238,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is greater than the previous highest daily Unadjusted Account Value of $238,0000, the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value becomes $239,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $239,000 = $11,950. Since the AIA of $12,000 is greater, there is no Auto Step-Up and the AIA will remain at $12,000.
Example 2 – Assume the following:
| • | The first Lifetime Withdrawal was taken in a prior Annuity Year. |
| • | The Annuity Anniversary is July 1. |
| • | The AIA for this Annuity Year is $12,000. |
| • | The applicable Withdrawal Percentage is 5%. |
| • | There were no excess withdrawals during the annuity year. |
| • | The highest daily Unadjusted Account Value for this Annuity Year through June 30 is $242,000. |
| • | The Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is $239,000. |
| • | There are no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments on July 1. |
On the anniversary, July 1, we will evaluate whether an Auto Step-Up will occur. First, we check to see if the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value has changed. Since the Unadjusted Account Value on July 1 is less than the previous highest daily Unadjusted Account Value of $239,0000, the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value remains $242,000. Next, we check to see if the AIA should step up. The applicable Withdrawal Percentage of the highest daily Unadjusted Account Value is 5% of $242,000 = $12,100. Since this amount is greater than the existing AIA, the AIA is automatically stepped-up to $12,100.
Non-Lifetime Withdrawal Feature
You may take a one-time non-lifetime withdrawal (“Non-Lifetime Withdrawal”) under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. It is an optional feature of the benefit that you can only elect at the time of your first withdrawal. You cannot take a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal in an amount that would cause your Annuity’s Contract Value, after taking the withdrawal, to fall below the minimum Surrender Value (see “Access to Account Value – Can I Surrender My Annuity for Its Value?”). This Non-Lifetime Withdrawal will not establish your initial Annual Income Amount and the Periodic Value above will continue to be calculated. However, the total amount of the withdrawal will proportionally reduce all guarantees associated with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. You must tell us if your withdrawal is intended to be the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal and not the first Lifetime Withdrawal under the Spousal
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Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. If you don’t elect the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, the first withdrawal you make will be the first Lifetime Withdrawal that establishes your Protected Withdrawal Value and Annual Income Amount. Once you elect the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal or Lifetime Withdrawals, no additional Non-Lifetime Withdrawals may be taken.
The Non-Lifetime Withdrawal will proportionally reduce the Protected Withdrawal Value and the Return of Principal guarantee. It will also proportionally reduce the Periodic Value guarantees on the tenth, twentieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries of the benefit effective date (see description in “Key Feature – Protected Withdrawal Value,” above). It will reduce all three by the percentage the total withdrawal amount (including any applicable CDSC) represents of the then current Contract Value immediately prior to the time of the withdrawal. The Non-Lifetime Withdrawal could result in a lower Annual Income Amount at the time you take your first Lifetime Withdrawal depending on the amount of the proportional reduction described above and duration of time between your Non-Lifetime and first Lifetime Withdrawal. As such, you should carefully consider when it is most appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals under the benefit.
If you are participating in a Systematic Withdrawal program, the first withdrawal under the program cannot be classified as the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal.
Example – Non-Lifetime Withdrawal (proportional reduction)
This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges. It is intended to illustrate the proportional reduction of the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal under this benefit.
Assume the following:
| • | The Issue Date is December 1, 2008 |
| • | The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is elected on March 5, 2009 |
| • | The Contract Value at benefit election was $105,000 |
| • | The younger Designated Life was 70 years old when he/she elected the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
| • | No previous withdrawals have been taken under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. |
On May 2, 2009, the Protected Withdrawal Value is $125,000, the 10th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $210,000, the 10th benefit year Return of Principal guarantee is $105,000, the 20th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $420,000, the 25th benefit year minimum Periodic Value guarantee is $630,000 and the Contract Value is $120,000. Assuming $15,000 is withdrawn from the Annuity on May 2, 2009 and is designated as a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, all guarantees associated with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit will be reduced by the ratio the total withdrawal amount represents of the Contract Value just prior to the withdrawal being taken.
Here is the calculation:
|
Withdrawal Amount divided by |
$15,000 |
|
Account Value before withdrawal |
$120,000 |
|
Equals ratio |
12.5% |
|
All guarantees will be reduced by the above ration (12.5%) | |
|
Protected Withdrawal Value |
$109,375 |
|
10th benefit year Return of Principal |
$91,875 |
|
10th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$183,750 |
|
20th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$367,500 |
|
25th benefit year Minimum Periodic Value |
$551,250 |
Required Minimum Distributions
Withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount, but which you are required to take as a required minimum distribution for this Annuity, will not reduce the Annual Income Amount for future years. No additional Annual Income Amounts will be available in an Annuity Year due to required minimum distributions unless the required minimum distribution amount is greater than the Annual Income Amount. Any withdrawal you take that exceeds the Annual Income Amount in Annuity Years that your required minimum distribution amount is not greater than the Annual Income Amount will be treated as an Excess Withdrawal under the benefit. If your required minimum distribution (as calculated by us for your Annuity and not previously withdrawn in the current calendar year) is greater than the Annual Income Amount, an amount equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount plus the difference between the required minimum distribution amount not previously withdrawn in the current calendar year and the Annual Income Amount will be available in the current Annuity Year without it being considered an excess withdrawal. In the event that a required minimum distribution is calculated in a calendar year that crosses more than one Annuity Year and you choose to satisfy the entire required minimum distribution for that calendar year in the next Annuity Year, the distribution taken in the next Annuity Year will reduce your Annual Income Amount in that Annuity Year on a dollar for dollar basis. If the required minimum distribution not taken in the prior Annuity Year is greater than the Annual Income Amount as guaranteed by the benefit in the current Annuity Year, the total required minimum distribution amount may be taken without being treated as an excess withdrawal.
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In any year in which the requirement to take Required Minimum Distributions is suspended by law, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion and regardless of any position taken on this issue in a prior year, to treat any amount that would have been considered as a Required Minimum Distribution if not for the suspension as eligible for treatment as described herein.
Example – Required Minimum Distributions
The following example is purely hypothetical and is intended to illustrate a scenario in which the required minimum distribution amount in a given Annuity Year is greater than the Annual Income Amount.
Annual Income Amount = $5,000
Remaining Annual Income Amount = $3,000
Required Minimum Distribution = $6,000
The amount you may withdraw in the current Annuity Year without it being treated as an Excess Withdrawal is $4,000. ($3,000 + ($6,000 – $5,000) = $4,000).
If the $4,000 withdrawal is taken, the remaining Annual Income Amount will be zero and the remaining required minimum distribution amount of $2,000 may be taken in the subsequent Annuity Year (when your Annual Income Amount is reset to $5,000) without proportionally reducing all guarantees associated with the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit as described above. The amount you may withdraw in the subsequent Annuity Year if you choose not to satisfy the required minimum distribution in the current Annuity Year (assuming the Annual Income Amount in the subsequent Annuity Year is $5,000) without being treated as an Excess Withdrawal is $6,000. This withdrawal must comply with all IRS guidelines in order to satisfy the required minimum distribution for the current calendar year.
Benefits Under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus
| • | To the extent that your Contract Value was reduced to zero as a result of cumulative Lifetime Withdrawals in an Annuity Year that are equal to or less than the Annual Income Amount or as a result of the fee that we assess for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, and amounts are still payable under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, we will make an additional payment, if any, for that Annuity Year equal to the remaining Annual Income Amount for the Annuity Year. If you have not begun taking Lifetime Withdrawals and your Contract Value is reduced to zero as a result of the fee we assess for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first Lifetime Withdrawal on the date the Contract Value was reduced to zero and Lifetime Withdrawals will begin on the next Annuity Anniversary. If this were to occur, you are not permitted to make additional purchase payments to your Annuity. Thus, in these scenarios, the remaining Annual Income Amount would be payable even though your Contract Value was reduced to zero. In subsequent Annuity Years we make payments that equal the Annual Income Amount as described in this section. We will make payments until the death of the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life. To the extent that cumulative withdrawals in the Annuity Year that reduced your Contract Value to zero are more than the Annual Income Amount, the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit terminates, and no additional payments will be made. However, if a withdrawal in the latter scenario was taken to satisfy a required minimum distribution under the Annuity the benefit will not terminate, and we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount in subsequent Annuity Years until the death of the second Designated Life. |
| • | If Annuity payments are to begin under the terms of your Annuity, or if you decide to begin receiving Annuity payments and there is an Annual Income Amount due in subsequent Annuity Years, you can elect one of the following two options: |
| (1) | apply your Contract Value to any Annuity option available; or |
| (2) | request that, as of the date Annuity payments are to begin, we make Annuity payments each year equal to the Annual Income Amount. We will make payments until the first of the Designated Lives to die, and will continue to make payments until the death of the second Designated Life. If, due to death of a Designated Life or divorce prior to annuitization, only a single Designated Life remains, then Annuity payments will be made as a life annuity for the lifetime of the Designated Life. We must receive your request in a form acceptable to us at our office. |
| • | In the absence of an election when mandatory annuity payments are to begin, we will make annual annuity payments as a joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity with ten payments certain, by applying the greater of the annuity rates then currently available or the annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity. The amount that will be applied to provide such Annuity payments will be the greater of: |
| (1) | the present value of the future Annual Income Amount payments. Such present value will be calculated using the greater of the joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity rates then currently available or the joint and survivor or single (as applicable) life fixed annuity rates guaranteed in your Annuity; and |
| (2) | the Contract Value. |
| • | If no Lifetime Withdrawal was ever taken, we will calculate the Annual Income Amount as if you made your first Lifetime Withdrawal on the date the annuity payments are to begin. |
| • | Please note that payments that we make under this benefit after the Annuity Anniversary coinciding with or next following the older of the owner or Annuitant’s 95th birthday will be treated as annuity payments. |
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Other Important Considerations
| • | Withdrawals under the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Annuity, including any applicable CDSC for the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal as well as withdrawals that exceed the Annual Income Amount. |
| • | Withdrawals made while the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Annuity. |
| • | You can make withdrawals from your Annuity while your Contract Value is greater than zero without purchasing the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. The Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit provides a guarantee that if your Contract Value is reduced to zero (subject to program rules regarding the timing and amount of withdrawals), you will be able to receive your Annual Income Amount in the form of periodic benefit payments. |
| • | You should carefully consider when to begin taking withdrawals. If you begin taking withdrawals early, you may maximize the time during which you may take withdrawals due to longer life expectancy, and you will be using an optional benefit for which you are paying a charge. On the other hand, you could limit the value of the benefit if you begin taking withdrawals too soon. For example, withdrawals reduce your Contract Value and may limit the potential for increasing your Protected Withdrawal Value. You should discuss with your financial professional when it may be appropriate for you to begin taking withdrawals. |
| • | If you are taking your entire Annual Income Amount through the Systematic Withdrawal program, you must take that withdrawal as a gross withdrawal, not a net withdrawal. |
| • | Upon inception of the benefit, and to maintain the benefit, 100% of your Contract Value must have been allocated to the Permitted Variable Options. |
| • | You cannot allocate purchase payments or transfer Account Value to or from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as described below) if you elected this benefit. A summary description of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio appears in the prospectus section entitled “What Are The Investment Objectives and Policies of The Portfolios?”. You can find a copy of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio prospectus by going to www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS3-STAT. |
| • | Transfers to and from the elected Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio triggered by the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus pre-determined mathematical formula will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity. |
| • | You must allocate your Contract Value in accordance with the then available investment option(s) that we may prescribe in order to maintain the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit. If, subsequent to your election of the benefit, we change our requirements for how Contract Value must be allocated under the benefit, we will not compel you to re-allocate your Contract Value in accordance with our newly adopted requirements. Subject to any change in requirements, transfers of Contract Value and allocation of Additional purchase payments may be subject to new investment limitations. |
| • | The maximum fee for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus is 1.50% annually of the greater of Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value. We deduct this fee on each quarterly anniversary of the benefit effective date. Thus, on each such quarterly anniversary (or the next Valuation Day, if the quarterly anniversary is not a Valuation Day), we deduct 0.375% of the greater of the prior day’s Contract Value, or the prior day’s Protected Withdrawal Value at the end of the quarter. We deduct the fee proportionally from each of your Variable Options including the AST Investment Grade Bond. Since this fee is based on the greater of the Contract Value and the Protected Withdrawal Value, the fee for Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus may be greater than it would have been, had it been based on the Contract Value alone. If the fee to be deducted exceeds the Contract Value, we will reduce the Contract Value to zero, and continue the benefit as described above. |
| • | You will begin paying the charge for this benefit as of the effective date of the benefit, even if you do not begin taking withdrawals for many years, or ever. We will not refund the charges you have paid if you choose never to take any withdrawals and/or if you never receive any lifetime income payments. |
| • | The Basic Death Benefit will terminate if withdrawals taken under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. Certain optional Death Benefits may terminate if withdrawals taken under Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus cause your Contract Value to reduce to zero. (See “Death Benefits” for more information.) |
Election of and Designations Under the Benefit
We no longer permit new elections of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus could only be elected based on two Designated Lives. Designated Lives must be natural persons who are each other’s spouses at the time of election of the benefit. Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus only could be elected where the Owner, Annuitant, and Beneficiary designations are as follows:
| • | One Annuity Owner, where the Annuitant and the Owner are the same person and the beneficiary is the Owner’s spouse. The youngest Owner/Annuitant and the beneficiary must be at least 50 years old and the oldest must be at least 55 years old at the time of election; or |
| • | Co-Annuity Owners, where the Owners are each other’s spouses. The beneficiary designation must be the surviving spouse, or the spouses named equally. One of the owners must be the Annuitant. The youngest Owner must be at least 50 years old and the oldest owner must be at least 55 years old at the time of election; or |
| • | One Annuity Owner, where the Owner is a custodial account established to hold retirement assets for the benefit of the Annuitant pursuant to the provisions of Section 408(a) of the Code (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”), the beneficiary is the Custodial Account, and the spouse of the Annuitant is the Contingent Annuitant. The youngest of the Annuitant and the Contingent Annuitant must be at least 50 years old and the oldest must be at least 55 years old at the time of election. |
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We do not permit a change of Owner under this benefit, except as follows: (a) if one Owner dies and the surviving spousal Owner assumes the Annuity, or (b) if the Annuity initially is co-owned, but thereafter the Owner who is not the Annuitant is removed as Owner. We permit changes of beneficiary designations under this benefit. If the Designated Lives divorce, however, the Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit may not be divided as part of the divorce settlement or judgment. Nor may the divorcing spouse who retains ownership of the Annuity appoint a new Designated Life upon re-marriage. Our current administrative procedure is to treat the division of an Annuity as a withdrawal from the existing Annuity. The nonowner spouse may then decide whether he or she wishes to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity, subject to the rules that are current at the time of purchase.
Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus could have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity or after the Issue Date, subject to our eligibility rules and restrictions. See “Termination of Existing Benefits and Election of New Benefits” for information pertaining to elections, termination and re-election of benefits. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit and elect a new living benefit, you lose the guarantees that you had accumulated under your existing benefit and we will base any guarantees under the new benefit on your Contract Value as of the date the new benefit becomes active. We reserve the right to waive, change and/or further limit the election frequency in the future.
Termination of the Benefit
You may terminate the benefit at any time by notifying us. If you terminate the benefit, any guarantee provided by the benefit will terminate as of the date the termination is effective, and certain restrictions on re-election may apply. The benefit automatically terminates: (i) if upon the death of the first Designated Life, the surviving Designated Life opts to take the death benefit under the Annuity (thus, the benefit does not terminate solely because of the death of the first Designated Life), (ii) upon the death of the second Designated Life, (iii) upon your termination of the benefit, (iv) upon your surrender of the Annuity, (v) as of the Latest Annuity Date or upon your election to begin receiving annuity payments (although if you have elected to take annuity payments in the form of the Annual Income Amount, we will continue to pay the Annual Income Amount), (vi) if both the Contract Value and Annual Income Amount equal zero, or (vii) if you cease to meet our requirements as described in “Election of and Designations under the Benefit”.
Upon termination of Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus other than upon death of a Designated Life, we impose any accrued fee for the benefit (i.e., the fee for the pro-rated portion of the year since the fee was last assessed), and thereafter we cease deducting the charge for the benefit. With regard to your investment allocations, upon termination we will: (i) leave intact amounts that are held in the Variable Options, and (ii) transfer all amounts held in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (as defined below) to your Variable Options based on your existing allocation instructions or (in the absence of such instruction) proportionally (i.e. in the same proportion as the current balances in your Variable Options).
How Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Transfers Account Value between Your Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio
See “How Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus Transfers Account Value Between Your Permitted Variable Options and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio” in this Prospectus for information regarding this component of the benefit.
Additional Tax Considerations
If you purchase an annuity as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or employer plan under Code Section 401(a), the required minimum distribution rules under the Code provide that you begin receiving periodic amounts from your annuity beginning after the applicable age. For a Tax Sheltered Annuity or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than five (5) percent owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs are not subject to these rules during the owner’s lifetime. The amount required under the Code may exceed the Annual Income Amount, which will cause us to increase the Annual Income Amount in any Annuity Year that required minimum distributions due from your Annuity are greater than such amounts. Please note that any withdrawal (except the Non-Lifetime Withdrawal) you take prior to the Tenth Anniversary, even if withdrawn to satisfy required minimum distribution rules, will cause you to lose the ability to receive the Return of Principal Guarantee and the guaranteed amount described above under “Key Feature - Protected Withdrawal Value”. See “Taxes” for more information about the applicable age and for further discussions of RMDs.
As indicated, withdrawals made while this benefit is in effect will be treated, for tax purposes, in the same way as any other withdrawals under the Annuity. Please see the “Taxes” section of the prospectus for a detailed discussion of the tax treatment of withdrawals. We do not address each potential tax scenario that could arise with respect to this benefit here. However, we do note that if you participate in Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus through a Non-qualified annuity, as with all withdrawals, once all purchase payments are returned under the Annuity, all subsequent withdrawal amounts will be taxed as ordinary income.
If you take a partial withdrawal to satisfy RMD and designate that withdrawal as a Non-Lifetime Withdrawal, please note all Non-lifetime Withdrawal provisions will apply.
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The Income Appreciator Benefit (IAB) is no longer available for new elections.
It was an optional, supplemental income benefit that provided an additional income amount during the accumulation period or upon annuitization. The Income Appreciator Benefit was designed to provide you with additional funds that could be used to help defray the impact taxes may have on distributions from your contract. The benefit provided an opportunity to increase available income from your contract by multiplying your investment earnings by a percentage (either 15%, 20% or 25%) depending upon the length of time since you purchased your contract.
| • | The Income Appreciator Benefit, may not be revoked. |
| • | If you chose the Income Appreciator Benefit, we imposed a maximum charge equal to 0.25% of your Contract Value on each contract anniversary. For more information on fees and charges, please see the “Charges” section of this prospectus. |
Activation of the Income Appreciator Benefit
Following a waiting period of at least 7 years, there are 3 options available to activate the Income Appreciator Benefit:
| • | IAB Option 1: On the Annuity Date, elect to have the Income Appreciator Benefit added to the value of your annuity to determine your annuity payments |
| • | IAB Option 2: While the contract is in the Accumulation Phase, elect to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit through a 10-year payment program |
| • | IAB Option 3: Elect to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit as a credit to your Contract Value. |
Income Appreciator Benefit payments are treated as earnings and may be subject to tax upon withdrawal. For more information, please refer to the “Taxes” section of this prospectus.
If you do not activate the benefit prior to the maximum annuitization age you may lose all or part of the IAB.
CALCULATION OF THE INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT
We will calculate the Income Appreciator Benefit amount as of the date we receive your written request in good order (or, for IAB Option 1, on the annuity date). We do this by multiplying the current earnings in the contract by the applicable Income Appreciator Benefit percentage based on the number of years the Income Appreciator Benefit has been in force. For purposes of calculating the Income Appreciator Benefit, earnings are calculated as the difference between the Contract Value and the sum of all Purchase Payments. Earnings do not include (1) any amount added to the Contract Value as a result of the Spousal Continuance Option, or (2) if we were to permit you to elect the Income Appreciator Benefit after the contract date, any earnings accrued under the contract prior to that election. Withdrawals reduce earnings first, then Purchase Payments, on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The table below shows the Income Appreciator Benefit percentages corresponding to the number of years the Income Appreciator Benefit has been in force.
|
Number Of Years Income Appreciator Benefit Has Been In Force |
Income Appreciator Benefit Percentage |
|
0-6 |
0.00% |
|
7-9 |
15.00% |
|
10-14 |
20.00% |
|
15+ |
25.00% |
Example of the Calculation of the Income Appreciator Benefit, assume:
| • | Contract purchased: 6/10/2002 |
| • | Total Purchase Payments: $100.000 |
| • | IAB activation date: 6/10/2009 |
| • | Contract Value on 6/10/2009: $250,626.57 |
| • | IAB fee: $626.57 (Fee is deducted first as activation of benefit occurred on contract anniversary) |
First, your Contract’s earnings is calculated: $250,626.57 - $626.57 - $100,000 = $150,000.00 Then your IAB value is determined: $150,000 × 15% = $22,500. (Note: 15% is the rate earnings will be multiplied by for a Contract that was purchased 7 years prior).
IAB Option 1 - Income Appreciator Benefit at Annuitization Under this option, if you choose to activate the Income Appreciator Benefit at annuitization, we will calculate the Income Appreciator Benefit amount on the annuity date and add it to the adjusted Contract Value for purposes of determining the amount available for annuitization. You may apply this amount to any annuity or settlement option over the lifetime of the annuitant, joint annuitants, or a period certain of at least 15 years (but not to exceed life expectancy).
UPON ANNUITIZATION, YOU MAY LOSE ALL OR A PORTION OF THE INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT IF YOU CHOOSE AN ANNUITY SETTLEMENT OPTION OTHER THAN ANY LIFETIME PAYOUT OPTION OR PERIOD CERTAIN OPTION FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS. IN SUCH INSTANCES, WE WOULD NOT REIMBURSE YOU FOR THE EXPENSES YOU HAD PAID US FOR THIS BENEFIT.
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Effect of Income Appreciator Benefit on Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit If you exercise the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit feature and an Income Appreciator Benefit amount remains payable under your contract, the value we use to calculate the annuity payout amount will be the greater of:
| (1) | the adjusted Contract Value plus the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount, calculated at current IAB annuitization rates; or |
| (2) | the GMIB protected value plus the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount, calculated using the GMIB guaranteed annuity purchase rates shown in the contract. |
If you exercise the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit feature and activate the Income Appreciator Benefit at the same time, you must choose among the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit annuity payout options available at the time.
Terminating the Income Appreciator Benefit
The Income Appreciator Benefit will terminate on the earliest of:
| • | the date you make a total withdrawal from the contract; |
| • | the date a death benefit is payable if the contract is not continued by the surviving spouse under the Spousal Continuance Option; |
| • | the date the Income Appreciator Benefit amount is reduced to zero (generally ten years after activation) under IAB Options 2 and 3; |
| • | the date of annuitization; or |
| • | the date the contract terminates. |
Upon termination of the Income Appreciator Benefit, we cease imposing the associated charge.
INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT OPTIONS DURING THE ACCUMULATION PHASE
You may choose IAB Option 1 at annuitization, but you may instead choose IAB Options 2 or 3 during the accumulation phase of your contract. Income Appreciator Benefit payments under IAB Options 2 and 3 will begin on the same day of the month as the contract date, beginning with the next month following our receipt of your request in good order. Under IAB Options 2 and 3, you can choose to have the Income Appreciator Benefit amounts paid or credited monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.
IAB OPTIONS 2 AND 3 INVOLVE A TEN-YEAR PAYMENT PERIOD. IF THE 10-YEAR PAYMENT PERIOD WOULD END AFTER THE ANNUITY DATE AND YOU CHOOSE AN ANNUITY SETTLEMENT OPTION OTHER THAN ANY LIFETIME PAYOUT OPTION OR PERIOD CERTAIN OPTION OF AT LEAST 15 YEARS OR YOU MAKE A FULL WITHDRAWAL, YOU MAY LOSE ALL OR ANY REMAINING PORTION OF THE INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT. IN SUCH INSTANCES, WE WOULD NOT REIMBURSE YOU FOR THE EXPENSES YOU HAD PAID US FOR THIS BENEFIT.
IAB Option 2 - Income Appreciator Benefit Automatic Withdrawal Payment Program Under this option, you elect to receive the Income Appreciator Benefit during the accumulation phase. When you activate the benefit, a 10-year Income Appreciator Benefit automatic withdrawal payment program begins. We will pay you the Income Appreciator Benefit amount in equal installments over a 10-year payment period. You may combine this Income Appreciator Benefit amount with an automated withdrawal amount from your Contract Value, in which case each combined payment must be at least $100.
The maximum automated withdrawal payment amount that you may receive from your Contract Value under this Income Appreciator Benefit program in any contract year during the 10-year period may not exceed 10% of the Contract Value as of the date you activate the Income Appreciator Benefit.
Once we calculate the Income Appreciator Benefit, the amount will not be affected by changes in Contract Value due to the investment performance of any allocation option. Withdrawal charges may apply to automatic withdrawal payment amounts, but not to amounts attributable to the Income Appreciator Benefit.
After the ten-year payment period has ended, if the remaining Contract Value is $2,000 or more, the contract will continue. If the remaining Contract Value is less than $2,000 after the end of the 10-year payment period, we will pay you the remaining Contract Value and the contract will terminate. If the Contract Value falls below the minimum amount required to keep the contract in force due solely to investment results before the end of the 10-year payment period, we will continue to pay the Income Appreciator Benefit amount for the remainder of the 10-year payment period.
