Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 25, 2024
REGISTRATION NO. 033-62793
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT NO. 811-05438

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. 30
and
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 227

FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY VARIABLE ACCOUNT B
(Exact Name of Registrant)
FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
(Name of Depositor)
10 EXCHANGE PLACE, Suite 2210
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY 07302
(615) 981-8801
(Address and telephone number of Depositor’s principal executive offices)

FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
C/O CT CORPORATION
3800 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE, SUITE 460
PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85012
(602) 248-1145
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

COPIES TO:
RICHARD E. BUCKLEY
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL
FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
10 EXCHANGE PLACE, Suite 2210
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY 07302
(615) 981-8801

Approximate Date of Proposed Sale to the Public: Continuous

It is proposed that this filing become effective: (check appropriate space)

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

on May 1, 2024 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.


 

FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B
A Fortitude Re Company
10 Exchange Place, Suite 2210, Jersey City, NJ 07302

ADVANCED SERIES XTRA CREDIT (“ASXT”)

Flexible Premium Deferred Annuities

This prospectus describes XTra Credit, a flexible premium deferred annuity (the “Annuity”), offered by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company, formerly named Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (“we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”). The Annuity provides for the potential accumulation of retirement savings and retirement income through Annuitization. The Annuity is intended for retirement or other long-term investment purposes. This prospectus describes all material rights and obligations of Annuity Owners under the Annuity contracts. The Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Options available with this Annuity are described in a separate prospectus, Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option Under Certain Variable Annuity Contracts, which can be found on our website www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-MVA2-S3.

If you are receiving this prospectus, it is because you currently own the Annuity. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales.

Please read this prospectus and retain it for future reference.

In compliance with U.S. law, we deliver this prospectus to Annuity Owners that currently reside outside of the United States. In addition, 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, are NOT insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency. An investment in an annuity involves investment risks, including possible loss of value.


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, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at www.investor.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 1-800-879-7012 OR VISIT: WWW.PRUDENTIAL.COM/ANNUITIES

Prospectus Dated: May 1, 2024

Statement of Additional Information Dated: May 1, 2024

 

ASXTPROS 


 

 

Table of Contents


GLOSSARY OF TERMS.......................................................................................

1

KEY INFORMATION.........................................................................................

3

OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUITY..................................................................................

5

FEE TABLE................................................................................................

6

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE ANNUITY................................................................

8

INVESTMENT OPTIONS......................................................................................

9

WHAT ARE THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS?............................................................

9

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?.....................................................................

9

HOW DO THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS WORK?..................................................................

9

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE RATES FOR FIXED ALLOCATIONS?...................................................

9

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY GUARANTEE PERIOD MATURES?....................................................

10

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS............................................................................

11

FIXED RATE OPTION CHARGES............................................................................

12

ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION CHARGES......................................................................

12

EXCEPTIONS/REDUCTIONS TO FEES AND CHARGES...........................................................

12

PURCHASING YOUR ANNUITY.................................................................................

13

REQUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASING THE ANNUITY.............................................................

13

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY...................................................................................

14

CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS.............................................

14

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENTS........................................................................

15

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS DIRECTLY FROM A BANK ACCOUNT....................................................

15

SALARY REDUCTION PROGRAMS..........................................................................

15

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE............................................................................

16

HOW AND WHEN ARE PURCHASE PAYMENTS INVESTED?.......................................................

16

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?.............................................................................

16

HOW ARE CREDITS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT VALUE?.........................................................

17

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS...............................................

18

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS.....................................................................

20

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING PROGRAMS.....................................................................

20

DO YOU OFFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO GUARANTEE A “RETURN OF PREMIUM” AT A FUTURE DATE?.................

20

FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERMISSION TO FORWARD TRANSACTION INSTRUCTIONS...............................

21

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE................................................................................

22

TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU...............................................................

22

TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES........................................

22

CAN I WITHDRAW A PORTION OF MY ANNUITY?...............................................................

22

FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNTS............................................................................

23

IS THERE A CHARGE FOR A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL?...........................................................

23

CAN YOU CLOSE MY ACCOUNT AND INVOLUNTARILY REDEEM MY INVESTMENT?...................................

23

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS..............................................................................

24

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS UNDER SECTION 72(t) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE..............................

24

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS.......................................................................

24

SURRENDERS.............................................................................................

25

SURRENDER VALUE.....................................................................................

25

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS.......................................................................

25

ANNUITY OPTIONS..........................................................................................

26

ANNUITY OPTIONS......................................................................................

26

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?................................................

26

HOW ARE ANNUITY PAYMENTS CALCULATED?...............................................................

26

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY.....................................................................

28

OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFITS..................................................................................

29

GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION (GRO)......................................................................

29

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION..........................................

31

GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS (GRO PLUS)............................................................

32

 

 

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS.....................................

36

DEATH BENEFIT............................................................................................

37

TRIGGERS FOR PAYMENT OF THE DEATH BENEFIT............................................................

37

BASIC DEATH BENEFIT...................................................................................

37

1. ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT............................................

38

2. HIGHEST ANNIVERSARY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT............................................................

39

PLUS40 OPTIONAL LIFE INSURANCE RIDER..................................................................

41

ANNUITY REWARDS.....................................................................................

42

PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS............................................................................

42

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE.................................................................................

45

DO YOU PROVIDE ANY GUARANTEES ON MY INVESTMENT?.....................................................

45

WHAT IS THE “TARGET VALUE” AND HOW IS IT CALCULATED?...................................................

45

CAN I RESTART THE 10-YEAR TARGET VALUE CALCULATIONS?..................................................

45

WHAT ARE TARGET VALUE CREDITS?.......................................................................

46

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT.................................................................................

47

HOW IS MY ACCOUNT VALUE DETERMINED?.................................................................

47

VALUING THE SUB-ACCOUNTS............................................................................

47

SURRENDER VALUE.....................................................................................

47

VALUING THE FIXED ALLOCATIONS.........................................................................

47

PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS.................................................................

47

TAX CONSIDERATIONS......................................................................................

49

NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES...............................................................................

49

QUALIFIED ANNUITIES...................................................................................

52

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS............................................................................

59

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...................................................................................

60

HOW WILL I RECEIVE STATEMENTS AND REPORTS?...........................................................

60

WHO IS FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY?....................................................

60

WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?.....................................................................

61

WHAT IS THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE PORTFOLIOS?.......................................................

62

WHO DISTRIBUTES THE ANNUITIES?........................................................................

63

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................................................................................

64

INDEMNIFICATION......................................................................................

64

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS...................................................................................

65

HOW TO CONTACT US...................................................................................

65

APPENDIX A – PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY......................................................

A-1

APPENDIX B – SALE OF THE CONTRACTS TO RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.................................

B-1

APPENDIX C – PLUS40 OPTIONAL LIFE INSURANCE RIDER.........................................................

C-1

APPENDIX D – DESCRIPTION AND CALCULATION OF THE ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT
AND THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT...................................................

D-1

APPENDIX E – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION BENEFIT........................................

E-1

APPENDIX F – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS BENEFIT...................................

F-1

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS


Many terms used within this prospectus are described within the text where they appear. Not all the descriptions of those terms are repeated in this Glossary of Terms.

Account Value: The value of each allocation to a Sub-account or a Fixed Allocation prior to the Annuity Date, plus any earnings, and/or less any losses, distributions and charges. The Account Value is calculated before we assess any applicable Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) and/or any Annual Maintenance Fee. The Account Value includes any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture under certain circumstances. The Account Value is determined separately for each Sub-account and for each Fixed Allocation, and then totaled to determine the Account Value for your entire Annuity. The Account Value of each Fixed Allocation on other than its Maturity Date may be calculated using a Market Value Adjustment.

Accumulation Period: The period of time from the Issue Date through the last Valuation Day immediately preceding the Annuity Date.

Annuities Service Center: The place to which all requests and payments regarding the Annuity are to be sent. We may change the address of the Annuities Service Center at any time, and will notify you in advance of any such change of address. Please see “How to Contact Us” later in this prospectus for the Annuities Service Center address.

Annuitization: The application of Account Value to one of the available annuity options for the Annuitant to begin receiving periodic payments for life, for a guaranteed minimum number of payments or for life with a guaranteed minimum number of payments.

Annuity Date: The date you choose for annuity payments to commence. A maximum Annuity Date may apply.

Annuity Year: A 12-month period commencing on the Issue Date of the Annuity and each successive 12-month period thereafter.

Free Withdrawal: The Free Withdrawal amount is the amount that can be withdrawn from your Annuity each Annuity Year without the application of any CDSC.

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.

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.

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.

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. Please see the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

Guarantee Period: A period of time during the Accumulation Period where we credit a fixed rate of interest on a Fixed Allocation.

Interim Value: The value of a Fixed Allocation on any date other than the Maturity Date. The Interim Value is equal to the initial value allocated to the Fixed Allocation plus all interest credited to the Fixed Allocation as of the date calculated, less any transfers or withdrawals from the Fixed Allocation.

Issue Date: The effective date of your Annuity.

Market Value Adjustment: A Market Value Adjustment used in the determination of Account Value of each Fixed Allocation on any day other than the Maturity Date of such Fixed Allocation. Please see the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

Owner: With an Annuity issued as an individual annuity contract, the Owner is either an eligible entity or person named as having ownership rights in relation to the Annuity. With an Annuity issued as a certificate under a group annuity contract, the “Owner” refers to the person or entity who has the rights and benefits designated as to the “Participant” in the certificate.

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.

Purchase Payment: A cash consideration in currency of the United States of America given to us in exchange for the rights, privileges, and benefits of the Annuity.

Separate Account: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B. The assets supporting your allocations to the variable investment options under the Annuity. Separate Account assets held in support of the Annuity are kept separate from all our other assets and may not be charged with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct.

Sub-account: A division of the Separate Account. Each Sub-account invests in a particular Portfolio.

1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Surrender Value: The value of your Annuity available upon surrender prior to the Annuity Date. It equals the Account Value as of the date we price the surrender minus any applicable CDSC, Annual Maintenance Fee, Tax Charge, the charge for any optional benefits and any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture upon surrender of your Annuity.

Unit: A measure used to calculate your Account Value in a Sub-account during the Accumulation Period.

Valuation Day: Every day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading or any other day the Securities and Exchange Commission requires mutual funds or unit investment trusts to be valued.

“We,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company.

“You” or “your”: the Owner(s) shown in the Annuity.

2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

KEY INFORMATION


Important Information You Should Consider About the Annuity

Fees and Expenses

Charges for Early
Withdrawals

If you withdraw money from the Annuity within 8 years following your last premium payment, you may be assessed a surrender charge. The maximum surrender charge is 8.5% of the premium payment, and a surrender charge may be assessed up to 8 years after the last premium payment under the Annuity. If you make an early withdrawal, you could pay a surrender charge of up to $8,500 on a $100,000 withdrawal. Credits may also be recaptured if you take an Early Withdrawal.
For more information on early withdrawal charges, please refer to the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section of this prospectus.

Transaction
Charges

In addition to surrender charges, you may also be charged for other transactions. Charges may be applied to transfers (if more than 20 in an Annuity Year) or if state or local premium taxes are assessed.
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section of this prospectus.

Ongoing Fees and
Expenses (annual
charges)

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay each year, depending on the options you choose. Please refer to your Annuity specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.

Annual Fee

Minimum

Maximum

Base Contract

1.443%

1.443%

Investment options
(Portfolio fees and expenses)

0.57%

1.95%

Optional benefits available for an additional charge
(for a single optional benefit, if elected)

0.25%

10.50%

Because your Annuity is customizable, the choices you make affect how much you will pay. To help you understand the cost of owning your Annuity, the following table shows the lowest and highest cost you could pay each year, based on current charges.
This estimate assumes that you do not take withdrawals from the Annuity, which could add surrender charges that substantially increase costs.

Lowest Annual Cost
$2,044

Highest Annual Cost
$6,303

 

Assumes:

Investment of $100,000

5% annual appreciation

Least expensive Portfolio fees and
expenses

No optional benefits

No sales charges

No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers or withdrawals

Assumes:

Investment of $100,000

5% annual appreciation

Most expensive combination of
optional benefits and Portfolio fees
and expenses

No sales charges

No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers or withdrawals

 

For more information on ongoing fees and expenses, please refer to the “Fee Table” section of this prospectus.

3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Risks

Risk of Loss

You can lose money by investing in the Annuity. You can also lose value from Credits if they are recaptured by us.
For more information on the risk of loss, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Not a Short-Term Investment

The Annuity is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The Annuity is designed to provide benefits on a long-term basis. Consequently, you should not use the Annuity as a short-term investment or savings vehicle. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether investing Purchase Payments in the Annuity is consistent with the purpose for which the investment is being considered.
For more information on the short-term investment risks, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Risks Associated with Investment Options

An investment in the Annuity is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary depending on the performance of the investment options available under the Annuity, including the Fixed Allocations, each of which has its own unique risks. You should review the investment options before making an investment decision. The Fixed Allocations may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be negative, causing you to lose money.
For more information on the risks associated with investment options, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuitysection of this prospectus.

Insurance Company Risks

An investment in the Annuity 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 is available upon request. Such requests can be made toll-free at 1-800-879-7012.
For more information on insurance company risks, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Restrictions

Investments

You may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. After the twentieth transfer in each Annuity Year, we will charge $10 for each additional transfer.
If you select an optional benefit, your selection of investment options may be limited.
We reserve the right to remove or substitute Portfolios as investment options.
We may impose limitations on an investment professional’s or investment advisor’s ability to request financial transactions on your behalf.
For more information on investment and transfer restrictions, please refer to the “
Fees, Charges and Deductions” section, “Appendix A”, the “What are Separate Accounts?” section and the “Financial Professional Permission to Forward Transaction Instructions” section of this prospectus.

Optional Benefits

You may be able to obtain optional benefits, which may require additional charges. If you elect to purchase one or more optional benefits, we will deduct an additional charge on a daily or annual basis from your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. The charge for each optional benefit is deducted in addition to the insurance charge due to the increased insurance risk associated with the optional benefits. Any withdrawals that exceed limits specified by the terms of an optional benefit may affect the availability of the benefit by reducing the benefit by an amount greater than the value withdrawn, and/or could terminate the benefit.
For more information on optional benefits under the Annuity, please refer to the “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Taxes

Tax Implications

You should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under the Annuity. There is no additional tax benefit if you purchase the Annuity through a tax-qualified plan or individual retirement account (IRA). Withdrawals will be subject to ordinary income tax, and may be subject to the 10% additional tax for distributions taken prior to age 59½.
For more information on tax implications, please refer to the “Tax Considerations” section of this prospectus.

Conflicts of Interest

Investment Professional Compensation

Investment professionals may receive compensation for selling the Annuity to investors and may have a financial incentive to offer or recommend the Annuity over another investment. This compensation is paid in the form of commissions, based on your investment in the Annuity.
For more information on investment professional compensation, please refer to the “Who Distributes The Annuities?” section of this prospectus.

Exchanges

Some investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you an annuity 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, that it is preferable to purchase the new contract, rather than continue to own your existing contract. This Annuity is no longer sold.
For more information on exchanges, please refer to the “Who Distributes The Annuities?” section of this prospectus.

4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUITY


The Annuity referenced in this prospectus and applicable riders is no longer available for new sales.

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.

The Annuity offers two different types of Credits. We add a Credit to your Annuity with each Purchase Payment we receive. We also provide an additional 1% Credit on Purchase Payments made within the first year and may provide certain additional benefits if your Account Value has not reached a Target Value on its 10th anniversary.

The Annuity also 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. It also offers two optional Death Benefits that provide enhanced levels of protection for your beneficiary(ies) for an additional charge. It offered the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider that provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit to your beneficiary(ies) for an additional charge. The Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider is no longer available. It may be used as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Roth IRA or Tax-Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)). It may also be used as an investment vehicle for “Non-qualified” investments. The Annuity allows you to invest your money in several variable investment options as well as in one or more fixed investment options.

We offer optional benefits for an additional fee that guarantee your Account Value to a certain level after a period of years. As part of these benefits you are required to invest only in certain permitted investment options.

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. The variable investment options, each a Sub-account of the Separate Account, invest in an underlying Portfolio. The Fixed Allocation provides a fixed rate of return for a set period of time. Withdrawals during that period of time may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can reduce your initial investment. Additional information about the Portfolios is provided in Appendix A to the prospectus.

During the payout period (after Annuitization), you can elect to receive annuity payments (1) for life; (2) for life with a guaranteed minimum number of payments; (3) based on joint lives; or (4) for a guaranteed number of payments. 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.

You can withdraw a limited amount of money from your Annuity on an annual basis without any charges. Other product features allow you to access your Account Value at any time, although a charge may apply.

Transfers between investment options are tax-free. Currently, you may make twenty transfers each year free of charge. We also offer several programs that enable you to manage your Account Value as your financial needs and investment performance change.

5 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

FEE TABLE


The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from the Annuity. Please refer to your Annuity 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 that you buy the Annuity, surrender or make withdrawals from the Annuity, or transfer Account Value between investment options. State premium taxes may also be deducted. These fees and charges are described in more detail within this prospectus in the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section.

Transaction Expenses

Maximum

Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases

None

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage of each Purchase Payment)1

8.5%

Maximum Transfer Fee2

$10

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.
2. You may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. We will charge $10 for each transfer after the twentieth in each Annuity Year. We guarantee that the number of free transfers per Annuity Year will never be less than 8.

The following Contingent Deferred Sales Charge percentages apply based on the year of the surrender or withdrawal:

Yr. 1

Yr. 2

Yr. 3

Yr. 4

Yr. 5

Yr. 6

Yr. 7

Yr. 8

Yr. 9+

8.5%

8.5%

8.5%

8.5%

7.5%

5.5%

3.5%

1.5%

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 Expenses1
(assessed annually on the Annuity’s anniversary date or upon surrender)

Lesser of $30 or 2% of Account Value

Base Contract Expenses2
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

1.40%

Optional Benefit Fees and Charges

 

Guaranteed Return Option
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.50%

Guaranteed Return Option Plus
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.50%

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)3

0.75%

Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.75%

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit
(based on current Death Benefit Amount). Please refer to Appendix D for a complete description of the charges.

0.55%

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider
(based on your age and your Account Value as of the Issue Date of your Annuity). Please refer to Appendix C for a complete description of charges.

Charges range from.80% for Owners age 40 - 75 to 10.50% for Owners age 95.

1. The Administrative Expense is referred to as “Annual Maintenance Fee” elsewhere in this Prospectus.
2. The Base Contract Expense is referred to as the “insurance charge” elsewhere in this Prospectus.
3. If the Annuity was purchased before November 18, 2002 the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit fee was based on the Account Value.

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. A complete list of Portfolios available under the Annuity, including their annual expenses, may be found at Appendix A of this prospectus.

6 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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

0.57%

1.95%

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Annuity with the cost of investing in other variable annuity contracts. These costs include Transaction Expenses, Annual Annuity Expenses, and Annual Portfolio Expenses.

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. The first example assumes a contract with GRO Plus, Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit and Plus40. The second example assumes a contract with GRO Plus and Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit. Although, your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

XTRA CREDIT WITH GRO PLUS, HIGHEST ANNIVERSARY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT AND PLUS40

 

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 annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$14,803

$27,445

$39,137

$71,709

$13,446

$23,577

$33,034

$62,268

If you annuitize your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$6,303

$18,945

$31,637

$71,709

$4,946

$15,077

$25,534

$62,268

If you do not surrender your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$6,303

$18,945

$31,637

$71,709

$4,946

$15,077

$25,534

$62,268

XTRA CREDIT WITH GRO PLUS AND HIGHEST ANNIVERSARY VALUE DEATH BENEFIT

 

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 annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$13,199

$22,625

$31,087

$47,404

$11,820

$18,620

$24,638

$35,686

If you annuitize your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$4,699

$14,125

$23,587

$47,404

$3,320

$10,120

$17,138

$35,686

If you do not surrender your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$4,699

$14,125

$23,587

$47,404

$3,320

$10,120

$17,138

$35,686

7 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE ANNUITY


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.

Risks Associated with Variable Investment Options. You take all the investment risk for amounts allocated to one or more of the Sub-accounts, which invest in Portfolios. If the Sub-accounts 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 Sub-accounts 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.

Insurance Company Risk. No company other than us has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that we owe under the Annuity, including amounts allocated to the Fixed Allocations. You should look to our financial strength for our claims-paying ability. We are 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 us and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although we have business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that we 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 benefits. In addition, we may recapture some or all of the Credits applied to your Annuity and 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.

Not a Short-Term Investment. 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. Consequently, you should not use the Annuity as a short-term investment or savings vehicle. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether investing Purchase Payments in the Annuity is consistent with the purpose for which the investment is being considered.

Effect of Withdrawals on Benefits. If you have elected certain Optional Benefits, a withdrawal may reduce the amount of your Benefit on more than a dollar for dollar basis.

Death Benefit Risk. While each 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.

Risk of Loss. All investments have risks to some degree and it is possible that you could lose money by investing in the Annuity. 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.

8 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

INVESTMENT OPTIONS


WHAT ARE THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS?

Each variable investment option is a Sub-account that invests exclusively in a single Portfolio. 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 subadvisor, (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/FLIAC-ASXT-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-879- 7012.

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?

We offer fixed investment options of different durations during the Accumulation Period. These “Fixed Allocations” earn a guaranteed fixed rate of interest for a specified period of time, called the “Guarantee Period.” In most states, we offer Fixed Allocations with Guarantee Periods from 1 to 10 years. We may also offer special purpose Fixed Allocations for use with certain optional investment programs. We guarantee the fixed rate for the entire Guarantee Period. However, if you withdraw or transfer Account Value before the end of the Guarantee Period, we will adjust the value of your withdrawal or transfer based on a formula, called a “Market Value Adjustment”. The Market Value Adjustment can either be positive or negative, depending on the rates that are currently being credited on Fixed Allocations. You may allocate Account Value to more than one Fixed Allocation at a time.

Please refer to the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for more information.

Fixed Allocations may not be available in all states. Availability of Fixed Allocations is subject to change and may differ by state and by the annuity product you purchase. Please call us at 1-800-879-7012 to determine availability of Fixed Allocations in your state and for your annuity product.

The Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option is registered with the SEC on a separate registration statement. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

HOW DO THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS WORK?

The interest rate credited to a Fixed Allocation is the rate in effect when the Guarantee Period begins and does not change during the Guarantee Period. The rates are an effective annual rate of interest. We determine the interest rates for the various Guarantee Periods. At the time that we confirm your Fixed Allocation, we will advise you of the interest rate in effect and the date your Fixed Allocation matures. We may change the rates we credit new Fixed Allocations at any time. Any change in interest rate does not affect Fixed Allocations that were in effect before the date of the change. To inquire as to the current rates for Fixed Allocations, please call 1-800-879-7012.

A Guarantee Period for a Fixed Allocation begins:

 

when all or part of a net Purchase Payment is allocated to that particular Guarantee Period;

 

upon transfer of any of your Account Value to a Fixed Allocation for that particular Guarantee Period; or

 

when you “renew” a Fixed Allocation by electing a new Guarantee Period.
 

To the extent permitted by law, we may establish different interest rates for Fixed Allocations offered to a class of Owners who choose to participate in various optional investment programs we make available. This may include, but is not limited to, Owners who elect to use Fixed Allocations under a dollar cost averaging program (see “Dollar Cost Averaging Programs”) or a balanced investment program (see “Do you offer programs designed to guarantee a “Return of Premium” at a future date?”). The interest rate credited to Fixed Allocations offered to this class of purchasers may be different than those offered to other purchasers who choose the same Guarantee Period but who do not participate in an optional investment program. Any such program is at our sole discretion.

Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for information on how the Market Value Adjustment works. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE RATES FOR FIXED ALLOCATIONS?

We do not have a specific formula for determining the fixed interest rates for Fixed Allocations. Generally, the interest rates we offer for Fixed Allocations will reflect the investment returns available on the types of investments we make to support our fixed rate guarantees. These investment types may include cash, debt securities guaranteed by the United States government and its agencies and instrumentalities, money market instruments, corporate debt obligations of different durations, private placements, asset-backed obligations and municipal bonds. In determining rates we also consider factors such as the length of the Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation, regulatory and tax requirements, liquidity of the markets for the type of investments we make, commissions, administrative and investment expenses, our insurance risks in relation to the Fixed Allocations, general economic trends and competition. Some of these considerations are similar to those we consider in determining the insurance charge that we deduct from Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts.

9 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

We will credit interest on a new Fixed Allocation in an existing Annuity at a rate not less than the rate we are then crediting to Fixed Allocations for the same Guarantee Period selected by new Annuity purchasers in the same class.

Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for information on how the Market Value Adjustment works. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY GUARANTEE PERIOD MATURES?

The “Maturity Date” for a Fixed Allocation is the last day of the Guarantee Period. Before the Maturity Date, you may choose to renew the Fixed Allocation for a new Guarantee Period of the same or different length or you may transfer all or part of that Fixed Allocation’s Account Value to another Fixed Allocation or to one or more Sub-accounts. We will notify you before the end of the Guarantee Period about the fixed interest rates that we are currently crediting to all Fixed Allocations that are being offered. The rates being credited to Fixed Allocations may change before the Maturity Date. We will not charge a Market Value Adjustment if you choose to renew a Fixed Allocation on its Maturity Date or transfer the Account Value to one or more variable investment options.

If you do not specify how you want a Fixed Allocation to be allocated on its Maturity Date, it will be renewed for a Fixed Allocation of the same duration if then available.

10 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS


Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC): We do not deduct a sales charge from Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity. However, we may deduct a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge or CDSC if you surrender your Annuity or when you make a partial withdrawal. The CDSC reimburses us for expenses related to sales and distribution of the Annuity, including commissions, marketing materials and other promotional expenses. The CDSC is calculated as a percentage of your Purchase Payment being surrendered or withdrawn during the applicable Annuity Year. For purposes of calculating the CDSC, we consider the year following the date we receive a Purchase Payment as Year 1. After five years, the amount of the CDSC applicable to each Purchase Payment decreases over time, measured from the date the Purchase Payment is applied. The CDSC percentages are shown below.

YEARS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9+

CHARGE (%)

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.5

7.5

5.5

3.5

1.5

0.0

Each Purchase Payment has its own CDSC period. When you make a withdrawal, we assume that the oldest Purchase Payment is being withdrawn first so that the lowest CDSC is deducted from the amount withdrawn. After eight (8) complete years from the date you make a Purchase Payment, no CDSC will be assessed if you withdraw or surrender that Purchase Payment. Under certain circumstances you can withdraw a limited amount of Account Value without paying a CDSC. This is referred to as a “Free Withdrawal.” Free Withdrawals are not treated as a withdrawal of Purchase Payments for purposes of calculating the CDSC on a subsequent withdrawal or surrender. Withdrawals of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount are treated as a withdrawal of Purchase Payments and will be assessed a CDSC. For purposes of calculating the CDSC on a surrender or a partial withdrawal, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance.

We may waive the CDSC under certain medically-related circumstances or when taking a Minimum Distribution from an Annuity purchased as a “qualified” investment. Free Withdrawals, Medically-Related Surrenders and Minimum Distributions are each explained more fully in the section entitled “Access to Account Value”.

Transfer Fee: Currently, you may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. We currently charge $10.00 for each transfer after the twentieth in each Annuity Year. We do not consider transfers made as part of a dollar cost averaging program when we count the twenty free transfers. Transfers made as part of a rebalancing, market timing or third party investment advisory service will be subject to the twenty-transfer limit. However, all transfers made on the same day will be treated as one (1) transfer. Renewals or transfers of Account Value from a Fixed Allocation at the end of its Guarantee Period are not subject to the transfer fee and are not counted toward the twenty free transfers. We may reduce the number of free transfers allowable each Annuity Year (subject to a minimum of eight) without charging a transfer fee unless you make use of electronic means to transmit your transfer requests. We may eliminate the transfer fee for transfer requests transmitted electronically or through other means that reduce our processing costs.

Annual Maintenance Fee: During the Accumulation Period we deduct an Annual Maintenance Fee. The Annual Maintenance Fee is $30 or 2% of your Account Value invested in the variable investment options, whichever is less. This fee will be deducted annually on the anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity or, if you surrender your Annuity during the Annuity Year, the fee is deducted at the time of surrender.

Tax Charges: 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 (which includes the effect of any Market Value Adjustment) less any applicable CDSC, any applicable Tax Charge, any charges assessable as a deduction from the Account Value for any optional living or death benefits provided by rider or endorsement, and any Annual Maintenance Fee. We may also assess a charge equal to any Company Taxes or other taxes which may be imposed against the Separate Accounts.

Company Taxes: 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 dividends 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.

11 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Insurance Charge: We deduct an insurance charge daily against the average daily assets allocated to the Sub-accounts. The insurance charge is the combination of the Mortality & Expense Risk Charge (1.25%) and the Administration Charge (0.15%). The total charge is equal to 1.40% on an annual basis. The insurance charge is intended to compensate us for providing the insurance benefits under the Annuity, including the Annuity’s basic death benefit that provides guaranteed benefits to your beneficiaries even if the Sub-account declines and the risk that persons we guarantee annuity payments to will live longer than our assumptions. The charge also covers administrative costs associated with providing the Annuity benefits, including preparation of the contract, confirmation statements, annual account statements and annual reports, legal and accounting fees as well as various related expenses. Finally, the charge covers the risk that our assumptions about the mortality risks and expenses under this Annuity are incorrect and that we have agreed not to increase these charges over time despite our actual costs.

We may make a profit on the insurance charge if, over time, the actual cost of providing the guaranteed insurance obligations under the Annuity are less than the amount we deduct for the insurance charge. To the extent we make a profit on the insurance charge, such profit may be used for any other corporate purpose, including payment of other expenses that we incur in promoting, distributing, issuing and administering the Annuity and to offset a portion of the costs associated with offering Credits which are funded through our general account. The insurance charge is deducted against your Annuity’s Account Value, which includes the amount of any Credits we apply to your Purchase Payments and any increases or decreases in your Account Value based on Sub-account fluctuations of the Sub-accounts. Any profit that we may make on the insurance charge may include a profit on the portion of the Account Value that represents Credits applied to the Annuity, as well as profits based on market appreciation of the Sub-account values.

The insurance charge is not deducted against assets allocated to a Fixed Allocation. However, the amount we credit to Fixed Allocations may also reflect similar assumptions about the insurance guarantees provided under the Annuity.

Benefits Available Under the Annuity: For information about the benefits available under the Annuity and their corresponding charges, please refer to the section titled “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” in this prospectus.

Fees and Expenses Incurred by the Portfolios: We do not assess any charges directly against the Portfolios. However, each Portfolio pays charges, fees and expenses, which are deducted daily by each Portfolio before it provides us with the net asset value as of the close of business each day. More detailed information about fees and charges can be found in Appendix A to this prospectus and the prospectuses for the Portfolios located at www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-ASXT-STAT.

FIXED RATE OPTION CHARGES

No specific fee or expenses are deducted when determining the rate we credit to a Fixed Allocation. However, for some of the same reasons that we deduct the insurance charge against Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts, we also consider mortality, expense, administration, profit and other factors in determining the interest rates we credit to Fixed Allocations. Any CDSC or Tax Charge applies to amounts that are taken from the variable investment options or the Fixed Allocations. A Market Value Adjustment may also apply to transfers, certain withdrawals, surrender or Annuitization from a Fixed Allocation. Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION CHARGES

In certain states a tax is due if and when you exercise your right to receive periodic annuity payments. The amount payable will depend on the applicable jurisdiction and on the annuity payment option you select. If you select a fixed payment option, the amount of each fixed payment will depend on the Account Value of your Annuity when you elected to annuitize. There is no specific charge deducted from these payments; however, the amount of each annuity payment reflects assumptions about our insurance expenses.

EXCEPTIONS/REDUCTIONS TO FEES AND CHARGES

We may reduce or eliminate certain fees and charges or alter the way the particular fee or charge is deducted. For example, we may reduce the amount of the CDSC or the length of time it applies, reduce or eliminate the amount of the Annual Maintenance Fee or reduce the portion of the total insurance charge that is deducted as an Administration Charge. Generally, these types of changes will be based on a reduction to our sales, maintenance or administrative expenses due to the nature of the individual or group purchasing the Annuity. Some of the factors we might consider in making such a decision are: (a) the size and type of group; (b) the number of Annuities purchased by an Owner; (c) the amount of Purchase Payments or likelihood of additional Purchase Payments; and/or (d) other transactions where sales, maintenance or administrative expenses are likely to be reduced. We will not discriminate unfairly between Annuity purchasers if and when we reduce the portion of the insurance charge attributed to the charge covering administrative costs.

12 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

PURCHASING YOUR ANNUITY


The Annuity referenced in this prospectus is no longer available for new sales or re-elections.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASING THE ANNUITY

We may apply certain limits, restrictions, and/or underwriting standards as a condition of our issuance of the annuity and/or acceptance of Purchase Payments. Certain of the current limitations, restrictions and standards are described below. We may change these limitations, restrictions and standards in the future.

Initial Purchase Payment: We no longer allow new purchases of this Annuity. The minimum initial Purchase Payment is $1,000. However, if you decided to make payments under a systematic investment or “bank drafting” program, we accepted a lower initial Purchase Payment provided that, within the first Annuity Year, you made at least $1,000 in total Purchase Payments.

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. We may have applied certain limitations and/or restrictions on the Annuity as a condition of our acceptance, including limiting the liquidity features or the Death Benefit protection provided under the Annuity, limiting the right to make additional Purchase Payments, changing the number of transfers allowable under the Annuity or restricting the Sub-accounts that are available. Other limitations and/or restrictions may apply.

Age Restrictions: The Owner must have been age 80 or under as of the Issue Date of the Annuity. If the Annuity is owned jointly, the oldest of the Owners must have been age 80 or under on the Issue Date. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must have been age 80 or under as of the Issue Date. The availability of certain optional benefits may vary based on the age of the Owner on the Issue Date of the Annuity.

Additional Purchase Payments may be made at any time before the Annuity Date as long as the oldest Owner or Annuitant (if the Annuity is entity owned) is not over age 80.

DESIGNATION OF OWNER, ANNUITANT, AND BENEFICIARY

Owner, Annuitant and Beneficiary Designations: On your Application, we asked you to name the Owner(s), Annuitant and one or more Beneficiaries for your Annuity.

 

Owner: The Owner(s) holds all rights under the Annuity. You may name up to two Owners in which case all ownership rights are held jointly. Generally, joint Owners are required to act jointly; however, if each Owner provides us with a written form that we find acceptable, we will permit each Owner to act independently on behalf of both Owners. All information and documents that we are required to send you will be sent to the first named Owner. This Annuity does not provide a right of survivorship. Refer to the Glossary of Terms for a complete description of the term “Owner.”

 

Annuitant: The Annuitant is the person we agree to make annuity payments to and upon whose life we continue to make such payments. You must name an Annuitant who is a natural person. We do not accept a designation of joint Annuitants during the Accumulation Period. Where allowed by law, you may name one or more Contingent Annuitants. A Contingent Annuitant will become the Annuitant if the Annuitant dies before the Annuity Date. Please refer to the discussion of “Considerations for Contingent Annuitants” in the “Tax Considerations” section of the Prospectus.

 

Beneficiary: The Beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you name to receive the death benefit. If no beneficiary is named the death benefit will be paid to you or your estate. If no beneficiary is named for a trust owned contract, the default beneficiary will be the contract owner.
 

Your right to make certain designations may be limited if your Annuity is to be used as an IRA or other “qualified” investment that is given beneficial tax treatment under the Code. You should seek tax advice on the income, estate and gift tax implications of your designations.

13 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY


CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS

You may change the Owner, Annuitant and Beneficiary designations. Where allowed by law, such changes will be subject to our acceptance. Some of the changes we will not accept include, but are not limited to:

 

a new Owner subsequent to the death of the Owner or the first of any joint Owners to die, except where a spouse-Beneficiary has become the Owner as a result of an Owner’s death;

 

a new Annuitant subsequent to the Annuity Date;

 

for “Non-qualified” investments, a new Annuitant prior to the Annuity Date if the Annuity is owned by an entity;

 

a change in Beneficiary if the Owner had previously made the designation irrevocable;

 

a new Owner or Annuitant that is a certain ownership type, including but not limited to corporations, partnerships, endowments, and grantor trusts with multiple grantors (if allowed by state law); and

 

a new Annuitant for a contract issued to a grantor trust where the new Annuitant is not the grantor of the trust.
 

Unless prohibited by applicable State Law, we reserve the right to refuse a proposed change of Owner and/or Beneficiary, and a proposed assignment of the Annuity.

We will reject a proposed change where the proposed Owner, Annuitant, Beneficiary or assignee is any of the following:

 

a company(ies) that issues or manages viatical or structured settlements;

 

an institutional investment company;

 

an Owner with no insurable relationship to the Annuitant or Contingent Annuitant (a “Stranger-Owned Annuity” or “STOA”); or

 

a change in designation(s) that does not comply with or that we cannot administer in compliance with Federal and/or state law.
 

Spousal Owners/Spousal Beneficiaries

If an Annuity is co-owned by spouses, we will assume that the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse. Upon the death of either spousal Owner, the surviving spouse may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Death Benefit payment. The Death Benefit that would have been payable will be the new Account Value of the Annuity as of the date of due proof of death and any required proof of a spousal relationship. As of the date the assumption is effective, the surviving spouse will have all the rights and benefits that would be available under the Annuity to a new purchaser of the same attained age. For purposes of determining any future Death Benefit for the beneficiary of the surviving spouse, the new Account Value will be considered as the initial Purchase Payment. No CDSC will apply to the new Account Value. However, any additional Purchase Payments applied after the date the assumption is effective will be subject to all provisions of the Annuity, including the CDSC when applicable.

Spousal assumption is also permitted, subject to our rules and regulatory approval, if the Annuity 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 Code (“Code”) (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”) and, on the date of the Annuitant’s death, the spouse of the Annuitant is (1) the Contingent Annuitant under the Annuity and (2) the beneficiary of the Custodial Account. The ability to continue the Annuity in this manner will result in the Annuity no longer qualifying for tax deferral under the Code. However, such tax deferral should result from the ownership of the Annuity by the Custodial Account. Please consult your tax or legal advisor.

Note that any division of your Annuity due to divorce will be treated as a withdrawal and the non-Owner spouse may then decide whether he or she would like to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity that is then available to new contract Owners. Note that any division of your Annuity due to divorce will be treated as a withdrawal and CDSC may apply. If CDSC is applicable, it cannot be divided between the Owner and the non-Owner ex-spouses. The non-Owner ex-spouse may decide whether he or she would like to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity that is then available to new contract Owners. Depending upon the method used for the division of the Annuity, the CDSC may be applied to the existing or new Annuity. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding your personal situation if you will be transferring or dividing your Annuity pursuant to a divorce.

The federal and state tax law provisions applicable to an opposite sex spouse will also apply to a same sex spouse. Please note that a civil union or registered domestic partnership is generally not recognized as a marriage.

Contingent Annuitant

Generally, if an Annuity is owned by an entity and the entity has named a Contingent Annuitant, the Contingent Annuitant will become the Annuitant upon the death of the Annuitant, and no Death Benefit is payable. Unless we agree otherwise, the Annuity is only eligible to have a Contingent Annuitant designation if the entity which owns the Annuity is (1) a plan described in 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, as described in the above section.

14 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Where the Annuity is held by a Custodial Account, the Contingent 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 Annuity. If the Custodial Account elects to receive the Death Benefit, the Account Value of the Annuity 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. See the section above entitled “Spousal Owners/Spousal Beneficiaries” for more information about how the Annuity can be continued by a Custodial Account.

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENTS

The minimum amount that we accept as an additional Purchase Payment is $100 unless you participate in the Systematic Investment Program or a periodic Purchase Payment program. We will allocate any additional Purchase Payments you make according to your most recent allocation instructions, unless you request new allocations when you submit a new Purchase Payment. Additional Purchase Payments may be paid at any time before the Annuity Date if the oldest Owner or Annuitant (if the Annuity is entity owned) is not over age 80.

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS DIRECTLY FROM A BANK ACCOUNT

You can make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity by authorizing us to deduct money directly from your bank account and applying it to your Annuity. This type of program is often called “bank drafting”. We call our bank drafting program “Systematic Investment Program.” Purchase Payments made through bank drafting may only be allocated to the variable investment options when applied. Bank drafting allows you to invest in your Annuity with a lower initial Purchase Payment, if you authorize payments that will equal at least $1,000 during the first 12 months of your Annuity. We may suspend or cancel bank drafting privileges if sufficient funds are not available from the applicable financial institution on any date that a transaction is scheduled to occur.

SALARY REDUCTION PROGRAMS

These types of programs are only available with certain types of qualified investments. If your employer sponsors such a program, we may agree to accept periodic Purchase Payments through a salary reduction program as long as the allocations are made only to variable investment options and the periodic Purchase Payments received in the first year total at least $1,000.

15 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE


HOW AND WHEN ARE PURCHASE PAYMENTS INVESTED?

(See “Valuing Your Investment” for a description of our procedure for pricing initial and subsequent Purchase Payments.)

Initial Purchase Payment: Once we accepted your application, we invested your net Purchase Payment in the Annuity. The net Purchase Payment is your initial Purchase Payment minus any tax charges that may apply. The Annuity is no longer sold.

Subsequent Purchase Payments: We will allocate any additional Purchase Payments you make according to your current allocation instructions. If any rebalancing or asset allocation programs are in effect, the allocation should conform with such a program. We assume that your current allocation instructions are valid for subsequent Purchase Payments until you make a change to those allocations or request new allocations when you submit a new Purchase Payment.

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?

We apply a “Credit” 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, according to the tables below:

The Credits shown below are in effect as of October 23, 2000 in those states where approved.

Cumulative Purchase Payments

Credit

Between $1,000 and $9,999.99

1.5%

Between $10,000 and $4,999,999.99

4.0%

Greater than $5,000,000

5.0%

The Credits shown below apply to all Annuities issued before October 23, 2000 and to Annuities issued after October 23, 2000 in those states where the above table had not been approved.

Cumulative Purchase Payments

Credit

Between $1,000 and $9,999.99

1.5%

Between $10,000 and $999,999.99

3.0%

Between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999.99

4.0%

Greater than $5,000,000

5.0%

Credits Applied to Purchase Payments for Designated Class of Annuity Owner

Where allowed by state law, on Annuities owned by a member of the class defined below, the table of Credits we apply to Purchase Payments is deleted. The Credit applied to all Purchase Payments on such Annuities is 8.5%.

The designated class of Annuity Owners includes: (a) any parent company, affiliate or subsidiary of ours; (b) an officer, director, employee, retiree, sales representative, or in the case of an affiliated broker-dealer, registered representative of such company; (c) a director, officer or trustee of any underlying Portfolio; (d) a director, officer or employee of any investment manager, sub-advisor, transfer agent, custodian, auditing, legal or administrative services provider that is providing investment management, advisory, transfer agency, custodianship, auditing, legal and/or administrative services to an underlying mutual fund or any affiliate of such firm; (e) a director, officer, employee or registered representative of a broker-dealer or insurance agency that has a then current selling agreement with us and/or with Prudential Annuities Distributors, Incorporated, a Prudential Financial Company, or the prior principal underwriter of the Annuity; (f) a director, officer, employee or authorized representative of any firm providing us or our affiliates with regular legal, actuarial, auditing, underwriting, claims, administrative, computer support, marketing, office or other services; (g) the then current spouse of any such person noted in (b) through (f), above; (h) the parents of any such person noted in (b) through (g), above; (i) the child(ren) or other legal dependent under the age of 21 of any such person noted in (b) through (h) above; and (j) the siblings of any such persons noted in (b) through (h) above. Membership in a designated class was determined at the time the annuity was purchased.

All other terms and conditions of the Annuity apply to Owners in the designated class, except that we will not provide any Additional Amounts for any such contracts. Any Target Value Credits applied under the Performance Advantage benefit are not affected by an Owner’s inclusion in the designated class of Annuity Owners.

You must notify us at the time you apply for an Annuity if you are a member of the designated class. We are not responsible for monitoring whether you qualify as a member of the designated class. Failure to inform us that you qualify as a member of the designated class may result in your Annuity receiving fewer Credits than would otherwise be applied to your Annuity.

16 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

HOW ARE CREDITS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT VALUE?

Each Credit is allocated to your Account Value at the time the Purchase Payment is applied to your Account Value. The amount of the Credit is allocated to the investment options in the same ratio as the applicable Purchase Payment is applied and is thereafter treated as a Purchase Payment.

Examples of Applying Credits

Initial Purchase Payment

Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $2,500. We would apply a 1.5% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($37.50 = $2,500 ×.015) to your Account Value in the proportion that your Account Value is allocated.

Additional Purchase Payment (at same breakpoint)

Assume that you make an additional Purchase Payment of $5,000. Because your cumulative Purchase Payments are less than the next breakpoint ($10,000), we would apply a 1.5% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($75.00 = $5,000 ×.015) to your Account Value.

Additional Purchase Payment (at higher breakpoint)

Assume that you make an additional Purchase Payment of $400,000. Because your cumulative Purchase Payments are now $407,500 (greater than the next breakpoint), we would apply a 4.0% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($16,000 = $400,000 ×.04) to your Account Value.



This Annuity features the same insurance charge as many of our other variable annuities and does not charge an additional amount for the XTra Credit feature. However, the amount of any Credits applied to your Account Value can be recaptured by us under the following circumstances:

 

any Credits applied to your Account Value on Purchase Payments made within the 12 months before the date of death will be recaptured;

 

the amount available under the medically-related surrender portion of the Annuity will not include the amount of any Credits payable on Purchase Payments made within 12 months of the date the Annuitant first became eligible for the medically-related surrender; and

 

if you elect to “free-look” your Annuity, the amount returned to you will not include the amount of any Credits.
 

The value of the XTra Credit amount will be substantially reduced if we recapture the XTra Credit amount under these circumstances. However, any investment gain on the XTra Credit amount will not be taken back.



We do not deduct a CDSC in any situation where we recapture the XTra Credit amount.

Examples of Recapturing Credits

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 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 $2,400. 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.
 

Recapture from Medically-Related Surrenders

17 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

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 in the 6th month after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the medically-related surrender provision. Assuming the Credits were applied within 12-months of the date of diagnosis of the terminal illness, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision would be reduced by the entire amount of the Credits ($2,000).

 

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. The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill in the 16th month after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the medically-related surrender provision. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credits that were applied) occurred more than 12-months before the diagnosis, the amount that would be payable upon the medically-related surrender provision 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 diagnosis. Therefore, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision would be reduced by the amount of the Credits payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($400).
 

Credits applied to estimated Purchase Payments

Under certain circumstances, we may determine the amount of Credits payable on two or more separate Purchase Payments based on the Credit percentage that would have applied had all such Purchase Payments been made at the same time. To make use of this procedure, often referred to as a “letter of intent”, you must provide evidence of your intention to submit the cumulative additional Purchase Payments within a 13-month period. A letter of intent was required to be provided to us prior to the Issue Date to be effective. Acceptance of a letter of intent is at our sole discretion and may be subject to restrictions as to the minimum initial Purchase Payment that must be submitted to receive the next higher breakpoint.

Failure to inform us that you intend to submit two or more Purchase Payments within a 13-month period may result in your Annuity receiving fewer Credits than would otherwise be added to your Annuity.

If you submit a letter of intent and receive Credits on Purchase Payments at a higher Credit percentage than would have applied BUT do not submit the required Purchase Payments during the 13-month period as required by your letter of intent, we may recapture the “excess” Credits. “Excess” Credits are Credits in excess of the Credits that would have been payable without the letter of intent. If we determine that you have received “excess” Credits, any such amounts will be taken on a proportional basis from the investment options based on your Account Values as of the date we act to recapture the excess. If the amount of the recapture exceeds your then current Surrender Value, we will recapture all remaining Account Value and terminate your Annuity.

General Information about Credits

 

We do not consider Credits to be “investment in the contract” (also known as “basis”) for income tax purposes.

 

You may not withdraw the amount of any Credits under the Free Withdrawal provision. The Free Withdrawal provision only applies to withdrawals of Purchase Payments.

 

These Credits are separate and distinct from the Target Value Credits discussed below in the section entitled “Performance Advantage.”

 

Credits are included in any contract level standardized or non-standardized performance calculations.

 

Please note that we expect to make a profit from the Annuity, even though there is not an explicit charge for the Credits.
 

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS

During the Accumulation Period you may transfer Account Value between investment options. Transfers are not subject to taxation on any gain. We currently limit the number of Sub-accounts you can invest in at any one time to twenty (20). However, you can invest in an unlimited number of Fixed Allocations. We may require a minimum of $500 in each Sub-account you allocate Account Value to at the time of any allocation or transfer. If you request a transfer and, as a result of the transfer, there would be less than $500 in the Sub-account, we may transfer the remaining Account Value in the Sub-account on a proportional basis to the other investment options to which you transferred.

We may impose specific restrictions on financial transactions for certain Portfolios based on the Portfolio’s investment restrictions. Currently, any purchase, redemption or transfer involving the Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-accounts must be received by us no later than one hour prior to any announced closing of the applicable securities exchange (generally, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to be processed on the current Valuation Day. The “cut-off” time for such financial transactions involving a Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-account will be extended to ½ hour prior to any announced closing (generally, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time) for transactions submitted electronically through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities).

Currently, we charge $10 for each transfer after the twentieth (20th) in each Annuity Year, including transfers made as part of any rebalancing, market timing, asset allocation or similar program which you have authorized. Transfers made as part of a dollar cost averaging program do not count toward the twenty free transfer limit. Renewals or transfers of Account Value from a Fixed Allocation at the end of its Guarantee Period are not subject to the transfer charge. We may reduce the number of free transfers allowable each Annuity Year (subject to a minimum of eight) without charging a Transfer Fee unless you make use of electronic means to transmit your transfer requests. We may eliminate the Transfer Fee for transfer requests transmitted electronically or through other means that reduce our processing costs.

18 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Frequent Transfers

Frequent transfers among investment options in response to short-term fluctuations in markets, sometimes called “market timing,” can make it very difficult for a Portfolio manager to manage a Portfolio’s investments. Frequent transfers may cause the Portfolio to hold more cash than otherwise necessary, disrupt management strategies, increase transaction costs, or affect performance. Considering the risks posed to Owners and other investors by frequent transfers, we reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any Annuity Year for all Owners and to take the other actions discussed below. We also reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any Annuity 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 Unit Values or the share prices of the Portfolios; or (b) we are informed by a Portfolio (e.g., by a Portfolio’s Portfolio manager) that the purchase or redemption of shares in the Portfolio must be restricted because the Portfolio believes the transfer activity to which such purchase and redemption relates would have a detrimental effect on the share prices of the affected Portfolio. 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 Portfolio. 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 Annuity, we track amounts exceeding a certain dollar threshold that were transferred into a Sub-account. If you transfer such amount into a particular Sub-account, and within 30 calendar days thereafter transfer (the “Transfer Out”) all or a portion of that amount into another Sub-account, then upon the Transfer Out, the former Sub-account becomes restricted (the “Restricted Sub-account”). Specifically, we will not permit subsequent transfers into the Restricted Sub-account for 90 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Sub-account invests in a non-international Portfolio, or 180 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Sub-account invests in an international Portfolio. For purposes of this rule, we (i) do not count transfers made in connection with one of our systematic programs; (ii) do not count any transfer that solely involves a holding account; and (iii) do not categorize as a transfer the first transfer that you make after the Issue Date, if you make that transfer within 30 calendar days after the Issue Date. Even if an amount becomes restricted under the foregoing rules, you are still free to redeem the amount from your Annuity at any time.

We reserve the right to effect transfers on a delayed basis for all annuities in accordance with our rules regarding frequent transfers. That is, we may price a transfer involving the Sub-accounts on the Valuation Day subsequent to the Valuation Day on which the transfer request was received. Before implementing such a practice, we would issue a separate written notice to Owners that explains the practice in detail.

If we deny one or more transfer requests under the foregoing rules, we will inform you or your financial professional promptly of the circumstances concerning the denial.

There are Owners of different variable annuity contracts that are funded through the same Separate Account that may not be subject to the above- referenced transfer restrictions and, therefore, might make more numerous and frequent transfers than Owners who are subject to such limitations. Finally, there are Owners of other variable annuity contracts or variable life contracts that are issued by us as well as other insurance companies that have the same Portfolios available to them. Since some Owners are not subject to the same transfer restrictions, unfavorable consequences associated with such frequent trading within the Portfolios (e.g., greater Portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, or performance or tax issues) may affect all Owners. Similarly, while contracts managed by a financial professional are subject to the restrictions on transfers between Sub-accounts that are discussed above, if the financial professional manages a number of contracts in the same fashion unfavorable consequences may be associated with management activity since it may involve the movement of a substantial portion of an Portfolio’s assets which may affect all Owners invested in the affected Portfolios. Apart from jurisdiction-specific and contract differences in transfer restrictions, we will apply these rules uniformly (including contracts managed by a financial professional) and will not waive a transfer restriction for any Owner.

Although our transfer restrictions are designed to prevent excessive transfers, they are not capable of preventing every potential occurrence of excessive transfer activity. The Portfolios have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to excessive trading of their respective shares, and we reserve the right to enforce any such current or future 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 or its transfer agent that obligates us to provide to the Portfolio promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual Owners (including an Owner’s TIN number), and (2) execute instructions from the Portfolio to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific 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 you) 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 (also referred to as “redemption fee”) in connection with a transfer out of the Sub-account investing in that Portfolio that occurs within a certain number of days following the date of allocation to the Sub-account. 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 Account Value, to the extent allowed by law. At present, no Portfolio has adopted a short-term trading fee.

19 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS

We offer Dollar Cost Averaging during the Accumulation Period. Dollar Cost Averaging allows you to systematically transfer an amount each month from one investment option to one or more other investment options. You can choose to transfer earnings only, principal plus earnings or a flat dollar amount. Dollar Cost Averaging allows you to invest regularly each month, regardless of the current Unit value (or price) of the Sub-account(s) you invest in. This enables you to purchase more Units when the Sub-account price is low and fewer Units when the Sub-account price is high. This may result in a lower average cost of Units over time. However, there is no guarantee that Dollar Cost Averaging will result in a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market. We do not deduct a charge for participating in a Dollar Cost Averaging program.

You must have a minimum Account Value of at least $10,000 to enroll in a Dollar Cost Averaging program.

You can Dollar Cost Average from variable investment options or Fixed Allocations. Dollar Cost Averaging from Fixed Allocations is subject to a number of rules that include, but are not limited to the following:

 

You may only use Fixed Allocations with Guarantee Periods of 1, 2 or 3 years.

 

You may only Dollar Cost Average earnings or principal plus earnings. If transferring principal plus earnings, the program must be designed to last the entire Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation.

 

Dollar Cost Averaging transfers from Fixed Allocations are not subject to a Market Value Adjustment.
 

NOTE: When a Dollar Cost Averaging program is established from a Fixed Allocation, the fixed rate of interest we credit to your Account Value is applied to a declining balance due to the transfers of Account Value to the Sub-accounts during the Guarantee Period. This will reduce the effective rate of return on the Fixed Allocation over the Guarantee Period.

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING PROGRAMS

During the Accumulation Period, we offer automatic rebalancing among the variable investment options you choose. You can choose to have your Account Value rebalanced monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. On the appropriate date, your variable investment options are rebalanced to the allocation percentages you request. For example, over time the performance of the variable investment options will differ, causing your percentage allocations to shift. With automatic rebalancing, we transfer the appropriate amount from the “overweighted” Sub-accounts to the “underweighted” Sub-accounts to return your allocations to the percentages you request. If you request a transfer from or into any variable investment option participating in the automatic rebalancing program, we will assume that you wish to change your rebalancing percentages as well, and will automatically adjust the rebalancing percentages in accordance with the transfer unless we receive alternate instructions from you.

We may require you to have a minimum Account Value of at least $10,000 to enroll in automatic rebalancing. All rebalancing transfers made on the same day as part of an automatic rebalancing program are considered as one transfer when counting the number of transfers each year toward the maximum number of free transfers. We do not deduct a charge for participating in an automatic rebalancing program.

DO YOU OFFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO GUARANTEE A “RETURN OF PREMIUM” AT A FUTURE DATE?

We offer two different programs for investors who wish to invest in the variable investment options but also wish to protect their principal, at least as of a specific date in the future. You may not want to use either of these programs if you expect to begin taking annuity payments before the program would be completed.

Balanced Investment Program

We offer a balanced investment program where a portion of your Account Value is allocated to a Fixed Allocation and the remaining Account Value is allocated to the variable investment options that you select. When you enroll in the Balanced Investment Program, you choose the duration that you wish the program to last. This determines the duration of the Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation. Based on the fixed rate for the Guarantee Period chosen, we calculate the portion of your Account Value that must be allocated to the Fixed Allocation to grow to a specific “principal amount” (such as your initial Purchase Payment). We determine the amount based on the rates then in effect for the Guarantee Period you choose. If you continue the program until the end of the Guarantee Period and make no withdrawals or transfers, at the end of the Guarantee Period, the Fixed Allocation will have grown to equal the “principal amount”. Withdrawals or transfers from the Fixed Allocation before the end of the Guarantee Period will terminate the program and may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment. You can transfer the Account Value that is not allocated to the Fixed Allocation between any of the Sub-accounts available under the Annuity. Account Value you allocate to the variable investment options is subject to Sub-account fluctuations and may increase or decrease in value. We do not deduct a charge for participating in the Balanced Investment Program.

 

  Example

 

  Assume you invest $100,000. You choose a 10-year program and allocate a portion of your Account Value to a Fixed Allocation with a 10- year Guarantee Period. The rate for the 10-year Guarantee Period is 2.50%*. Based on the fixed interest rate for the Guarantee Period chosen, the factor is 0.781198 for determining how much of your Account Value will be allocated to the Fixed Allocation. That means that $78,120 will be allocated to the Fixed Allocation and the remaining Account Value ($21,880) will be allocated to the Sub-accounts. Assuming that you do not make any withdrawals or transfers from the Fixed Allocation, it will grow to $100,000 at the end of the Guarantee Period. Of course we cannot predict the value of the remaining Account Value that was allocated to the Sub-accounts.
 

20 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 
* The rate in this example is hypothetical and may not reflect the current rate for Guarantee Periods of this duration.

Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)

We also offer a seven-year program where we monitor your Account Value daily and systematically transfer amounts between Fixed Allocations and the variable investment options you choose. For more information about this option, please refer to the “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERMISSION TO FORWARD TRANSACTION INSTRUCTIONS

If you have provided the necessary authorization on the application for your Annuity, the individual who signed the application for your Annuity may forward instructions regarding the allocation of your Account Value, and request financial transactions involving Investment Options. We refer to this person as your “financial professional.” You may have another person providing investment advisory services to you with respect to this Annuity and who you have separately authorized on the form we require to forward instructions to us regarding the allocation of your Account Value or certain financial transactions. Please be aware that if you authorize more than one person to provide investment instructions to us, we will follow all instructions received from authorized persons in the order in which we receive them. If your financial professional or investment advisor has this authority, we deem that all such transactions that are directed by your financial professional or investment advisor, as applicable, with respect to your Annuity have been authorized by you. You will receive a confirmation of any financial transaction involving the purchase or sale of Units of your Annuity. You must contact us immediately if and when you revoke such authority. We will not be responsible for acting on instructions from your financial professional or authorized investment advisor until we receive notification of the revocation of such person’s authority. We may also suspend, cancel or limit these authorizations at any time. In addition, we may restrict the Investment Options available for transfers or allocation of Purchase Payments by such financial professional or investment advisor. We will notify you and your financial professional if we implement any such restrictions or prohibitions.

Please Note: Annuity contracts managed by your financial professional or investment advisor also are subject to the restrictions on transfers between Investment Options that are discussed in the section titled “Restrictions on Transfers Between Investment Options.” We may also require that your financial professional or investment advisor transmit all financial transactions using the electronic trading functionality available through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities). Limitations that we may impose on your financial professional or investment advisor under the agreement (e.g., a custodial agreement) do not apply to financial transactions requested by an Owner on his or her own behalf, except as otherwise described in this prospectus.

It is your responsibility to arrange for the payment of the advisory fee charged by your investment advisor. Similarly, it is your responsibility to understand the advisory services provided by your investment advisor and the advisory fees charged for the services.

For certain Broker Dealers: If instructed by your Broker Dealer, we may allow your financial professional to effectuate withdrawals on your behalf. In the event you do not wish that your financial professional has this authority, please contact us immediately.

21 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE


TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU

During the Accumulation Period you can access your Account Value through Partial Withdrawals, Systematic Withdrawals, and where required for tax purposes, Minimum Distributions. You can also surrender your Annuity at any time. We may deduct a portion of the Account Value being withdrawn or surrendered as a CDSC. If you surrender your Annuity, in addition to any CDSC, we may deduct the Annual Maintenance Fee, any Tax Charge that applies and the charge for any optional benefits. We may also apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. Certain amounts may be available to you each Annuity Year that are not subject to a CDSC. These are called “Free Withdrawals.” In addition, under certain circumstances, we may waive the CDSC for surrenders made for qualified medical reasons or for withdrawals made to satisfy Minimum Distribution requirements. Unless you notify us differently, withdrawals are taken on a proportional basis based on the Account Value in the investment options at the time we receive your withdrawal request. Each of these types of distributions is described more fully below.

TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

(For more information, see “Tax Considerations”)

Prior to Annuitization

A distribution during the Accumulation Period is deemed to come first from any “gain” in your Annuity and second as a return of your “tax basis”, if any. 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. 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. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for advice before requesting a distribution.

During Annuitization

During the Annuitization period, a portion of each annuity payment is taxed as ordinary income at the tax rate you are subject to at the time of the payment. The Code and regulations have “exclusionary rules” that we use to determine what portion of each annuity payment should be treated as a return of any tax basis you have in the Annuity. Once the tax basis in the Annuity has been distributed, the remaining annuity payments are taxable as ordinary income. The tax basis in the Annuity may be based on the tax-basis from a prior contract in the case of a 1035 exchange or other qualifying transfer.

CAN I WITHDRAW A PORTION OF MY ANNUITY?

You can make a withdrawal during the Accumulation Period.

 

To meet liquidity needs, you can withdraw a limited amount from your Annuity during each of Annuity Years 1-8 without a CDSC being applied. We call this the “Free Withdrawal” amount. The Free Withdrawal amount is not available if you choose to surrender your Annuity. Amounts withdrawn as a Free Withdrawal do not reduce the amount of CDSC that may apply upon a subsequent withdrawal or surrender of the Annuity. The minimum Free Withdrawal you may request is $100.

 

You can also make withdrawals in excess of the Free Withdrawal amount. We call this a “Partial Withdrawal.” The amount that you may withdraw will depend on the Annuity’s Surrender Value. The Surrender Value is equal to your Account Value minus any CDSC, the Annual Maintenance Fee, the Tax Charge, any charges for optional benefits and any Market Value Adjustment that may apply to any Fixed Allocations. After any Partial Withdrawal, your Annuity must have a Surrender Value of at least $1,000, or we may treat the Partial Withdrawal request as a request to fully surrender your Annuity. The minimum Partial Withdrawal you may request is $100.
 

When we determine if a CDSC applies to Partial Withdrawals and Systematic Withdrawals, we will first determine what, if any, amounts qualify as a Free Withdrawal. Those amounts are not subject to the CDSC. Partial Withdrawals or Systematic Withdrawals of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount will be subject to a CDSC.

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.

Partial Withdrawals may also be available following Annuitization but only if you choose certain annuity payment options.

To request the forms necessary to make a withdrawal from your Annuity, call 1-800-879-7012 or visit our website at www.prudential.com/annuities.

22 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNTS

The maximum Free Withdrawal amount during any Annuity Year is the greater of:

 

the “Growth” in the Annuity; or

 

10% of Purchase Payments that, as of the date of the withdrawal, have been invested for less than the CDSC period (with your Annuity, eight (8) years). The 10% amount is not cumulative.
 

“Growth” equals the current Account Value less all Purchase Payments that have been invested for less than the CDSC period and have not been previously withdrawn. “Growth” does not include any additional amounts we applied to your Annuity based on your Purchase Payments (see “How Do I Receive Credits” and “What Are Target Value Credits”).

NOTE: Free Withdrawals do not reduce the amount of any CDSC that would apply upon a partial withdrawal or subsequent surrender. The minimum Free Withdrawal you may request is $100. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations.

We may reduce or eliminate the amount available as a Free Withdrawal if your Annuity is used in connection with certain plans that receive special tax treatment under the Code.

Examples

Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no additional Purchase Payments. Assume that in Annuity Year 2, due to positive investment performance, your Account Value is $12,500. The maximum Free Withdrawal amount would be the greater of Growth (Account Value minus Purchase Payments = $2,500) or 10% of Purchase Payments ($1,000). Your maximum Free Withdrawal amount would therefore be $2,500.

Further assume that in your third Annuity Year, you choose to surrender your Annuity. Assume that after taking your $2,500 Free Withdrawal in Year 2, your Account Value has increased to $11,000 due to positive investment performance. Upon surrender, we will deduct a CDSC of 8.5% based on the number of years that your Purchase Payment has been invested times the amount of your Purchase Payment that has not been previously withdrawn (8.5% of $10,000 = $850). The amount of the previous Free Withdrawal was not subject to a CDSC when withdrawn. Therefore, upon surrender, the amount of the entire Purchase Payment is subject to the CDSC. You would receive $10,150 minus the Annual Maintenance Fee and any Target Value Credits.

These examples do not reflect the effect of any Credits or Target Value Credits. These amounts are not available as a Free Withdrawal.

When we determine if a CDSC applies to Partial Withdrawals and Systematic Withdrawals, we will first determine what, if any, amounts qualify as a Free Withdrawal. Those amounts are not subject to the CDSC. Partial Withdrawal or Systematic Withdrawal of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount will be subject to a CDSC.

IS THERE A CHARGE FOR A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL?

A CDSC may be assessed against a Partial Withdrawal during the Accumulation Period. Whether a CDSC applies and the amount to be charged depends on whether the Partial Withdrawal exceeds any Free Withdrawal amount and, if so, the number of years that have elapsed since the Purchase Payment being withdrawn has been invested in the Annuity.

 

1. If you request a Partial Withdrawal we determine if the amount you requested is available as a Free Withdrawal (in which case it would not be subject to a CDSC);

 

2. If the amount requested exceeds the available Free Withdrawal amount:

 

First, we withdraw the amount from Purchase Payments that have been invested for longer than the CDSC period, if any (with your Annuity, eight (8) years);

 

Second, we withdraw the remaining amount from the Purchase Payments that are still subject to a CDSC. We withdraw the “oldest” of your Purchase Payments first so that the lowest CDSC will apply to the amount withdrawn.

 

  Any CDSC will only apply to the amount withdrawn that exceeds the Free Withdrawal amount.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC on a partial withdrawal, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance.

 

3. If the amount requested exceeds the amounts available under Item #2 above, we withdraw the remaining amount from any other Account Value (including Account Value due to Credits and Target Value Credits).
 

CAN YOU CLOSE MY ACCOUNT AND INVOLUNTARILY REDEEM MY INVESTMENT?

As explained above, after any Partial Withdrawal, your Annuity must have a Surrender Value of at least $1,000, or we may treat the Partial Withdrawal request as a request to fully surrender your Annuity.

23 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS

You can receive Systematic Withdrawals of earnings only, principal plus earnings or a flat dollar amount. Systematic Withdrawals based on the Free Withdrawal amount are only available if the contract is still within the surrender charge period and will be calculated based only on the Purchase Payments that are still subject to CDSC. Systematic Withdrawals may be subject to a CDSC. We will determine whether a CDSC applies and the amount in the same way as we would for a Partial Withdrawal.

Systematic Withdrawals can be made from Account Value allocated to the variable investment options or Fixed Allocations. Generally, Systematic Withdrawals from Fixed Allocations are limited to earnings accrued after the program of Systematic Withdrawals begins, or payments of fixed dollar amounts that do not exceed such earnings. Systematic Withdrawals are available on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. We may require that the Surrender Value of your Annuity must be at least $20,000 before we will allow you to begin a program of Systematic Withdrawals.

The minimum amount for each Systematic Withdrawal is $100. If any scheduled Systematic Withdrawal is for less than $100, we may postpone the withdrawal and add the expected amount to the amount that is to be withdrawn on the next scheduled Systematic Withdrawal.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS UNDER SECTION 72(t) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

If your Annuity is used as a funding vehicle for certain retirement plans that receive special tax treatment under Sections 401, 403(b) or 408 of the Code, Section 72(t) of the Code may provide an exception to the 10% additional tax on distributions made prior to age 59½ if you elect to receive distributions as a series of “substantially equal periodic payments”. Distributions received under this provision in any Annuity Year that exceed the maximum amount available as a Free Withdrawal will be subject to a CDSC. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. To request a program that complies with Section 72(t), you must provide us with certain required information in writing on a form acceptable to us. We may require advance notice to allow us to calculate the amount of 72(t) withdrawals. The Surrender Value of your Annuity must be at least $20,000 before we will allow you to begin a program for withdrawals under Section 72(t). The minimum amount for any such withdrawal is $100.

You may also annuitize your contract and begin receiving payments for the remainder of your life (or life expectancy) as a means of receiving income payments before age 59½ that are not subject to the 10% additional tax.

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS

(See “Tax Considerations” for a further discussion of Minimum Distributions.)

Minimum Distributions are a type of Systematic Withdrawal we allow to meet distribution requirements under Sections 401, 403(b) or 408 of the Code. Under the Code, you may be required to begin receiving periodic amounts from your Annuity. In such case, we will allow you to make Systematic Withdrawals in amounts that satisfy the minimum distribution rules under the Code. We do not assess a CDSC on Minimum Distributions from your Annuity if you are required by law to take such Minimum Distributions from your Annuity at the time it is taken. However, a CDSC may be assessed on that portion of a Systematic Withdrawal that is taken to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements in relation to other savings or investment plans under other qualified retirement plans not maintained with us.

The amount of the required Minimum Distribution for your particular situation may depend on other annuities, savings or investments. We will only calculate the amount of your required Minimum Distribution based on the value of your Annuity. We require three (3) days advance written notice to calculate and process the amount of your payments. You may elect to have Minimum Distributions paid out monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The $100 minimum that applies to Systematic Withdrawals does not apply to Minimum Distributions.

You may also annuitize your contract and begin receiving payments for the remainder of your life (or life expectancy) as a means of receiving income payments and satisfying the Minimum Distribution requirements under the Code.

24 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

SURRENDERS


SURRENDER VALUE

During the Accumulation Period you can surrender your Annuity at any time. Upon surrender, you will receive the Surrender Value. Upon surrender of your Annuity, you will no longer have any rights under the Annuity.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC on surrender, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations.

Under certain annuity payment options, you may be allowed to surrender your Annuity for its then current value.

To request the forms necessary to surrender your Annuity, call 1-800-879-7012 or visit our website at www.prudential.com/annuities.

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS

Where permitted by law, you may request to surrender your Annuity prior to the Annuity Date without application of any CDSC upon occurrence of a medically-related “Contingency Event”. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. The amount payable will be your Account Value minus: (a) the amount of any Credits applied within 12 months of the applicable “Contingency Event” as defined below; (b) the amount of any Credits added in conjunction with any Purchase Payments received after our receipt of your request for a medically-related surrender (i.e. Purchase Payments received at such time pursuant to a salary reduction program; and (c) the amount of any Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

This waiver of any applicable CDSC is subject to our rules, including but not limited to the following:

 

the Annuitant must be named, or any change of Annuitant must be accepted by us, prior to the “Contingency Event” described below;

 

the Annuitant must be alive as of the date we pay the proceeds of such surrender request;

 

if the Owner is one or more natural persons, all such Owners must also be alive at such time;

 

we must receive satisfactory proof of the Annuitant’s confinement in a Medical Care Facility or Fatal Illness in writing on a form satisfactory to us;

 

this benefit is not available if the total Purchase Payments received exceed $500,000 for all annuities issued by us with this benefit where the same person is named as Annuitant; and

 

proceeds will only be sent by check or electronic fund transfer directly to the Owner.
 

A “Contingency Event” occurs if the Annuitant is:

 

first confined in a “Medical Care Facility” while your Annuity is in force and remains confined for at least 90 days in a row; or

 

first diagnosed as having a “Fatal Illness” while your Annuity is in force.
 

The definitions of “Medical Care Facility” and “Fatal Illness,” as well as additional terms and conditions, are provided in your Annuity. Specific details and definitions in relation to this benefit may differ in certain jurisdictions.

25 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

ANNUITY OPTIONS


We currently make annuity options available that provide fixed annuity payments. Your Annuity provides certain fixed annuity payment options. We do not guarantee to continue to make available any other option other than the fixed annuity payment options set forth in your Annuity. Fixed options provide the same amount with each payment. You must annuitize your entire Account Value; partial Annuitizations are not allowed.

When you purchase an Annuity, or at a later date, you may choose an Annuity Date, an annuity option and the frequency of annuity payments. You may change your choices before the Annuity Date under the terms of the contract. A maximum Annuity Date may be required by law. The Annuity Date may depend on the annuity option you choose. Certain annuity options may not be available depending on the age of the Annuitant.

Certain of these annuity options may be available to Beneficiaries who choose to receive the Death Benefit proceeds as a series of payments instead of a lump sum payment.

Option 1

Payments for Life: Under this option, income is payable periodically until the death of the “key life”. The “key life” (as used in this section) is the person or persons upon whose life annuity payments are based. No additional annuity payments are made after the death of the key life. Since no minimum number of payments is guaranteed, this option offers the largest amount of periodic payments of the life contingent annuity options. It is possible that only one payment will be payable if the death of the key life occurs before the date the second payment was due, and no other payments nor death benefits would be payable. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

Option 2

Payments Based on Joint Lives: Under this option, income is payable periodically during the joint lifetime of two key lives, and thereafter during the remaining lifetime of the survivor, ceasing with the last payment prior to the survivor’s death. No minimum number of payments is guaranteed under this option. It is possible that only one payment will be payable if the death of all the key lives occurs before the date the second payment was due, and no other payments or death benefits would be payable. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

Option 3

Payments for Life with a Certain Period: Under this option, income is payable until the death of the key life. However, if the key life dies before the end of the period selected (5, 10 or 15 years), the remaining payments are paid to the Beneficiary until the end of such period.

Option 4

Fixed Payments for a Certain Period: Under this option, income is payable periodically for a specified number of years. If the payee dies before the end of the specified number of years, the remaining payments are paid to the Beneficiary until the end of such period. Note that under this option, payments are not based on any assumptions of life expectancy. Therefore, that portion of the insurance charge assessed to cover the risk that key lives outlive our expectations provides no benefit to an Owner selecting this option. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

For qualified annuities, the period certain option may be limited to 10 years or less depending on the circumstances.

We may make different annuity and settlement options available in the future. We do not guarantee to continue to make available or any other option other than the fixed annuity payment options set forth in your contract.

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?

Unless prohibited by law, we require that you elect either a life annuity or an annuity with a certain period of at least 5 years if any CDSC would apply were you to surrender your Annuity on the Annuity Date. Therefore, making a Purchase Payment within eight years of the Annuity Date limits your annuity payment options. Certain annuity payment options may not be available if your Annuity Date occurs during the period that a CDSC would apply.

If you have not provided us with your Annuity Date or annuity payment option in writing, then:

 

the Annuity Date will be the first day of the calendar month following the later of the Annuitant’s 85th birthday or the fifth anniversary of our receipt of your request to purchase an Annuity; and

 

the annuity payments, where allowed by law, will be calculated on a fixed basis under Option 3, Payments for Life with 10 years certain.
 

HOW ARE ANNUITY PAYMENTS CALCULATED?

Fixed Annuity Payments

If you choose to receive fixed annuity payments, you will receive equal fixed-dollar payments throughout the period you select. The amount of the fixed payment will vary depending on the annuity payment option and payment frequency you select. Generally, the first annuity payment is determined by multiplying the Account Value, minus any state premium taxes that may apply, by the factor determined from our table of annuity rates. The table of annuity rates differs based on the type of annuity chosen and the frequency of payment selected. Our rates will not be less than our guaranteed

26 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

minimum rates. These guaranteed minimum rates are derived from the 1983a Individual Annuity Mortality Table with an assumed interest rate of 3% per annum. Where required by law or regulation, such annuity table will have rates that do not differ according to the gender of the key life. Otherwise, the rates will differ according to the gender of the key life.

27 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY


The following table summarizes information about the benefits available under the Annuity.

Name of Benefit

Purpose

Standard or Optional

Maximum Fee

Restrictions/Limitations

Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)1/Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)2

Guarantees a “return of premium” at a future date, while allowing you to allocate all or a portion of your Account Value to the Sub-accounts of your choice.

Optional

0.50%
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

Account Value subject to systematic transfers to and from Fixed Allocations. We may restrict the selection of certain Portfolios. Please refer to Appendix A for variable Sub-account availability.

Basic Death Benefit

Provides protection for your beneficiary(ies) by ensuring that they do not receive less than your Account Value.

Standard

0%

None.

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit3

Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing amounts in addition to the basic Death Benefit that can be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death.

Optional

0.75%
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)4

None.

Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit3

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 Anniversary Value.

Optional

0.75%
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

You may not select certain Portfolios. Please refer to Appendix A for variable Sub-account availability.

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit3

Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing amounts in addition to the basic Death Benefit.

Optional

0.55%
(based on current Death Benefit amount)

None.

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider3

Provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit for your Beneficiary(ies) that may be useful in offsetting federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Please refer to Appendix C for a complete description of the charges.

Optional

10.50%
(based on your age and your Account Value as of the Issue Date of your Annuity)

None.

Annuity Rewards5

Provides an enhancement to the Death Benefit that captures any Sub-account gains since the Issue Date of your Annuity so that your beneficiary(ies) would not receive less than an Annuity’s value as of the effective date of the benefit. After the 10th Annuity Year, the Death Benefit would equal the Account Value.

Standard

0%

None.

Performance Advantage

Provides an increase to the Account Value if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded a “target value” on its 10th anniversary.

Standard

0%

None.

Dollar Cost Averaging

Allows you to systematically transfer a percentage amount out of an investment option and into any other variable investment option(s).

Standard

0%

Minimum allocation requirements.

Automatic 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

0%

None.

1. The Guaranteed Return Option benefit is no longer available for election. If you currently participate in this benefit, you may re-start the benefit on each anniversary of the Issue Date.
2. The Guaranteed Return Plus Option benefit is no longer available for election.
3. These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity.
4. If the Annuity was purchased before November 18, 2002, the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit fee was based on the Account Value. Please see Appendix D for additional information.
5. This benefit may be referred to as “Prudential Annuities’ Annuity Rewards” in certain documents.

28 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFITS


Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)

GRO is no longer available for new elections.

GRO is an optional benefit that, after a seven-year period following commencement of the benefit (we refer to the end of that period as the “maturity date”) guarantees your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your benefit (called the “Protected Principal Value”).

The benefit monitors your Account Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfers amounts pursuant to a mathematical formula between the Sub-accounts you choose and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation used to support the Protected Principal Value. There is an additional charge if you elect the Guaranteed Return Option benefit.

The guarantee provided by the benefit exists only on the applicable maturity date. However, due to the ongoing monitoring of your Account Value and the transfer of Account Value between the Sub-accounts and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support our future guarantee, the benefit may provide some protection from significant Sub-account losses if you choose to surrender your Annuity or begin receiving annuity payments prior to a maturity date.

Key Feature – Protected Principal Value

Under the GRO benefit, we guarantee that on the maturity date, your Account Value will be no less than the Protected Principal Value. On the maturity date if your Account Value is below the Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Protected Principal Value. A subsequent Purchase Payment increases the amount of the Protected Principal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (plus any Credits), and withdrawals reduce the Protected Principal Value (as discussed below).

We will notify you of any amounts added to your Annuity under the benefit. If our assumptions are correct and the operations relating to the administration of the benefit work properly, we do not expect that we will need to add additional amounts to an Annuity. The Protected Principal Value is generally referred to as the “Guaranteed Amount” in the rider we issue for this benefit.

Key Feature – Allocation of Account Value

GRO uses a mathematical formula that we operate to help manage your guarantees through all market cycles. The formula weighs a number of factors, including the current Account Value, the value in the Sub-accounts, the value in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the Protected Principal Value, the expected value of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations used to support the guarantee, the time remaining until maturity, and the current crediting rates associated with the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. In essence, and as detailed in the formula, the formula will transfer Account Value into the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations if needed to support an anticipated guarantee. Please refer to Appendix E for further information regarding the formula. This required formula thus helps us manage our financial exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations).

Each Valuation Day, the formula determines if any portion of your Account Value needs to be transferred into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, through reference to a “reallocation trigger”. At any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If your entire Account Value is transferred to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts and the entire Account Value would remain in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Sub-accounts according to your allocation instructions. Such additional Purchase Payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, if dictated by the formula. The amount of any such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.

Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Sub-accounts, 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations 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 (including any Market Value Adjustment) and your Protected Principal Value(s);

 

The amount of time until the maturity of your Guarantee(s);

 

The amount invested in, and the performance of, the Sub-accounts;

 

The amount invested in, and interest earned within, the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

The current crediting rates associated with Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

Additional Purchase Payments, if any, that you make to the Annuity; and

 

Withdrawals, if any, taken from the Annuity.
 

29 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Any amounts invested in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will affect your ability to participate in a subsequent recovery within the Sub-accounts. Conversely, the Account Value may be higher at the beginning of the recovery, e.g. more of the Account Value may have been protected from decline and volatility than it otherwise would have been had the benefit not been elected.

While you are not notified when your Account Value reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Account Value either to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

You may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

You should be aware of the following potential ramifications of the formula:

 

A Market Value Adjustment will apply when we reallocate Account Value from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts. Transfers of your Account Value can be frequent, and under some scenarios may occur on a daily basis. As indicated, each such transfer may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be positive or negative. Thus, a Market Value Adjustment will directly increase or reduce your Account Value.

 

As indicated, some or even all, of your Account Value may be maintained in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. The greater the Account Value held in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the larger (in dollar terms) the Market Value Adjustment upon any transfer of such Account Value to the Sub-accounts.

 

If your Account Value is less than the reallocation trigger, a portion of your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will be transferred from the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis according to your allocations to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) to support the applicable guaranteed amount. The new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will have a Guarantee Period equal to the time remaining until the applicable maturity date(s). The Account Value allocated to the new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will be credited with the fixed interest rate(s) then being credited to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) maturing on the applicable maturity date(s) (rounded to the next highest yearly duration). The Account Value will remain invested in each applicable Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation until the applicable maturity date unless, at an earlier date, your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger and, therefore, amounts can be transferred to the Sub-accounts while maintaining the guaranteed protection under the program (as described above).

 

If your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger, and a portion of the Account Value must be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts, then those amounts will be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts according to any asset allocation programs (including an Automatic Rebalancing program) established on your Annuity or in the absence of such programs, on a proportional basis, based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts at that time. A Market Value Adjustment will apply upon a transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, which may result in an increase or decrease in your Account Value.

 

Transfers under the formula do not impact your guarantees under GRO that have already been locked-in.
 

Withdrawals from your Annuity, while the benefit is in effect, will reduce the Protected Principal Value proportionally. The proportion will be equal to the proportionate reduction in the Account Value due to the withdrawal as of that date. Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. Systematic Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations up to growth in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and thereafter on a proportional basis solely from the Sub-accounts. The growth in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations at any point in time consists of the remaining earnings since the program of systematic withdrawal began. Withdrawals will be subject to all other provisions of your Annuity, including any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge and Market Value Adjustment that would apply.

Election of the Benefit

We no longer permit new elections of GRO. If you currently participate in GRO, your existing guarantees are unaffected by the fact that we no longer offer GRO. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as GRO 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 Account 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.

Restart of the Benefit

Once each Annuity Year you may request to restart the Benefit. Such a request is an election by you to terminate the existing Benefit (and all guarantees under the benefit) and start a new one. Restarts only take effect on anniversaries of the Issue Date. To make such a request for a restart, you must notify us in advance in accordance with our administrative requirements. If we accept your request, we then terminate the existing Benefit as of that valuation period, if it is an anniversary of the Issue Date, or, if not, as of the next following anniversary of the Issue Date. The new Benefit starts at that time. The initial Protected Principal Value for the new Benefit is the Account Value as of the effective date of the new Benefit. Unless you tell us otherwise, the duration of the new Benefit will be the same as that for the existing Benefit. However, if we do not then make that duration available, you must elect from those we make available at that time. For those who elect to re-start the benefit, the charge will be assessed according to the current methodology prior to re-starting the benefit. – see “Charges under the Benefit” below.

As part of terminating the existing Benefit, we transfer any amounts in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, subject to a Market Value Adjustment, to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis. If your entire Account Value was then in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, you must first provide us instructions as to how to allocate the transferred Account Value among the Sub-accounts.

30 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Termination of the Benefit

The Annuity Owner also can terminate the Guaranteed Return Option benefit. Upon termination, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will be transferred as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive at our office other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program (b) if your entire Account Value is in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive at our Office prior instructions from you. A Market Value Adjustment will apply (except that if the benefit has terminated automatically due to payment of a death benefit, whether a Market Value Adjustment applies depends solely on the terms of the death benefit – see the Death Benefit section of this prospectus).

In general, you may cancel GRO and then elect another living benefit available post issue, effective on any Valuation Day after your cancellation of GRO. If you terminate GRO, you will lose all guarantees under that benefit. Your election of another living benefit is subject to State and firm availability and our eligibility rules.

The benefit will terminate automatically upon: (a) the death of the Owner or the Annuitant (in an entity owned contract); (b) as of the date Account Value is applied to begin annuity payments; or (c) upon full surrender of your Annuity. If you elect to terminate the benefit, the Guaranteed Return Option will no longer provide any guarantees.

The charge for the Guaranteed Return Option benefit will no longer be deducted from your Account Value after the benefit has been terminated, although for those Annuities for which the GRO charge is deducted annually rather than daily (see “Charges Under the Benefit” below), we will deduct the final annual charge upon termination of the benefit.

Special Considerations under the Guaranteed Return Option

This benefit is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including, but not limited to the following:

 

Upon inception of the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Sub-accounts. The Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation must not have been in effect as of the date that you elected to participate in the benefit. However, the formula may transfer Account Value to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation as of the effective date of the benefit under some circumstances.

 

Annuity Owners cannot allocate any portion of Purchase Payments (including any Credits) or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation while participating in the benefit; however, all or a portion of any Purchase Payments (including any Credits) may be allocated by us to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the amount guaranteed. You cannot participate in any dollar cost averaging benefit that transfers Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to a Sub-account.

 

Transfers from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation made as a result of the formula under the benefit will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment formula under an Annuity; however, the 0.10% liquidity factor in the formula will not apply. A Market Value Adjustment may be either positive or negative. Transfer amounts will be taken from the most recently established Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

Transfers from the Sub-accounts to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts under the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity.

 

Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date will not be treated as “investment in the contract” for income tax purposes.

 

Any amounts that we add to your Annuity to support our guarantee under the benefit will be applied to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, after first transferring any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive at our office other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program and (b) if your entire Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive at our Office prior instructions from you.

 

Low interest rates may require allocation to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation even when the current Account Value exceeds the guarantee.

 

As the time remaining until the applicable maturity date gradually decreases the benefit will become increasingly sensitive to moves to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

We currently limit the Sub-accounts in which you may allocate Account Value if you participate in this benefit. Should we prohibit access to any investment option, any transfers required to move Account Value to eligible investment options will not be counted in determining the number of free transfers during an Annuity Year.
 

31 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Charges under the Benefit

We deduct a maximum charge up to 0.50% of the daily net assets of the Sub-accounts for participation in the Guaranteed Return Option benefit. The annual charge is deducted daily against your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. Account Value allocated to Fixed Allocations under the program is not subject to the charge. The charge is deducted to compensate us for: (a) the risk that your Account Value on the maturity date of the program is less than the amount guaranteed; and (b) administration of the program. You will begin paying this charge as of the effective date of the benefit. We will not refund the charges you have paid even if we never have to make any payments under the benefit.

Effective November 18, 2002, we changed the way in which the annual charge for the Guaranteed Return Option is deducted to the method described above. The annual charge for the Guaranteed Return Option for Owners who elected the benefit between May 1, 2001 and November 15, 2002 and subsequent to November 19, 2002 in those states where the daily deduction of the charge has not been approved, is deducted annually, in arrears, according to the prospectus in effect as of the date the program was elected. Owners who terminate and then re-elect the Guaranteed Return Option or elect to restart the Guaranteed Return Option at any time after November 18, 2002 will be subject to the charge method described above.

Examples

Example 1. Benefit Maturity

This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges under the annuity. It is intended to illustrate the benefit maturity on a guarantee amount under this benefit.

A Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) program begins on July 1, 2015. Your Account Value (AV) at the start of the program is $100,000. As of program maturity on July 1, 2022, there have been no additional Purchase Payments and no prior withdrawals, so your Guaranteed Amount remains at $100,000. The Account Value is $93,000.

Since the Guaranteed Amount exceeds the Account Value, a total of $7,000, the amount by which the guaranteed exceeds the AV, is added to the variable Sub-accounts which you have elected (or the AST Money Market Sub-account if such elections have not been made).

Example 2. Proportional reduction for withdrawal.

This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges under the Annuity. It is intended to illustrate the proportional reduction of a withdrawal on each guarantee amount under this benefit.

A Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) program begins on July 1, 2015. Your Account Value (AV) at the start of the program is $100,000. As of July 1, 2020, there have been no additional Purchase Payments and no prior withdrawals, so your Guaranteed Amount remains at $100,000. The Account Value is $120,000. You then elect to take a $6,000 withdrawal. Assume that no CDSC, Market Value Adjustment or other charges apply.

The Guaranteed Amount is reduced as follows:

 

Guaranteed Amount prior to withdrawal × (1 - withdrawal / AV prior to withdrawal)

 

      = $100,000 × (1 - $6,000 / $120,000)

 

      = $95,000
 

Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)

GRO Plus is no longer available for new elections.

GRO Plus is an optional benefit that, after a seven-year period following commencement of the benefit (we refer to the end of that period and any applicable subsequent period as the “maturity date”) and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter while the benefit remains in effect, guarantees your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your benefit (called the “Protected Principal Value”). The benefit also offers you the opportunity to elect a second, enhanced guaranteed amount at a later date if your Account Value has increased, while preserving the guaranteed amount established on the effective date of your benefit. The enhanced guaranteed amount (called the “Enhanced Protected Principal Value”) guarantees that, after a separate period following election of the enhanced guarantee and on each anniversary thereafter while this enhanced guarantee amount remains in effect, your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your election of the enhanced guarantee. If the maturity date of any guarantee under GRO Plus is not a Valuation Day, and we are required to contribute an amount to your Account Value with respect to that maturing guarantee, we would contribute such an amount on the next Valuation Day.

The benefit monitors your Account Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfers amounts between the Sub-accounts you choose and Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations used to support the Protected Principal Value(s). The benefit may be appropriate if you wish to protect a principal amount against poor Sub-account performance as of a specific date in the future. There is an additional charge if you elected the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit.

The guarantees provided by the benefit exist only on the applicable maturity date(s) and on each anniversary of the maturity date(s) thereafter.

Key Feature – Protected Principal Value/Enhanced Protected Principal Value

The Guaranteed Return Option Plus offers a base guarantee as well as the option of electing an enhanced guarantee at a later date.

32 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

Base Guarantee: Under the base guarantee, we guarantee that on the maturity date and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the benefit remains in effect, your Account Value will be no less than the Protected Principal Value. On the maturity date and on each anniversary after the maturity date that the benefit remains in effect, if your Account Value is below the Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Protected Principal Value. A subsequent Purchase Payment increases the amount of the base guarantee by the amount of the Purchase Payment (plus any Credits), and withdrawals reduce the base guarantee (as discussed below). Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will first be applied to any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations then required to support guarantees due on subsequent maturity dates. We will allocate the remainder to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on the Account Value in the Sub-accounts at that time.

 

Enhanced Guarantee: On any anniversary following commencement of the benefit, you can establish an enhanced guarantee amount based on your current Account Value. Under the enhanced guarantee, we guarantee that at the end of the specified period following the election of the enhanced guarantee (also referred to as its “maturity date”), and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the enhanced guaranteed amount remains in effect, your Account Value will be no less than the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. You can elect an enhanced guarantee more than once; however, a subsequent election supersedes the prior election of an enhanced guarantee. Election of an enhanced guarantee does not impact the base guarantee. In addition, you may elect an “auto step-up” feature that will automatically create an enhanced guarantee (or increase your enhanced guarantee, if previously elected) on each anniversary of the benefit (and create a new maturity period for the new enhanced guarantee) if the Account Value as of that anniversary exceeds the Protected Principal Value and Enhanced Protected Principal Value by 7% or more. You may also elect to terminate an enhanced guarantee. If you elect to terminate an enhanced guarantee, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations for the enhanced guarantee will be liquidated, on the Valuation Day the request is processed, (which may result in a Market Value Adjustment), and such amounts will be transferred according to the rules described in “Termination of the Benefit/ Enhanced Guarantee”. Termination of an enhanced guarantee will not result in termination of the base guarantee. If you have elected the enhanced guarantee, on the guarantee’s maturity date and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the enhanced guarantee amount remains in effect, if your Account Value is below the Enhanced Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will first be applied to any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations then required to support guarantees due on subsequent maturity dates. We will allocate the remainder to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on the Account Value in the Sub-accounts at that time.
 

If our assumptions are correct and the operations relating to the administration of the benefit work properly, we do not expect that we will need to add additional amounts to your Annuity. The Protected Principal Value is referred to as the “Base Guarantee” and the Enhanced Protected Principal Value is referred to as the “Step-Up Guarantee” in the rider we issue for this benefit.

Withdrawals under your Annuity

Withdrawals from your Annuity, while the benefit is in effect, will reduce the base guarantee under the benefit as well as any enhanced guarantee. Cumulative annual withdrawals up to 5% of the Protected Principal Value as of the effective date of the benefit (adjusted for any subsequent Purchase Payments and any Credits applied to such Purchase Payments) will reduce the applicable guaranteed amount by the actual amount of the withdrawal (referred to as the “dollar-for-dollar limit”). If the amount withdrawn is greater than the dollar-for-dollar limit, the portion of the withdrawal equal to the dollar-for-dollar limit will be treated as described above, and the portion of the withdrawal in excess of the dollar-for-dollar limit will reduce the base guarantee and the enhanced guarantee proportionally, according to the formula as described in the rider for this benefit (see the examples of this calculation below). Withdrawals other than Systematic Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and any Fixed Allocations. Withdrawals will be subject to all other provisions of your Annuity, including any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge and Market Value Adjustment (which may be positive or negative) that would apply.

Charges for other optional benefits under your Annuity that are deducted as an annual charge in arrears will not reduce the applicable guaranteed amount under the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit, however, any partial withdrawals in payment of charges for the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (not currently offered for sale) and any third party investment advisory service will be treated as withdrawals and will reduce the applicable guaranteed amount.

The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions assume that: 1.) the Issue Date and the effective date of the GRO Plus benefit are October 13, 2004; 2.) an initial Purchase Payment of $250,000 (includes any Credits); 3.) a base guarantee amount of $250,000; and 4.) a dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500 (5% of $250,000). The values set forth here are purely hypothetical and do not reflect the charge for GRO Plus or other fees and charges.

33 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Example 1. Dollar-for-dollar reduction

A $10,000 withdrawal is taken on November 29, 2004 (in the first Annuity Year). No prior withdrawals have been taken. As the amount withdrawn is less than the Dollar-for-dollar Limit:

 

1. The base guarantee amount is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $250,000 to $240,000).

 

2. The remaining dollar-for-dollar limit (“Remaining Limit”) for the balance of the first Annuity 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 December 18, 2004 (still within the first Annuity Year). The Account Value immediately before the withdrawal is $180,000. As the amount withdrawn exceeds the Remaining Limit of $2,500 from Example 1:

 

The base guarantee amount is first reduced by the Remaining Limit (from $240,000 to $237,500);

 

The result is then further reduced by the ratio of A to B, where:

 

a. A is the amount withdrawn less the Remaining Limit ($10,000 – $2,500, or $7,500).

 

b. B is the Account Value less the Remaining Limit ($180,000 – $2,500, or $177,500).
 

The resulting base guarantee amount is: $237,500 × (1 – $7,500 / $177,500), or $227,464.79.

 

The Remaining Limit is set to zero (0) for the balance of the first Annuity Year.
 

Example 3. Reset of the Dollar-for-dollar limit

A $10,000 withdrawal is made on December 19, 2005 (second Annuity Year). The Remaining Limit has been reset to the dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500. As the amount withdrawn is less than the dollar-for-dollar limit:

 

The base guarantee amount is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., reduced by $10,000, from $227,464.79 to $217,464.79)

 

The Remaining Limit for the balance of the second Annuity Year is also reduced by the amount withdrawn (from $12,500 to $2,500).
 

Key Feature – Allocation of Account Value

GRO Plus uses a mathematical formula that we operate to help manage your guarantees through all market cycles. Each Valuation Day, the formula determines if any portion of your Account Value needs to be transferred into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, through reference to a “reallocation trigger”. The formula does this by (a) first identifying each guarantee that is outstanding under GRO Plus (b) then discounting the value of each such guarantee to a present value, based on crediting rates associated with the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, then (c) identifying the largest of such present values. Then, the formula compares the largest present value to both the Account Value and the value of assets allocated to the Sub-accounts to determine whether a transfer into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations is required. As detailed in the formula, if that largest present value exceeds the Account Value less a percentage of the Sub-account value, a transfer into the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will occur. Conversely, if the largest present value is less than the Account Value less a percentage of the Sub-account value, a transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will occur. This required formula helps us manage our financial exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations). The formula is set forth in Appendix F.

If your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger, then:

 

your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will remain allocated according to your most recent instructions; and

 

if a portion of your Account Value is allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the applicable guaranteed amount, all or a portion of those amounts will be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts according to any asset allocation programs (including an Automatic Rebalancing program) established on your Annuity or in the absence of such programs, on a proportional basis, based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts at that time;

 

if all of your Account Value is allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation, then all or a portion of that amount may be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts, according to the following hierarchy: (i) first according to any asset allocation program that you may have in effect (ii) if no such program is in effect, then in accordance with any automatic rebalancing program that you may have in effect and (iii) if neither such program is in effect, then to the AST Government Money Market Sub-account; and

 

a Market Value Adjustment will apply when we reallocate Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts, which may result in a decrease or increase in your Account Value.
 

If your Account Value is less than the reallocation trigger, a portion of your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will be transferred from the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis according to your allocations to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) to support the applicable guaranteed amount. The new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will have a Guarantee Period equal to the time remaining until the applicable maturity date(s). The Account Value allocated to the new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will be credited with the fixed interest rate(s) then being credited to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) maturing on the applicable maturity date(s) (rounded to the next highest yearly duration). The Account Value

34 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

will remain invested in each applicable Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation until the applicable maturity date unless, at an earlier date, your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger and, therefore, amounts can be transferred to the Sub-accounts while maintaining the guaranteed protection under the program (as described above).

At any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. With respect to any amounts held within the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we can give no assurance how long the amounts will reside there or if such amounts will transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Sub-accounts according to your allocation instructions. Such additional Purchase Payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, if dictated by the formula. The amount of such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.

Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Sub-accounts, 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations 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 (including any Market Value Adjustment) and your Protected Principal Value(s);

 

The amount of time until the maturity of your guarantee(s);

 

The amount invested in, and the performance of, the Sub-accounts;

 

The amount invested in, and interest earned within, the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

The current crediting rates associated with Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

Additional Purchase Payments, if any, that you make to the Annuity; and

 

Withdrawals, if any, taken from the Annuity.
 

Any amounts invested in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will affect your ability to participate in a subsequent recovery within the Sub-accounts. Conversely, the Account Value may be higher at the beginning of the recovery, e.g. more of the Account Value may have been protected from decline and volatility than it otherwise would have been had the benefit not been elected.

While you are not notified when your Account Value reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Account Value either to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

You may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

Separate Fixed Allocations may be established in support of the Protected Principal Value and the Enhanced Protected Principal Value (if elected). There may also be circumstances when a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation will be established only in support of the Protected Principal Value or the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. If you elect an enhanced guarantee, it is more likely that a portion of your Account Value may be allocated to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and will remain allocated for a longer period of time to support the Enhanced Protected Principal Value, even during a period of positive Sub-account performance and/or under circumstances where Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations would not be necessary to support the Protected Principal Value. Further, there may be circumstances where Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations in support of the Protected Principal Value or Enhanced Protected Principal Value are transferred to the Sub-accounts under the formula differently than each other because of the different guarantees they support.

You should be aware of the following potential ramifications of the formula:

 

Transfers of your Account Value can be frequent, and under some scenarios may occur on a daily basis. As indicated, each such transfer may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be positive or negative. Thus, a Market Value Adjustment will directly increase or reduce your Account Value.

 

As indicated, some or even all, of your Account Value may be maintained in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. The greater the Account Value held in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the larger (in dollar terms) the Market Value Adjustment upon any transfer of such Account Value to the Sub-accounts.

 

Transfers under the formula do not impact your guarantees under GRO Plus that have already been locked-in.
 

Election of the Benefit

We no longer permit new elections of GRO Plus. If you currently participate in GRO Plus, your existing guarantees are unaffected by the fact that we no longer offer GRO Plus. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as GRO Plus 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 Account 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.

35 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Termination of the Benefit/Enhanced Guarantee

You can elect to terminate the enhanced guarantee but maintain the protection provided by the base guarantee. You also can terminate the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit entirely, in which case you will lose any existing guarantees.

Upon termination of the benefit or of the enhanced guarantee, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations related to the guarantee(s) being terminated will be transferred as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on your Account Value in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program (b) if your entire Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive prior instructions from you. A Market Value Adjustment will apply (except that if the benefit has terminated automatically due to payment of a death benefit, whether a Market Value Adjustment applies depends solely on the terms of the death benefit – see the “Death Benefit” section of this prospectus).

In general, you may cancel GRO Plus and then elect another living benefit that is available post issue, effective on any Valuation Day after your cancellation of GRO Plus. If you terminate GRO Plus, you will lose all guarantees under that benefit. Your election of another living benefit is subject to State and firm availability and our eligibility rules.

The benefit will terminate automatically upon: (a) the death of the Owner or the Annuitant (in an entity owned contract); (b) as of the date Account Value is applied to begin annuity payments; or (c) upon full surrender of the Annuity. If you elect to terminate the benefit, the Guaranteed Return Option Plus will no longer provide any guarantees.

Special Considerations under the Guaranteed Return Option Plus

This benefit is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including, but not limited to the following:

 

Upon inception of the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Sub-accounts. No Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations may be in effect as of the date that you elect to participate in the benefit. However, the formula may transfer Account Value to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations as of the effective date of the benefit under some circumstances.

 

You cannot allocate any portion of Purchase Payments (including any Credits) or transfer Account Value to or from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation while participating in the benefit; however, all or a portion of any Purchase Payments (including any Credits) may be allocated by us to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the amount guaranteed. You cannot participate in any dollar cost averaging benefit that transfers Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to a Sub-account.

 

Transfers from Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations made as a result of the formula under the benefit will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment formula under an Annuity; however, the 0.10% liquidity factor in the formula will not apply. A Market Value Adjustment may be either positive or negative. Transfer amounts will be taken from the most recently established Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

Transfers from the Sub-accounts to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations or from Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts under the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity.

 

Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will not be treated as “investment in the contract” for income tax purposes.

 

Low interest rates may require allocation to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations even when the current Account Value exceeds the guarantee.

 

As the time remaining until the applicable maturity date gradually decreases the benefit will become increasingly sensitive to moves to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

 

We currently limit the Sub-accounts in which you may allocate Account Value if you participate in this benefit. Should we prohibit access to any investment option, any transfers required to move Account Value to eligible investment options will not be counted in determining the number of free transfers during an Annuity Year.
 

Charges under the Benefit

We may deduct a maximum charge up to 0.50% of the daily net assets of the Sub-accounts for participation in the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit. The annual charge is deducted daily. The charge is deducted to compensate us for: (a) the risk that your Account Value on the maturity date is less than the amount guaranteed; and (b) administration of the benefit. You will begin paying this charge as of the effective date of the benefit. We will not refund the charges you have paid even if we never have to make any payments under the benefit.

If you elect the Enhanced Guarantee under the benefit, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under the benefit have changed for new purchases, your benefit may be subject to the new charge level. These charges will not exceed the maximum charges shown in the section of this prospectus entitled “Benefits Available Under the Annuity.”

36 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

DEATH BENEFIT


TRIGGERS FOR PAYMENT OF THE DEATH BENEFIT

The Annuity provides a Death Benefit during its Accumulation Period. If the Annuity is owned by one or more natural persons, the Death Benefit is payable upon the first death of an Owner. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is payable upon the Annuitant’s death, if there is no Contingent Annuitant. If a Contingent Annuitant was designated before the Annuitant’s death and the Annuitant dies, then the Contingent Annuitant becomes the Annuitant and a Death Benefit will not be paid at that time. The person upon whose death the Death Benefit is paid is referred to below as the “decedent.”

BASIC DEATH BENEFIT

The Annuity provides a basic Death Benefit at no additional charge. The insurance charge we deduct daily from your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts is used, in part, to pay us for the risk we assume in providing the basic Death Benefit guarantee under the Annuity. Under certain circumstances, your Death Benefit may be reduced by the amount of any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments (see “How are Credits Applied to My Account Value” and “Examples of Recapturing Credits” in the “How Are Credits Applied to My Account Value” section).

Considerations for Contingent Annuitants: We may allow the naming of a Contingent Annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity contract is held by a pension plan or a tax favored retirement plan or held by a Custodial Account (as defined earlier in this prospectus). In such a situation, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the Annuity contract continues after the death of the Annuitant. In some of our Annuities held by these same types of entities we allow for the naming of a Co-Annuitant, which also is used to mean the successor annuitant (and not another life used for measuring the duration of an annuity payment option). Like in the case of a Contingent Annuitant, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the contract 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 contract is held by an entity which is not eligible for tax deferral benefits under Section 72(u) of the Code. This does not supersede any benefit language which may restrict the use of the Contingent Annuitant.

The basic Death Benefit depends on the decedent’s age on the date of death:

 

  If death occurs during the first ten (10) Annuity Years: The Death Benefit is the greater of the following, less an amount equal to any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments within the prior 12 months:

 

The sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals; and

 

The sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations.

 

  If death occurs after the tenth (10th) Annuity Year: The Death Benefit is your Account Value less an amount equal to any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments within the prior 12 months.
 

Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated if death occurs during the first ten Annuity Years:

The contract was issued with Purchase Payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Sub-account 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 when you make a withdrawal from the contract. If the contract Owner had withdrawn $10,000 of the remaining $80,000, the death benefit would also be reduced by $10,000. Since the death benefit had been $100,000, it would now be $90,000.

Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated if death occurs after the first ten Annuity Years:

The contract was issued with Purchase Payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Sub-account performance, the Account Value had decreased to $80,000. If the Owner died, the death benefit would be $80,000.

OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFITS

Two optional Death Benefits are offered for purchase with your Annuity to provide an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiaries.

 


These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity. Certain terms and conditions may differ if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, from any other Annuity we issue.

37 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

1. ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit can provide additional amounts to your Beneficiary that may be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Whether this benefit is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary to pay taxes on your Annuity should you die during the Accumulation Period. No benefit is payable if death occurs on or after the Annuity Date.

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit provides a benefit that is payable in addition to the basic Death Benefit. If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 75 or less at the time the benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 75 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 75 or less.

Calculation of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

If you purchase the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit, the Death Benefit is calculated as follows:

 

(A) the basic Death Benefit described above;

 

      PLUS

 

(B) 40% f your “Growth” under the Annuity as defined below.
 

The amount calculated in Items 1 & 2 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

“Growth” means the sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations, minus the total of all Purchase Payments reduced by the sum of all proportional withdrawals.

“Proportional withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of your Account Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn.

 


The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is subject to a maximum of 100% of all Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity at least 12 months prior to the death of the decedent that triggers the payment of the Death Benefit.

 


The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit described above was offered in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. Please see Appendix D for a description of the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit offered before November 18, 2002 in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for a discussion of special tax considerations for purchasers of this benefit.

Examples of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options. The formula for determining the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is as follows:

Growth =

Account Value of variable investment options plus Interim Value of Fixed Allocations (no Market Value Adjustment applies)

minus

Purchase Payments – proportional withdrawals

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example with Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner has made no withdrawals and that the Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $75,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $75,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($75,000) PLUS 40% of the “Growth” under the Annuity.

Growth

=

$75,000 – [$50,000 – $0]

 

=

$25,000

Benefit Payable under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = 40% of Growth

 

=

$25,000 × 0.40

38 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

=

$10,000

Benefit Payable under Basic Death Benefit PLUS Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

 

=

$85,000

Examples with Sub-account decline

Assume that the Owner has made no withdrawals and that the Account Value has been decreasing due to declines in Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $45,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $50,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($50,000) PLUS the “Growth” under the Annuity.

Growth

=

$45,000 – [$50,000 – $0]

 

=

-$5,000

Benefit Payable under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = 40% of Growth
NO BENEFIT IS PAYABLE

Benefit Payable under Basic Death Benefit PLUS Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

 

=

$50,000

In this example you would receive no additional benefit from purchasing the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit.

Example with Sub-account increase and withdrawals

Assume that the Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance and the Owner made a withdrawal of $15,000 in Annuity Year 5 when the Account Value was $75,000. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $90,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which-ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $90,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($90,000) PLUS 40% of the “Growth” under the Annuity.

Growth

=

$90,000 - [$50,000 - ($50,000 × $15,000/$75,000)]

 

=

$90,000 - [$50,000 - $10,000]

 

=

$90,000 - $40,000

 

=

$50,000

Benefit Payable under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = 40% of Growth

 

=

$50,000 × 0.40

 

=

$20,000

Benefit Payable under Basic Death Benefit PLUS Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

 

=

$110,000

2. Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 79 or less at the time Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 79 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 79 or less.

We restrict certain Portfolios if you elect the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit.

Key Terms Used with the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

 

The Death Benefit Target Date is the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, the oldest of either joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned.

 

The Highest Anniversary Value equals the highest of all previous “Anniversary Value” less proportional withdrawals since such anniversary and plus any Purchase Payments since such anniversary.

 

The Anniversary Value is the Account Value as of each anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity. The Anniversary Value on the Issue Date is equal to your Purchase Payment.
 

39 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

Proportional withdrawals result in a reduction to the Highest Anniversary Value by reducing such value in the same proportion as the Account Value was reduced by the withdrawal as of the date the withdrawal occurred. For example, if your Highest Anniversary 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 Anniversary Value ($125,000) by 10% or $12,500.
 

Calculation of Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

The Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.

If the Owner dies before the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

the basic Death Benefit described above; and

 

the Highest Anniversary Value as of the Owner’s date of death.
 

If the Owner dies on or after the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

the basic Death Benefit described above; and

 

the Highest Anniversary Value 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 Owner’s date of death and decreased by any proportional withdrawals since such date. The amount calculated in Items 1 & 2 above (both before, and on or after the Death Benefit Target Date) may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

 


The Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit described above was offered in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. Please see Appendix D for a description of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit offered before November 18, 2002 in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval.

Examples of Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 70 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example with Sub-account increase and death before Death Benefit Target Date

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has generally been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance and that no withdrawals have been made. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $75,000; however, the Anniversary Value on the 5th anniversary of the Issue Date was $90,000. Assume as well that the Owner has died before the Death Benefit Target Date. The Death Benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Anniversary Value or the basic Death Benefit. The Death Benefit would be the Highest Anniversary Value ($90,000) because it is greater than the amount that would have been payable under the basic Death Benefit ($75,000).

Example with withdrawals

Assume that the Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance and the Owner made a withdrawal of $15,000 in Annuity Year 7 when the Account Value was $75,000. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $80,000; however, the Anniversary Value on the 5th anniversary of the Issue Date was $90,000. Assume as well that the Owner has died before the Death Benefit Target Date. The Death Benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Anniversary Value or the basic Death Benefit.

Highest Anniversary Value

=

$90,000 – [$90,000 × $15,000/$75,000]

 

=

$90,000 – $18,000

 

=

$72,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

max [$80,000, $50,000 – ($50,000 × $15,000/$75,000)]

 

=

max [$80,000, $40,000]

 

=

$80,000

The Death Benefit therefore is $80,000

40 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Example with death after Death Benefit Target Date

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has generally been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance and that no withdrawals had been made prior to the Death Benefit Target Date. Further assume that the Owner dies after the Death Benefit Target Date, when the Account Value is $75,000. The Highest Anniversary Value on the Death Benefit Target Date was $80,000; however, following the Death Benefit Target Date, the Owner made a Purchase Payment of $15,000 and had taken a withdrawal of $5,000 when the Account Value was $70,000. The Death Benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Anniversary Value plus Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals after the Death Benefit Target Date or the basic Death Benefit.

Highest Anniversary Value

=

$80,000 + $15,000 – [($80,000 + $15,000) × $5,000/$70,000]

 

=

$80,000 + $15,000 – $6,786

 

=

$88,214

Basic 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.

Annuities with joint Owners

For Annuities with Joint Owners, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the oldest of the Joint Owners is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. NOTE: If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we will pay the Death Benefit to the Beneficiary. If the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse, then the surviving spouse can elect to assume ownership of the Annuity and continue the contract instead of receiving the Death Benefit.

Annuities owned by entities

For Annuities owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the Annuitant is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. Payment of the Death Benefit is based on the death of the Annuitant (or Contingent Annuitant, if applicable).

Can I terminate the optional Death Benefits? Do the optional Death Benefits terminate under other circumstances?

You can terminate the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit and Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit at any time. Both optional Death Benefits will terminate automatically on the Annuity Date. We may also terminate any optional Death Benefit if necessary to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations.

What are the charges for the optional Death Benefits?

We may deduct a maximum charge equal to 0.75% per year, respectively, if you elect the Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit or the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit. We deduct the charge to compensate us for providing increased insurance protection under the optional Death Benefit. The additional annual charge is deducted daily against your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts.

Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for additional considerations in relation to the optional Death Benefit

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider
No longer available for election

 


The life insurance coverage provided under the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (“Plus40 rider” or the “Rider”) is supported by our general account and is not subject to, or registered as a security under, either the Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940. Information about the Plus40 rider is included in this Prospectus to help you understand the Rider and the relationship between the Rider and the value of your Annuity. It is also included because you can elect to pay for the Rider with taxable withdrawals from your Annuity. The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission has not reviewed this information. However, the information may be subject to certain generally applicable provisions of the Federal securities laws regarding accuracy and completeness.

The Plus40 rider provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit to your Beneficiary(ies) equal to 40% of the Account Value of your Annuity as of the date we receive due proof of death, subject to certain adjustments, restrictions and limitations. The Rider may be especially useful in offsetting federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. The Rider is available in addition to the death benefit payable

41 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

under the Annuity. Whether the Rider is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary(ies) to pay taxes on the gain in your Annuity should you die during the accumulation period. No amounts are payable under the Rider if you die on or after the date your Account Value is applied to begin receiving annuity payments or after you surrender the Annuity. The Rider has no cash value.

Please refer to Appendix C for a more complete description of the Plus40 rider.

ANNUITY REWARDS

What is the Annuity Rewards benefit?

The Annuity Rewards benefit offers Owners the ability to capture any Sub-account gains since the Issue Date of their Annuity as an enhancement to their current Death Benefit so their Beneficiaries will not receive less than the Annuity’s value as of the date the Owner elects the benefit. Under the Annuity Rewards benefit, we guarantee that the Death Benefit will not be less than:

 

your Account Value in the variable investment options plus the Interim Value in any Fixed Allocations as of the effective date of the Owner’s election

 

MINUS any proportional withdrawals* following the date of election

 

PLUS any additional Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity following the date of election.

 

“Proportional withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of the Account Value that each withdrawal represented when withdrawn. For example, a withdrawal of 50% of your Account Value would be treated as a 50% reduction in the amount payable under the Death Benefit.
 

If you elect the Annuity Rewards benefit, the cut-off date under the basic Death Benefit is amended and will depend on the decedent’s age on the date of death.

If death occurs before the decedent’s age 90: The Death Benefit is the greater of:

 

The sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals; and

 

The sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations.
 

If death occurs after the decedent’s age 90: The Death Benefit is your Account Value.



The Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement does not affect any Optional Death Benefits available under the Annuity. If the Death Benefit amount payable under your Annuity’s basic Death Benefit or any Optional Death Benefits you purchase is greater than the enhanced Death Benefit under the Annuity Rewards benefit on the date the Death Benefit is calculated, your Beneficiary will receive the higher amount.

Who is eligible for the Annuity Rewards benefit?

Owners who have not elected an additional optional death benefit can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement following the eighth (8th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date and before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. However, the election is subject to the requirement that their Account Value on the election date is greater than the amount that would be payable to their Beneficiary under the Death Benefit provided under the Annuity as of the election date. If an Owner is ineligible when he or she applies for the optional benefit, the Owner can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement on any subsequent date if they otherwise qualify. The election must occur before annuity payments begin. An Owner can only elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement once. There is no additional charge for electing the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement.