Discontinuing the Income Appreciator Benefit Automatic Withdrawal Payment Program Under IAB Option 2 You may discontinue the Income Appreciator Benefit payment program under IAB Option 2 and activate IAB Option 3 at any time after payments have begun and before the last payment is made. We will add the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount to the Contract Value at the same frequency as your initial election until the end of the 10-year payment period. We will treat any Income Appreciator Benefit amount added to the Contract Value as additional earnings. Unless you direct us otherwise, we will allocate these additions to the Variable Options, fixed interest rate options, or the market value adjustment option in the same proportions as your most recent Purchase Payment allocation percentages.
You may discontinue the Income Appreciator Benefit payment program under IAB Option 2 before the last payment is made and elect an annuity or settlement option. We will add the balance of the Income Appreciator Benefit amount for the 10-year payment period to the Contract Value in a lump sum before determining the adjusted Contract Value. The adjusted Contract Value may be applied to any annuity or settlement option that is paid over the lifetime of the annuitant, joint annuitants, or a period certain of at least 15 years (but not to exceed life expectancy).
IAB Option 3 - Income Appreciator Benefit Credit to Contract Value Under this option, you can activate the Income Appreciator Benefit and receive the benefit as credits to your Contract Value over a 10-year payment period. We will allocate these Income Appreciator Benefit credits to the Variable Options, the fixed interest rate options, or the market value adjustment option in the same manner as your current allocation, unless you direct us
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otherwise. We will waive the $1,000 minimum requirement for the market value adjustment option. We will calculate the Income Appreciator Benefit amount on the date we receive your written request in good order. Once we have calculated the Income Appreciator Benefit, the Income Appreciator Benefit credit will not be affected by changes in Contract Value due to the investment performance of any allocation option.
Before we add the last Income Appreciator Benefit credit to your Contract Value, you may switch to IAB Option 2 and receive the remainder of the Income Appreciator Benefit as payments to you (instead of credits to the Contract Value) under the Income Appreciator Benefit program for the remainder of the 10-year payment period.
You can also request that any remaining payments in the 10-year payment period be applied to an annuity or settlement option that is paid over the lifetime of the annuitants, joint annuitants, or a period certain of at least 15 years (but not to exceed life expectancy).
Excess Withdrawals
During the 10 year period under IAB options 2 or 3, an “excess withdrawal” occurs when any amount is withdrawn from your Contract Value in a contract year that exceeds the sum of (1) 10% of the Contract Value as of the date the Income Appreciator Benefit was activated plus (2) earnings since the Income Appreciator Benefit was activated that have not been previously withdrawn.
We will deduct the excess withdrawal on a proportional basis from the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount. We will then calculate and apply a new reduced Income Appreciator Benefit amount.
Withdrawals you make in a contract year that do not exceed the sum of (1) 10% of the Contract Value as of the date the Income Appreciator Benefit was activated plus (2) earnings since the Income Appreciator Benefit was activated that have not been previously withdrawn do not reduce the remaining Income Appreciator Benefit amount. Additionally, if the amount withdrawn in any year is less than the excess withdrawal threshold, the difference between the amount withdrawn and the threshold can be carried over to subsequent years on a cumulative basis and withdrawn without causing a reduction to the Income Appreciator Benefit amount.
Effect of Total Withdrawal on Income Appreciator Benefit We will not make Income Appreciator Benefit payments after the date you make a total withdrawal of the contract surrender value.
The Death Benefit feature protects the Contract Value for the beneficiary.
Beneficiary
The beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you name to receive any death benefit. The beneficiary is named at the time the contract is issued, unless you change it at a later date. Unless an irrevocable beneficiary has been named, during the accumulation period you can change the beneficiary at any time before the owner or last survivor, if there are spousal joint owners, dies. However, if the contract is jointly owned, the owner must name the joint owner and the joint owner must name the owner as the beneficiary. For entity-owned contracts, we pay a death benefit upon the death of the annuitant. If no beneficiary is named for a trust owned contract, the default beneficiary will be the contract owner.
CALCULATION OF THE DEATH BENEFIT
If the owner or joint owner dies during the accumulation phase, we will, upon receiving the appropriate proof of death and any other needed documentation in good order (proof of death), pay a death benefit to the beneficiary designated by the deceased owner or joint owner. If there is a sole owner and there is only one beneficiary who is the owner’s spouse on the date of death, then the surviving spouse may continue the contract under the Spousal Continuance Option. If there are an owner and joint owner of the contract, and the owner’s spouse is both the joint owner and the beneficiary on the date of death, then, at the death of the first to die, the death benefit will be paid to the surviving owner or the surviving owner may continue the contract under the Spousal Continuance Option.
Upon receiving appropriate proof of death, the beneficiary will receive the greater of the following:
| 1. | The current Contract Value (as of the time we receive proof of death in good order). If you have purchased the Contract with Credit, we will first deduct any credit corresponding to a Purchase Payment made within one year of death. We impose no market value adjustment on Contract Value held within the market value adjustment option when a death benefit is paid. |
| 2. | Either the base death benefit, which equals the total invested Purchase Payments you have made proportionally reduced by any withdrawals, or, (i) if you have chosen a Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB), the GMDB protected value or (ii) if you have chosen the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit, a death benefit equal to the highest daily value (computed as described below in this section). |
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Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated:
The contract was issued with purchase payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Variable Option performance, the account value had decreased to $80,000. If the owner died, the death benefit would still be $100,000. This amount, however, is reduced proportionally when you make a withdrawal from the contract. If the contract owner had withdrawn 50% of the remaining $80,000, the death benefit would also be reduced by 50%. Since the death benefit had been $100,000, it would now be $50,000.
GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT
The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit provided an enhanced death benefit upon the death of the sole owner or the first to die of the owner or joint owner during the accumulation phase.
The GMDB protected value option can be equal to the:
| • | GMDB roll-up, |
| • | GMDB step-up, or |
| • | Greater of the GMDB roll-up and the GMDB step-up. |
The GMDB protected value is calculated daily.
IF THE SOLE OWNER OR THE OLDER OF THE OWNER AND JOINT OWNER IS LESS THAN AGE 80 ON THE CONTRACT DATE, the GMDB roll-up is equal to the invested Purchase Payments, increased daily at an effective annual interest rate of 5% starting on the date that each invested Purchase Payment is made. The GMDB roll-up value will increase by subsequent invested Purchase Payments and reduce by the effect of withdrawals.
We stop increasing the GMDB roll-up by the effective annual interest rate on the later of:
| • | the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the sole owner’s or older owner’s 80th birthday, or |
| • | the 5th contract anniversary. |
However, the GMDB protected value will still increase by subsequent invested Purchase Payments and reduce by the effect of withdrawals.
Withdrawals will first reduce the GMDB protected value on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the first 5% of GMDB protected value calculated on the contract anniversary (on the contract date in the first contract year), then proportionally by any amounts exceeding the 5%.
IF THE SOLE OWNER OR THE OLDER OF THE OWNER AND JOINT OWNER IS BETWEEN AGE 80 AND 85 ON THE CONTRACT DATE, the GMDB roll-up is equal to the invested Purchase Payments, increased daily at an effective annual interest rate of 3% of all invested Purchase Payments, starting on the date that each invested Purchase Payment is made. We will increase the GMDB roll-up by subsequent invested Purchase Payments and reduce it by the effect of withdrawals.
We stop increasing the GMDB roll-up by the effective annual interest rate on the 5th contract anniversary. However we will continue to reduce the GMDB protected value by the effect of withdrawals.
Withdrawals will first reduce the GMDB protected value on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the first 3% of GMDB protected value calculated on the contract anniversary (on the contract date in the first contract year), then proportionally by any amounts exceeding the 3%.
IF THE SOLE OWNER OR THE OLDER OF THE OWNER AND JOINT OWNER IS LESS THAN AGE 80 ON THE CONTRACT DATE, the GMDB step-up before the first contract anniversary is the initial invested Purchase Payment increased by subsequent invested Purchase Payments, and proportionally reduced by the effect of withdrawals. The GMDB step-up on each contract anniversary will be the greater of the previous GMDB step-up and the Contract Value as of such contract anniversary. Between contract anniversaries, the GMDB step-up will increase by invested Purchase Payments and reduce proportionally by withdrawals.
| • | We stop increasing the GMDB step-up by any appreciation in the Contract Value on the later of: |
| • | the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the sole or older owner’s 80th birthday, or |
| • | the 5th contract anniversary. |
However, we still increase the GMDB protected value by subsequent invested Purchase Payments and proportionally reduce it by withdrawals.
Here is an example of a proportional reduction:
The current Contract Value is $100,000 and the protected value is $80,000. The owner makes a withdrawal that reduces the Contract Value by 25% (including the effect of any withdrawal charges). The new protected value is $60,000, or 75% of what it was before the withdrawal.
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IF THE SOLE OWNER OR THE OLDER OF THE OWNER AND JOINT OWNER IS BETWEEN AGE 80 AND 85 ON THE CONTRACT DATE, the GMDB step-up before the third contract anniversary is the sum of invested Purchase Payments, reduced by the effect of withdrawals. On the third contract anniversary, we will adjust the GMDB step-up to the greater of the then current GMDB step-up or the Contract Value as of that contract anniversary. Thereafter, we will only increase the GMDB protected value by subsequent invested Purchase Payments and proportionally reduce it by withdrawals.
GMDB Greater of Roll-Up and Step-up
Under this option, the protected value is equal to the greater of the step-up value and the roll-up value, calculated as described above.
If you have chosen the base death benefit and death occurs after age 80, the beneficiary will receive the base death benefit described above. If you have chosen the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option and death occurs on or after age 80, the beneficiary will receive the greater of: 1) the current Contract Value as of the date that due proof of death is received, and 2) the protected value of the GMDB roll-up or the GMDB step-up (as applicable) reduced proportionally by any subsequent withdrawals.
Special rules apply if the beneficiary is the spouse of the owner, and the contract does not have a joint owner. In that case, upon the death of the owner, the spouse will have the choice of the following:
| • | If the sole beneficiary under the contract is the owner’s spouse, and the other requirements of the Spousal Continuance Option are met, then the contract can continue, and the spouse will become the new owner of the contract; or |
| • | The spouse can receive the death benefit. A surviving spouse who is eligible for the Spousal Continuance Option must choose between that benefit and receiving the death benefit during the first 60 days following our receipt of proof of death. |
If ownership of the contract changes as a result of the owner assigning it to someone else, we will reset the value of the death benefit to equal the Contract Value on the date the change of ownership occurs, and for purposes of computing the future death benefit, we will treat that Contract Value as a Purchase Payment occurring on that date.
Depending on applicable state law, some death benefit options may not be available or may be subject to certain restrictions under your contract.
If the contract has an owner and a joint owner and they are spouses at the time that one dies, the Spousal Continuance Option may apply. If the contract has an owner and a joint owner and they are not spouses at the time one dies, we will pay the death benefit and the contract will end. Joint ownership may not be allowed in your state.
HIGHEST DAILY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT
The Highest Daily Value Death Benefit is no longer available for new elections. If an Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must have been age 79 or less at the time the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit was elected. If an Annuity has joint Owners, the older Owner must be age 79 or less. If there are joint Owners, death of the Owner refers to the first to die of the joint Owners. If an Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must have been age 79 or less at the time of election and death of the Owner refers to the death of the Annuitant.
If you elected this benefit, you must allocate your Account Value in accordance with the permitted and available option(s) with this benefit.
The HDV death benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.
IF THE CONTRACT OWNER DIES BEFORE THE DEATH BENEFIT TARGET DATE, THE DEATH BENEFIT EQUALS THE GREATER OF:
| • | the base death benefit; and |
| • | the HDV as of the contract owner’s date of death. |
IF THE CONTRACT OWNER DIES ON OR AFTER THE DEATH BENEFIT TARGET DATE, THE DEATH BENEFIT EQUALS THE GREATER OF:
| • | the base death benefit; and |
| • | the HDV on the Death Benefit Target Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all proportional withdrawals since the Death Benefit Target Date. |
The amount determined by this calculation is increased by any Purchase Payments received after the contract owner’s date of death and decreased by any proportional withdrawals since such date.
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The Highest Daily Value Death Benefit described above was offered in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. The Highest Daily Value Benefit was not available if you elected the Spousal Lifetime Five, Highest Daily Lifetime Five, Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime Seven, Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus, Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefits or the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefits.
Key Terms Used with the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit:
| a. | The Death Benefit Target Date for the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit is the later of an Contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, or the older of either the joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned, or five years after the Issue Date of an Annuity. |
| b. | The Highest Daily Value equals the highest of all previous “Daily Values” less proportional withdrawals since such date and plus any purchase payments (plus associated Purchase Credits applied more than twelve (12) months prior to the date of death) since such date. |
| c. | The Daily Value is the Account Value as of the end of each Valuation Day. The Daily Value on the Issue Date is equal to your Purchase Payment (plus associated Purchase Credits applied more than twelve (12) months prior to the date of death). |
Proportional Withdrawals are determined by calculating the percentage of your Contract Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn. Proportional withdrawals result in a reduction to the Highest Daily Value by reducing such value in the same proportion as the Contract Value was reduced by the withdrawal as of the date the withdrawal occurred. For example, if your Highest Daily Value is $125,000 and you subsequently withdraw $10,000 at a time when your Account Value is equal to $100,000 (a 10% reduction), when calculating the optional Death Benefit we will reduce your Highest Daily Value ($125,000) by 10% or $12,500.
CALCULATION OF THE HIGHEST DAILY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT
Examples of Highest Daily Value Death Benefit Calculation The following are examples of how the HDV death benefit is calculated. Each example assumes an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. Each example assumes that there is one contract owner who is age 70 on the contract date.
Example with Variable Option Increase and Death before Death Benefit Target Date Assume that the contract owner’s Contract Value has generally been increasing due to positive Variable Option performance and that no withdrawals have been made. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Contract Value is $75,000; however, the Highest Daily Value was $90,000. Assume as well that the contract owner has died before the Death Benefit Target Date. The death benefit is equal to the greater of HDV or the base death benefit. The death benefit would be the Highest Daily Value ($90,000) because it is greater than the amount that would have been payable under the base death benefit ($75,000).
Example with Withdrawals Assume that the Contract Value has been increasing due to positive Variable Option market performance and the contract owner made a withdrawal of $15,000 in contract year 7 when the Contract Value was $75,000. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Contract Value is $80,000; however, the Highest Daily Value ($90,000) was attained during the fifth contract year. Assume as well that the contract owner has died before the Death Benefit Target Date. The Death Benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Daily Value (proportionally reduced by the subsequent withdrawal) or the base death benefit.
|
Highest Daily Value |
= |
$90,000 - [$90,000 × $15,000/$75,000] |
|
|
|
= |
$90,000 - $18,000 |
|
|
|
= |
$72,000.00 |
|
|
Base Death Benefit |
= |
max [$80,000, $50,000 - ($50,000 × $15,000/$75,000)] |
|
|
|
= |
max [$80,000, $40,000] |
|
|
|
= |
$80,000.00 |
|
|
The Death Benefit therefore is $80,000 |
| ||
Example with Death after Death Benefit Target Date Assume that the contract owner’s Contract Value has generally been increasing due to positive Variable Option performance and that no withdrawals had been made prior to the Death Benefit Target Date. Further assume that the contract owner dies after the Death Benefit Target Date, when the Contract Value is $75,000. The Highest Daily Value on the Death Benefit Target Date was $80,000; however, following the Death Benefit Target Date, the contract owner made a Purchase Payment of $15,000 and later had taken a withdrawal of $5,000 when the Contract Value was $70,000. The death benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Daily Value on the Death Benefit Target Date plus Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals after the Death Benefit Target Date or the base death benefit.
|
Highest Daily Value |
= |
$80,000 + $15,000 - [($80,000 + $15,000) × $5,000/$70,000 |
|
|
|
= |
$80,000 + $15,000 - $6,786 |
|
|
|
= |
$88,214 |
|
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|
Base Death Benefit |
= |
max [$75,000, ($50,000 + $15,000) - [($50,000 + $15,000) × $5,000/$70,000] |
|
|
|
= |
max [$75,000, $60,357] |
|
|
|
= |
$75,000 |
|
|
The Death Benefit therefore is $88,214 |
| ||
With respect to a death benefit paid before March 19, 2007, the death benefit payout options were:
| • | Choice 1. Lump sum payment of the death benefit. If the beneficiary did not choose a payout option within sixty days, the beneficiary would have received this payout option. |
| • | Choice 2. The payment of the entire death benefit within a period of 5 years from the date of death of the first-to-die of the owner or joint owner. |
The entire death benefit would have included any increases or losses resulting from the performance of the variable or fixed interest rate options during this period. During this period the beneficiary could: reallocate the Contract Value among the variable, fixed interest rate, or the market value adjustment options; name a beneficiary to receive any remaining death benefit in the event of the beneficiary’s death; and make withdrawals from the Contract Value, in which case, any such withdrawals will not be subject to any withdrawal charges. However, the beneficiary could not make any purchase payments to the contract.
During this 5-year period, we would continue to deduct from the death benefit proceeds the charges and costs that were associated with the features and benefits of the contract. Some of these features and benefits may not be available to the beneficiary, such as the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit.
| • | Choice 3. Payment of the death benefit under an annuity or annuity settlement option over the lifetime of the beneficiary or over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary with distribution beginning within one year of the date of death of the owner. |
Any portion of the death benefit not applied under Choice 3 within one year of the date of death of the first to die must be distributed within five years of that date of death.
With respect to a death benefit paid on or after March 19, 2007, unless the surviving spouse opts to continue the contract (or spousal continuance is required under the terms of your contract), a beneficiary of the death benefit may generally, within 60 days of providing proof of death, take the death benefit as described below:
Alternative Death Benefit Payment Options – Annuities owned by Individuals (not associated with Tax-Favored Plans)
Except in the case of Spousal Continuance as described below, upon your death, certain distributions must be made under the Non-qualified Annuity. The required distributions depend on whether you die before you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity or after you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity.
If you die on or after the annuity date, the remaining portion of the interest in the Annuity must be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death.
In the event of your death before the annuity date, the death benefit must be distributed:
| • | by the five-year anniversary of the date of death; or |
| • | as a series of annuity payments not extending beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary or over the life of the beneficiary. Payments under this option must begin within one year of the date of death. If the Beneficiary does not begin installments by such time, then no partial withdrawals will be permitted thereafter, and we require that the Beneficiary take the Death Benefit as a lump sum within the five-year deadline. If we do not receive instructions on where to send the payment within five-years of the date of death, the funds will be escheated. |
Unless you have made an election prior to death benefit proceeds becoming due, a beneficiary can elect to receive the death benefit proceeds under the Beneficiary Continuation Option as described in the section entitled “Beneficiary Continuation Option”, below.
Alternative Death Benefit Payment Options – Annuities Held by Tax-Favored Plans
Upon your death under an IRA or Roth IRA, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements. The post-death distribution requirements were amended, applicable generally with respect to deaths occurring after 2019, by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (which includes the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement” Act (SECURE Act)), and
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further clarified by the associated final and proposed regulations. We reserve our rights to implement any additional regulations addressing these requirements in the future.The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances. The following rules generally apply to deaths after 2019:
| • | 10-year rule: If you have a designated Beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated Beneficiary is an “eligible designated Beneficiary” (“EDB”) or some other exception applies. |
| • | Eligible designated beneficiaries: A designated Beneficiary is any individual designated as a Beneficiary by the IRA owner. An EDB is any designated Beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual’s status as an EDB is generally determined on the date of your death. |
| • | Other applicable rules: This 10-year post-death distribution period applies regardless of whether you die before your required beginning date, or you die on or after that date (including after distributions have commenced in the form of an annuity). However, if you die on or after the required beginning date, then annual distributions will be required from the Annuity during the 10-year period. If the Beneficiary is an EDB and the EDB dies before the entire interest is distributed under this 10-year rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB’s death (i.e., a new 10-year distribution period begins). |
Instead of taking distributions under the 10-year rule, an EDB can stretch distributions over life, or over a period not extending beyond life expectancy, provided that such distributions commence within one year of your death, subject to certain special rules. In addition, if your minor child is an EDB, the child will cease to be an EDB on the date the child reaches the age of 21, and any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after that date (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years).
It is important to note that under prior law, annuity payments that commenced under a method that satisfied the distribution requirements while the IRA Owner was alive could continue to be made under that method after the death of the IRA owner. However, under the current law, if you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the current law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by Prudential) in order to comply with the post-death distribution requirements.
The post-death distribution requirements do not apply if annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity.
If your Beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed under prior law in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your Beneficiary designations.
In addition, the current post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the IRA Owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated Beneficiary of the deceased IRA Owner dies after January 1, 2020, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated Beneficiary’s death. Hence, this 10-year rule will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated Beneficiary of an IRA Owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated Beneficiary of an IRA Owner who died prior to 2020.
| • | Spousal continuation. Under the current law, as under prior law, if your Beneficiary is your spouse, such surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after their death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to their own IRA, or by treating your IRA as their own IRA subject to specific limits under the proposed regulations. The post-death distribution requirements are complex in numerous respects. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. You may wish to consult a professional tax adviser for tax advice as to your particular situation. |
The tax consequences to the beneficiary may vary among the different death benefit payment options. See the “Taxes” section of this prospectus and consult your tax advisor.
BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION
Instead of receiving the death benefit in a single payment, or under an annuity option, a beneficiary may take the death benefit under an alternative death benefit payment option, as provided by the Code and described above. This “Beneficiary Continuation Option” is described below and is available for an IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, 403(b), or a non-qualified contract. The Beneficiary Continuation Option is only available within a limited time period from the deceased date of death and for certain designated beneficiaries as detailed below.
| • | Under the Beneficiary Continuation Option: |
| • | The owner’s contract will be continued in the owner’s name, for the benefit of the beneficiary. |
| • | The beneficiary will incur a Settlement Service Charge which is an annual charge assessed on a daily basis against the average daily net assets allocated to the Variable Options. The charge is 1.00% per year. |
| • | The beneficiary will incur an annual maintenance fee equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of Contract Value if the Contract Value is less than $25,000 at the time the fee is assessed. The fee will not apply if it is assessed 30 days prior to a surrender request. |
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| • | The initial Contract Value will be equal to any death benefit (including any optional death benefit) that would have been payable to the beneficiary if they had taken a lump sum distribution. |
| • | The available Variable Options will be among those available to the owner at the time of death, however certain Variable Options may not be available. |
| • | The beneficiary may request transfers among Variable Options, subject to the same limitations and restrictions that applied to the owner. Transfers in excess of 20 per year will incur a $10 transfer fee. |
| • | No additional Purchase Payments can be applied to the contract. |
| • | The basic death benefit and any optional benefits elected by the owner will no longer apply to the beneficiary. |
| • | The beneficiary can request a withdrawal of all or a portion of the Contract Value at any time without application of any applicable CDSC unless the Beneficiary Continuation Option was the payout predetermined by the owner and the owner restricted the beneficiary’s withdrawal rights. |
| • | Withdrawals are not subject to CDSC. |
| • | Upon the death of the beneficiary, any remaining Contract Value will be paid in a lump sum to the person(s) named by the beneficiary, unless the beneficiary named a successor who may continue receiving payments. |
| • | All amounts in the Contract must be paid out to the Beneficiary according to the Minimum Distribution rules described in the “Taxes” section. |
Until withdrawn, amounts in an IRA, 403(b) or other “qualified investment” continue to be tax deferred. Amounts withdrawn each year, including amounts that are required to be withdrawn under the Minimum Distribution rules, are subject to tax. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
For a Roth IRA, if death occurs before the entire interest is distributed, the death benefit must be distributed under the same rules applied to IRAs where death occurs before the date Required Minimum Distributions must begin under the Code.
Currently only investment options corresponding to Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust and the Prudential Money Market Portfolio of The Prudential Series Fund are available under the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
Your beneficiary will be provided with a prospectus and a settlement agreement that will describe this option. Please contact us for additional information on the availability, restrictions and limitations that will apply to a beneficiary under the beneficiary continuation option. We may pay compensation to the selling broker-dealer based on amounts held in the Beneficiary Continuation Option.
Payment under this option may be limited based on federal income tax requirements. See the “Taxes” section for more information on the limitations that may apply to this option.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit is no longer available for new elections.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit (EAB) is an optional, supplemental death benefit that provides a benefit payment upon the death of the sole owner or first-to-die of the owner or joint owner during the accumulation phase. Any Earnings Appreciator Benefit payment we make will be in addition to any other death benefit payment we make under the contract. This benefit may not be available in your state.
The Earnings Appreciator Benefit is designed to provide a beneficiary with additional funds when we pay a death benefit in order to defray the impact taxes may have on that payment. Because individual circumstances vary, you should consult with a qualified tax advisor to determine whether it would be appropriate for you to elect the Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
If you want the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, you generally must elect it at the time you apply for the contract. If you elect the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, you may not later revoke it. You may, if you wish, select both the Earnings Appreciator Benefit and the Highest Daily Value Death Benefit.
Upon our receipt of proof of death in good order, we will determine an Earnings Appreciator Benefit by multiplying the Earnings Appreciator Benefit percentage below by the lesser of: (i) the then-existing amount of earnings under the contract, or (ii) an amount equal to 3 times the sum of all Purchase Payments previously made under the contract.
For purposes of computing earnings and Purchase Payments under the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, we calculate earnings as the difference between the Contract Value and the sum of all Purchase Payments. Withdrawals reduce earnings first, then Purchase Payments, on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
EAB percentages are as follows:
| • | 40% if the owner is age 70 or younger on the date the application is signed. |
| • | 25% if the owner is between ages 71 and 75 on the date the application is signed. |
| • | 15% if the owner is between ages 76 and 79 on the date the application is signed. |
If the contract is owned jointly, the age of the older of the owner or joint owner determines the EAB percentage.