Owners who have elected an additional optional death benefit can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement following the eighth (8th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. However, the election is subject to the requirement that their Account Value on the election date is greater than the amount that would be payable to their Beneficiary under the Death Benefit provided under the Annuity as of the election date (including any amounts payable under the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit). If an Owner is ineligible when he or she applies for the optional benefit, the Owner can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement on any subsequent date if they otherwise qualify. The election must occur before annuity payments begin. An Owner can only elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement once. There is no additional charge for electing the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement.

PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS

Payment of Death Benefit to Beneficiary from a Non-qualified Annuity

Except in the case of a spousal Beneficiary, in the event of your death, the death benefit must be distributed:

 

as a lump sum amount at any time within five (5) years 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.
 

42 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Unless you have made an election prior to death benefit proceeds becoming due, a Beneficiary can elect to receive the Death Benefit proceeds as a series of fixed annuity payments. See the section entitled “Annuity Options”.

SPOUSAL CONTINUATION OF ANNUITY

You may name your spouse as your Beneficiary. If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we assume that the sole primary Beneficiary will be the surviving spouse unless you elect an alternative Beneficiary designation. Unless you elect an alternative Beneficiary designation, the spouse Beneficiary may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Death Benefit payment. Any Death Benefit (including any optional Death Benefits) that would have been payable to the Beneficiary will become the new Account Value as of the date we receive due proof of death and any required proof of a spousal relationship. As of the date the assumption is effective, the surviving spouse will have all the rights and benefits that would be available under the Annuity to a new purchaser of the same attained age. For purposes of determining any future Death Benefit for the surviving spouse, the new Account Value will be considered as the initial Purchase Payment. No CDSC will apply to the new Account Value. However, any additional Purchase Payments applied after the date the assumption is effective will be subject to all provisions of the Annuity, including any CDSC that may apply to the additional Purchase Payments.

See the section entitled “Managing Your Annuity - Contingent Annuitant” for a discussion of the treatment of a spousal Contingent Annuitant in the case of the death of the Annuitant in an entity owned Annuity.

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 proposed regulations. The accompanying proposed regulations are generally effective starting January 1, 2023 and we reserve our rights to implement any final regulations addressing these requirements in the future. The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances.

 

10-year rule: If you die after 2019, 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.

 

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 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 new 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 particular, if the EDB dies before the remaining interest is distributed under this stretch rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB’s death (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years). 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 majority, 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 new 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 new 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 new post-death distribution requirements.

 

    The new 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 or a deferred income annuity contract (including a qualifying lifetime annuity contract, or “QLAC”) 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 new 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
 

43 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

    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 new law, as under prior law, if your Beneficiary is your spouse, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse’s death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse’s own IRA, or by treating your IRA as your surviving spouse’s own IRA subject to specific limits under the proposed regulations. The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear 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 advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
 

For more information, see “Tax Considerations.” You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your Beneficiary designations.

Designated Beneficiaries may be eligible for the IRA Beneficiary Continuation Option; however, distribution periods may be limited by applicable tax law as stated above. Beneficiaries should consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of distribution options.

Upon election of this IRA Beneficiary Continuation option:

 

the Annuity contract will be continued in the Owner’s name, for the benefit of the Beneficiary.

 

the Account 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 Beneficiary may request transfers among Sub-accounts, subject to the same limitations and restrictions that applied to the Owner. NOTE: The Sub-accounts offered under the IRA Beneficiary Continuation option may be limited.

 

no additional Purchase Payments can be applied to the Annuity.

 

the basic Death Benefit and any optional Death 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 Account Value at any time without application of a CDSC.

 

upon the death of the Beneficiary, any remaining Account Value will be paid in a lump sum to the person(s) named by the Beneficiary.

 

all amounts in the Annuity must be paid out to the Beneficiary according to the Minimum Distribution rules described in the Tax Considerations section.
 

Please contact us for additional information on the availability, restrictions and limitations that will apply to a Beneficiary under the IRA Beneficiary Continuation option.

Are there any exceptions to these rules for paying the Death Benefit?

There are exceptions that apply no matter how your Death Benefit is calculated. There are exceptions to the Death Benefit if the decedent was not the Owner or Annuitant as of the Issue Date and did not become the Owner or Annuitant due to the prior Owner’s or Annuitant’s death. Any Death Benefit (including either optional Death Benefit) that applies will be suspended for a two-year period from the date he or she first became Owner or Annuitant. After the two-year suspension period is completed, the Death Benefit is the same as if this person had been an Owner or Annuitant on the Issue Date.

When do you determine the Death Benefit?

We determine the amount of the Death Benefit as of the date we receive “due proof of death”, any instructions we require to determine the method of payment and any other written representations we require to determine the proper payment of the Death Benefit to all Beneficiaries. “Due proof of death” may include a certified copy of a death certificate, a certified copy of a decree of a court of competent jurisdiction as to the finding of death or other satisfactory proof of death. Upon our receipt of “due proof of death” we automatically transfer the Death Benefit to the AST Money Market Sub-account until we further determine the universe of eligible Beneficiaries.

Each Beneficiary must make an election as to the method they wish to receive their portion of the Death Benefit. Absent an election of a Death Benefit payment method, no Death Benefit can be paid to the Beneficiary. We may require written acknowledgment of all named Beneficiaries before we can pay the Death Benefit. During the period from the date of death until we receive all required paper work, the amount of the Death Benefit may be subject to Sub-account fluctuations.

44 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE*


DO YOU PROVIDE ANY GUARANTEES ON MY INVESTMENT?

The Annuity provides variable investment options and fixed investment options. Only the fixed investment options provide a guaranteed return on your investment, subject to certain terms and conditions. However, your Annuity includes a feature at no additional cost that provides certain benefits if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded a “target value” on its 10th anniversary. If, on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, your Account Value has not reached the target value (as defined below) you can choose either of the following benefits:

 

You may continue your Annuity without electing to receive Annuity payments and receive an annual Credit to your Account Value payable until you begin receiving Annuity payments. The Credit is equal to 0.25% of the average of your Annuity’s Account Value for the preceding four complete calendar quarters. This Credit is applied to your investment options on a proportional basis based on the allocation of your then current Account Value.
 

OR

 

You may begin receiving Annuity payments within one year and accept a one-time Credit to your Annuity equal to 10% of the net of the Account Value on the 10th anniversary of its Issue Date minus the sum of all Purchase Payments allocated in the prior five years. The annuity option you select must initially guarantee payments for not less than seven years.
 

Following the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, we will inform you if your Account Value did not meet or exceed the Target Value. We will assume that you have elected to receive the annual Credit to your Account Value unless, not less than 30 days prior to the next anniversary of the Annuity, we receive at our home office your election to begin receiving Annuity payments.

Certain provisions of this benefit and of the Target Value Credits described below may differ if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, from any other Annuity we issue.

WHAT IS THE “TARGET VALUE” AND HOW IS IT CALCULATED?

The Target Value is a tool used to determine whether you are eligible to elect either of the benefits described above. The Target Value does not impact the Account Value available if you surrender your Annuity or make a partial withdrawal and does not impact the Death Benefit available to your Beneficiary(ies). The Target Value assumes a rate of return over ten (10) Annuity Years that will allow your initial investment to double in value, adjusted for any withdrawals and/or additional Purchase Payments you make during the 10-year period. We calculate the “Target Value” as follows:

 

1. Accumulate the initial Purchase Payment at an annual interest rate of 7.2% until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date; plus

 

2. Accumulate any additional Purchase Payments at an annual interest rate of 7.2% from the date applied until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date; minus

 

3. Each “proportional reduction” resulting from any withdrawal, accumulating at an annual interest rate of 7.2% from the date the withdrawal is processed until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. We determine each “proportional reduction” by determining the percentage of your Account Value then withdrawn and reducing the Target Value by that same percentage. We include any withdrawals under your Annuity in this calculation, as well as the charge we deduct for any optional benefits you elect under the Annuity, but not the charge we deduct for the Annual Maintenance Fee or the Transfer Fee.
 

Examples

 

1. Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no further Purchase Payments. The Target Value on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date would be $20,042, assuming no withdrawals are made. This is equal to $10,000 accumulating at an annual rate of 7.2% for the 10-year period. In this example if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded the Target Value of $20,042 on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, you may choose to elect either of the benefits described above.

 

2. Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no further Purchase Payments. Assume at the end of Year 6, your Account Value has increased to $15,000 and you make a withdrawal of 10% or $1,500. The Target Value on the 10th anniversary would be $18,722. This is equal to $10,000 accumulating at an annual rate of 7.2% for the 10-year period, minus the proportional reduction accumulating at an annual interest rate of 7.2%. In this example if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded the Target Value of $18,722 on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, you may choose to elect either of the benefits described above.
 

CAN I RESTART THE 10-YEAR TARGET VALUE CALCULATIONS?

You can elect to lock in the growth in your Annuity by “restarting” the 10-year period on any anniversary of the Issue Date. If you elect to restart the calculation period, we will treat your Account Value on the restart date as if it was your Purchase Payment when determining if your Annuity’s Account Value meets or exceeds the Target Value on the appropriate tenth (10th) anniversary. You may elect to restart the calculation more than once, in which case, the 10-year calculation period will begin on the date of the last restart date. We must receive your election to restart the calculation at our home office not later than 30 days after each anniversary of the Issue Date.

45 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

WHAT ARE TARGET VALUE CREDITS?

Target Value Credits are additional amounts that we apply to your Account Value to increase the likelihood that your Account Value will meet or exceed the Target Value. We add Target Value Credits to your Account Value at the time a Purchase Payment is applied to your Annuity. Only those Purchase Payments made before the first anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity are eligible to receive Target Value Credits. Target Value Credits are separate and distinct from other Credits we apply to all Purchase Payments.

The amount of the Target Value Credit is equal to 1.0% of each qualifying Purchase Payment. Target Value Credits are only payable on qualifying Purchase Payments if the Owner(s) of the Annuity is(are) less than age 81 on its Issue Date. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the age restriction applies to the age of the Annuitant on the Issue Date. The Target Value Credit is payable from our general account and is allocated to the investment options in the same ratio that the qualifying Purchase Payment is allocated. Payment of the Target Value Credit is subject to our claims-paying ability and financial strength.

Target Value Credits will not be available if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, of an Annuity we issued that has the same or a similar benefit.

The amount of any Target Value Credits is not immediately vested and can be recaptured by us under the circumstances and for the time periods shown below. If we exercise our right to recapture the amount of any Target Value Credit, any investment gain on the Target Value Credit will not be taken back.

 

1. If you surrender your Annuity before the 10th anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity.

 

2. If you elect to begin receiving Annuity payments before the first anniversary of the Issue Date.

 

3. If a person on whose life we pay the Death Benefit dies, or if a “contingency event” occurs which triggers a medically-related surrender:

 

within 12 months after the date a Target Value Credit was allocated to your Account Value; or

 

within 10 years after the date a Target Value Credit was allocated to your Account Value if any Owner was over age 70 on the Issue Date, or, if the Annuity was then owned by an entity, the Annuitant was over age 70 on the Issue Date.
 

Following completion of the above time periods, the amount of any Target Value Credits is vested in the Owner.

Performance Advantage may be referred to as “Prudential Annuities’ Performance Advantage” in certain instances.

46 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT


HOW IS MY ACCOUNT VALUE DETERMINED?

During the Accumulation Period, the Annuity has an Account Value. The Account Value is determined separately for each Sub-account allocation and for each Fixed Allocation. The Account Value is the sum of the values of each Sub-account allocation and the value of each Fixed Allocation. The Account Value does not reflect any CDSC that may apply to a withdrawal or surrender. The Account Value includes any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture under certain circumstances. When determining the Account Value on any day other than a Fixed Allocation’s Maturity Date, the Account Value may include any Market Value Adjustment that would apply to a Fixed Allocation (if withdrawn or transferred) on that day.

VALUING THE SUB-ACCOUNTS

When you allocate Account Value to a Sub-account, you are purchasing Units of the Sub-account. Each Sub-account invests exclusively in shares of an underlying Portfolio. The value of the Units fluctuates with the market 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 annual charge is deducted daily; the additional charge made for such benefits. There may be several different Unit Prices for each Sub-account 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. See the section entitled “Processing and Valuing Transactions” for a detailed discussion of how Units are purchased and redeemed to reflect changes in the daily charges that apply to your Annuity.

Each Valuation Day, we determine the price for a Unit of each Sub-account, called the “Unit Price.” The Unit Price is used for determining the value of transactions involving Units of the Sub-accounts. We determine the number of Units involved in any transaction by dividing the dollar value of the transaction by the Unit Price of the Sub-account as of the Valuation Day. The investment performance of the Portfolios, expenses, and deductions of certain charges affects the Unit Price, the number of Units, or both.

Example

Assume you allocate $5,000 to a Sub-account. On the Valuation Day you make the allocation, the Unit Price is $14.83. Your $5,000 buys 337.154 Units of the Sub-account. Assume that later, you wish to transfer $3,000 of your Account Value out of that Sub-account and into another Sub-account. On the Valuation Day you request the transfer, the Unit Price of the original Sub-account has increased to $16.79. To transfer $3,000, we sell 178.677 Units at the current Unit Price, leaving you 158.477 Units. We then buy $3,000 of Units of the new Sub-account at the Unit Price of $17.83. You would then have 168.255 Units of the new Sub-account.

SURRENDER VALUE

The Surrender Value of your Annuity is the value available to you on any day during the Accumulation Period. The Surrender Value is equal to your Account Value minus any CDSC, the Annual Maintenance Fee, the charge for any optional benefits and any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture upon surrender of your Annuity. The Surrender Value will also include any Market Value Adjustment that may apply.

VALUING THE FIXED ALLOCATIONS

During the Guarantee Period, we use the concept of an Interim Value. The Interim Value can be calculated on any day and is equal to the initial value allocated to a Fixed Allocation plus all interest credited to a Fixed Allocation as of the date calculated. The Interim Value does not include the impact of any Market Value Adjustment. If you made any transfers or withdrawals from a Fixed Allocation, the Interim Value will reflect the withdrawal of those amounts and any interest credited to those amounts before they were withdrawn. To determine the Account Value of a Fixed Allocation on any day other than its Maturity Date, we multiply the Account Value of the Fixed Allocation times the Market Value Adjustment factor.

PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS

We are 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). Financial transactions requested before the close of the NYSE which meet our requirements will be processed according to the value next determined following the close of business. Financial transactions requested on a non-Valuation Day or after the close of the NYSE will be processed based on the value next computed on the next Valuation Day. There may be circumstances when the opening or closing time of the NYSE is different than other major stock exchanges, such as NASDAQ. Under such circumstances, the closing time of the NYSE will be used when valuing and processing transactions.

47 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

There may be circumstances where the NYSE is open, however, due to inclement weather, natural disaster or other circumstances beyond our control, our offices may be closed or our business processing capabilities may be restricted. Under those circumstances, your Account Value may fluctuate based on changes in the Unit Values, but you may not be able to transfer Account Value or make a purchase or redemption request.

The NYSE is closed on certain announced holidays. On those dates, we will not process any financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders.

We 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 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.
 

Initial Purchase Payments: We no longer allow new purchases of this Annuity. We allocated your initial Purchase Payment to the Sub-accounts within two (2) days after we receive all of our requirements to issue the Annuity. If we did not have all the required information to allow us to issue your Annuity, we may have retained the Purchase Payment while we tried to reach you or your representative to obtain all of our requirements. If we were unable to obtain all of our required information within five (5) days, we were required to return the Purchase Payment to you at that time, unless you specifically consented to our retaining the Purchase Payment while we gathered the required information. Once we obtained the required information, we invested the Purchase Payment and issued the Annuity within two (2) days. During any period that we were trying to obtain the required information, your money was not invested.

Additional Purchase Payments: We will apply any additional Purchase Payments on the Valuation Day that we receive the Purchase Payment with satisfactory allocation instructions.

Scheduled Transactions: “Scheduled” transactions include transfers under a Dollar Cost Averaging, rebalancing, or asset allocation program, Systematic Withdrawals, Minimum Distributions or annuity payments. 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 and valued on Valuation Day prior to the scheduled transaction date.

Unscheduled Transactions: “Unscheduled” transactions include any other non-scheduled transfers and requests for Partial Withdrawals or Free Withdrawals or Surrenders. Unscheduled transactions are processed and valued as of the Valuation Day we receive the request at our Office and have all of the required information.

Deferral of Transactions: We may defer any distribution or transfer from a Fixed Allocation or an 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 Fixed Allocation or any annuity payment for more than thirty days, or less where required by law, we pay interest at the minimum rate required by law but not less than 3% or at least 4% if required by your contract, per year on the amount deferred. We may defer payment of proceeds of any distribution from any Sub-account or any transfer from a Sub-account for a period not to exceed 7 calendar days from the date the transaction is effected. Any deferral period begins on the date such distribution or transfer would otherwise have been transacted.

Medically-related Surrenders & Death Benefits: Medically-related surrender requests and Death Benefit claims require our review and evaluation before processing. We price such transactions as of the date we receive at our Office all supporting documentation we require for such transactions and that are satisfactory to us.

Transactions in Rydex and ProFunds VP Sub-accounts: Generally, purchase or redemption orders or transfer requests must be received by us by no later than the close of the NYSE to be processed on the current Valuation Day. However, any purchase or redemption order or transfer request involving the Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-accounts must be received by us no later than one hour prior to any announced closing of the applicable securities exchange (generally, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to be processed on the current Valuation Day. The “cut-off” time for such financial transactions involving a Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-account will be extended to ½ hour prior to any announced closing (generally, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time) for transactions submitted electronically through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities). You cannot request a transaction involving the purchase, redemption or transfer of Units in one of the Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-accounts between the applicable “cut-off” time and 4:00 p.m. Transactions received after 4:00 p.m. will be treated as received by us on the next Valuation Day.

Termination of Optional Benefits: If you terminate any optional benefits, we will no longer deduct the charge we apply to purchase the optional benefit. On the date the charge no longer applies, your Annuity will become subject to a different daily asset-based charge. We will process a transaction where your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts will be used to purchase new Units of the Sub-accounts that reflect the insurance charge and any optional benefit or program still elected, but not the charge for the optional benefit or program that you terminated. The number of Units attributed to your Annuity will be decreased and the Unit Price of each Unit of the Sub-accounts in which you invested will be increased. The adjustment in the number of Units and Unit Price will not affect your Account Value. Beginning on that date, your Account Value will be determined based on the change in the value of Units that reflect the insurance charge and any other optional benefits that you have elected.

48 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Tax Considerations


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 establish an advisory fee deduction program for a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity with no living benefit 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. Charges for investment advisory fees that are taken from a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity with a living benefit are treated as a partial withdrawal from the Annuity and will be tax reported as such to the Annuity Owne r.

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 .

NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

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, an Annuity 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 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 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 purchased prior to August 14, 1982. Withdrawals are treated as a return of cost basis in the Annuity 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.

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. This rule does not apply if you transfer the Annuity to your spouse or under most circumstances if you transfer the Annuity incident to divorce.

49 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 “ Access to Account Value” section earlier in 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. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, this deduction is suspended until after 2025.

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 $15,200 for estates and 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 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 or receiving Annuity within 180 days of the date on which the partial exchange was completed (other than an amount received as

50 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 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 investment in the contract 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 (as defined earlier in this prospectus). 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 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 .

51 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 “Death Benefits” 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 Sub-accounts 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 Investment 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 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 for tax purposes if persons with ownership rights have excessive control over the investments underlying such variable Annuity. 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 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.

QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

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.

52 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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”). Go to www.irs.gov for the contribution 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). 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;

 

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 1 st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age (see the Required Minimum Distribution rules for more details); and
 

53 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

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.
 

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 limit 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. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. with the employer making these contributions to the SEP. 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. Under SECURE 2.0, employers may offer employees the ability to elect to treat employee and employer SEP contributions (in whole or in part) as made to a Roth IRA. 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).

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 are also subject to Roth IRA annual contribution limits, and the 529 account must have been open for more than 15 years, among other requirements.

The Code also permits the recharacterization of current year contribution amounts from a traditional IRA, SEP, or SIMPLE 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.

54 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Once an Annuity has been purchased, regular Roth IRA contributions will be accepted to the extent permitted by law. 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 (under limited circumstances, and only related to salary deferrals, not including earnings attributable to these amounts).
 

In any event, you must begin receiving distributions from your TDA by April 1 st 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 are not subject to these rules during the Owner’s lifetime.

55 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 IRS 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. 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 Annuities 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.

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. Effective 2020, 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 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. Consistent with the applicable IRS instructions, we report these distributions as normal IRA distributions on Form 1099-R. Individuals are responsible for reflecting the distributions as charitable IRA distributions on their personal tax returns.

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 new law applies if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, this new law generally applies if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).

 

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 determined on the date of
 

56 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

your death. An EDB (other than a minor child) can generally stretch distributions over their life or life expectancy if payments begin within one 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 10 th 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, EDBs who are older than the Owner, 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 new 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 new 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 new requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract or a deferred income annuity contract (including a qualifying lifetime annuity contract, or “QLAC”) 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 year 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, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse’s death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse’s own IRA, or by electing to treat your IRA as your surviving spouse’s own IRA.
 

The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear in numerous respects. Treasury has issued proposed regulations that may impact these required minimum distribution requirements for calendar years on or after January 1, 2023. We reserve the right to make changes in order to comply with the proposed regulations, or any final 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.

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
 

57 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

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.)
 

Other exceptions to this tax may apply. 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.

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

58 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

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.

59 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


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 through our website at www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-ASXT-STAT or any other electronic means. We send a confirmation statement to you each time a transaction is made affecting Account Value, such as making additional Purchase Payments, 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 the Annual Maintenance Fee, systematic withdrawals (including 72(t) payments and required minimum distributions), bank drafting, dollar cost averaging, and static rebalancing, 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 Office 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 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.

WHO IS FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY?

Annuities and Life Insurance are issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“FLIAC”), located in Jersey City, NJ. Fortitude Re has retained The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”) as an unaffiliated Third-Party Administrator. Variable Annuities are distributed by Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), Shelton, CT (main office). PICA and PAD are Prudential Financial Inc. companies. Each company (FLIAC, PICA, PAD) is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

Fortitude Re is the marketing name for FGH Parent, L.P. and its subsidiaries, including FLIAC. Each subsidiary is responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

FLIAC is in the process of changing its name from Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (“PALAC”) in certain jurisdictions. References to FLIAC shall be deemed to be references to PALAC in the jurisdictions where the name change is not yet effective.

Pursuant to the delivery obligations under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) and Rule 159 thereunder, we deliver this prospectus to current Owners that reside outside of the United States. In addition, we may not market or offer benefits, features or enhancements to prospective or current Owners while outside of the United States.

Service Providers

The Company conducts the bulk of its annuity operations through The Prudential Insurance Company of America (together with certain of its affiliates, the “Administrator”) and other third-party service providers, subject to the Company’s oversight. The entities engaged directly or indirectly by the Company to provide services may change over time.

The Administrator services and administers the Annuity on behalf of the Company through one or more third party administrator, administrative services or other similar agreements. The Administrator’s principal executive offices are located at One Corporate Drive, Shelton, CT 06484. The Administrator is an affiliate of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., the distributor of the Annuity, but is not otherwise an affiliate of the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Company and the Administrator were affiliates.

As of December 31, 2023, the following non-affiliated entities could be deemed service providers to the Company in connection with the Annuity.

Name of Service Provider

Services Provided

Address

Broadridge Investor Communication

Proxy services and regulatory mailings

51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY, 11717

DFIN Donnelley Financial Solutions

N-CEN filings

35 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL, 60601

Docufree Corporation

Records management and administration of annuity contracts Mail receipt / Imaging, check deposits, pricing, ahoc mailings.

10 Ed Preate Drive, Moosic, PA, 18507

60 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Name of Service Provider

Services Provided

Address

EXL Service Holdings, Inc

Administration of annuity contracts

350 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10022

FTI Consulting Inc.

TPA Audits

555 12th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC, 20004

Guidehouse

Claim related services

150 North Riverside Plaza, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL, 60606

National Financial Services

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA, 02109

Open Text, Inc

Fax Services

100 Tri-State International Parkway, Lincolnshire, IL, 60069

PERSHING LLC

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

One Pershing Plaza, Jersey City, NJ, 07399

Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”)

Third party administration and processing for Annuity contracts

213 Washington Street, Newark, NJ, 07102- 2992

The Depository Trust Clearinghouse Corporation

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

55 Water Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY, 10041

Thomson Reuters

Tax reporting services

3 Times Square, New York, NY, 10036

Universal Wilde

Composition, printing, and mailing of contracts and benefit documents

26 Dartmouth Street, Westwood, MA, 02090

WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?

During the Accumulation Period, the assets supporting obligations based on allocations to the variable investment options are held in Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (the “Separate Account”). Income, gains and losses credited to, or charged against, the Separate Account reflect the Separate Account’s own investment experience and not the investment experience of our other assets. The assets of the Separate Account may not be used to pay any liabilities of ours other than those arising from the Annuity and other annuity contracts issued in connection with the Separate Account. We are obligated to pay all amounts promised to investors under the Annuity.

The Separate Account consists of multiple Sub-accounts. Each Sub-account invests only in a single Portfolio. The name of each Sub-account generally corresponds to the name of the Portfolio. Each Sub-account may have several different Unit Prices to reflect charges that are offered under annuities issued by us through the Separate Account. The Separate 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 the Separate Account. We may offer new Sub-accounts, eliminate Sub-accounts, or combine Sub-accounts at our sole discretion. We may also close Sub-accounts to additional Purchase Payments on existing annuities or close Sub-accounts 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 Sub-accounts, eliminate Sub-accounts, substitute Sub-accounts or combine Sub-accounts;

 

close Sub-accounts to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or close Sub-accounts 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 Sub-account
 

We will first notify you and receive any necessary SEC and/or state approval before making such a change. If an underlying Portfolio 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 Portfolios, so we cannot guarantee that any of those Portfolios will always be available.

61 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

WHAT IS THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE PORTFOLIOS?

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 Sub-accounts invest. However, under current SEC rules, you have voting rights in relation to Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. 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 Sub-account. 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 investment 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 investment 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 Sub-account 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 Sub-accounts under the Annuity are managed by the same advisor or Sub-advisor 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 Sub-account .

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 investment 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 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, 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. Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. receives Rule 12b-1 fees which compensate it for distribution and administrative services (including recordkeeping services and the mailing of prospectuses and reports to Owners invested in the Portfolios). These fees are paid by the underlying Portfolio out of each Portfolio’s assets and are therefore borne by Owners.

62 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

We 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 administrative services 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, 2023, under the kind of agreements described in this paragraph, there were no payments received.

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 affiliated with us related to the offering of investment options within variable annuity contracts or life insurance policies offered by our different business units.

WHO DISTRIBUTES THE ANNUITIES?

Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity offered through this prospectus. PAD acts as the distributor of several annuity and life insurance products and the AST Portfolios. Other than in its role as distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity, PAD is not affiliated with the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Company and PAD were affiliates by virtue of common control. 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 (the “Exchange Act”) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Annuity is no longer sold but Owners may make additional Purchase Payments and transfer Account Value in accordance with the Annuity. PAD enters into distribution agreements with both affiliated and unaffiliated broker-dealers who are registered under the Exchange Act (“Firms”). Applications for annuity products are solicited by registered representatives of those firms. PAD utilizes a network of its own registered representatives to wholesale annuity products to Firms. Because a variable annuity contract is an insurance product as well as a security, all registered representatives who sell variable annuity contracts are also appointed as insurance agents of ours.

We sell our annuity products through multiple distribution channels, including (1) independent broker-dealer firms and financial planners; (2) broker-dealers that are members of the New York Stock Exchange, including “wirehouse” and regional broker-dealer firms; and (3) broker-dealers affiliated with banks or that specialize in marketing to customers of banks. Although we are active in each of those distribution channels, the majority of our sales have come from the independent broker-dealer firms and financial planners.

Under the selling agreements, cash compensation in the form of commissions is paid to firms on sales according to one or more schedules. The registered representative will receive a portion of the compensation, depending on the practice of his or her firm. Commissions are generally based on a percentage of Purchase Payments made. Alternative compensation schedules are available that generally provide a lower initial commission plus ongoing quarterly compensation based on all or a portion of the Account Value. We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to your Annuity. 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 of our 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 our annuity products sold through the firm. Commissions and other cash compensation paid in relation to your Annuity do not result in any additional charge to you or to the Separate Account.

In connection with the sale and servicing of the Annuity, Firms may receive cash compensation and/or non-cash compensation. Cash compensation includes discounts, concessions, 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.

We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing Firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to the Annuity. 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 of our 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 our annuity products sold through the Firm.

In addition, in an effort to promote the sale of our products (which may include the placement of the Annuity 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

63 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

personnel; marketing and/or administrative services and/or other services they provide to us or our affiliates; educating customers of the firm on the Annuity’s features; 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 occasional 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 us.

A list of the firms to whom we pay an amount under these arrangements is provided below. You should note that firms and individual registered representatives and branch managers within some firms participating in one of these compensation arrangements might receive greater compensation for selling one annuity than for selling a different annuity that is not eligible for these compensation arrangements. While compensation is generally considered 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. Your registered representative can provide you with more information about the compensation arrangements that apply to your Annuity. Further information about the firms that are part of these compensation arrangements appears in the Statement of Additional Information, which is available without charge upon request.

The list below includes the names of the firms that we are aware as of December 31, 2023 received cash compensation with respect to our annuity business during 2023 (or as to which a payment amount was accrued during 2023). The firms listed below include those receiving payments in connection with marketing of products issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company. During 2023, the least amount paid, and greatest amount paid, were $2.00 and $5,108,969.88, respectively.

Name of Firm:

AMERICAN PORTFOLIO FIN SVCS INC

ASSOCIATED SECURITIES CORP

Allstate Financial Srvcs, LLC

CUSO Financial Services, L.P.

Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc.

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.

Centaurus Financial, Inc.

Cetera Advisor Network LLC

Commonwealth Financial Network

Concourse Financial Group Securities Inc

Crown Capital Securities, L.P.

Equitable Advisors, LLC

Equity Services, Inc.

Geneos Wealth Management, Inc.

Grove Point Investments

Hantz Financial Services,Inc.

Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC.

Kestra Financial, Inc.

LPL Financial Corporation

Lincoln Financial Advisors

Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation

Lincoln Investment Planning

M Holdings Securities, Inc

MML Investors Services, Inc.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Mutual Service Corporation

Next Financial Group, Inc.

OSAIC Wealth

PNC Investments, LLC

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION

Raymond James Financial Svcs

SA Stone Wealth Management Inc.

Securian Financial Svcs, Inc.

Securities America, Inc.

Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

TFS Securities, Inc.

The Investment Center

TransAmerica Financial Advisors, Inc.

Triad Advisors, Inc.

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

United Planners Fin. Serv.

WATERSTONE FINANCIAL GROUP INC

WELLS FARGO ADVISORS LLC – WEALTH

Wells Fargo Advisors LLC

Wells Fargo Investments

Woodbury Financial Services

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company and the Separate Account are incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information.

INDEMNIFICATION

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

64 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Company nor the Separate Account 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 Separate Account, or the Company’s ability to meet its obligations under the Annuity.

As of the date of this prospectus, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. is not a party to any material legal proceedings outside of the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. Although Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. 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 its ability to meet its obligations related to the Annuity.

HOW TO CONTACT US

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.

Annuities Service Center

Call our Annuities Service Center at 1-800-879-7012 during normal business hours.

Internet

Access information about your Annuity through our website: www.prudential.com/annuities

Correspondence Sent by Regular Mail

Annuities Service Center
P.O. Box 7960
Philadelphia, PA 19176

Correspondence Sent by Overnight*, Certified or Registered Mail

Annuities Service
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 Annuities 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 Annuities Service Center should be sent to the address shown above. Your correspondence will be picked up at this address and then delivered to our Annuities Service Center. Your correspondence is not considered received by us until it is received at our Annuities 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 Annuities 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 Annuities 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/annuities, 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 or your financial professional, 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 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/annuities, our website. Any third party that you authorize to perform financial transactions on your account will be assigned a PIN for your account.

65 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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.

We do 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. Regular and/or express mail 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. We reserve the right to limit, restrict or terminate telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic transaction privileges at any time.

This prospectus is being provided for informational or educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives or financial situation of any Annuity Owner. The information is not intended as investment advice and is not a recommendation about managing or investing your retirement savings. Annuity Owners seeking information regarding their particular investment needs should contact a financial professional.

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.

FORTITUDE RE AND THE FORTITUDE RE LOGO ARE SERVICE MARKS OF FORTITUDE GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC AND ITS AFFILIATES. OTHER PROPRIETARY FORTITUDE RE MARKS MAY BE DESIGNATED AS SUCH THROUGH THE USE OF THE SM OR ® SYMBOLS.

XTRA CREDIT, ADVANCED SERIES, GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS (GRO PLUS), GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION (GRO), AND PLUS40 ARE SERVICE MARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA AND ARE USED UNDER LICENSE BY FORTITUDE RE.

66 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX A – PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY


The following is a list of Portfolios available under the Annuity. 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/FLIAC-ASXT-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an email request 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 Portfolios, 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. Each Portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

Allspring VT Discovery All Cap Growth Fund - Class 11,
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

0.75%

33.50%

13.80%

10.68%

Equity

Allspring VT Small Cap Growth Fund - Class 11
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

0.92%

4.35%

7.95%

6.86%

Allocation

AST Academic Strategies Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate
Systematica Limited
Wellington Management Company LLP
Western Asset Management Company, LLC
Western Asset Management Company Limited

1.14%

10.21%

5.34%

3.67%

Allocation

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio1,
Jennison Associates LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate
PGIM Fixed Income

0.91%

14.48%

7.94%

6.33%

Allocation

AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.90%

15.77%

7.86%

6.14%

A-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Allocation

AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.90%

18.09%

9.74%

7.30%

Equity

AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio1
Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc.

1.12%

12.08%

8.79%

8.29%

Fixed Income

AST Core Fixed Income Portfolio1
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
Wellington Management Company LLP
Western Asset Management Company, LLC
Western Asset Management Company Limited

0.72%

6.35%

1.11%

2.28%

Fixed Income

AST Global Bond Portfolio1
AllianceBernstein L.P.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management International
Wellington Management Company LLP

1.01%

6.29%

0.56%

N/A

Fixed Income

AST Government Money Market Portfolio1
PGIM Fixed Income

0.57%

4.62%

1.54%

0.93%

Fixed Income

AST High Yield Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited

0.94%

10.56%

4.24%

4.00%

Equity

AST International Equity Portfolio1
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
LSV Asset Management
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC

1.06%

17.75%

10.39%

6.08%

Allocation

AST J.P. Morgan Global Thematic Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.04%

13.88%

7.51%

5.59%

Allocation

AST J.P. Morgan Tactical Preservation Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.03%

10.35%

5.08%

4.07%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Core Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC

0.90%

23.10%

12.69%

10.27%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Growth Portfolio1,
Clearbridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

0.93%

43.63%

15.03%

13.40%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio1
Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.84%

9.75%

13.37%

9.19%

A-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio1
Massachusetts Financial Services Company

1.12%

14.02%

10.15%

7.11%

Equity

AST Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio1
Delaware Investments Fund Advisers
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
TimesSquare Capital Management, LLC

1.12%

21.94%

10.31%

7.82%

Equity

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio1
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Victory Capital Management Inc.
Wellington Management Company LLP

1.02%

12.08%

10.42%

7.12%

Allocation

AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.92%

11.78%

4.63%

4.14%

Allocation

AST Prudential Growth Allocation Portfolio1
Jennison Associates LLC
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate

0.89%

18.06%

7.27%

6.17%

Equity

AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio1
Driehaus Capital Management LLC
Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
UBS Asset Management (Americas) Inc.
Victory Capital Management Inc.

1.00%

17.10%

11.35%

8.58%

Equity

AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio1
Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.01%

13.75%

9.79%

6.34%

Allocation

AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio1
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
T. Rowe Price International, Ltd
T. Rowe Price Australia Ltd.

0.89%

16.86%

8.37%

6.40%

Equity

AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio1
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

1.06%

1.35%

8.75%

2.58%

Equity

Inverse S&P 500® Strategy Fund♦,
Guggenheim Investments

1.85%

-14.95%

-15.41%

-12.35%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Discovery Mid Cap Growth Fund - Series I shares1,
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.87%

13.15%

12.77%

9.79%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Diversified Dividend Fund - Series I shares1
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.68%

9.05%

9.81%

7.80%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Health Care Fund - Series I shares1
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.98%

3.02%

8.75%

6.87%

A-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.98%

46.94%

14.92%

12.24%

Equity

NASDAQ-100® Fund1,♦,
Guggenheim Investments

1.77%

53.22%

20.24%

15.86%

Equity

Nova Fund♦,
Guggenheim Investments

1.75%

35.07%

18.45%

14.14%

Equity

NVIT Emerging Markets Fund Class D1,
Nationwide Fund Advisors
NS Partners Ltd

1.38%

3.80%

-0.08%

-0.22%

Fixed Income

ProFund Access VP High Yield♦,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

10.43%

2.74%

2.91%

Equity

ProFund VP Asia 301,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

4.32%

1.92%

0.66%

Equity

ProFund VP Banks1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

10.39%

6.53%

6.05%

Equity

ProFund VP Bear1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-15.27%

-15.58%

-12.62%

Equity

ProFund VP Biotechnology
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

10.14%

9.59%

7.42%

Equity

ProFund VP Bull1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

23.74%

13.41%

9.84%

Equity

ProFund VP Communication Services1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

31.82%

7.80%

4.15%

Equity

ProFund VP Consumer Discretionary1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

32.05%

9.78%

8.82%

Equity

ProFund VP Consumer Staples1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

3.92%

9.20%

6.11%

Equity

ProFund VP Energy1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-2.49%

10.93%

0.96%

Equity

ProFund VP Europe 301,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

17.47%

7.60%

2.67%

Equity

ProFund VP Financials1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

13.88%

9.98%

8.13%

Equity

ProFund VP Health Care1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

0.82%

9.48%

9.49%

Equity

ProFund VP Industrials1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

16.30%

11.72%

8.34%

Equity

ProFund VP Internet
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

49.85%

8.64%

10.74%

Equity

ProFund VP Japan1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

34.51%

11.86%

7.23%

Equity

ProFund VP Large-Cap Growth1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

27.86%

14.21%

11.39%

A-4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

ProFund VP Large-Cap Value1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

20.09%

12.27%

8.19%

Equity

ProFund VP Materials1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

12.38%

11.96%

6.33%

Equity

ProFund VP Mid-Cap Growth1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

15.56%

10.09%

7.28%

Equity

ProFund VP Mid-Cap Value1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

13.45%

11.12%

7.41%

Equity

ProFund VP NASDAQ-1001,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

52.17%

20.09%

15.51%

Equity

ProFund VP Pharmaceuticals1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-5.49%

4.83%

4.63%

Equity

ProFund VP Precious Metals1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

1.48%

8.30%

0.78%

Equity

ProFund VP Real Estate1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

9.73%

5.58%

5.89%

Equity

ProFund VP Rising Rates Opportunity1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

1.75%

-0.50%

-5.26%

Equity

ProFund VP Semiconductor
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

93.66%

31.28%

22.99%

Equity

ProFund VP Short Mid-Cap
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-9.35%

-15.32%

-11.87%

Equity

ProFund VP Short NASDAQ-1001,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-32.40%

-22.40%

-18.53%

Equity

ProFund VP Short Small-Cap
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-10.88%

-14.46%

-11.16%

Equity

ProFund VP Small-Cap Growth1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

15.19%

8.56%

7.15%

Equity

ProFund VP Small-Cap Value1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

12.94%

9.51%

6.36%

Equity

ProFund VP Technology1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.67%

57.95%

23.56%

17.85%

Fixed Income

ProFund VP U.S. Government Plus1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.38%

0.04%

-5.01%

0.27%

Equity

ProFund VP UltraBull
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

45.23%

21.83%

16.33%

Equity

ProFund VP UltraMid-Cap1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

22.21%

13.59%

9.93%

Equity

ProFund VP UltraNASDAQ-100
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

115.46%

33.86%

27.05%

Allocation

ProFund VP UltraSmall-Cap
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

22.43%

7.83%

5.49%

Equity

ProFund VP Utilities1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-8.59%

4.76%

6.89%

A-5 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 
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 Sub-accounts for those variable annuity contracts and an AST bond Portfolio Sub-account 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 Sub-accounts and the AST bond Sub-account 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 Sub-account 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.
The additional information below may be applicable to the Portfolios listed in the above table:
  Inverse S&P 500® Strategy Fund
Effective March 19, 2001 was closed to all new investments. However, electronic funds transfer, dollar cost averaging, asset allocation and rebalancing programs, as applicable, that were elected prior to the effective date will not be affected by the closure unless a contract owner withdraws or otherwise transfers their entire Account Value from the Portfolio.
  Invesco V.I. Discovery Mid Cap Growth Fund - Series I shares
Effective May 1, 2020 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.
  Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares
Effective May 1, 2022 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.
  NASDAQ-100® Fund
Effective March 19, 2001 was closed to all new investments. However, electronic funds transfer, dollar cost averaging, asset allocation and rebalancing programs, as applicable, that were elected prior to the effective date will not be affected by the closure unless a contract owner withdraws or otherwise transfers their entire Account Value from the Portfolio.
  Nova Fund
Effective March 19, 2001 was closed to all new investments. However, electronic funds transfer, dollar cost averaging, asset allocation and rebalancing programs, as applicable, that were elected prior to the effective date will not be affected by the closure unless a contract owner withdraws or otherwise transfers their entire Account Value from the Portfolio.
  ProFund Access VP High Yield
Effective April 26, 2021 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.

A-6 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Investment Restrictions

Please note that the following Portfolios are not available if you have elected any of the following optional benefits:

Optional Benefit Name:

All Investment Options Permitted, EXCEPT These:

Guaranteed Return Option

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund – Series I shares

Guaranteed Return Option Plus

ProFund Access VP High Yield

Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

ProFund VP Biotechnology

 

ProFund VP Internet

 

ProFund VP Semiconductor

 

ProFund VP Short Mid-Cap

 

ProFund VP Short Small-Cap

 

ProFund VP Technology

 

ProFund VP UltraBull

 

ProFund VP UltraNASDAQ-100

 

ProFund VP UltraSmall-Cap

A-7 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX B – SALE OF THE CONTRACTS TO RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK


Some of the provisions of the Annuity are different for contracts offered to residents of the State of New York.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Market Value Adjustment: The definition for Market Value Adjustment is not applicable.

INVESTMENT OPTIONS

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?

Fixed investment options are not available to residents of the State of New York. All references to Fixed Allocations are not applicable.

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS

Tax Charges: For New York contracts a charge for taxes may also be assessed against the Sub-accounts.

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY

CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS

The following condition has been removed:

 

A new Annuitant subsequent to the Annuity Date if the annuity option selected includes a life contingency.
 

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?

We apply a “Credit” 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, according to the table below:

Cumulative Purchase Payments

Credit

Between $1,000 and $9,999.99

1.5
%
 

Between $10,000 and $999,999.99

3.0
%
 

Between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999.99

4.0
%
 

Greater than $5,000,000

5.0
%
 

 



This Annuity features the same insurance charge as many of our other variable annuities and does not charge an additional amount for the XTra Credit feature. However, the amount of any Credits applied to your Account Value can be recaptured by us under certain circumstances:

 

any Credits applied to your Account Value on Purchase Payments made within the 12 months before the date of death will be recaptured.

 

if you elect to “free-look” your Annuity, the amount returned to you will not include the amount of any Credits.
 

The value of the XTra Credit amount will be substantially reduced if we recapture the XTra Credit amount under these circumstances. However, any investment gain on the XTra Credit amount will not be taken back. We do not deduct a CDSC in any situation where we recapture the XTra Credit amount.


RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS

For New York contracts the minimum amount allowed in an investment option is $500. Your transfer request must be In Writing. For New York contracts, a specific authorization form MUST be completed which authorizes us to accept transfers via phone or through means such as electronic mail.

Guaranteed Return Option

This benefit is not available to residents of the State of New York.

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE

This benefit is not available to residents of the State of New York.

B-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE

How Much Can I Withdraw As A Free Withdrawal?

For New York contracts the Minimum Distribution provision is only available for annuities issued under Section 403(b) of the IRS Code or for IRA’s where Minimum Distributions are required. Minimum Distributions are not available for any other contracts.

Minimum Distributions after the applicable age: For New York contracts the Minimum Distribution provision is only available for annuities issued under Section 403(b) of the IRS Code or for IRA’s where Minimum Distributions are required. Minimum Distributions are not available for any other contracts.

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?

The Annuity Date must be the first or the fifteenth day of a calendar month. However, for New York contracts, if the contract’s accumulated value, at the time of Annuitization, is less than $2,000, or would provide an income, the initial amount of which is less than $20 per month, in lieu of commencing the annuity payments, we reserve the right to cancel the Annuity and pay you the total of the Account Value.

For New York contracts the Annuity Date may not exceed the first day of the calendar month following the Annuitant’s 90th birthday.

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS

This benefit is not available to residents of the State of New York.

DEATH BENEFIT

Under certain circumstances, your Death Benefit may be reduced by the amount of any Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments.

Basic Death Benefit:

If death occurs during the first ten (10) Annuity Years: The Death Benefit is the greater of:

 

The sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals; and

 

Your Account Value.
 

If death occurs after the tenth (10th) Annuity Year: The Death Benefit is your Account Value.

Optional Death Benefits

 


The Optional Death Benefits described in the Prospectus are not offered in the State of New York. However, effective as of March 12, 2001, the Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit described below is available to new purchasers of the Annuity who are residents of the State of New York.

If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 80 or less at the time the Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 80 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 80 or less.

Key Terms Used with the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

 

The Death Benefit Target Date is the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, the oldest of either joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned.

 

The Highest Anniversary Value equals the highest of all previous “Anniversary Values” on or before the earlier of the Owner’s date of death and the “Death Benefit Target Date”.

 

The Anniversary Value is the Account Value as each anniversary of the Issue Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments on or after such anniversary less the sum of all “Proportional Reductions” since such anniversary. The Anniversary Value on the Issue Date is equal to your Purchase Payment.

 

A Proportional Reduction is a reduction to the value being measured caused by a withdrawal, equaling the percentage of the withdrawal as compared to the Account Value as of the date of the withdrawal. For example, if your Account Value is $10,000 and you withdraw $2,000 (a 20% reduction), we will reduce both your Anniversary Value and the amount determined by Purchase Payments increasing at the appropriate interest rate by 20%.
 

B-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Calculation of Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

The Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.

If the Owner dies before the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greatest of:

 

the Account Value in the Sub-accounts as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death”; and

 

the “Highest Anniversary Value” on or immediately preceding the Owner’s date of death.
 

The amount determined by this calculation is increased by any Purchase Payments received after the Owner’s date of death and decreased by any Proportional Reductions since such date.

If the Owner dies on or after the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

the Account Value as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death”; and

 

the Highest Anniversary Value on the Death Benefit Target Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all Proportional Reductions since the Death Benefit Target Date.
 

Charges for Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

If you purchase the Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit, a current annual charge of 0.15% is deducted from your Annuity’s Account Value. The charge will be based on the current Death Benefit under the Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit as of the date the charge is deducted. The charge is deducted in addition to the insurance charge. The charge is deducted in arrears on each anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity or, if you terminate the Optional Death Benefit or surrender your Annuity, on the date the termination or surrender is effective.

ANNUITY REWARDS

This benefit is not available to residents of the State of New York.

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT

Deferral of Transactions: For New York contracts, if we defer a distribution or transfer from any fixed annuity payment for more than ten days, we pay interest using our then current crediting rate for this purpose, which is not less than 3% per year on the amount deferred.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Modification: In addition to obtaining prior approval from the insurance department of our state of domicile before making such a combination, substitution, deletion or addition, we will also obtain prior approval from the Superintendent of Insurance for New York.

Misstatement of Age or Sex: For New York contracts the following provision (c) is added:
(c) as to any annuity payments, we shall credit or charge interest using our then current crediting rate for this purpose, which is not greater than 6% interest per year, calculated from the date of any underpayment or overpayment to the date actual payment is made.

B-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX C – PLUS40 OPTIONAL LIFE INSURANCE RIDER


 


Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider was offered, in those states where approved, between September 17, 2001 and May 1, 2003. The description below of the Plus40 benefit applies to those Contract Owners who purchased an Annuity during that time period and elected the Plus40 benefit.

 


The life insurance coverage provided under the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (“Plus40 rider” or the “Rider”) is supported by our general account and is not subject to, or registered as a security under, either the Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940. Information about the Plus40 rider is included as an Appendix to this Prospectus to help you understand the Rider and the relationship between the Rider and the value of your Annuity. It is also included because you can elect to pay for the Rider with taxable withdrawals from your Annuity. The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission has not reviewed this information. However, the information may be subject to certain generally applicable provisions of the Federal securities laws regarding accuracy and completeness.

The income tax-free life insurance payable to your Beneficiary(ies) under the Plus40 rider is equal to 40% of the Account Value of your Annuity as of the date we receive due proof of death, subject to certain adjustments, restrictions and limitations described below.

ELIGIBILITY

The Plus40 rider may be purchased as a rider on your Annuity. The Rider must cover those persons upon whose death the Annuity’s death benefit becomes payable – the Annuity’s Owner or Owners, or the Annuitant (in the case of an entity owned Annuity). If the Annuity has two Owners, the Rider’s death benefit is payable upon the first death of such persons. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Rider’s death benefit is payable upon the death of the Annuitant, even if a Contingent Annuitant is named.

The minimum allowable age to purchase the Plus40 rider is 40; the maximum allowable age is 75. If the Rider is purchased on two lives, both persons must meet the age eligibility requirements. The Plus40 rider is not available to purchasers who use their Annuity as a funding vehicle for a Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or as a funding vehicle for a qualified plan under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”).

ADJUSTMENTS, RESTRICTIONS & LIMITATIONS

 

If you die during the first 24 months following the effective date of the Plus40 rider (generally, the Issue Date of your Annuity), the death benefit will be limited to the amount of any charges paid for the Rider while it was in effect. While we will return the charges you have paid during the applicable period as the death benefit, your Beneficiary(ies) will receive no additional life insurance benefit from the Plus40 rider if you die within 24 months of its effective date.

 

If you make a Purchase Payment within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Account Value used to determine the amount of the death benefit will be reduced by the amount of such Purchase Payment(s). If we reduce the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider based on this provision, we will return 50% of any charges paid for the Rider based on those Purchase Payments as an additional amount included in the death benefit under the Rider.

 

If we apply Credits to your Annuity based on Purchase Payments, such Credits are treated as Account Value for purposes of determining the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider. However, if Credits were applied to Purchase Payments made within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Account Value used to determine the amount of the death benefit will be reduced by the amount of such Credits. If we reduce the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider based on this provision, we will return 50% of any charges paid for the Rider based on such Credits as an additional amount included in the death benefit under the Rider.

 

If you become terminally ill (as defined in the Rider) and elect to receive a portion of the Plus40 rider’s death benefit under the Accelerated Death Benefit provision, the amount that will be payable under the Rider upon your death will be reduced. Please refer to the Accelerated Death Benefit provision described below.

 

If charges for the Plus40 rider are due and are unpaid as of the date the death benefit is being determined, such charges will be deducted from the amount paid to your Beneficiary(ies).

 

If the age of any person covered under the Plus40 rider is misstated, we will adjust any coverage under the Rider to conform to the facts. For example, if, due to the misstatement, we overcharged you for coverage under the Rider, we will add any additional charges paid to the amount payable to your Beneficiary(ies). If, due to the misstatement, we undercharged you for coverage under the Rider, we will reduce the death benefit in proportion to the charges not paid as compared to the charges that would have been paid had there been no misstatement.

 

On or after an Owner reaches the expiry date of the Rider (the anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date on or immediately after the 95th birthday), coverage will terminate. No charge will be made for an Owner following the expiry date. If there are two Owners, the expiry date applies separately to each Owner; therefore, coverage may continue for one Owner and terminate as to the other Owner.
 

MAXIMUM BENEFIT

The Plus40 rider is subject to a Maximum Death Benefit Amount based on the Purchase Payments applied to your Annuity. The Plus40 rider may also be subject to a Per Life Maximum Benefit that is based on all amounts paid under any annuity contract we issue to you under which you have elected the Plus40 rider or similar life insurance coverage.

C-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

The Maximum Death Benefit Amount is 100% of the Purchase Payments increasing at 5% per year following the date each Purchase Payment is applied to the Annuity until the date of death. If Purchase Payments are applied to the Annuity within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Maximum Death Benefit Amount is decreased by the amount of such Purchase Payments.

 

The Per Life Maximum Benefit applies to Purchase Payments applied to any such annuity contracts more than 24 months from the date of death that exceed $1,000,000. If you make Purchase Payments in excess of $1,000,000, we will reduce the aggregate death benefit payable under all Plus40 riders, or similar riders issued by us, based on the combined amount of Purchase Payments in excess of $1,000,000 multiplied by 40%. If the Per Life Maximum Benefit applies, we will reduce the amount payable under each applicable Plus40 rider on a proportional basis. If the Per Life Maximum Benefit applies upon your death, we will return any excess charges that you paid on the portion of your Account Value on which no benefit is payable. The Per Life Maximum Benefit does not limit the amount of Purchase Payments that you may apply to your Annuity.
 

ACCELERATED DEATH BENEFIT PROVISION

If you become terminally ill, you may request that a portion of the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider be prepaid instead of being paid to your Beneficiary(ies) upon your death. Subject to our requirements and where allowed by law, we will make a one time, lump sum payment. Our requirements include proof satisfactory to us, in writing, of terminal illness after the Rider’s Effective Date.

The maximum we will pay, before any reduction, is the lesser of 50% of the Rider’s death benefit or $100,000. If you elect to accelerate payment of a portion of the death benefit under the Plus40 rider, the amount of the remaining death benefit is reduced by the prepaid amount accumulating at an annualized interest rate of 6.0%. Eligibility for an accelerated payout of a portion of your Plus40 rider death benefit may be more restrictive than any medically-related surrender provision that may be applicable to you under the Annuity.

CHARGES FOR THE PLUS40 RIDER

The Plus40 rider has a current charge and a guaranteed maximum charge. The current charge for the Plus40 rider is based on a percentage of your Account Value as of the anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity. The applicable percentages differ based on the attained age, last birthday of the Owner(s) or Annuitant (in the case of an entity owned Annuity) as of the date the charge is due. We reserve the right to change the current charge, at any time, subject to regulatory approval where required. If there are two Owners, we calculate the current charge that applies to each Owner individually and deduct the combined amount as the charge for the Rider. There is no charge based on a person’s life after coverage expires as to that person. However, a charge will still apply to the second of two Owners (and coverage will continue for such Owner) if such Owner has not reached the expiry date.

Attained Age

Percentage of Account Value

Age 40-75

.80
%
 

Age 76-80

1.60
%
 

Age 81-85

3.20
%
 

Age 86-90

4.80
%
 

Age 91

6.50
%
 

Age 92

7.50
%
 

Age 93

8.50
%
 

Age 94

9.50
%
 

Age 95

10.50
%
 

The charge for the Plus40 rider may also be subject to a guaranteed maximum charge that will apply if the current charge, when applied to the Account Value, exceeds the guaranteed maximum charge. The guaranteed maximum charge is based on a charge per $1,000 of insurance.

We determine the charge for the Rider annually, in arrears. We deduct the charge: (1) upon your death; (2) on each anniversary of the Issue Date; (3) on the date that you begin receiving annuity payments; (4) if you surrender your Annuity other than a medically-related surrender; or (5) if you choose to terminate the Rider. If the Rider terminates for any of the preceding reasons on a date other than the anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date, the charge will be prorated. During the first year after the Annuity’s Issue Date, the charge will be prorated from the Issue Date. In all subsequent years, the charge will be prorated from the last anniversary of the Issue Date.

You can elect to pay the annual charge through a redemption from your Annuity’s Account Value or through funds other than those within the Annuity. If you do not elect a method of payment, we will automatically deduct the annual charge from your Annuity’s Account Value. The manner in which you elect to pay for the Rider may have tax implications.

 

If you elect to pay the charge through a redemption of your Annuity’s Account Value, the withdrawal will be treated as a taxable distribution, and will generally be subject to ordinary income tax on the amount of any investment gain withdrawn. If you are under the age of 59½, the distribution may also be subject to a 10% additional tax on any gain withdrawn, in addition to ordinary income taxes. We first
 

C-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

deduct the amount of the charge on a proportional basis from the Account Value in the variable investment options. We only deduct the charge on a proportional basis from the Fixed Allocations to the extent there is insufficient Account Value in the variable investment options to pay the charge.

 

If you elect to pay the charge through funds other than those from your Annuity, we require that payment be made electronically in U.S. currency through a U.S. financial institution. If you elect to pay the charge through electronic transfer of funds and payment has not been received within 31 days from the due date, we will deduct the charge as a redemption from your Annuity, as described above.
 

TERMINATION

You can terminate the Plus40 rider at any time. Upon termination, you will be required to pay on a proportional basis a portion of the annual charge for the Rider. The Plus40 rider will terminate automatically on the date your Account Value is applied to begin receiving annuity payments, on the date you surrender the Annuity or, on the expiry date with respect to such person who reaches the expiry date. We may also terminate the Plus40 rider, if necessary, to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations. Once terminated, you may not reinstate your coverage under the Plus40 rider.

CHANGES IN ANNUITY DESIGNATIONS

Changes in ownership and annuitant designations under the Annuity may result in changes in eligibility and charges under the Plus40 rider. These changes may include termination of the Rider. Please refer to the Rider for specific details.

SPOUSAL ASSUMPTION

A spousal beneficiary may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Annuity’s Death Benefit. However, regardless of whether a spousal beneficiary assumes ownership of the Annuity, the death benefit under the Plus40 rider will be paid despite the fact that the Annuity will continue. The spousal beneficiary can apply the death benefit proceeds under the Plus40 rider to the Annuity as a new Purchase Payment, can purchase a new annuity contract or use the death benefit proceeds for any other purpose. Certain restrictions may apply to an Annuity that is used as a qualified investment. Spousal beneficiaries may also be eligible to purchase the Plus40 rider, in which case the Annuity’s Account Value, as of the date the assumption is effective, will be treated as the initial Purchase Payment under applicable provisions of the Rider.

TAX CONSIDERATION

The Plus40 rider was designed to qualify as a life insurance contract under the Code. As life insurance, under most circumstances, the Beneficiary(ies) does not pay any Federal income tax on the death benefit payable under the Rider.

If your Annuity is being used as an Individual Retirement Annuity (IRA), we consider the Plus40 rider to be outside of your IRA, since premium for the Rider is paid for either with funds outside of your Annuity or with withdrawals previously subject to tax and any applicable 10% additional tax.

We believe payments under the accelerated payout provision of the Rider will meet the requirements of the Code and the regulations in order to qualify as tax-free payments. To the extent permitted by law, we will change our procedures in relation to the Rider, or the definition of terminally ill, or any other applicable term in order to maintain the tax-free status of any amounts paid out under the accelerated payout provision.

C-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX D – DESCRIPTION AND CALCULATION OF THE ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT AND THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT


If you purchased your Annuity before November 18, 2002 and were not a resident of the State of New York, the following optional death benefits were offered:

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit can provide additional amounts to your Beneficiary that may be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Whether this benefit is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary to pay taxes on your Annuity should you die during the Accumulation Period. No benefit is payable if death occurs on or after the Annuity Date.

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit provides a benefit that is payable in addition to the basic Death Benefit. If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 75 or less at the time the benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 75 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 75 or less.

Calculation of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

If you purchase the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit, the Death Benefit is calculated as follows:

 

1. the basic Death Benefit described above

PLUS

 

2. 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.
 

“Death Benefit Amount” includes your Account Value and any amounts added to your Account Value under the Annuity’s basic Death Benefit when the Death Benefit is calculated. Under the basic Death Benefit, amounts are added to your Account Value when the Account Value is less than Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals.

“Proportional withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of your Account Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn.

The amount calculated in Items 1 & 2 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

 


The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is subject to a maximum of 50% of all Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity at least 12 months prior to the death of the decedent that triggers the payment of the Death Benefit.

 


Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for a discussion of special tax considerations for purchasers of this benefit.

NOTE: You may not elect the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit if you have elected any other Optional Death Benefit.

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 80 or less at the time the optional Death Benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 80 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 80 or less.

Key Terms Used with the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

 

The Death Benefit Target Date is the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, the oldest of either joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned.

 

The Highest Anniversary Value equals the highest of all previous “Anniversary Values” on or before the earlier of the Owner’s date of death and the “Death Benefit Target Date”.

 

The Anniversary Value is the Account Value as of each anniversary of the Issue Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments on or after such anniversary less the sum of all “Proportional Reductions” since such anniversary.

 

A Proportional Reduction is a reduction to the value being measured caused by a withdrawal, equaling the percentage of the withdrawal as compared to the Account Value as of the date of the withdrawal. For example, if your Account Value is $10,000 and you withdraw $2,000 (a 20% reduction), we will reduce both your Anniversary Value and the amount determined by Purchase Payments increasing at the appropriate interest rate by 20%.
 

D-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Calculation of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.

 

  If the Owner dies before the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greatest of:

 

1. the Account Value in the Sub-accounts plus the Interim Value of any Fixed Allocations (no Market Value Adjustment) as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death”; and

 

2. the sum of all Purchase Payments minus the sum of all Proportional Reductions, each increasing daily until the Owner’s date of death at a rate of 5.0%, subject to a limit of 200% of the difference between the sum of all Purchase Payments and the sum of all withdrawals as of the Owner’s date of death; and

 

3. the “Highest Anniversary Value” on or immediately preceding the Owner’s date of death.

 

  The amount determined by this calculation is increased by any Purchase Payments received after the Owner’s date of death and decreased by any Proportional Reductions since such date. The amount calculated in Items 1 & 3 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

 

  If the Owner dies on or after the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

1. the Account Value as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death” (a Market Value Adjustment may be applicable to amounts in any Fixed Allocations); and

 

2. the greater of Item 2 & 3 above on the Death Benefit Target Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all Proportional Reductions since the Death Benefit Target Date.

 

  The amount calculated in Item 1 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.
 

Annuities with joint Owners

For Annuities with Joint Owners, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the oldest of the Joint Owners is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. NOTE: If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we will pay the Death Benefit to the Beneficiary. If the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse, then the surviving spouse can elect to assume ownership of the Annuity and continue the contract instead of receiving the Death Benefit.

Annuities owned by entities

For Annuities owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the Annuitant is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. Payment of the Death Benefit is based on the death of the Annuitant (or Contingent Annuitant, if applicable).

Can I terminate the optional Death Benefits? Do the optional Death Benefits terminate under other circumstances?

You can terminate the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit and the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit at any time. Upon termination, you will be required to pay, on a proportional basis, a portion of the annual charge for the benefit. Both optional Death Benefits will terminate automatically on the Annuity Date. We may also terminate any optional Death Benefit if necessary to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations.

What are the charges for the optional Death Benefits?

The maximum charge for Enhanced Beneficiary Protection and Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit respectively is 0.75% and 0.55%. The charges for these death benefits are deducted in arrears each Annuity Year. No charge applies after the Annuity Date. We deduct the charge:

 

1. on each anniversary of the Issue Date;

 

2. when Account Value is transferred to our general account prior to the Annuity Date;

 

3. if you surrender your Annuity; and

 

4. if you choose to terminate the benefit (Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit only)
 

If you surrender the Annuity, elect to begin receiving annuity payments or terminate the benefit on a date other than an anniversary of the Issue Date, the charge will be prorated. During the first year after the Issue Date, the charge will be prorated from the Issue Date. In all subsequent years, it would be prorated from the last anniversary of the Issue Date.

We first deduct the amount of the charge on a proportional basis from the Account Value in the variable investment options. We only deduct the charge on a proportional basis from the Fixed Allocations to the extent there is insufficient Account Value in the variable investment options to pay the charge. If your Annuity’s Account Value is insufficient to pay the charge, we may deduct your remaining Account Value and terminate your Annuity. We will notify you if your Account Value is insufficient to pay the charge and allow you to submit an additional Purchase Payment to continue your Annuity.

Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for additional considerations in relation to the optional Death Benefit.

D-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

ADDITIONAL CALCULATIONS

Examples of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made and that no withdrawals are made prior to the Owner’s death. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example with Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $75,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $75,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($75,000) PLUS 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.

Purchase Payments

=

$50,000

Account Value

=

$75,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

$75,000

Death Benefit Amount

=

$75,000 - $50,000 = $25,000

Amount Payable Under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

=

$75,000 + $12,500 = $87,500

Examples with Sub-account decline

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has been decreasing due to declines in Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $45,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which-ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $50,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($50,000) PLUS 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.

Purchase Payments

=

$50,000

Account Value

=

$40,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

$50,000

Death Benefit Amount

=

$50,000 - $50,000 = $0

Amount Payable Under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

=

$50,000 + $0 = $50,000

In this example you would receive no additional benefit from purchasing the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit.

Examples of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made and that no withdrawals are made prior to the Owner’s death. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

D-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Example of Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has generally been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $90,000. The Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period is $72,000. The Death Benefit would be the Account Value ($90,000) because it is greater than the Highest Anniversary Value ($72,000) or the sum of prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77).

Example of Sub-account decrease

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value generally increased until the fifth anniversary but generally has been decreasing since the fifth contract anniversary. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $48,000. The Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period is $54,000. The Death Benefit would be the sum of prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77) because it is greater than the Highest Anniversary Value ($54,000) or the Account Value ($48,000).

Example of Sub-account increase followed by decrease

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value increased significantly during the first six years following the Issue Date. On the sixth anniversary date the Account Value is $90,000. During the seventh Annuity Year, the Account Value increases to as high as $100,000 but then subsequently falls to $80,000 on the date we receive due proof of death. The Death Benefit would be the Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period ($90,000), which occurred on the sixth anniversary, although the Account Value was higher during the subsequent period. The Account Value on the date we receive due proof of death ($80,000) is lower, as is the sum of all prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77).

D-4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX E – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION BENEFIT


We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Sub-accounts and the Fixed Allocations. We will not alter this pre-determined mathematical formula.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:

 

AV is the current Account Value of the Annuity (including any Market Value Adjustment on Fixed Allocations)

 

V is the current Account Value of the elected Sub-accounts of the Annuity

 

F is the current Account Value of the Fixed Allocations

 

G is the Principal Value of the guarantee

 

t is the number of whole and partial years between the current Valuation Day and the maturity date.

 

ti is the number of whole and partial years between the next Valuation Day (i.e., the Valuation Day immediately following the current Valuation Day) and the maturity date.

 

r is the fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length t (t1 is rounded to the next highest whole number to determine this rate) as of the current Valuation Day.

 

ri is the fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length t1 (t1 is rounded to the next highest whole number to determine this rate) as of the next Valuation Day.

 

M is the total maturity value of all Fixed Allocations, i.e., the total value that the Fixed Allocations will have on the maturity date of the guarantee if no subsequent transactions occur.
 

The formula determines, on each Valuation Day, when a transfer is required.

The formula begins by determining a “cushion”, D:

D

=

1 – [(G – M) / (1 + r)ti] / V

Next, the formula determines whether or not a transfer to or from the Fixed Allocations is needed:

A transfer into the Fixed Allocations will occur if D < 0.20, V > 0, and V > 0.02 × AV.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(V, (V × (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – G + M) / (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – (1 + r)t)))

A transfer from the Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts will occur if D > 0.30 and F > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(F, (V × (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – G + M) / ((1 + r)t – 0.75 × (1 + ri)ti)))

E-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX F – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS BENEFIT


We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Sub-accounts and the Fixed Allocations. We will not alter the formula.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:

 

AV is the current Account Value of the Annuity (including any Market Value Adjustment on Fixed Allocations)

 

V is the current Account Value of the elected Sub-accounts of the Annuity

 

F is the current Account Value of the Fixed Allocations
 

For each guarantee provided under the program,

 

Gi is the Principal Value of the guarantee

 

ti is the number of whole and partial years until the maturity date of the guarantee.

 

ri is the current fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length ti (ti is rounded to the next highest integer to determine this rate).
 

The formula determines, on each Valuation Day, when a transfer is required.

The formula begins by determining for each guarantee the value (Li) that, if appreciated at the current fixed rate, would equal the Principal Value on the applicable maturity date. We call the greatest of these values the “current liability (L).”

L

=

MAX (Li), where Li = Gi / (1 + ri)ti

Next, the formula determines whether or not a transfer to or from the Fixed Allocations is needed:

A transfer into the Fixed Allocations will occur if L > (AV – 0.2 × V), and V > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(V, (V – (1 / 0.23) × (AV – L)))

A transfer from the Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts will occur if L < (AV – 0.26 × V), and F > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(F, ((1 / 0.23) × (AV – L) – V))

F-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Mailing


This prospectus describes the important features of the Annuity and provides information about Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”) and Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (Separate Account).

We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Statement of Additional Information (SAI) that includes additional information about the Annuity 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 1-800-879-7012.

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.

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 


10 Exchange Place
Suite 2210
Jersey City, New Jersey 07302

Edgar Contract Identifier: C000003476

ASXTPROS


FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B
A Fortitude Re Company
10 Exchange Place, Suite 2210, Jersey City, NJ 07302

STAGECOACH EXTRA CREDIT

Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity

This Prospectus describes Stagecoach Extra Credit Variable Annuity, a flexible premium deferred annuity (the “Annuity”), offered by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company, formerly named Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation \(“we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”). The Annuity provides for the potential accumulation of retirement savings and retirement income through Annuitization. The Annuity is intended for retirement or other long-term investment purposes. This prospectus describes all material rights and obligations of Annuity Owners under the Annuity contracts. The Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Options available with this Annuity are described in a separate prospectus, Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option Under Certain Variable Annuity Contracts, which can be found on our website www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-MVA2-S3.

If you are receiving this prospectus, it is because you currently own the Annuity. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales.

Please read this prospectus and retain it for future reference.

In compliance with U.S. law, we deliver this prospectus to Annuity Owners that currently reside outside of the United States. In addition, 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, are NOT insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency. An investment in an annuity involves investment risks, including possible loss of value.


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, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at www.investor.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 1-800-879-7012 OR VISIT: WWW.PRUDENTIAL.COM/ANNUITIES

Prospectus Dated: May 1, 2024

Statement of Additional Information Dated: May 1, 2024

WFXTPROS 


 

Table of Contents


GLOSSARY OF TERMS.......................................................................................

1

KEY INFORMATION.........................................................................................

3

OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUITY..................................................................................

5

FEE TABLE................................................................................................

6

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE ANNUITY................................................................

8

INVESTMENT OPTIONS......................................................................................

9

WHAT ARE THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS?............................................................

9

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?.....................................................................

9

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE RATES FOR FIXED ALLOCATIONS?...................................................

9

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY GUARANTEE PERIOD MATURES?....................................................

9

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS............................................................................

10

FIXED RATE OPTIONS CHARGES...........................................................................

11

ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION CHARGES......................................................................

11

EXCEPTIONS/REDUCTIONS TO FEES AND CHARGES...........................................................

11

PURCHASING YOUR ANNUITY.................................................................................

12

REQUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASING THE ANNUITY ............................................................

12

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY...................................................................................

14

CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS.............................................

14

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENTS........................................................................

15

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS DIRECTLY FROM A BANK ACCOUNT....................................................

15

SALARY REDUCTION PROGRAMS..........................................................................

15

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE............................................................................

16

HOW AND WHEN ARE PURCHASE PAYMENTS INVESTED?.......................................................

16

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?.............................................................................

16

HOW ARE CREDITS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT VALUE?.........................................................

17

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS ...............................................

18

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS.....................................................................

19

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING PROGRAMS ....................................................................

20

DO YOU OFFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO GUARANTEE A "RETURN OF PREMIUM" AT A FUTURE DATE?.................

20

FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERMISSION TO FORWARD TRANSACTION INSTRUCTIONS ..............................

21

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE................................................................................

22

TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU ...............................................................

22

TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES........................................

22

CAN I WITHDRAW A PORTION OF MY ANNUITY?...............................................................

22

FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNTS ............................................................................

23

IS THERE A CHARGE FOR A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL?...........................................................

23

CAN YOU CLOSE MY ACCOUNT AND INVOLUNTARILY REDEEM MY INVESTMENT?...................................

23

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS FROM THE ANNUITY DURING THE ACCUMULATION PERIOD.............................

23

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS UNDER SECTION 72(t) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE..............................

23

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS.......................................................................

24

SURRENDERS.............................................................................................

25

SURRENDER VALUE.....................................................................................

25

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS.......................................................................

25

ANNUITY OPTIONS..........................................................................................

26

ANNUITY OPTIONS......................................................................................

26

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?................................................

26

HOW ARE ANNUITY PAYMENTS CALCULATED?...............................................................

26

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY.....................................................................

28

OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFITS..................................................................................

29

DEATH BENEFIT............................................................................................

37

TRIGGERS FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE DEATH BENEFIT ........................................................

37

BASIC DEATH BENEFIT...................................................................................

37

ANNUITY REWARDS.....................................................................................

42


 

PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS............................................................................

43

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE.................................................................................

45

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT.................................................................................

47

HOW IS MY ACCOUNT VALUE DETERMINED?.................................................................

47

SURRENDER VALUE ....................................................................................

47

VALUING THE SUB-ACCOUNTS............................................................................

47

VALUING THE FIXED ALLOCATIONS ........................................................................

47

PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS ................................................................

47

TAX CONSIDERATIONS......................................................................................

49

NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES...............................................................................

49

QUALIFIED ANNUITIES...................................................................................

52

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS............................................................................

59

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...................................................................................

60

HOW WILL I RECEIVE STATEMENTS AND REPORTS?...........................................................

60

WHO IS FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY?....................................................

60

WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?.....................................................................

61

WHAT IS THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE PORTFOLIOS?.......................................................

61

WHO DISTRIBUTES THE ANNUITIES?........................................................................

63

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................................................................................

64

INDEMNIFICATION......................................................................................

64

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS...................................................................................

65

HOW TO CONTACT US...................................................................................

65

APPENDIX A – PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY......................................................

A-1

APPENDIX B – PLUS40 OPTIONAL LIFE INSURANCE RIDER.........................................................

B-1

APPENDIX C – DESCRIPTION AND CALCULATION OF THE ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT
AND THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT...................................................

C-1

APPENDIX D – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS BENEFIT...................................

D-1

APPENDIX E – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION BENEFIT........................................

E-1


 

Back to Table of Contents

GLOSSARY OF TERMS


Many terms used within this Prospectus are described within the text where they appear. The description of those terms are not repeated in this Glossary of Terms.

Account Value: The value of each allocation to a Sub-account or a Fixed Allocation prior to the Annuity Date, plus any earnings, and/or less any losses, distributions and charges. The Account Value is calculated before we assess any applicable Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) and/or any Annual Maintenance Fee. The Account Value includes any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture under certain circumstances. The Account Value is determined separately for each Sub-account and for each Fixed Allocation, and then totaled to determine the Account Value for your entire Annuity. The Account Value of each Fixed Allocation on other than its Maturity Date may be calculated using a Market Value Adjustment.

Accumulation Period: The period of time from the Issue Date through the last Valuation Day immediately preceding the Annuity Date.

Annuities Service Center: The place to which all requests and payments regarding the Annuity are to be sent. We may change the address of the Annuities Service Center at any time, and will notify you in advance of any such change of address. Please see “How to Contact Us” later in this prospectus for the Annuities Service Center address.

Annuitization: The application of Account Value to one of the available annuity options for the Annuitant to begin receiving periodic payments for life, for a guaranteed minimum number of payments or for life with a guaranteed minimum number of payments.

Annuity Date: The date you choose for annuity payments to commence. A maximum Annuity Date may apply.

Annuity Year: A 12-month period commencing on the Issue Date of the Annuity and each successive 12-month period thereafter.

Free Withdrawal: The Free Withdrawal amount is the amount that can be withdrawn from your Annuity each Annuity Year without the application of any CDSC.

Co-Annuitant: The person shown on the contract data pages who becomes the Annuitant upon the death of the Annuitant before the Annuity Date. 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.

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.

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.

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. Please see the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

Guarantee Period: A period of time during the Accumulation Period where we credit a fixed rate of interest on a Fixed Allocation.

Interim Value: The value of a Fixed Allocation on any date other than the Maturity Date. The Interim Value is equal to the initial value allocated to the Fixed Allocation plus all interest credited to the Fixed Allocation as of the date calculated, less any transfers or withdrawals from the Fixed Allocation.

Issue Date: The effective date of your Annuity.

Market Value Adjustment: A Market Value Adjustment used in the determination of Account Value of each Fixed Allocation on any day other than the Maturity Date of such Fixed Allocation. Please see the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

Owner: With an Annuity issued as an individual annuity contract, the Owner is either an eligible entity or person named as having ownership rights in relation to the Annuity. With an Annuity issued as a certificate under a group annuity contract, the “Owner” refers to the person or entity who has the rights and benefits designated as to the “Participant” in the certificate.

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.

Purchase Payment: A cash consideration in currency of the United States of America given to us in exchange for the rights, privileges, and benefits of the Annuity.

Separate Account: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B. The assets supporting your allocations to the variable investment options under the Annuity. Separate Account assets held in support of the Annuity are kept separate from all our other assets and may not be charged with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct.

1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Sub-account: A division of the Separate Account. Each Sub-account invests in a particular Portfolio.

Surrender Value: The value of your Annuity available upon surrender prior to the Annuity Date. It equals the Account Value as of the date we price the surrender minus any applicable CDSC, Annual Maintenance Fee, Tax Charge, the charge for any optional benefits and any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture upon surrender of your Annuity.

Unit: A measure used to calculate your Account Value in a Sub-account during the Accumulation Period.

Valuation Day: Every day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading or any other day the Securities and Exchange Commission requires mutual funds or unit investment trusts to be valued.

“We,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company.

“You” or “your”: the Owner(s) shown in the Annuity.

2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

KEY INFORMATION


Important Information You Should Consider About the Annuity

Fees and Expenses

Charges for
Early Withdrawals

If you withdraw money from the Annuity within 8 years following your last premium payment, you may be assessed a surrender charge. The maximum surrender charge is 8.5% of the premium payment, and a surrender charge may be assessed up to 8 years after the last premium payment under the Annuity. If you make an early withdrawal, you could pay a surrender charge of up to $8,500 on a $100,000 withdrawal. Credits may also be recaptured if you take an Early Withdrawal.
For more information on early withdrawal charges, please refer to the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section of this prospectus.

Transaction
Charges

In addition to surrender charges, you may also be charged for other transactions. Charges may be applied to transfers (if more than 20 in an Annuity Year) or if state or local premium taxes are assessed.
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section of this prospectus.

Ongoing Fees and Expenses
(annual charges)

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay each year, depending on the options you choose. Please refer to your Annuity specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.

Annual Fee

Minimum

Maximum

Base Contract

1.443%

1.443%

Investment options
(Portfolio fees and expenses)

0.57%

1.46%

Optional benefits available for an additional charge
(for a single optional benefit, if elected)

0.25%

10.50%

Because your Annuity is customizable, the choices you make affect how much you will pay. To help you understand the cost of owning your Annuity, the following table shows the lowest and highest cost you could pay each year, based on current charges. This estimate assumes that you do not take withdrawals from the Annuity, which could add surrender charges that substantially increase costs.

Lowest Annual Cost
$2,044

Highest Annual Cost
$5,821

Assumes:

Investment of $100,000

5% annual appreciation

Least expensive Portfolio fees and
expenses

No optional benefits

No sales charges

No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers or withdrawals

Assumes:

Investment of $100,000

5% annual appreciation

Most expensive combination of
optional benefits and Portfolio fees
and expenses

No sales charges

No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers or withdrawals

For more information on ongoing fees and expenses, please refer to the “Fee Table” section of this prospectus.

3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Risks

Risk of Loss

You can lose money by investing in the Annuity. You can also lose value from Credits if they are recaptured by us.
For more information on the risk of loss, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity“ section of this prospectus.

Not a Short-Term Investment

The Annuity is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The Annuity is designed to provide benefits on a long-term basis. Consequently, you should not use the Annuity as a short-term investment or savings vehicle. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether investing Purchase Payments in the Annuity is consistent with the purpose for which the investment is being considered.
For more information on the short-term investment risks, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Risks Associated with Investment Options

An investment in the Annuity is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary depending on the performance of the investment options available under the Annuity, including the Fixed Allocations, each of which has its own unique risks. You should review the investment options before making an investment decision. The Fixed Allocations may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be negative, causing you to lose money.
For more information on the risks associated with investment options, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuitysection of this prospectus.

Insurance Company Risks

An investment in the Annuity 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 is available upon request. Such requests can be made toll-free at 1-800-879-7012.
For more information on insurance company risks, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Restrictions

Investments

You may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. After the twentieth transfer in each Annuity Year, we will charge $10 for each additional transfer.
If you select an optional benefit, your selection of investment options may be limited.
We reserve the right to remove or substitute Portfolios as investment options.
We may impose limitations on an investment professional’s or investment advisor’s ability to request financial transactions on your behalf.
For more information on investment and transfer restrictions, please refer to the “
Fees, Charges and Deductions” section, Appendix A”, the “What are Separate Accounts?” section and the “Financial Professional Permission to Forward Transaction Instructions” section of this prospectus.

Optional Benefits

You may be able to obtain optional benefits, which may require additional charges. If you elect to purchase one or more optional benefits, we will deduct an additional charge on a daily or annual basis from your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. The charge for each optional benefit is deducted in addition to the insurance charge due to the increased insurance risk associated with the optional benefits. Any withdrawals that exceed limits specified by the terms of an optional benefit may affect the availability of the benefit by reducing the benefit by an amount greater than the value withdrawn, and/or could terminate the benefit.
For more information on optional benefits under the Annuity, please refer to the “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Taxes

Tax Implications

You should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under the Annuity. There is no additional tax benefit if you purchase the Annuity through a tax-qualified plan or individual retirement account (IRA). Withdrawals will be subject to ordinary income tax, and may be subject to the 10% additional tax for distributions taken prior to age 59½.
For more information on tax implications, please refer to the “Tax Considerations” section of this prospectus.

Conflicts of Interest

Investment Professional Compensation

Investment professionals may receive compensation for selling the Annuity to investors and may have a financial incentive to offer or recommend the Annuity over another investment. This compensation is paid in the form of commissions, based on your investment in the Annuity.
For more information on investment professional compensation, please refer to the “Who Distributes The Annuities?” section of this prospectus.

Exchanges

Some investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you an annuity 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, that it is preferable to purchase the new contract, rather than continue to own your existing contract. This Annuity is no longer sold.
For more information on exchanges, please refer to the “Who Distributes The Annuities?” section of this prospectus.

4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUITY


The Annuity referenced in this prospectus and applicable riders is no longer available for new sales.

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.

The Annuity offers two different types of Credits. We add a Credit to your Annuity with each Purchase Payment we receive. We also provide an additional 1% Credit on Purchase Payments made within the first year and may provide certain additional benefits if your Account Value has not reached a Target Value on its 10th anniversary.

The Annuity also 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. It also offers two optional Death Benefits that provide enhanced levels of protection for your beneficiary(ies) for an additional charge. It offered the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider that provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit to your beneficiary(ies) for an additional charge. The Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider is no longer available. It may be used as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Roth IRA or Tax-Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)).It may also be used as an investment vehicle for “Non-qualified” investments. The Annuity allows you to invest your money in several variable investment options as well as in one or more fixed investment options.

We offer optional benefits for an additional fee that guarantee your Account Value to a certain level after a period of years. As part of these benefits you are required to invest only in certain permitted investment options.

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. The variable investment options, each a Sub-account of the Separate Account, invest in an underlying Portfolio. The Fixed Allocation provides a fixed rate of return for a set period of time. Withdrawals during that period of time may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can reduce your initial investment. Additional information about the Portfolios is provided in Appendix A to the prospectus.

During the payout period (after Annuitization), you can elect to receive annuity payments (1) for life; (2) for life with a guaranteed minimum number of payments; (3) based on joint lives; or (4) for a guaranteed number of payments. 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.

You can withdraw a limited amount of money from your Annuity on an annual basis without any charges. Other product features allow you to access your Account Value at any time, although a charge may apply.

Transfers between investment options are tax-free. Currently, you may make twenty transfers each year free of charge. We also offer several programs that enable you to manage your Account Value as your financial needs and investment performance change.

5 


 

Back to Table of Contents

FEE TABLE


The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from the Annuity. Please refer to your Annuity 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 that you buy the Annuity, surrender or make withdrawals from the Annuity, or transfer Account Value between investment options. State premium taxes may also be deducted. These fees and charges are described in more detail within this prospectus in the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section.

Transaction Expenses

Maximum

Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases

None

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage of each Purchase Payment)1

8.5%

Transfer Fee2

$10

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.
2. You may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. We will charge $10 for each transfer after the twentieth in each Annuity Year.

The following Contingent Deferred Sales Charge percentages apply based on the year of the surrender or withdrawal:

Yr. 1

Yr. 2

Yr. 3

Yr. 4

Yr. 5

Yr. 6

Yr. 7

Yr. 8

Yr. 9+

8.5%

8.5%

8.5%

8.5%

7.5%

5.5%

3.5%

1.5%

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 Expenses1
(assessed annually on the Annuity’s anniversary date or upon surrender)

Lesser of $30 or 2% of Account Value

Base Contract Expenses2
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

1.40%

Optional Benefit Fees and Charges

Guaranteed Return Option
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.50%

Guaranteed Return Option Plus
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.50%

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)3

0.75%

Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.75%

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit
(based on the current Death Benefit amount)

0.55%

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider
(based on your age and your Account Value as of the Issue Date of your Annuity). Please refer to Appendix B for a complete description of charges.

Charges range from.80% for Owners age 40 - 75 to 10.50% for Owners age 95.

1. The Administrative Expense is referred to as “Annual Maintenance Fee” elsewhere in this Prospectus.
2. The Base Contract Expense is referred to as the “insurance charge” elsewhere in this Prospectus.
3. If the Annuity was purchased before November 18, 2002, the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit fee was based on the Account Value.

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. A complete list of Portfolios available under the Annuity, including their annual expenses, may be found at Appendix A of this prospectus.

6 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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

0.57%

1.46%

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Annuity with the cost of investing in other variable annuity contracts. These costs include Transaction Expenses, Annual Annuity Expenses, and Annual Portfolio Expenses.

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. The first example assumes a contract with GRO Plus, Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit and Plus40. The second example assumes a contract with GRO Plus and Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

STAGECOACH EXTRA CREDIT WITH GRO PLUS, ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION DEATH BENEFIT AND PLUS40

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 annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$14,321

$26,085

$37,012

$68,520

$13,446

$23,577

$33,034

$62,268

If you annuitize your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$5,821

$17,585

$29,512

$68,520

$4,946

$15,077

$25,534

$62,268

If you do not surrender your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$5,821

$17,585

$29,512

$68,520

$4,946

$15,077

$25,534

$62,268

STAGECOACH EXTRA CREDIT WITH GRO PLUS AND ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION DEATH BENEFIT

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 annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$12,710

$21,216

$28,841

$43,430

$11,820

$18,620

$24,638

$35,686

If you annuitize your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$4,210

$12,716

$21,341

$43,430

$3,320

$10,120

$17,138

$35,686

If you do not surrender your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$4,210

$12,716

$21,341

$43,430

$3,320

$10,120

$17,138

$35,686

7 


 

Back to Table of Contents

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE ANNUITY


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.

Risks Associated with Variable Investment Options. You take all the investment risk for amounts allocated to one or more of the Sub-accounts, which invest in Portfolios. If the Sub-accounts 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 Sub-accounts 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.

Insurance Company Risk. No company other than us has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that we owe under the Annuity, including amounts allocated to the Fixed Allocations. You should look to our financial strength for our claims-paying ability. We are 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 us and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although we have business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that we 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 benefits. In addition, we may recapture some or all of the Credits applied to your Annuity and 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.

Not a Short-Term Investment. 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. Consequently, you should not use the Annuity as a short-term investment or savings vehicle. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether investing Purchase Payments in the Annuity is consistent with the purpose for which the investment is being considered.

Effect of Withdrawals on Benefits. If you have elected certain Optional Benefits, a withdrawal may reduce the amount of your Benefit on more than a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Death Benefit Risk. While each 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.

Risk of Loss. All investments have risks to some degree and it is possible that you could lose money by investing in the Annuity. 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.

8 


 

Back to Table of Contents

INVESTMENT OPTIONS


WHAT ARE THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS?

Each variable investment option is a Sub-account that invests exclusively in a single Portfolio. 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 subadvisor, (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/FLIAC-SC-ASXT-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-879-7012.

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?

We offer fixed investment options of different durations during the Accumulation Period. These “Fixed Allocations” earn a guaranteed fixed rate of interest for a specified period of time, called the “Guarantee Period.” In most states, we offer Fixed Allocations with Guarantee Periods from 1 to 10 years. We may also offer special purpose Fixed Allocations for use with certain optional investment programs. We guarantee the fixed rate for the entire Guarantee Period. However, if you withdraw or transfer Account Value before the end of the Guarantee Period, we will adjust the value of your withdrawal or transfer based on a formula, called a “Market Value Adjustment”. The Market Value Adjustment can either be positive or negative, depending on the rates that are currently being credited on Fixed Allocations. You may allocate Account Value to more than one Fixed Allocation at a time.

Please refer to the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for more information.

Fixed Allocations may not be available in all states. Availability of Fixed Allocations is subject to change and may differ by state and by the annuity product you purchase. Please call us at 1-800-879-7012 to determine availability of Fixed Allocations in your state and for your annuity product.

The Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option is registered with the SEC on a separate registration statement. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE RATES FOR FIXED ALLOCATIONS?

We do not have a specific formula for determining the fixed interest rates for Fixed Allocations. Generally, the interest rates we offer for Fixed Allocations will reflect the investment returns available on the types of investments we make to support our fixed rate guarantees. These investment types may include cash, debt securities guaranteed by the United States government and its agencies and instrumentalities, money market instruments, corporate debt obligations of different durations, private placements, asset-backed obligations and municipal bonds. In determining rates we also consider factors such as the length of the Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation, regulatory and tax requirements, liquidity of the markets for the type of investments we make, commissions, administrative and investment expenses, our insurance risks in relation to the Fixed Allocations, general economic trends and competition. Some of these considerations are similar to those we consider in determining the insurance charge that we deduct from Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts.

We will credit interest on a new Fixed Allocation in an existing Annuity at a rate not less than the rate we are then crediting to Fixed Allocations for the same Guarantee Period selected by new Annuity purchasers in the same class.

Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for information on how the Market Value Adjustment works. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY GUARANTEE PERIOD MATURES?

The “Maturity Date” for a Fixed Allocation is the last day of the Guarantee Period. Before the Maturity Date, you may choose to renew the Fixed Allocation for a new Guarantee Period of the same or different length or you may transfer all or part of that Fixed Allocation’s Account Value to another Fixed Allocation or to one or more Sub-accounts. We will notify you before the end of the Guarantee Period about the fixed interest rates that we are currently crediting to all Fixed Allocations that are being offered. The rates being credited to Fixed Allocations may change before the Maturity Date. We will not charge a Market Value Adjustment if you choose to renew a Fixed Allocation on its Maturity Date or transfer the Account Value to one or more variable investment options.

If you do not specify how you want a Fixed Allocation to be allocated on its Maturity Date, it will be renewed for a Fixed Allocation of the same duration if then available.

9 


 

Back to Table of Contents

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS


Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC): We do not deduct a sales charge from Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity. However, we may deduct a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge or CDSC if you surrender your Annuity or when you make a partial withdrawal. The CDSC reimburses us for expenses related to sales and distribution of the Annuity, including commissions, marketing materials and other promotional expenses. The CDSC is calculated as a percentage of your Purchase Payment being surrendered or withdrawn during the applicable Annuity Year. For purposes of calculating the CDSC, we consider the year following the date we receive a Purchase Payment as Year 1. After four years, the amount of the CDSC applicable to each Purchase Payment decreases over time, measured from the date the Purchase Payment is applied. The CDSC percentages are shown below.

YEARS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9+

CHARGE (%)

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.5

7.5

5.5

3.5

1.5

0.0

Each Purchase Payment has its own CDSC period. When you make a withdrawal, we assume that the oldest Purchase Payment is being withdrawn first so that the lowest CDSC is deducted from the amount withdrawn. After eight (8) complete years from the date you make a Purchase Payment, no CDSC will be assessed if you withdraw or surrender that Purchase Payment. Under certain circumstances you can withdraw a limited amount of Account Value without paying a CDSC. This is referred to as a “Free Withdrawal.” Free Withdrawals are not treated as a withdrawal of Purchase Payments for purposes of calculating the CDSC on a subsequent withdrawal or surrender. Withdrawals of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount are treated as a withdrawal of Purchase Payments and will be assessed a CDSC. For purposes of calculating the CDSC on a surrender or a partial withdrawal, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance.

We may waive the CDSC under certain medically-related circumstances or when taking a Minimum Distribution from an Annuity purchased as a “qualified” investment. Free Withdrawals, Medically-Related Surrenders and Minimum Distributions are each explained more fully in the section entitled “Access to Your Account Value”.

Transfer Fee: Currently, you may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. We will charge $10.00 for each transfer after the twentieth in each Annuity Year. We do not consider transfers made as part of a dollar cost averaging program when we count the twenty free transfers. Transfers made as part of a rebalancing, market timing or third party investment advisory service will be subject to the twenty-transfer limit. However, all transfers made on the same day will be treated as one (1) transfer. Renewals or transfers of Account Value from a Fixed Allocation at the end of its Guarantee Period are not subject to the transfer fee and are not counted toward the twenty free transfers. We may reduce the number of free transfers allowable each Annuity Year (subject to a minimum of eight) without charging a Transfer Fee unless you make use of electronic means to transmit your transfer requests. We may eliminate the transfer fee for transfer requests transmitted electronically or through other means that reduce our processing costs.

Annual Maintenance Fee: During the Accumulation Period we deduct an Annual Maintenance Fee. The Annual Maintenance Fee is $30 or 2% of your Account Value invested in the variable investment options, whichever is less. This fee will be deducted annually on the anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity or, if you surrender your Annuity during the Annuity Year, the fee is deducted at the time of surrender.

Tax Charges: 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 (which includes the effect of any Market Value Adjustment) less any applicable CDSC, any applicable Tax Charge, any charges assessable as a deduction from the Account Value for any optional living or death benefits provided by rider or endorsement, and any Annual Maintenance Fee. We may also assess a charge equal to any Company Taxes or other taxes which may be imposed against the Separate Accounts.

Company Taxes: 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 dividends 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.

10 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Insurance Charge: We deduct an insurance charge daily against the average daily assets allocated to the Sub-accounts. The insurance charge is the combination of the Mortality & Expense Risk Charge (1.25%) and the Administration Charge (0.15%). The total charge is equal to 1.40% on an annual basis. The insurance charge is intended to compensate us for providing the insurance benefits under the Annuity, including the Annuity’s basic death benefit that provides guaranteed benefits to your beneficiaries even if the Sub-account declines and the risk that persons we guarantee annuity payments to will live longer than our assumptions. The charge also covers administrative costs associated with providing the Annuity benefits, including preparation of the contract, confirmation statements, annual account statements and annual reports, legal and accounting fees as well as various related expenses. Finally, the charge covers the risk that our assumptions about the mortality risks and expenses under this Annuity are incorrect and that we have agreed not to increase these charges over time despite our actual costs.

We may make a profit on the insurance charge if, over time, the actual cost of providing the guaranteed insurance obligations under the Annuity are less than the amount we deduct for the insurance charge. To the extent we make a profit on the insurance charge, such profit may be used for any other corporate purpose, including payment of other expenses that we incur in promoting, distributing, issuing and administering the Annuity and to offset a portion of the costs associated with offering Credits which are funded through our general account. The insurance charge is deducted against your Annuity’s Account Value, which includes the amount of any Credits we apply to your Purchase Payments and any increases or decreases in your Account Value based on Sub-account fluctuations of the Sub-accounts. Any profit that we may make on the insurance charge may include a profit on the portion of the Account Value that represents Credits applied to the Annuity, as well as profits based on market appreciation of the Sub-account values.

The insurance charge is not deducted against assets allocated to a Fixed Allocation. However, the amount we credit to Fixed Allocations may also reflect similar assumptions about the insurance guarantees provided under the Annuity.

Benefits Available Under the Annuity: For information about the benefits available under the Annuity and their corresponding charges, please refer to the section titled “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” in this prospectus.

Fees and Expenses Incurred by the Portfolios: We do not assess any charges directly against the Portfolios. However, each Portfolio pays charges, fees and expenses, which are deducted daily by each Portfolio before it provides us with the net asset value as of the close of business each day. More detailed information about fees and charges can be found in Appendix A to this prospectus and the prospectuses for the Portfolios located at www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-SC-ASXT-STAT.

FIXED RATE OPTION CHARGES

No specific fee or expenses are deducted when determining the rate we credit to a Fixed Allocation. However, for some of the same reasons that we deduct the insurance charge against Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts, we also consider mortality, expense, administration, profit and other factors in determining the interest rates we credit to Fixed Allocations. Any CDSC or Tax Charge applies to amounts that are taken from the variable investment options or the Fixed Allocations. A Market Value Adjustment may also apply to transfers, certain withdrawals, surrender or Annuitization from a Fixed Allocation. Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION CHARGES

In certain states a tax is due if and when you exercise your right to receive periodic annuity payments. The amount payable will depend on the applicable jurisdiction and on the annuity payment option you select. If you select a fixed payment option, the amount of each fixed payment will depend on the Account Value of your Annuity when you elected to annuitize. There is no specific charge deducted from these payments; however, the amount of each annuity payment reflects assumptions about our insurance expenses. If you select a variable payment option that we may offer, then the amount of your benefits will reflect changes in the value of your Annuity and will continue to be subject to an insurance charge.

EXCEPTIONS/REDUCTIONS TO FEES AND CHARGES

We may reduce or eliminate certain fees and charges or alter the manner in which the particular fee or charge is deducted. For example, we may reduce the amount of the CDSC or the length of time it applies, reduce or eliminate the amount of the Annual Maintenance Fee or reduce the portion of the total insurance charge that is deducted as an Administration Charge. Generally, these types of changes will be based on a reduction to our sales, maintenance or administrative expenses due to the nature of the individual or group purchasing the Annuity. Some of the factors we might consider in making such a decision are: (a) the size and type of group; (b) the number of Annuities purchased by an Owner; (c) the amount of Purchase Payments or likelihood of additional Purchase Payments; and/or (d) other transactions where sales, maintenance or administrative expenses are likely to be reduced. We will not discriminate unfairly between Annuity purchasers if and when we reduce the portion of the insurance charge attributed to the charge covering administrative costs.

11 


 

Back to Table of Contents

PURCHASING YOUR ANNUITY


The Annuity referenced in this prospectus is no longer available for new sales or re-elections.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASING THE ANNUITY

We may apply certain limits, restrictions, and/or underwriting standards as a condition of our issuance of the annuity and/or acceptance of Purchase Payments. Certain of the current limitations, restrictions and standards are described below. We may change these limitations, restrictions and standards in the future.

Initial Purchase Payment: We no longer allow new purchases of this Annuity. The minimum initial Purchase Payment is $1,000. However, if you decided to make payments under a systematic investment or “bank drafting” program, we accepted a lower initial Purchase Payment provided that, within the first Annuity Year, you made at least $1,000 in total Purchase Payments.

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. We may have applied certain limitations and/or restrictions on the Annuity as a condition of our acceptance, including limiting the liquidity features or the Death Benefit protection provided under the Annuity, limiting the right to make additional Purchase Payments, changing the number of transfers allowable under the Annuity or restricting the Sub-accounts that are available. Other limitations and/or restrictions may apply.

Age Restrictions: The Owner must have been age 80 or under as of the Issue Date of the Annuity. If the Annuity is owned jointly, the oldest of the Owners must have been age 80 or under on the Issue Date. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must have been age 80 or under as of the Issue Date. The availability of certain optional benefits may vary based on the age of the Owner on the Issue Date of the Annuity.

Additional Purchase Payments may be made at any time before the Annuity Date as long as the oldest Owner or Annuitant (if the Annuity is entity owned) is not over age 80.

DESIGNATION OF OWNER, ANNUITANT, AND BENEFICIARY

Owner, Annuitant and Beneficiary Designations: On your Application, we asked you to name the Owner(s), Annuitant and one or more Beneficiaries for your Annuity.

 

Owner: The Owner(s) holds all rights under the Annuity. You may name up to two Owners in which case all ownership rights are held jointly. Generally, joint Owners are required to act jointly; however, if each Owner provides us with a written form that we find acceptable, we will permit each Owner to act independently on behalf of both Owners. All information and documents that we are required to send you will be sent to the first named Owner. This Annuity does not provide a right of survivorship. Refer to the Glossary of Terms for a complete description of the term “Owner.”

 

Annuitant: The Annuitant is the person we agree to make annuity payments to and upon whose life we continue to make such payments. You must name an Annuitant who is a natural person. We do not accept a designation of joint Annuitants during the Accumulation Period. Where allowed by law, you may name one or more Contingent Annuitants. A Contingent Annuitant will become the Annuitant if the Annuitant dies before the Annuity Date. Please refer to the discussion of “Considerations for Contingent Annuitants” in the “Tax Considerations” section of the Prospectus.

 

Beneficiary: The Beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you name to receive the death benefit. If no beneficiary is named the death benefit will be paid to you or your estate. If no beneficiary is named for a trust owned contract, the default beneficiary will be the contract owner.
 

Your right to make certain designations may be limited if your Annuity is to be used as an IRA or other “qualified” investment that is given beneficial tax treatment under the Code. You should seek tax advice on the income, estate and gift tax implications of your designations.

Special Considerations for Purchasers of Bonus or Credit Products

 

This Annuity features the same insurance charge as many of our other variable annuities and does not charge an additional amount for the Extra Credit feature. However, if you make a withdrawal that exceeds the annual free withdrawal amount or choose to surrender your Annuity, the contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) on this Annuity is higher and is deducted for a longer period of time as compared to our other variable annuities. If you expect that you will need to access your Account Value during the CDSC period and the liquidity provisions are insufficient to satisfy that need, then this Annuity may be more expensive than other variable annuities.

 

The Extra Credit amount is included in your Account Value. However, we may recapture the original Extra Credit amount applied to your Purchase Payment if you die, or elect to withdraw all or a portion of your Account Value under the medically-related waiver provision, within 12 months of having received an Extra Credit amount. In either situation, the value of the Extra Credit amount could be substantially reduced. However, any investment gain on the Extra Credit amount will not be taken back. Additional conditions and restrictions apply.

 

We offer other annuities through investment professionals associated with other firms, where we apply an Extra Credit to your annuity with each Purchase Payment you make. The Extra Credit amount we apply to Purchase Payments on those annuities is initially higher than on this Annuity but reduces over time and only applies during the first six Annuity Years. The total asset-based charges on those annuities are higher during the first 10 years but are lower than this Annuity after the 10th year. The CDSC is also higher and is deducted for a
 

12 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

longer period of time than on this Annuity; however the CDSC on those annuities applies from the Issue Date of the annuity, not separately to each Purchase Payment.
 

13 


 

Back to Table of Contents

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY


CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS

You may change the Owner, Annuitant and Beneficiary designations. Where allowed by law, such changes will be subject to our acceptance. Some of the changes we will not accept include, but are not limited to:

 

a new Owner subsequent to the death of the Owner or the first of any joint Owners to die, except where a spouse-Beneficiary has become the Owner as a result of an Owner’s death;

 

a new Annuitant subsequent to the Annuity Date;

 

for “Non-qualified” investments, a new Annuitant prior to the Annuity Date if the Annuity is owned by an entity;

 

a change in Beneficiary if the Owner had previously made the designation irrevocable;

 

a new Owner or Annuitant that is a certain ownership type, including but not limited to corporations, partnerships, endowments, and grantor trusts with multiple grantors (if allowed by state law); and

 

a new Annuitant for a contract issued to a grantor trust where the new Annuitant is not the grantor of the trust.
 

Unless prohibited by applicable State Law, we reserve the right to refuse a proposed change of Owner and/or Beneficiary, and a proposed assignment of the Annuity.

We will reject a proposed change where the proposed Owner, Annuitant, Beneficiary or assignee is any of the following:

 

a company(ies) that issues or manages viatical or structured settlements;

 

an institutional investment company;

 

an Owner with no insurable relationship to the Annuitant or Contingent Annuitant (a “Stranger-Owned Annuity” or “STOA”); or

 

a change in designation(s) that does not comply with or that we cannot administer in compliance with Federal and/or state law.
 

Spousal Owners/Spousal Beneficiaries

If an Annuity is co-owned by spouses, we will assume that the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse. Upon the death of either spousal Owner, the surviving spouse may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Death Benefit payment. The Death Benefit that would have been payable will be the new Account Value of the Annuity as of the date of due proof of death and any required proof of a spousal relationship. As of the date the assumption is effective, the surviving spouse will have all the rights and benefits that would be available under the Annuity to a new purchaser of the same attained age. For purposes of determining any future Death Benefit for the beneficiary of the surviving spouse, the new Account Value will be considered as the initial Purchase Payment. No CDSC will apply to the new Account Value. However, any additional Purchase Payments applied after the date the assumption is effective will be subject to all provisions of the Annuity, including the CDSC when applicable.

Spousal assumption is also permitted, subject to our rules and regulatory approval, if the Annuity 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 Code (“Code”) (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”) and, on the date of the Annuitant’s death, the spouse of the Annuitant is (1) the Contingent Annuitant under the Annuity and (2) the beneficiary of the Custodial Account. The ability to continue the Annuity in this manner will result in the Annuity no longer qualifying for tax deferral under the Code. However, such tax deferral should result from the ownership of the Annuity by the Custodial Account. Please consult your tax or legal advisor.

Note that any division of your Annuity due to divorce will be treated as a withdrawal and the non-Owner spouse may then decide whether he or she would like to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity that is then available to new contract Owners. Note that any division of your Annuity due to divorce will be treated as a withdrawal and CDSC may apply. If CDSC is applicable, it cannot be divided between the Owner and the non-Owner ex-spouses. The non-Owner ex-spouse may decide whether he or she would like to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity that is then available to new contract Owners. Depending upon the method used for the division of the Annuity, the CDSC may be applied to the existing or new Annuity. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding your personal situation if you will be transferring or dividing your Annuity pursuant to a divorce.

The federal and state tax law provisions applicable to an opposite sex spouse will also apply to a same sex spouse. Please note that a civil union or registered domestic partnership is generally not recognized as a marriage.

Contingent Annuitant

Generally, if an Annuity is owned by an entity and the entity has named a Contingent Annuitant, the Contingent Annuitant will become the Annuitant upon the death of the Annuitant, and no Death Benefit is payable. Unless we agree otherwise, the Annuity is only eligible to have a Contingent Annuitant designation if the entity which owns the Annuity is (1) a plan described in 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, as described in the above section.

14 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Where the Annuity is held by a Custodial Account, the Contingent 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 Annuity. If the Custodial Account elects to receive the Death Benefit, the Account Value of the Annuity 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. See the section above entitled “Spousal Owners/Spousal Beneficiaries” for more information about how the Annuity can be continued by a Custodial Account.

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENTS

The minimum amount that we accept as an additional Purchase Payment is $100 unless you participate in the Systematic Investment Program or a periodic Purchase Payment program. We will allocate any additional Purchase Payments you make according to your most recent allocation instructions, unless you request new allocations when you submit a new Purchase Payment. Additional Purchase Payments may be paid at any time before the Annuity Date as long as the oldest Owner or Annuitant (if the Annuity is entity owned) is not over age 80.

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS DIRECTLY FROM A BANK ACCOUNT

You can make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity by authorizing us to deduct money directly from your bank account and applying it to your Annuity. This type of program is often called “bank drafting”. We call our bank drafting program the “Systematic Investment Program.” Purchase Payments made through bank drafting may only be allocated to the variable investment options when applied. Bank drafting allows you to invest in your Annuity with a lower initial Purchase Payment, as long as you authorize payments that will equal at least $1,000 during the first 12 months of your Annuity. We may suspend or cancel bank drafting privileges if sufficient funds are not available from the applicable financial institution on any date that a transaction is scheduled to occur.

SALARY REDUCTION PROGRAM

These types of programs are only available with certain types of qualified investments. If your employer sponsors such a program, we may agree to accept periodic Purchase Payments through a salary reduction program as long as the allocations are made only to variable investment options and the periodic Purchase Payments received in the first year total at least $1,000.

15 


 

Back to Table of Contents

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE


HOW AND WHEN ARE PURCHASE PAYMENTS INVESTED?

(See “Valuing Your Investment” for a description of our procedure for pricing initial and subsequent Purchase Payments.)

Initial Purchase Payment: Once we accepted your application, we invested your net Purchase Payment in the Annuity. The net Purchase Payment is your initial Purchase Payment minus any tax charges that may apply. The Annuity is no longer sold.

Subsequent Purchase Payments: We will allocate any additional Purchase Payments you make according to your current allocation instructions. If any rebalancing or asset allocation programs are in effect, the allocation should conform with such a program. We assume that your current allocation instructions are valid for subsequent Purchase Payments until you make a change to those allocations or request new allocations when you submit a new Purchase Payment.

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?

We apply a “Credit” 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, according to the tables below:

The Credits shown below are in effect as of May 3, 1999 in those states where approved.

Cumulative Purchase Payments

Credit

Between $1,000 and $9,999.99

1.0%

Between $10,000 and $999,999.99

2.0%

Between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999.99

3.0%

Greater than $5,000,000

4.0%

The Credits shown below apply to all Annuities issued before May 3, 1999 and to Annuities issued after May 3, 1999 in those states where the above table has not been approved.

Cumulative Purchase Payments

Credit

Between $1,000 and $9,999.99

1.5%

Between $10,000 and $999,999.99

3.0%

Between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999.99

4.0%

Greater than $5,000,000

5.0%

Credits Applied to Purchase Payments for Designated Class of Annuity Owner

Where allowed by state law, on Annuities owned by a member of the class defined below, the table of Credits we apply to Purchase Payments is deleted. The Credit applied to all Purchase Payments on such Annuities is 8.0%.

The designated class of Annuity Owners includes: (a) any parent company, affiliate or subsidiary of ours; (b) an officer, director, employee, retiree, sales representative, or in the case of an affiliated broker-dealer, registered representative of such company; (c) a director, officer or trustee of any underlying Portfolio; (d) a director, officer or employee of any investment manager, sub-advisor, transfer agent, custodian, auditing, legal or administrative services provider that is providing investment management, advisory, transfer agency, custodianship, auditing, legal and/or administrative services to an underlying mutual fund or any affiliate of such firm; (e) a director, officer, employee or registered representative of a broker-dealer or insurance agency that has a then current selling agreement with us and/or with Prudential Annuities Distributors, Incorporated, a Prudential Financial Company, or the prior principal underwriter of the Annuity; (f) a director, officer, employee or authorized representative of any firm providing us or our affiliates with regular legal, actuarial, auditing, underwriting, claims, administrative, computer support, marketing, office or other services; (g) the then current spouse of any such person noted in (b) through (f), above; (h) the parents of any such person noted in (b) through (g), above; (i) the child(ren) or other legal dependent under the age of 21 of any such person noted in (b) through (h) above; and (j) the siblings of any such persons noted in (b) through (h) above. Membership in a designated class was determined at the time the annuity was purchased.

All other terms and conditions of the Annuity apply to Owners in the designated class, except that we will not provide any Additional Amounts for any such contracts (see “Additional Amounts in the Fixed Allocations”). Any Target Value Credits applied under the Performance Advantage benefit are not affected by an Owner’s inclusion in the designated class of Annuity Owners.

16 


 

Back to Table of Contents

You must notify us at the time you apply for an Annuity if you are a member of the designated class. We are not responsible for monitoring whether you qualify as a member of the designated class. Failure to inform us that you qualify as a member of the designated class may result in your Annuity receiving fewer Credits than would otherwise be applied to your Annuity.

HOW ARE CREDITS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT VALUE?

Each Credit is allocated to your Account Value at the time the Purchase Payment is applied to your Account Value. The amount of the Credit is allocated to the investment options in the same ratio as the applicable Purchase Payment is applied and is thereafter treated as a Purchase Payment.

Examples of Applying Credits

Initial Purchase Payment
Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $250,000. We would apply a 2.0% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($5,000 = $250,000 ×.02) to your Account Value in the proportion that your Account Value is allocated.

Additional Purchase Payment (at same breakpoint)
Assume that you make an additional Purchase Payment of $500,000. Because your cumulative Purchase Payments are less than the next breakpoint ($1,000,000), we would apply a 2.0% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($10,000 = $500,000 ×.02) to your Account Value.

Additional Purchase Payment (at higher breakpoint)
Assume that you make an additional Purchase Payment of $400,000. Because your cumulative Purchase Payments are now $1,150,000 (greater than the next breakpoint), we would apply a 3.0% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($12,000 = $400,000 ×.03) to your Account Value.

This Annuity features the same insurance charge as many of our other variable annuities and does not charge an additional amount for the Extra Credit feature. However, the amount of any Credits applied to your Account Value can be recaptured by us under certain circumstances:

 

any Credits applied to your Account Value on Purchase Payments made within the 12 months before the date of death will be recaptured.

 

the amount available under the medically-related surrender portion of the Annuity will not include the amount of any Credits payable on Purchase Payments made within 12 months of the date the Annuitant first became eligible for the medically-related surrender.

 

if you elect to “free-look” your Annuity, the amount returned to you will not include the amount of any Credits.
 

The value of the Extra Credit amount will be substantially reduced if we recapture the Extra Credit amount under these circumstances. However, any investment gain on the Extra Credit amount will not be taken back. We do not deduct a CDSC in any situation where we recapture the Extra Credit amount.

Examples of Recapturing Credits

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

 

1. 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 2.0% Credit, for a total of $1,200. 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 ($1,200).

 

2. 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 2.0% Credit, for a total of $1,200. 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 ($200).

 

3. 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.
 

17 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Recapture from Medically-Related Surrenders

 

1. Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You receive a Credit of $1,000 ($50,000 ×.02). The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill in the 6th month after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the medically-related surrender provision. Assuming the Credits were applied within 12-months of the date of diagnosis of the terminal illness, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision would be reduced by the entire amount of the Credits ($1,000).

 

2. 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 2.0% Credit, for a total of $1,200. The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill in the 16th month after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the medically-related surrender provision. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credits that were applied) occurred more than 12-months before the diagnosis, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision 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 diagnosis. Therefore, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision would be reduced by the amount of the Credits payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($200).
 

Credits applied to estimated Purchase Payments

Under certain circumstances, we may determine the amount of Credits payable on two or more separate Purchase Payments based on the Credit percentage that would have applied had all such Purchase Payments been made at the same time. To make use of this procedure, often referred to as a “letter of intent”, you must provide evidence of your intention to submit the cumulative additional Purchase Payments within a 13-month period. A letter of intent must be provided to us prior to the Issue Date to be effective. Acceptance of a letter of intent is at our sole discretion and may be subject to restrictions as to the minimum initial Purchase Payment that must be submitted to receive the next higher breakpoint.

Failure to inform us that you intend to submit two or more Purchase Payments within a 13-month period may result in your Annuity receiving fewer Credits than would otherwise be added to your Annuity.

If you submit a letter of intent and receive Credits on Purchase Payments at a higher Credit percentage than would have applied BUT do not submit the required Purchase Payments during the 13-month period as required by your letter of intent, we may recapture the “excess” Credits. “Excess” Credits are Credits in excess of the Credits that would have been payable without the letter of intent. If we determine that you have received “excess” Credits, any such amounts will be taken on a proportional basis from the investment options based on your Account Values as of the date we act to recapture the excess. If the amount of the recapture exceeds your then current Surrender Value, we will recapture all remaining Account Value and terminate your Annuity.

General Information about Credits

 

We do not consider Credits to be “investment in the contract” (also known as “basis”) for income tax purposes.

 

You may not withdraw the amount of any Credits under the Free Withdrawal provision. The Free Withdrawal provision only applies to withdrawals of Purchase Payments.

 

These Credits are separate and distinct from the Target Value Credits discussed below in the section entitled “Performance Advantage.”

 

Credits are included in any contract level standardized or non-standardized performance calculations.

 

Please note that we expect to make a profit from the Annuity, even though there is not an explicit charge for the Credits.
 

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS

During the Accumulation Period you may transfer Account Value between investment options. Transfers are not subject to taxation on any gain. We currently limit the number of Sub-accounts you can invest in at any one time to twenty (20). However, you can invest in an unlimited number of Fixed Allocations. We may require a minimum of $500 in each Sub-account you allocate Account Value to at the time of any allocation or transfer. If you request a transfer and, as a result of the transfer, there would be less than $500 in the Sub-account, we may transfer the remaining Account Value in the Sub-account on a proportional basis to the other investment options to which you transferred.