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If the surviving spouse is continuing the contract in accordance with the Spousal Continuance Option (See “Spousal Continuation of Annuity” below), the following conditions apply:
| • | In calculating the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, we will use the age of the surviving spouse at the time that the Spousal Continuance Option is activated to determine the applicable EAB percentage. |
| • | We will not allow the surviving spouse to continue the Earnings Appreciator Benefit (or bear the charge associated with this benefit) if he or she is age 80 or older on the date that the Spousal Continuance Option is activated. |
| • | If the Earnings Appreciator Benefit is continued, we will calculate any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit payable upon the surviving spouse’s death by treating the Contract Value (as adjusted under the terms of the Spousal Continuance Option) as the first Purchase Payment. |
Terminating the Earnings Appreciator Benefit The Earnings Appreciator Benefit will terminate on the earliest of:
| • | the date you make a total withdrawal from the contract, |
| • | the date a death benefit is payable if the contract is not continued by the surviving spouse under the Spousal Continuance Option, |
| • | the date the contract terminates, or |
| • | the date you annuitize the contract. |
Upon termination of the Earnings Appreciator Benefit, we cease imposing the associated charge.
SPOUSAL CONTINUATION OF ANNUITY
This benefit is available if, on the date we receive proof of the owner’s death (or annuitant’s death, for custodial contracts) in good order (1) there is only one owner of the contract and there is only one beneficiary who is the owner’s spouse, or (2) there are an owner and joint owner of the contract, and the joint owner is the owner’s spouse and the owner’s beneficiary under the contract or (3) the contract is held by a custodial account established to hold retirement assets for the benefit of the natural person annuitant pursuant to the provisions of Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”), and the custodian of the account has elected to continue the contract, and designate the surviving spouse as annuitant. Continuing the contract in the latter scenario will result in the contract no longer qualifying for tax deferral under the Internal Revenue Code. However, such tax deferral should result from the ownership of the contract by the Custodial Account. Spousal continuance may also be available where the contract is owned by certain other types of entity-owners. Please consult your tax or legal advisor.
In no event, however, can the annuitant be older than the maximum age for annuitization on the date of the owner’s death, nor can the surviving spouse be older than 95 on the date of the owner’s death (or the annuitant’s death, in the case of a custodially-owned contract referenced above). Assuming the above conditions are present, the surviving spouse (or custodian, for the custodially-owned contracts referenced above) can elect the Spousal Continuance Option, but must do so no later than 60 days after furnishing proof of death in good order. Upon activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, the Contract Value is adjusted to equal the amount of the death benefit to which the surviving spouse would have been entitled. This Contract Value will serve as the basis for calculating any death benefit payable upon the death of the surviving spouse. We will allocate any increase in the adjusted Contract Value among the variable, fixed interest rate or market value adjustment options in the same proportions that existed immediately prior to the spousal continuance adjustment. We will waive the $1,000 minimum requirement for the market value adjustment option.
Under the Spousal Continuance Option, we waive any potential withdrawal charges applicable to Purchase Payments made prior to activation of the Spousal Continuance Option. However, we will continue to impose withdrawal charges on Purchase Payments made after activation of this benefit. In addition, Contract Value allocated to the market value adjustment option will remain subject to a potential market value adjustment.
IF YOU ELECTED THE BASE DEATH BENEFIT, then upon activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greater of:
| • | the Contract Value, or |
| • | the sum of all invested Purchase Payments (adjusted for withdrawals), |
plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
IF YOU ELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT WITH THE GMDB ROLL-UP, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greater of:
| • | the Contract Value, or |
| • | the GMDB roll-up, |
plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
IF YOU HAVE ELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT WITH THE GMDB STEP-UP, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greater of:
| • | the Contract Value, or |
| • | the GMDB step-up, |
plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
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IF YOU HAVE ELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT WITH THE GREATER OF THE GMDB ROLL-UP AND GMDB STEP-UP, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greatest of:
| • | the Contract Value, |
| • | the GMDB roll-up, or |
| • | the GMDB step-up, |
plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
IF YOU HAVE ELECTED THE HIGHEST DAILY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT, we will adjust the Contract Value to equal the greater of:
| • | the Contract Value, or |
| • | the Highest Daily Value, |
plus the amount of any applicable Earnings Appreciator Benefit.
After we have made the adjustment to Contract Value set out immediately above, we will continue to compute the GMDB roll-up and the GMDB step- up, or HDV death benefit (as applicable), under the surviving spousal owner’s contract, and will do so in accordance with the preceding discussion in this section.
If the contract is being continued by the surviving spouse, the attained age of the surviving spouse will be the basis used in determining the death benefit payable under the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit or Highest Daily Value Death Benefit provisions of the contract. The contract may not be continued upon the death of a spouse who had assumed ownership of the contract through the exercise of the Spousal Continuance Option.
IF YOU ELECTED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME BENEFIT, it will be continued for the surviving spousal owner. All provisions of the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (i.e., waiting period, GMIB roll-up cap, etc.) will remain the same as on the date of the owner’s death. If the GMIB reset feature was never exercised, the surviving spousal owner can exercise the GMIB reset feature twice. If the original owner had previously exercised the GMIB reset feature once, the surviving spousal owner can exercise the GMIB reset once. However, the surviving spouse (or new annuitant designated by the surviving spouse) must be under 76 years of age at the time of reset. If the original owner had previously exercised the GMIB reset feature twice, the surviving spousal owner may not exercise the GMIB reset at all. If the attained age of the surviving spouse at activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, when added to the remainder of the GMIB waiting period to be satisfied, would preclude the surviving spouse from utilizing the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, we will revoke the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit under the contract at that time and we will no longer charge for that benefit.
IF YOU ELECTED ONE OF THE LIFETIME WITHDRAWAL BENEFITS, on the owner’s death, the benefit will end. However, if the owner’s surviving spouse would be eligible to acquire the benefit as if he/she were a new purchaser, then the surviving spouse may continue the benefit under the Spousal Continuance Option.
IF YOU ELECTED THE INCOME APPRECIATOR BENEFIT, on the owner’s death (or first-to-die, in the case of joint owners), the Income Appreciator Benefit will end unless the contract is continued by the deceased owner’s surviving spouse under the Spousal Continuance Option. If the contract is continued by the surviving spouse, we will continue to pay the balance of any Income Appreciator Benefit payments until the earliest to occur of the following:
(a) the date on which 10 years’ worth of IAB automatic withdrawal payments or IAB credits, as applicable, have been paid,
(b) the latest date on which annuity payments would have had to have commenced had the owner not died (i.e., the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitant’s 95th birthday), or
(c) the contract anniversary coinciding with or next following the annuitants’ surviving spouse’s 95th birthday.
If the Income Appreciator Benefit has not been in force for 7 contract years, the surviving spouse may not activate the benefit until it has been in force for 7 contract years. If the attained age of the surviving spouse at activation of the Spousal Continuance Option, when added to the remainder of the Income Appreciator Benefit waiting period to be satisfied, would preclude the surviving spouse from utilizing the Income Appreciator Benefit, we will revoke the Income Appreciator Benefit under the contract at that time and we will no longer charge for that benefit. If the Income Appreciator Benefit has been in force for 7 contract years or more, but the benefit has not been activated, the surviving spouse may activate the benefit at any time after the contract has been continued. If the Income Appreciator Benefit is activated after the contract is continued by the surviving spouse, the Income Appreciator Benefit calculation will exclude any amount added to the contract at the time of spousal continuance resulting from any death benefit value exceeding the Contract Value.
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Please note that these Annuities are no longer available for new sales.
The initial Purchase Payment is the amount of money you give us to purchase the contract. Unless we agree otherwise, and subject to our rules, the minimum initial Purchase Payment is $10,000. We must approve any initial and additional Purchase Payments where the total amount of Purchase Payments equal $1,000,000 or more with respect to this Annuity and any other annuities you are purchasing from us (or that you already own) and/or our affiliates. To the extent allowed by state law, that required approval also will apply to a proposed change of owner of the Annuity, if as a result of the ownership change, total Purchase Payments with respect to this Annuity and all other annuities owned by the new Owner would equal or exceed that $1 million threshold. With some restrictions, you can make additional Purchase Payments by means other than electronic fund transfer of no less than $500 at any time during the accumulation phase. However, we impose a minimum of $100 with respect to additional Purchase Payments made through electronic fund transfers. (You may not make additional Purchase Payments if you purchase a contract issued in Massachusetts, or if you purchase a Contract With Credit issued in Pennsylvania.)
| • | You may purchase this contract only if the oldest of the owner, joint owner, annuitant, or co-annuitant is age 85 or younger on the contract date. Certain age limits apply to certain features and benefits described herein. No subsequent Purchase Payments may be made on or after the earliest of the 86th birthday of: |
| • | the owner, |
| • | the joint owner, |
| • | the annuitant, or |
| • | the co-annuitant. |
Currently, the maximum aggregate Purchase Payments you may make is $20 million. We limit the maximum total Purchase Payments in any contract year other than the first to $2 million absent our prior approval. Depending on applicable state law, other limits may apply.
ALLOCATION OF PURCHASE PAYMENTS
When you purchase a contract, we will allocate your invested Purchase Payment among the variable or fixed interest rate options, or the market value adjustment option based on the percentages you choose. The percentage of your allocation to a particular investment option can range in whole percentages from 0% to 100%.
When you make an additional Purchase Payment, it will be allocated in the same way as your most recent Purchase Payment, unless you tell us otherwise. Allocations to the DCA Fixed Rate Option must be no less than $2,000 and, allocations to the market value adjustment option must be no less than $1,000.
You may change your allocation of future invested Purchase Payments at any time. Contact the Prudential Annuity Service Center for details.
Applicable laws designed to counter terrorists and prevent money laundering might, in certain circumstances, require us to block a contract owner’s ability to make certain transactions, and thereby refuse to accept Purchase Payments or requests for transfers, partial withdrawals, total withdrawals, death benefits, or income payments until instructions are received from the appropriate regulator. We also may be required to provide additional information about you and your contract to government regulators.
If you purchase the Contract With Credit, we will add a credit amount to your Contract Value with each Purchase Payment you make. The credit amount is allocated to the variable or fixed interest rate investment options or the market value adjustment option in the same percentages as the Purchase Payment.
The bonus credit that we pay with respect to any Purchase Payment depends on
| 1. | the age of the older of the owner or joint owner on the date on which the Purchase Payment is made and |
| 2. | the amount of the Purchase Payment. Specifically, |
| ○ | if the elder owner is 80 or younger on the date that the Purchase Payment is made, then we will add a bonus credit to the Purchase Payment equal to 4% if the Purchase Payment is less than $250,000; 5% if the Purchase Payment is equal to or greater than $250,000 but less than $1 million; or 6% if the Purchase Payment is $1 million or greater; and |
| ○ | if the elder owner is aged 81-85 on the date that the Purchase Payment is made, then we will add a bonus credit equal to 3% of the amount of the Purchase Payment. |
Under the Contract With Credit, if the owner returns the contract during the free look period, we will recapture the bonus credits. If we pay a death benefit under the contract, we have a contractual right to recapture any credit we applied within one year of the date of death.
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Examples of Recapturing Credits
The following are hypothetical examples of how Credits could be recaptured. These examples do not cover every potential situation. These are the only situations in which Credits may be recaptured.
Recapture from payment of Death Benefits
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $2,400. If the Death Benefit becomes payable in the 9th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the entire amount of the prior Credits ($2,400). |
| • | Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You make an additional Purchase of $10,000 in the 6th month after the Issue Date. Both of the Purchase Payments received a 4.0% Credit, for a total of $4,400. If death occurs in the 16th month after the Issue Date, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced but only in the amount of those Credits applied within the previous 12-months. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credits that were applied) occurred more than 12-months before the date of death, the Death Benefit would not be reduced by the amount of the Credits applied to the initial Purchase Payment. However, the $10,000 additional Purchase Payment was made within 12-months of the date of death. Therefore, the amount of the Death Benefit would be reduced by the amount of the Credits payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($400). |
| • | NOTE: If the Death Benefit would otherwise have been equal to the Purchase Payments minus any withdrawals due to poor investment performance, we will not reduce the amount of the Death Benefit by the amount of the Credits as shown in Example 2 above. |
The value of the variable portion of your contract will go up or down depending on the investment performance of the Variable Options you choose. To determine the value of your contract allocated to the Variable Options, we use a unit of measure called an accumulation unit. An accumulation unit works like a share of a mutual fund.
Every day we determine the value of an accumulation unit for each of the Variable Options. We do this by:
| 1. | adding up the total amount of money allocated to a specific investment option, |
| 2. | subtracting from that amount insurance charges and any other applicable charges such as for taxes, and |
| 3. | dividing this amount by the number of outstanding accumulation units. |
When you make a Purchase Payment to a Variable Option, we credit your contract with accumulation units of the Variable Option or Variable Options for the investment options you choose. We determine the number of accumulation units credited to your contract by dividing the amount of the Purchase Payment, plus (if you have purchased the Contract With Credit) any applicable credit, allocated to a Variable Option by the unit price of the accumulation unit for that Variable Option. We calculate the unit price for each investment option after the NYSE closes each day and then credit your contract. The value of the accumulation units can increase, decrease, or remain the same from day to day.
We cannot guarantee that your Contract Value will increase or that it will not fall below the amount of your total Purchase Payments.
When you allocate Account Value to a Variable Option, you are purchasing Units of the Variable Option. Each Variable Option invests exclusively in shares of an underlying Portfolio. The value of the Units fluctuates with the Variable Option fluctuations of the Portfolios. The value of the Units also reflects the daily accrual for the Insurance Charge, and if you elected one or more optional benefits whose annualized charge is deducted daily, the additional charge for such benefits.
Each Valuation Day, we determine the price for a Unit of each Variable Option, called the “Unit Price” or Unit Value. The Unit Price is used for determining the value of transactions involving Units of the Variable Options. We determine the number of Units involved in any transaction by dividing the dollar value of the transaction by the Unit Price of the Variable Option as of the Valuation Day. There may be several different Unit Prices for each Variable Option to reflect the Insurance Charge and the charges for any optional benefits. The Unit Price for the Units you purchase will be based on the total charges for the benefits that apply to your Annuity.
Example
Assume you allocate $5,000 to a Variable Option. On the Valuation Day you make the allocation, the Unit Price is $14.83. Your $5,000 buys 337.154 Units of the Variable Option. Assume that later, you wish to transfer $3,000 of your Account Value out of that Variable Option and into another Variable Option. On the Valuation Day you request the transfer, the Unit Price of the original Variable Option has increased to $16.79 and the Unit Price of the new Variable Option is $17.83. To transfer $3,000, we redeem 178.677 Units at the current Unit Price, leaving you 158.477 Units. We then buy $3,000 of Units of the new Variable Option at the Unit Price of $17.83. You would then have 168.255 Units of the new Variable Option.
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VALUING THE MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT OPTIONS
During the Guarantee Period, we use the concept of an “Interim Value” for the Market Value Adjustment Options. The Interim Value can be calculated on any day and is equal to the initial value allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Option, plus all interest credited to the Market Value Adjustment Option as of the date calculated. The Interim Value does not include the impact of any Market Value Adjustment. If there have been any transfers or withdrawals from a Market Value Adjustment Option, the Interim Value will reflect the withdrawal of those amounts and any interest credited to those amounts before they were withdrawn. To determine the value of a Market Value Adjustment Option on any day more than 30 days immediately following the end of its Guarantee Period, we multiply the Unadjusted Account Value of the Market Value Adjustment Option by the Market Value Adjustment factor. See “Charges and Adjustments” and “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” for more information about the Market Value Adjustment.
PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS
Pruco Life is generally open to process financial transactions on those days that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. There may be circumstances where the NYSE does not open on a regularly scheduled date or time or closes at an earlier time than scheduled (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Generally, financial transactions requested in Good Order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be processed according to the value next determined following the close of business. Financial transactions requested on a non-business day or after the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be processed based on the value next computed on the next Valuation Day.
We will not process any financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders on days the NYSE is closed. Pruco Life will also not process financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders or transfers on any day that:
| • | trading on the NYSE is restricted; |
| • | an emergency, as determined by the SEC, exists making redemption or valuation of securities held in the Separate Account impractical; or |
| • | the SEC, by order, permits the suspension or postponement for the protection of security holders. |
In certain circumstances, we may need to correct the processing of an order. In such circumstances, we may incur a loss or receive a gain depending upon the price of the security when the order was executed and the price of the security when the order is corrected. With respect to any gain that may result from such order correction, we will retain any such gain as additional compensation for these correction services.
Initial Purchase Payments: We are required to allocate your initial Purchase Payment to the Variable Options within two (2) Valuation Days after we receive the Purchase Payment in Good Order at our Service Office. If we do not have all the required information to allow us to issue your Annuity, we may retain the Purchase Payment while we try to reach you or your representative to obtain all of our requirements. If we are unable to obtain all of our required information within five (5) Valuation Days, we are required to return the Purchase Payment to you at that time, unless you specifically consent to our retaining the Purchase Payment while we gather the required information. Once we obtain the required information, we will invest the Purchase Payment (and any associated Purchase Credit) and issue an Annuity within two (2) Valuation Days.
With respect to your initial Purchase Payment and any additional purchase payments pending investment in our Separate Account, we may hold the amount temporarily in a suspense account and we may earn interest on such amount. You will not be credited with interest during that period. The monies held in the suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors. Also, the Purchase Payment will not be reduced nor increased due to Variable Option fluctuations during that period.
As permitted by applicable law, the broker-dealer firm through which you purchase your Annuity may forward your initial Purchase Payment to us prior to approval of your purchase by a registered principal of the firm. These arrangements are subject to a number of regulatory requirements, including that customer funds will be deposited in a segregated bank account and held by the insurer until such time that the insurer is notified of the firm’s principal approval and is provided with the application, or is notified of the firm principal’s rejection. In addition, the insurer must promptly return the customer’s funds at the customer’s request prior to the firm’s principal approval or upon the firm’s rejection of the application. The monies held in the bank account will be held in a suspense account within our general account and we may earn interest on amounts held in that suspense account. Contract owners will not be credited with any interest earned on amounts held in that suspense account. The monies in such suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors.
Additional Purchase Payments: We will apply any additional Purchase Payments (and any associated Purchase Credit) as of the Valuation Day that we receive the Purchase Payment at our Service Office in Good Order. We may limit, restrict, suspend or reject any additional Purchase Payments at any time, on a non-discriminatory basis. See "Purchases and Contract Value". With respect to your Additional Purchase Payments that are pending investment in our Separate Account, we may hold the amount temporarily in a suspense account and we may earn interest on such amount. You will not be credited with interest during that period. The monies held in the suspense account may be subject to claims of our general creditors. Also, the Purchase Payment will not be reduced nor increased due to Variable Option fluctuations during that period.
Scheduled Transactions: Scheduled transactions include transfers under Dollar Cost Averaging, the Asset Allocation Program, Auto Rebalancing, Systematic Withdrawals, Systematic Investments, Required Minimum Distributions, substantially equal periodic payments under section 72(t)/72(q) of the Code, annuity payments and fees that are assessed daily as a percentage of the net assets of the Variable Options. Scheduled transactions are processed and valued as of the date they are scheduled, unless the scheduled day is not a Valuation Day. In that case, the transaction will be processed
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and valued on the next Valuation Day, unless (with respect to Required Minimum Distributions, substantially equal periodic payments under Section 72 (t)/72(q) of the Code, annuity payments and fees that are assessed daily as a percentage of the net assets of the Variable Options only), the next Valuation Day falls in the subsequent calendar year, in which case the transaction will be processed and valued on the prior Valuation Day.
In addition, if: you are taking your Annual Income Amount through our systematic withdrawal program; and the scheduled day is not a Valuation Day; and the next Valuation Day will occur in a new contract year, the transaction will be processed and valued on the prior Valuation Day.
Unscheduled Transactions: “Unscheduled” transactions include any other non-scheduled transfers and requests for partial withdrawals or Free Withdrawals or Surrenders. With respect to certain written requests to withdraw Account Value, we may seek to verify the requesting Owner’s signature. Specifically, we reserve the right to perform a signature verification for (a) any withdrawal exceeding a certain dollar amount and (b) a withdrawal exceeding a certain dollar amount if the payee is someone other than the Owner. In addition, we will not honor a withdrawal request in which the requested payee is the financial professional or agent of record. We reserve the right to request a signature guarantee with respect to a written withdrawal request. If we do perform a signature verification, we will pay the withdrawal proceeds within 7 days after the withdrawal request was received by us in Good Order and will process the transaction in accordance with the discussion in “Processing And Valuing Transactions”.
Critical Care Access & Death Benefits: Critical Care Access requests and Death Benefit claims require our review and evaluation before processing. We price such transactions as of the date we receive at our Service Office in Good Order all supporting documentation we require for such transactions.
We generally pay any surrender request or death benefit claims from the Separate Account within 7 days of our receipt of your request in Good Order at our Service Office.
Termination of Optional Benefits: If any optional benefit terminates, we will no longer deduct the charge we apply to purchase the optional benefit. Certain optional benefits may be added after you have purchased your Annuity. On the date a charge no longer applies or a charge for an optional benefit begins to be deducted, your Annuity will become subject to a different daily asset-based charge. This change may result in the number of Units attributed to your Annuity and the value of those Units being different than it was before the change; however, the adjustment in the number of Units and Unit Price will not affect your Account Value (although the change in charges that are deducted will affect your Account Value).
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You can Access Your Money by:
| • | MAKING A WITHDRAWAL (EITHER PARTIAL OR FULL); OR |
| • | CHOOSING TO RECEIVE ANNUITY PAYMENTS DURING THE INCOME PHASE. |
TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU
When you make a full withdrawal, you will receive the value of your contract minus any applicable charges and fees. We will calculate the value of your contract and charges, if any, as of the date we receive your request in good order at the Prudential Annuity Service Center.
Unless you tell us otherwise, any partial withdrawal and related withdrawal charges will be taken proportionately from all of the investment options you have selected. The minimum Contract Value that must remain in order to keep the contract in force after a withdrawal is $2,000. If you request a withdrawal amount that would reduce the Contract Value below this minimum, we will withdraw the maximum amount available that, with the withdrawal charge, would not reduce the Contract Value below such minimum.
With respect to the Variable Options, we will generally pay the withdrawal amount, less any required tax withholding, within seven days after we receive a withdrawal request in good order. We will deduct applicable charges, if any, from the assets in your contract.
Gross Withdrawal or Net Withdrawal. Generally, you can request either a gross withdrawal or a net withdrawal. If, however, you are taking your withdrawal through a systematic withdrawal program, you may only be permitted to take that withdrawal on a gross basis. In a gross withdrawal, you request a specific withdrawal amount with the understanding that the amount you actually receive is reduced by any applicable CDSC or tax withholding. In a net withdrawal, you request a withdrawal for an exact dollar amount with the understanding that any applicable deduction for CDSC or tax withholding is taken from your Account Value. This means that an amount greater than the amount of your requested withdrawal will be deducted from your Account Value. To make sure that you receive the full amount requested, we calculate the entire amount, including the amount generated due to the CDSC or tax withholding, that will need to be withdrawn. We then apply the CDSC or tax withholding to that entire amount. As a result, you will pay a greater CDSC or have more tax withheld if you elect a net withdrawal.
With respect to the market value adjustment option, you may specify the guarantee period from which you would like to make a withdrawal. If you indicate that the withdrawal is to originate from the market value adjustment option, but you do not specify which guarantee period is to be involved, then we will take the withdrawal from the guarantee period that has the least time remaining until its maturity date. If you indicate that you wish to make a withdrawal, but do not specify the investment options to be involved, then we will take the withdrawal from your Contract Value on a proportional basis from each investment option that you have. In that situation, we will aggregate the Contract Value in each of the guarantee periods that you have within the market value adjustment option for purposes of making that proportional calculation. The portion of the withdrawal associated with the market value adjustment option then will be taken from the guarantee periods with the least amount of time remaining until the maturity date, irrespective of the original length of the guarantee period. You should be aware that a withdrawal may avoid a withdrawal charge based on the charge-free amount that we allow, yet still be subject to a market value adjustment.
Income Taxes, Tax Penalties, and Certain Restrictions also may Apply to any Withdrawal. For a more Complete Explanation, see the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
We offer an automated withdrawal feature. This feature enables you to receive periodic withdrawals in monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual intervals. We will process your withdrawals at the end of the business day at the intervals you specify. We will continue at these intervals until you tell us otherwise. You can make withdrawals from any designated investment option or proportionally from all investment options (other than a guarantee period within the market value adjustment option). The minimum automated withdrawal amount you can make is generally $100. An assignment of the contract terminates any automated withdrawal program that you had in effect.
Systematic Withdrawals based on the charge free amount may be available, but only if the contract is still within the surrender charge period. The withdrawals will be calculated based only on the purchase payments that are still subject to CDSC.
Income Taxes, Tax Penalties, Withdrawal Charges, and Certain Restrictions may Apply to Automated Withdrawals. For a more Complete Explanation, see the “Taxes” section in this prospectus.
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Where permitted by law, you may request to surrender your Annuity prior to the Annuity Date without application of all withdrawal charges and annual contract fee if the Owner or Joint Owner (if applicable) becomes confined to an eligible nursing home, hospital or becomes terminally ill. The amount payable will be your Account Value.
This waiver of any applicable withdrawal charges and annual contract fee is subject to our rules in place at the time of your request, which currently include but are not limited to the following:
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) is first confined in an eligible nursing home or eligible hospital while your Annuity is in force and remains confined for at least 90 days in a row; |
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) is first diagnosed as having a terminal illness while your Annuity is in force; |
| • | the Owner, or Joint Owner (if applicable) must be alive as of the date we pay the proceeds of such surrender request; |
| • | we must receive satisfactory proof of the Owner’s, or Joint Owner’s (if applicable), confinement in an eligible nursing home, eligible hospital or terminal illness in writing on a form satisfactory to us; and |
| • | proceeds will only be sent by check or electronic fund transfer directly to the Owner |
Critical Care Access is not available in all states.
REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS
If a withdrawal is taken from a tax qualified contract under the minimum distribution option in order to satisfy an Internal Revenue Service mandatory distribution requirement only with respect to that contract's account balance, we will waive withdrawal charges. For more information, please refer to the “Taxes” section of this prospectus.
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The tax considerations associated with an Annuity vary depending on whether the Annuity is (i) owned by an individual or non-natural person, and not associated with a tax-favored retirement plan, or (ii) held under a tax-favored retirement plan. We discuss the tax considerations for these categories of Annuities below. The discussion is general in nature and describes only federal income tax law. We generally do not describe state, local, foreign or other federal tax laws. It is based on current law and interpretations which may change. The information provided is not intended as tax advice. The federal income tax treatment of the Annuity is unclear in certain circumstances, and you should always consult a qualified tax advisor regarding the application of law to individual circumstances. Generally, the cost basis in an Annuity is the amount you pay into your Annuity, or into an annuity exchanged for your Annuity, on an after-tax basis less any withdrawals of such payments. Cost basis for a tax-favored retirement plan is provided only in limited circumstances, such as for contributions to a Roth IRA or nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA. We do not track cost basis for tax-favored retirement plans, which is the responsibility of the Owner.
On advisory products, you may be able to establish, subject to our rules and restrictions, an advisory fee deduction program for a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity such that charges for investment advisory fees are not taxable to the Annuity Owner. Please note that there are additional requirements that must be satisfied in order for investment advisory fee charges paid from a Non-qualified Annuity to be treated as not taxable.
The discussion below generally assumes that the Annuity is issued to the Annuity Owner. For Annuities issued under the Beneficiary Continuation Option or as a Beneficiary Annuity, refer to the Taxes Payable by Beneficiaries for a Non-qualified Annuity and Required Distributions Upon Your Death for Qualified Annuities sections below.
In general, as used in this prospectus, a Non-qualified Annuity is owned by an individual or non-natural person and is not associated with a tax-favored retirement plan.
Taxes Payable by You
We believe the Annuity is an Annuity for tax purposes. Accordingly, as a general rule, you should not pay any tax until you receive money under the Annuity. Generally, all Annuity contracts issued by the same company (and affiliates) to you during the same calendar year must be treated as one Annuity for purposes of determining the amount of any withdrawal that is subject to tax under the rules described below. We treat advisory fee payments as an expense of the Annuity and not a taxable distribution if your Non-qualified Annuity satisfies the requirements of a Private Letter Ruling issued to us by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). In accordance with the PLR, advisory fee payments from your Non-qualified Annuity are treated as an expense as long as your advisor attests to us that the PLR requirements have been met, including that the advisory fees will not exceed 1.5% of the Annuity’s cash value and the Annuity only pays the advisor for fees related to investment advice with respect to the Annuity and no other services. The PLR does not generally allow such favorable tax treatment of advisory fee payments where a commission is also paid on the Annuity.
It is possible that the IRS could assert that some or all of the charges for the optional living or death benefits under the Annuity should be treated for federal income tax purposes as a partial withdrawal from the Annuity. If this were the case, the charge for this benefit could be deemed a withdrawal and treated as taxable income to the extent there are earnings in the Annuity. Additionally, for Owners under age 59½, the taxable income attributable to the charge for the benefit could be subject to the 10% additional tax. If the IRS determines that the charges for one or more benefits under the Annuity are taxable withdrawals, then the sole, primary, or surviving Owner will be provided with a notice from us describing available alternatives regarding these benefits.
Taxes on Withdrawals and Surrender Before Annuity Payments Begin
If you make a withdrawal from your Annuity or surrender it before annuity payments begin, the amount you receive will be taxed as ordinary income, rather than as a return of cost basis, until all gain has been withdrawn. At any time, there is no gain in your Annuity, payments will be treated as a nontaxable return of cost basis until all cost basis has been returned. After all cost basis is returned, all subsequent amounts will be taxed as ordinary income. An exception to this treatment exists for contracts that include Purchase Payments made prior to August 14, 1982 that are issued via 1035 exchange. Withdrawals from a contract with Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 are treated as a return of cost basis in the Annuity first until those pre-August 14, 1982 Purchase Payments are withdrawn. Moreover, income allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 is not subject to the 10% additional tax.
You will generally be taxed on any withdrawals from the Annuity while you are alive even if the withdrawal is paid to someone else. Withdrawals under any of the optional living benefits or as a systematic payment are taxed under these rules. If you assign or pledge all or part of your Annuity as collateral for a loan, the part assigned generally will be treated as a withdrawal and subject to income tax to the extent of gain. If the entire Account Value is assigned or pledged, subsequent increases in the Account Value are also treated as withdrawals for as long as the assignment or pledge remains in place. The cost basis is increased by the amount includible in income with respect to such assignment or pledge. If you transfer your Annuity for less than full consideration, such as by gift, you will also trigger tax on any gain in the Annuity. Under most circumstances, this rule does not apply if you transfer the Annuity to your spouse or if you transfer the Annuity incident to divorce.
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If you choose to receive payments under an interest payment option, or a Beneficiary chooses to receive a death benefit under an interest payment option, that election will be treated, for tax purposes, as surrendering your Annuity and will immediately subject any gain in the Annuity to income tax and possibly the 10% additional tax.
Taxes on Annuity Payments
If you select an annuity payment option as described in the “Annuity Period” section of this prospectus, a portion of each annuity payment you receive will be treated as a partial return of your cost basis and will not be taxed. The remaining portion will be taxed as ordinary income. Generally, the nontaxable portion is determined by multiplying the annuity payment you receive by a fraction, the numerator of which is your cost basis (less any amounts previously received tax-free) and the denominator of which is the total expected payments under the Annuity. After the full amount of your cost basis has been recovered tax-free, the full amount of the annuity payments will be taxable. If annuity payments stop due to the death of the Annuitant before the full amount of your cost basis has been recovered, a tax deduction may be allowed for the unrecovered amount.
If your Account Value is reduced to zero but the Annuity remains in force due to a benefit provision, further distributions from the Annuity will be reported as annuity payments, using an exclusion ratio based upon the undistributed cost basis in the Annuity and the total value of the anticipated future payments until such time as all cost basis has been recovered.
Maximum Annuity Date
You must commence annuity payments no later than the first day of the calendar month following the maximum Annuity Date for your Annuity. Upon reaching the maximum Annuity Date you can no longer make Purchase Payments, surrender, exchange, or transfer your contract. The maximum Annuity Date may be the same as the Latest Annuity Date as described elsewhere in this prospectus. For some of our Annuities, you can choose to defer the Annuity Date beyond the default or Latest Annuity Date, as applicable, described in your Annuity. However, the IRS may not then consider your Annuity to be an Annuity under the tax law.
Please refer to your Annuity contract for the maximum Annuity Date.
Partial Annuitization
We do not currently permit partial annuitization.
Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income
The Code includes a Medicare tax on investment income. This tax assesses a 3.8% surtax on the lesser of (1) net investment income or (2) the excess of “modified adjusted gross income” over a threshold amount. The “threshold amount” is $250,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child, $125,000 for married taxpayers filing separately, $200,000 for all others, and approximately $16,000 for estates and certain trusts. The taxable portion of payments received as a withdrawal, surrender, annuity payment, death benefit payment or any other actual or deemed distribution under the Annuity will be considered investment income for purposes of this surtax.
10% Additional Tax for Early Withdrawal from a Non-Qualified Annuity
You may owe a 10% additional tax on the taxable part of distributions received from your Non-qualified Annuity. Amounts are not subject to this additional tax if:
| • | the amount is paid on or after you reach age 59½; |
| • | the amount is paid on or after your death (or the death of the Annuitant when the owner is not an individual); |
| • | the amount received is attributable to your becoming disabled (as defined in the Code); |
| • | generally the amount paid or received is in the form of substantially equal periodic payments (as defined in the Code) not less frequently than annually (please note that substantially equal periodic payments must continue until the later of reaching age 59½ or five years and the impermissible modification of payments during that time period will result in retroactive application of the 10% additional tax); or |
| • | the amount received is paid under an immediate Annuity (within the meaning of the Code) and the annuity start date is no more than one year from the date of purchase (the first monthly annuity payment being required to be paid within 13 months). |
Other exceptions to this tax may apply. You should consult your tax advisor for further details.
Special Rules in Relation to Tax-free Exchanges Under Section 1035
Section 1035 of the Code permits certain tax-free exchanges of a life insurance contract, annuity contract or endowment contract for an Annuity, including tax-free exchanges of annuity death benefits for a Beneficiary Annuity. Partial exchanges may be treated in the same way as tax-free 1035 exchanges of entire contracts, therefore avoiding current taxation of the partially exchanged amount as well as the 10% additional tax on pre-age 59½ withdrawals. In Revenue Procedure 2011-38, the IRS indicated that, for partial exchanges on or after October 24, 2011, where there is a surrender or distribution from either the initial annuity contract or receiving annuity contract within 180 days of the date on which the partial exchange was completed
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(other than an amount received as an annuity for a period of 10 years or more or during one or more lives), the IRS may not treat the transaction as a tax-free Section 1035 exchange. The IRS will apply general tax rules to determine the substance and treatment of the transaction in such cases. We strongly urge you to discuss any partial exchange transaction of this type with your tax advisor before proceeding with the transaction.
If an Annuity is purchased through a tax-free exchange of a life insurance contract, annuity contract or endowment contract that was purchased prior to August 14, 1982, then any Purchase Payments made to the original contract prior to August 14, 1982 will be treated as made to the new Annuity prior to that date. Generally, such pre-August 14, 1982 withdrawals are treated as a return of cost basis first until Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982 are withdrawn. Moreover, income allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982, is not subject to the 10% additional tax.
After you elect an Annuity Payout Option, we do not allow you to exchange your Annuity.
Taxes Payable by Beneficiaries for a Non-Qualified Annuity
If an Owner dies before the Annuity Date, the Death Benefit distributions are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The value of the Death Benefit, as determined under federal law, is also included in the Owner’s estate for federal estate tax purposes. Generally, the same income tax rules described above would also apply to amounts received by your Beneficiary. Choosing an option other than a lump sum Death Benefit may defer taxes. Certain minimum distribution requirements apply upon your death, as discussed further below in the Annuity Qualification section. Tax consequences to the Beneficiary vary depending upon the Death Benefit payment option selected. Generally, for payment of the Death Benefit:
| • | As a lump sum payment, the Beneficiary is taxed in the year of payment on gain in the Annuity. |
| • | Within 5 years of death of Owner, the Beneficiary is taxed on the lump sum payment. The Death Benefit must be taken as one lump sum payment within 5 years of the death of the Owner. Partial withdrawals are not permitted to be paid to Beneficiaries under our Annuity contracts. |
| • | Under an Annuity or Annuity settlement option where distributions begin within one year of the date of death of the Owner, the Beneficiary is taxed on each payment with part as gain and part as return of cost basis. After the full amount of cost basis has been recovered tax-free, the full amount of the annuity payments will be taxable. |
After the Annuity Date, if a period certain remains under the annuity option and the Annuitant dies before the end of that period, any remaining payments made to the Beneficiary will be fully excluded from income until the remaining cost basis is recovered and all annuity payments thereafter are fully includible in income. If we allow the Beneficiary to commute the remaining payments in a lump sum, the proceeds will be taxable as a surrender.
Considerations for Contingent Annuitants: We may allow the naming of a contingent Annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity is held by a pension plan or a tax favored retirement plan, or held by a Custodial Account. In such a situation, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the Annuity continues after the death of the Annuitant. However, tax deferral should be provided instead by the pension plan, tax favored retirement plan, or Custodial Account. We may also allow the naming of a contingent annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity is held by an entity owner when such Annuities do not qualify for tax deferral under the current tax law. This does not supersede any benefit language which may restrict the use of the contingent annuitant.
Reporting and Withholding on Distributions
Amounts distributed from an Annuity are subject to federal and state income tax reporting and withholding. In general, we will withhold federal income tax from the taxable portion of such distribution based on the type of distribution. In the case of an annuity payment, we apply default withholding under the applicable tax rules unless you designate a different withholding status. In the case of all other distributions, we will withhold at a 10% rate. You may generally elect a different tax withholding rate or elect not to have tax withheld from your payments. An election out of withholding must be made on forms that we provide. If you are a U.S. person (which includes a resident alien), and you request a payment be delivered outside the United States or do not provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number, we are required to withhold income tax.
State income tax withholding rules vary and we will withhold based on the rules of your state of residence. Special tax rules apply to withholding for nonresident aliens, and we generally withhold income tax for nonresident aliens at a 30% rate. A different withholding rate may be applicable to a nonresident alien based on the terms of an existing income tax treaty between the United States and the nonresident alien’s country. Please refer to the discussion below regarding withholding rules for a Qualified Annuity.
Regardless of the amount withheld by us, you are liable for payment of income taxes (including any estimated taxes that may be due) on the taxable portion of distributions from the Annuity. You should consult with your tax advisor regarding the payment of the correct amount of these income taxes and potential liability if you fail to pay such taxes.
Entity Owners
Where an Annuity is held by a non-natural person (e.g., a corporation, partnership), other than as an agent or nominee for a natural person (or in other limited circumstances), increases in the value of the Annuity over its cost basis will be subject to tax annually.
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Where an Annuity is issued to a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT), increases in the value of the Annuity over its cost basis will be subject to tax reporting annually. As there are charges for the optional living and death benefits described elsewhere in this prospectus, and such charges reduce the contract value of the Annuity, trustees of the CRT should discuss with their legal advisors whether election of such optional living or death benefits violates their fiduciary duty to the remainder beneficiary.
Where an Annuity is issued to a trust, and such trust is characterized as a grantor trust under the Code, such Annuity is generally not considered to be held by a non-natural person and will be subject to the tax reporting and withholding requirements generally applicable to a Non-qualified Annuity held by a natural person, provided that all grantors of the trust are natural persons. At this time, we will not issue an Annuity to grantor trusts with more than two grantors.
Where the Annuity is owned by a grantor trust, the Annuity must be distributed within five years after the date of the first grantor’s death (or the Annuitant’s death in certain instances) under Section 72(s) of the Code.
See the “Payout Options” section for scenarios where a Death Benefit or Surrender Value is payable depending upon the underlying facts.
Trusts are required to complete and submit a Certificate of Entity form, and we will tax report based on the information provided on this form.
Annuity Qualification
Diversification And Investor Control. In order to qualify for the tax rules applicable to Annuities described above, the investment assets in the Non-qualified Annuity Variable Options must be diversified according to certain rules under the Code. Each Portfolio is required to diversify its investments each quarter so that no more than 55% of the value of its assets is represented by any one investment, no more than 70% is represented by any two investments, no more than 80% is represented by any three investments, and no more than 90% is represented by any four investments. Generally, securities of a single issuer are treated as one investment, and obligations of each U.S. Government agency and instrumentality (such as the Government National Mortgage Association) are treated as issued by separate issuers. In addition, any security issued, guaranteed or insured (to the extent so guaranteed or insured) by the U.S. or an instrumentality of the U.S. will be treated as a security issued by the U.S. Government or its instrumentality, where applicable. We believe the Portfolios underlying the Variable Options of the Annuity meet these diversification requirements.
An additional requirement for qualification for the tax treatment described above is that we, and not you as the Annuity Owner, must have sufficient control over the underlying assets to be treated as the owner of the underlying assets for tax purposes. The tax law limits the amount of control you may have over choosing investments for your Annuity. If this “investor control” rule is violated your Annuity assets will be considered owned directly by you and you lose the favorable tax treatment generally afforded to annuities.
While we also believe these investor control rules will be met, the Treasury Department may promulgate guidelines under which a variable annuity will not be treated as an annuity contract for tax purposes if persons with ownership rights have excessive control over the investments underlying such variable annuity contract. It is unclear whether such guidelines, if in fact promulgated, would have retroactive effect. It is also unclear what effect, if any, such guidelines might have on transfers between the Investment Options offered pursuant to this prospectus. We reserve the right to take any action, including modifications to your Annuity or the Investment Options, required to comply with such guidelines if promulgated. Any such changes will apply uniformly to affected Owners and will be made with such notice to affected Owners as is feasible under the circumstances.
Required Distributions Upon Your Death for a Non-Qualified Annuity.
Upon your death, certain distributions must be made under the Annuity. The required distributions depend on whether you die before you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity or after you start taking annuity payments under the Annuity. If you die on or after the Annuity Date, the remaining portion of the interest in the Annuity must be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death. If you die before the Annuity Date, the entire interest in the Annuity must be distributed within five years after the date of death, or as periodic payments over a period not extending beyond the life or life expectancy of the designated Beneficiary (provided such payments begin within one year of your death). If the Beneficiary does not begin installments within one year of the date of death, no partial withdrawals will be permitted thereafter, and we require that the Beneficiary take the Death Benefit as a lump sum within the five-year deadline. Your designated Beneficiary is the person to whom benefit rights under the Annuity pass by reason of death, and must be a natural person in order to elect a periodic payment option based on life expectancy or a period exceeding five years. Additionally, if the Annuity is payable to (or for the benefit of) your surviving spouse, that portion of the Annuity may be continued with your spouse as the Owner. For Non-qualified Annuities owned by a non-natural person, the required distribution rules generally apply upon the death of the Annuitant. This means, for example, that for an Annuity held by a non-natural person (such as a trust) for which there is named a co-annuitant, then such required distributions will be triggered by the death of the first co-annuitant to die.
Changes To Your Annuity. We reserve the right to make any changes we deem necessary to assure that your Annuity qualifies as an Annuity for tax purposes. Any such changes will apply to all Annuity Owners and you will be given notice to the extent feasible under the circumstances.
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In general, as used in this prospectus, a Qualified Annuity is an Annuity with applicable endorsements for a tax-favored plan or a Non-Qualified Annuity held by a tax-favored retirement plan.
The following is a general discussion of the tax considerations for Qualified Annuities. This Annuity may or may not be available for all types of the tax-favored retirement plans discussed below. This discussion assumes that you have satisfied the eligibility requirements for any tax-favored retirement plan. Please consult your financial professional prior to purchase to confirm if this Annuity is available for a particular type of tax-favored retirement plan or whether we will accept the type of contribution you intend for this Annuity.
A Qualified Annuity may have been purchased for use in connection with:
| • | Individual retirement accounts and annuities (IRAs), including inherited IRAs (which we refer to as a Beneficiary IRA), which are subject to Sections 408(a) and 408(b) of the Code; |
| • | Roth IRAs, including inherited Roth IRAs (which we refer to as a Beneficiary Roth IRA) under Section 408A of the Code; |
| • | A corporate Pension or Profit-sharing plan (subject to 401(a) of the Code); |
| • | H.R. 10 plans (also known as Keogh Plans, subject to 401(a) of the Code); |
| • | Tax Sheltered Annuities (subject to 403(b) of the Code, also known as Tax Deferred Annuities or TDAs); |
| • | Section 457 plans (subject to 457 of the Code). |
A Non-qualified Annuity may have been purchased by a 401(a) trust, a custodial IRA or a custodial Roth IRA account, or a Section 457 plan, which can hold other permissible assets. The terms and administration of the trust or custodial account or plan in accordance with the laws and regulations for 401(a) plans, IRAs or Roth IRAs, or a Section 457 plan, as applicable, are the responsibility of the applicable trustee or custodian.
You should be aware that tax favored plans such as IRAs generally provide income tax deferral regardless of whether they invest in Annuities. This means that when a tax favored plan invests in an Annuity, it generally does not result in any additional tax benefits (such as income tax deferral and income tax free transfers).
Types of Tax-favored Plans
IRAs. The “IRA Disclosure Statement” and “Roth IRA Disclosure Statement” which accompany the prospectus contain information about eligibility, contribution limits, tax particulars, and other IRA information. In addition to this information (the material terms are summarized in this prospectus and in those Disclosure Statements), the IRS requires that you have a “Free Look” after making an initial contribution to the Annuity. During this time, you can cancel the Annuity by notifying us in writing, and we will refund the greater of all purchase payments under the Annuity or the Account Value, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholding.
Contribution Limits/Rollovers. Subject to the minimum purchase payment requirements of an Annuity, you may purchase an Annuity for an IRA in connection with a “rollover” of amounts from a qualified retirement plan, as a transfer from another IRA, by making a contribution consisting of your IRA contributions and catch-up contributions, if applicable, attributable to the prior year during the period from January 1 to April 15 (or the later applicable due date of your federal income tax return, without extension), or as a current year contribution. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. The tax law also provides for a catch-up provision for individuals who are age 50 and above, allowing these individuals an additional $1,000 contribution each year. The $1,000 catch-up contribution for IRA owners age 50 or older is indexed for inflation starting in 2024 in accordance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (which includes SECURE 2.0 of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0”). You may be able to claim a deduction for your contributions depending on your modified adjusted gross income. Go to www.irs.gov for the limits for each year.
The “rollover” rules under the Code are fairly technical; however, an individual (or his or her surviving spouse) may generally “roll over” certain distributions from tax favored retirement plans (either directly or within 60 days from the date of these distributions) if he or she meets the requirements for distribution. Once you buy an Annuity, you can make regular IRA contributions under the Annuity (to the extent permitted by law and the terms of the Annuity). For IRA rollovers, an individual can only make an IRA to IRA rollover if the individual has not made a rollover involving any IRAs owned by the individual in the prior 12 months. An IRA transfer is a tax-free trustee-to-trustee “transfer” from one IRA account to another. IRA transfers are not subject to this 12-month rule. There is no age limitation with regard to contributions to a traditional IRA as long as the earned income requirements are met.
In some circumstances, non-spouse Beneficiaries may roll over to an IRA amounts due from qualified plans, 403(b) plans, and governmental 457(b) plans. However, the rollover rules applicable to non-spouse Beneficiaries under the Code are more restrictive than the rollover rules applicable to Owner/participants and spouse Beneficiaries. Generally, non-spouse Beneficiaries may roll over distributions from tax favored retirement plans only as a direct rollover. An inherited IRA must be directly rolled over from the employer plan or transferred from an IRA and must be titled in the name of the deceased (i.e., John Doe deceased for the benefit of Jane Doe). No additional contributions can be made to an inherited IRA. In this prospectus, an inherited IRA is also referred to as a Beneficiary Annuity.
Required Provisions. Annuities that are IRAs (or endorsements that are part of the contract) must contain certain provisions:
| • | You, as Owner of the Annuity, must be the “Annuitant” under the contract (except in certain cases involving the division of property under a decree of divorce); |
| • | Your rights as Owner are non-forfeitable; |
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| • | You cannot sell, assign or pledge the Annuity; |
| • | The annual contribution you pay cannot be greater than the maximum amount allowed by law, including catch-up contributions if applicable (which does not include any rollover amounts or amounts transferred by trustee-to-trustee transfer); |
| • | The date on which required minimum distributions must begin cannot be later than April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age (see the Required Minimum Distribution rules for more details); and |
| • | Death and annuity payments must meet Required Minimum Distribution rules described below. |
Usually, the full amount of any distribution from an IRA (including a distribution from this Annuity) which is not a transfer or rollover is taxable. As taxable income, these distributions are subject to the general income tax withholding rules described earlier regarding an Annuity in the Non-qualified Annuity section. In addition to this normal tax liability, you may also be liable for the following, depending on your actions:
| • | A 10% early withdrawal additional tax described below; |
| • | Liability for “prohibited transactions” if you, for example, borrow against the value of an IRA; or |
| • | Failure to take a Required Minimum Distribution, also described below. |
If you make any non-deductible contributions to your IRA, a portion of any subsequent distribution may be tax-free as a return of those contributions. You are required to keep track of this and determine the taxable and non-taxable portions. IRS rules require that we report the full amount of any distribution as taxable.
Simplified Employee Pensions (SEP). SEPs are a variation on a standard IRA, and Annuities issued to a SEP must satisfy the same general requirements described under IRAs (above). There are, however, some differences:
| • | If you participate in a SEP, you generally do not include in income any employer contributions made to the SEP on your behalf up to the lesser of (a) the annual employer contribution limit as indexed for inflation, or (b) 25% of your taxable compensation paid by the contributing employer (not including the employer’s SEP contribution as compensation for these purposes). However, for these purposes, compensation in excess of certain limits established by the IRS will not be considered. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution and catch-up limits and compensation limit. |
| • | SEPs must satisfy certain participation and nondiscrimination requirements not generally applicable to IRAs; and |
| • | SEPs that contain a salary reduction or “SARSEP” provision prior to 1997 may permit salary deferrals from employee income with the employer making these contributions to the SEP. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. However, no new “salary reduction” or “SARSEPs” can be established after 1996. Individuals participating in a SARSEP who are age 50 or above by the end of the year are permitted to contribute an additional catch-up contribution amount. These amounts are indexed for inflation and may depend on the participant’s age. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution limit and catch-up contribution limit. Not all Annuities issued by us are available for SARSEPs. |
| • | You will also be provided the same information, and have the same “Free Look” period, as you would have if you purchased the Annuity for a standard IRA. |
| • | Roth contributions are permitted for SEP IRAs starting in 2023. The Company does not currently offer Roth contributions for SEP IRAs, but we reserve the right to offer this contribution type in the future. |
ROTH IRAs. The “Roth IRA Disclosure Statement” contains information about eligibility, contribution limits, tax particulars and other Roth IRA information. Like standard IRAs, income within a Roth IRA accumulates tax-free, and contributions are subject to specific limits. Roth IRAs have, however, the following differences:
| • | Contributions to a Roth IRA cannot be deducted from your gross income; |
| • | “Qualified distributions” from a Roth IRA are excludable from gross income. A “qualified distribution” is a distribution that satisfies two requirements: (1) the distribution must be made (a) after the Owner of the IRA attains age 59½; (b) after the Owner’s death; (c) due to the Owner’s disability; or (d) for a qualified first time homebuyer distribution within the meaning of Section 72(t)(2)(F) of the Code; and (2) the distribution must be made in the year that is at least five tax years after the first year for which a contribution was made to any Roth IRA established for the Owner. Distributions from a Roth IRA that are not qualified distributions will be treated as made first from contributions and then from earnings and earnings will be taxed generally in the same manner as distributions from a traditional IRA. |
| • | If eligible (including meeting income limitations and earnings requirements), you may make contributions to a Roth IRA during your lifetime, and distributions are not required during the owner’s lifetime. |
Subject to the minimum Purchase Payment requirements of an Annuity, you may purchase an Annuity for a Roth IRA in connection with a “rollover” of amounts of another traditional IRA, SEP, SIMPLE-IRA (subject to a timing restriction), employer sponsored retirement plan (under Sections 401(a) or 403(b) of the Code) or Roth IRA. You may also purchase an Annuity for a Roth IRA, if you meet certain income limitations, by making a contribution consisting of your Roth IRA contributions and catch-up contributions, if applicable, attributable to the prior year during the period from January 1 to April 15 (or the applicable due date of your federal income tax return, without extension), or as a current year contribution. The Code permits persons who receive certain qualifying distributions from such non-Roth IRAs, to directly rollover or make, within 60 days, a “rollover” of all or any part of the amount of such distribution to a Roth IRA which they establish (a “conversion”). The conversion of non-Roth accounts triggers current taxation (but is not subject to a 10% early distribution additional tax unless a distribution that is allocable to the rollover contribution is distributed within 5 years of the conversion).