Currently, we charge $10 for each transfer after the twentieth (20th) in each Annuity Year, including transfers made as part of any rebalancing, market timing, asset allocation or similar program which you have authorized. Transfers made as part of a dollar cost averaging program do not count toward the twenty free transfer limit. Renewals or transfers of Account Value from a Fixed Allocation at the end of its Guarantee Period are not subject to the transfer charge. We may reduce the number of free transfers allowable each Annuity Year (subject to a minimum of eight) without charging a Transfer Fee unless you make use of electronic means to transmit your transfer requests. We may eliminate the Transfer Fee for transfer requests transmitted electronically or through other means that reduce our processing costs.

Frequent Transfers

Frequent transfers among investment options in response to short-term fluctuations in markets, sometimes called “market timing,” can make it very difficult for a Portfolio manager to manage a Portfolio’s investments. Frequent transfers may cause the Portfolio to hold more cash than otherwise necessary, disrupt management strategies, increase transaction costs, or affect performance. Considering the risks posed to Owners and other investors by frequent transfers, we reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any Annuity Year for all Owners and to take the other actions discussed

18 


 

Back to Table of Contents

below. We also reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any Annuity 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 Unit Values or the share prices of the Portfolios; or (b) we are informed by a Portfolio (e.g., by a Portfolio’s Portfolio manager) that the purchase or redemption of shares in the Portfolio must be restricted because the Portfolio believes the transfer activity to which such purchase and redemption relates would have a detrimental effect on the share prices of the affected Portfolio. 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 Portfolio. 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 Annuity, we track amounts exceeding a certain dollar threshold that were transferred into a Sub-account. If you transfer such amount into a particular Sub-account, and within 30 calendar days thereafter transfer (the “Transfer Out”) all or a portion of that amount into another Sub-account, then upon the Transfer Out, the former Sub-account becomes restricted (the “Restricted Sub-account”). Specifically, we will not permit subsequent transfers into the Restricted Sub-account for 90 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Sub-account invests in a non-international Portfolio, or 180 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Sub-account invests in an international Portfolio. For purposes of this rule, we (i) do not count transfers made in connection with one of our systematic programs; (ii) do not count any transfer that solely involves a holding account; and (iii) do not categorize as a transfer the first transfer that you make after the Issue Date, if you make that transfer within 30 calendar days after the Issue Date. Even if an amount becomes restricted under the foregoing rules, you are still free to redeem the amount from your Annuity at any time.

We reserve the right to effect transfers on a delayed basis for all annuities in accordance with our rules regarding frequent transfers. That is, we may price a transfer involving the Sub-accounts on the Valuation Day subsequent to the Valuation Day on which the transfer request was received. Before implementing such a practice, we would issue a separate written notice to Owners that explains the practice in detail.

If we deny one or more transfer requests under the foregoing rules, we will inform you or your financial professional promptly of the circumstances concerning the denial.

There are Owners of different variable annuity contracts that are funded through the same Separate Account that may not be subject to the above- referenced transfer restrictions and, therefore, might make more numerous and frequent transfers than Owners who are subject to such limitations. Finally, there are Owners of other variable annuity contracts or variable life contracts that are issued by us as well as other insurance companies that have the same Portfolios available to them. Since some Owners are not subject to the same transfer restrictions, unfavorable consequences associated with such frequent trading within the Portfolios (e.g., greater Portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, or performance or tax issues) may affect all Owners. Similarly, while contracts managed by a financial professional are subject to the restrictions on transfers between Sub-accounts that are discussed above, if the financial professional manages a number of contracts in the same fashion unfavorable consequences may be associated with management activity since it may involve the movement of a substantial portion of an Portfolio’s assets which may affect all Owners invested in the affected Portfolios. Apart from jurisdiction-specific and contract differences in transfer restrictions, we will apply these rules uniformly (including contracts managed by a financial professional) and will not waive a transfer restriction for any Owner.

Although our transfer restrictions are designed to prevent excessive transfers, they are not capable of preventing every potential occurrence of excessive transfer activity. The Portfolios have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to excessive trading of their respective shares, and we reserve the right to enforce any such current or future 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 or its transfer agent that obligates us to provide to the Portfolio promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual Owners (including an Owner’s TIN number), and (2) execute instructions from the Portfolio to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific 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 you) 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 (also referred to as “redemption fee”) in connection with a transfer out of the Sub-account investing in that Portfolio that occurs within a certain number of days following the date of allocation to the Sub-account. 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 Account Value, to the extent allowed by law. At present, no Portfolio has adopted a short-term trading fee.

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS

We offer Dollar Cost Averaging during the Accumulation Period. Dollar Cost Averaging allows you to systematically transfer an amount each month from one investment option to one or more other investment options. You can choose to transfer earnings only, principal plus earnings or a flat dollar amount. Dollar Cost Averaging allows you to invest regularly each month, regardless of the current Unit value (or price) of the Sub-account(s) you invest in. This enables you to purchase more Units when the Sub-account price is low and fewer Units when the Sub-account price is high. This may result in a lower average cost of Units over time. However, there is no guarantee that Dollar Cost Averaging will result in a profit or protect against a loss in a declining Sub-account. We do not deduct a charge for participating in a Dollar Cost Averaging program.

19 


 

Back to Table of Contents

You must have a minimum Account Value of at least $10,000 to enroll in a Dollar Cost Averaging program.

You can Dollar Cost Average from variable investment options or Fixed Allocations. Dollar Cost Averaging from Fixed Allocations is subject to a number of rules that include, but are not limited to the following:

 

You may only use Fixed Allocations with Guarantee Periods of 1, 2 or 3 years.

 

You may only Dollar Cost Average earnings or principal plus earnings. If transferring principal plus earnings, the program must be designed to last the entire Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation.

 

Dollar Cost Averaging transfers from Fixed Allocations are not subject to a Market Value Adjustment.
 

NOTE: When a Dollar Cost Averaging program is established from a Fixed Allocation, the fixed rate of interest we credit to your Account Value is applied to a declining balance due to the transfers of Account Value to the Sub-accounts during the Guarantee Period. This will reduce the effective rate of return on the Fixed Allocation over the Guarantee Period.

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING PROGRAMS

During the Accumulation Period, we offer automatic rebalancing among the variable investment options you choose. You can choose to have your Account Value rebalanced monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. On the appropriate date, your variable investment options are rebalanced to the allocation percentages you request. For example, over time the performance of the variable investment options will differ, causing your percentage allocations to shift. With automatic rebalancing, we transfer the appropriate amount from the “overweighted” Sub-accounts to the “underweighted” Sub-accounts to return your allocations to the percentages you request. If you request a transfer from or into any variable investment option participating in the automatic rebalancing program, we will assume that you wish to change your rebalancing percentages as well, and will automatically adjust the rebalancing percentages in accordance with the transfer unless we receive alternate instructions from you.

You must have a minimum Account Value of at least $10,000 to enroll in automatic rebalancing. All rebalancing transfers made on the same day as part of an automatic rebalancing program are considered as one transfer when counting the number of transfers each year toward the maximum number of free transfers. We do not deduct a charge for participating in an automatic rebalancing program.

DO YOU OFFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO GUARANTEE A “RETURN OF PREMIUM” AT A FUTURE DATE?

We offer two different programs for investors who wish to invest in the variable investment options but also wish to protect their principal, at least as of a specific date in the future. You may not want to use either of these programs if you expect to begin taking annuity payments before the program would be completed.

Balanced Investment Program

We offer a balanced investment program where a portion of your Account Value is allocated to a Fixed Allocation and the remaining Account Value is allocated to the variable investment options that you select. When you enroll in the Balanced Investment Program, you choose the duration that you wish the program to last. This determines the duration of the Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation. Based on the fixed rate for the Guarantee Period chosen, we calculate the portion of your Account Value that must be allocated to the Fixed Allocation to grow to a specific “principal amount” (such as your initial Purchase Payment). We determine the amount based on the rates then in effect for the Guarantee Period you choose. If you continue the program until the end of the Guarantee Period and make no withdrawals or transfers, at the end of the Guarantee Period, the Fixed Allocation will have grown to equal the “principal amount”. Withdrawals or transfers from the Fixed Allocation before the end of the Guarantee Period will terminate the program and may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment. You can transfer the Account Value that is not allocated to the Fixed Allocation between any of the Sub-accounts available under the Annuity. Account Value you allocate to the variable investment options is subject to Sub-account fluctuations and may increase or decrease in value. We do not deduct a charge for participating in the Balanced Investment Program.

 

  Example

 

  Assume you invest $100,000. You choose a 10-year program and allocate a portion of your Account Value to a Fixed Allocation with a 10-year Guarantee Period. The rate for the 10-year Guarantee Period is 2.50%*. Based on the fixed interest rate for the Guarantee Period chosen, the factor is 0.781198 for determining how much of your Account Value will be allocated to the Fixed Allocation. That means that $78,120 will be allocated to the Fixed Allocation and the remaining Account Value ($21,880) will be allocated to the Sub-accounts. Assuming that you do not make any withdrawals or transfers from the Fixed Allocation, it will grow to $100,000 at the end of the Guarantee Period. Of course we cannot predict the value of the remaining Account Value that was allocated to the Sub-accounts.
 
* The rate in this example is hypothetical and may not reflect the current rate for Guarantee Periods of this duration.

Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)/Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)

We also offer a seven-year program where we monitor your Account Value daily and systematically transfer amounts between Fixed Allocations and the variable investment options you choose. For more information about this option, please refer to the “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

20 


 

Back to Table of Contents

FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERMISSION TO FORWARD TRANSACTION INSTRUCTIONS

If you have provided the necessary authorization on the application for your Annuity, the individual who signed the application for your Annuity may forward instructions regarding the allocation of your Account Value, and request financial transactions involving Investment Options. We refer to this person as your “financial professional.” You may have another person providing investment advisory services to you with respect to this Annuity and who you have separately authorized on the form we require to forward instructions to us regarding the allocation of your Account Value or certain financial transactions. Please be aware that if you authorize more than one person to provide investment instructions to us, we will follow all instructions received from authorized persons in the order in which we receive them. If your financial professional or investment advisor has this authority, we deem that all such transactions that are directed by your financial professional or investment advisor, as applicable, with respect to your Annuity have been authorized by you. You will receive a confirmation of any financial transaction involving the purchase or sale of Units of your Annuity. You must contact us immediately if and when you revoke such authority. We will not be responsible for acting on instructions from your financial professional or authorized investment advisor until we receive notification of the revocation of such person’s authority. We may also suspend, cancel or limit these authorizations at any time. In addition, we may restrict the Investment Options available for transfers or allocation of Purchase Payments by such financial professional or investment advisor. We will notify you and your financial professional if we implement any such restrictions or prohibitions.

Please Note: Annuity contracts managed by your financial professional or investment advisor also are subject to the restrictions on transfers between Investment Options that are discussed in the section titled “Restrictions on Transfers Between Investment Options.” We may also require that your financial professional or investment advisor transmit all financial transactions using the electronic trading functionality available through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities). Limitations that we may impose on your financial professional or investment advisor under the agreement (e.g., a custodial agreement) do not apply to financial transactions requested by an Owner on his or her own behalf, except as otherwise described in this prospectus.

It is your responsibility to arrange for the payment of the advisory fee charged by your investment advisor. Similarly, it is your responsibility to understand the advisory services provided by your investment advisor and the advisory fees charged for the services.

For certain Broker Dealers: If instructed by your Broker Dealer, we may allow your financial professional to effectuate withdrawals on your behalf. In the event you do not wish that your financial professional has this authority, please contact us immediately.

21 


 

Back to Table of Contents

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE


TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU

During the Accumulation Period you can access your Account Value through Partial Withdrawals, Systematic Withdrawals, and where required for tax purposes, Minimum Distributions. You can also surrender your Annuity at any time. We may deduct a portion of the Account Value being withdrawn or surrendered as a CDSC. If you surrender your Annuity, in addition to any CDSC, we may deduct the Annual Maintenance Fee, any Tax Charge that applies and the charge for any optional benefits. We may also apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. Certain amounts may be available to you each Annuity Year that are not subject to a CDSC. These are called “Free Withdrawals.” In addition, under certain circumstances, we may waive the CDSC for surrenders made for qualified medical reasons or for withdrawals made to satisfy Minimum Distribution requirements. Unless you notify us differently, withdrawals are taken on a proportional basis based on the Account Value in the investment options at the time we receive your withdrawal request. Each of these types of distributions is described more fully below.

TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

(For more information, see “Tax Considerations”)

Prior to Annuitization A distribution during the Accumulation Period is deemed to come first from any “gain” in your Annuity and second as a return of your “tax basis”, if any. 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. If you take a distribution prior to the taxpayer’s age 59½, you may be subject to 10% additional tax in addition to ordinary income taxes on any gain. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for advice before requesting a distribution.

During Annuitization

During the Annuitization period, a portion of each annuity payment is taxed as ordinary income at the tax rate you are subject to at the time of the payment. The Code and regulations have “exclusionary rules” that we use to determine what portion of each annuity payment should be treated as a return of any tax basis you have in the Annuity. Once the tax basis in the Annuity has been distributed, the remaining annuity payments are taxable as ordinary income. The tax basis in the Annuity may be based on the tax-basis from a prior contract in the case of a 1035 exchange or other qualifying transfer.

CAN I WITHDRAW A PORTION OF MY ANNUITY?

You can make a withdrawal during the Accumulation Period.

 

To meet liquidity needs, you can withdraw a limited amount from your Annuity during each of Annuity Years 1-8 without a CDSC being applied. We call this the “Free Withdrawal” amount. The Free Withdrawal amount is not available if you choose to surrender your Annuity. Amounts withdrawn as a Free Withdrawal do not reduce the amount of CDSC that may apply upon a subsequent withdrawal or surrender of the Annuity. The minimum Free Withdrawal you may request is $100.

 

You can also make withdrawals in excess of the Free Withdrawal amount. We call this a “Partial Withdrawal.” The amount that you may withdraw will depend on the Annuity’s Surrender Value. The Surrender Value is equal to your Account Value minus any CDSC, the Annual Maintenance Fee, the Tax Charge, any charges for optional benefits and any Market Value Adjustment that may apply to any Fixed Allocations. After any Partial Withdrawal, your Annuity must have a Surrender Value of at least $1,000, or we may treat the Partial Withdrawal request as a request to fully surrender your Annuity. The minimum Partial Withdrawal you may request is $100.
 

When we determine if a CDSC applies to Partial Withdrawals and Systematic Withdrawals, we will first determine what, if any, amounts qualify as a Free Withdrawal. Those amounts are not subject to the CDSC. Partial Withdrawals or Systematic Withdrawals of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount will be subject to a CDSC.

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.

Partial Withdrawals may also be available following Annuitization but only if you choose certain annuity payment options.

To request the forms necessary to make a withdrawal from your Annuity, call 1-800-879-7012 or visit our website at www.prudential.com/annuities.

22 


 

Back to Table of Contents

FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNTS

The maximum Free Withdrawal amount during any Annuity Year is the greater of:

 

the “Growth” in the Annuity; or

 

10% of Purchase Payments that, as of the date of the withdrawal, have been invested for less than the CDSC period (with your Annuity, eight (8) years). The 10% amount is not cumulative.
 

6rmine if a CDSC applies to Partial Withdrawals and Systematic Withdrawals, we will first determine what, if any, amounts qualify as a Free Withdrawal. Those amounts are not subject to the CDSC. Partial Withdrawal or Systematic Withdrawal of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount will be subject to a CDSC.

IS THERE A CHARGE FOR A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL?

A CDSC may be assessed against a Partial Withdrawal during the Accumulation Period. Whether a CDSC applies and the amount to be charged depends on whether the Partial Withdrawal exceeds any Free Withdrawal amount and, if so, the number of years that have elapsed since the Purchase Payment being withdrawn has been invested in the Annuity.

 

1. If you request a Partial Withdrawal we determine if the amount you requested is available as a Free Withdrawal (in which case it would not be subject to a CDSC);

 

2. If the amount requested exceeds the available Free Withdrawal amount:

 

  First, we withdraw the amount from Purchase Payments that have been invested for longer than the CDSC period, if any (with your Annuity, eight (8) years);

 

  Second, we withdraw the remaining amount from the Purchase Payments that are still subject to a CDSC. We withdraw the “oldest” of your Purchase Payments first so that the lowest CDSC will apply to the amount withdrawn.

 

 

    Any CDSC will only apply to the amount withdrawn that exceeds the Free Withdrawal amount.

 

   
For purposes of calculating the CDSC on a partial withdrawal, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance.

 

3. If the amount requested exceeds the amounts available under Item #2 above, we withdraw the remaining amount from any other Account Value (including Account Value due to Credits and Target Value Credits).
 

CAN YOU CLOSE MY ACCOUNT AND INVOLUNTARILY REDEEM MY INVESTMENT?

As explained above, after any Partial Withdrawal, your Annuity must have a Surrender Value of at least $1,000, or we may treat the Partial Withdrawal request as a request to fully surrender your Annuity.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS FROM THE ANNUITY DURING THE ACCUMULATION PERIOD

We call these “Systematic Withdrawals.” You can receive Systematic Withdrawals of earnings only, principal plus earnings or a flat dollar amount. Systematic Withdrawals based on the Free Withdrawal amount are only available if the contract is still within the surrender charge period and will be calculated based only on the Purchase Payments that are still subject to CDSC. Systematic Withdrawals may be subject to a CDSC. We will determine whether a CDSC applies and the amount in the same way as we would for a Partial Withdrawal.

Systematic Withdrawals can be made from Account Value allocated to the variable investment options or Fixed Allocations. Generally, Systematic Withdrawals from Fixed Allocations are limited to earnings accrued after the program of Systematic Withdrawals begins, or payments of fixed dollar amounts that do not exceed such earnings. Systematic Withdrawals are available on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. We may require that the Surrender Value of your Annuity must be at least $20,000 before we will allow you to begin a program of Systematic Withdrawals.

The minimum amount for each Systematic Withdrawal is $100. If any scheduled Systematic Withdrawal is for less than $100, we may postpone the withdrawal and add the expected amount to the amount that is to be withdrawn on the next scheduled Systematic Withdrawal.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS UNDER SECTION 72(t) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

If your Annuity is used as a funding vehicle for certain retirement plans that receive special tax treatment under Sections 401, 403(b) or 408 of the Code, Section 72(t) of the Code may provide an exception to the 10% additional tax on distributions made prior to age 59½ if you elect to receive distributions as a series of “substantially equal periodic payments”. Distributions received under this provision in any Annuity Year that exceed the maximum amount available as a Free Withdrawal will be subject to a CDSC. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. To request a program that complies with Section 72(t), you must provide us with certain required information in writing on a form acceptable to us. We may require advance notice to allow us to calculate the amount of 72(t) withdrawals. The Surrender Value of your Annuity must be at least $20,000 before we will allow you to begin a program for withdrawals under Section 72(t). The minimum amount for any such withdrawal is $100.

23 


 

Back to Table of Contents

You may also annuitize your contract and begin receiving payments for the remainder of your life (or life expectancy) as a means of receiving income payments before age 59½ that are not subject to the 10% additional tax.

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS

(See “Tax Considerations” for a further discussion of Minimum Distributions.)

Minimum Distributions are a type of Systematic Withdrawal we allow to meet distribution requirements under Sections 401, 403(b) or 408 of the Code. Under the Code, you may be required to begin receiving periodic amounts from your Annuity. In such case, we will allow you to make Systematic Withdrawals in amounts that satisfy the minimum distribution rules under the Code. We do not assess a CDSC on Minimum Distributions from your Annuity if you are required by law to take such Minimum Distributions from your Annuity at the time it is taken. However, a CDSC may be assessed on that portion of a Systematic Withdrawal that is taken to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements in relation to other savings or investment plans under other qualified retirement plans not maintained with us.

The amount of the required Minimum Distribution for your particular situation may depend on other annuities, savings or investments. We will only calculate the amount of your required Minimum Distribution based on the value of your Annuity. We require three (3) days advance written notice to calculate and process the amount of your payments. You may elect to have Minimum Distributions paid out monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The $100 minimum that applies to Systematic Withdrawals does not apply to Minimum Distributions.

You may also annuitize your contract and begin receiving payments for the remainder of your life (or life expectancy) as a means of receiving income payments and satisfying the Minimum Distribution requirements under the Code.

24 


 

Back to Table of Contents

SURRENDERS


SURRENDER VALUE

During the Accumulation Period you can surrender your Annuity at any time. Upon surrender, you will receive the Surrender Value. Upon surrender of your Annuity, you will no longer have any rights under the Annuity.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC on surrender, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations.

Under certain annuity payment options, you may be allowed to surrender your Annuity for its then current value.

To request the forms necessary to surrender your Annuity, call 1-800-879-7012 or visit our website at www.prudential.com/annuities.

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS

Where permitted by law, you may request to surrender your Annuity prior to the Annuity Date without application of any CDSC upon occurrence of a medically-related “Contingency Event”. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. The amount payable will be your Account Value minus: (a) the amount of any Credits applied within 12 months of the applicable “Contingency Event” as defined below; (b) the amount of any Credits added in conjunction with any Purchase Payments received after our receipt of your request for a medically-related surrender (i.e. Purchase Payments received at such time pursuant to a salary reduction program; and (c) the amount of any Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

This waiver of any applicable CDSC is subject to our rules, including but not limited to the following:

 

the Annuitant must be named or any change of Annuitant must be accepted by us, prior to the “Contingency Event” described below;

 

the Annuitant must be alive as of the date we pay the proceeds of such surrender request;

 

if the Owner is one or more natural persons, all such Owners must also be alive at such time;

 

we must receive satisfactory proof of the Annuitant’s confinement in a Medical Care Facility or Fatal Illness in writing on a form satisfactory to us; and

 

this benefit is not available if the total Purchase Payments received exceed $500,000 for all annuities issued by us with this benefit where the same person is named as Annuitant;

 

proceeds will only be sent by check or electronic fund transfer directly to the Owner.
 

A “Contingency Event” occurs if the Annuitant is:

 

first confined in a “Medical Care Facility” while your Annuity is in force and remains confined for at least 90 days in a row; or

 

first diagnosed as having a “Fatal Illness” while your Annuity is in force.
 

The definitions of “Medical Care Facility” and “Fatal Illness,” as well as additional terms and conditions, are provided in your Annuity. Specific details and definitions in relation to this benefit may differ in certain jurisdictions.

25 


 

Back to Table of Contents

ANNUITY OPTIONS


We currently make annuity options available that provide fixed annuity payments. Your Annuity provides certain fixed annuity payment options. We do not guarantee to continue to make available any other option other than the fixed annuity payment options set forth in your Annuity. Fixed options provide the same amount with each payment. You must annuitize your entire Account Value; partial Annuitizations are not allowed.

When you purchase an Annuity, or at a later date, you may choose an Annuity Date, an annuity option and the frequency of annuity payments. You may change your choices before the Annuity Date under the terms of the contract. A maximum Annuity Date may be required by law. The Annuity Date may depend on the annuity option you choose. Certain annuity options may not be available depending on the age of the Annuitant.

Certain of these annuity options may be available to Beneficiaries who choose to receive the Death Benefit proceeds as a series of payments instead of a lump sum payment.

Option 1

Payments for Life: Under this option, income is payable periodically until the death of the “Key Life”. The “Key Life” (as used in this section) is the person or persons upon whose life annuity payments are based. No additional annuity payments are made after the death of the Key Life. Since no minimum number of payments is guaranteed, this option offers the largest amount of periodic payments of the life contingent annuity options. It is possible that only one payment will be payable if the death of the Key Life occurs before the date the second payment was due, and no other payments nor death benefits would be payable. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

Option 2

Payments Based on Joint Lives: Under this option, income is payable periodically during the joint lifetime of two Key Lives, and thereafter during the remaining lifetime of the survivor, ceasing with the last payment prior to the survivor’s death. No minimum number of payments is guaranteed under this option. It is possible that only one payment will be payable if the death of all the Key Lives occurs before the date the second payment was due, and no other payments or death benefits would be payable. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

Option 3

Payments for Life with a Certain Period: Under this option, income is payable until the death of the key life. However, if the key life dies before the end of the period selected (5, 10 or 15 years), the remaining payments are paid to the Beneficiary until the end of such period.

Option 4

Fixed Payments for a Certain Period: Under this option, income is payable periodically for a specified number of years. If the payee dies before the end of the specified number of years, the remaining payments are paid to the Beneficiary until the end of such period. Note that under this option, payments are not based on any assumptions of life expectancy. Therefore, that portion of the insurance charge assessed to cover the risk that key lives outlive our expectations provides no benefit to an Owner selecting this option. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

For qualified annuities, the period certain option may be limited to 10 years or less depending on the circumstances.

We may make different annuity and settlement options available in the future. We do not guarantee to continue to make available or any other option other than the fixed annuity payment options set forth in your contract.

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?

Unless prohibited by law, we require that you elect either a life annuity or an annuity with a certain period of at least 5 years if any CDSC would apply were you to surrender your Annuity on the Annuity Date. Therefore, making a Purchase Payment within eight years of the Annuity Date limits your annuity payment options. Certain annuity payment options may not be available if your Annuity Date occurs during the period that a CDSC would apply.

If you have not provided us with your Annuity Date or annuity payment option in writing, then:

 

the Annuity Date will be the first day of the calendar month following the later of the Annuitant’s 85th birthday or the fifth anniversary of our receipt of your request to purchase an Annuity; and

 

the annuity payments, where allowed by law, will be calculated on a fixed basis under Option 3, Payments for Life with 10 years certain.
 

HOW ARE ANNUITY PAYMENTS CALCULATED?

Fixed Annuity Payments

If you choose to receive fixed annuity payments, you will receive equal fixed-dollar payments throughout the period you select. The amount of the fixed payment will vary depending on the annuity payment option and payment frequency you select. Generally, the first annuity payment is determined by multiplying the Account Value, minus any state premium taxes that may apply, by the factor determined from our table of annuity rates. The table of annuity rates differs based on the type of annuity chosen and the frequency of payment selected. Our rates will not be less than our guaranteed

26 


 

Back to Table of Contents

minimum rates. These guaranteed minimum rates are derived from the 1983a Individual Annuity Mortality Table with an assumed interest rate of 3% per annum. Where required by law or regulation, such annuity table will have rates that do not differ according to the gender of the Key Life. Otherwise, the rates will differ according to the gender of the Key Life.

27 


 

Back to Table of Contents

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY


The following table summarizes information about the benefits available under the Annuity.

Name of Benefit

Purpose

Standard or Optional

Maximum Fee

Restrictions/Limitations

Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)1/Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)2

Guarantees a “return of premium” at a future date, while allowing you to allocate all or a portion of your Account Value to the Sub-accounts of your choice.

Optional

0.50%
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

Account Value subject to systematic transfers to and from Fixed Allocations. We may restrict the selection of certain Portfolios. Please refer to Appendix A for variable Sub-account availability.

Basic Death Benefit

Provides protection for your beneficiary(ies) by ensuring that they do not receive less than your Account Value.

Standard

0%

None.

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit3

Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing amounts in addition to the basic Death Benefit that can be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death.

Optional

0.75%
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)4

None.

Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit3

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 Anniversary Value.

Optional

0.75%
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

You may not select certain Portfolios. Please refer to Appendix A for variable Sub-account availability.

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit3

Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing amounts in addition to the basic Death Benefit.

Optional

0.55%
(based on the current Death Benefit amount)

None.

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider3

Provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit for your Beneficiary(ies) that may be useful in offsetting federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Please refer to Appendix B for a complete description of the charges.

Optional

10.50%
(based on your age and your Account Value as of the Issue Date of your Annuity)

None.

Annuity Rewards5

Provides an enhancement to the Death Benefit that captures any Sub-account gains since the Issue Date of your Annuity so that your beneficiary(ies) would not receive less than an Annuity’s value as of the effective date of the benefit. After the 10th Annuity Year, the Death Benefit would equal the Account Value.

Standard

0%

None.

Performance Advantage

Provides an increase to the Account Value if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded a “target value” on its 10th anniversary.

Standard

0%

None.

Dollar Cost Averaging

Allows you to systematically transfer a percentage amount out of an investment option and into any other variable investment option(s).

Standard

0%

Minimum allocation requirements.

Automatic 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

0%

None.

1. The Guaranteed Return Option benefit is no longer available for election. If you currently participate in this benefit, you may re-start the benefit on each anniversary of the Issue Date.
2. The Guaranteed Return Plus Option benefit is no longer available for election.
3. These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity.
4. If the Annuity was purchased before November 18, 2002 the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit fee was based on the Account Value. Please see Appendix C for additional information.
5. This benefit may be referred to as “Prudential Annuities’ Annuity Rewards” in certain documents.

28 


 

Back to Table of Contents

OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFITS


Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)

GRO is no longer available for new elections.

GRO is an optional benefit that, after a seven-year period following commencement of the benefit (we refer to the end of that period as the “maturity date”) guarantees your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your benefit (called the “Protected Principal Value”).

The benefit monitors your Account Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfers amounts pursuant to a mathematical formula between the Sub-accounts you choose and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation used to support the Protected Principal Value. There is an additional charge if you elect the Guaranteed Return Option benefit.

The guarantee provided by the benefit exists only on the applicable maturity date. However, due to the ongoing monitoring of your Account Value and the transfer of Account Value between the Sub-accounts and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support our future guarantee, the benefit may provide some protection from significant Sub-account losses if you choose to surrender your Annuity or begin receiving annuity payments prior to a maturity date.

Key Feature – Protected Principal Value

Under the GRO benefit, we guarantee that on the maturity date, your Account Value will be no less than the Protected Principal Value. On the maturity date if your Account Value is below the Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Protected Principal Value. A subsequent Purchase Payment increases the amount of the Protected Principal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (plus any Credits), and withdrawals reduce the Protected Principal Value (as discussed below).

We will notify you of any amounts added to your Annuity under the benefit. If our assumptions are correct and the operations relating to the administration of the benefit work properly, we do not expect that we will need to add additional amounts to an Annuity. The Protected Principal Value is generally referred to as the “Guaranteed Amount” in the rider we issue for this benefit.

Key Feature – Allocation of Account Value

GRO uses a mathematical formula that we operate to help manage your guarantees through all market cycles. The formula weighs a number of factors, including the current Account Value, the value in the Sub-accounts, the value in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the Protected Principal Value, the expected value of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations used to support the guarantee, the time remaining until maturity, and the current crediting rates associated with the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. In essence, and as detailed in the formula, the formula will transfer Account Value into the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations if needed to support an anticipated guarantee. The formula is set forth in Appendix E. This required formula thus helps us manage our financial exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations).

Each Valuation Day, the formula determines if any portion of your Account Value needs to be transferred into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, through reference to a “reallocation trigger”. At any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If your entire Account Value is transferred to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts and the entire Account Value would remain in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Sub-accounts according to your allocation instructions. Such additional Purchase Payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, if dictated by the formula. The amount of any such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.

Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Sub-accounts, 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations 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 (including any Market Value Adjustment) and your Protected Principal Value(s);

 

The amount of time until the maturity of your Guarantee(s);

 

The amount invested in, and the performance of, the Sub-accounts;

 

The amount invested in, and interest earned within, the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

The current crediting rates associated with Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

Additional Purchase Payments, if any, that you make to the Annuity; and

 

Withdrawals, if any, taken from the Annuity.
 

29 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Any amounts invested in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will affect your ability to participate in a subsequent recovery within the Sub-accounts. Conversely, the Account Value may be higher at the beginning of the recovery, e.g. more of the Account Value may have been protected from decline and volatility than it otherwise would have been had the benefit not been elected.

While you are not notified when your Account Value reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Account Value either to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

You may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

You should be aware of the following potential ramifications of the formula:

 

A Market Value Adjustment will apply when we reallocate Account Value from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts. Transfers of your Account Value can be frequent, and under some scenarios may occur on a daily basis. As indicated, each such transfer may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be positive or negative. Thus, a Market Value Adjustment will directly increase or reduce your Account Value.

 

As indicated, some or even all, of your Account Value may be maintained in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. The greater the Account Value held in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the larger (in dollar terms) the Market Value Adjustment upon any transfer of such Account Value to the Sub-accounts.

 

If your Account Value is less than the reallocation trigger, a portion of your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will be transferred from the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis according to your allocations to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) to support the applicable guaranteed amount. The new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will have a Guarantee Period equal to the time remaining until the applicable maturity date(s). The Account Value allocated to the new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will be credited with the fixed interest rate(s) then being credited to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) maturing on the applicable maturity date(s) (rounded to the next highest yearly duration). The Account Value will remain invested in each applicable Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation until the applicable maturity date unless, at an earlier date, your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger and, therefore, amounts can be transferred to the Sub-accounts while maintaining the guaranteed protection under the program (as described above).

 

If your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger, and a portion of the Account Value must be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts, then those amounts will be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts according to any asset allocation programs (including an Automatic Rebalancing program) established on your Annuity or in the absence of such programs, on a proportional basis, based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts at that time. A Market Value Adjustment will apply upon a transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, which may result in an increase or decrease in your Account Value.

 

Transfers under the formula do not impact your guarantees under GRO that have already been locked-in.
 

Withdrawals from your Annuity, while the benefit is in effect, will reduce the Protected Principal Value proportionally. The proportion will be equal to the proportionate reduction in the Account Value due to the withdrawal as of that date. Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. Systematic Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations up to growth in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and thereafter on a proportional basis solely from the Sub-accounts. The growth in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations at any point in time consists of the remaining earnings since the program of systematic withdrawal began. Withdrawals will be subject to all other provisions of your Annuity, including any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge and Market Value Adjustment that would apply.

Election of the Benefit

We no longer permit new elections of GRO. If you currently participate in GRO, your existing guarantees are unaffected by the fact that we no longer offer GRO. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as GRO 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 Account 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.

Restart of the Benefit

Once each Annuity Year you may request to restart the Benefit. Such a request is an election by you to terminate the existing Benefit (and all guarantees under the benefit) and start a new one. Restarts only take effect on anniversaries of the Issue Date. To make such a request for a restart, you must notify us in advance in accordance with our administrative requirements. If we accept your request, we then terminate the existing Benefit as of that valuation period, if it is an anniversary of the Issue Date, or, if not, as of the next following anniversary of the Issue Date. The new Benefit starts at that time. The initial Protected Principal Value for the new Benefit is the Account Value as of the effective date of the new Benefit. Unless you tell us otherwise, the duration of the new Benefit will be the same as that for the existing Benefit. However, if we do not then make that duration available, you must elect from those we make available at that time. For those who elect to re-start the benefit, the charge will be assessed according to the current methodology prior to re-starting the benefit. – see “Charges under the Benefit” below.

As part of terminating the existing Benefit, we transfer any amounts in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, subject to a Market Value Adjustment, to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis. If your entire Account Value was then in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, you must first provide us instructions as to how to allocate the transferred Account Value among the Sub-accounts.

30 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Termination of the Benefit

The Annuity Owner also can terminate the Guaranteed Return Option benefit. Upon termination, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will be transferred as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive at our office other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program (b) if your entire Account Value is in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive at our Office prior instructions from you. A Market Value Adjustment will apply (except that if the benefit has terminated automatically due to payment of a death benefit, whether a Market Value Adjustment applies depends solely on the terms of the death benefit – see the “Death Benefit” section of this prospectus).

In general, you may cancel GRO and then elect another living benefit available post issue, effective on any Valuation Day after your cancellation of GRO. If you terminate GRO, you will lose all guarantees under that benefit. Your election of another living benefit is subject to State and firm availability and our eligibility rules.

The benefit will terminate automatically upon: (a) the death of the Owner or the Annuitant (in an entity owned contract); (b) as of the date Account Value is applied to begin annuity payments; or (c) upon full surrender of your Annuity. If you elect to terminate the benefit, the Guaranteed Return Option will no longer provide any guarantees.

The charge for the Guaranteed Return Option benefit will no longer be deducted from your Account Value after the benefit has been terminated, although for those Annuities for which the GRO charge is deducted annually rather than daily (see Charges Under the Benefit below), we will deduct the final annual charge upon termination of the benefit.

Special Considerations under the Guaranteed Return Option

This benefit is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including, but not limited to the following:

 

Upon inception of the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Sub-accounts. The Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation must not have been in effect as of the date that you elected to participate in the benefit. However, the formula may transfer Account Value to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation as of the effective date of the benefit under some circumstances.

 

Annuity Owners cannot allocate any portion of Purchase Payments (including any Credits) or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation while participating in the benefit; however, all or a portion of any Purchase Payments (including any Credits) may be allocated by us to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the amount guaranteed. You cannot participate in any dollar cost averaging benefit that transfers Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to a Sub-account.

 

Transfers from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation made as a result of the formula under the benefit will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment formula under an Annuity; however, the 0.10% liquidity factor in the formula will not apply. A Market Value Adjustment may be either positive or negative. Transfer amounts will be taken from the most recently established Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

Transfers from the Sub-accounts to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts under the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity.

 

Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date will not be treated as ”investment in the contract” for income tax purposes.

 

Any amounts that we add to your Annuity to support our guarantee under the benefit will be applied to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, after first transferring any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive at our office other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program and (b) if your entire Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive at our Office prior instructions from you.

 

Low interest rates may require allocation to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation even when the current Account Value exceeds the guarantee.

 

As the time remaining until the applicable maturity date gradually decreases the benefit will become increasingly sensitive to moves to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

We currently limit the Sub-accounts in which you may allocate Account Value if you participate in this benefit. Should we prohibit access to any investment option, any transfers required to move Account Value to eligible investment options will not be counted in determining the number of free transfers during an Annuity Year.
 

31 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Charges under the Program

The maximum charge for Guaranteed Return Option is 0.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Sub-accounts. The annual charge is deducted daily. Account Value allocated to Fixed Allocations under the program is not subject to the charge. The charge is deducted to compensate us for: (a) the risk that your Account Value on the maturity date of the program is less than the amount guaranteed; and (b) administration of the program. You will begin paying this charge as of the effective date of the benefit. We will not refund the charges you have paid even if we never have to make any payments under the benefit.

Effective November 18, 2002, we changed the way in which the annual charge for the Guaranteed Return Option is deducted to the method described above. The annual charge for the Guaranteed Return Option for Owners who elected the benefit between May 1, 2001 and November 15, 2002 and subsequent to November 19, 2002 in those states where the daily deduction of the charge has not been approved, is deducted annually, in arrears, according to the prospectus in effect as of the date the program was elected. Owners who terminate and then re-elect the Guaranteed Return Option or elect to restart the Guaranteed Return Option at any time after November 18, 2002 will be subject to the charge method described above.

Examples

Example 1. Benefit Maturity

This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges under the annuity. It is intended to illustrate the benefit maturity on a guarantee amount under this benefit.

A Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) program begins on July 1, 2015. Your Account Value (AV) at the start of the program is $100,000. As of program maturity on July 1, 2022, there have been no additional Purchase Payments and no prior withdrawals, so your Guaranteed Amount remains at $100,000. The Account Value is $93,000.

Since the Guaranteed Amount exceeds the Account Value, a total of $7,000, the amount by which the guaranteed exceeds the AV, is added to the variable Sub-accounts which you have elected (or the AST Government Money Market Sub-account if such elections have not been made).

Example 2. Proportional reduction for withdrawal.

This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges under the Annuity. It is intended to illustrate the proportional reduction of a withdrawal on each guarantee amount under this benefit.

A Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) program begins on July 1, 2015. Your Account Value (AV) at the start of the program is $100,000. As of July 1, 2020, there have been no additional Purchase Payments and no prior withdrawals, so your Guaranteed Amount remains at $100,000. The Account Value is $120,000. You then elect to take a $6,000 withdrawal. Assume that no CDSC, Market Value Adjustment or other charges apply.

The Guaranteed Amount is reduced as follows:

 

Guaranteed Amount prior to withdrawal × (1 - withdrawal / AV prior to withdrawal)

 

  = $100,000 × (1 - $6,000 / $120,000)

 

  = $95,000
 

Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)

GRO Plus is no longer available for new elections.

GRO Plus is an optional benefit that, after a seven-year period following commencement of the benefit (we refer to the end of that period and any applicable subsequent period as the ”maturity date”) and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter while the benefit remains in effect, guarantees your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your benefit (called the ”Protected Principal Value”). The benefit also offers you the opportunity to elect a second, enhanced guaranteed amount at a later date if your Account Value has increased, while preserving the guaranteed amount established on the effective date of your benefit. The enhanced guaranteed amount (called the ”Enhanced Protected Principal Value”) guarantees that, after a separate period following election of the enhanced guarantee and on each anniversary thereafter while this enhanced guarantee amount remains in effect, your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your election of the enhanced guarantee. If the maturity date of any guarantee under GRO Plus is not a Valuation Day, and we are required to contribute an amount to your Account Value with respect to that maturing guarantee, we would contribute such an amount on the next Valuation Day.

The benefit monitors your Account Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfers amounts between the Sub-accounts you choose and Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations used to support the Protected Principal Value(s). The benefit may be appropriate if you wish to protect a principal amount against poor Sub-account performance as of a specific date in the future. There is an additional charge if you elected the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit.

The guarantees provided by the benefit exist only on the applicable maturity date(s) and on each anniversary of the maturity date(s) thereafter.

32 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Key Feature – Protected Principal Value/Enhanced Protected Principal Value

The Guaranteed Return Option Plus offers a base guarantee as well as the option of electing an enhanced guarantee at a later date.

 

Base Guarantee: Under the base guarantee, we guarantee that on the maturity date and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the benefit remains in effect, your Account Value will be no less than the Protected Principal Value. On the maturity date and on each anniversary after the maturity date that the benefit remains in effect, if your Account Value is below the Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Protected Principal Value. A subsequent Purchase Payment increases the amount of the base guarantee by the amount of the Purchase Payment (plus any Credits), and withdrawals reduce the base guarantee (as discussed below). Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will first be applied to any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations then required to support guarantees due on subsequent maturity dates. We will allocate the remainder to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on the Account Value in the Sub-accounts at that time.

 

Enhanced Guarantee: On any anniversary following commencement of the benefit, you can establish an enhanced guarantee amount based on your current Account Value. Under the enhanced guarantee, we guarantee that at the end of the specified period following the election of the enhanced guarantee (also referred to as its ”maturity date”), and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the enhanced guaranteed amount remains in effect, your Account Value will be no less than the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. You can elect an enhanced guarantee more than once; however, a subsequent election supersedes the prior election of an enhanced guarantee. Election of an enhanced guarantee does not impact the base guarantee. In addition, you may elect an ”auto step-up” feature that will automatically create an enhanced guarantee (or increase your enhanced guarantee, if previously elected) on each anniversary of the benefit (and create a new maturity period for the new enhanced guarantee) if the Account Value as of that anniversary exceeds the Protected Principal Value and Enhanced Protected Principal Value by 7% or more. You may also elect to terminate an enhanced guarantee. If you elect to terminate an enhanced guarantee, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations for the enhanced guarantee will be liquidated, on the Valuation Day the request is processed, (which may result in a Market Value Adjustment), and such amounts will be transferred according to the rules described in ”Termination of the Benefit/ Enhanced Guarantee”. Termination of an enhanced guarantee will not result in termination of the base guarantee. If you have elected the enhanced guarantee, on the guarantee’s maturity date and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the enhanced guarantee amount remains in effect, if your Account Value is below the Enhanced Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will first be applied to any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations then required to support guarantees due on subsequent maturity dates. We will allocate the remainder to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on the Account Value in the Sub-accounts at that time.
 

If our assumptions are correct and the operations relating to the administration of the benefit work properly, we do not expect that we will need to add additional amounts to your Annuity. The Protected Principal Value is referred to as the “Base Guarantee” and the Enhanced Protected Principal Value is referred to as the “Step-Up Guarantee” in the rider we issue for this benefit.

Withdrawals under your Annuity

Withdrawals from your Annuity, while the benefit is in effect, will reduce the base guarantee under the benefit as well as any enhanced guarantee. Cumulative annual withdrawals up to 5% of the Protected Principal Value as of the effective date of the benefit (adjusted for any subsequent Purchase Payments and any Credits applied to such Purchase Payments) will reduce the applicable guaranteed amount by the actual amount of the withdrawal (referred to as the “dollar-for-dollar limit”). If the amount withdrawn is greater than the dollar-for-dollar limit, the portion of the withdrawal equal to the dollar-for-dollar limit will be treated as described above, and the portion of the withdrawal in excess of the dollar-for-dollar limit will reduce the base guarantee and the enhanced guarantee proportionally, according to the formula as described in the rider for this benefit (see the examples of this calculation below). Withdrawals other than Systematic Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and any Fixed Allocations. Withdrawals will be subject to all other provisions of your Annuity, including any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge and Market Value Adjustment (which may be positive or negative) that would apply.

Charges for other optional benefits under your Annuity that are deducted as an annual charge in arrears will not reduce the applicable guaranteed amount under the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit, however, any partial withdrawals in payment of charges for the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (not currently offered for sale) and any third party investment advisory service will be treated as withdrawals and will reduce the applicable guaranteed amount.

The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions assume that: 1.) the Issue Date and the effective date of the GRO Plus benefit are October 13, 2004; 2.) an initial Purchase Payment of $250,000 (includes any Credits); 3.) a base guarantee amount of $250,000; and 4.) a dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500 (5% of $250,000). The values set forth here are purely hypothetical and do not reflect the charge for GRO Plus or other fees and charges.

33 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Example 1. Dollar-for-dollar reduction

A $10,000 withdrawal is taken on November 29, 2004 (in the first Annuity Year). No prior withdrawals have been taken. As the amount withdrawn is less than the Dollar-for-dollar Limit:

 

The base guarantee amount is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $250,000 to $240,000).

 

The remaining dollar-for-dollar limit (“Remaining Limit”) for the balance of the first Annuity 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 December 18, 2004 (still within the first Annuity Year). The Account Value immediately before the withdrawal is $180,000. As the amount withdrawn exceeds the Remaining Limit of $2,500 from Example 1:

 

The base guarantee amount is first reduced by the Remaining Limit (from $240,000 to $237,500);

 

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 Account Value less the Remaining Limit ($180,000 – $2,500, or $177,500).
 

The resulting base guarantee amount is: $237,500 × (1 – $7,500 / $177,500), or $227,464.79.

 

The Remaining Limit is set to zero (0) for the balance of the first Annuity Year.
 

Example 3. Reset of the Dollar-for-dollar limit

A $10,000 withdrawal is made on December 19, 2005 (second Annuity Year). The Remaining Limit has been reset to the dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500. As the amount withdrawn is less than the dollar-for-dollar limit:

 

The base guarantee amount is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., reduced by $10,000, from $227,464.79 to $217,464.79)

 

The Remaining Limit for the balance of the second Annuity Year is also reduced by the amount withdrawn (from $12,500 to $2,500).
 

Key Feature – Allocation of Account Value

GRO Plus uses a mathematical formula that we operate to help manage your guarantees through all market cycles. Each Valuation Day, the formula determines if any portion of your Account Value needs to be transferred into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, through reference to a “reallocation trigger”. The formula does this by (a) first identifying each guarantee that is outstanding under GRO Plus (b) then discounting the value of each such guarantee to a present value, based on crediting rates associated with the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, then (c) identifying the largest of such present values. Then, the formula compares the largest present value to both the Account Value and the value of assets allocated to the Sub-accounts to determine whether a transfer into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations is required. As detailed in the formula, if that largest present value exceeds the Account Value less a percentage of the Sub-account value, a transfer into the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will occur. Conversely, if the largest present value is less than the Account Value less a percentage of the Sub-account value, a transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will occur. This required formula helps us manage our financial exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations). The formula is set forth in Appendix D.

If your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger, then:

 

your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will remain allocated according to your most recent instructions; and

 

if a portion of your Account Value is allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the applicable guaranteed amount, all or a portion of those amounts will be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts according to any asset allocation programs (including an Automatic Rebalancing program) established on your Annuity or in the absence of such programs, on a proportional basis, based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts at that time;

 

if all of your Account Value is allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation, then all or a portion of that amount may be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts, according to the following hierarchy: (i) first according to any asset allocation program that you may have in effect (ii) if no such program is in effect, then in accordance with any automatic rebalancing program that you may have in effect and (iii) if neither such program is in effect, then to the AST Government Money Market Sub-account; and

 

a Market Value Adjustment will apply when we reallocate Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts, which may result in a decrease or increase in your Account Value.
 

If your Account Value is less than the reallocation trigger, a portion of your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will be transferred from the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis according to your allocations to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) to support the applicable guaranteed amount. The new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will have a Guarantee Period equal to the time remaining until the applicable maturity date(s). The Account Value allocated to the new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will be credited with the fixed interest rate(s) then being credited to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) maturing on the applicable maturity date(s) (rounded to the next highest yearly duration). The Account Value

34 


 

Back to Table of Contents

will remain invested in each applicable Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation until the applicable maturity date unless, at an earlier date, your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger and, therefore, amounts can be transferred to the Sub-accounts while maintaining the guaranteed protection under the program (as described above).

At any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. With respect to any amounts held within the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we can give no assurance how long the amounts will reside there or if such amounts will transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Sub-accounts according to your allocation instructions. Such additional Purchase Payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, if dictated by the formula. The amount of such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.

Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Sub-accounts, 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations 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 (including any Market Value Adjustment) and your Protected Principal Value(s);

 

The amount of time until the maturity of your guarantee(s);

 

The amount invested in, and the performance of, the Sub-accounts;

 

The amount invested in, and interest earned within, the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

The current crediting rates associated with Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

Additional Purchase Payments, if any, that you make to the Annuity; and

 

Withdrawals, if any, taken from the Annuity.
 

Any amounts invested in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will affect your ability to participate in a subsequent recovery within the Sub-accounts. Conversely, the Account Value may be higher at the beginning of the recovery, e.g. more of the Account Value may have been protected from decline and volatility than it otherwise would have been had the benefit not been elected.

While you are not notified when your Account Value reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Account Value either to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

You may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

Separate Fixed Allocations may be established in support of the Protected Principal Value and the Enhanced Protected Principal Value (if elected). There may also be circumstances when a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation will be established only in support of the Protected Principal Value or the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. If you elect an enhanced guarantee, it is more likely that a portion of your Account Value may be allocated to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and will remain allocated for a longer period of time to support the Enhanced Protected Principal Value, even during a period of positive Sub-account performance and/or under circumstances where Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations would not be necessary to support the Protected Principal Value. Further, there may be circumstances where Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations in support of the Protected Principal Value or Enhanced Protected Principal Value are transferred to the Sub-accounts under the formula differently than each other because of the different guarantees they support.

You should be aware of the following potential ramifications of the formula:

 

Transfers of your Account Value can be frequent, and under some scenarios may occur on a daily basis. As indicated, each such transfer may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be positive or negative. Thus, a Market Value Adjustment will directly increase or reduce your Account Value.

 

As indicated, some or even all, of your Account Value may be maintained in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. The greater the Account Value held in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the larger (in dollar terms) the Market Value Adjustment upon any transfer of such Account Value to the Sub-accounts.

 

Transfers under the formula do not impact your guarantees under GRO Plus that have already been locked-in.
 

Election of the Benefit

We no longer permit new elections of GRO Plus. If you currently participate in GRO Plus, your existing guarantees are unaffected by the fact that we no longer offer GRO Plus. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as GRO Plus 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 Account 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.

35 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Termination of the Benefit/Enhanced Guarantee

You can elect to terminate the enhanced guarantee but maintain the protection provided by the base guarantee. You also can terminate the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit entirely, in which case you will lose any existing guarantees.

Upon termination of the benefit or of the enhanced guarantee, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations related to the guarantee(s) being terminated will be transferred as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on your Account Value in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program (b) if your entire Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive prior instructions from you. A Market Value Adjustment will apply (except that if the benefit has terminated automatically due to payment of a death benefit, whether a Market Value Adjustment applies depends solely on the terms of the death benefit – see the Death Benefit section of this prospectus).

In general, you may cancel GRO Plus and then elect another living benefit that is available post issue, effective on any Valuation Day after your cancellation of GRO Plus. If you terminate GRO Plus, you will lose all guarantees under that benefit. Your election of another living benefit is subject to State and firm availability and our eligibility rules.

The benefit will terminate automatically upon: (a) the death of the Owner or the Annuitant (in an entity owned contract); (b) as of the date Account Value is applied to begin annuity payments; or (c) upon full surrender of the Annuity. If you elect to terminate the benefit, the Guaranteed Return Option Plus will no longer provide any guarantees.

Special Considerations under the Guaranteed Return Option Plus

This benefit is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including, but not limited to the following:

 

Upon inception of the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Sub-accounts. No Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations may be in effect as of the date that you elect to participate in the benefit. However, the formula may transfer Account Value to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations as of the effective date of the benefit under some circumstances.

 

You cannot allocate any portion of Purchase Payments (including any Credits) or transfer Account Value to or from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation while participating in the benefit; however, all or a portion of any Purchase Payments (including any Credits) may be allocated by us to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to support the amount guaranteed. You cannot participate in any dollar cost averaging benefit that transfers Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to a Sub-account.

 

Transfers from Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations made as a result of the formula under the benefit will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment formula under an Annuity; however, the 0.10% liquidity factor in the formula will not apply. A Market Value Adjustment may be either positive or negative. Transfer amounts will be taken from the most recently established Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

Transfers from the Sub-accounts to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations or from Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts under the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity.

 

Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will not be treated as “investment in the contract” for income tax purposes.

 

Low interest rates may require allocation to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations even when the current Account Value exceeds the guarantee.

 

As the time remaining until the applicable maturity date gradually decreases the benefit will become increasingly sensitive to moves to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

 

We currently limit the Sub-accounts in which you may allocate Account Value if you participate in this benefit. Should we prohibit access to any investment option, any transfers required to move Account Value to eligible investment options will not be counted in determining the number of free transfers during an Annuity Year.
 

Charges under the Benefit

The maximum charge for Guaranteed Return Option Plus is 0.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Sub-accounts. The annual charge is deducted daily. The charge is deducted to compensate us for: (a) the risk that your Account Value on the maturity date is less than the amount guaranteed; and (b) administration of the benefit. You will begin paying this charge as of the effective date of the benefit. We will not refund the charges you have paid even if we never have to make any payments under the benefit.

If you elect the Enhanced Guarantee under the benefit, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under the benefit have changed for new purchases, your benefit may be subject to the new charge level. These charges will not exceed the maximum charges shown in the section of this prospectus entitled “BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY.”

36 


 

Back to Table of Contents

DEATH BENEFIT


TRIGGERS FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE DEATH BENEFIT

The Annuity provides a Death Benefit during its Accumulation Period. If the Annuity is owned by one or more natural persons, the Death Benefit is payable upon the first death of an Owner. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is payable upon the Annuitant’s death, if there is no Contingent Annuitant. If a Contingent Annuitant was designated before the Annuitant’s death and the Annuitant dies, then the Contingent Annuitant becomes the Annuitant and a Death Benefit will not be paid at that time. The person upon whose death the Death Benefit is paid is referred to below as the “decedent.”

BASIC DEATH BENEFIT

The Annuity provides a basic Death Benefit at no additional charge. The insurance charge we deduct daily from your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts is used, in part, to pay us for the risk we assume in providing the basic Death Benefit guarantee under the Annuity. Under certain circumstances, your Death Benefit may be reduced by the amount of any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments (see “How are Credits Applied to My Account Value” and “Recapture of Target Value Credits”).

Considerations for Contingent Annuitants: We may allow the naming of a Contingent Annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity contract is held by a pension plan or a tax favored retirement plan or held by a Custodial Account (as defined earlier in this prospectus). In such a situation, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the Annuity contract continues after the death of the Annuitant. In some of our Annuities held by these same types of entities we allow for the naming of a Co-Annuitant, which also is used to mean the successor annuitant (and not another life used for measuring the duration of an annuity payment option). Like in the case of a Contingent Annuitant, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the contract 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 contract is held by an entity which is not eligible for tax deferral benefits under Section 72(u) of the Code. This does not supersede any benefit language which may restrict the use of the Contingent Annuitant.

The basic Death Benefit depends on the decedent’s age on the date of death:

 

  If death occurs during the first ten (10) Annuity Years: The Death Benefit is the greater of the following, less an amount equal to any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments within the prior 12 months:

 

The sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals; and

 

The sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations.

 

  If death occurs after the tenth (10th) Annuity Year: The Death Benefit is your Account Value less an amount equal to any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments within the prior 12 months.
 

Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated if death occurs during the first ten Annuity Years:

The contract was issued with Purchase Payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Sub-account 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 when you make a withdrawal from the contract. If the contract Owner had withdrawn $10,000 of the remaining $80,000, the death benefit would also be reduced by $10,000. Since the death benefit had been $100,000, it would now be $90,000.

Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated if death occurs after the first ten Annuity Years:

The contract was issued with Purchase Payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Sub-account performance, the Account Value had decreased to $80,000. If the Owner died, the death benefit would be $80,000.

OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFITS


These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity. Certain terms and conditions may differ if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, from any other Annuity we issue.

You can purchase either of two optional Death Benefits with your Annuity to provide an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiaries.

NOTE: You may not elect the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit if you have elected any other Optional Death Benefit.

37 


 

Back to Table of Contents

1. ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit can provide additional amounts to your Beneficiary that may be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Whether this benefit is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary to pay taxes on your Annuity should you die during the Accumulation Period. No benefit is payable if death occurs on or after the Annuity Date.

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit provides a benefit that is payable in addition to the basic Death Benefit. If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 75 or less at the time the benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 75 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 75 or less.

Calculation of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

If you purchase the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit, the Death Benefit is calculated as follows:

 

1. the basic Death Benefit described above;

PLUS

 

1. 40% of your “Growth” under the Annuity, as defined below.
 

The amount calculated in Items 1 & 2 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

“Growth” means the sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations, minus the total of all Purchase Payments reduced by the sum of all proportional withdrawals.

“Proportional Withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of your Account Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn.


The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is subject to a maximum of 100% of all Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity at least 12 months prior to the death of the decedent that triggers the payment of the Death Benefit.

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit described above was offered in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. Please see Appendix C for a description of the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit offered before November 18, 2002 in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for a discussion of special tax considerations for purchasers of this benefit.

Examples of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options. The formula for determining the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is as follows:

Growth

=

Account Value of variable investment options plus Interim Value of Fixed Allocations (no Market Value Adjustment applies)

minus

Purchase Payments – proportional withdrawals

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example with Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner has made no withdrawals and that the Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $75,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $75,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($75,000) PLUS 40% of the “Growth” under the Annuity.

Growth

=

$75,000 - [$50,000 - $0]

=

$25,000

Benefit Payable under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = 40% of Growth

38 


 

Back to Table of Contents

=

$25,000 × 0.40

=

$10,000

Benefit Payable under Basic Death Benefit PLUS Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

=

$85,000

Examples with Sub-account decline

Assume that the Owner has made no withdrawals and that the Account Value has been decreasing due to declines in Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $45,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $50,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($50,000) PLUS the “Growth” under the Annuity.

Growth

=

$45,000 - [$50,000 - $0]

=

$-5,000

Benefit Payable under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

=

40% of Growth

NO BENEFIT IS PAYABLE

Benefit Payable under Basic Death Benefit PLUS Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

=

$50,000

In this example you would receive no additional benefit from purchasing the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit.

Example with Sub-account increase and withdrawals

Assume that the Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance and the Owner made a withdrawal of $15,000 in Annuity Year 5 when the Account Value was $75,000. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $90,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $90,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($90,000) PLUS 40% of the “Growth” under the Annuity.

Growth

=

$90,000 - [$50,000 - ($50,000 × $15,000/$75,000)]

=

$90,000 - [$50,000 - $10,000]

=

$90,000 - $40,000

=

$50,000

Benefit Payable under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = 40% of Growth

=

$50,000 × 0.40

=

$20,000

Benefit Payable under Basic Death Benefit PLUS Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

=

$110,000

2. Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 79 or less at the time Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 79 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 79 or less.

We restrict certain Portfolios if you elect the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit.

39 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Key Terms Used with the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

 

The Death Benefit Target Date is the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, the oldest of either joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned.

 

The Highest Anniversary Value equals the highest of all previous “Anniversary Value” less proportional withdrawals since such anniversary and plus any Purchase Payments since such anniversary.

 

The Anniversary Value is the Account Value as of each anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity. The Anniversary Value on the Issue Date is equal to your Purchase Payment.

 

Proportional withdrawals result in a reduction to the Highest Anniversary Value by reducing such value in the same proportion as the Account Value was reduced by the withdrawal as of the date the withdrawal occurred. For example, if your Highest Anniversary 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 Anniversary Value ($125,000) by 10% or $12,500.
 

Calculation of Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

The Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.

 

  If the Owner dies before the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

1. the basic Death Benefit described above; and

 

2. the Highest Anniversary Value as of the Owner’s date of death.

 

  If the Owner dies on or after the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

1. the basic Death Benefit described above; and

 

2. the Highest Anniversary Value 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 Owner’s date of death and decreased by any proportional withdrawals since such date. The amount calculated in Items 1 & 2 above (both before, and on or after the Death Benefit Target Date) may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.


The Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit described above was offered in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. Please see Appendix C for a description of the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit offered before November 18, 2002 in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval.

Examples of Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 70 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example with Sub-account increase and death before Death Benefit Target Date

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has generally been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance and that no withdrawals have been made. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $75,000; however, the Anniversary Value on the 5th anniversary of the Issue Date was $90,000. Assume as well that the Owner has died before the Death Benefit Target Date. The Death Benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Anniversary Value or the basic Death Benefit. The Death Benefit would be the Highest Anniversary Value ($90,000) because it is greater than the amount that would have been payable under the basic Death Benefit ($75,000).

Example with withdrawals

Assume that the Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance and the Owner made a withdrawal of $15,000 in Annuity Year 7 when the Account Value was $75,000. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $80,000; however, the Anniversary Value on the 5th anniversary of the Issue Date was $90,000. Assume as well that the Owner has died before the Death Benefit Target Date. The Death Benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Anniversary Value or the basic Death Benefit.

Highest Anniversary Value

=

$90,000 - [$90,000 × $15,000/$75,000]

=

$90,000 - $18,000

=

$72,000

40 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Basic Death Benefit

=

max [$80,000, $50,000 - ($50,000 × $15,000/$75,000)]

=

max [$80,000, $40,000]

=

$80,000

The Death Benefit therefore is $80,000

Example with death after Death Benefit Target Date

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has generally been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance and that no withdrawals had been made prior to the Death Benefit Target Date. Further assume that the Owner dies after the Death Benefit Target Date, when the Account Value is $75,000. The Highest Anniversary Value on the Death Benefit Target Date was $80,000; however, following the Death Benefit Target Date, the Owner made a Purchase Payment of $15,000 and had taken a withdrawal of $5,000 when the Account Value was $70,000. The Death Benefit is equal to the greater of the Highest Anniversary Value plus Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals after the Death Benefit Target Date or the basic Death Benefit.

Highest Anniversary Value

=

$80,000 + $15,000 - [($80,000 + $15,000) × $5,000/$70,000]

=

$80,000 + $15,000 - $6,786

=

$88,214

Basic 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.

Annuities with joint Owners

For Annuities with Joint Owners, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the oldest of the Joint Owners is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. NOTE: If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we will pay the Death Benefit to the Beneficiary. If the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse, then the surviving spouse can elect to assume ownership of the Annuity and continue the contract instead of receiving the Death Benefit.

Annuities owned by entities

For Annuities owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the Annuitant is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. Payment of the Death Benefit is based on the death of the Annuitant (or Contingent Annuitant, if applicable).

Can I terminate the optional Death Benefits? Do the optional Death Benefits terminate under other circumstances?

You can terminate the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit and Highest Anniversary Value Optional Death Benefit at any time. Both optional Death Benefits will terminate automatically on the Annuity Date. If you decide to terminate any optional Death Benefit, your decision is irrevocable, and any optional Death Benefit may not be re-elected. We may also terminate any optional Death Benefit if necessary to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations.

What are the charges for the optional Death Benefits?

The maximum charge for Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit, Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit and the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit respectively is 0.75%, 0.75% and 0.55%. We deduct the charge to compensate us for providing increased insurance protection under the optional Death Benefit. The additional annual charge is deducted daily against your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts.

Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for additional considerations in relation to the optional Death Benefit.

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider
No longer available for election


The life insurance coverage provided under the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (“Plus40 rider” or the “Rider”) is supported by our general account and is not subject to, or registered as a security under, either the Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940. Information about the

41 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Plus40 rider is included in this Prospectus to help you understand the Rider and the relationship between the Rider and the value of your Annuity. It is also included because you can elect to pay for the Rider with taxable withdrawals from your Annuity. The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission has not reviewed this information. However, the information may be subject to certain generally applicable provisions of the Federal securities laws regarding accuracy and completeness.


The Plus40 rider provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit to your Beneficiary(ies) equal to 40% of the Account Value of your Annuity as of the date we receive due proof of death, subject to certain adjustments, restrictions and limitations. The Rider may be especially useful in offsetting federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. The Rider is available in addition to the death benefit payable under the Annuity. Whether the Rider is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary(ies) to pay taxes on the gain in your Annuity should you die during the accumulation period. No amounts are payable under the Rider if you die on or after the date your Account Value is applied to begin receiving annuity payments or after you surrender the Annuity. The Rider has no cash value.

Please refer to Appendix B for a more complete description of the Plus40 rider.

ANNUITY REWARDS

What is the Annuity Rewards benefit?

The Annuity Rewards benefit offers Owners the ability to capture any Sub-account gains since the Issue Date of their Annuity as an enhancement to their current Death Benefit so their Beneficiaries will not receive less than the Annuity’s value as of the date the Owner elects the benefit. Under the Annuity Rewards benefit, we guarantee that the Death Benefit will not be less than:

 

your Account Value in the variable investment options plus the Interim Value in any Fixed Allocations as of the effective date of the Owner’s election

 

MINUS any proportional withdrawals* following the date of election

 

PLUS any additional Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity following the date of election.

 

“Proportional withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of the Account Value that each withdrawal represented when withdrawn. For example, a withdrawal of 50% of your Account Value would be treated as a 50% reduction in the amount payable under the Death Benefit.
 

If you elect the Annuity Rewards benefit, the cut-off date under the basic Death Benefit is amended and will depend on the decedent’s age on the date of death.

If death occurs before the decedent’s age 90: The Death Benefit is the greater of:

 

The sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals; and

 

The sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations.
 

If death occurs after the decedent’s age 90: The Death Benefit is your Account Value


The Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement does not affect any Optional Death Benefits available under the Annuity. If the Death Benefit amount payable under your Annuity’s basic Death Benefit or any Optional Death Benefits you purchase is greater than the enhanced Death Benefit under the Annuity Rewards benefit on the date the Death Benefit is calculated, your Beneficiary will receive the higher amount.

Who is eligible for the Annuity Rewards benefit?

Owners who have not elected an additional optional death benefit can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement following the eighth (8th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date and before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. However, the election is subject to the requirement that their Account Value on the election date is greater than the amount that would be payable to their Beneficiary under the Death Benefit provided under the Annuity as of the election date. If an Owner is ineligible when he or she applies for the optional benefit, the Owner can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement on any subsequent date if they otherwise qualify. The election must occur before annuity payments begin. An Owner can only elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement once. There is no additional charge for electing the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement.

Owners who have elected an additional optional death benefit can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement following the eighth (8th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. However, the election is subject to the requirement that their Account Value on the election date is greater than the amount that would be payable to their Beneficiary under the Death Benefit provided under the Annuity as of the election date (including any amounts payable under the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit). If an Owner is ineligible when he or she applies for the optional benefit, the Owner can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement on any subsequent date if they otherwise qualify. The election must occur before annuity payments begin. An Owner can only elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement once. There is no additional charge for electing the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement.

42 


 

Back to Table of Contents

PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS

Payment of Death Benefit to Beneficiary from a Non-qualified Annuity

Except in the case of a spousal Beneficiary, in the event of your death, the death benefit must be distributed:

 

as a lump sum amount at any time within five (5) years 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.
 

Unless you have made an election prior to death benefit proceeds becoming due, a Beneficiary can elect to receive the Death Benefit proceeds as a series of fixed annuity payments. See the section entitled “Annuity Options.”

SPOUSAL CONTINUATION OF ANNUITY

You may name your spouse as your Beneficiary. If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we assume that the sole primary Beneficiary will be the surviving spouse unless you elect an alternative Beneficiary designation. Unless you elect an alternative Beneficiary designation, the spouse Beneficiary may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Death Benefit payment. Any Death Benefit (including any optional Death Benefits) that would have been payable to the Beneficiary will become the new Account Value as of the date we receive due proof of death and any required proof of a spousal relationship. As of the date the assumption is effective, the surviving spouse will have all the rights and benefits that would be available under the Annuity to a new purchaser of the same attained age. For purposes of determining any future Death Benefit for the surviving spouse, the new Account Value will be considered as the initial Purchase Payment. No CDSC will apply to the new Account Value. However, any additional Purchase Payments applied after the date the assumption is effective will be subject to all provisions of the Annuity, including any CDSC that may apply to the additional Purchase Payments.

See the section entitled “Managing Your Annuity - Contingent Annuitant” for a discussion of the treatment of a spousal Contingent Annuitant in the case of the death of the Annuitant in an entity owned Annuity.

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 proposed regulations. The accompanying proposed regulations are generally effective starting January 1, 2023 and we reserve our rights to implement any final regulations addressing these requirements in the future. The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances.

 

  10-year rule: If you die after 2019, 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.

 

  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 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 new 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 particular, if the EDB dies before the remaining interest is distributed under this stretch rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB’s death (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years). 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 majority, 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 new 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 new 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 new post-death distribution requirements.

 

    The new 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 or a deferred income annuity contract (including a qualifying lifetime annuity contract, or “QLAC”) purchased prior to that date, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity.
 

43 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

    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 new 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 new law, as under prior law, if your Beneficiary is your spouse, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse’s death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse’s own IRA, or by treating your IRA as your surviving spouse’s own IRA subject to specific limits under the proposed regulations. The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear 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 advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
 

For more information, see “Tax Considerations.” You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your Beneficiary designations.

Designated Beneficiaries may be eligible for the IRA Beneficiary Continuation Option; however, distribution periods may be limited by applicable tax law as stated above. Beneficiaries should consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of distribution options.

Upon election of this IRA Beneficiary Continuation option:

 

  the Annuity contract will be continued in the Owner’s name, for the benefit of the Beneficiary.

 

  the Account 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 Beneficiary may request transfers among Sub-accounts, subject to the same limitations and restrictions that applied to the Owner. NOTE: The Sub-accounts offered under the IRA Beneficiary Continuation option may be limited.

 

  no additional Purchase Payments can be applied to the Annuity.

 

  the basic Death Benefit and any optional Death 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 Account Value at any time without application of a CDSC.

 

  upon the death of the Beneficiary, any remaining Account Value will be paid in a lump sum to the person(s) named by the Beneficiary.

 

  all amounts in the Annuity must be paid out to the Beneficiary according to the Minimum Distribution rules described in the Tax Considerations section.
 

Please contact us for additional information on the availability, restrictions and limitations that will apply to a Beneficiary under the IRA Beneficiary Continuation option.

Are there any exceptions to these rules for paying the Death Benefit?

There are exceptions that apply no matter how your Death Benefit is calculated. There are exceptions to the Death Benefit if the decedent was not the Owner or Annuitant as of the Issue Date and did not become the Owner or Annuitant due to the prior Owner’s or Annuitant’s death. Any Death Benefit (including either optional Death Benefit) that applies will be suspended for a two-year period from the date he or she first became Owner or Annuitant. After the two-year suspension period is completed, the Death Benefit is the same as if this person had been an Owner or Annuitant on the Issue Date.

When do you determine the Death Benefit?

We determine the amount of the Death Benefit as of the date we receive “due proof of death”, any instructions we require to determine the method of payment and any other written representations we require to determine the proper payment of the Death Benefit to all Beneficiaries. “Due proof of death” may include a certified copy of a death certificate, a certified copy of a decree of a court of competent jurisdiction as to the finding of death or other satisfactory proof of death. Upon our receipt of “due proof of death” we automatically transfer the Death Benefit to the AST Money Market Sub-account until we further determine the universe of eligible Beneficiaries.

Each Beneficiary must make an election as to the method they wish to receive their portion of the Death Benefit. Absent an election of a Death Benefit payment method, no Death Benefit can be paid to the Beneficiary. We may require written acknowledgment of all named Beneficiaries before we can pay the Death Benefit. During the period from the date of death until we receive all required paper work, the amount of the Death Benefit may be subject to Sub-account fluctuations.

44 


 

Back to Table of Contents

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE*


Do you provide any guarantees on my investment?

The Annuity provides variable investment options and fixed investment options. Only the fixed investment options provide a guaranteed return on your investment, subject to certain terms and conditions. However, your Annuity includes a feature at no additional cost that provides certain benefits if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded a “target value” on its 10th anniversary. If, on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, your Account Value has not reached the target value (as defined below) you can choose either of the following benefits:

 

You may continue your Annuity without electing to receive Annuity payments and receive an annual Credit to your Account Value payable until you begin receiving Annuity payments. The Credit is equal to 0.25% of the average of your Annuity’s Account Value for the preceding four complete calendar quarters. This Credit is applied to your investment options on a proportional basis based on the allocation of your then current Account Value.
 

OR

 

You may begin receiving Annuity payments within one year and accept a one-time Credit to your Annuity equal to 10% of the net of the Account Value on the 10th anniversary of its Issue Date minus the sum of all Purchase Payments allocated in the prior five years. The annuity option you select must initially guarantee payments for not less than seven years.
 

Following the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, we will inform you if your Account Value did not meet or exceed the Target Value. We will assume that you have elected to receive the annual Credit to your Account Value unless, not less than 30 days prior to the next anniversary of the Annuity, we receive at our home office your election to begin receiving Annuity payments.

Certain provisions of this benefit and of the Target Value Credits described below may differ if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, from any other Annuity we issue.

What is the “Target Value” and how is it calculated?

The Target Value is a tool used to determine whether you are eligible to elect either of the benefits described above. The Target Value does not impact the Account Value available if you surrender your Annuity or make a partial withdrawal and does not impact the Death Benefit available to your Beneficiary(ies). The Target Value assumes a rate of return over ten (10) Annuity Years that will allow your initial investment to double in value, adjusted for any withdrawals and/or additional Purchase Payments you make during the 10 year period. We calculate the “Target Value” as follows:

 

1. Accumulate the initial Purchase Payment at an annual interest rate of 7.2% until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date; plus

 

2. Accumulate any additional Purchase Payments at an annual interest rate of 7.2% from the date applied until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date; minus

 

3. Each “proportional reduction” resulting from any withdrawal, accumulating at an annual interest rate of 7.2% from the date the withdrawal is processed until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. We determine each “proportional reduction” by determining the percentage of your Account Value then withdrawn and reducing the Target Value by that same percentage. We include any withdrawals under your Annuity in this calculation, as well as the charge we deduct for any optional benefits you elect under the Annuity, but not the charge we deduct for the Annual Maintenance Fee or the Transfer Fee.
 

Examples

 

1. Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no further Purchase Payments. The Target Value on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date would be $20,042, assuming no withdrawals are made. This is equal to $10,000 accumulating at an annual rate of 7.2% for the 10-year period. In this example if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded the Target Value of $20,042 on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, you may choose to elect either of the benefits described above.

 

2. Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no further Purchase Payments. Assume at the end of Year 6, your Account Value has increased to $15,000 and you make a withdrawal of 10% or $1,500. The Target Value on the 10th anniversary would be $18,722. This is equal to $10,000 accumulating at an annual rate of 7.2% for the 10-year period, minus the proportional reduction accumulating at an annual interest rate of 7.2%. In this example if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded the Target Value of $18,722 on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, you may choose to elect either of the benefits described above.
 

Can I restart the 10-year Target Value calculation?

You can elect to lock in the growth in your Annuity by “restarting” the 10-year period on any anniversary of the Issue Date. If you elect to restart the calculation period, we will treat your Account Value on the restart date as if it was your Purchase Payment when determining if your Annuity’s Account Value meets or exceeds the Target Value on the appropriate tenth (10th) anniversary. You may elect to restart the calculation more than once, in which case, the 10-year calculation period will begin on the date of the last restart date. We must receive your election to restart the calculation at our home office not later than 30 days after each anniversary of the Issue Date.

45 


 

Back to Table of Contents

What are Target Value Credits?

Target Value Credits are additional amounts that we apply to your Account Value to increase the likelihood that your Account Value will meet or
exceed the Target Value. We add Target Value Credits to your Account Value at the time a Purchase Payment is applied to your Annuity. Only those Purchase Payments made before the first anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity are eligible to receive Target Value Credits. Target Value Credits are separate and distinct from other Credits we apply to all Purchase Payments.

The amount of the Target Value Credit is equal to 1.0% of each qualifying Purchase Payment. Target Value Credits are only payable on qualifying Purchase Payments if the Owner(s) of the Annuity is(are) less than age 81 on its Issue Date. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the age restriction applies to the age of the Annuitant on the Issue Date. The Target Value Credit is payable from our general account and is allocated to the investment options in the same ratio that the qualifying Purchase Payment is allocated.

Target Value Credits will not be available if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, of an Annuity we issued that has the same or a similar benefit.

The amount of any Target Value Credits is not immediately vested and can be recaptured by us under the circumstances and for the time periods shown below. If we exercise our right to recapture the amount of any Target Value Credit, any investment gain on the Target Value Credit will not be taken back.

 

1. If you surrender your Annuity before the 10th anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity.

 

2. If you elect to begin receiving Annuity payments before the first anniversary of the Issue Date.

 

3. If a person on whose life we pay the Death Benefit dies, or if a “contingency event” occurs which triggers a medically-related surrender:

 

within 12 months after the date a Target Value Credit was allocated to your Account Value; or

 

within 10 years after the date a Target Value Credit was allocated to your Account Value if any Owner was over age 70 on the Issue Date, or, if the Annuity was then owned by an entity, the Annuitant was over age 70 on the Issue Date.
 

Following completion of the above time periods, the amount of any Target Value Credits is vested in the Owner.

Performance Advantage may be referred to as “Prudential Annuities’ Performance Advantage” in certain instances.

46 


 

Back to Table of Contents

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT


HOW IS MY ACCOUNT VALUE DETERMINED?

During the Accumulation Period, the Annuity has an Account Value. The Account Value is determined separately for each Sub-account allocation and for each Fixed Allocation. The Account Value is the sum of the values of each Sub-account allocation and the value of each Fixed Allocation. The Account Value does not reflect any CDSC that may apply to a withdrawal or surrender. The Account Value includes any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture under certain circumstances. When determining the Account Value on any day other than a Fixed Allocation’s Maturity Date, the Account Value may include any Market Value Adjustment that would apply to a Fixed Allocation (if withdrawn or transferred) on that day.

SURRENDER VALUE

The Surrender Value of your Annuity is the value available to you on any day during the Accumulation Period. The Surrender Value is equal to your Account Value minus any CDSC, the Annual Maintenance Fee, the charge for any optional benefits and any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture upon surrender of your Annuity. The Surrender Value will also include any Market Value Adjustment that may apply.

VALUING THE SUB-ACCOUNTS

When you allocate Account Value to a Sub-account, you are purchasing Units of the Sub-account. Each Sub-account invests exclusively in shares of an underlying Portfolio. The value of the Units fluctuates with the market 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 annual charge is deducted daily; the additional charge made for such benefits. There may be several different Unit Prices for each Sub-account 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. See the section entitled “Processing and Valuing Transactions” for a detailed discussion of how Units are purchased and redeemed to reflect changes in the daily charges that apply to your Annuity.

Each Valuation Day, we determine the price for a Unit of each Sub-account, called the “Unit Price.” The Unit Price is used for determining the value of transactions involving Units of the Sub-accounts. We determine the number of Units involved in any transaction by dividing the dollar value of the transaction by the Unit Price of the Sub-account as of the Valuation Day. The investment performance of the Portfolios, expenses, and deductions of certain charges affects the Unit Price, the number of Units, or both.

Example

Assume you allocate $5,000 to a Sub-account. On the Valuation Day you make the allocation, the Unit Price is $14.83. Your $5,000 buys 337.154 Units of the Sub-account. Assume that later, you wish to transfer $3,000 of your Account Value out of that Sub-account and into another Sub-account. On the Valuation Day you request the transfer, the Unit Price of the original Sub-account has increased to $16.79. To transfer $3,000, we sell 178.677 Units at the current Unit Price, leaving you 158.477 Units. We then buy $3,000 of Units of the new Sub-account at the Unit Price of $17.83. You would then have 168.255 Units of the new Sub-account.

VALUING THE FIXED ALLOCATIONS

During the Guarantee Period, we use the concept of an Interim Value. The Interim Value can be calculated on any day and is equal to the initial value allocated to a Fixed Allocation plus all interest credited to a Fixed Allocation as of the date calculated. The Interim Value does not include the impact of any Market Value Adjustment. If you made any transfers or withdrawals from a Fixed Allocation, the Interim Value will reflect the withdrawal of those amounts and any interest credited to those amounts before they were withdrawn. To determine the Account Value of a Fixed Allocation on any day other than its Maturity Date, we multiply the Account Value of the Fixed Allocation times the Market Value Adjustment factor.

PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS

We are 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). Financial transactions requested before the close of the NYSE which meet our requirements will be processed according to the value next determined following the close of business. Financial transactions requested on a non-Valuation Day or after the close of the NYSE will be processed based on the value next computed on the next Valuation Day. There may be circumstances when the opening or closing time of the NYSE is different than other major stock exchanges, such as NASDAQ. Under such circumstances, the closing time of the NYSE will be used when valuing and processing transactions.

47 


 

Back to Table of Contents

There may be circumstances where the NYSE is open, however, due to inclement weather, natural disaster or other circumstances beyond our control, our offices may be closed or our business processing capabilities may be restricted. Under those circumstances, your Account Value may fluctuate based on changes in the Unit Values, but you may not be able to transfer Account Value or make a purchase or redemption request.

The NYSE is closed on certain announced holidays. On those dates, we will not process any financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders.

We 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 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.
 

Initial Purchase Payments: We no longer allow new purchases of this Annuity. We allocated your initial Purchase Payment to the Sub-accounts within two (2) days after we receive all of our requirements to issue the Annuity. If we did not have all the required information to allow us to issue your Annuity, we may have retained the Purchase Payment while we tried to reach you or your representative to obtain all of our requirements. If we were unable to obtain all of our required information within five (5) days, we were required to return the Purchase Payment to you at that time, unless you specifically consented to our retaining the Purchase Payment while we gathered the required information. Once we obtained the required information, we invested the Purchase Payment and issued the Annuity within two (2) days. During any period that we were trying to obtain the required information, your money was not invested.

Additional Purchase Payments: We will apply any additional Purchase Payments on the Valuation Day that we receive the Purchase Payment with satisfactory allocation instructions.

Scheduled Transactions: “Scheduled” transactions include transfers under a Dollar Cost Averaging, rebalancing, or asset allocation program, Systematic Withdrawals, Minimum Distributions or annuity payments. 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 and valued on Valuation Day prior to the scheduled transaction date.

Unscheduled Transactions: “Unscheduled” transactions include any other non-scheduled transfers and requests for Partial Withdrawals or Free Withdrawals or Surrenders. Unscheduled transactions are processed and valued as of the Valuation Day we receive the request at our Office and have all of the required information.

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 Fixed Allocation or any fixed annuity payout for more than thirty days, we pay interest of at least 3% per year on the amount deferred. We may defer any distribution from any Sub-account or any transfer from a Sub-account for a period not to exceed 7 calendar days from the date the transaction is effected. Any other deferral period begins on the date such distribution or transfer would otherwise have been transacted.

Medically-related Surrenders & Death Benefits: Medically-related surrender requests and Death Benefit claims require our review and evaluation before processing. We price such transactions as of the date we receive at our Office all supporting documentation we require for such transactions and that are satisfactory to us.

Transactions in ProFunds VP Sub-accounts: Generally, purchase or redemption orders or transfer requests must be received by us by no later than the close of the NYSE to be processed on the current Valuation Day. However, any purchase or redemption order or transfer request involving the ProFunds VP Sub-accounts must be received by us no later than one hour prior to any announced closing of the applicable securities exchange (generally, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to be processed on the current Valuation Day. The “cut-off” time for such financial transactions involving a ProFunds VP Sub-account will be extended to ½ hour prior to any announced closing (generally, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time) for transactions submitted electronically through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities). You cannot request a transaction involving the purchase, redemption or transfer of Units in one of the ProFunds VP Sub-accounts between the applicable “cut-off” time and 4:00 p.m. Transactions received after 4:00 p.m. will be treated as received by us on the next Valuation Day.

Termination of Optional Benefits: If you terminate the Guaranteed Return Option benefit, Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit or either Optional Death Benefit, we will no longer deduct the charge we apply to purchase the optional benefit. On the date the charge no longer applies, your Annuity will become subject to a different daily asset-based charge. We will process a transaction where your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts will be used to purchase new Units of the Sub-accounts that reflect the insurance charge and any optional benefit or program still elected, but not the charge for the optional benefit or program that you terminated. The number of Units attributed to your Annuity will be decreased and the Unit Price of each Unit of the Sub-accounts in which you invested will be increased. The adjustment in the number of Units and Unit Price will not affect your Account Value. Beginning on that date, your Account Value will be determined based on the change in the value of Units that reflect the insurance charge and any other optional benefits that you have elected.

48 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Tax Considerations


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 establish an advisory fee deduction program for a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity with no living benefit 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. Charges for investment advisory fees that are taken from a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity with a living benefit are treated as a partial withdrawal from the Annuity and will be tax reported as such to the Annuity Owner.

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.

NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

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, an Annuity 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 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 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 purchased prior to August 14, 1982. Withdrawals are treated as a return of cost basis in the Annuity 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.

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. This rule does not apply if you transfer the Annuity to your spouse or under most circumstances if you transfer the Annuity incident to divorce.

49 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 “Access to Account Value” section earlier in 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. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, this deduction is suspended until after 2025.

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 $15,200 for estates and 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 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 or receiving Annuity within 180 days of the date on which the partial exchange was completed (other than an amount received as

50 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 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 investment in the contract 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 (as defined earlier in this prospectus). 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 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.

51 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 “Death Benefits” 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 Sub-accounts 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 Investment 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 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 for tax purposes if persons with ownership rights have excessive control over the investments underlying such variable Annuity. 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 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.

QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

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.

52 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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”). Go to www.irs.gov for the contribution 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). 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;

 

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 1 st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age (see the Required Minimum Distribution rules for more details); and
 

53 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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.
 

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 limit 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. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. with the employer making these contributions to the SEP. 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. Under SECURE 2.0, employers may offer employees the ability to elect to treat employee and employer SEP contributions (in whole or in part) as made to a Roth IRA. 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).

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 are also subject to Roth IRA annual contribution limits, and the 529 account must have been open for more than 15 years, among other requirements.

The Code also permits the recharacterization of current year contribution amounts from a traditional IRA, SEP, or SIMPLE 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.

54 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Once an Annuity has been purchased, regular Roth IRA contributions will be accepted to the extent permitted by law. 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 (under limited circumstances, and only related to salary deferrals, not including earnings attributable to these amounts).
 

In any event, you must begin receiving distributions from your TDA by April 1 st 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 are not subject to these rules during the Owner’s lifetime.

55 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 IRS 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. 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 Annuities 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.

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. Effective 2020, 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 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. Consistent with the applicable IRS instructions, we report these distributions as normal IRA distributions on Form 1099-R. Individuals are responsible for reflecting the distributions as charitable IRA distributions on their personal tax returns.

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 new law applies if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, this new law generally applies if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).

 

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 determined on the date of
 

56 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

your death. An EDB (other than a minor child) can generally stretch distributions over their life or life expectancy if payments begin within one 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 10 th 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, EDBs who are older than the Owner, 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 new 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 new 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 new requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract or a deferred income annuity contract (including a qualifying lifetime annuity contract, or “QLAC”) 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 year 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, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse’s death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse’s own IRA, or by electing to treat your IRA as your surviving spouse’s own IRA.
 

The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear in numerous respects. Treasury has issued proposed regulations that may impact these required minimum distribution requirements for calendar years on or after January 1, 2023. We reserve the right to make changes in order to comply with the proposed regulations, or any final 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.

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
 

57 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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.)
 

Other exceptions to this tax may apply. 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.

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

58 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

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.

59 


 

Back to Table of Contents

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


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 through our website at www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-SC-ASXT-STAT or any other electronic means. We send a confirmation statement to you each time a transaction is made affecting Account Value, such as making additional Purchase Payments, 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 the Annual Maintenance Fee, systematic withdrawals (including 72(t) payments and required minimum distributions), bank drafting, dollar cost averaging, and static rebalancing, 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 Office 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 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.

WHO IS FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY?

Annuities and Life Insurance are issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“FLIAC”), located in Jersey City, NJ. Fortitude Re has retained The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”) as an unaffiliated Third-Party Administrator. Variable Annuities are distributed by Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), Shelton, CT (main office). PICA and PAD are Prudential Financial Inc. companies. Each company (FLIAC, PICA, PAD) is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

Fortitude Re is the marketing name for FGH Parent, L.P. and its subsidiaries, including FLIAC. Each subsidiary is responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

FLIAC is in the process of changing its name from Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (“PALAC”) in certain jurisdictions. References to FLIAC shall be deemed to be references to PALAC in the jurisdictions where the name change is not yet effective.

Pursuant to the delivery obligations under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) and Rule 159 thereunder, we deliver this prospectus to current Owners that reside outside of the United States. In addition, we may not market or offer benefits, features or enhancements to prospective or current Owners while outside of the United States.

Service Providers

The Company conducts the bulk of its annuity operations through The Prudential Insurance Company of America (together with certain of its affiliates, the “Administrator”) and other third-party service providers, subject to the Company’s oversight. The entities engaged directly or indirectly by the Company to provide services may change over time.

The Administrator services and administers the Annuity on behalf of the Company through one or more third party administrator, administrative services or other similar agreements. The Administrator’s principal executive offices are located at One Corporate Drive, Shelton, CT 06484. The Administrator is an affiliate of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., the distributor of the Annuity, but is not otherwise an affiliate of the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Company and the Administrator were affiliates.

As of December 31, 2023, the following non-affiliated entities could be deemed service providers to the Company in connection with the Annuity.

Name of Service Provider

Services Provided

Address

Broadridge Investor Communication

Proxy services and regulatory mailings

51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY, 11717

DFIN Donnelley Financial Solutions

N-CEN filings

35 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL, 60601

Docufree Corporation

Records management and administration of annuity contracts Mail receipt / Imaging, check deposits, pricing, ahoc mailings.

10 Ed Preate Drive, Moosic, PA, 18507

EXL Service Holdings, Inc

Administration of annuity contracts

350 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10022

60 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Name of Service Provider

Services Provided

Address

FTI Consulting Inc.

TPA Audits

555 12th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC, 20004

Guidehouse

Claim related services

150 North Riverside Plaza, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL, 60606

National Financial Services

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA, 02109

Open Text, Inc

Fax Services

100 Tri-State International Parkway, Lincolnshire, IL, 60069

PERSHING LLC

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

One Pershing Plaza, Jersey City, NJ, 07399

Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”)

Third party administration and processing for Annuity contracts

213 Washington Street, Newark, NJ, 07102- 2992

The Depository Trust Clearinghouse Corporation

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

55 Water Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY, 10041

Thomson Reuters

Tax reporting services

3 Times Square, New York, NY, 10036

Universal Wilde

Composition, printing, and mailing of contracts and benefit documents

26 Dartmouth Street, Westwood, MA, 02090

WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?

During the Accumulation Period, the assets supporting obligations based on allocations to the variable investment options are held in Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (the “Separate Account”). Income, gains and losses credited to, or charged against, the Separate Account reflect the Separate Account’s own investment experience and not the investment experience of our other assets. The assets of the Separate Account may not be used to pay any liabilities of ours other than those arising from the Annuity and other annuity contracts issued in connection with the Separate Account. We are obligated to pay all amounts promised to investors under the Annuity.

The Separate Account consists of multiple Sub-accounts. Each Sub-account invests only in a single Portfolio. The name of each Sub-account generally corresponds to the name of the Portfolio. Each Sub-account may have several different Unit Prices to reflect charges that are offered under annuities issued by us through the Separate Account. The Separate 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 the Separate Account. We may offer new Sub-accounts, eliminate Sub-accounts, or combine Sub-accounts at our sole discretion. We may also close Sub-accounts to additional Purchase Payments on existing annuities or close Sub-accounts 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 Sub-accounts, eliminate Sub-accounts, substitute Sub-accounts or combine Sub-accounts;

 

  close Sub-accounts to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or close Sub-accounts 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 Sub-account
 

We will first notify you and receive any necessary SEC and/or state approval before making such a change. If an underlying Portfolio 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 Portfolios, so we cannot guarantee that any of those Portfolios will always be available.

WHAT IS THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE PORTFOLIOS?

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.

61 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Voting Rights

We are the legal Owner of the shares of the underlying Portfolios in which the Sub-accounts invest. However, under current SEC rules, you have voting rights in relation to Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. 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 Sub-account. 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 investment 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 investment 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 Sub-account 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 Sub-accounts under the Annuity are managed by the same advisor or Sub-advisor 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 Sub-account.

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 investment 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 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, 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. Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. receives Rule 12b-1 fees which compensate it for distribution and administrative services (including recordkeeping services and the mailing of prospectuses and reports to Owners invested in the Portfolios). These fees are paid by the underlying Portfolio out of each Portfolio’s assets and are therefore borne by Owners.

We 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 administrative services 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.

62 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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, 2023, under the kind of agreements described in this paragraph, there were no payments received.

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 affiliated with us related to the offering of investment options within variable annuity contracts or life insurance policies offered by our different business units.

WHO DISTRIBUTES THE ANNUITIES?

Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity offered through this prospectus. PAD acts as the distributor of several annuity and life insurance products and the AST Portfolios. Other than in its role as distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity, PAD is not affiliated with the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Company and PAD were affiliates by virtue of common control. 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 (the “Exchange Act”) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Annuity is no longer sold but Owners may make additional Purchase Payments and transfer Account Value in accordance with the Annuity. PAD enters into distribution agreements with both affiliated and unaffiliated broker-dealers who are registered under the Exchange Act (“Firms”). Applications for annuity products are solicited by registered representatives of those firms. PAD utilizes a network of its own registered representatives to wholesale annuity products to Firms. Because a variable annuity contract is an insurance product as well as a security, all registered representatives who sell variable annuity contracts are also appointed as insurance agents of ours.

We sell our annuity products through multiple distribution channels, including (1) independent broker-dealer firms and financial planners; (2) broker-dealers that are members of the New York Stock Exchange, including “wirehouse” and regional broker-dealer firms; and (3) broker-dealers affiliated with banks or that specialize in marketing to customers of banks. Although we are active in each of those distribution channels, the majority of our sales have come from the independent broker-dealer firms and financial planners.

Under the selling agreements, cash compensation in the form of commissions is paid to firms on sales according to one or more schedules. The registered representative will receive a portion of the compensation, depending on the practice of his or her firm. Commissions are generally based on a percentage of Purchase Payments made. Alternative compensation schedules are available that generally provide a lower initial commission plus ongoing quarterly compensation based on all or a portion of the Account Value. We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to your Annuity. 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 of our 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 our annuity products sold through the firm. Commissions and other cash compensation paid in relation to your Annuity do not result in any additional charge to you or to the Separate Account.

In connection with the sale and servicing of the Annuity, Firms may receive cash compensation and/or non-cash compensation. Cash compensation includes discounts, concessions, 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.

We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing Firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to the Annuity. 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 of our 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 our annuity products sold through the Firm.

In addition, in an effort to promote the sale of our products (which may include the placement of the Annuity 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 Annuity’s features; 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

63 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 occasional 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 us.

A list of the firms to whom we pay an amount under these arrangements is provided below. You should note that firms and individual registered representatives and branch managers within some firms participating in one of these compensation arrangements might receive greater compensation for selling one annuity than for selling a different annuity that is not eligible for these compensation arrangements. While compensation is generally considered 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. Your registered representative can provide you with more information about the compensation arrangements that apply to your Annuity. Further information about the firms that are part of these compensation arrangements appears in the Statement of Additional Information, which is available without charge upon request.

The list below includes the names of the firms that we are aware as of December 31, 2023 received cash compensation with respect to our annuity business during 2023 (or as to which a payment amount was accrued during 2023). The firms listed below include those receiving payments in connection with marketing of products issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company. During 2023, the least amount paid, and greatest amount paid, were $2.00 and $5,108,969.88, respectively.

Name of Firm:

AMERICAN PORTFOLIO FIN SVCS INC

ASSOCIATED SECURITIES CORP

Allstate Financial Srvcs, LLC

CUSO Financial Services, L.P.

Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc.

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.

Centaurus Financial, Inc.

Cetera Advisor Network LLC

Commonwealth Financial Network

Concourse Financial Group Securities Inc

Crown Capital Securities, L.P.

Equitable Advisors, LLC

Equity Services, Inc.

Geneos Wealth Management, Inc.

Grove Point Investments

Hantz Financial Services,Inc.

Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC.

Kestra Financial, Inc.

LPL Financial Corporation

Lincoln Financial Advisors

Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation

Lincoln Investment Planning

M Holdings Securities, Inc

MML Investors Services, Inc.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Mutual Service Corporation

Next Financial Group, Inc.

OSAIC Wealth

PNC Investments, LLC

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION

Raymond James Financial Svcs

SA Stone Wealth Management Inc.

Securian Financial Svcs, Inc.

Securities America, Inc.

Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

TFS Securities, Inc.

The Investment Center

TransAmerica Financial Advisors, Inc.

Triad Advisors, Inc.

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

United Planners Fin. Serv.

WATERSTONE FINANCIAL GROUP INC

WELLS FARGO ADVISORS LLC – WEALTH

Wells Fargo Advisors LLC

Wells Fargo Investments

Woodbury Financial Services

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company and the Separate Account are incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information.

INDEMNIFICATION

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

64 


 

Back to Table of Contents

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Company nor the Separate Account 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 Separate Account, or the Company’s ability to meet its obligations under the Annuity.

As of the date of this prospectus, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. is not a party to any material legal proceedings outside of the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. Although Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. 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 its ability to meet its obligations related to the Annuity.

HOW TO CONTACT US

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.

Annuities Service Center

Call our Annuities Service Center at 1-800-879-7012 during normal business hours.

Internet

Access information about your Annuity through our website: www.prudential.com/annuities

Correspondence Sent by Regular Mail

Annuities Service Center
P.O. Box 7960
Philadelphia, PA 19176

Correspondence Sent by Overnight*, Certified or Registered Mail

Annuities Service
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 Annuities 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 Annuities Service Center should be sent to the address shown above. Your correspondence will be picked up at this address and then delivered to our Annuities Service Center. Your correspondence is not considered received by us until it is received at our Annuities 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 Annuities 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 Annuities 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/annuities, 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 or your financial professional, 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 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/annuities, our website. Any third party that you authorize to perform financial transactions on your account will be assigned a PIN for your account.

65 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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.

We do 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. Regular and/or express mail 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. We reserve the right to limit, restrict or terminate telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic transaction privileges at any time.

This prospectus is being provided for informational or educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives or financial situation of any Annuity Owner. The information is not intended as investment advice and is not a recommendation about managing or investing your retirement savings. Annuity Owners seeking information regarding their particular investment needs should contact a financial professional.

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.

FORTITUDE RE AND THE FORTITUDE RE LOGO ARE SERVICE MARKS OF FORTITUDE GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC AND ITS AFFILIATES. OTHER PROPRIETARY FORTITUDE RE MARKS MAY BE DESIGNATED AS SUCH THROUGH THE USE OF THE SM OR ® SYMBOLS.

GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS (GRO PLUS), GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION (GRO), AND PLUS40 ARE SERVICE MARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA AND ARE USED UNDER LICENSE BY FORTITUDE RE.

66 


 

Back to Table of Contents

APPENDIX A – PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY


The following is a list of Portfolios available under the Annuity. 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/FLIAC-SC-ASXT-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an email request 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 Portfolios, 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. Each Portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

Allspring VT Discovery All Cap Growth Fund - Class 21,
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

1.00%

33.17%

13.54%

10.42%

Allocation

Allspring VT Index Asset Allocation Fund - Class 21,
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

1.00%

16.70%

9.49%

8.24%

Equity

Allspring VT Opportunity Fund - Class 2
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

1.00%

26.50%

14.74%

10.32%

Equity

Allspring VT Small Cap Growth Fund - Class 21
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

1.17%

4.11%

7.68%

6.60%

Allocation

AST Academic Strategies Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate
Systematica Limited
Wellington Management Company LLP
Western Asset Management Company, LLC
Western Asset Management Company Limited

1.14%

10.21%

5.34%

3.67%

Allocation

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio1,
Jennison Associates LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate
PGIM Fixed Income

0.91%

14.48%

7.94%

6.33%

Allocation

AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.90%

15.77%

7.86%

6.14%

A-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Allocation

AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.90%

18.09%

9.74%

7.30%

Equity

AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio1
Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc.

1.12%

12.08%

8.79%

8.29%

Fixed Income

AST Core Fixed Income Portfolio1
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
Wellington Management Company LLP
Western Asset Management Company, LLC
Western Asset Management Company Limited

0.72%

6.35%

1.11%

2.28%

Fixed Income

AST Government Money Market Portfolio1
PGIM Fixed Income

0.57%

4.62%

1.54%

0.93%

Equity

AST International Equity Portfolio1
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
LSV Asset Management
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC

1.06%

17.75%

10.39%

6.08%

Allocation

AST J.P. Morgan Global Thematic Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.04%

13.88%

7.51%

5.59%

Allocation

AST J.P. Morgan Tactical Preservation Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.03%

10.35%

5.08%

4.07%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Growth Portfolio1,
Clearbridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

0.93%

43.63%

15.03%

13.40%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio1
Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.84%

9.75%

13.37%

9.19%

Equity

AST Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio1
Delaware Investments Fund Advisers
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
TimesSquare Capital Management, LLC

1.12%

21.94%

10.31%

7.82%

Equity

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio1
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Victory Capital Management Inc.
Wellington Management Company LLP

1.02%

12.08%

10.42%

7.12%

A-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Allocation

AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.92%

11.78%

4.63%

4.14%

Allocation

AST Prudential Growth Allocation Portfolio1
Jennison Associates LLC
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate

0.89%

18.06%

7.27%

6.17%

Equity

AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio1
Driehaus Capital Management LLC
Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
UBS Asset Management (Americas) Inc.
Victory Capital Management Inc.

1.00%

17.10%

11.35%

8.58%

Equity

AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio1
Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.01%

13.75%

9.79%

6.34%

Allocation

AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio1
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
T. Rowe Price International, Ltd
T. Rowe Price Australia Ltd.

0.89%

16.86%

8.37%

6.40%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Health Care Fund - Series I shares1
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.98%

3.02%

8.75%

6.87%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.98%

46.94%

14.92%

12.24%

Equity

NVIT Emerging Markets Fund Class D1,
Nationwide Fund Advisors
NS Partners Ltd

1.38%

3.80%

-0.08%

-0.22%

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 Sub-accounts for those variable annuity contracts and an AST bond Portfolio Sub-account 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 Sub-accounts and the AST bond Sub-account 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-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

(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 Sub-account 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.
The additional information below may be applicable to the Portfolios listed in the above table:
  Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares
Effective May 1, 2022 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.

Investment Restrictions

Please note that the following Portfolios are not available if you have elected any of the following optional benefits:

Optional Benefit Name:

All Investment Options Permitted, EXCEPT These:

Guaranteed Return Option

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares

Guaranteed Return Option Plus

Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit

A-4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

APPENDIX B – Plus40 OPTIONAL LIFE INSURANCE RIDER


Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider was offered, in those states where approved, between September 17, 2001 and May 1, 2003. The description below of the Plus40 benefit applies to those Contract Owners who purchased an Annuity during that time period and elected the Plus40 benefit.

The life insurance coverage provided under the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (“Plus40 rider” or the “Rider”) is supported by our general account and is not subject to, or registered as a security under, either the Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940. Information about the Plus40 rider is included as an Appendix to this Prospectus to help you understand the Rider and the relationship between the Rider and the value of your Annuity. It is also included because you can elect to pay for the Rider with taxable withdrawals from your Annuity. The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission has not reviewed this information. However, the information may be subject to certain generally applicable provisions of the Federal securities laws regarding accuracy and completeness.

The income tax-free life insurance payable to your Beneficiary(ies) under the Plus40 rider is equal to 40% of the Account Value of your Annuity as of the date we receive due proof of death, subject to certain adjustments, restrictions and limitations described below.

Eligibility

The Plus40 rider may be purchased as a rider on your Annuity. The Rider must cover those persons upon whose death the Annuity’s death benefit becomes payable – the Annuity’s Owner or Owners, or the Annuitant (in the case of an entity owned Annuity). If the Annuity has two Owners, the Rider’s death benefit is payable upon the first death of such persons. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Rider’s death benefit is payable upon the death of the Annuitant, even if a Contingent Annuitant is named.

The minimum allowable age to purchase the Plus40 rider is 40; the maximum allowable age is 75. If the Rider is purchased on two lives, both persons must meet the age eligibility requirements. The Plus40 rider is not available to purchasers who use their Annuity as a funding vehicle for a Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or as a funding vehicle for a qualified plan under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”).

Adjustments, Restrictions & Limitations

 

If you die during the first 24 months following the effective date of the Plus40 rider (generally, the Issue Date of your Annuity), the death benefit will be limited to the amount of any charges paid for the Rider while it was in effect. While we will return the charges you have paid during the applicable period as the death benefit, your Beneficiary(ies) will receive no additional life insurance benefit from the Plus40 rider if you die within 24 months of its effective date.

 

If you make a Purchase Payment within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Account Value used to determine the amount of the death benefit will be reduced by the amount of such Purchase Payment(s). If we reduce the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider based on this provision, we will return 50% of any charges paid for the Rider based on those Purchase Payments as an additional amount included in the death benefit under the Rider.

 

If we apply Credits to your Annuity based on Purchase Payments, such Credits are treated as Account Value for purposes of determining the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider. However, if Credits were applied to Purchase Payments made within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Account Value used to determine the amount of the death benefit will be reduced by the amount of such Credits. If we reduce the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider based on this provision, we will return 50% of any charges paid for the Rider based on such Credits as an additional amount included in the death benefit under the Rider.

 

If you become terminally ill (as defined in the Rider) and elect to receive a portion of the Plus40 rider’s death benefit under the Accelerated Death Benefit provision, the amount that will be payable under the Rider upon your death will be reduced. Please refer to the Accelerated Death Benefit provision described below.

 

If charges for the Plus40 rider are due and are unpaid as of the date the death benefit is being determined, such charges will be deducted from the amount paid to your Beneficiary(ies).

 

If the age of any person covered under the Plus40 rider is misstated, we will adjust any coverage under the Rider to conform to the facts. For example, if, due to the misstatement, we overcharged you for coverage under the Rider, we will add any additional charges paid to the amount payable to your Beneficiary(ies). If, due to the misstatement, we undercharged you for coverage under the Rider, we will reduce the death benefit in proportion to the charges not paid as compared to the charges that would have been paid had there been no misstatement.

 

On or after an Owner reaches the expiry date of the Rider (the anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date on or immediately after the 95th birthday), coverage will terminate. No charge will be made for an Owner following the expiry date. If there are two Owners, the expiry date applies separately to each Owner; therefore, coverage may continue for one Owner and terminate as to the other Owner.
 

Maximum Benefit

The Plus40 rider is subject to a Maximum Death Benefit Amount based on the Purchase Payments applied to your Annuity. The Plus40 rider may also be subject to a Per Life Maximum Benefit that is based on all amounts paid under any annuity contract we issue to you under which you have elected the Plus40 rider or similar life insurance coverage.

 

The Maximum Death Benefit Amount is 100% of the Purchase Payments increasing at 5% per year following the date each Purchase Payment is applied to the Annuity until the date of death. If Purchase Payments are applied to the Annuity within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Maximum Death Benefit Amount is decreased by the amount of such Purchase Payments.

 

The Per Life Maximum Benefit applies to Purchase Payments applied to any such annuity contracts more than 24 months from the date of death that exceed $1,000,000. If you make Purchase Payments in excess of $1,000,000, we will reduce the aggregate death benefit payable under all Plus40 riders, or similar riders issued by us, based on the combined amount of Purchase Payments in excess of $1,000,000 multiplied by 40%. If the Per Life Maximum Benefit applies, we will reduce the amount payable under each applicable Plus40
 

B-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

rider on a proportional basis. If the Per Life Maximum Benefit applies upon your death, we will return any excess charges that you paid on the portion of your Account Value on which no benefit is payable. The Per Life Maximum Benefit does not limit the amount of Purchase Payments that you may apply to your Annuity.
 

Accelerated Death Benefit Provision

If you become terminally ill, you may request that a portion of the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider be prepaid instead of being paid to your Beneficiary(ies) upon your death. Subject to our requirements and where allowed by law, we will make a one time, lump sum payment. Our requirements include proof satisfactory to us, in writing, of terminal illness after the Rider’s Effective Date.

The maximum we will pay, before any reduction, is the lesser of 50% of the Rider’s death benefit or $100,000. If you elect to accelerate payment of a portion of the death benefit under the Plus40 rider, the amount of the remaining death benefit is reduced by the prepaid amount accumulating at an annualized interest rate of 6.0%. Eligibility for an accelerated payout of a portion of your Plus40 rider death benefit may be more restrictive than any medically-related surrender provision that may be applicable to you under the Annuity.

Charges for the Plus40 Rider

The Plus40 rider has a current charge and a guaranteed maximum charge. The current charge for the Plus40 rider is based on a percentage of your Account Value as of the anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity. The applicable percentages differ based on the attained age, last birthday of the Owner(s) or Annuitant (in the case of an entity owned Annuity) as of the date the charge is due. We reserve the right to change the current charge, at any time, subject to regulatory approval where required. If there are two Owners, we calculate the current charge that applies to each Owner individually and deduct the combined amount as the charge for the Rider. There is no charge based on a person’s life after coverage expires as to that person. However, a charge will still apply to the second of two Owners (and coverage will continue for such Owner) if such Owner has not reached the expiry date.

Attained Age

Percentage of Account Value

Age 40-75

.80
%

Age 76-80

1.60
%

Age 81-85

3.20
%

Age 86-90

4.80
%

Age 91

6.50
%

Age 92

7.50
%

Age 93

8.50
%

Age 94

9.50
%

Age 95

10.50
%


The charge for the Plus40 rider may also be subject to a guaranteed maximum charge that will apply if the current charge, when applied to the Account Value, exceeds the guaranteed maximum charge. The guaranteed maximum charge is based on a charge per $1,000 of insurance.

We determine the charge for the Rider annually, in arrears. We deduct the charge: (1) upon your death; (2) on each anniversary of the Issue Date; (3) on the date that you begin receiving annuity payments; (4) if you surrender your Annuity other than a medically-related surrender; or (5) if you choose to terminate the Rider. If the Rider terminates for any of the preceding reasons on a date other than the anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date, the charge will be prorated. During the first year after the Annuity’s Issue Date, the charge will be prorated from the Issue Date. In all subsequent years, the charge will be prorated from the last anniversary of the Issue Date.

You can elect to pay the annual charge through a redemption from your Annuity’s Account Value or through funds other than those within the Annuity. If you do not elect a method of payment, we will automatically deduct the annual charge from your Annuity’s Account Value. The manner in which you elect to pay for the Rider may have tax implications.

 

If you elect to pay the charge through a redemption of your Annuity’s Account Value, the withdrawal will be treated as a taxable distribution, and will generally be subject to ordinary income tax on the amount of any investment gain withdrawn. If you are under age 59½, the distribution may also be subject to a 10% additional tax on any gain withdrawn, in addition to ordinary income taxes. We first deduct the amount of the charge on a proportional basis from the Account Value in the variable investment options. We only deduct the charge on a proportional basis from the Fixed Allocations to the extent there is insufficient Account Value in the variable investment options to pay the charge.

 

If you elect to pay the charge through funds other than those from your Annuity, we require that payment be made electronically in U.S. currency through a U.S. financial institution. If you elect to pay the charge through electronic transfer of funds and payment has not been received within 31 days from the due date, we will deduct the charge as a redemption from your Annuity, as described above.
 

B-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Termination

You can terminate the Plus40 rider at any time. Upon termination, you will be required to pay on a proportional basis a portion of the annual charge for the Rider. The Plus40 rider will terminate automatically on the date your Account Value is applied to begin receiving annuity payments, on the date you surrender the Annuity or, on the expiry date with respect to such person who reaches the expiry date. We may also terminate the Plus40 rider, if necessary, to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations. Once terminated, you may not reinstate your coverage under the Plus40 rider.

Changes in Annuity Designations

Changes in ownership and annuitant designations under the Annuity may result in changes in eligibility and charges under the Plus40 rider. These changes may include termination of the Rider. Please refer to the Rider for specific details.

Spousal Assumption

A spousal beneficiary may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Annuity’s Death Benefit. However, regardless of whether a spousal beneficiary assumes ownership of the Annuity, the death benefit under the Plus40 rider will be paid despite the fact that the Annuity will continue. The spousal beneficiary can apply the death benefit proceeds under the Plus40 rider to the Annuity as a new Purchase Payment, can purchase a new annuity contract or use the death benefit proceeds for any other purpose. Certain restrictions may apply to an Annuity that is used as a qualified investment. Spousal beneficiaries may also be eligible to purchase the Plus40 rider, in which case the Annuity’s Account Value, as of the date the assumption is effective, will be treated as the initial Purchase Payment under applicable provisions of the Rider.

Tax Consideration

The Plus40 rider was designed to qualify as a life insurance contract under the Code. As life insurance, under most circumstances, the Beneficiary(ies) does not pay any Federal income tax on the death benefit payable under the Rider.

If your Annuity is being used as an Individual Retirement Annuity (IRA), we consider the Plus40 rider to be outside of your IRA, since premium for the Rider is paid for either with funds outside of your Annuity or with withdrawals previously subject to tax and any applicable tax penalty.

We believe payments under the accelerated payout provision of the Rider will meet the requirements of the Code and the regulations in order to qualify as tax-free payments. To the extent permitted by law, we will change our procedures in relation to the Rider, or the definition of terminally ill, or any other applicable term in order to maintain the tax-free status of any amounts paid out under the accelerated payout provision.

B-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

APPENDIX C – DESCRIPTION AND CALCULATION OF THE ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT AND THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT


If you purchased your Annuity before November 18, 2002 and were not a resident of the State of New York, the following optional death benefits were offered:

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit can provide additional amounts to your Beneficiary that may be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Whether this benefit is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary to pay taxes on your Annuity should you die during the Accumulation Period. No benefit is payable if death occurs on or after the Annuity Date.

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit provides a benefit that is payable in addition to the basic Death Benefit. If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 75 or less at the time the benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 75 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 75 or less.

Calculation of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

If you purchase the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit, the Death Benefit is calculated as follows:

 

 

1. the basic Death Benefit described above

PLUS

 

2. 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.
 

“Death Benefit Amount” includes your Account Value and any amounts added to your Account Value under the Annuity’s basic Death Benefit when the Death Benefit is calculated. Under the basic Death Benefit, amounts are added to your Account Value when the Account Value is less than Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals.

“Proportional withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of your Account Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn.

The amount calculated in Items 1 & 2 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is subject to a maximum of 50% of all Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity at least 12 months prior to the death of the decedent that triggers the payment of the Death Benefit.

Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for a discussion of special tax considerations for purchasers of this benefit.

NOTE: You may not elect the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit if you have elected any other Optional Death Benefit.

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 80 or less at the time the optional Death Benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 80 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 80 or less.

Key Terms Used with the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

 

The Death Benefit Target Date is the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, the oldest of either joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned.

 

The Highest Anniversary Value equals the highest of all previous “Anniversary Values” on or before the earlier of the Owner’s date of death and the “Death Benefit Target Date”.

 

The Anniversary Value is the Account Value as of each anniversary of the Issue Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments on or after such anniversary less the sum of all “Proportional Reductions” since such anniversary.

 

A Proportional Reduction is a reduction to the value being measured caused by a withdrawal, equaling the percentage of the withdrawal as compared to the Account Value as of the date of the withdrawal. For example, if your Account Value is $10,000 and you withdraw $2,000 (a 20% reduction), we will reduce both your Anniversary Value and the amount determined by Purchase Payments increasing at the appropriate interest rate by 20%.
 

C-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Calculation of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.

 

  If the Owner dies before the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greatest of:

 

1. the Account Value in the Sub-accounts plus the Interim Value of any Fixed Allocations (no Market Value Adjustment) as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death”; and

 

2. the sum of all Purchase Payments minus the sum of all Proportional Reductions, each increasing daily until the Owner’s date of death at a rate of 5.0%, subject to a limit of 200% of the difference between the sum of all Purchase Payments and the sum of all withdrawals as of the Owner’s date of death; and

 

3. the “Highest Anniversary Value” on or immediately preceding the Owner’s date of death.