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In addition, SECURE 2.0 amends the Code to allow for tax and penalty free rollovers from 529 accounts to Roth IRAs, under certain conditions. Starting in 2024, beneficiaries of 529 college savings accounts would be permitted to roll over up to $35,000 over the course of their lifetime from any 529 account in their name to their Roth IRA. These rollovers generally are also subject to Roth IRA annual contribution limits, and the 529 account must have been open for at least 15 years, among other requirements.
The Code also permits the recharacterization of current year contribution amounts from a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA, or from a Roth IRA to a traditional IRA. Recharacterization is accomplished through a trustee-to-trustee transfer of a contribution (or a portion of a contribution) plus earnings, between different types of IRAs. A properly recharacterized contribution is treated as a contribution made to the second IRA instead of the first IRA. Such recharacterization must be completed by the applicable tax return due date (with extensions). However, no recharacterizations of conversions can be made.
Once an Annuity has been purchased, regular Roth IRA contributions will be accepted to the extent permitted by law and the terms of the Annuity. In addition, an individual receiving an eligible rollover distribution from a designated Roth account under an employer plan may roll over the distribution to a Roth IRA even if the individual is not eligible to make regular contributions to a Roth IRA. Non-spouse Beneficiaries receiving a distribution from an employer sponsored retirement plan under Sections 401(a) or 403(b) of the Code can also directly roll over contributions to a Roth IRA. However, it is our understanding of the Code that non-spouse Beneficiaries cannot “rollover” benefits from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
TDAs. In general, you may own a Tax Deferred Annuity (also known as a TDA, Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA), 403(b) plan or 403(b) Annuity) if you are an employee of a tax-exempt organization (as defined under Code Section 501(c)(3)) or a public educational organization, and you may make contributions to a TDA so long as your employer maintains such a plan and your rights to the Annuity are non-forfeitable. Contributions to a TDA, and any earnings, are not taxable until distribution. You may also make contributions to a TDA under a salary reduction agreement subject to specific limits. Individuals participating in a TDA who are age 50 or above by the end of the year will be permitted to contribute an additional amount. This amount is indexed for inflation. Go to www.irs.gov for the current year contribution limit and catch-up contribution limit. Further, you may roll over TDA amounts to another TDA or an IRA. You may also roll over TDA amounts to a qualified retirement plan, a SEP and a governmental 457(b) plan. An Annuity may generally only qualify as a TDA if distributions of salary deferrals (other than “grandfathered” amounts held as of December 31, 1988) may be made only on account of:
| • | Your attainment of age 59½; |
| • | Your severance of employment; |
| • | Your death; |
| • | Your total and permanent disability; or |
| • | Hardship |
In any event, you must begin receiving distributions from your TDA by April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age or retire, whichever is later. These distribution limits do not apply either to transfers or exchanges of investments under the Annuity, or to any “direct transfer” of your interest in the Annuity to another employer’s TDA plan or mutual fund “custodial account” described under Code Section 403(b)(7). Employer contributions to TDAs are subject to the same general contribution, nondiscrimination, and minimum participation rules applicable to “qualified” retirement plans.
Caution: Under IRS regulations we can accept contributions, transfers and rollovers only if we have entered into an information-sharing agreement, or its functional equivalent, with the applicable employer or its agent. In addition, in order to comply with the regulations, we will only process certain transactions (e.g., transfers, withdrawals, hardship distributions and, if applicable, loans) with employer approval. This means that if you request one of these transactions we will not consider your request to be in Good Order, and will not therefore process the transaction, until we receive the employer’s approval in written or electronic form.
Late Rollover Self-Certification
You may be able to apply a rollover contribution to your IRA or qualified retirement plan after the 60-day deadline through a self-certification procedure established by the IRS. Please consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your eligibility to use this self-certification procedure. As indicated in this IRS guidance, we, as a financial institution, are not required to accept your self-certification for waiver of the 60-day deadline.
Required Minimum Distributions and Payment Options
If you hold the Annuity under an IRA (or other tax-favored plan), Required Minimum Distribution rules must be satisfied. This means that generally payments must start by April 1 of the year after the year you reach the applicable age (“required beginning date”) and must be made for each year thereafter. For a TDA or a 401(a) plan for which the participant is not a greater than 5% owner of the employer, this required beginning date can generally be deferred to retirement, if later. Roth IRAs and designated Roth accounts under employer sponsored plans are not subject to these rules during the Owner’s lifetime.
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|
If you were born... |
Your “applicable age” is... |
|
Before July 1, 1949 |
70½ |
|
After June 30, 1949 and before 1951 |
72 |
|
After 1950 and before 1960 |
73 |
|
After 1959 |
75 |
The amount of the payment must at least equal the minimum required under the IRS rules. Several choices are available for calculating the minimum amount. More information on the mechanics of this calculation is available on request. Please contact us at a reasonable time before the Required Minimum Distribution deadline so that a timely distribution is made. Please note that there is a 25% excise tax (a 50% excise tax applied prior to the 2023 taxable year) on the amount of any required minimum distribution not made in a timely manner. The excise tax on failure is further reduced from 25% to 10% if corrected in a timely manner and certain other conditions are met in accordance with SECURE 2.0.
Required Minimum Distributions are calculated based on the sum of the Account Value and the actuarial present value of any additional living and death benefits from optional riders that you have purchased under the Annuity. As a result, the Required Minimum Distributions may be larger than if the calculation were based on the Account Value only, which may in turn result in an earlier (but not before the required beginning date) distribution of amounts under the Annuity and an increased amount of taxable income distributed to the Annuity Owner, and a reduction of payments under the living and death benefit optional riders.
You can use the Minimum Distribution option to satisfy the Required Minimum Distribution rules for an Annuity without either beginning annuity payments or surrendering the Annuity. Under this option, we will distribute to you the Required Minimum Distribution amount, less any other partial withdrawals that you made during the year. Such amount will be based on the value of the Annuity as of December 31 of the prior year, but is determined without regard to other tax favored retirement plans you may own. If a trustee-to-trustee transfer or direct rollover of the full contract value is requested when there is an active Required Minimum Distribution program running, the Required Minimum Distribution will be removed and sent to the Owner prior to the remaining funds being sent to the transfer institution.
Although the IRS rules determine the required amount to be distributed from your IRA each year, certain payment alternatives are still available to you. In accordance with SECURE 2.0, a new optional method for calculating your RMDs may be available if you have an IRA in an annuity payout (or partial annuity payout), and an IRA in the deferral stage. Please contact your tax advisor to determine if this calculation method is appropriate for you. In addition, if you own more than one IRA, you can choose to satisfy your minimum distribution requirement for each of your IRAs by withdrawing that amount from any of your non-Roth IRAs. If you inherit more than one IRA or more than one Roth IRA from the same Owner, similar rules apply. These rules may also apply to other types of tax favored retirement plans such as TDAs.
Charitable IRA Distributions
Certain qualified IRA distributions used for charitable purposes are eligible for an exclusion from gross income, up to $100,000 (indexed for inflation beginning after 2023), for otherwise taxable IRA distributions from a traditional or Roth IRA. A qualified charitable distribution is a distribution that is made (1) directly by the IRA trustee to certain qualified charitable organizations and (2) on or after the date the IRA owner attains age 70½. Distributions that are excluded from income under this provision are not taken into account in determining the individual’s deductions, if any, for charitable contributions. The amount of your qualified charitable distributions that are excluded from income for a tax year is reduced (but not below zero) by the excess of: (1) the total amount of your IRA deductions allowed for all tax years ending on or after the date you attain age 70½, over (2) the total amount of reductions for all tax years preceding the current tax year. You should consult your tax advisor about whether a one-time distribution up to $50,000 (indexed for inflation beginning after 2023) that is made from your IRA to a “split-interest entity” can be excluded from your gross income.
The IRS has currently indicated that an IRA trustee is not responsible for determining whether a distribution to a charity is one that satisfies the requirements of the charitable giving incentive. Unless otherwise required in the future by the IRS, we will report the distribution as a normal IRA distribution on Form 1099-R. In those instances, individuals are responsible for reflecting the distributions as charitable IRA distributions on their personal tax returns. However, if we receive certification that the distribution satisfies the requirements, we will report the distribution as a charitable IRA distribution on Form 1099-R.
Required Distributions Upon Your Death for a Qualified Annuity
Upon your death under an IRA, Roth IRA, 403(b) or other employer sponsored plan, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements. For Owner and Beneficiary deaths prior to 2020, please consult your tax advisor regarding the applicable post-death distribution requirements.
The information provided below applies to Owner and Beneficiary deaths after 2019. In addition, if you are an employee under a governmental plan, such as a section 403(b) plan of a public school or a governmental 457(b) plan, this law applies if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, this law generally applies if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).
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| • | Death before your required beginning date. If you die before your required beginning date, and you have a designated beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated beneficiary is an “eligible designated beneficiary” (“EDB”) or some other exception applies. A designated beneficiary is any individual designated as a beneficiary by the employee or IRA owner. An EDB is any designated beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual’s status as an EDB is generally determined on the date of your death. An EDB (other than a minor child) can generally stretch distributions over their life or life expectancy if payments begin by the end of the calendar year following the year of your death and continuing over the EDB’s remaining life expectancy after the EDB’s death. However, all amounts must be fully distributed by the end of the year containing the 10th anniversary of the EDB’s death. Special rules apply to minors and Beneficiaries that are not individuals. Additional special rules apply to surviving spouses, see “Spousal Continuation” below. |
| • | Death on or after your required beginning date. In general, if you die on or after your required beginning date, and you have a designated beneficiary who is not an EDB, any remaining interest in your Qualified Annuity must continue to be distributed over the longer of your remaining life expectancy and your designated beneficiary’s life expectancy (or more rapidly), but all amounts must be distributed within 10 years of your death. If your Beneficiary is an EDB (other than a minor child), distributions must continue over the longer of your remaining life expectancy and the EDB’s life expectancy (or more rapidly), but all amounts must be distributed within 10 years of the EDB’s death. Special rules apply to EDBs who are minors and Beneficiaries that are not individuals. |
| • | Annuity payments. If you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by us) in order to comply with the post-death distribution requirements. |
| • | Other rules. The post-death distribution requirements do not apply if the employee or IRA owner elected annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity. |
| If your beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your beneficiary designations. |
| In addition, these post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the employee or IRA owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated beneficiary of the deceased employee or IRA owner dies after January 1, 2020, and the designated beneficiary had elected the lifetime payout rule or was under the at-least-as rapidly rule, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated beneficiary’s death. Hence, this 10-year rule will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020. |
| • | Spousal continuation. If your beneficiary is your spouse, such surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after their death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to their own IRA, or by electing to treat your IRA as their own IRA. However, in certain circumstances the surviving spouse may have to take “hypothetical RMDs” (i.e., catch-up amounts required in accordance with the regulations). |
The post-death distribution requirements are complex in numerous respects. Treasury has issued final and proposed regulations that may impact these required minimum distribution requirements. We reserve the right to make changes in order to comply with the final and proposed regulations, or any regulations published in the future. Any such changes will apply uniformly to affected Owners or Beneficiaries and will be made with such notice to affected Owners or Beneficiaries as is feasible under the circumstances. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
Unless payments are being made in the form of an annuity, a Beneficiary has the flexibility to take out more each year than mandated under the required minimum distribution rules.
Note that in 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Inherited IRAs, other than IRAs inherited by the owner’s spouse, do not qualify as retirement assets for purposes of protection under the federal bankruptcy laws.
Until withdrawn, amounts in a Qualified Annuity continue to be tax deferred. Amounts withdrawn each year, including amounts that are required to be withdrawn under the required minimum distribution rules, are subject to tax. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
For a Roth IRA, if death occurs before the entire interest is distributed, the death benefit must be distributed under the same rules applied to IRAs where death occurs before the required beginning date. Similar rules may apply to designated Roth accounts under an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Consult your plan sponsor and tax advisor for more information on designated Roth accounts.
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10% Additional Tax for Early Withdrawals from a Qualified Annuity
You may owe a 10% additional tax on the taxable part of distributions received from an IRA, SEP, Roth IRA, TDA or qualified retirement plan. Amounts are not subject to this additional tax if:
| • | the amount is paid on or after you reach age 59½ or die; |
| • | the amount received is attributable to your becoming disabled; or |
| • | generally the amount paid or received is in the form of substantially equal periodic payments (as defined in the Code) not less frequently than annually. (Please note that substantially equal periodic payments must continue until the later of reaching age 59½ or five years. Certain modification of payments or additional contributions to the Annuity during that time period will result in retroactive application of the 10% additional tax.) |
There are a number of other exceptions to this tax that may apply. In addition, distributions that satisfy certain exceptions to this tax may be repaid in certain circumstances. You should consult your tax advisor for further details.
Withholding
For 403(b) Tax Deferred annuities, we will withhold federal income tax at the rate of 20% for any eligible rollover distribution paid by us to or for a plan participant, unless such distribution is “directly” rolled over into another qualified plan, IRA (including the IRA variations described above), SEP, governmental 457(b) plan or TDA. An eligible rollover distribution is defined under the tax law as a distribution from an employer plan under 401(a), a TDA or a governmental 457(b) plan, excluding any distribution that is part of a series of substantially equal payments (at least annually) made over the life expectancy of the employee or the joint life expectancies of the employee and his designated Beneficiary, any distribution made for a specified period of 10 years or more, any distribution that is a required minimum distribution and any hardship distribution. Regulations also specify certain other items which are not considered eligible rollover distributions. We will not withhold for payments made from trustee owned Annuities or for payments under a 457 plan. For all other distributions, unless you elect otherwise, we will withhold federal income tax from the taxable portion of such distribution at an appropriate percentage. The rate of withholding on annuity payments where no mandatory withholding is required is determined on the basis of the withholding certificate that you file with us. If you do not file a certificate, we will automatically withhold federal taxes on the following basis:
| • | For any annuity payments not subject to mandatory withholding, you will have taxes withheld under the applicable default withholding rules; and |
| • | For all other distributions, we will withhold at a 10% rate. |
If no U.S. taxpayer identification number is provided, no election out of withholding will be allowed, and we will automatically withhold using the default withholding rules. In addition, if you are a U.S. person (which includes a resident alien), and you request a payment be delivered outside the U.S., we are required to withhold income tax.
We will provide you with forms and instructions concerning the right to elect that no amount be withheld from payments in the ordinary course. However, you should know that, in any event, you are liable for payment of federal income taxes (including any estimated tax liabilities) on the taxable portion of the distributions, and you should consult with your tax advisor to find out more information on your potential liability if you fail to pay such taxes. There may be additional state income tax withholding requirements.
Special tax rules apply to withholding for nonresident aliens, and we generally withhold income tax for nonresident aliens at a 30% rate. A different withholding rate may be applicable to a nonresident alien based on the terms of an existing income tax treaty between the United States and the nonresident alien’s country.
ERISA Requirements
ERISA (the “Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974”) and the Code prevent a fiduciary and other “parties in interest” with respect to a plan (and, for these purposes, an IRA would also constitute a “plan”) from receiving any benefit from any party dealing with the plan, as a result of the sale of the Annuity. Administrative exemptions under ERISA generally permit the sale of insurance/annuity products to plans, provided that certain information is disclosed to the person purchasing the Annuity. This information has to do primarily with the fees, charges, discounts and other costs related to the Annuity, as well as any commissions paid to any agent selling the Annuity. Information about any applicable fees, charges, discounts, penalties or adjustments may be found in the applicable sections of this prospectus. Information about sales representatives and commissions may be found in the sections of this prospectus addressing distribution of the Annuities.
Other relevant information required by the exemptions is contained in the contract and accompanying documentation.
Please consult with your tax advisor if you have any questions about ERISA and these disclosure requirements.
Spousal Consent Rules for Retirement Plans – Qualified Annuities
If you are married at the time your payments commence, you may be required by federal law to choose an income option that provides survivor annuity income to your spouse, unless your spouse waives that right. Similarly, if you are married at the time of your death, federal law may require all or a portion of the Death Benefit to be paid to your spouse, even if you designated someone else as your Beneficiary. A brief explanation of the applicable rules follows. For more information, consult the terms of your retirement arrangement.
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Defined Benefit Plans and Money Purchase Pension Plans. If you are married at the time your payments commence, federal law requires that benefits be paid to you in the form of a “qualified joint and survivor annuity” (QJSA), unless you and your spouse waive that right, in writing. Generally, this means that you will receive a reduced payment during your life and, upon your death, your spouse will receive at least one-half of what you were receiving for life. You may elect to receive another income option if your spouse consents to the election and waives his or her right to receive the QJSA. If your spouse consents to the alternative form of payment, your spouse may not receive any benefits from the plan upon your death. Federal law also requires that the plan pay a Death Benefit to your spouse if you are married and die before you begin receiving your benefit. This benefit must be available in the form of an Annuity for your spouse’s lifetime and is called a “qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity” (QPSA). If the plan pays Death Benefits to other Beneficiaries, you may elect to have a Beneficiary other than your spouse receive the Death Benefit, but only if your spouse consents to the election and waives his or her right to receive the QPSA. If your spouse consents to the alternate Beneficiary, your spouse will receive no benefits from the plan upon your death. Any QPSA waiver prior to your attaining age 35 will become null and void on the first day of the calendar year in which you attain age 35, if still employed.
Defined Contribution Plans (including 401(k) Plans and ERISA 403(b) Annuities). Spousal consent to a distribution is generally not required. Upon your death, your spouse will receive the entire Death Benefit, even if you designated someone else as your Beneficiary, unless your spouse consents in writing to waive this right. Also, if you are married and elect an Annuity as a periodic income option, federal law requires that you receive a QJSA (as described above), unless you and your spouse consent to waive this right.
IRAs, non-ERISA 403(b) Annuities, and 457 Plans. Spousal consent to a distribution usually is not required unless specifically required under the terms of the plan. Upon your death, any Death Benefit will be paid to your designated Beneficiary.
Reporting and Withholding for Escheated Amounts
Revenue Rulings 2018-17 and 2020-24 provide that an amount transferred from an IRA or 401(a) qualified retirement plan to a state’s unclaimed property fund is subject to federal income tax withholding at the time of transfer. The amount transferred is also subject to federal tax reporting. Consistent with these Rulings, we will withhold federal and state income taxes and report to the applicable Owner or Beneficiary as required by law when amounts are transferred to a state’s unclaimed property fund. Non-qualified annuity contracts generally are subject to the same or similar federal income tax reporting and withholding requirements as IRAs and qualified retirement plans. As a result, we may determine in the future that we have an obligation to follow similar guidelines with respect to any amounts escheated from your Non-qualified Annuity.
Gifts and Generation-skipping Transfers
If you transfer your Annuity to another person for less than adequate consideration, there may be gift tax consequences in addition to income tax consequences. Also, if you transfer your Annuity to a person two or more generations younger than you (such as a grandchild or grandniece) or to a person that is more than 37½ years younger than you, there may be generation-skipping transfer tax consequences.
Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships
U.S. Treasury Department regulations provide that for federal tax purposes, the term “spouse” does not include individuals (whether of the opposite sex or the same sex) who have entered into a registered domestic partnership, civil union, or other similar formal relationship that is not denominated as a marriage under the laws of the state where the relationship was entered into, regardless of domicile. As a result, if a Beneficiary of a deceased Owner and the Owner were parties to such a relationship, the Beneficiary will be required by federal tax law to take distributions from the Contract in the manner applicable to non-spouse Beneficiaries and will not be able to continue the Contract. Please consult with your tax or legal advisor before electing the Spousal Benefit for a civil union partner or domestic partner.
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As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Company nor the Registered Separate Account or Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. is a party to any material legal proceedings outside of the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. Although the Company and its affiliates are involved in pending and threatened legal proceedings in the normal course of its business, we do not anticipate that the outcome of any such legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the Registered Separate Account, or the Company’s ability to meet its obligations under the Annuity, or the ability of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. to meet its obligations related to the Annuity.
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The financial statements of the Registered Separate Account and Pruco Life are incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information.
115
HOW WILL I RECEIVE STATEMENTS AND REPORTS?
We send any statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at your last known address of record. You should therefore give us prompt notice of any address change. We reserve the right, to the extent permitted by law and subject to your prior consent, to provide any prospectus, prospectus supplements, confirmations, statements and reports required by applicable law or regulation to you at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS3-STAT. or any other electronic means. We send a confirmation statement to you each time a transaction is made affecting Account Value, such as transfers, exchanges or withdrawals. We also send quarterly statements detailing the activity affecting your Annuity during the calendar quarter. We may confirm regularly scheduled transactions, such as systematic withdrawals (including 72(t) payments and required minimum distributions), and bank drafting, in quarterly statements instead of confirming them immediately. You should review the information in these statements carefully. You may request additional reports. We reserve the right to charge up to $50 for each such additional report.
Any errors or corrections on transactions for your Annuity must be reported to us at our Service Center as soon as possible to assure proper accounting to your Annuity. For transactions that are confirmed immediately, we assume all transactions are accurate unless you notify us otherwise within 30 days from the date you receive the confirmation. For transactions that are first confirmed on the quarterly statement, we assume all transactions are accurate unless you notify us within 30 days from the date you receive the quarterly statement. All transactions confirmed immediately or by quarterly statement are deemed conclusive after the applicable 30-day period. We may also send an annual report and a semi-annual report containing applicable financial statements for the Registered Separate Account and the Portfolios, as of December 31 and June 30, respectively, to Owners or, with your prior consent, make such documents available electronically through our website or other electronic means.
Please communicate with us using the telephone number and addresses below for the purposes described. Failure to send mail to the proper address may result in a delay in our receiving and processing your request.
Prudential’s Annuities Service Center
Call our Customer Service Team at 1-888-PRU-2888 during normal business hours.
Internet
Access information about your Annuity at: www.prudential.com/annuities
Correspondence Sent by Regular Mail
Prudential
Annuities Service Center
P.O.
Box 7960
Philadelphia,
PA 19176
Correspondence Sent by Overnight*, Certified or Registered Mail
Prudential
Annuities Service Center
1600
Malone Street
Millville,
NJ 08332
*Please note that overnight correspondence sent through the United States Postal Service may be delivered to the P.O. Box listed above, which could delay receipt of your correspondence at our Service Center. Overnight mail sent through other methods (e.g., Federal Express, United Parcel Service) will be delivered to the address listed below.
Correspondence sent by regular mail to our Service Center should be sent to the address shown above. Your correspondence will be picked up at this address and then delivered to our Service Center. Your correspondence is not considered received by us until it is received at our Service Center. Where this prospectus refers to the day when we receive a Purchase Payment, request, election, notice, transfer or any other transaction request from you, we mean the day on which that item (or the last requirement needed for us to process that item) arrives in complete and proper form at our Service Center or via the appropriate telephone or fax number if the item is a type we accept by those means. There are two main exceptions: if the item arrives at our Service Center (1) on a day that is not a business day, or (2) after the close of a business day, then, in each case, we are deemed to have received that item on the next business day.
You can obtain account information by calling our automated response system and at www.prudential.com/contact-us, our website. Our Customer Service representatives are also available during business hours to provide you with information about your account. You can request certain transactions through our telephone voice response system, our website or through a customer service representative. You can provide authorization for a third party, including your attorney-in-fact acting pursuant to a power of attorney, to access your account information and perform certain transactions on your account. You will need to complete a form provided by us which identifies those transactions that you wish to authorize via telephonic and electronic
116
means and whether you wish to authorize a third party to perform any such transactions. Please note that unless you tell us otherwise, we deem that all transactions that are directed by your financial professional with respect to your Annuity have been authorized by you. We require that you or your representative provide proper identification before performing transactions over the telephone or through our website. This may include a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will be provided to you upon issue of your Annuity or you may establish or change your PIN by calling our automated response system and at www.prudential.com/contact-us. Any third party that you authorize to perform financial transactions on your account will be assigned a PIN for your account.
Transactions requested via telephone are recorded. To the extent permitted by law, we will not be responsible for any claims, loss, liability or expense in connection with a transaction requested by telephone or other electronic means if we acted on such transaction instructions after following reasonable procedures to identify those persons authorized to perform transactions on your Annuity using verification methods which may include a request for your Social Security number, PIN or other form of electronic identification. We may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions if we did not follow such procedures.
Pruco Life does not guarantee access to telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic information or that we will be able to accept transaction instructions via such means at all times. Nor, due to circumstances beyond our control, can we provide any assurances as to the delivery of transaction instructions submitted to us by regular and/or express mail. Regular and/or express mail (if operational) will be the only means by which we will accept transaction instructions when telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic means are unavailable or delayed. Pruco Life reserves the right to limit, restrict or terminate telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic transaction privileges at any time.
PRUDENTIAL, THE PRUDENTIAL LOGO AND THE ROCK DESIGN ARE TRADEMARKS OF PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL, INC. AND ITS RELATED ENTITIES, REGISTERED IN MANY JURISDICTIONS WORLDWIDE. USED UNDER LICENSE.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS PLUS 3 VARIABLE ANNUITY, HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME, HIGHEST DAILY, AND AST ARE SERVICE MARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA AND ARE USED UNDER LICENSE BY ITS AFFILIATES.
117
APPENDIX A - INVESTMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT
Certain Investment Options may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. See the Cover Page for additional information.
Variable Options
The following is the list of Portfolios available under the Contract. More information about the Portfolios is available in the prospectuses for the Portfolios, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS3-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an email to service@prudential.com. Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Portfolio Companies.
The current expenses and performance information below reflects fee and expenses of the Portfolio, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your Contract may charge. Expenses would be higher, and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. The Portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Equity |
Allspring
VT Discovery All Cap Growth Fund - Class 11,♦ |
0.75% |
15.53% |
6.31% |
13.84% |
|
Equity |
Allspring
VT Opportunity Fund - Class 1♦ |
0.75% |
7.00% |
9.22% |
12.13% |
|
Equity |
Allspring
VT Small Cap Growth Fund - Class 11,♦ |
0.91% |
9.55% |
-0.70% |
10.22% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.86% |
16.17% |
8.81% |
9.59% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.87% |
14.35% |
6.96% |
8.05% |
|
Fixed Income |
AST
Core Fixed Income Portfolio1 |
0.68% |
7.15% |
-1.10% |
2.30% |
|
Equity |
AST
International Equity Portfolio1 |
1.02% |
32.84% |
5.76% |
10.00% |
|
Fixed Income |
AST
Investment Grade Bond Portfolio1,2,♦ |
0.69% |
8.57% |
-0.12% |
3.39% |
A-1
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Allocation |
AST
J.P. Morgan Conservative Multi-Asset Portfolio1,♦ |
0.92% |
10.37% |
3.31% |
5.19% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Equity Portfolio1 |
0.84% |
14.88% |
13.25% |
12.47% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Growth Portfolio1 |
0.87% |
17.06% |
11.35% |
16.27% |
|
Equity |
AST
Large-Cap Value Portfolio1 |
0.81% |
16.05% |
12.97% |
11.35% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Multi-Asset Diversified Plus Portfolio1,♦ |
1.13% |
13.55% |
5.58% |
5.73% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Multi-Asset Diversified Portfolio1,♦ |
0.90% |
15.55% |
6.86% |
8.28% |
|
Allocation |
AST
PGIM Aggressive Multi-Asset Portfolio1 |
0.90% |
16.00% |
8.22% |
8.26% |
|
Allocation |
AST
Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio1,♦ |
0.89% |
11.33% |
3.76% |
5.45% |
A-2
|
Fund Type |
Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor |
Current |
Average
Annual Total Returns | ||
|
1 Year |
5 Year |
10 Year | |||
|
Equity |
AST
Small-Cap Equity Portfolio1 |
1.01% |
7.41% |
1.81% |
10.39% |
|
Equity |
Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares† |
1.07% |
18.10% |
13.83% |
15.59% |
|
Equity |
NVIT
Fidelity Institutional AM®
Emerging Markets Fund - Class
D1,♦ |
1.46% |
35.77% |
0.70% |
5.98% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Global Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.73% |
22.03% |
10.04% |
11.41% |
|
Fixed Income |
PSF
PGIM Government Money Market Portfolio - Class I |
0.32% |
4.05% |
3.06% |
1.96% |
|
Fixed Income |
PSF
PGIM High Yield Bond Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.57% |
8.90% |
4.85% |
6.92% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Blend Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.46% |
18.52% |
12.33% |
13.96% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Growth Portfolio - Class I♦ |
0.60% |
14.27% |
10.69% |
16.62% |
|
Equity |
PSF
PGIM Jennison Value Portfolio - Class I |
0.43% |
16.88% |
13.90% |
11.39% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Small-Cap Stock Index Portfolio - Class I |
0.38% |
5.69% |
6.97% |
9.52% |
|
Equity |
PSF
Stock Index Portfolio - Class I |
0.28% |
17.56% |
14.09% |
14.51% |
| The additional information below may be applicable to the Portfolios listed in the above table. |
| PGIM Fixed Income is a business unit of PGIM, Inc. |
| PGIM Investments LLC manages each of the Portfolios of The Prudential Series Fund (PSF). |
| PGIM Investments LLC manages each of the Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust (AST). AST Investment Services, Inc. serves as co-manager, along with PGIM Investments LLC, to many of the Portfolios of AST. |
| PGIM Real Estate is a business unit of PGIM, Inc. |
| 1. | These Portfolios are also offered in other variable annuity contracts that utilize a predetermined mathematical formula to manage the guarantees offered in connection with optional benefits. |
| Those other variable annuity contracts offer certain optional living benefits that utilize a predetermined mathematical formula (the “formula”) to manage the guarantees offered in connection with those optional benefits. The formula monitors each contract Owner’s Account Value daily and, if necessary, will systematically transfer amounts among investment options. The formula transfers funds between the Variable Options for those variable annuity contracts and an AST Bond Portfolio Variable Option or a fixed account (those AST Bond Portfolios or a fixed account may not be available in connection with the annuity contracts offered through this prospectus). You should be aware that the operation of the formula in those other variable annuity contracts may result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the underlying Portfolios that are available with your contract. These asset flows could adversely impact the |
A-3
| underlying Portfolios, including their risk profile, expenses and performance. Because transfers between the Variable Options and the AST Bond Variable Option or a fixed account can be frequent and the amount transferred can vary from day to day, any of the underlying Portfolios could experience the following effects, among others: |
| (a) | a Portfolio’s investment performance could be adversely affected by requiring a subadvisor to purchase and sell securities at inopportune times or by otherwise limiting the subadvisor’s ability to fully implement the Portfolio’s investment strategy; |
| (b) | the subadvisor may be required to hold a larger portion of assets in highly liquid securities than it otherwise would hold, which could adversely affect performance if the highly liquid securities underperform other securities (e.g., equities) that otherwise would have been held; and |
| (c) | a Portfolio may experience higher turnover and greater negative asset flows than it would have experienced without the formula, which could result in higher operating expense ratios and higher transaction costs for the Portfolio compared to other similar funds. |
| The efficient operation of the asset flows among Portfolios triggered by the formula depends on active and liquid markets. If market liquidity is strained, the asset flows may not operate as intended. For example, it is possible that illiquid markets or other market stress could cause delays in the transfer of cash from one Portfolio to another Portfolio, which in turn could adversely impact performance. |
| Before you allocate to the Variable Option with the AST Portfolios listed above, you should consider the potential effects on the Portfolios that are the result of the operation of the formula in the variable annuity contracts that are unrelated to your Variable Annuity. Please work with your financial professional to determine which Portfolios are appropriate for your needs. |
| 2. | The AST Investment Grade Bond Variable Option is not available for allocation of Purchase Payments or contract Owner transfers. |
| ♦ | This information includes annual expenses that reflect temporary or other fee reductions or waivers. Please see the Portfolio prospectus for additional information. |
| † | Additional information regarding the Portfolio is presented below. Please see the Portfolio prospectus for additional information. |
| Janus
Henderson Research Portfolio - Service Shares The Portfolio pays an investment advisory fee rate that adjusts up or down by a variable of up to 0.15% (assuming constant assets) on a monthly basis based upon the Portfolio’s performance relative to its benchmark index during a measurement period. |
A-4
Fixed Options
The following is a list of Fixed Options currently available under the Contract. We may change the features of the Fixed Options listed below, offer new Fixed Options, and terminate existing Fixed Options. We will provide you with written notice before doing so. For more information about the Fixed Options, see “Description of Insurance Company, Registered Separate Account, and Investment Options” in this prospectus.
Note: If amounts are withdrawn from Market Value Adjustment options before the end of its term, we will apply a Contract Adjustment. This may result in a significant reduction in your Contract value. For more information about Market Value Adjustment options, please refer to the “Charges and Adjustments” section of this prospectus.
|
Name |
Term |
Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate* |
|
Benefit Fixed Rate Account1 |
N/A |
2% for contract years 1-10; 3% thereafter |
|
DCA Fixed Rate Option |
6 Month |
3% |
|
DCA Fixed Rate Option |
12 Month |
3% |
|
Fixed Interest Rate Option |
1 Year |
2% for contract years 1-10; 3% thereafter |
|
Market Value Adjustment Option |
7 Year |
3% |
|
Market Value Adjustment Option |
8 Year |
3% |
|
Market Value Adjustment Option |
9 Year |
3% |
|
Market Value Adjustment Option |
10 Year |
3% |
*The rate shown was the last Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate issued before the product closed to new customers. Your Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate is the amount shown on your Contract and can vary by state. Please consult with your representative for availability and current rates.
1Not available for allocations.
Stipulated Investment Options if You Elect Certain Optional Benefits
Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Portfolio Companies.
|
Optional Benefit Name: |
Allowable Allocations: |
|
Lifetime
Five Income Benefit |
AST
Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio |
|
Optional Benefit Name: |
Restricted Allocations: |
|
Highest
Daily Lifetime Seven Income Benefit |
Allspring
VT Discovery All Cap Growth Fund - Class 1 |
A-5
APPENDIX B – ASSET TRANSFER FORMULA UNDER HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME FIVE BENEFIT
We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Variable Options and the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. Upon your election of Highest Daily Lifetime Five, we will not alter the asset transfer formula that applies to your contract. However, as discussed in
Section 5, we reserve the right to modify this formula with respect to those who elect Highest Daily Lifetime Five in the future.
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:
| • | Cu - the upper target is established on the effective date of the Highest Daily Lifetime Five benefit (the “Effective Date”) and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 83%. |
| • | Ct - the target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 80%. |
| • | Cl - the lower target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 77%. |
| • | L - the target value as of the current business day. |
| • | r - the target ratio. |
| • | a - the factors used in calculating the target value. These factors are established on the Effective Date and are not changed for the life of the guarantee. The factors that we use currently are derived from the a2000 Individual Annuity Mortality Table with an assumed interest rate of 3%. Each number in the table “a” factors (which appears below) represents a factor, which when multiplied by the Highest Daily Annual Income Amount, projects our total liability for the purpose of asset transfers under the guarantee. |
| • | Q - age based factors used in calculating the target value. These factors are established on the Effective Date and are not changed for the life of the guarantee. The factor is currently set equal to 1. |
| • | V - the total value of all Permitted Variable Options in the annuity. |
| • | F - the total value of all Benefit Fixed Rate Account allocations. |
| • | I - the income value prior to the first withdrawal. The income value is equal to what the Highest Daily Annual Income Amount would be if the first withdrawal were taken on the date of calculation. After the first withdrawal the income value equals the greater of the Highest Daily Annual Income Amount, the quarterly step-up amount times the annual income percentage, and the Contract Value times the annual income percentage. |
| • | T - the amount of a transfer into or out of the Benefit Fixed Rate Account. |
| • | I% - annual income amount percentage. This factor is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, this percentage is equal to 5%. |
TARGET VALUE CALCULATION:
On each business day, a target value (L) is calculated, according to the following formula. If the variable Contract Value (V) is equal to zero, no calculation is necessary.
|
L |
= |
I * Q * a |
Transfer Calculation:
The following formula, which is set on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines when a transfer is required:
|
Target Ratio r |
= |
(L - F) / V. |
| • | If r (greater than) Cu, assets in the Permitted Variable Options are transferred to Benefit Fixed Rate Account. |
| • | If r (less than) Cl, and there are currently assets in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account (F (greater than) 0), assets in the Benefit Fixed Rate Account are transferred to the Permitted Variable Options. |
The following formula, which is set on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines the transfer amount:
|
T |
= |
{Min(V, [L - F - V × Ct] / (1 - Ct))} |
T (greater than) 0, Money moving from the Permitted Variable Options to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account |
|
T |
= |
{Min(F, - [L - F - V × Ct] / (1 - Ct))} |
T (greater than) 0, Money moving from the Permitted Variable Options to the Benefit Fixed Rate Account |
Example:
Male age 65 contributes $100,000 into the Permitted Variable Options, the value drops to $92,300 during year one and the current income amount is $50,000.67, end of day one. A table of values for “a” appears below.
B-1
Target Value Calculation:
|
L |
= |
I × Q × a |
|
|
= |
5000.67 × 1 × 15.34 |
|
|
= |
76,710.28 |
Target Ratio:
|
r |
= |
(L - F) / V |
|
|
= |
(76,710.28 - 0) / 92,300.00 |
|
|
= |
83.11% |
Since r (greater than) Cu (because 83.11% (greater than) 83%) a transfer into the Benefit Fixed rate Account occurs.
|
T |
= |
{Min (V, [L - F - V × Ct] / (1 - Ct))} |
|
|
= |
{Min (92,300.00, [76,710.28 - 0 - 92,300.00 × 0.80] / (1 - 0.80))} |
|
|
= |
{Min (92,300.00, 14,351.40)} |
|
|
= |
14,351.40 |
B-2
Age 65 “a” Factors for Liability Calculations
(for the corresponding Year and Month of the Benefit)*
|
Year |
Month |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
1 |
15.34 |
15.31 |
15.27 |
15.23 |
15.20 |
15.16 |
15.13 |
15.09 |
15.05 |
15.02 |
14.98 |
14.95 |
|
2 |
14.91 |
14.87 |
14.84 |
14.80 |
14.76 |
14.73 |
14.69 |
14.66 |
14.62 |
14.58 |
14.55 |
14.51 |
|
3 |
14.47 |
14.44 |
14.40 |
14.36 |
14.33 |
14.29 |
14.26 |
14.22 |
14.18 |
14.15 |
14.11 |
14.07 |
|
4 |
14.04 |
14.00 |
13.96 |
13.93 |
13.89 |
13.85 |
13.82 |
13.78 |
13.74 |
13.71 |
13.67 |
13.63 |
|
5 |
13.60 |
13.56 |
13.52 |
13.48 |
13.45 |
13.41 |
13.37 |
13.34 |
13.30 |
13.26 |
13.23 |
13.19 |
|
6 |
13.15 |
13.12 |
13.08 |
13.04 |
13.00 |
12.97 |
12.93 |
12.89 |
12.86 |
12.82 |
12.78 |
12.75 |
|
7 |
12.71 |
12.67 |
12.63 |
12.60 |
12.56 |
12.52 |
12.49 |
12.45 |
12.41 |
12.38 |
12.34 |
12.30 |
|
8 |
12.26 |
12.23 |
12.19 |
12.15 |
12.12 |
12.08 |
12.04 |
12.01 |
11.97 |
11.93 |
11.90 |
11.86 |
|
9 |
11.82 |
11.78 |
11.75 |
11.71 |
11.67 |
11.64 |
11.60 |
11.56 |
11.53 |
11.49 |
11.45 |
11.42 |
|
10 |
11.38 |
11.34 |
11.31 |
11.27 |
11.23 |
11.20 |
11.16 |
11.12 |
11.09 |
11.05 |
11.01 |
10.98 |
|
11 |
10.94 |
10.90 |
10.87 |
10.83 |
10.79 |
10.76 |
10.72 |
10.69 |
10.65 |
10.61 |
10.58 |
10.54 |
|
12 |
10.50 |
10.47 |
10.43 |
10.40 |
10.36 |
10.32 |
10.29 |
10.25 |
10.21 |
10.18 |
10.14 |
10.11 |
|
13 |
10.07 |
10.04 |
10.00 |
9.96 |
9.93 |
9.89 |
9.86 |
9.82 |
9.79 |
9.75 |
9.71 |
9.68 |
|
14 |
9.64 |
9.61 |
9.57 |
9.54 |
9.50 |
9.47 |
9.43 |
9.40 |
9.36 |
9.33 |
9.29 |
9.26 |
|
15 |
9.22 |
9.19 |
9.15 |
9.12 |
9.08 |
9.05 |
9.02 |
8.98 |
8.95 |
8.91 |
8.88 |
8.84 |
|
16 |
8.81 |
8.77 |
8.74 |
8.71 |
8.67 |
8.64 |
8.60 |
8.57 |
8.54 |
8.50 |
8.47 |
8.44 |
|
17 |
8.40 |
8.37 |
8.34 |
8.30 |
8.27 |
8.24 |
8.20 |
8.17 |
8.14 |
8.10 |
8.07 |
8.04 |
|
18 |
8.00 |
7.97 |
7.94 |
7.91 |
7.88 |
7.84 |
7.81 |
7.78 |
7.75 |
7.71 |
7.68 |
7.65 |
|
19 |
7.62 |
7.59 |
7.55 |
7.52 |
7.49 |
7.46 |
7.43 |
7.40 |
7.37 |
7.33 |
7.30 |
7.27 |
|
20 |
7.24 |
7.21 |
7.18 |
7.15 |
7.12 |
7.09 |
7.06 |
7.03 |
7.00 |
6.97 |
6.94 |
6.91 |
|
21 |
6.88 |
6.85 |
6.82 |
6.79 |
6.76 |
6.73 |
6.7 |
6.67 |
6.64 |
6.61 |
6.58 |
6.55 |
|
22 |
6.52 |
6.50 |
6.47 |
6.44 |
6.41 |
6.38 |
6.36 |
6.33 |
6.30 |
6.27 |
6.24 |
6.22 |
|
23 |
6.19 |
6.16 |
6.13 |
6.11 |
6.08 |
6.05 |
6.03 |
6.00 |
5.97 |
5.94 |
5.92 |
5.89 |
|
24 |
5.86 |
5.84 |
5.81 |
5.79 |
5.76 |
5.74 |
5.71 |
5.69 |
5.66 |
5.63 |
5.61 |
5.58 |
|
25 |
5.56 |
5.53 |
5.51 |
5.48 |
5.46 |
5.44 |
5.41 |
5.39 |
5.36 |
5.34 |
5.32 |
5.29 |
|
26 |
5.27 |
5.24 |
5.22 |
5.20 |
5.18 |
5.15 |
5.13 |
5.11 |
5.08 |
5.06 |
5.04 |
5.01 |
|
27 |
4.99 |
4.97 |
4.95 |
4.93 |
4.91 |
4.88 |
4.86 |
4.84 |
4.82 |
4.80 |
4.78 |
4.75 |
|
28 |
4.73 |
4.71 |
4.69 |
4.67 |
4.65 |
4.63 |
4.61 |
4.59 |
4.57 |
4.55 |
4.53 |
4.51 |
|
29 |
4.49 |
4.47 |
4.45 |
4.43 |
4.41 |
4.39 |
4.37 |
4.35 |
4.33 |
4.32 |
4.30 |
4.28 |
|
30 |
4.26 |
4.24 |
4.22 |
4.20 |
4.18 |
4.17 |
4.15 |
4.13 |
4.11 |
4.09 |
4.07 |
4.06 |
|
31 |
4.04 |
4.02 |
4.00 |
3.98 |
3.97 |
3.95 |
3.93 |
3.91 |
3.90 |
3.88 |
3.86 |
3.84 |
|
32 |
3.83 |
3.81 |
3.79 |
3.78 |
3.76 |
3.74 |
3.72 |
3.71 |
3.69 |
3.67 |
3.66 |
3.64 |
|
33 |
3.62 |
3.61 |
3.59 |
3.57 |
3.55 |
3.54 |
3.52 |
3.50 |
3.49 |
3.47 |
3.45 |
3.44 |
|
34 |
3.42 |
3.40 |
3.39 |
3.37 |
3.35 |
3.34 |
3.32 |
3.30 |
3.29 |
3.27 |
3.25 |
3.24 |
|
35 |
3.22 |
3.20 |
3.18 |
3.17 |
3.15 |
3.13 |
3.12 |
3.10 |
3.08 |
3.07 |
3.05 |
3.03 |
|
36 |
3.02 |
3.00 |
2.98 |
2.96 |
2.95 |
2.93 |
2.91 |
2.90 |
2.88 |
2.86 |
2.85 |
2.83 |
|
37 |
2.81 |
2.79 |
2.78 |
2.76 |
2.74 |
2.73 |
2.71 |
2.69 |
2.68 |
2.66 |
2.64 |
2.62 |
|
38 |
2.61 |
2.59 |
2.57 |
2.56 |
2.54 |
2.52 |
2.51 |
2.49 |
2.47 |
2.45 |
2.44 |
2.42 |
|
39 |
2.40 |
2.39 |
2.37 |
2.35 |
2.34 |
2.32 |
2.30 |
2.29 |
2.27 |
2.25 |
2.24 |
2.22 |
|
40 |
2.20 |
2.19 |
2.17 |
2.15 |
2.14 |
2.12 |
2.11 |
2.09 |
2.07 |
2.06 |
2.04 |
2.02 |
|
41 |
2.01 |
1.84 |
1.67 |
1.51 |
1.34 |
1.17 |
1.00 |
0.84 |
0.67 |
0.50 |
0.33 |
0.17 |
| * | The values set forth in this table are applied to all ages. |
B-3
APPENDIX C - ASSET TRANSFER FORMULA UNDER HIGHEST DAILY LIFFETIME SEVEN INCOME BENEFIT AND SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME SEVEN INCOME BENEFIT
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:
| • | Cu – the upper target is established on the effective date of the Highest Daily Lifetime Seven benefit (the “Effective Date”) and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 83%. |
| • | Ct – the target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 80%. |
| • | Cl – the lower target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 77%. |
| • | L – the target value as of the current business day. |
| • | r – the target ratio. |
| • | a – factors used in calculating the target value. These factors are established on the Effective Date and are not changed for the life of the guarantee. |
| • | V – the total value of all Permitted Variable Options in the annuity. |
| • | B – the total value of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | P – Income Basis. Prior to the first withdrawal, the Income Basis is the Protected Withdrawal Value calculated as if the first withdrawal were taken on the date of calculation. After the first withdrawal, the Income Basis is equal to the greater of (1) the Protected Withdrawal Value at the time of the first withdrawal, adjusted for additional Purchase Payments including the amount of any associated Credits, and adjusted proportionally for excess withdrawals*, (2) any highest quarterly value increased for additional Purchase Payments including the amount of any associated Credits, and adjusted for withdrawals, and (3) the Contract Value. |
| • | T – the amount of a transfer into or out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
| * | Note: withdrawals of less than the Annual Income Amount do not reduce the Income Basis. |
TARGET VALUE CALCULATION:
On each business day, a target value (L) is calculated, according to the following formula. If the variable account value (V) is equal to zero, no calculation is necessary.