 

  The amount determined by this calculation is increased by any Purchase Payments received after the Owner’s date of death and decreased by any Proportional Reductions since such date. The amount calculated in Items 1 & 3 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

 

  If the Owner dies on or after the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

1. the Account Value as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death” (a Market Value Adjustment may be applicable to amounts in any Fixed Allocations); and

 

2. the greater of Item 2 & 3 above on the Death Benefit Target Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all Proportional Reductions since the Death Benefit Target Date.
 

The amount calculated in Item 1 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

Annuities with joint Owners

For Annuities with Joint Owners, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the oldest of the Joint Owners is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. NOTE: If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we will pay the Death Benefit to the Beneficiary. If the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse, then the surviving spouse can elect to assume ownership of the Annuity and continue the contract instead of receiving the Death Benefit.

Annuities owned by entities

For Annuities owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the Annuitant is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. Payment of the Death Benefit is based on the death of the Annuitant (or Contingent Annuitant, if applicable).

Can I terminate the optional Death Benefits? Do the optional Death Benefits terminate under other circumstances?

You can terminate the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit and the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit at any time. Upon termination, you will be required to pay on a proportional basis a portion of the annual charge for the benefit. Both optional Death Benefits will terminate automatically on the Annuity Date. We may also terminate any optional Death Benefit if necessary to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations.

What are the charges for the optional Death Benefits?

We deduct a charge from your Account Value if you elect to purchase either optional Death Benefit. The maximum charge for Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit and the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit respectively is 0.75% and 0.55%. The charges for these death benefits are deducted in arrears each Annuity Year. No charge applies after the Annuity Date. We deduct the charge:

 

1. on each anniversary of the Issue Date;

 

2. when Account Value is transferred to our general account prior to the Annuity Date;

 

3. if you surrender your Annuity; and

 

4. if you choose to terminate the benefit (Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit only)
 

If you surrender the Annuity, elect to begin receiving annuity payments or terminate the benefit on a date other than an anniversary of the Issue Date, the charge will be prorated. During the first year after the Issue Date, the charge will be prorated from the Issue Date. In all subsequent years, it would be prorated from the last anniversary of the Issue Date.

We first deduct the amount of the charge on a proportional basis from the Account Value in the variable investment options. We only deduct the charge on a proportional basis from the Fixed Allocations to the extent there is insufficient Account Value in the variable investment options to pay the charge. If your Annuity’s Account Value is insufficient to pay the charge, we may deduct your remaining Account Value and terminate your Annuity. We will notify you if your Account Value is insufficient to pay the charge and allow you to submit an additional Purchase Payment to continue your Annuity.

Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for additional considerations in relation to the optional Death Benefit.

C-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

ADDITIONAL CALCULATIONS

Examples of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made and that no withdrawals are made prior to the Owner’s death. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example with Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $75,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $75,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($75,000) PLUS 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.

Purchase Payments

=

$50,000

Account Value

=

$75,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

$75,000

Death Benefit Amount

=

$75,000 - $50,000 = $25,000

Amount Payable Under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

=

$75,000 + $12,500 = $87,500

Examples with Sub-account decline

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has been decreasing due to declines in Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $45,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, which ever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $50,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($50,000) PLUS 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.

Purchase Payments

=

$50,000

Account Value

=

$40,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

$50,000

Death Benefit Amount

=

$50,000 - $50,000 = $0

Amount Payable Under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = $50,000 + $0 = $50,000

In this example you would receive no additional benefit from purchasing the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit.

Examples of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made and that no withdrawals are made prior to the Owner’s death. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

C-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Example of Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has generally been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $90,000. The Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period is $72,000. The Death Benefit would be the Account Value ($90,000) because it is greater than the Highest Anniversary Value ($72,000) or the sum of prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77).

Example of Sub-account decrease

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value generally increased until the fifth anniversary but generally has been decreasing since the fifth contract anniversary. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $48,000. The Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period is $54,000. The Death Benefit would be the sum of prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77) because it is greater than the Highest Anniversary Value ($54,000) or the Account Value ($48,000).

Example of Sub-account increase followed by decrease

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value increased significantly during the first six years following the Issue Date. On the sixth anniversary date the Account Value is $90,000. During the seventh Annuity Year, the Account Value increases to as high as $100,000 but then subsequently falls to $80,000 on the date we receive due proof of death. The Death Benefit would be the Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period ($90,000), which occurred on the sixth anniversary, although the Account Value was higher during the subsequent period. The Account Value on the date we receive due proof of death ($80,000) is lower, as is the sum of all prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77).

C-4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

APPENDIX D – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS BENEFIT


We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Sub-accounts and the Fixed Allocations. We will not alter the formula.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:

 

AV is the current Account Value of the Annuity (including any Market Value Adjustment on Fixed Allocations)

 

V is the current Account Value of the elected Sub-accounts of the Annuity

 

F is the current Account Value of the Fixed Allocations
 

For each guarantee provided under the program,

 

Gi is the Principal Value of the guarantee

 

ti is the number of whole and partial years until the maturity date of the guarantee.

 

ri is the current fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length ti (ti is rounded to the next highest integer to determine this rate).
 

The formula determines, on each Valuation Day, when a transfer is required.

The formula begins by determining for each guarantee the value (Li) that, if appreciated at the current fixed rate, would equal the Principal Value on the applicable maturity date. We call the greatest of these values the “current liability (L).”

L

=

MAX (Li), where Li = Gi / (1 + ri)ti

Next, the formula determines whether or not a transfer to or from the Fixed Allocations is needed:
A transfer into the Fixed Allocations will occur if L > (AV – 0.2 × V), and V > 0.
The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(V, (V – (1 / 0.23) × (AV – L)))

A transfer from the Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts will occur if L < (AV – 0.26 × V), and F > 0.
The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(F, ((1 / 0.23) × (AV – L) – V))

D-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

APPENDIX E – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION BENEFIT


We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Sub-accounts and the Fixed Allocations. We will not alter this pre-determined mathematical formula.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:

 

AV is the current Account Value of the Annuity (including any Market Value Adjustment on Fixed Allocations)

 

V is the current Account Value of the elected Sub-accounts of the Annuity

 

F is the current Account Value of the Fixed Allocations

 

G is the Principal Value of the guarantee

 

t is the number of whole and partial years between the current Valuation Day and the maturity date.

 

ti is the number of whole and partial years between the next Valuation Day (i.e., the Valuation Day immediately following the current Valuation Day) and the maturity date.

 

r is the fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length t (t1 is rounded to the next highest whole number to determine this rate) as of the current Valuation Day.

 

ri is the fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length t1 (t1 is rounded to the next highest whole number to determine this rate) as of the next Valuation Day.

 

M is the total maturity value of all Fixed Allocations, i.e., the total value that the Fixed Allocations will have on the maturity date of the guarantee if no subsequent transactions occur.
 

The formula determines, on each Valuation Day, when a transfer is required.

The formula begins by determining a “cushion”, D:

D

=

1 – [(G – M) / (1 + r)ti] / V

Next, the formula determines whether or not a transfer to or from the Fixed Allocations is needed:

A transfer into the Fixed Allocations will occur if D < 0.20, V > 0, and V > 0.02 × AV.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(V, (V × (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – G + M) / (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – (1 + r)t)))

A transfer from the Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts will occur if D > 0.30 and F > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(F, (V × (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – G + M) / ((1 + r)t – 0.75 × (1 + ri)ti)))

E-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Mailing


This prospectus describes the important features of the Annuity and provides information about Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”) and Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (Separate Account).

We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Statement of Additional Information (SAI) that includes additional information about the Annuity 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 1-800-879-7012.

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.


 

Back to Table of Contents


10 Exchange Place
Suite 2210
Jersey City, New Jersey 07302

Edgar Contract Identifier: C000010681

WFXTPROS


FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B
A Fortitude Re Company
10 Exchange Place, Suite 2210, Jersey City, NJ 07302

HARVESTER XTRA CREDIT

Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity

This Prospectus describes the Harvester XTra Credit Variable Annuity, a flexible premium deferred annuity (the “Annuity”), offered by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company, formerly named Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (“we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”). The Annuity provides for the potential accumulation of retirement savings and retirement income through Annuitization. The Annuity is intended for retirement or other long-term investment purposes. This prospectus describes all material rights and obligations of Annuity Owners under the Annuity contracts. The Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Options available with this Annuity are described in a separate prospectus, Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option Under Certain Variable Annuity Contracts, which can be found on our website www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-MVA2-S3.

If you are receiving this prospectus, it is because you currently own the Annuity. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales.

Please read this prospectus and retain it for future reference.

In compliance with U.S. law, we deliver this prospectus to Annuity Owners that currently reside outside of the United States. In addition, 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, are NOT insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency. An investment in an annuity involves investment risks, including possible loss of value.


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, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at www.investor.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 1-800-879-7012 OR VISIT: WWW.PRUDENTIAL.COM/ANNUITIES

Prospectus Dated: May 1, 2024

Statement of Additional Information Dated: May 1, 2024

EVAXTPROS 


 

Table of Contents


GLOSSARY OF TERMS.......................................................................................

1

KEY INFORMATION.........................................................................................

3

OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUITY..................................................................................

5

FEE TABLE................................................................................................

6

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE ANNUITY................................................................

8

INVESTMENT OPTIONS......................................................................................

9

WHAT ARE THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS?............................................................

9

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?.....................................................................

9

HOW DO THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS WORK?..................................................................

9

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE RATES FOR FIXED ALLOCATIONS?...................................................

9

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY GUARANTEE PERIOD MATURES?....................................................

10

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS............................................................................

11

FIXED RATE OPTIONS CHARGES...........................................................................

12

ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION CHARGES......................................................................

12

EXCEPTIONS/REDUCTIONS TO FEES AND CHARGES...........................................................

12

PURCHASING YOUR ANNUITY.................................................................................

13

REQUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASING THE ANNUITY.............................................................

13

DESIGNATION OF OWNER, ANNUITANT, AND BENEFICIARY......................................................

13

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY...................................................................................

14

CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS.............................................

14

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENTS........................................................................

15

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS DIRECTLY FROM A BANK ACCOUNT....................................................

15

SALARY REDUCTION PROGRAMS..........................................................................

15

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE............................................................................

16

HOW AND WHEN ARE PURCHASE PAYMENTS INVESTED?.......................................................

16

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?.............................................................................

16

HOW ARE CREDITS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT VALUE?.........................................................

16

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS...............................................

18

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS.....................................................................

19

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING PROGRAMS.....................................................................

20

DO YOU OFFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO GUARANTEE A “RETURN OF PREMIUM” AT A FUTURE DATE?.................

20

FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERMISSION TO FORWARD TRANSACTION INSTRUCTIONS...............................

20

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE................................................................................

22

TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU...............................................................

22

ARE THERE TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES?.............................

22

CAN I WITHDRAW A PORTION OF MY ANNUITY?...............................................................

22

HOW MUCH CAN I WITHDRAW AS A CHARGE FREE WITHDRAWAL?...............................................

23

IS THERE A CHARGE FOR A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL?...........................................................

23

CAN YOU CLOSE MY ACCOUNT AND INVOLUNTARILY REDEEM MY INVESTMENT?...................................

24

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS..............................................................................

24

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS UNDER SECTION 72(t) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE?.............................

24

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS.......................................................................

24

SURRENDERS.............................................................................................

25

SURRENDER VALUE.....................................................................................

25

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS.......................................................................

25

ANNUITY OPTIONS..........................................................................................

26

ANNUITY OPTIONS......................................................................................

26

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?................................................

26

HOW ARE ANNUITY PAYMENTS CALCULATED?...............................................................

26

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY.....................................................................

28

OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFITS..................................................................................

29

DEATH BENEFIT............................................................................................

37

TRIGGERS FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE DEATH BENEFIT........................................................

37


 

BASIC DEATH BENEFIT...................................................................................

37

PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS............................................................................

41

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE.................................................................................

43

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT.................................................................................

45

HOW IS MY ACCOUNT VALUE DETERMINED?.................................................................

45

SURRENDER VALUE.....................................................................................

45

VALUING THE FIXED ALLOCATIONS.........................................................................

45

PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS.................................................................

45

TAX CONSIDERATIONS......................................................................................

47

NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES...............................................................................

47

QUALIFIED ANNUITIES...................................................................................

50

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS............................................................................

57

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...................................................................................

58

HOW WILL I RECEIVE STATEMENTS AND REPORTS?...........................................................

58

WHO IS FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY?....................................................

58

WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?.....................................................................

59

WHAT IS THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE PORTFOLIOS?.......................................................

59

WHO DISTRIBUTES THE ANNUITIES?........................................................................

61

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................................................................................

62

INDEMNIFICATION......................................................................................

62

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS...................................................................................

63

HOW TO CONTACT US...................................................................................

63

APPENDIX A – PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY......................................................

A-1

APPENDIX B – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION BENEFIT........................................

B-1

APPENDIX C – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS BENEFIT...................................

C-1


 

Back to Table of Contents

GLOSSARY OF TERMS


Many terms used within this Prospectus are described within the text where they appear. The description of those terms are not repeated in this Glossary of Terms.

Account Value: The value of each allocation to a Sub-account or a Fixed Allocation prior to the Annuity Date, plus any earnings, and/or less any losses, distributions and charges. The Account Value is calculated before we assess any applicable Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) and/or any Annual Maintenance Fee. The Account Value includes any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture under certain circumstances. The Account Value is determined separately for each Sub-account and for each Fixed Allocation, and then totaled to determine the Account Value for your entire Annuity. The Account Value of each Fixed Allocation on other than its Maturity Date may be calculated using a Market Value Adjustment.

Accumulation Period: The period of time from the Issue Date through the last Valuation Day immediately preceding the Annuity Date.

Annuities Service Center: The place to which all requests and payments regarding the Annuity are to be sent. We may change the address of the Annuities Service Center at any time, and will notify you in advance of any such change of address. Please see “How to Contact Us” later in this prospectus for the Annuities Service Center address.

Annuitization: The application of Account Value to one of the available annuity options for the Annuitant to begin receiving periodic payments for life, for a guaranteed minimum number of payments or for life with a guaranteed minimum number of payments.

Annuity Date: The date you choose for annuity payments to commence. A maximum Annuity Date may apply.

Annuity Year: A 12-month period commencing on the Issue Date of the Annuity and each successive 12-month period thereafter.

Charge Free Withdrawal: The Charge Free Withdrawal amount is the amount that can be withdrawn from your Annuity each Annuity Year without the application of any CDSC.

Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Co-Annuitant: The person shown on the contract data pages who becomes the Annuitant upon the death of the Annuitant before the Annuity Date. No Co-Annuitant may be designated if the Owner is a non-natural person.

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.

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.

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.

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. Please see the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

Guarantee Period: A period of time during the Accumulation Period where we credit a fixed rate of interest on a Fixed Allocation.

Interim Value: The value of a Fixed Allocation on any date other than the Maturity Date. The Interim Value is equal to the initial value allocated to the Fixed Allocation plus all interest credited to the Fixed Allocation as of the date calculated, less any transfers or withdrawals from the Fixed Allocation.

Issue Date: The effective date of your Annuity.

Market Value Adjustment: A Market Value Adjustment used in the determination of Account Value of each Fixed Allocation on any day other than the Maturity Date of such Fixed Allocation. Please see the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

Owner: With an Annuity issued as an individual annuity contract, the Owner is either an eligible entity or person named as having ownership rights in relation to the Annuity. With an Annuity issued as a certificate under a group annuity contract, the “Owner” refers to the person or entity who has the rights and benefits designated as to the “Participant” in the certificate.

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.

Purchase Payment: A cash consideration in currency of the United States of America given to us in exchange for the rights, privileges, and benefits of the Annuity.

Separate Account: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B. The assets supporting your allocations to the variable investment options under the Annuity. Separate Account assets held in support of the Annuity are kept separate from all our other assets and may not be charged with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct.

1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Sub-account: A division of the Separate Account. Each Sub-account invests in a particular Portfolio.

Surrender Value: The value of your Annuity available upon surrender prior to the Annuity Date. It equals the Account Value as of the date we price the surrender minus any applicable CDSC, Annual Maintenance Fee, Tax Charge, the charge for any optional benefits and any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture upon surrender of your Annuity.

Unit: A measure used to calculate your Account Value in a Sub-account during the Accumulation Period.

Valuation Day: Every day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading or any other day the Securities and Exchange Commission requires mutual funds or unit investment trusts to be valued.

“We,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company.

“You” or “your”: the Owner(s) shown in the Annuity.

2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

KEY INFORMATION


Important Information You Should Consider About the Annuity

Fees and Expenses

Charges for Early Withdrawals

If you withdraw money from the Annuity within 8 years following your last premium payment, you may be assessed a surrender charge. The maximum surrender charge is 8.5% of the premium payment, and a surrender charge may be assessed up to 8 years after the last premium payment under the Annuity. If you make an early withdrawal, you could pay a surrender charge of up to $8,500 on a $100,000 withdrawal. Credits may also be recaptured if you take an Early Withdrawal.
For more information on early withdrawal charges, please refer to the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section of this prospectus.

Transaction Charges

In addition to surrender charges, you may also be charged for other transactions. Charges may be applied to transfers (if more than 20 in an Annuity Year) or if state or local premium taxes are assessed.
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section of this prospectus.

Ongoing Fees and Expenses (annual charges)

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay each year, depending on the options you choose. Please refer to your Annuity specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.

Annual Fee

Minimum

Maximum

Base Contract

1.443%

1.443%

Investment Options
(Portfolio fees and expenses)

0.57%

1.72%

Optional benefits available for an additional charge
(for a single optional benefit, if elected)

0.25%*

0.75%*

Because your Annuity is customizable, the choices you make affect how much you will pay. To help you understand the cost of owning your Annuity, the following table shows the lowest and highest cost you could pay each year, based on current charges.
This estimate assumes that you do not take withdrawals from the Annuity, which could add surrender charges that substantially increase costs.

Lowest Annual Cost
$2,014

Highest Annual Cost
$4,439

Assumes:

Investment of $100,000

5% annual appreciation

Least expensive Portfolio fees and expenses

No optional benefits

No sales charges

No additional Purchase Payments, transfers or withdrawals

Assumes:

Investment of $100,000

5% annual appreciation

Most expensive combination of optional benefits and Portfolio fees and expenses

No sales charges

No additional Purchase Payments, transfers or withdrawals

For more information on ongoing fees and expenses, please refer to the “Fee Table” of this prospectus.

3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Risks

Risk of Loss

You can lose money by investing in the Annuity. You can also lose value from Credits if they are recaptured by us.
For more information on the risk of loss, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Not a Short-Term Investment

The Annuity is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The Annuity is designed to provide benefits on a long-term basis. Consequently, you should not use the Annuity as a short-term investment or savings vehicle. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether investing Purchase Payments in the Annuity is consistent with the purpose for which the investment is being considered.
For more information on the short-term investment risks, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Risks Associated with Investment Options

An investment in the Annuity is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary depending on the performance of the investment options available under the Annuity, including the Fixed Allocations, each of which has its own unique risks. You should review the investment options before making an investment decision. The Fixed Allocations may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be negative, causing you to lose money.
For more information on the risks associated with investment options, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuitysection of this prospectus.

Insurance Company Risks

An investment in the Annuity 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 is available upon request. Such requests can be made toll-free at 1-800-879-7012.
For more information on insurance company risks, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Restrictions

Investments

You may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. After the twentieth transfer in each Annuity Year, we will charge $10 for each additional transfer.
If you select an optional benefit, your selection of investment options may be limited.
We reserve the right to remove or substitute Portfolios as investment options.
We may impose limitations on an investment professional’s or investment advisor’s ability to request financial transactions on your behalf.
For more information on investment and transfer restrictions, please refer to the “
Fees, Charges and Deductions” section, “Appendix A”, the “What are Separate Accounts?” section and the “Financial Professional Permission to Forward Transaction Instructions” section of this prospectus.

Optional Benefits

You may be able to obtain optional benefits, which may require additional charges. If you elect to purchase one or more optional benefits, we will deduct an additional charge on a daily or annual basis from your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. The charge for each optional benefit is deducted in addition to the insurance charge due to the increased insurance risk associated with the optional benefits. Any withdrawals that exceed limits specified by the terms of an optional benefit may affect the availability of the benefit by reducing the benefit by an amount greater than the value withdrawn, and/or could terminate the benefit.
For more information on optional benefits under the Annuity, please refer to the “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Taxes

Tax Implications

You should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under the Annuity. There is no additional tax benefit if you purchase the Annuity through a tax-qualified plan or individual retirement account (IRA). Withdrawals will be subject to ordinary income tax, and may be subject to the 10% additional tax for distributions taken prior to age 59 1/2.
For more information on tax implications, please refer to “Tax Considerations” section of this prospectus.

Conflicts of Interest

Investment Professional Compensation

Investment professionals may receive compensation for selling the Annuity to investors and may have a financial incentive to offer or recommend the Annuity over another investment. This compensation is paid in the form of commissions, based on your investment in the Annuity.
For more information on investment professional compensation, please refer to the “Who Distributes The Annuities?” section of this prospectus.

Exchanges

Some investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you an annuity 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, that it is preferable to purchase the new contract, rather than continue to own your existing contract. This Annuity is no longer sold.
For more information on exchanges, please refer to the “Who Distributes The Annuities?” section of this prospectus.

4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUITY


The Annuity referenced in this prospectus and applicable riders in no longer available for new sales.

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.

The Annuity offers two different types of Credits. We add a Credit to your Annuity with each Purchase Payment we receive. We also provide an additional 1% Credit on Purchase Payments made within the first year and may provide certain additional benefits if your Account Value has not reached a Target Value on its 10th anniversary.

The Annuity also 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. It also offers two optional Death Benefits that provide enhanced levels of protection for your beneficiary(ies) for an additional charge. It may be used as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Roth IRA or Tax-Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)). It may also be used as an investment vehicle for “Non-qualified” investments. The Annuity allows you to invest your money in several variable investment options as well as in one or more fixed investment options.

We offer optional benefits for an additional fee that guarantee your Account Value to a certain level after a period of years. As part of these benefits you are required to invest only in certain permitted investment options.

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. The variable investment options, each a Sub-account of the Separate Account, invest in an underlying Portfolio. The Fixed Allocation provides a fixed rate of return for a set period of time. Withdrawals during that period of time may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can reduce your initial investment. Additional information about the Portfolios is provided in Appendix A to the prospectus.

During the payout period (after Annuitization), you can elect to receive annuity payments (1) for life; (2) for life with a guaranteed minimum number of payments; (3) based on joint lives; or (4) for a guaranteed number of payments. 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.

You can withdraw a limited amount of money from your Annuity on an annual basis without any charges. Other product features allow you to access your Account Value at any time, although a charge may apply.

Transfers between investment options are tax-free. Currently, you may make twenty transfers each year free of charge. We also offer several programs that enable you to manage your Account Value as your financial needs and investment performance change.

5 


 

Back to Table of Contents

FEE TABLE


The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from the Annuity. Please refer to your Annuity 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 that you buy the Annuity, surrender or make withdrawals from the Annuity, or transfer Account Value between investment options. State premium taxes may also be deducted. These fees and charges are described in more detail within this prospectus in the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section.

Transaction Expenses

Maximum

Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases

None

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage of each Purchase Payment)1

8.5%

Transfer Fee2

$10

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.
2. You may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. We will charge $10 for each transfer after the twentieth in each Annuity Year.

The following Contingent Deferred Sales Charge percentages apply based on the year of the surrender or withdrawal:

Yr. 1

Yr. 2

Yr. 3

Yr. 4

Yr. 5

Yr. 6

Yr. 7

Yr. 8

Yr. 9+

8.5%

8.5%

8.5%

8.5%

7.5%

5.5%

3.5%

1.5%

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 Expenses1
(assessed annually on the Annuity’s anniversary date or upon surrender)

Lesser of $30 or 2% of Account Value

Base Contract Expenses2
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

1.40%

Optional Benefit Fees and Charges

Guaranteed Return Option (based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.50%

Guaranteed Return Option Plus (based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.50%

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit (based on the Account Value)

0.75%

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (based on the current Death Benefit amount)

0.55%

1. The Administrative Expense is referred to as “Annual Maintenance Fee” elsewhere in this Prospectus.
2. The Base Contract Expense is referred to as the “insurance charge” elsewhere in this Prospectus.

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. 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

0.57%

1.72%

6 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Annuity with the cost of investing in other variable annuity contracts. These costs include Transaction Expenses, Annual Annuity Expenses, and Annual Portfolio Expenses.

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 GRO Plus and Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

HARVESTER XTRA CREDIT WITH GRO PLUS AND ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION DEATH BENEFIT

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 annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$12,939

$21,880

$29,902

$45,324

$11,790

$18,533

$24,498

$35,432

If you annuitize your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$4,439

$13,380

$22,402

$45,324

$3,290

$10,033

$16,998

$35,432

If you do not surrender your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$4,439

$13,380

$22,402

$45,324

$3,290

$10,033

$16,998

$35,432

7 


 

Back to Table of Contents

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE ANNUITY


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.

Risks Associated with Variable Investment Options. You take all the investment risk for amounts allocated to one or more of the Sub-accounts, which invest in Portfolios. If the Sub-accounts 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 Sub-accounts 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.

Insurance Company Risk. No company other than us has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that we owe under the Annuity, including amounts allocated to the Fixed Allocations. You should look to our financial strength for our claims-paying ability. We are 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 us and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although we have business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that we 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 benefits. In addition, we may recapture some or all of the Credits applied to your Annuity and 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.

Not a Short-Term Investment. 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. Consequently, you should not use the Annuity as a short-term investment or savings vehicle. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether investing Purchase Payments in the Annuity is consistent with the purpose for which the investment is being considered.

Effect of Withdrawals on Benefits. If you have elected certain Optional Benefits, a withdrawal may reduce the amount of your Benefit on more than a dollar for dollar basis.

Death Benefit Risk. While each 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.

Risk of Loss. All investments have risks to some degree and it is possible that you could lose money by investing in the Annuity. 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.

8 


 

Back to Table of Contents

INVESTMENT OPTIONS


WHAT ARE THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS?

Each variable investment option is a Sub-account that invests exclusively in a single Portfolio. 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 subadvisor, (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/FLIAC-HARVESTERXT-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1- 800-879-7012.

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?

We offer fixed investment options of different durations during the Accumulation Period. These “Fixed Allocations” earn a guaranteed fixed rate of interest for a specified period of time, called the “Guarantee Period.” In most states, we offer Fixed Allocations with Guarantee Periods from 1 to 10 years. We may also offer special purpose Fixed Allocations for use with certain optional investment programs. We guarantee the fixed rate for the entire Guarantee Period. However, if you withdraw or transfer Account Value before the end of the Guarantee Period, we will adjust the value of your withdrawal or transfer based on a formula, called a “Market Value Adjustment”. The Market Value Adjustment can either be positive or negative, depending on the rates that are currently being credited on Fixed Allocations. You may allocate Account Value to more than one Fixed Allocation at a time.

Please refer to the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for more information.

Fixed Allocations may not be available in all states. Availability of Fixed Allocations is subject to change and may differ by state and by the annuity product you purchase. Please call us at 1-800-879-7012 to determine availability of Fixed Allocations in your state and for your annuity product.

The Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option is registered with the SEC on a separate registration statement. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

HOW DO THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS WORK?

The interest rate credited to a Fixed Allocation is the rate in effect when the Guarantee Period begins and does not change during the Guarantee Period. The rates are an effective annual rate of interest. We determine the interest rates for the various Guarantee Periods. At the time that we confirm your Fixed Allocation, we will advise you of the interest rate in effect and the date your Fixed Allocation matures. We may change the rates we credit new Fixed Allocations at any time. Any change in interest rate does not affect Fixed Allocations that were in effect before the date of the change. To inquire as to the current rates for Fixed Allocations, please call 1-800-879-7012.

A Guarantee Period for a Fixed Allocation begins:

 

when all or part of a net Purchase Payment is allocated to that particular Guarantee Period;

 

upon transfer of any of your Account Value to a Fixed Allocation for that particular Guarantee Period; or

 

when you “renew” a Fixed Allocation by electing a new Guarantee Period.
 

To the extent permitted by law, we may establish different interest rates for Fixed Allocations offered to a class of Owners who choose to participate in various optional investment programs we make available. This may include, but is not limited to, Owners who elect to use Fixed Allocations under a dollar cost averaging program (see “Dollar Cost Averaging Programs”) or a balanced investment program (see “Do you offer programs designed to guarantee a “Return of Premium” at a future date?”). The interest rate credited to Fixed Allocations offered to this class of purchasers may be different than those offered to other purchasers who choose the same Guarantee Period but who do not participate in an optional investment program. Any such program is at our sole discretion.

Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for information on how the Market Value Adjustment works. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE RATES FOR FIXED ALLOCATIONS?

We do not have a specific formula for determining the fixed interest rates for Fixed Allocations. Generally, the interest rates we offer for Fixed Allocations will reflect the investment returns available on the types of investments we make to support our fixed rate guarantees. These investment types may include cash, debt securities guaranteed by the United States government and its agencies and instrumentalities, money market instruments, corporate debt obligations of different durations, private placements, asset-backed obligations and municipal bonds. In determining rates we also consider factors such as the length of the Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation, regulatory and tax requirements, liquidity of the markets for the type of investments we make, commissions, administrative and investment expenses, our insurance risks in relation to the Fixed Allocations, general economic trends and competition. Some of these considerations are similar to those we consider in determining the insurance charge that we deduct from Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts.

9 


 

Back to Table of Contents

We will credit interest on a new Fixed Allocation in an existing Annuity at a rate not less than the rate we are then crediting to Fixed Allocations for the same Guarantee Period selected by new Annuity purchasers in the same class.

Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for information on how the Market Value Adjustment works. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY GUARANTEE PERIOD MATURES?

The “Maturity Date” for a Fixed Allocation is the last day of the Guarantee Period. Before the Maturity Date, you may choose to renew the Fixed Allocation for a new Guarantee Period of the same or different length or you may transfer all or part of that Fixed Allocation’s Account Value to another Fixed Allocation or to one or more Sub-accounts. We will notify you before the end of the Guarantee Period about the fixed interest rates that we are currently crediting to all Fixed Allocations that are being offered. The rates being credited to Fixed Allocations may change before the Maturity Date. We will not charge a Market Value Adjustment if you choose to renew a Fixed Allocation on its Maturity Date or transfer the Account Value to one or more variable investment options.

If you do not specify how you want a Fixed Allocation to be allocated on its Maturity Date, it will be renewed for a Fixed Allocation of the same duration if then available.

10 


 

Back to Table of Contents

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS


Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC): We do not deduct a sales charge from Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity. However, we may deduct a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge or CDSC if you surrender your Annuity or when you make a partial withdrawal. The CDSC reimburses us for expenses related to sales and distribution of the Annuity, including commissions, marketing materials and other promotional expenses. The CDSC is calculated as a percentage of your Purchase Payment being surrendered or withdrawn during the applicable Annuity Year. For purposes of calculating the CDSC, we consider the year following the date we receive a Purchase Payment as Year 1. After five years, the amount of the CDSC applicable to each Purchase Payment decreases over time, measured from the date the Purchase Payment is applied. The CDSC percentages are shown below.

YEARS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9+

CHARGE (%)

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.5

7.5

5.5

3.5

1.5

0.0

Each Purchase Payment has its own CDSC period. When you make a withdrawal, we assume that the oldest Purchase Payment is being withdrawn first so that the lowest CDSC is deducted from the amount withdrawn. After eight (8) complete years from the date you make a Purchase Payment, no CDSC will be assessed if you withdraw or surrender that Purchase Payment. Under certain circumstances you can withdraw a limited amount of Account Value without paying a CDSC. This is referred to as a “Charge Free Withdrawal.” Charge Free Withdrawals are not treated as a withdrawal of Purchase Payments for purposes of calculating the CDSC on a subsequent withdrawal or surrender. Withdrawals of amounts greater than the maximum Charge Free Withdrawal amount are treated as a withdrawal of Purchase Payments and will be assessed a CDSC. For purposes of calculating the CDSC on a surrender or a partial withdrawal, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Charge Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance.

We may waive the CDSC under certain medically-related circumstances or when taking a Minimum Distribution from an Annuity purchased as a “qualified” investment. Charge Free Withdrawals, Medically-Related Surrenders and Minimum Distributions are each explained more fully in the section entitled “Access to Your Account Value”.

Transfer Fee: Currently, you may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. We will charge $10.00 for each transfer after the twentieth in each Annuity Year. We do not consider transfers made as part of a dollar cost averaging program when we count the twenty free transfers. Transfers made as part of a rebalancing, market timing or third party investment advisory service will be subject to the twenty-transfer limit. However, all transfers made on the same day will be treated as one (1) transfer. Renewals or transfers of Account Value from a Fixed Allocation at the end of its Guarantee Period are not subject to the transfer fee and are not counted toward the twenty free transfers. We may reduce the number of free transfers allowable each Annuity Year (subject to a minimum of eight) without charging a Transfer Fee unless you make use of electronic means to transmit your transfer requests. We may eliminate the transfer fee for transfer requests transmitted electronically or through other means that reduce our processing costs.

Annual Maintenance Fee: During the Accumulation Period we deduct an Annual Maintenance Fee. The Annual Maintenance Fee is $30 or 2% of your Account Value invested in the variable investment options, whichever is less. This fee will be deducted annually on the anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity or, if you surrender your Annuity during the Annuity Year, the fee is deducted at the time of surrender.

Tax Charges: 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 (which includes the effect of any Market Value Adjustment) less any applicable CDSC, any applicable Tax Charge, any charges assessable as a deduction from the Account Value for any optional living or death benefits provided by rider or endorsement, and any Annual Maintenance Fee. We may also assess a charge equal to any Company Taxes or other taxes which may be imposed against the Separate Accounts.

Company Taxes: 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 dividends 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.

11 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Insurance Charge: We deduct an insurance charge daily against the average daily assets allocated to the Sub-accounts. The insurance charge is the combination of the Mortality & Expense Risk Charge (1.25%) and the Administration Charge (0.15%). The total charge is equal to 1.40% on an annual basis. The insurance charge is intended to compensate us for providing the insurance benefits under the Annuity, including the Annuity’s basic death benefit that provides guaranteed benefits to your beneficiaries even if the Sub-account declines and the risk that persons we guarantee annuity payments to will live longer than our assumptions. The charge also covers administrative costs associated with providing the Annuity benefits, including preparation of the contract, confirmation statements, annual account statements and annual reports, legal and accounting fees as well as various related expenses. Finally, the charge covers the risk that our assumptions about the mortality risks and expenses under this Annuity are incorrect and that we have agreed not to increase these charges over time despite our actual costs.

We may make a profit on the insurance charge if, over time, the actual cost of providing the guaranteed insurance obligations under the Annuity are less than the amount we deduct for the insurance charge. To the extent we make a profit on the insurance charge, such profit may be used for any other corporate purpose, including payment of other expenses that we incur in promoting, distributing, issuing and administering the Annuity and to offset a portion of the costs associated with offering Credits which are funded through our general account. The insurance charge is deducted against your Annuity’s Account Value, which includes the amount of any Credits we apply to your Purchase Payments and any increases or decreases in your Account Value based on Sub-account fluctuations of the Sub-accounts. Any profit that we may make on the insurance charge may include a profit on the portion of the Account Value that represents Credits applied to the Annuity, as well as profits based on market appreciation of the Sub-account values.

The insurance charge is not deducted against assets allocated to a Fixed Allocation. However, the amount we credit to Fixed Allocations may also reflect similar assumptions about the insurance guarantees provided under the Annuity.

Benefits Available Under the Annuity: For information about the benefits available under the Annuity and their corresponding charges, please refer to the section titled “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” in this prospectus.

Fees and Expenses Incurred by the Portfolios: We do not assess any charges directly against the Portfolios. However, each Portfolio pays charges, fees and expenses, which are deducted daily by each Portfolio before it provides us with the net asset value as of the close of business each day. More detailed information about fees and charges can be found in Appendix A to this prospectus and the prospectuses for the Portfolios located at www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-HARVESTERXT-STAT.

FIXED RATE OPTION CHARGES

No specific fee or expenses are deducted when determining the rate we credit to a Fixed Allocation. However, for some of the same reasons that we deduct the insurance charge against Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts, we also consider mortality, expense, administration, profit and other factors in determining the interest rates we credit to Fixed Allocations. Any CDSC or Tax Charge applies to amounts that are taken from the variable investment options or the Fixed Allocations. A Market Value Adjustment may also apply to transfers, certain withdrawals, surrender or Annuitization from a Fixed Allocation. Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION CHARGES

In certain states a tax is due if and when you exercise your right to receive periodic annuity payments. The amount payable will depend on the applicable jurisdiction and on the annuity payment option you select. If you select a fixed payment option, the amount of each fixed payment will depend on the Account Value of your Annuity when you elected to annuitize. There is no specific charge deducted from these payments; however, the amount of each annuity payment reflects assumptions about our insurance expenses. If you select a variable payment option that we may offer, then the amount of your benefits will reflect changes in the value of your Annuity and will continue to be subject to an insurance charge.

EXCEPTIONS/REDUCTIONS TO FEES AND CHARGES

We may reduce or eliminate certain fees and charges or alter the manner in which the particular fee or charge is deducted. For example, we may reduce the amount of the CDSC or the length of time it applies, reduce or eliminate the amount of the Annual Maintenance Fee or reduce the portion of the total insurance charge that is deducted as an Administration Charge. Generally, these types of changes will be based on a reduction to our sales, maintenance or administrative expenses due to the nature of the individual or group purchasing the Annuity. Some of the factors we might consider in making such a decision are: (a) the size and type of group; (b) the number of Annuities purchased by an Owner; (c) the amount of Purchase Payments or likelihood of additional Purchase Payments; and/or (d) other transactions where sales, maintenance or administrative expenses are likely to be reduced. We will not discriminate unfairly between Annuity purchasers if and when we reduce the portion of the insurance charge attributed to the charge covering administrative costs.

12 


 

Back to Table of Contents

PURCHASING YOUR ANNUITY


The Annuity referenced in this prospectus is no longer available for new sales or re-elections.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASING THE ANNUITY

We may apply certain limits, restrictions, and/or underwriting standards as a condition of our issuance of the annuity and/or acceptance of Purchase Payments. Certain of the current limitations, restrictions and standards are described below. We may change these limitations, restrictions and standards in the future.

Initial Purchase Payment: We no longer allow new purchases of this Annuity. The minimum initial Purchase Payment is $1,000. However, if you decided to make payments under a systematic investment or “bank drafting” program, we accepted a lower initial Purchase Payment provided that, within the first Annuity Year, you made at least $1,000 in total Purchase Payments.

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. We may have applied certain limitations and/or restrictions on the Annuity as a condition of our acceptance, including limiting the liquidity features or the Death Benefit protection provided under the Annuity, limiting the right to make additional Purchase Payments, changing the number of transfers allowable under the Annuity or restricting the Sub-accounts that are available. Other limitations and/or restrictions may apply.

Age Restrictions: The Owner must have been age 80 or under as of the Issue Date of the Annuity. If the Annuity is owned jointly, the oldest of the Owners must have been age 80 or under on the Issue Date. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must have been age 80 or under as of the Issue Date. You should consider your need to access your Account Value and whether the Annuity’s liquidity features will satisfy that need. If you take a distribution prior to age 59½, you may be subject to 10% additional tax in addition to ordinary income taxes on any gain. The availability of certain optional benefits may vary based on the age of the Owner on the Issue Date of the Annuity.

DESIGNATION OF OWNER, ANNUITANT, AND BENEFICIARY

Owner, Annuitant and Beneficiary Designations: On your Application, we asked you to name the Owner(s), Annuitant and one or more Beneficiaries for your Annuity.

 

Owner: The Owner(s) holds all rights under the Annuity. You may name up to two Owners in which case all ownership rights are held jointly. Generally, joint Owners are required to act jointly; however, if each Owner provides us with a written form that we find acceptable, we will permit each Owner to act independently on behalf of both Owners. All information and documents that we are required to send you will be sent to the first named Owner. This Annuity does not provide a right of survivorship. Refer to the Glossary of Terms for a complete description of the term “Owner.”

 

Annuitant: The Annuitant is the person we agree to make annuity payments to and upon whose life we continue to make such payments. You must name an Annuitant who is a natural person. We do not accept a designation of joint Annuitants during the Accumulation Period. Where allowed by law, you may name one or more Contingent Annuitants. A Contingent Annuitant will become the Annuitant if the Annuitant dies before the Annuity Date. Please refer to the discussion of “Considerations for Contingent Annuitants” in the “Tax Considerations” section of the Prospectus.

 

Beneficiary: The Beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you name to receive the death benefit. If no beneficiary is named the death benefit will be paid to you or your estate. If no beneficiary is named for a trust owned contract, the default beneficiary will be the contract owner.
 

Your right to make certain designations may be limited if your Annuity is to be used as an IRA or other “qualified” investment that is given beneficial tax treatment under the Code. You should seek tax advice on the income, estate and gift tax implications of your designations.

Special Considerations for Purchasers of Bonus or Credit Products

 

This Annuity features the same insurance charge as many of our other variable annuities and does not charge an additional amount for the XTra Credit feature. However, if you make a withdrawal that exceeds the annual free withdrawal amount or choose to surrender your Annuity, the contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) on this Annuity is higher and is deducted for a longer period of time as compared to our other variable annuities. If you expect that you will need to access your Account Value during the CDSC period and the liquidity provisions are insufficient to satisfy that need, then this Annuity may be more expensive than other variable annuities.

 

The XTra Credit amount is included in your Account Value. However, we may recapture the original XTra Credit amount applied to your Purchase Payment if you die, or elect to withdraw all or a portion of your Account Value under the medically-related waiver provision, within 12 months of having received an XTra Credit amount. In either situation, the value of the XTra Credit amount could be substantially reduced. However, any investment gain on the XTra Credit amount will not be recaptured. Additional conditions and restrictions apply.

 

We offer other annuities through investment professionals associated with other firms, where we apply an XTra Credit to your annuity with each Purchase Payment you make. The XTra Credit amount we apply to Purchase Payments on those annuities is initially higher than on this Annuity but reduces over time and only applies during the first six Annuity Years. The total asset-based charges on those annuities are higher during the first 10 years but are lower than this Annuity after the 10th year. The CDSC is also higher and is deducted for a longer period of time than on this Annuity; however the CDSC on those annuities applies from the Issue Date of the annuity, not separately to each Purchase Payment.
 

13 


 

Back to Table of Contents

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY


CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS

You may change the Owner, Annuitant and Beneficiary designations. Where allowed by law, such changes will be subject to our acceptance. Some of the changes we will not accept include, but are not limited to:

 

a new Owner subsequent to the death of the Owner or the first of any joint Owners to die, except where a spouse-Beneficiary has become the Owner as a result of an Owner’s death;

 

a new Annuitant subsequent to the Annuity Date;

 

for “Non-qualified” investments, a new Annuitant prior to the Annuity Date if the Annuity is owned by an entity;

 

a change in Beneficiary if the Owner had previously made the designation irrevocable;

 

a new Owner or Annuitant that is a certain ownership type, including but not limited to corporations, partnerships, endowments, and grantor trusts with multiple grantors (if allowed by state law); and

 

a new Annuitant for a contract issued to a grantor trust where the new Annuitant is not the grantor of the trust.
 

Unless prohibited by applicable State Law, we reserve the right to refuse a proposed change of Owner and/or Beneficiary, and a proposed assignment of the Annuity.

We will reject a proposed change where the proposed Owner, Annuitant, Beneficiary or assignee is any of the following:

 

a company(ies) that issues or manages viatical or structured settlements;

 

an institutional investment company;

 

an Owner with no insurable relationship to the Annuitant or Contingent Annuitant (a “Stranger-Owned Annuity” or “STOA”); or

 

a change in designation(s) that does not comply with or that we cannot administer in compliance with Federal and/or state law.
 

Spousal Owners/Spousal Beneficiaries

If an Annuity is co-owned by spouses, we will assume that the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse. Upon the death of either spousal Owner, the surviving spouse may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Death Benefit payment. The Death Benefit that would have been payable will be the new Account Value of the Annuity as of the date of due proof of death and any required proof of a spousal relationship. As of the date the assumption is effective, the surviving spouse will have all the rights and benefits that would be available under the Annuity to a new purchaser of the same attained age. For purposes of determining any future Death Benefit for the beneficiary of the surviving spouse, the new Account Value will be considered as the initial Purchase Payment. No CDSC will apply to the new Account Value. However, any additional Purchase Payments applied after the date the assumption is effective will be subject to all provisions of the Annuity, including the CDSC when applicable.

Spousal assumption is also permitted, subject to our rules and regulatory approval, if the Annuity 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 Code (“Code”) (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”) and, on the date of the Annuitant’s death, the spouse of the Annuitant is (1) the Contingent Annuitant under the Annuity and (2) the beneficiary of the Custodial Account. The ability to continue the Annuity in this manner will result in the Annuity no longer qualifying for tax deferral under the Code. However, such tax deferral should result from the ownership of the Annuity by the Custodial Account. Please consult your tax or legal advisor.

Note that any division of your Annuity due to divorce will be treated as a withdrawal and the non-Owner spouse may then decide whether he or she would like to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity that is then available to new contract Owners. Note that any division of your Annuity due to divorce will be treated as a withdrawal and CDSC may apply. If CDSC is applicable, it cannot be divided between the Owner and the non-Owner ex-spouses. The non-Owner ex-spouse may decide whether he or she would like to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity that is then available to new contract Owners. Depending upon the method used for the division of the Annuity, the CDSC may be applied to the existing or new Annuity. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding your personal situation if you will be transferring or dividing your Annuity pursuant to a divorce.

The federal and state tax law provisions applicable to an opposite sex spouse will also apply to a same sex spouse. Please note that a civil union or registered domestic partnership is generally not recognized as a marriage.

Contingent Annuitant

Generally, if an Annuity is owned by an entity and the entity has named a Contingent Annuitant, the Contingent Annuitant will become the Annuitant upon the death of the Annuitant, and no Death Benefit is payable. Unless we agree otherwise, the Annuity is only eligible to have a Contingent Annuitant designation if the entity which owns the Annuity is (1) a plan described in 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, as described in the above section.

14 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Where the Annuity is held by a Custodial Account, the Contingent 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 Annuity. If the Custodial Account elects to receive the Death Benefit, the Account Value of the Annuity 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. See the section above entitled “Spousal Owners/Spousal Beneficiaries” for more information about how the Annuity can be continued by a Custodial Account.

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENTS

The minimum amount that we accept as an additional Purchase Payment is $100 unless you participate in the Systematic Investment Program or a periodic Purchase Payment program. We will allocate any additional Purchase Payments you make according to your most recent allocation instructions, unless you request new allocations when you submit a new Purchase Payment. Additional Purchase Payments may be paid at any time before the Annuity Date as long as the oldest Owner or Annuitant (if the Annuity is entity owned) is not over age 80.

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS DIRECTLY FROM A BANK ACCOUNT

You can make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity by authorizing us to deduct money directly from your bank account and applying it to your Annuity. This type of program is often called “bank drafting”. We call our bank drafting program the “Systematic Investment Program.” Purchase Payments made through bank drafting may only be allocated to the variable investment options when applied. Bank drafting allows you to invest in your Annuity with a lower initial Purchase Payment, as long as you authorize payments that will equal at least $1,000 during the first 12 months of your Annuity. We may suspend or cancel bank drafting privileges if sufficient funds are not available from the applicable financial institution on any date that a transaction is scheduled to occur.

SALARY REDUCTION PROGRAMS

These types of programs are only available with certain types of qualified investments. If your employer sponsors such a program, we may agree to accept periodic Purchase Payments through a salary reduction program as long as the allocations are made only to variable investment options and the periodic Purchase Payments received in the first year total at least $1,000.

15 


 

Back to Table of Contents

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE


HOW AND WHEN ARE PURCHASE PAYMENTS INVESTED?

(See “Valuing Your Investment” for a description of our procedure for pricing initial and subsequent Purchase Payments.)

Initial Purchase Payment: Once we accepted your application, we invested your net Purchase Payment in the Annuity. The net Purchase Payment is your initial Purchase Payment minus any tax charges that may apply. The Annuity is no longer sold.

Subsequent Purchase Payments: We will allocate any additional Purchase Payments you make according to your current allocation instructions. If any rebalancing or asset allocation programs are in effect, the allocation should conform with such a program. We assume that your current allocation instructions are valid for subsequent Purchase Payments until you make a change to those allocations or request new allocations when you submit a new Purchase Payment.

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?

We apply a “Credit” 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, according to the table below:

Cumulative Purchase Payments

Credit

Between $1,000 and $9,999.99

1.5%

Between $10,000 and $999,999.99

3.0%

Between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999.99

4.0%

Greater than $5,000,000

5.0%

Credits Applied to Purchase Payments for Designated Class of Annuity Owner

Where allowed by state law, on Annuities owned by a member of the class defined below, the table of Credits we apply to Purchase Payments is deleted. The Credit applied to all Purchase Payments on such Annuities is 8.5%.

The designated class of Annuity Owners includes: (a) any parent company, affiliate or subsidiary of ours; (b) an officer, director, employee, retiree, sales representative, or in the case of an affiliated broker-dealer, registered representative of such company; (c) a director, officer or trustee of any underlying Portfolio; (d) a director, officer or employee of any investment manager, sub-advisor, transfer agent, custodian, auditing, legal or administrative services provider that is providing investment management, advisory, transfer agency, custodianship, auditing, legal and/or administrative services to an underlying mutual fund or any affiliate of such firm; (e) a director, officer, employee or registered representative of a broker-dealer or insurance agency that has a then current selling agreement with us and/or with Prudential Annuities Distributors, Incorporated, a Prudential Financial Company, or the prior principal underwriter of the Annuity; (f) a director, officer, employee or authorized representative of any firm providing us or our affiliates with regular legal, actuarial, auditing, underwriting, claims, administrative, computer support, marketing, office or other services; (g) the then current spouse of any such person noted in (b) through (f), above; (h) the parents of any such person noted in (b) through (g), above; (i) the child(ren) or other legal dependent under the age of 21 of any such person noted in (b) through (h) above; and (j) the siblings of any such persons noted in (b) through (h) above. Membership in a designated class was determined at the time the annuity was purchased.

All other terms and conditions of the Annuity apply to Owners in the designated class, except that we will not provide any Additional Amounts for any such contracts. Any Target Value Credits applied under the Performance Advantage benefit are not affected by an Owner’s inclusion in the designated class of Annuity Owners.

You must notify us at the time you apply for an Annuity if you are a member of the designated class. We are not responsible for monitoring whether you qualify as a member of the designated class. Failure to inform us that you qualify as a member of the designated class may result in your Annuity receiving fewer Credits than would otherwise be applied to your Annuity.

HOW ARE CREDITS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT VALUE?

Each Credit is allocated to your Account Value at the time the Purchase Payment is applied to your Account Value. The amount of the Credit is allocated to the investment options in the same ratio as the applicable Purchase Payment is applied and is thereafter treated as a Purchase Payment.

Examples of Applying Credits

Initial Purchase Payment

16 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $250,000. We would apply a 3.0% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($7,500 = $250,000 X.03) to your Account Value in the proportion that your Account Value is allocated.

Additional Purchase Payment (at same breakpoint)

Assume that you make an additional Purchase Payment of $500,000. Because your cumulative Purchase Payments are less than the next breakpoint ($1,000,000), we would apply a 3.0% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($15,000 = $500,000 X.03) to your Account Value.

Additional Purchase Payment (at higher breakpoint)

Assume that you make an additional Purchase Payment of $400,000. Because your cumulative Purchase Payments are now $1,150,000 (greater than the next breakpoint), we would apply a 4.0% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($16,000 = $400,000 X.04) to your Account Value.

This Annuity features the same insurance charge as many of our other variable annuities and does not charge an additional amount for the XTra Credit feature. However, the amount of any Credits applied to your Account Value can be recaptured by us under certain circumstances:

 

any Credits applied to your Account Value on Purchase Payments made within the 12 months before the date of death will be recaptured.

 

the amount available under the medically-related surrender portion of the Annuity will not include the amount of any Credits payable on Purchase Payments made within 12 months of the date the Annuitant first became eligible for the medically-related surrender.

 

if you elect to “free-look” your Annuity, the amount returned to you will not include the amount of any Credits.
 

The value of the XTra Credit amount will be substantially reduced if we recapture the XTra Credit amount under these circumstances. However, any investment gain on the XTra Credit amount will not be recaptured. We do not deduct a CDSC in any situation where we recapture the XTra Credit amount.

Examples of Recapturing Credits

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

 

1. 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 3.0% Credit, for a total of $1,800. 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 ($1,800).

 

2. 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 3.0% Credit, for a total of $1,800. 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 ($300).

 

3. 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 Medically-Related Surrenders

 

1. Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You receive a Credit of $1,500 ($50,000 X.03). The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill in the 6th month after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the medically-related surrender provision. Assuming the Credits were applied within 12-months of the date of diagnosis of the terminal illness, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision would be reduced by the entire amount of the Credits ($1,500).

 

2. 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 3.0% Credit, for a total of $1,800. The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill in the 16th month after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the medically-related surrender provision. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credits that were applied) occurred more than 12-months before the diagnosis, the amount that would be payable upon the medically-related surrender provision 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 diagnosis. Therefore, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision would be reduced by the amount of the Credits payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($300).
 

17 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Credits applied to estimated Purchase Payments

Under certain circumstances, we may determine the amount of Credits payable on two or more separate Purchase Payments based on the Credit percentage that would have applied had all such Purchase Payments been made at the same time. To make use of this procedure, often referred to as a “letter of intent”, you must provide evidence of your intention to submit the cumulative additional Purchase Payments within a 13-month period. A letter of intent must be provided to us prior to the Issue Date to be effective. Acceptance of a letter of intent is at our sole discretion and may be subject to restrictions as to the minimum initial Purchase Payment that must be submitted to receive the next higher breakpoint.

Failure to inform us that you intend to submit two or more Purchase Payments within a 13-month period may result in your Annuity receiving fewer Credits than would otherwise be added to your Annuity.

If you submit a letter of intent and receive Credits on Purchase Payments at a higher Credit percentage than would have applied BUT do not submit the required Purchase Payments during the 13-month period as required by your letter of intent, we may recapture the “excess” Credits. “Excess” Credits are Credits in excess of the Credits that would have been payable without the letter of intent. If we determine that you have received “excess” Credits, any such amounts will be taken on a proportional basis from the investment options based on your Account Values as of the date we act to recapture the excess. If the amount of the recapture exceeds your then current Surrender Value, we will recapture all remaining Account Value and terminate your Annuity.

General Information about Credits

 

We do not consider Credits to be “investment in the contract” (also known as “basis”) for income tax purposes.

 

You may not withdraw the amount of any Credits under the Free Withdrawal provision. The Free Withdrawal provision only applies to withdrawals of Purchase Payments.

 

These Credits are separate and distinct from the Target Value Credits discussed below in the section entitled “Performance Advantage.”

 

Credits are included in any contract level standardized or non-standardized performance calculations.

 

Please note that we expect to make a profit from the Annuity, even though there is not an explicit charge for the Credits.
 

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS

During the Accumulation Period you may transfer Account Value between investment options. Transfers are not subject to taxation on any gain. We currently limit the number of Sub-accounts you can invest in at any one time to twenty (20). However, you can invest in an unlimited number of Fixed Allocations. We may require a minimum of $500 in each Sub-account you allocate Account Value to at the time of any allocation or transfer. If you request a transfer and, as a result of the transfer, there would be less than $500 in the Sub-account, we may transfer the remaining Account Value in the Sub-account on a proportional basis to the other investment options to which you transferred.

Currently, we charge $10 for each transfer after the twentieth (20th) in each Annuity Year, including transfers made as part of any rebalancing, market timing, asset allocation or similar program which you have authorized. Transfers made as part of a dollar cost averaging program do not count toward the twenty free transfer limit. Renewals or transfers of Account Value from a Fixed Allocation at the end of its Guarantee Period are not subject to the transfer charge. We may reduce the number of free transfers allowable each Annuity Year (subject to a minimum of eight) without charging a Transfer Fee unless you make use of electronic means to transmit your transfer requests. We may eliminate the Transfer Fee for transfer requests transmitted electronically or through other means that reduce our processing costs.

Frequent Transfers

Frequent transfers among investment options in response to short-term fluctuations in markets, sometimes called “market timing,” can make it very difficult for a Portfolio manager to manage a Portfolio’s investments. Frequent transfers may cause the Portfolio to hold more cash than otherwise necessary, disrupt management strategies, increase transaction costs, or affect performance. Considering the risks posed to Owners and other investors by frequent transfers, we reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any Annuity Year for all Owners and to take the other actions discussed below. We also reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any Annuity 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 Unit Values or the share prices of the Portfolios; or (b) we are informed by a Portfolio (e.g., by a Portfolio’s Portfolio manager) that the purchase or redemption of shares in the Portfolio must be restricted because the Portfolio believes the transfer activity to which such purchase and redemption relates would have a detrimental effect on the share prices of the affected Portfolio. 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 Portfolio. 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 Annuity, we track amounts exceeding a certain dollar threshold that were transferred into a Sub-account. If you transfer such amount into a particular Sub-account, and within 30 calendar days thereafter transfer (the “Transfer Out”) all or a portion of that amount into another Sub-account, then upon the Transfer Out, the former Sub-account becomes restricted (the “Restricted Sub-account”). Specifically, we will not permit subsequent transfers into the Restricted Sub-account for 90 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Sub-account invests in a non-international Portfolio, or 180 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Sub-account invests in an international Portfolio. For purposes of this rule, we (i) do not count transfers made in connection with one of our systematic programs; (ii) do not count any transfer that solely involves a holding account; and (iii) do not categorize as a transfer the first transfer that you make after the Issue Date, if you make that transfer within 30 calendar days after the Issue Date. Even if an amount becomes restricted under the foregoing rules, you are still free to redeem the amount from your Annuity at any time.

18 


 

Back to Table of Contents

We reserve the right to effect transfers on a delayed basis for all annuities in accordance with our rules regarding frequent transfers. That is, we may price a transfer involving the Sub-accounts on the Valuation Day subsequent to the Valuation Day on which the transfer request was received. Before implementing such a practice, we would issue a separate written notice to Owners that explains the practice in detail.

If we deny one or more transfer requests under the foregoing rules, we will inform you or your financial professional promptly of the circumstances concerning the denial.