|
L |
= |
0.05 × P × a |
Transfer Calculation:
The following formula, which is set on the benefit Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines when a transfer is required:
|
r |
= |
(L – B) / V |
| • | If r (greater than) Cu, assets in the Permitted Variable Options are transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | If r (less than) Cl, and there are currently assets in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (B (greater than) 0), assets in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio are transferred to the Permitted Variable Options according to most recent allocation instructions. |
The following formula, which iMoney moving from the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio set on the benefit Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines the transfer amount:
|
T |
= |
{Min (V, [L - F - V × Ct] / (1 - Ct))} |
Money moving from the Permitted Variable Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
|
T |
= |
{Min(B,- [L - B - V × Ct] / (1-Ct))} |
Money moving from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options |
C-1
“a”
Factors for Liability Calculations
(for
the corresponding Year and Month of the Benefit)*
|
Year |
Month |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
1 |
15.34 |
15.31 |
15.27 |
15.23 |
15.20 |
15.16 |
15.13 |
15.09 |
15.05 |
15.02 |
14.98 |
14.95 |
|
2 |
14.91 |
14.87 |
14.84 |
14.80 |
14.76 |
14.73 |
14.69 |
14.66 |
14.62 |
14.58 |
14.55 |
14.51 |
|
3 |
14.47 |
14.44 |
14.40 |
14.36 |
14.33 |
14.29 |
14.26 |
14.22 |
14.18 |
14.15 |
14.11 |
14.07 |
|
4 |
14.04 |
14.00 |
13.96 |
13.93 |
13.89 |
13.85 |
13.82 |
13.78 |
13.74 |
13.71 |
13.67 |
13.63 |
|
5 |
13.60 |
13.56 |
13.52 |
13.48 |
13.45 |
13.41 |
13.37 |
13.34 |
13.30 |
13.26 |
13.23 |
13.19 |
|
6 |
13.15 |
13.12 |
13.08 |
13.04 |
13.00 |
12.97 |
12.93 |
12.89 |
12.86 |
12.82 |
12.78 |
12.75 |
|
7 |
12.71 |
12.67 |
12.63 |
12.60 |
12.56 |
12.52 |
12.49 |
12.45 |
12.41 |
12.38 |
12.34 |
12.30 |
|
8 |
12.26 |
12.23 |
12.19 |
12.15 |
12.12 |
12.08 |
12.04 |
12.01 |
11.97 |
11.93 |
11.90 |
11.86 |
|
9 |
11.82 |
11.78 |
11.75 |
11.71 |
11.67 |
11.64 |
11.60 |
11.56 |
11.53 |
11.49 |
11.45 |
11.42 |
|
10 |
11.38 |
11.34 |
11.31 |
11.27 |
11.23 |
11.20 |
11.16 |
11.12 |
11.09 |
11.05 |
11.01 |
10.98 |
|
11 |
10.94 |
10.90 |
10.87 |
10.83 |
10.79 |
10.76 |
10.72 |
10.69 |
10.65 |
10.61 |
10.58 |
10.54 |
|
12 |
10.50 |
10.47 |
10.43 |
10.40 |
10.36 |
10.32 |
10.29 |
10.25 |
10.21 |
10.18 |
10.14 |
10.11 |
|
13 |
10.07 |
10.04 |
10.00 |
9.96 |
9.93 |
9.89 |
9.86 |
9.82 |
9.79 |
9.75 |
9.71 |
9.68 |
|
14 |
9.64 |
9.61 |
9.57 |
9.54 |
9.50 |
9.47 |
9.43 |
9.40 |
9.36 |
9.33 |
9.29 |
9.26 |
|
15 |
9.22 |
9.19 |
9.15 |
9.12 |
9.08 |
9.05 |
9.02 |
8.98 |
8.95 |
8.91 |
8.88 |
8.84 |
|
16 |
8.81 |
8.77 |
8.74 |
8.71 |
8.67 |
8.64 |
8.60 |
8.57 |
8.54 |
8.50 |
8.47 |
8.44 |
|
17 |
8.40 |
8.37 |
8.34 |
8.30 |
8.27 |
8.24 |
8.20 |
8.17 |
8.14 |
8.10 |
8.07 |
8.04 |
|
18 |
8.00 |
7.97 |
7.94 |
7.91 |
7.88 |
7.84 |
7.81 |
7.78 |
7.75 |
7.71 |
7.68 |
7.65 |
|
19 |
7.62 |
7.59 |
7.55 |
7.52 |
7.49 |
7.46 |
7.43 |
7.40 |
7.37 |
7.33 |
7.30 |
7.27 |
|
20 |
7.24 |
7.21 |
7.18 |
7.15 |
7.12 |
7.09 |
7.06 |
7.03 |
7.00 |
6.97 |
6.94 |
6.91 |
|
21 |
6.88 |
6.85 |
6.82 |
6.79 |
6.76 |
6.73 |
6.70 |
6.67 |
6.64 |
6.61 |
6.58 |
6.55 |
|
22 |
6.52 |
6.50 |
6.47 |
6.44 |
6.41 |
6.38 |
6.36 |
6.33 |
6.30 |
6.27 |
6.24 |
6.22 |
|
23 |
6.19 |
6.16 |
6.13 |
6.11 |
6.08 |
6.05 |
6.03 |
6.00 |
5.97 |
5.94 |
5.92 |
5.89 |
|
24 |
5.86 |
5.84 |
5.81 |
5.79 |
5.76 |
5.74 |
5.71 |
5.69 |
5.66 |
5.63 |
5.61 |
5.58 |
|
25 |
5.56 |
5.53 |
5.51 |
5.48 |
5.46 |
5.44 |
5.41 |
5.39 |
5.36 |
5.34 |
5.32 |
5.29 |
|
26 |
5.27 |
5.24 |
5.22 |
5.20 |
5.18 |
5.15 |
5.13 |
5.11 |
5.08 |
5.06 |
5.04 |
5.01 |
|
27 |
4.99 |
4.97 |
4.95 |
4.93 |
4.91 |
4.88 |
4.86 |
4.84 |
4.82 |
4.80 |
4.78 |
4.75 |
|
28 |
4.73 |
4.71 |
4.69 |
4.67 |
4.65 |
4.63 |
4.61 |
4.59 |
4.57 |
4.55 |
4.53 |
4.51 |
|
29 |
4.49 |
4.47 |
4.45 |
4.43 |
4.41 |
4.39 |
4.37 |
4.35 |
4.33 |
4.32 |
4.30 |
4.28 |
|
30 |
4.26 |
4.24 |
4.22 |
4.20 |
4.18 |
4.17 |
4.15 |
4.13 |
4.11 |
4.09 |
4.07 |
4.06 |
|
31 |
4.04 |
4.02 |
4.00 |
3.98 |
3.97 |
3.95 |
3.93 |
3.91 |
3.90 |
3.88 |
3.86 |
3.84 |
|
32 |
3.83 |
3.81 |
3.79 |
3.78 |
3.76 |
3.74 |
3.72 |
3.71 |
3.69 |
3.67 |
3.66 |
3.64 |
|
33 |
3.62 |
3.61 |
3.59 |
3.57 |
3.55 |
3.54 |
3.52 |
3.50 |
3.49 |
3.47 |
3.45 |
3.44 |
|
34 |
3.42 |
3.40 |
3.39 |
3.37 |
3.35 |
3.34 |
3.32 |
3.30 |
3.29 |
3.27 |
3.25 |
3.24 |
|
35 |
3.22 |
3.20 |
3.18 |
3.17 |
3.15 |
3.13 |
3.12 |
3.10 |
3.08 |
3.07 |
3.05 |
3.03 |
|
36 |
3.02 |
3.00 |
2.98 |
2.96 |
2.95 |
2.93 |
2.91 |
2.90 |
2.88 |
2.86 |
2.85 |
2.83 |
|
37 |
2.81 |
2.79 |
2.78 |
2.76 |
2.74 |
2.73 |
2.71 |
2.69 |
2.68 |
2.66 |
2.64 |
2.62 |
|
38 |
2.61 |
2.59 |
2.57 |
2.56 |
2.54 |
2.52 |
2.51 |
2.49 |
2.47 |
2.45 |
2.44 |
2.42 |
|
39 |
2.40 |
2.39 |
2.37 |
2.35 |
2.34 |
2.32 |
2.30 |
2.29 |
2.27 |
2.25 |
2.24 |
2.22 |
|
40 |
2.20 |
2.19 |
2.17 |
2.15 |
2.14 |
2.12 |
2.11 |
2.09 |
2.07 |
2.06 |
2.04 |
2.02 |
|
41 |
2.01 |
1.84 |
1.67 |
1.51 |
1.34 |
1.17 |
1.00 |
0.84 |
0.67 |
0.50 |
0.33 |
0.17 |
| * | The values set forth in this table are applied to all ages. |
C-2
APPENDIX D - FORMULA FOR HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME 7 PLUS INCOME BENEFIT AND SPOUSAL HIGHEST DAILY LIFETIME 7 PLUS INCOME BENEFIT TRANSFERS OF ACCOUNT VALUE BETWEEN YOUR PERMITTED VARIABLE OPTIONS AND THE AST INVESTMENT GRADE BOND PORTFOLIO
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:
| • | Cu – the upper target is established on the effective date of the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus/Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit (the “Effective Date”) and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 83%. |
| • | Cus – The secondary upper target is established on the effective date of the Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus/Spousal Highest Daily Lifetime 7 Plus benefit (the “Effective Date”) and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently it is 84.5% |
| • | Ct – the target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 80%. |
| • | Cl – the lower target is established on the Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee. Currently, it is 78%. |
| • | L – the target value as of the current Valuation Day. |
| • | r – the target ratio. |
| • | a – factors used in calculating the target value. These factors are established on the Effective Date and are not changed for the life of the guarantee. (See below for the table of “a” factors) |
| • | Vv – the total value of all Permitted Variable Options in the Annuity. |
| • | VF – the total value of all elected Fixed Rate Options in the Annuity |
| • | B – the total value of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | P – Income Basis. Prior to the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Income Basis is equal to the Protected Withdrawal Value calculated as if the first Lifetime Withdrawal were taken on the date of calculation. After the first Lifetime Withdrawal, the Income Basis is equal to the greater of (1) the Protected Withdrawal Value on the date of the first Lifetime Withdrawal, increased for additional Purchase Payments, including the amount of any associated Credits, and adjusted proportionally for excess withdrawals*, and (2) any highest daily Account Value occurring on or after the date of the first Lifetime Withdrawal and prior to or including the date of this calculation increased for additional Purchase Payments including the amount of any associated Credits, and adjusted for Lifetime Withdrawals. |
| • | T – the amount of a transfer into or out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
| • | TM – the amount of a monthly transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
| * | Note: Lifetime Withdrawals of less than or equal to the Annual Income Amount do not reduce the Income Basis. |
DAILY CALCULATIONS
TARGET VALUE CALCULATION:
On each Valuation Day, a target value (L) is calculated, according to the following formula. If the variable Account Value (VV + VF) is equal to zero, no calculation is necessary.
|
L |
= |
0.05 × P × a |
TRANSFER CALCULATION:
The following formula, which is set on the Benefit Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines when a transfer is required:
|
Target Ratio r |
= |
(L - B) / (VV + VF) |
| • | If on the third consecutive Valuation Day r > Cu and r ≤ Cus or if on any day r > Cus, and subject to the 90% Cap Rule described below, assets in the Permitted Variable Options (including DCA Fixed Rate Options used with any applicable 6 or 12 Month DCA Program) are transferred to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. |
| • | If r < Cl, and there are currently assets in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (B > 0), assets in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio are transferred to the Permitted Variable Options according to most recent allocation instructions. |
The following formula, which is set on the Benefit Effective Date and is not changed for the life of the guarantee, determines the transfer amount:
|
T |
= |
Min (MAX (0, (0.90 × (VV + VF + B)) – B), [L – B – (VV + VF) × Ct]/(1 – Ct)) |
Money is transferred from the Permitted Variable Options and Fixed Rate Options to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio |
|
T |
= |
{Min (B, – [L – B – (VV + VF) × Ct]/(1 – Ct))} |
Money is transferred from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options |
D-1
90% Cap Rule: If, on any Valuation Day, a transfer into the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs which results in 90% of the Account Value being allocated to the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, any transfers into the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will be suspended, even if the formula would otherwise dictate that a transfer into the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio should occur. Transfers out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and into the elected Variable Options will still be allowed. The suspension will be lifted once a transfer out of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio occurs. Due to the performance of the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and the elected Variable Options, the Account Value could be more than 90% invested in the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.
MONTHLY CALCULATION
On each monthly anniversary of the Annuity Issue Date and following the daily Transfer Calculation above, the following formula determines if a transfer from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options will occur:
If, after the daily Transfer Calculation is performed,
|
{Min (B,.05 × (VV + VF + B))} < (Cu × (VV + VF) – L + B) / (1 – Cu), then | |||
|
TM |
= |
{Min (B,.05 × (VV + VF + B))} |
Money is transferred from the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio to the Permitted Variable Options. |
D-2
“a” Factors for Liability Calculations
(for the corresponding Year and Month of the Benefit)*
|
Year |
Month |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
1 |
15.34 |
15.31 |
15.27 |
15.23 |
15.20 |
15.16 |
15.13 |
15.09 |
15.05 |
15.02 |
14.98 |
14.95 |
|
2 |
14.91 |
14.87 |
14.84 |
14.80 |
14.76 |
14.73 |
14.69 |
14.66 |
14.62 |
14.58 |
14.55 |
14.51 |
|
3 |
14.47 |
14.44 |
14.40 |
14.36 |
14.33 |
14.29 |
14.26 |
14.22 |
14.18 |
14.15 |
14.11 |
14.07 |
|
4 |
14.04 |
14.00 |
13.96 |
13.93 |
13.89 |
13.85 |
13.82 |
13.78 |
13.74 |
13.71 |
13.67 |
13.63 |
|
5 |
13.60 |
13.56 |
13.52 |
13.48 |
13.45 |
13.41 |
13.37 |
13.34 |
13.30 |
13.26 |
13.23 |
13.19 |
|
6 |
13.15 |
13.12 |
13.08 |
13.04 |
13.00 |
12.97 |
12.93 |
12.89 |
12.86 |
12.82 |
12.78 |
12.75 |
|
7 |
12.71 |
12.67 |
12.63 |
12.60 |
12.56 |
12.52 |
12.49 |
12.45 |
12.41 |
12.38 |
12.34 |
12.30 |
|
8 |
12.26 |
12.23 |
12.19 |
12.15 |
12.12 |
12.08 |
12.04 |
12.01 |
11.97 |
11.93 |
11.90 |
11.86 |
|
9 |
11.82 |
11.78 |
11.75 |
11.71 |
11.67 |
11.64 |
11.60 |
11.56 |
11.53 |
11.49 |
11.45 |
11.42 |
|
10 |
11.38 |
11.34 |
11.31 |
11.27 |
11.23 |
11.20 |
11.16 |
11.12 |
11.09 |
11.05 |
11.01 |
10.98 |
|
11 |
10.94 |
10.90 |
10.87 |
10.83 |
10.79 |
10.76 |
10.72 |
10.69 |
10.65 |
10.61 |
10.58 |
10.54 |
|
12 |
10.50 |
10.47 |
10.43 |
10.40 |
10.36 |
10.32 |
10.29 |
10.25 |
10.21 |
10.18 |
10.14 |
10.11 |
|
13 |
10.07 |
10.04 |
10.00 |
9.96 |
9.93 |
9.89 |
9.86 |
9.82 |
9.79 |
9.75 |
9.71 |
9.68 |
|
14 |
9.64 |
9.61 |
9.57 |
9.54 |
9.50 |
9.47 |
9.43 |
9.40 |
9.36 |
9.33 |
9.29 |
9.26 |
|
15 |
9.22 |
9.19 |
9.15 |
9.12 |
9.08 |
9.05 |
9.02 |
8.98 |
8.95 |
8.91 |
8.88 |
8.84 |
|
16 |
8.81 |
8.77 |
8.74 |
8.71 |
8.67 |
8.64 |
8.60 |
8.57 |
8.54 |
8.50 |
8.47 |
8.44 |
|
17 |
8.40 |
8.37 |
8.34 |
8.30 |
8.27 |
8.24 |
8.20 |
8.17 |
8.14 |
8.10 |
8.07 |
8.04 |
|
18 |
8.00 |
7.97 |
7.94 |
7.91 |
7.88 |
7.84 |
7.81 |
7.78 |
7.75 |
7.71 |
7.68 |
7.65 |
|
19 |
7.62 |
7.59 |
7.55 |
7.52 |
7.49 |
7.46 |
7.43 |
7.40 |
7.37 |
7.33 |
7.30 |
7.27 |
|
20 |
7.24 |
7.21 |
7.18 |
7.15 |
7.12 |
7.09 |
7.06 |
7.03 |
7.00 |
6.97 |
6.94 |
6.91 |
|
21 |
6.88 |
6.85 |
6.82 |
6.79 |
6.76 |
6.73 |
6.7 |
6.67 |
6.64 |
6.61 |
6.58 |
6.55 |
|
22 |
6.52 |
6.50 |
6.47 |
6.44 |
6.41 |
6.38 |
6.36 |
6.33 |
6.30 |
6.27 |
6.24 |
6.22 |
|
23 |
6.19 |
6.16 |
6.13 |
6.11 |
6.08 |
6.05 |
6.03 |
6.00 |
5.97 |
5.94 |
5.92 |
5.89 |
|
24 |
5.86 |
5.84 |
5.81 |
5.79 |
5.76 |
5.74 |
5.71 |
5.69 |
5.66 |
5.63 |
5.61 |
5.58 |
|
25 |
5.56 |
5.53 |
5.51 |
5.48 |
5.46 |
5.44 |
5.41 |
5.39 |
5.36 |
5.34 |
5.32 |
5.29 |
|
26 |
5.27 |
5.24 |
5.22 |
5.20 |
5.18 |
5.15 |
5.13 |
5.11 |
5.08 |
5.06 |
5.04 |
5.01 |
|
27 |
4.99 |
4.97 |
4.95 |
4.93 |
4.91 |
4.88 |
4.86 |
4.84 |
4.82 |
4.80 |
4.78 |
4.75 |
|
28 |
4.73 |
4.71 |
4.69 |
4.67 |
4.65 |
4.63 |
4.61 |
4.59 |
4.57 |
4.55 |
4.53 |
4.51 |
|
29 |
4.49 |
4.47 |
4.45 |
4.43 |
4.41 |
4.39 |
4.37 |
4.35 |
4.33 |
4.32 |
4.30 |
4.28 |
|
30 |
4.26 |
4.24 |
4.22 |
4.20 |
4.18 |
4.17 |
4.15 |
4.13 |
4.11 |
4.09 |
4.07 |
4.06** |
| * | The values set forth in this table are applied to all ages. |
| ** | In all subsequent years and months thereafter, the annuity factor is 4.06 |
D-3
MAILING
This prospectus describes the important features of the Annuity and provides information about Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”, “we”, “our”, “the Company”, or “us”) and the Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account (the Registered Separate Account).
We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) dated May 1, 2026 that includes additional information about the Annuity, Pruco Life and the Registered Separate Account. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The SAI is available from us, without charge, upon request. To request a copy of the SAI, to ask about your Annuity, or to make other investor inquiries, please call 1-888-PRU-2888.
We file periodic reports and other information about the Contract, the Registered Separate Account, and the Company as required under the federal securities laws. Those reports and other information about us are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and copies of reports and other information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
[THIS PAGE WAS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
The
Prudential Insurance Company of America
751
Broad Street
Newark,
NJ 07102-3777
|
Edgar Contract Identifier: C000228668; C000264563 |
SPAOPLUS3PROS |
STRATEGIC
PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE VARIABLE ANNUITY
STRATEGIC
PARTNERS ANNUITY ONE 3 VARIABLE ANNUITY
STRATEGIC
PARTNERS PLUS VARIABLE ANNUITY
STRATEGIC
PARTNERS PLUS 3 VARIABLE ANNUITY
Flexible
Premium Deferred Annuities
(“Annuity”
or “Contract”)
STATEMENT
OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:MAY 1, 2026
PRUCO
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
(“Pruco
Life”, “we”, “our”, the “Company”, or “us”)
PRUCO
LIFE FLEXIBLE PREMIUM VARIABLE ANNUITY ACCOUNT
(the
“Separate Account”)
THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT A PROSPECTUS. THE PROSPECTUS(ES) DATED MAY 1, 2026 CONTAIN(S) INFORMATION THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING. FOR A COPY OF THE PROSPECTUS(ES) SEND A WRITTEN REQUEST TO PRUDENTIAL ANNUITIES SERVICE CENTER, P.O. BOX 7960, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176 OR TELEPHONE 1-888-PRU-2888. YOU MAY ACCESS THE PROSPECTUS(ES) ON OUR WEBSITE AT THE LINK(S) BELOW.
Table of Contents
|
PAGE | |
|
PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER/DISTRIBUTOR - PRUDENTIAL ANNUITIES DISTRIBUTORS, INC. |
|
|
Strategic Partners Annuity One: C000003352 |
www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOVA-STAT |
|
Strategic Partners Annuity One 3: C000228667, C000264562 |
www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAO3-STAT |
|
Strategic Partners Plus: C000003385 |
www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS-STAT |
|
Strategic Partners Plus 3: C000228668, C000264563 |
www.prudential.com/regdocs/PLAZ-SPAOPLUS3-STAT |
1
Pruco Life Insurance Company
Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”) is a stock life insurance company organized in 1971 under the laws of the State of Arizona. It is licensed to sell life insurance and annuities in the District of Columbia, Guam and in all states except New York. Pruco Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“Prudential”), a New Jersey stock life insurance company that has been doing business since 1875. Prudential is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (“Prudential Financial”), a New Jersey insurance holding company.
Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account
We have established the Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account (“the Registered Separate Account”), to hold the assets that are associated with the Annuities. The Registered Separate Account was established under Arizona law on June 16, 1995, and is registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a unit investment trust, which is a type of investment company. The assets of the Registered Separate Account are held in the name of Pruco Life which is the issuer of the Annuity and the depositor of the Registered Separate Account. Values and benefits based on allocations to the Sub-accounts within the Registered Separate Account will vary with the investment performance of the Portfolios, as applicable. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Sub-account.
We conduct the bulk of our operations through staff employed by the Company or by affiliated companies within the Prudential Financial family. Certain discrete functions have been delegated to non-affiliates that could be deemed “service providers” under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The entities engaged by the Company may change over time. As of December 31, 2025, non-affiliated entities that could be deemed service providers to the Company in connection with the Contract and/or an affiliated insurer within the Company’s business unit consisted of those set forth in the table below.
|
Name of Service Provider |
Services Provided |
Address |
|
Broadridge Investor Communication |
Proxy services and regulatory mailings |
51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY, 11717 |
|
Docufree Corporation |
Records
management and administration of annuity contracts |
10 Ed Preate Drive, Moosic PA, 18507 |
|
EXL Service Holdings, Inc |
Administration of annuity contracts |
350 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10022 |
|
Guidehouse |
Claim-related services |
1676 International Drive Suite 800, McLean, VA, 22102 |
|
National Financial Services |
Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers. |
900 Salem St, Smithfield, RI, 02917 |
|
Open Text, Inc |
Fax Services |
2440 Sand Hill Rd. Suite 302, Menlo Park, CA, 94025 |
|
PERSHING LLC |
Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers. |
One Pershing Plaza, Jersey City, NJ, 07399 |
|
The Depository Trust Clearinghouse Corporation |
Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers. |
570 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ, 07310 |
|
Thomson Reuters |
Tax reporting services |
3 Times Square, New York, NY, 10036 |
|
Universal Wilde |
Composition, printing, and mailing of contracts and benefit documents |
135 Will Drive, Canton, MA, 02021 |
Market Value Adjustment Formula (“MVA Formula”) & Examples
FORMULA FOR LONG-TERM MVA OPTIONS
The MVA formula is applied separately to each MVA Option to determine the Account Value on a particular date.
The MVA factor is equal to:
[(1+I)/(1+J+K)](N/12)
where:
|
I |
= |
the Crediting Rate for the MVA Option; | |
|
J |
= |
the rate for the remaining Guarantee Period, determined as decribed below; | |
|
K |
= |
the Liquidity Factor*, which is 0.0025; and | |
2
|
N |
= |
the number of months remaining in the Guarantee Period, rounded up to the nearest whole month. | |
| * | For contracts issued in Connecticut, on or after August 20, 2012, the Liquidity Factor used in the MVA formula equals zero (0), |
|
For the purposes of determining “J”, | |||
|
Y |
= |
N/12 | |
|
GP1 |
= |
the smallest whole number of years greater than or equal to Y. | |
|
r1 |
= |
the rate for Guarantee Periods of duration GP1, which will equal the Crediting Rate if the Guarantee Period duration is currently available. | |
|
GP2 |
= |
the greatest whole number of years less than or equal to Y, but not less than 1. | |
|
r2 |
= |
the rate for Guarantee Periods of duration GP2, which will equal the Crediting Rate if such Guarantee Period duration is currently available. | |
If we do not currently offer a Guarantee Period of duration GP1 or GP2, we will determine r1 and/or r2 by interpolating between the current rates of Guarantee Periods closest in duration. If we cannot interpolate because such a Guarantee Period is not available, then r1 and/or r2 will be equal to [(1) + (2) - (3)], where (1), (2), and (3) are defined as:
|
(1) |
= |
the current Treasury spot rate for GP1 or GP2, respectively, and | |
|
(2) |
= |
the current Crediting Rate for the next longer Guarantee Period duration available, and | |
|
(3) |
= |
the current Treasury spot rate for the next longer Guarantee Period duration available, | |
The term “current Treasury spot rate” means the rates at the time the Crediting Rates were last determined.
To determine “J”:
If Y is an integer and equal to a Guarantee Period duration that we currently offer, “J” is equal to the Crediting Rate associated with a Guarantee Period duration of Y years.
If Y is less than 1, then “J” = r2.
Otherwise, we determine “J” by interpolating between r1 and r2, using the following formula:
|
J |
= |
(r1 * (Y - GP2) + r2 * (GP1 - Y)) / (GP1 - GP2) | |
J is subject to the same Guaranteed Minimum Interest Rate as the Crediting Rate.
We reserve the right to waive the liquidity factor set forth above.
MVA Example For Long-Term MVA Options
The following hypothetical examples show the effect of the MVA in determining Account Value. Assume the following:
| • | You allocate $100,000 into an MVA Option (we refer to this as the “Allocation Date” in these examples) with a Guarantee Period of 5 years (we refer to this as the “Maturity Date” in these examples). |
| • | The Crediting Rate associated with the MVA Option beginning on Allocation Date and maturing on Maturity Date is 2.50% (I = 2.50%). |
| • | You make no withdrawals or transfers until you decide to withdraw the entire MVA Option after exactly three (3) years, at which point 24 months remain before the Maturity Date (N = 24). |
Example of Positive MVA
Assume that at the time you request the withdrawal, the Crediting Rate associated with the fixed allocation maturing on the Maturity Date is 1.50% (J = 1.50%). Based on these assumptions, the MVA would be calculated as follows:
|
MVA Factor |
= |
[(1+I)/(1+J+K)](N/12) = [1.025/1.0175]2= 1.0148 | |
|
Unadjusted Value |
= |
$107,689.06 | |
3
|
Adjusted Account Value |
= |
Unadjusted Value x MVA Factor = $109,282.86 | |
Example of Negative MVA
Assume that at the time you request the withdrawal, the Crediting Rate associated with the fixed allocation maturing on the Maturity Date is 3.50% (J = 3.50%). Based on these assumptions, the MVA would be calculated as follows:
|
MVA Factor |
= |
[(1+I)/(1+J+K)](N/12) = [1.025/1.0375]2= 0.97605 | |
|
Unadjusted Value |
= |
$107,689.06 | |
|
Adjusted Account Value |
= |
Unadjusted Value x MVA Factor = $105,109.91 | |
MVA FORMULA FOR 6 OR 12 MONTH DCA MVA OPTIONS
The MVA formula is applied separately to each DCA MVA Option to determine the Account Value on a particular date.
The Market Value Adjustment Factor applicable to the MVA Options under the 6 or 12 Month Dollar Cost Averaging Program is as follows:
The MVA factor is equal to:
[(1+I)/(1+J+K)](N/12)
where:
|
I |
= |
the Index Rate established at inception of a DCA MVA Option. This Index Rate will be based on a Constant Maturity Treasury (CMT) rate for a maturity (in months) equal to the initial duration of the DCA MVA Option. This CMT rate will be determined based on the weekly average of the CMT Index of appropriate maturity as of two weeks prior to initiation of the DCA MVA Option. The CMT Index will be based on “Treasury constant maturities nominal 12” rates as published in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15. If a CMT index for the number of months needed is not available, the applicable CMT index will be determined based on a linear interpolation of the published CMT indices; | |
|
J |
= |
the Index Rate determined at the time the MVA calculation is needed, based on a CMT rate for the amount of time remaining in the DCA MVA Option. The amount of time will be based on the number of complete months remaining in the DCA MVA Option, rounded up to the nearest whole month. This CMT rate will be determined based on the weekly average of the CMT Index of appropriate maturity as of two weeks prior to the date for which the MVA calculation is needed. The CMT Index will be based on “Treasury constant maturities nominal 12” rates as published in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15. If a CMT index for the number of months needed is not available, the applicable CMT index will be determined based on a linear interpolation of the published CMT indices; | |
|
K |
= |
the Liquidity Factor*, currently equal to 0.0025; and | |
|
N |
= |
the number of complete months remaining in the DCA MVA Option, rounded up to the nearest whole month. | |
| * | For contracts issued in Connecticut or Ohio, the Liquidity Factor equals zero (0). |
If the “Treasury constant maturities nominal 12” rates available through Federal Reserve Statistical Release H. 15 should become unavailable at any time, or if the rate for a 1-month maturity should become unavailable through this source, we will substitute rates which, in our opinion, are comparable.
We reserve the right to waive the Liquidity Factor.
PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER/DISTRIBUTOR - PRUDENTIAL ANNUITIES DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Insurance Company of America, is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuities offered through this prospectus. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales. PAD acts as the distributor of a number of annuity and life insurance products and the AST Portfolios. PAD’s principal business address is One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut 06484. PAD is registered as a broker/dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). PAD enters into distribution agreements with unaffiliated broker/dealers who are registered under the Exchange Act (collectively, “Firms”). Applications for the Annuities are solicited by registered representatives of the Firms. PAD utilizes
4
a network of its own registered representatives to wholesale the Annuities to Firms. Because the Annuities offered through this prospectus are insurance products as well as securities, all registered representatives who sell the Annuities are also appointed insurance agents of Pruco Life.
With respect to all individual annuities issued by Pruco Life, PAD received commissions as follows: 2025: $692,004,270; 2024: $744,837,102; 2023: $541,213,133. PAD retained none of those commissions
In connection with the sale and servicing of the Annuities, Firms may receive cash compensation and/or non-cash compensation. Cash compensation includes discounts, concession, fees, service fees, commissions, asset based sales charges, loans, overrides, or any cash employee benefit received in connection with the sale and distribution of variable contracts. Non-cash compensation includes any form of compensation received in connection with the sale and distribution of variable contracts that is not cash compensation, including but not limited to merchandise, gifts, travel expenses, meals and lodging.
Under the selling agreements, cash compensation in the form of commissions is paid to Firms on sales of the Annuities according to one or more schedules. The selling registered representative will receive all or a portion of the cash compensation, depending on the practice of his or her Firm. Commissions are generally based on a percentage of Purchase Payments made, up to a maximum of 2.0% for the Advisor Series. Please note that third party financial professionals who charge an Advisory Fee for their services are not paid additional commission amounts. Alternative compensation schedules are available that generally provide a lower initial commission plus ongoing quarterly compensation based on all or a portion of Account Value. We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing Firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to the Annuities. These payments may be made in the form of percentage payments based upon “Assets under Management” or “AUM,” (total assets), subject to certain criteria in certain Pruco Life products. These payments may also be made in the form of percentage payments based upon the total amount of money received as Purchase Payments under Pruco Life annuity products sold through the Firm.
In addition, in an effort to promote the sale of our products (which may include the placement of Pruco Life and/or the Annuities on a preferred or recommended company or product list and/or access to the Firm’s registered representatives), we, or PAD, may enter into non-cash compensation arrangements with certain Firms with respect to certain or all registered representatives of such Firms under which such Firms may receive fixed payments or reimbursement. These types of fixed payments are made directly to or in sponsorship of the Firm and may include, but are not limited to payment for: training of sales personnel; marketing and/or administrative services and/or other services they provide to us or our affiliates; educating customers of the firm on the features of the Annuities; conducting due diligence and analysis; providing office access, operations, systems and other support; holding seminars intended to educate registered representatives and make them more knowledgeable about the Annuities; conferences (national, regional and top producer); sponsorships; speaker fees; promotional items; a dedicated marketing coordinator; priority sales desk support; expedited marketing compliance approval and preferred programs to PAD; and reimbursements to Firms for marketing activities or other services provided by third-party vendors to the Firms and/or their registered representatives. To the extent permitted by FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations, we or PAD may also pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments in other forms of non-cash compensation (e.g., gifts, occasional meals and entertainment, sponsorship of due diligence events). Under certain circumstances, Portfolio advisors/subadvisors or other organizations with which we do business (“Entities”) may also receive incidental non-cash compensation, such as meals and nominal gifts. The amount of this non-cash compensation varies widely because some may encompass only a single event, such as a conference, and others have a much broader scope.
Cash and/or non-cash compensation may not be offered to all Firms and Entities and the terms of such compensation may differ between Firms and Entities. In addition, we or our affiliates may provide such compensation, payments and/or incentives to Firms or Entities arising out of the marketing, sale and/or servicing of variable annuities or life insurance offered by different Prudential business units.
The lists below include the names of the Firms and Entities that we are aware (as of December 31, 2025) received compensation with respect to our annuity business generally during 2025 (or as to which a payment amount was accrued during 2025). The Firms and Entities listed include those receiving non-cash and/or cash compensation (as indicated below) in connection with marketing of products issued by Pruco Life Insurance Company and Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey. Your registered representative can provide you with more information about the compensation arrangements that apply upon request. Each of these Annuities also is distributed by other selling Firms that previously were appointed only with our former affiliate Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (“PALAC”) now known as Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“FLIAC”). Such other selling Firms may have received compensation similar to the types discussed above with respect to their sale of PALAC annuities. In addition, such other selling Firms may, on a going forward basis, receive substantial compensation that is not reflected in this 2025 retrospective depiction. During 2025, non-cash compensation received by Firms and Entities ranged from $19.20 - $1,183,488.83. During 2025, cash compensation received by Firms ranged from $1.50 - $31,403,206.30.
All of the Firms and Entities listed below received non-cash compensation during 2025. In addition, Firms in bold also received cash compensation during 2025.
|
AE Financial Services |
|
AFS Securities, LLC |
|
AGP - Alliance Global Partners |
|
Alera Group |
|
Alerus |
|
Alexander Capital |
|
Alliance Bernstein, L.P. |
|
Allred Wealth Management |
|
Allstate Financial Srvcs, LLC |
5
|
Ambassador Wealth Management |
|
American Strategic Advisors |
|
Ameriprise Financial, Inc. |
|
Ameritas Investment Corp. |
|
AMUNI Financial, Inc. |
|
Anderson Financial Services |
|
Arete Wealth Management |
|
Arkadios Capital LLC |
|
Ascent Wealth Partners |
|
Assured Partners |
|
Atria Network |
|
Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. |
|
Avantax Investment Services |
|
B. Riley Wealth Management inc. |
|
Bancwest Investment Srvcs, Inc |
|
Bankers Life |
|
BCG Securities, Inc. |
|
BDOPS |
|
Beaconsfield Financial Services |
|
Benchmark Financial Wealth Advisors, LLC |
|
Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. |
|
Berthel Fisher & Company |
|
BMO Capital Markets Corp |
|
Bowers Digmann Financial |
|
Bridgehaven Financial |
|
Brighthouse Financial |
|
Brooklight Place Securities, Inc. |
|
Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. |
|
Calton & Associates, Inc |
|
Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. |
|
Canandaguia Bank |
|
Cantella & Co., Inc. |
|
Capital Investment Group, Inc. |
|
Capital Synergy Partners |
|
Capital Wealth Partners Inc |
|
Capitol Securities Management, Inc. |
|
Carlson Financial Group |
|
Carlton & Associates, Inc. |
|
Cassidy & Company |
|
Centaurus Financial, Inc. |
|
Century Financial & Insurance Services |
|
Cetera Advisor Network LLC |
|
CFD Investments |
|
Chelsea Financial |
|
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
|
Citizens Securities, Inc. |
|
Claricity Wealth & Planning |
|
Clark Capital Management Group |
|
Coastal One |
|
Commonwealth Financial Network |
|
Compak Securities |
|
Concorde Investment Services, LLC |
|
Concourse Financial Group Securities Inc |
|
Cooley & Labas Financial Advisors |
|
Copper Financial |
|
Cornerstone Financial Services |
|
Creativeone |
|
CRUMP |
|
CUNA Brokerage Svcs, Inc. |
|
CUSO Financial Services, L.P. |
|
CW Securities |
|
Cypress CU |
|
D.A. Davidson |
|
David Lerner and Associates |
|
Dawson & Bertran Investment Advisors |
|
DayMark Wealth Partners |
|
Delaware Life |
|
DFPG Investments LLC |
|
Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd |
|
Discipline Advisors |
|
Due Diligence Works |
|
DWS |
|
EBH Securities |
|
Edward Jones & Co. |
|
Emerson Equity LLC |
|
Empower Credit Union |
|
Envestnet |
|
Equitable Advisors, LLC |
|
Equity Services, Inc. |
|
ESL Investment Services |
|
Excel Securities & Assoc. |
|
Feldman Financial Group |
|
FID X |
|
Fidelity Investments |
|
Fifth Third Bank |
|
Financial Focus Group |
|
Financial Security Management, Inc |
|
First Asset Financial |
|
First Heartland Capital, Inc. |
|
Fortune Financial Services, Inc. |
|
Franklin Templeton |
|
Frontier Asset |
|
Frost Brokerage Services Inc |
|
Garden State Securities, Inc. |
|
Geneos Wealth Management, Inc. |
|
Glass Financial Advisors |
|
GLOBALINK SECURITIES, INC. |
|
Goldberg, Clouse & Edgell, LLC |
|
Goldman Sachs |
|
Gradient Securities, LLC |
|
Great America |
|
Grove Point Investments |
|
Guardian Wealth Strategies, LLC |
|
GWN Securities, Inc. |
|
Halley-Dodson Insurance |
|
Halliday Financial LLC |
|
Hantz Financial Services,Inc. |
|
HARBOR FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC |
|
Hazard & Siegel, Inc. |
|
Hilltop Securities Inc. |
|
Horan |
|
Horizon Financial Resources, LLC |
|
Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc. |
|
Hudson Valley Credit Union |
|
Hunter Insurance & Financial Services |
|
Huntleigh Securities |
|
IBN Financial Services, Inc. |
|
iCapital |
|
Income & Asset Advisory |
|
Independence Capital Co. Inc |
|
Independent Financial Grp, LLC |
|
Infinity Wealth Management |
|
Innovation Partners |
|
Intervest |
|
Invesco |
|
J.W. Cole Financial, Inc. |
|
J.P. Morgan |
|
Jackson National Life |
|
Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC. |
|
Jennison Associates |
|
Kestra Financial, Inc. |
|
Key Investment Services LLC |
|
Kingswood Capital Management |
|
Kneeland Advisors |
|
Kovack Securities, Inc. |
6
|
Kress Financial |
|
Larson Financial Securities |
|
LaSalle St. Securities LLC |
|
LAX and Company |
|
Lebenthal Wealth Advisors, LLC |
|
Leigh Baldwin & Company, LLC |
|
LEXVO Wealth Mgmt |
|
Lifemark Corporation |
|
Lincoln Investment Planning |
|
Lion Street |
|
LM Kohn |
|
LPL Financial Corporation |
|
Lyons Bank |
|
M Holdings Securities, Inc |
|
M&T Securities |
|
Madison Advisors |
|
Madison Avenue Securities |
|
MAP Estate Planning |
|
Mehta & Associates |
|
Mercer Allied Company L.P. |
|
Merrill Lynch |
|
MFS Investment Management |
|
MML Investors Services, Inc. |
|
Moloney Securities |
|
Money Concepts Capital Corp. |
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
|
Morris Group |
|
Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company |
|
Mutual Securities, Inc |
|
NACK |
|
National Securities Corp. |
|
Nations Financial Group, Inc. |
|
Nationwide Planning Associates |
|
NBC Securities |
|
NBT Bank |
|
Neuberger Berman |
|
Newbridge Securities |
|
Next Financial Group, Inc. |
|
North Ridge Wealth Planning LLC |
|
North Star Consultants, Inc. |
|
Northeast Financial Network |
|
NORTHLAND SECURITIES INC |
|
NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL INVESTMENT SERVICES LLC |
|
O.N. Equity |
|
Oberlin Marketing Inc |
|
Octavia |
|
OMNI FINANCIAL SECURITIES |
|
OneAmerica Securities, Inc. |
|
ONESCO |
|
OPPENHEIMER & CO, INC. |
|
Osaic Institutions |
|
OSAIC Wealth |
|
Packerland Brokerage Svcs, Inc |
|
Park Avenue Securities, LLC |
|
Parkland Securities |
|
Peak Brokerage Services |
|
Pinnacle Investments, LLC |
|
Planmember Securities Corporation |
|
PNC Investments, LLC |
|
Premier Financial Network |
|
Premier Securities of America Inc. |
|
Prime Financial Services |
|
Principal Securities, Inc. |
|
Private Client Services, LLC |
|
Prospera Financial Services, Inc |
|
Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments |
|
Q6 Advisors, Inc. |
|
Queen City |
|
Ranu Insurance Agency Inc |
|
Raymond James Financial Svcs |
|
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION |
|
Regal Securities, Inc. |
|
Regions Bank |
|
Regulus Financial Group |
|
Rehmann Financial |
|
Ridgewood Wealth Management LLC |
|
Riegel Financial |
|
RNR Securities, L.L.C. |
|
Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc. |
|
Rundahl Financial Consultants |
|
Sage Rutty & Co. Inc. |
|
Saltzman Associates |
|
Sanctuary Securities |
|
Saxony Securities, Inc. |
|
Scarborough Capital Management |
|
Securities Management & Research, Inc. |
|
Sigma Financial Corporation |
|
Signature Financial Group |
|
Silver Oak Securities Inc |
|
Skyline |
|
Steele Wealth Management, Inc. |
|
Step Stone Group |
|
Stifel Nicolaus & Co. |
|
Stonex Securities |
|
Strategic Fin Alliance Inc |
|
Strategic Wealth Management Group, LLC |
|
Strellner Financial Group |
|
Summit Financial Group |
|
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. |
|
TFS Securities, Inc. |
|
The Investment Center |
|
The Leaders Group |
|
The O.N. Equity Sales Co. |
|
The Tschetter Group |
|
The Windmill Group |
|
Tim Hall Financial Services |
|
Tompkins Bank |
|
Town & Country Wealth Management |
|
TransAmerica Financial Advisors, Inc. |
|
Travis Financial Services LLC |
|
TruChoice Financial |
|
TrueBlue Financial |
|
Truist Investment Services Inc. |
|
TRUSTMONT FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. |
|
Truvium Wealth Management, LLC |
|
UBS Financial Services, Inc. |
|
United Planners Fin. Serv. |
|
US Bank |
|
US Bank Advisors |
|
USA Financial Securities Corp. |
|
VALIC FINANCIAL ADVISORS, INC. |
|
Valmark Securities |
|
Valued Capital Advisors |
|
Vanderbilt Securities Inc |
|
VANDERBILT SECURITIES LLC |
|
Vesta Wealth Advisors |
|
Vestech Securities, Inc. |
|
VOYA Financial Advisors |
|
Wellington Management |
|
Wells Fargo Advisors LLC |
|
WELLS FARGO ADVISORS LLC - WEALTH |
|
WesBanco Securities Inc. |
|
Western International Securities, Inc. |
|
Winslow Evans and Crocker |
7
You should note that Firms and individual registered representatives and branch managers with some Firms participating in one of these compensation arrangements might receive greater compensation for selling the Annuities than for selling a different annuity that is not eligible for these compensation arrangements. While compensation is generally taken into account as an expense in considering the charges applicable to an annuity product, any such compensation will be paid by us or PAD and will not result in any additional charge to you or to the Separate Account. Cash and non-cash compensation varies by annuity product, and such differing compensation could be a factor in which annuity a financial professional recommends to you. Your registered representative can provide you with more information about the compensation arrangements that apply upon request.
If there has been a misstatement of the age and/or sex of any person upon whose life annuity payments or the minimum death benefit is based, we make adjustments to conform to the facts. As to annuity payments: (a) any underpayments by us will be remedied on the next payment following correction; and (b) any overpayments by us will be charged against future amounts payable by us under your Annuity.
The financial statements of Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account are incorporated into this Statement of Additional Information by reference to the latest financial statements on Form N-VPFS for the Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account as filed with the SEC on April 20, 2026. The consolidated financial statements of Pruco Life Insurance Company are incorporated by reference to its annual report for the year ending December 31, 2025 on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on March 6, 2026. Such financial statements have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), an independent registered public accounting firm. PwC’s principal business address is 300 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6204.
8
PART
C
333-37728; 333-288860
OTHER
INFORMATION
ITEM 27. EXHIBITS:
|
(a) |
|
|
(b) |
Not Applicable. |
|
(c)(1) |
|
|
(2) |
|
|
(3) |
|
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(4) |
|
|
(d)(1) |
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(2) |
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(3) |
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(4) |
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(5) |
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(6) |
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(7) |
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(8) |
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(9) |
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(10) |
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(11) |
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(12) |
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(13)(i) |
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(13)(ii) |
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(14) |
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(15) |
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(16) |
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(17) |
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(18) |
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(19) |
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(20) |
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(21) |
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(22) |
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(23) |
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(24) |
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(25) |
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(26) |
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(27) |
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(28) |
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(29) |
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(30) |
|
(e)(1) |
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(2) |
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(3) |
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(4) |
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(5) |
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(6) |
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(f)(1) |
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(2) |
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(g)(1) |
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(2) |
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(h)(1) |
|
|
(2) |
|
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(3) |
|
|
(4) |
|
|
(i) |
Not applicable. |
|
(j) |
Not applicable. |
|
(k) |
|
|
(l) |
Written Consent Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Filed Herewith. |
|
(m) |
Not applicable. |
|
(n) |
Not applicable. |
|
(o) |
Not applicable. |
|
(p) |
|
|
(q) |
Not Applicable. |
|
(r) |
Not Applicable. |
ITEM 28. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE INSURANCE COMPANY:
|
NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ADDRESS |
POSITION AND OFFICES WITH INSURANCE COMPANY |
|
Reshma
V. Abraham |
Director and Vice President |
|
Markus
Coombs |
Director, Chief Accounting Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President |
|
Alan
M. Finkelstein |
Director and Treasurer |
|
Scott
E. Gaul |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
Bradley
O. Harris |
Director |
|
Salene
Hitchcock-Gear |
Director |
|
Daniel
T. McNulty |
Chief Compliance Officer, Variable Life & Variable Annuities Registered Separate Accounts |
|
Karen
M. Sills |
Chief Legal Officer, Vice President and Secretary |
|
Matthew
Silver |
Chief Actuary and Senior Vice President |
ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY OR THE REGISTERED SEPARATE ACCOUNT:
The Registered Separate Account may be deemed to be under common control (or where indicated, identical to) the following separate accounts that are sponsored either by Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”) or an insurer that is an affiliate of Pruco Life: The Prudential Discovery Premier Group Variable Contract Account, The Prudential Variable Appreciable Account, The Prudential Individual Variable Contract Account, The Prudential Variable Contract Account GI-2, The Prudential Qualified Individual Variable Contract Account, The Prudential Variable Contract Account-24, The Prudential Discovery Select Group Variable Annuity Contract Account (separate accounts of Prudential); the Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account; the Pruco Life PRUvider Variable Appreciable Account; the Pruco Life Variable Universal Account, the Pruco Life Variable Insurance Account, the Pruco Life Variable Appreciable Account, the Pruco Life Single Premium Variable Life Account, the Pruco Life Single Premium Variable Annuity Account (separate accounts of Pruco Life); the Pruco Life of New Jersey Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account; the Pruco Life of New Jersey Variable Insurance Account, the Pruco Life of New Jersey Variable Appreciable Account, the Pruco Life of New Jersey Single Premium Variable Life Account, and the Pruco Life of New Jersey Single Premium Variable Annuity Account (separate accounts of Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey (“Pruco Life of New Jersey”)). Pruco Life, a life insurance company organized under the laws of Arizona, is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. Pruco Life of New Jersey, a life insurance company organized under the laws of New Jersey, is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Pruco Life, and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc.
The subsidiaries of Prudential Financial Inc. (“PFI”) are listed under Exhibit 21.1 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K of PFI (Registration No. 001-16707), filed on February 12, 2026, the text of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In addition to those subsidiaries, Prudential holds all of the voting securities of Prudential’s Gibraltar Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation, in three of its separate accounts. Prudential’s Gibraltar Fund, Inc. is registered as an open-end, diversified, management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”). The separate accounts listed above are registered as unit investment trusts under the Act. The Registered Separate Account may also be deemed to be under common control with The Prudential Variable Contract Account-2, The Prudential Variable Contract Account-10, and The Prudential Variable Account Contract Account-11, (separate accounts of The Prudential Insurance Company of America which are registered as open-end, diversified management investment companies).
Pruco Life Insurance Company (“Pruco Life”), in conjunction with certain of its affiliates, maintains insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a trustee, director, officer, employee, or agent of Pruco Life, or who is or was serving at the request of Pruco Life as a trustee, director, officer,
employee or agent of such other affiliated trust or corporation, against any liability asserted against and incurred by him or her arising out of his or her position with such trust or corporation.
Arizona, the state of organization of Pruco Life, permits entities organized under its jurisdiction to indemnify directors and officers with certain limitations. The relevant provisions of Arizona law permitting indemnification can be found in Section 10-850 et. seq. of the Arizona Statutes Annotated. The text of Pruco Life’s By-law, Article VIII, which relates to indemnification of officers and directors, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(ii) to its form 10-Q filed August 15, 1997.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of Pruco Life pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, Pruco Life has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by Pruco Life of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of Pruco Life in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, Pruco Life will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
ITEM 31. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS:
(a) Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (PAD)
PAD serves as principal underwriter for variable annuities issued by various insurance companies. The separate accounts of those insurance companies, through which the bulk of the variable annuities are issued, are the Pruco Life Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, the Pruco Life of New Jersey Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, The Prudential Qualified Individual Variable Contract Account, The Prudential Individual Variable Contract Account, Prudential’s Annuity Plan Account, Prudential’s Investment Plan Account, and Prudential’s Annuity Plan Account-2. In addition, PAD serves as principal underwriter for variable annuities issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company and its Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B.
(b) Information concerning the directors and officers of PAD is set forth below:
|
NAME |
POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH UNDERWRITER |
|
Suzanne
Amari |
Director |
|
Kevin
M. Brayton |
Senior Vice President and Director |
|
Tracey
Carroll |
President and Director |
|
Jessica
Conley |
Vice President |
|
Markus
Coombs |
Director |
|
Tiffany
Khan |
Anti-Money Laundering Officer |
|
Scott
P. Haggerty |
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director |
|
Donald
Mallavia |
Director |
|
Shane
T. McGrath |
Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President |
|
Frank
Papasavas |
Treasurer |
|
NAME |
POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH UNDERWRITER |
|
Robert
P. Smit |
Chief Financial Officer and Controller |
|
Jordan
Thomsen |
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary |
(c) Commissions received by PAD during 2025 with respect to all individual annuities issued by Pruco Life.
|
NAME OF PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER |
NET
UNDERWRITING |
COMPENSATION
ON |
BROKERAGE |
COMPENSATION |
|
Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc.* |
$692,004,270 |
$-0- |
$-0- |
$-0- |
| * | PAD did not retain any of these commissions. |
ITEM 31A. INFORMATION ABOUT CONTRACTS WITH INDEX-LINKED OPTIONS AND FIXED OPTIONS SUBJECT TO A CONTRACT ADJUSTMENT:
(a) As of December 31, 2025:
|
Name of the Contract |
Number of Contracts Outstanding |
Total Value Attributable to the Index-Linked Option and/or Fixed Option subject to an Adjustment |
Number of Contracts Sold During the Prior Calendar Year |
Gross Premiums Received During the Prior Calendar Year |
Amount of Contract Value Redeemed During the Prior Calendar Year |
Combination Contract |
|
Strategic Partners Annuity One 3 |
8,850 |
$1,007,485.06 |
0 |
$1,386,176.00 |
$-156,845,712.00 |
Yes |
|
Strategic Partners Plus 3 |
648 |
$0.00 |
0 |
$0.00 |
$-7,465,152.00 |
Yes |
(b) Not Applicable.
ITEM 32. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS:
Provided in the Registered Separate Account’s most recent report on Form N-CEN.
None.
ITEM 34. FEE REPRESENTATION AND UNDERTAKINGS:
With regard to the offering of the Variable Options, the Company hereby represents that the fees and charges deducted under the contracts described in this registration statement, in the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services rendered, the expenses expected to be incurred, and the risks assumed by the Company.
With regard to the offering of the Market Value Adjustment Options under this registration statement, the Company undertakes:
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; and |
| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Newark and State of New Jersey on this 20th day of April 2026.
|
PRUCO
LIFE FLEXIBLE PREMIUM VARIABLE ANNUITY ACCOUNT | ||
|
By: |
Scott E. Gaul* |
|
|
|
Scott
E. Gaul |
|
|
PRUCO
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | ||
|
By: |
Scott E. Gaul* |
|
|
|
Scott
E. Gaul |
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
|
SIGNATURE |
TITLE |
|
|
Reshma
V. Abraham*
Reshma V. Abraham |
Director and Vice President |
April 20, 2026 |
|
Markus
Coombs*
Markus Coombs |
Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Vice President and Director |
April 20, 2026 |
|
Alan
M. Finkelstein*
Alan M. Finkelstein |
Director and Treasurer |
April 20, 2026 |
|
Scott
E. Gaul*
Scott E. Gaul |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
April 20, 2026 |
|
Bradley
O. Harris*
Bradley O. Harris |
Director |
April 20, 2026 |
|
Salene
Hitchcock-Gear*
Salene Hitchcock-Gear |
Director |
April 20, 2026 |
|
By: |
/s/ Elizabeth L. Gioia |
|
|
|
Elizabeth L. Gioia |
|
| * | Executed by Elizabeth L. Gioia on behalf of those indicated pursuant to Power of Attorney. |