There are Owners of different variable annuity contracts that are funded through the same Separate Account that may not be subject to the above- referenced transfer restrictions and, therefore, might make more numerous and frequent transfers than Owners who are subject to such limitations. Finally, there are Owners of other variable annuity contracts or variable life contracts that are issued by us as well as other insurance companies that have the same Portfolios available to them. Since some Owners are not subject to the same transfer restrictions, unfavorable consequences associated with such frequent trading within the Portfolios (e.g., greater Portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, or performance or tax issues) may affect all Owners. Similarly, while contracts managed by a financial professional are subject to the restrictions on transfers between Sub-accounts that are discussed above, if the financial professional manages a number of contracts in the same fashion unfavorable consequences may be associated with management activity since it may involve the movement of a substantial portion of an Portfolio’s assets which may affect all Owners invested in the affected Portfolios. Apart from jurisdiction-specific and contract differences in transfer restrictions, we will apply these rules uniformly (including contracts managed by a financial professional) and will not waive a transfer restriction for any Owner.

Although our transfer restrictions are designed to prevent excessive transfers, they are not capable of preventing every potential occurrence of excessive transfer activity. The Portfolios have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to excessive trading of their respective shares, and we reserve the right to enforce any such current or future 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 or its transfer agent that obligates us to provide to the Portfolio promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual Owners (including an Owner’s TIN number), and (2) execute instructions from the Portfolio to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific 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 you) 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 (also referred to as “redemption fee”) in connection with a transfer out of the Sub-account investing in that Portfolio that occurs within a certain number of days following the date of allocation to the Sub-account. 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 Account Value, to the extent allowed by law. At present, no Portfolio has adopted a short-term trading fee.

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS

We offer Dollar Cost Averaging during the Accumulation Period. Dollar Cost Averaging allows you to systematically transfer an amount each month from one investment option to one or more other investment options. You can choose to transfer earnings only, principal plus earnings or a flat dollar amount. Dollar Cost Averaging allows you to invest regularly each month, regardless of the current Unit value (or price) of the Sub-account(s) you invest in. This enables you to purchase more Units when the Sub-account price is low and fewer Units when the Sub-account price is high. This may result in a lower average cost of Units over time. However, there is no guarantee that Dollar Cost Averaging will result in a profit or protect against a loss in a declining Sub-account. We do not deduct a charge for participating in a Dollar Cost Averaging program.

You must have a minimum Account Value of at least $10,000 to enroll in a Dollar Cost Averaging program.

You can Dollar Cost Average from variable investment options or Fixed Allocations. Dollar Cost Averaging from Fixed Allocations is subject to a number of rules that include, but are not limited to the following:

 

You may only use Fixed Allocations with Guarantee Periods of 1, 2 or 3 years.

 

You may only Dollar Cost Average earnings or principal plus earnings. If transferring principal plus earnings, the program must be designed to last the entire Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation.

 

Dollar Cost Averaging transfers from Fixed Allocations are not subject to a Market Value Adjustment.
 

NOTE: When a Dollar Cost Averaging program is established from a Fixed Allocation, the fixed rate of interest we credit to your Account Value is applied to a declining balance due to the transfers of Account Value to the Sub-accounts during the Guarantee Period. This will reduce the effective rate of return on the Fixed Allocation over the Guarantee Period.

19 


 

Back to Table of Contents

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING PROGRAMS

During the Accumulation Period, we offer automatic rebalancing among the variable investment options you choose. You can choose to have your Account Value rebalanced monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. On the appropriate date, your variable investment options are rebalanced to the allocation percentages you request. For example, over time the performance of the variable investment options will differ, causing your percentage allocations to shift. With automatic rebalancing, we transfer the appropriate amount from the “overweighted” Sub-accounts to the “underweighted” Sub-accounts to return your allocations to the percentages you request. If you request a transfer from or into any variable investment option participating in the automatic rebalancing program, we will assume that you wish to change your rebalancing percentages as well, and will automatically adjust the rebalancing percentages in accordance with the transfer unless we receive alternate instructions from you.

You must have a minimum Account Value of at least $10,000 to enroll in automatic rebalancing. All rebalancing transfers made on the same day as part of an automatic rebalancing program are considered as one transfer when counting the number of transfers each year toward the maximum number of free transfers. We do not deduct a charge for participating in an automatic rebalancing program.

DO YOU OFFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO GUARANTEE A “RETURN OF PREMIUM” AT A FUTURE DATE?

We offer two different programs for investors who wish to invest in the variable investment options but also wish to protect their principal, at least as of a specific date in the future. You may not want to use either of these programs if you expect to begin taking annuity payments before the program would be completed.

Balanced Investment Program

We offer a balanced investment program where a portion of your Account Value is allocated to a Fixed Allocation and the remaining Account Value is allocated to the variable investment options that you select. When you enroll in the Balanced Investment Program, you choose the duration that you wish the program to last. This determines the duration of the Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation. Based on the fixed rate for the Guarantee Period chosen, we calculate the portion of your Account Value that must be allocated to the Fixed Allocation to grow to a specific “principal amount” (such as your initial Purchase Payment). We determine the amount based on the rates then in effect for the Guarantee Period you choose. If you continue the program until the end of the Guarantee Period and make no withdrawals or transfers, at the end of the Guarantee Period, the Fixed Allocation will have grown to equal the “principal amount”. Withdrawals or transfers from the Fixed Allocation before the end of the Guarantee Period will terminate the program and may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment. You can transfer the Account Value that is not allocated to the Fixed Allocation between any of the Sub-accounts available under the Annuity. Account Value you allocate to the variable investment options is subject to Sub-account fluctuations and may increase or decrease in value. We do not deduct a charge for participating in the Balanced Investment Program.

 

  Example

 

  Assume you invest $100,000. You choose a 10-year program and allocate a portion of your Account Value to a Fixed Allocation with a 10-year Guarantee Period. The rate for the 10-year Guarantee Period is 2.50%*. Based on the fixed interest rate for the Guarantee Period chosen, the factor is 0.781198 for determining how much of your Account Value will be allocated to the Fixed Allocation. That means that $78,120 will be allocated to the Fixed Allocation and the remaining Account Value ($21,880) will be allocated to the Sub-accounts. Assuming that you do not make any withdrawals or transfers from the Fixed Allocation, it will grow to $100,000 at the end of the Guarantee Period. Of course, we cannot predict the value of the remaining Account Value that was allocated to the Sub-accounts.
 
* The rate in this example is hypothetical and may not reflect the current rate for Guarantee Periods of this duration.

Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)

We also offer a seven-year program where we monitor your Account Value daily and systematically transfer amounts between Fixed Allocations and the variable investment options you choose. For more information about this option, please refer to the “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERMISSION TO FORWARD TRANSACTION INSTRUCTIONS

If you have provided the necessary authorization on the application for your Annuity, the individual who signed the application for your Annuity may forward instructions regarding the allocation of your Account Value, and request financial transactions involving Investment Options. We refer to this person as your “financial professional”. You may have another person providing investment advisory services to you with respect to this Annuity and who you have separately authorized on the form we require to forward instructions to us regarding the allocation of your Account Value or certain financial transactions. Please be aware that if you authorize more than one person to provide investment instructions to us, we will follow all instructions received from authorized persons in the order in which we receive them. If your financial professional or investment advisor has this authority, we deem that all such transactions that are directed by your financial professional or investment advisor, as applicable, with respect to your Annuity have been authorized by you. You will receive a confirmation of any financial transaction involving the purchase or sale of Units of your Annuity. You must contact us immediately if and when you revoke such authority. We will not be responsible for acting on instructions from your financial professional

20 


 

Back to Table of Contents

or authorized investment advisor until we receive notification of the revocation of such person’s authority. We may also suspend, cancel or limit these authorizations at any time. In addition, we may restrict the Investment Options available for transfers or allocation of Purchase Payments by such financial professional or investment advisor. We will notify you and your financial professional if we implement any such restrictions or prohibitions.

Please Note: Annuity contracts managed by your financial professional or investment advisor also are subject to the restrictions on transfers between Investment Options that are discussed in the section titled “Restrictions on Transfers Between Investment Options.” We may also require that your financial professional or investment advisor transmit all financial transactions using the electronic trading functionality available through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities). Limitations that we may impose on your financial professional or investment advisor under the agreement (e.g., a custodial agreement) do not apply to financial transactions requested by an Owner on his or her own behalf, except as otherwise described in this prospectus.

It is your responsibility to arrange for the payment of the advisory fee charged by your investment advisor. Similarly, it is your responsibility to understand the advisory services provided by your investment advisor and the advisory fees charged for the services.

For certain Broker Dealers: If instructed by your Broker Dealer, we may allow your financial professional to effectuate withdrawals on your behalf. In the event you do not wish that your financial professional has this authority, please contact us immediately.

21 


 

Back to Table of Contents

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE


TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU

During the Accumulation Period you can access your Account Value through Partial Withdrawals, Systematic Withdrawals, and where required for tax purposes, Minimum Distributions. You can also surrender your Annuity at any time. We may deduct a portion of the Account Value being withdrawn or surrendered as a CDSC. If you surrender your Annuity, in addition to any CDSC, we may deduct the Annual Maintenance Fee, any Tax Charge that applies and the charge for any optional benefits. We may also apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. Certain amounts may be available to you each Annuity Year that are not subject to a CDSC. These are called “Charge Free Withdrawals.” In addition, under certain circumstances, we may waive the CDSC for surrenders made for qualified medical reasons or for withdrawals made to satisfy Minimum Distribution requirements. Unless you notify us differently, withdrawals are taken on a proportional basis based on the Account Value in the investment options at the time we receive your withdrawal request. Each of these types of distributions is described more fully below.

TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

(For more information, see “Tax Considerations”)

Prior to Annuitization

(For more information, see “Tax Considerations”)

A distribution during the Accumulation Period is deemed to come first from any “gain” in your Annuity and second as a return of your “tax basis”, if any. 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. 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. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for advice before requesting a distribution.

During Annuitization

During the Annuitization period, a portion of each annuity payment is taxed as ordinary income at the tax rate you are subject to at the time of the payment. The Code and regulations have “exclusionary rules” that we use to determine what portion of each annuity payment should be treated as a return of any tax basis you have in the Annuity. Once the tax basis in the Annuity has been distributed, the remaining annuity payments are taxable as ordinary income. The tax basis in the Annuity may be based on the tax-basis from a prior contract in the case of a 1035 exchange or other qualifying transfer.

CAN I WITHDRAW A PORTION OF MY ANNUITY?

You can make a withdrawal during the Accumulation Period.

 

To meet liquidity needs, you can withdraw a limited amount from your Annuity during each of Annuity Years 1-8 without a CDSC being applied. We call this the “Charge Free Withdrawal” amount. The Charge Free Withdrawal amount is not available if you choose to surrender your Annuity. Amounts withdrawn as a Charge Free Withdrawal do not reduce the amount of CDSC that may apply upon a subsequent withdrawal or surrender of the Annuity. The minimum Charge Free Withdrawal you may request is $100.

 

You can also make withdrawals in excess of the Charge Free Withdrawal amount. We call this a “Partial Withdrawal.” The amount that you may withdraw will depend on the Annuity’s Surrender Value. The Surrender Value is equal to your Account Value minus any CDSC, the Annual Maintenance Fee, the Tax Charge, any charges for optional benefits and any Market Value Adjustment that may apply to any Fixed Allocations. After any Partial Withdrawal, your Annuity must have a Surrender Value of at least $1,000, or we may treat the Partial Withdrawal request as a request to fully surrender your Annuity. The minimum Partial Withdrawal you may request is $100.
 

When we determine if a CDSC applies to Partial Withdrawals and Systematic Withdrawals, we will first determine what, if any, amounts qualify as a Charge Free Withdrawal. Those amounts are not subject to the CDSC. Partial Withdrawals or Systematic Withdrawals of amounts greater than the maximum Charge Free Withdrawal amount will be subject to a CDSC.

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.

Partial Withdrawals may also be available following Annuitization but only if you choose certain annuity payment options.

22 


 

Back to Table of Contents

To request the forms necessary to make a withdrawal from your Annuity, call 1-800-879-7012 or visit our website at www.prudential.com/annuities.

HOW MUCH CAN I WITHDRAW AS A CHARGE FREE WITHDRAWAL?

The maximum Charge Free Withdrawal amount during any Annuity Year is the greater of:

 

the “Growth” in the Annuity; or

 

10% of Purchase Payments that, as of the date of the withdrawal, have been invested for less than the CDSC period (with your Annuity, eight (8) years). The 10% amount is not cumulative.
 

“Growth” equals the current Account Value less all Purchase Payments that have been invested for less than the CDSC period and have not been previously withdrawn. “Growth” does not include any additional amounts we applied to your Annuity based on your Purchase Payments (see “How Do I Receive Credits?” and “What Are Target Value Credits?”).

NOTE: Charge Free Withdrawal s do not reduce the amount of any CDSC that would apply upon a partial withdrawal or subsequent surrender. The minimum Charge Free Withdrawal you may request is $100. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations.

We may reduce or eliminate the amount available as a Charge Free Withdrawal if your Annuity is used in connection with certain plans that receive special tax treatment under the Code.

Examples

Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no additional Purchase Payments. Assume that in Annuity Year 2, due to positive investment performance, your Account Value is $12,500. The maximum Charge Free Withdrawal amount would be the greater of Growth (Account Value minus Purchase Payments = $2,500) or 10% of Purchase Payments ($1,000). Your maximum Charge Free Withdrawal amount would therefore be $2,500.

Further assume that in your third Annuity Year, you choose to surrender your Annuity. Assume that after taking your $2,500 Charge Free Withdrawal in Year 2, your Account Value has increased to $11,000 due to positive investment performance. Upon surrender, we will deduct a CDSC of 8.5% based on the number of years that your Purchase Payment has been invested times the amount of your Purchase Payment that has not been previously withdrawn (8.5% of $10,000 = $850). The amount of the previous Charge Free Withdrawal was not subject to a CDSC when withdrawn. Therefore, upon surrender, the amount of the entire Purchase Payment is subject to the CDSC. You would receive $10,150 minus the Annual Maintenance Fee and any Target Value Credits.

These examples do not reflect the effect of any Credits or Target Value Credits. These amounts are not available as a Charge Free Withdrawal.

When we determine if a CDSC applies to Partial Withdrawals and Systematic Withdrawals, we will first determine what, if any, amounts qualify as a Charge Free Withdrawal. Those amounts are not subject to the CDSC. Partial Withdrawal or Systematic Withdrawal of amounts greater than the maximum Charge Free Withdrawal amount will be subject to a CDSC.

IS THERE A CHARGE FOR A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL?

A CDSC may be assessed against a Partial Withdrawal during the Accumulation Period. Whether a CDSC applies and the amount to be charged depends on whether the Partial Withdrawal exceeds any Charge Free Withdrawal amount and, if so, the number of years that have elapsed since the Purchase Payment being withdrawn has been invested in the Annuity.

 

1. If you request a Partial Withdrawal we determine if the amount you requested is available as a Charge Free Withdrawal (in which case it would not be subject to a CDSC);

 

2. If the amount requested exceeds the available Charge Free Withdrawal amount:

 

a. First, we withdraw the amount from Purchase Payments that have been invested for longer than the CDSC period, if any (with your Annuity, eight (8) years);

 

b. Second, we withdraw the remaining amount from the Purchase Payments that are still subject to a CDSC. We withdraw the “oldest” of your Purchase Payments first so that the lowest CDSC will apply to the amount withdrawn.

 

      Any CDSC will only apply to the amount withdrawn that exceeds the Charge Free Withdrawal amount.

 

      For purposes of calculating the CDSC on a partial withdrawal, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Charge Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance.

 

3. If the amount requested exceeds the amounts available under Item #2 above, we withdraw the remaining amount from any other Account Value (including Account Value due to Credits and Target Value Credits).
 

23 


 

Back to Table of Contents

CAN YOU CLOSE MY ACCOUNT AND INVOLUNTARILY REDEEM MY INVESTMENT?

As explained above, after any Partial Withdrawal, your Annuity must have a Surrender Value of at least $1,000, or we may treat the Partial Withdrawal request as a request to fully surrender your Annuity.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS

You can receive Systematic Withdrawals of earnings only, principal plus earnings or a flat dollar amount. Systematic Withdrawals based on the Charge Free Withdrawal amount are only available if the contract is still within the surrender charge period and will be calculated based only on the Purchase Payments that are still subject to CDSC. Systematic Withdrawals may be subject to a CDSC. We will determine whether a CDSC applies and the amount in the same way as we would for a Partial Withdrawal.

Systematic Withdrawals can be made from Account Value allocated to the variable investment options or Fixed Allocations. Generally, Systematic Withdrawals from Fixed Allocations are limited to earnings accrued after the program of Systematic Withdrawals begins, or payments of fixed dollar amounts that do not exceed such earnings. Systematic Withdrawals are available on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. We may require that the Surrender Value of your Annuity must be at least $20,000 before we will allow you to begin a program of Systematic Withdrawals.

The minimum amount for each Systematic Withdrawal is $100. If any scheduled Systematic Withdrawal is for less than $100, we may postpone the withdrawal and add the expected amount to the amount that is to be withdrawn on the next scheduled Systematic Withdrawal.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS UNDER SECTION 72(t) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

If your Annuity is used as a funding vehicle for certain retirement plans that receive special tax treatment under Sections 401, 403(b) or 408 of the Code, Section 72(t) of the Code may provide an exception to the 10% additional tax on distributions made prior to age 59½ if you elect to receive distributions as a series of “substantially equal periodic payments”. Distributions received under this provision in any Annuity Year that exceed the maximum amount available as a Charge Free Withdrawal will be subject to a CDSC. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. To request a program that complies with Section 72(t), you must provide us with certain required information in writing on a form acceptable to us. We may require advance notice to allow us to calculate the amount of 72(t) withdrawals. The Surrender Value of your Annuity must be at least $20,000 before we will allow you to begin a program for withdrawals under Section 72(t). The minimum amount for any such withdrawal is $100.

You may also annuitize your contract and begin receiving payments for the remainder of your life (or life expectancy) as a means of receiving income payments before age 59½ that are not subject to the 10% additional tax.

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS

(See “Tax Considerations” for a further discussion of Minimum Distributions.)

Minimum Distributions are a type of Systematic Withdrawal we allow to meet distribution requirements under Sections 401, 403(b) or 408 of the Code. Under the Code, you may be required to begin receiving periodic amounts from your Annuity. In such case, we will allow you to make Systematic Withdrawals in amounts that satisfy the minimum distribution rules under the Code. We do not assess a CDSC on Minimum Distributions from your Annuity if you are required by law to take such Minimum Distributions from your Annuity at the time it is taken. However, a CDSC may be assessed on that portion of a Systematic Withdrawal that is taken to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements in relation to other savings or investment plans under other qualified retirement plans not maintained with us.

The amount of the required Minimum Distribution for your particular situation may depend on other annuities, savings or investments. We will only calculate the amount of your required Minimum Distribution based on the value of your Annuity. We require three (3) days advance written notice to calculate and process the amount of your payments. You may elect to have Minimum Distributions paid out monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The $100 minimum that applies to Systematic Withdrawals does not apply to Minimum Distributions.

You may also annuitize your contract and begin receiving payments for the remainder of your life (or life expectancy) as a means of receiving income payments and satisfying the Minimum Distribution requirements under the Code.

24 


 

Back to Table of Contents

SURRENDERS


SURRENDER VALUE

During the Accumulation Period you can surrender your Annuity at any time. Upon surrender, you will receive the Surrender Value. Upon surrender of your Annuity, you will no longer have any rights under the Annuity.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC on surrender, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Charge Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations.

Under certain annuity payment options, you may be allowed to surrender your Annuity for its then current value.

To request the forms necessary to surrender your Annuity, call 1-800-879-7012 or visit our website at www.prudential.com/annuities.

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS

Where permitted by law, you may request to surrender your Annuity prior to the Annuity Date without application of any CDSC upon occurrence of a medically-related “Contingency Event”. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. The amount payable will be your Account Value minus: (a) the amount of any Credits applied within 12 months of the applicable “Contingency Event” as defined below; (b) the amount of any Credits added in conjunction with any Purchase Payments received after our receipt of your request for a medically-related surrender (i.e. Purchase Payments received at such time pursuant to a salary reduction program; and (c) the amount of any Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

This waiver of any applicable CDSC is subject to our rules, including but not limited to the following:

 

the Annuitant must be named, or any change of Annuitant must be accepted by us, prior to the “Contingency Event” described below;

 

the Annuitant must be alive as of the date we pay the proceeds of such surrender request;

 

if the Owner is one or more natural persons, all such Owners must also be alive at such time;

 

we must receive satisfactory proof of the Annuitant’s confinement in a Medical Care Facility or Fatal Illness in writing on a form satisfactory to us;

 

this benefit is not available if the total Purchase Payments received exceed $500,000 for all annuities issued by us with this benefit where the same person is named as Annuitant; and

 

proceeds will only be sent by check or electronic fund transfer directly to the Owner.
 

A “Contingency Event” occurs if the Annuitant is:

 

first confined in a “Medical Care Facility” while your Annuity is in force and remains confined for at least 90 days in a row; or

 

first diagnosed as having a “Fatal Illness” while your Annuity is in force.
 

The definitions of “Medical Care Facility” and “Fatal Illness,” as well as additional terms and conditions, are provided in your Annuity. Specific details and definitions in relation to this benefit may differ in certain jurisdictions.

25 


 

Back to Table of Contents

ANNUITY OPTIONS


We currently make annuity options available that provide fixed annuity payments. Your Annuity provides certain fixed annuity payment options. We do not guarantee to continue to make available any other option other than the fixed annuity payment options set forth in your Annuity. Fixed options provide the same amount with each payment. You must annuitize your entire Account Value; partial Annuitizations are not allowed.

When you purchase an Annuity, or at a later date, you may choose an Annuity Date, an annuity option and the frequency of annuity payments. You may change your choices before the Annuity Date under the terms of the contract. A maximum Annuity Date may be required by law. The Annuity Date may depend on the annuity option you choose. Certain annuity options may not be available depending on the age of the Annuitant.

Certain of these annuity options may be available to Beneficiaries who choose to receive the Death Benefit proceeds as a series of payments instead of a lump sum payment.

Option 1

Payments for Life: Under this option, income is payable periodically until the death of the “Key Life”. The “Key Life” (as used in this section) is the person or persons upon whose life annuity payments are based. No additional annuity payments are made after the death of the Key Life. Since no minimum number of payments is guaranteed, this option offers the largest amount of periodic payments of the life contingent annuity options. It is possible that only one payment will be payable if the death of the Key Life occurs before the date the second payment was due, and no other payments nor death benefits would be payable. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

Option 2

Payments Based on Joint Lives: Under this option, income is payable periodically during the joint lifetime of two Key Lives, and thereafter during the remaining lifetime of the survivor, ceasing with the last payment prior to the survivor’s death. No minimum number of payments is guaranteed under this option. It is possible that only one payment will be payable if the death of all the Key Lives occurs before the date the second payment was due, and no other payments or death benefits would be payable. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

Option 3

Payments for Life with a Certain Period: Under this option, income is payable until the death of the key life. However, if the key life dies before the end of the period selected (5, 10 or 15 years), the remaining payments are paid to the Beneficiary until the end of such period.

Option 4

Fixed Payments for a Certain Period: Under this option, income is payable periodically for a specified number of years. If the payee dies before the end of the specified number of years, the remaining payments are paid to the Beneficiary until the end of such period. Note that under this option, payments are not based on any assumptions of life expectancy. Therefore, that portion of the insurance charge assessed to cover the risk that Key Lives outlive our expectations provides no benefit to an Owner selecting this option. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

For qualified annuities, the period certain option may be limited to 10 years or less depending on the circumstances.

We may make different annuity and settlement options available in the future. We do not guarantee to continue to make available or any other option other than the fixed annuity payment options set forth in your contract.

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?

Unless prohibited by law, we require that you elect either a life annuity or an annuity with a certain period of at least 5 years if any CDSC would apply were you to surrender your Annuity on the Annuity Date. Therefore, making a Purchase Payment within eight years of the Annuity Date limits your annuity payment options. Certain annuity payment options may not be available if your Annuity Date occurs during the period that a CDSC would apply.

If you have not provided us with your Annuity Date or annuity payment option in writing, then:

 

the Annuity Date will be the first day of the calendar month following the later of the Annuitant’s 85th birthday or the fifth anniversary of our receipt of your request to purchase an Annuity; and

 

the annuity payments, where allowed by law, will be calculated on a fixed basis under Option 3, Payments for Life with 10 years certain.
 

HOW ARE ANNUITY PAYMENTS CALCULATED?

Fixed Annuity Payments

If you choose to receive fixed annuity payments, you will receive equal fixed-dollar payments throughout the period you select. The amount of the fixed payment will vary depending on the annuity payment option and payment frequency you select. Generally, the first annuity payment is determined by multiplying the Account Value, minus any state premium taxes that may apply, by the factor determined from our table of annuity rates. The table of annuity rates differs based on the type of annuity chosen and the frequency of payment selected. Our rates will not be less than our guaranteed

26 


 

Back to Table of Contents

minimum rates. These guaranteed minimum rates are derived from the 1983a Individual Annuity Mortality Table with an assumed interest rate of 3% per annum. Where required by law or regulation, such annuity table will have rates that do not differ according to the gender of the Key Life. Otherwise, the rates will differ according to the gender of the Key Life.

27 


 

Back to Table of Contents

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY


The following table summarizes information about the benefits available under the Annuity.

Name of Benefit

Purpose

Standard or
Optional

Maximum Fee

Restrictions/Limitations

Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)1/Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)2

Guarantees a “return of premium” at a future date, while allowing you to allocate all or a portion of your Account Value to the Sub-accounts of your choice.

Optional

0.50%
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub accounts)

Account Value subject to systematic transfers to and from Fixed Allocations. We may restrict the selection of certain Portfolios. Please refer to Appendix A for variable Sub-account availability.

Basic Death Benefit

Provides protection for your beneficiary(ies) by ensuring that they do not receive less than your Account Value.

Standard

0%

None.

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit3

Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing amounts in addition to the basic Death Benefit that can be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death.

Optional

0.75%
(based on the Account Value)

None.

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit3

Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing amounts in addition to the basic Death Benefit.

Optional

0.55%
(based on the current Death Benefit amount)

None.

Performance Advantage

Provides an increase to the Account Value if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded a “target value” on its 10th anniversary.

Standard

0%

None.

Dollar Cost Averaging

Allows you to systematically transfer a percentage amount out of an investment option and into any other variable investment option(s).

Standard

0%

Minimum allocation requirements.

Automatic 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

0%

None.

1. The Guaranteed Return Option benefit is no longer available for election. If you currently participate in this benefit, you may re-start the benefit on each anniversary of the Issue Date.
2. The Guaranteed Return Plus Option benefit is no longer available for election.
3. These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity.

28 


 

Back to Table of Contents

OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFITS


Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)
GRO is no longer available for new elections.

GRO is an optional benefit that, after a seven-year period following commencement of the benefit (we refer to the end of that period as the “maturity date”) guarantees your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your benefit (called the “Protected Principal Value”).

The benefit monitors your Account Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfers amounts pursuant to a mathematical formula between the Sub-accounts you choose and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation used to support the Protected Principal Value. There is an additional charge if you elect the Guaranteed Return Option benefit.

The guarantee provided by the benefit exists only on the applicable maturity date. However, due to the ongoing monitoring of your Account Value and the transfer of Account Value between the Sub-accounts and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support our future guarantee, the benefit may provide some protection from significant Sub-account losses if you choose to surrender your Annuity or begin receiving annuity payments prior to a maturity date.

Key Feature – Protected Principal Value

Under the GRO benefit, we guarantee that on the maturity date, your Account Value will be no less than the Protected Principal Value. On the maturity date if your Account Value is below the Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Protected Principal Value. A subsequent Purchase Payment increases the amount of the Protected Principal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (plus any Credits), and withdrawals reduce the Protected Principal Value (as discussed below).

We will notify you of any amounts added to your Annuity under the benefit. If our assumptions are correct and the operations relating to the administration of the benefit work properly, we do not expect that we will need to add additional amounts to an Annuity. The Protected Principal Value is generally referred to as the “Guaranteed Amount” in the rider we issue for this benefit.

Key Feature – Allocation of Account Value

GRO uses a mathematical formula that we operate to help manage your guarantees through all market cycles. The formula weighs a number of factors, including the current Account Value, the value in the Sub-accounts, the value in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the Protected Principal Value, the expected value of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations used to support the guarantee, the time remaining until maturity, and the current crediting rates associated with the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. In essence, and as detailed in the formula, the formula will transfer Account Value into the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations if needed to support an anticipated guarantee. The formula is set forth in Appendix B. This required formula thus helps us manage our financial exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations).

Each Valuation Day, the formula determines if any portion of your Account Value needs to be transferred into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, through reference to a “reallocation trigger”. At any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If your entire Account Value is transferred to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts and the entire Account Value would remain in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Sub-accounts according to your allocation instructions. Such additional Purchase Payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, if dictated by the formula. The amount of any such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.

Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Sub-accounts, 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations 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 (including any Market Value Adjustment) and your Protected Principal Value(s);

 

The amount of time until the maturity of your Guarantee(s);

 

The amount invested in, and the performance of, the Sub-accounts;

 

The amount invested in, and interest earned within, the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

The current crediting rates associated with Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

Additional Purchase Payments, if any, that you make to the Annuity; and

 

Withdrawals, if any, taken from the Annuity.
 

29 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Any amounts invested in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will affect your ability to participate in a subsequent recovery within the Sub- accounts. Conversely, the Account Value may be higher at the beginning of the recovery, e.g. more of the Account Value may have been protected from decline and volatility than it otherwise would have been had the benefit not been elected.

While you are not notified when your Account Value reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Account Value either to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

You may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

You should be aware of the following potential ramifications of the formula:

 

A Market Value Adjustment will apply when we reallocate Account Value from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub- accounts. Transfers of your Account Value can be frequent, and under some scenarios may occur on a daily basis. As indicated, each such transfer may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be positive or negative. Thus, a Market Value Adjustment will directly increase or reduce your Account Value.

 

As indicated, some or even all, of your Account Value may be maintained in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. The greater the Account Value held in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the larger (in dollar terms) the Market Value Adjustment upon any transfer of such Account Value to the Sub-accounts.

 

If your Account Value is less than the reallocation trigger, a portion of your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will be transferred from the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis according to your allocations to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) to support the applicable guaranteed amount. The new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will have a Guarantee Period equal to the time remaining until the applicable maturity date(s). The Account Value allocated to the new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will be credited with the fixed interest rate(s) then being credited to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) maturing on the applicable maturity date(s) (rounded to the next highest yearly duration). The Account Value will remain invested in each applicable Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation until the applicable maturity date unless, at an earlier date, your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger and, therefore, amounts can be transferred to the Sub-accounts while maintaining the guaranteed protection under the program (as described above).

 

If your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger, and a portion of the Account Value must be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts, then those amounts will be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts according to any asset allocation programs (including an Automatic Rebalancing program) established on your Annuity or in the absence of such programs, on a proportional basis, based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts at that time. A Market Value Adjustment will apply upon a transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, which may result in an increase or decrease in your Account Value.

 

Transfers under the formula do not impact your guarantees under GRO that have already been locked-in.
 

Withdrawals from your Annuity, while the benefit is in effect, will reduce the Protected Principal Value proportionally. The proportion will be equal to the proportionate reduction in the Account Value due to the withdrawal as of that date. Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. Systematic Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations up to growth in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and thereafter on a proportional basis solely from the Sub-accounts. The growth in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations at any point in time consists of the remaining earnings since the program of systematic withdrawal began. Withdrawals will be subject to all other provisions of your Annuity, including any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge and Market Value Adjustment that would apply.

Election of the Benefit

We no longer permit new elections of GRO. If you currently participate in GRO, your existing guarantees are unaffected by the fact that we no longer offer GRO. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as GRO 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 Account 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.

Restart of the Benefit

Once each Annuity Year you may request to restart the Benefit. Such a request is an election by you to terminate the existing Benefit (and all guarantees under the benefit) and start a new one. Restarts only take effect on anniversaries of the Issue Date. To make such a request for a restart, you must notify us in advance in accordance with our administrative requirements. If we accept your request, we then terminate the existing Benefit as of that valuation period, if it is an anniversary of the Issue Date, or, if not, as of the next following anniversary of the Issue Date. The new Benefit starts at that time. The initial Protected Principal Value for the new Benefit is the Account Value as of the effective date of the new Benefit. Unless you tell us otherwise, the duration of the new Benefit will be the same as that for the existing Benefit. However, if we do not then make that duration available, you must elect from those we make available at that time. For those who elect to re-start the benefit, the charge will be assessed according to the current methodology prior to re-starting the benefit. – see “Charges under the Program” below.

As part of terminating the existing Benefit, we transfer any amounts in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, subject to a Market Value Adjustment, to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis. If your entire Account Value was then in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, you must first provide us instructions as to how to allocate the transferred Account Value among the Sub-accounts.

30 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Termination of the Benefit

The Annuity Owner also can terminate the Guaranteed Return Option benefit. Upon termination, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will be transferred as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive at our office other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program (b) if your entire Account Value is in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive at our Office prior instructions from you. A Market Value Adjustment will apply (except that if the benefit has terminated automatically due to payment of a death benefit, whether a Market Value Adjustment applies depends solely on the terms of the death benefit – see the “Death Benefit” section of this prospectus).

In general, you may cancel GRO and then elect another living benefit available post issue, effective on any Valuation Day after your cancellation of GRO. If you terminate GRO, you will lose all guarantees under that benefit. Your election of another living benefit is subject to State and firm availability and our eligibility rules.

The benefit will terminate automatically upon: (a) the death of the Owner or the Annuitant (in an entity owned contract); (b) as of the date Account Value is applied to begin annuity payments; or (c) upon full surrender of your Annuity. If you elect to terminate the benefit, the Guaranteed Return Option will no longer provide any guarantees.

The charge for the Guaranteed Return Option benefit will no longer be deducted from your Account Value after the benefit has been terminated, although for those Annuities for which the GRO charge is deducted annually rather than daily (see “Charges Under the Program” below), we will deduct the final annual charge upon termination of the benefit.

Special Considerations under the Guaranteed Return Option

This benefit is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including, but not limited to the following:

 

Upon inception of the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Sub-accounts. The Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation must not have been in effect as of the date that you elected to participate in the benefit. However, the formula may transfer Account Value to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation as of the effective date of the benefit under some circumstances.

 

Annuity Owners cannot allocate any portion of Purchase Payments (including any Credits) or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation while participating in the benefit; however, all or a portion of any Purchase Payments (including any Credits) may be allocated by us to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the amount guaranteed. You cannot participate in any dollar cost averaging benefit that transfers Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to a Sub-account.

 

Transfers from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation made as a result of the formula under the benefit will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment formula under an Annuity; however, the 0.10% liquidity factor in the formula will not apply. A Market Value Adjustment may be either positive or negative. Transfer amounts will be taken from the most recently established Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

Transfers from the Sub-accounts to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts under the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity.

 

Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date will not be treated as “investment in the contract” for income tax purposes.

 

Any amounts that we add to your Annuity to support our guarantee under the benefit will be applied to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, after first transferring any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive at our office other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program and (b) if your entire Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive at our Office prior instructions from you.

 

Low interest rates may require allocation to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation even when the current Account Value exceeds the guarantee.

 

As the time remaining until the applicable maturity date gradually decreases the benefit will become increasingly sensitive to moves to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

We currently limit the Sub-accounts in which you may allocate Account Value if you participate in this benefit. Should we prohibit access to any investment option, any transfers required to move Account Value to eligible investment options will not be counted in determining the number of free transfers during an Annuity Year.
 

31 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Charges under the Program

The maximum charge for Guaranteed Return Option is 0.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Sub-accounts. The annual charge is deducted daily. Account Value allocated to Fixed Allocations under the program is not subject to the charge. The charge is deducted to compensate us for: (a) the risk that your Account Value on the maturity date of the program is less than the amount guaranteed; and (b) administration of the program. You will begin paying this charge as of the effective date of the benefit. We will not refund the charges you have paid even if we never have to make any payments under the benefit.

Effective November 18, 2002, we changed the way in which the annual charge for the Guaranteed Return Option is deducted to the method described above. The annual charge for the Guaranteed Return Option for Owners who elected the benefit between May 1, 2001 and November 15, 2002 and subsequent to November 19, 2002 in those states where the daily deduction of the charge has not been approved, is deducted annually, in arrears, according to the prospectus in effect as of the date the program was elected. Owners who terminate and then re-elect the Guaranteed Return Option or elect to restart the Guaranteed Return Option at any time after November 18, 2002 will be subject to the charge method described above.

Examples

Example 1. Benefit Maturity

This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges under the annuity. It is intended to illustrate the benefit maturity on a guarantee amount under this benefit.

A Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) program begins on July 1, 2015. Your Account Value (AV) at the start of the program is $100,000. As of program maturity on July 1, 2022, there have been no additional Purchase Payments and no prior withdrawals, so your Guaranteed Amount remains at $100,000. The Account Value is $93,000.

Since the Guaranteed Amount exceeds the Account Value, a total of $7,000, the amount by which the guaranteed exceeds the AV, is added to the variable Sub-accounts which you have elected (or the AST Government Money Market Sub-account if such elections have not been made).

Example 2. Proportional reduction for withdrawal.

This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges under the Annuity. It is intended to illustrate the proportional reduction of a withdrawal on each guarantee amount under this benefit.

A Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) program begins on July 1, 2015. Your Account Value (AV) at the start of the program is $100,000. As of July 1, 2020, there have been no additional Purchase Payments and no prior withdrawals, so your Guaranteed Amount remains at $100,000. The Account Value is $120,000. You then elect to take a $6,000 withdrawal. Assume that no CDSC, Market Value Adjustment or other charges apply.

The Guaranteed Amount is reduced as follows:

Guaranteed Amount prior to withdrawal × (1 - withdrawal / AV prior to withdrawal)

= $100,000 × (1 - $6,000 / $120,000)

= $95,000

Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)

GRO Plus is no longer available for new elections.

GRO Plus is an optional benefit that, after a seven-year period following commencement of the benefit (we refer to the end of that period and any applicable subsequent period as the “maturity date”) and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter while the benefit remains in effect, guarantees your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your benefit (called the “Protected Principal Value”). The benefit also offers you the opportunity to elect a second, enhanced guaranteed amount at a later date if your Account Value has increased, while preserving the guaranteed amount established on the effective date of your benefit. The enhanced guaranteed amount (called the “Enhanced Protected Principal Value”) guarantees that, after a separate period following election of the enhanced guarantee and on each anniversary thereafter while this enhanced guarantee amount remains in effect, your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your election of the enhanced guarantee. If the maturity date of any guarantee under GRO Plus is not a Valuation Day, and we are required to contribute an amount to your Account Value with respect to that maturing guarantee, we would contribute such an amount on the next Valuation Day.

The benefit monitors your Account Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfers amounts between the Sub-accounts you choose and Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations used to support the Protected Principal Value(s). The benefit may be appropriate if you wish to protect a principal amount against poor Sub-account performance as of a specific date in the future. There is an additional charge if you elected the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit.

The guarantees provided by the benefit exist only on the applicable maturity date(s) and on each anniversary of the maturity date(s) thereafter.

32 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Key Feature – Protected Principal Value/Enhanced Protected Principal Value

The Guaranteed Return Option Plus offers a base guarantee as well as the option of electing an enhanced guarantee at a later date.

 

Base Guarantee: Under the base guarantee, we guarantee that on the maturity date and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the benefit remains in effect, your Account Value will be no less than the Protected Principal Value. On the maturity date and on each anniversary after the maturity date that the benefit remains in effect, if your Account Value is below the Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Protected Principal Value. A subsequent Purchase Payment increases the amount of the base guarantee by the amount of the Purchase Payment (plus any Credits), and withdrawals reduce the base guarantee (as discussed below). Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will first be applied to any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations then required to support guarantees due on subsequent maturity dates. We will allocate the remainder to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on the Account Value in the Sub-accounts at that time.

 

Enhanced Guarantee: On any anniversary following commencement of the benefit, you can establish an enhanced guarantee amount based on your current Account Value. Under the enhanced guarantee, we guarantee that at the end of the specified period following the election of the enhanced guarantee (also referred to as its “maturity date”), and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the enhanced guaranteed amount remains in effect, your Account Value will be no less than the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. You can elect an enhanced guarantee more than once; however, a subsequent election supersedes the prior election of an enhanced guarantee. Election of an enhanced guarantee does not impact the base guarantee. In addition, you may elect an “auto step-up” feature that will automatically create an enhanced guarantee (or increase your enhanced guarantee, if previously elected) on each anniversary of the benefit (and create a new maturity period for the new enhanced guarantee) if the Account Value as of that anniversary exceeds the Protected Principal Value and Enhanced Protected Principal Value by 7% or more. You may also elect to terminate an enhanced guarantee. If you elect to terminate an enhanced guarantee, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations for the enhanced guarantee will be liquidated, on the Valuation Day the request is processed, (which may result in a Market Value Adjustment), and such amounts will be transferred according to the rules described in “Termination of the Benefit/ Enhanced Guarantee”. Termination of an enhanced guarantee will not result in termination of the base guarantee. If you have elected the enhanced guarantee, on the guarantee’s maturity date and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the enhanced guarantee amount remains in effect, if your Account Value is below the Enhanced Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will first be applied to any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations then required to support guarantees due on subsequent maturity dates. We will allocate the remainder to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on the Account Value in the Sub-accounts at that time.
 

If our assumptions are correct and the operations relating to the administration of the benefit work properly, we do not expect that we will need to add additional amounts to your Annuity. The Protected Principal Value is referred to as the “Base Guarantee” and the Enhanced Protected Principal Value is referred to as the “Step-Up Guarantee” in the rider we issue for this benefit.

Withdrawals under your Annuity

Withdrawals from your Annuity, while the benefit is in effect, will reduce the base guarantee under the benefit as well as any enhanced guarantee. Cumulative annual withdrawals up to 5% of the Protected Principal Value as of the effective date of the benefit (adjusted for any subsequent Purchase Payments and any Credits applied to such Purchase Payments) will reduce the applicable guaranteed amount by the actual amount of the withdrawal (referred to as the “dollar-for-dollar limit”). If the amount withdrawn is greater than the dollar-for-dollar limit, the portion of the withdrawal equal to the dollar-for-dollar limit will be treated as described above, and the portion of the withdrawal in excess of the dollar-for-dollar limit will reduce the base guarantee and the enhanced guarantee proportionally, according to the formula as described in the rider for this benefit (see the examples of this calculation below). Withdrawals other than Systematic Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and any Fixed Allocations. Withdrawals will be subject to all other provisions of your Annuity, including any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge and Market Value Adjustment (which may be positive or negative) that would apply.

Charges for other optional benefits under your Annuity that are deducted as an annual charge in arrears will not reduce the applicable guaranteed amount under the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit, however, any third party investment advisory service will be treated as withdrawals and will reduce the applicable guaranteed amount.

The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions assume that: 1.) the Issue Date and the effective date of the GRO Plus benefit are October 13, 2004; 2.) an initial Purchase Payment of $250,000 (includes any Credits); 3.) a base guarantee amount of $250,000; and 4.) a dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500 (5% of $250,000). The values set forth here are purely hypothetical and do not reflect the charge for GRO Plus or other fees and charges.

33 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Example 1. Dollar-for-dollar reduction

A $10,000 withdrawal is taken on November 29, 2004 (in the first Annuity Year). No prior withdrawals have been taken. As the amount withdrawn is less than the Dollar-for-dollar Limit:

 

The base guarantee amount is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $250,000 to $240,000).

 

The remaining dollar-for-dollar limit (“Remaining Limit”) for the balance of the first Annuity 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 December 18, 2004 (still within the first Annuity Year). The Account Value immediately before the withdrawal is $180,000. As the amount withdrawn exceeds the Remaining Limit of $2,500 from Example 1:

 

The base guarantee amount is first reduced by the Remaining Limit (from $240,000 to $237,500);

 

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 Account Value less the Remaining Limit ($180,000 - $2,500, or $177,500).
 

The resulting base guarantee amount is: $237,500 × (1 - $7,500 / $177,500), or $227,464.79.

 

The Remaining Limit is set to zero (0) for the balance of the first Annuity Year.
 

Example 3. Reset of the Dollar-for-Dollar Limit

A $10,000 withdrawal is made on December 19, 2005 (second Annuity Year). The Remaining Limit has been reset to the dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500. As the amount withdrawn is less than the dollar-for-dollar limit:

 

The base guarantee amount is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., reduced by $10,000, from $227,464.79 to $217,464.79).

 

The Remaining Limit for the balance of the second Annuity Year is also reduced by the amount withdrawn (from $12,500 to $2,500).
 

Key Feature – Allocation of Account Value

GRO Plus uses a mathematical formula that we operate to help manage your guarantees through all market cycles. Each Valuation Day, the formula determines if any portion of your Account Value needs to be transferred into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, through reference to a “reallocation trigger”. The formula does this by (a) first identifying each guarantee that is outstanding under GRO Plus (b) then discounting the value of each such guarantee to a present value, based on crediting rates associated with the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, then (c) identifying the largest of such present values. Then, the formula compares the largest present value to both the Account Value and the value of assets allocated to the Sub-accounts to determine whether a transfer into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations is required. As detailed in the formula, if that largest present value exceeds the Account Value less a percentage of the Sub-account value, a transfer into the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will occur. Conversely, if the largest present value is less than the Account Value less a percentage of the Sub-account value, a transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will occur. This required formula helps us manage our financial exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations). The formula is set forth in Appendix C.

If your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger, then:

 

your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will remain allocated according to your most recent instructions; and

 

if a portion of your Account Value is allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the applicable guaranteed amount, all or a portion of those amounts will be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts according to any asset allocation programs (including an Automatic Rebalancing program) established on your Annuity or in the absence of such programs, on a proportional basis, based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts at that time;

 

if all of your Account Value is allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation, then all or a portion of that amount may be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts, according to the following hierarchy: (i) first according to any asset allocation program that you may have in effect (ii) if no such program is in effect, then in accordance with any automatic rebalancing program that you may have in effect and (iii) if neither such program is in effect, then to the AST Government Money Market Sub-account; and

 

a Market Value Adjustment will apply when we reallocate Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts, which may result in a decrease or increase in your Account Value.
 

If your Account Value is less than the reallocation trigger, a portion of your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will be transferred from the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis according to your allocations to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) to support the applicable guaranteed amount. The new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will have a Guarantee Period equal to the time remaining until the applicable maturity date(s). The Account Value allocated to the new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will be credited with the fixed interest rate(s) then being credited to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) maturing on the applicable maturity date(s) (rounded to the next highest yearly duration). The Account Value

34 


 

Back to Table of Contents

will remain invested in each applicable Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation until the applicable maturity date unless, at an earlier date, your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger and, therefore, amounts can be transferred to the Sub-accounts while maintaining the guaranteed protection under the program (as described above).

At any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. With respect to any amounts held within the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we can give no assurance how long the amounts will reside there or if such amounts will transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Sub-accounts according to your allocation instructions. Such additional Purchase Payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, if dictated by the formula. The amount of such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.

Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Sub-accounts, 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations 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 (including any Market Value Adjustment) and your Protected Principal Value(s);

 

The amount of time until the maturity of your guarantee(s);

 

The amount invested in, and the performance of, the Sub-accounts;

 

The amount invested in, and interest earned within, the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

The current crediting rates associated with Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

Additional Purchase Payments, if any, that you make to the Annuity; and

 

Withdrawals, if any, taken from the Annuity.
 

Any amounts invested in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will affect your ability to participate in a subsequent recovery within the Sub- accounts. Conversely, the Account Value may be higher at the beginning of the recovery, e.g. more of the Account Value may have been protected from decline and volatility than it otherwise would have been had the benefit not been elected.

While you are not notified when your Account Value reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Account Value either to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

You may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

Separate Fixed Allocations may be established in support of the Protected Principal Value and the Enhanced Protected Principal Value (if elected). There may also be circumstances when a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation will be established only in support of the Protected Principal Value or the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. If you elect an enhanced guarantee, it is more likely that a portion of your Account Value may be allocated to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and will remain allocated for a longer period of time to support the Enhanced Protected Principal Value, even during a period of positive Sub-account performance and/or under circumstances where Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations would not be necessary to support the Protected Principal Value. Further, there may be circumstances where Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations in support of the Protected Principal Value or Enhanced Protected Principal Value are transferred to the Sub-accounts under the formula differently than each other because of the different guarantees they support.

You should be aware of the following potential ramifications of the formula:

 

Transfers of your Account Value can be frequent, and under some scenarios may occur on a daily basis. As indicated, each such transfer may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be positive or negative. Thus, a Market Value Adjustment will directly increase or reduce your Account Value.

 

As indicated, some or even all, of your Account Value may be maintained in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. The greater the Account Value held in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the larger (in dollar terms) the Market Value Adjustment upon any transfer of such Account Value to the Sub-accounts.

 

Transfers under the formula do not impact your guarantees under GRO Plus that have already been locked-in.
 

Election of the Benefit

We no longer permit new elections of GRO Plus. If you currently participate in GRO Plus, your existing guarantees are unaffected by the fact that we no longer offer GRO Plus. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as GRO Plus 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 Account 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.

35 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Termination of the Benefit/Enhanced Guarantee

You can elect to terminate the enhanced guarantee but maintain the protection provided by the base guarantee. You also can terminate the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit entirely, in which case you will lose any existing guarantees.

Upon termination of the benefit or of the enhanced guarantee, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations related to the guarantee(s) being terminated will be transferred as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on your Account Value in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program (b) if your entire Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive prior instructions from you. A Market Value Adjustment will apply (except that if the benefit has terminated automatically due to payment of a death benefit, whether a Market Value Adjustment applies depends solely on the terms of the death benefit – see the Death Benefit section of this prospectus).

In general, you may cancel GRO Plus and then elect another living benefit that is available post issue, effective on any Valuation Day after your cancellation of GRO Plus. If you terminate GRO Plus, you will lose all guarantees under that benefit. Your election of another living benefit is subject to State and firm availability and our eligibility rules.

The benefit will terminate automatically upon: (a) the death of the Owner or the Annuitant (in an entity owned contract); (b) as of the date Account Value is applied to begin annuity payments; or (c) upon full surrender of the Annuity. If you elect to terminate the benefit, the Guaranteed Return Option Plus will no longer provide any guarantees.

Special Considerations under the Guaranteed Return Option Plus

This benefit is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including, but not limited to the following:

 

Upon inception of the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Sub-accounts. No Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations may be in effect as of the date that you elect to participate in the benefit. However, the formula may transfer Account Value to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations as of the effective date of the benefit under some circumstances.

 

You cannot allocate any portion of Purchase Payments (including any Credits) or transfer Account Value to or from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation while participating in the benefit; however, all or a portion of any Purchase Payments (including any Credits) may be allocated by us to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to support the amount guaranteed. You cannot participate in any dollar cost averaging benefit that transfers Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to a Sub-account.

 

Transfers from Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations made as a result of the formula under the benefit will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment formula under an Annuity; however, the 0.10% liquidity factor in the formula will not apply. A Market Value Adjustment may be either positive or negative. Transfer amounts will be taken from the most recently established Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

Transfers from the Sub-accounts to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations or from Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts under the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity.

 

Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will not be treated as “investment in the contract” for income tax purposes.

 

Low interest rates may require allocation to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations even when the current Account Value exceeds the guarantee.

 

As the time remaining until the applicable maturity date gradually decreases the benefit will become increasingly sensitive to moves to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

 

We currently limit the Sub-accounts in which you may allocate Account Value if you participate in this benefit. Should we prohibit access to any investment option, any transfers required to move Account Value to eligible investment options will not be counted in determining the number of free transfers during an Annuity Year.
 

Charges under the Benefit

The maximum charge for Guaranteed Return Option Plus is 0.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Sub-accounts. The annual charge is deducted daily. The charge is deducted to compensate us for: (a) the risk that your Account Value on the maturity date is less than the amount guaranteed; and (b) administration of the benefit. You will begin paying this charge as of the effective date of the benefit. We will not refund the charges you have paid even if we never have to make any payments under the benefit.

If you elect the Enhanced Guarantee under the benefit, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under the benefit have changed for new purchases, your benefit may be subject to the new charge level. These charges will not exceed the maximum charges shown in the section of this prospectus entitled “Benefits Available Under the Annuity.”

36 


 

Back to Table of Contents

DEATH BENEFIT


TRIGGERS FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE DEATH BENEFIT

The Annuity provides a Death Benefit during its Accumulation Period. If the Annuity is owned by one or more natural persons, the Death Benefit is payable upon the first death of an Owner. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is payable upon the Annuitant’s death, if there is no Contingent Annuitant. If a Contingent Annuitant was designated before the Annuitant’s death and the Annuitant dies, then the Contingent Annuitant becomes the Annuitant and a Death Benefit will not be paid at that time. The person upon whose death the Death Benefit is paid is referred to below as the “decedent.”

BASIC DEATH BENEFIT

The Annuity provides a basic Death Benefit at no additional charge. The insurance charge we deduct daily from your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts is used, in part, to pay us for the risk we assume in providing the basic Death Benefit guarantee under the Annuity. Under certain circumstances, your Death Benefit may be reduced by the amount of any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments (see “How are Credits Applied to My Account Value?” and “What are Target Value Credits?”).

Considerations for Contingent Annuitants: We may allow the naming of a Contingent Annuitant when a Nonqualified Annuity contract is held by a pension plan or a tax favored retirement plan or held by a Custodial Account (as defined earlier in this prospectus). In such a situation, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the Annuity contract continues after the death of the Annuitant. In some of our Annuities held by these same types of entities we allow for the naming of a Co-Annuitant, which also is used to mean the successor annuitant (and not another life used for measuring the duration of an annuity payment option). Like in the case of a Contingent Annuitant, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the contract 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 Nonqualified Annuity contract is held by an entity which is not eligible for tax deferral benefits under Section 72(u) of the Code. This does not supersede any benefit language which may restrict the use of the Contingent Annuitant.

The basic Death Benefit depends on the decedent’s age on the date of death:

If death occurs during the first ten (10) Annuity Years: The Death Benefit is the greater of the following, less an amount equal to any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments within the prior 12 months:

 

The sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals; and

 

The sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations.
 

If death occurs after the tenth (10th) Annuity Year: The Death Benefit is your Account Value less an amount equal to any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments within the prior 12 months.

Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated if death occurs during the first ten Annuity Years:

The contract was issued with Purchase Payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Sub-account 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 when you make a withdrawal from the contract. If the contract Owner had withdrawn $10,000 of the remaining $80,000, the death benefit would also be reduced by $10,000. Since the death benefit had been $100,000, it would now be $90,000.

Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated if death occurs after the first ten Annuity Years:

The contract was issued with Purchase Payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Sub-account performance, the Account Value had decreased to $80,000. If the Owner died, the death benefit would be $80,000.

OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFITS


These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity. Certain terms and conditions may differ if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, from any other Annuity we issue.

You can purchase either of two optional Death Benefits with your Annuity to provide an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiaries.

NOTE: You may not elect the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit if you have elected any other Optional Death Benefit.

37 


 

Back to Table of Contents

1. ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit can provide additional amounts to your Beneficiary that may be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Whether this benefit is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary to pay taxes on your Annuity should you die during the Accumulation Period. No benefit is payable if death occurs on or after the Annuity Date.

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit provides a benefit that is payable in addition to the basic Death Benefit. If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 75 or less at the time the benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 75 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 75 or less.

Calculation of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

If you purchase the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit, the Death Benefit is calculated as follows:

 

1. the basic Death Benefit described above;

 

    PLUS

 

 

2. 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.
 

The amount calculated in Items 1 & 2 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

“Proportional withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of your Account Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn.

“Death Benefit Amount” includes your Account Value and any amounts added to your Account Value under the basic Death Benefit when the Death Benefit is calculated. Under the basic Death Benefit, amounts are added to your Account Value when the Account Value is less than Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals.


The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is subject to a maximum of 50% of all Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity at least 12 months prior to the death of the decedent that triggers the payment of the Death Benefit.


The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit described above was offered in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for a discussion of special tax considerations for purchasers of this benefit.

Examples of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made and that no withdrawals are made prior to the Owner’s death. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example with Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $75,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, whichever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $75,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($75,000) PLUS 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.

Purchase Payments

=

$50,000

Account Value

=

$75,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

$75,000

Death Benefit Amount

=

$75,000 - $50,000 = $25,000

Amount Payable Under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = $75,000 + $12,500 = $87,500

38 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Examples with Sub-account decline

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has been decreasing due to declines in Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $45,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, whichever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $50,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($50,000) PLUS 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.

Purchase Payments

=

$50,000

Account Value

=

$45,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

$50,000

Death Benefit Amount

=

$50,000 - $50,000 = $0

Amount Payable Under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = $50,000 + $0 = $50,000

In this example you would receive no additional benefit from purchasing the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit.

2. GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT

If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 80 or less at the time the optional Death Benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 80 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 80 or less.

Key Terms Used with the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

 

The Death Benefit Target Date is the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, the oldest of either joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned.

 

The Highest Anniversary Value equals the highest of all previous “Anniversary Values” on or before the earlier of the Owner’s date of death and the “Death Benefit Target Date”.

 

The Anniversary Value is the Account Value as of each anniversary of the Issue Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments on or after such anniversary less the sum of all “Proportional Reductions” since such anniversary.

 

A Proportional Reduction is a reduction to the value being measured caused by a withdrawal, equaling the percentage of the withdrawal as compared to the Account Value as of the date of the withdrawal. For example, if your Account Value is $10,000 and you withdraw $2,000 (a 20% reduction), we will reduce both your Anniversary Value and the amount determined by Purchase Payments increasing at the appropriate interest rate by 20%.
 

Calculation of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.

If the Owner dies before the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greatest of:

 

1. the Account Value in the Sub-accounts plus the Interim Value of any Fixed Allocations (no Market Value Adjustment) as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death”; and

 

2. the sum of all Purchase Payments minus the sum of all Proportional Reductions, each increasing daily until the Owner’s date of death at a rate of 5.0%, subject to a limit of 200% of the difference between the sum of all Purchase Payments and the sum of all withdrawals as of the Owner’s date of death; and

 

3. the “Highest Anniversary Value” on or immediately preceding the Owner’s date of death.
 

The amount determined by this calculation is increased by any Purchase Payments received after the Owner’s date of death and decreased by any Proportional Reductions since such date. The amount calculated in Items 1 & 3 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

If the Owner dies on or after the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

1. the Account Value as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death” (a Market Value Adjustment may be applicable to amounts in any Fixed Allocations); and

 

2. the greater of Item 2 & 3 above on the Death Benefit Target Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all Proportional Reductions since the Death Benefit Target Date.
 

The amount calculated in Item 1 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

39 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Examples of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made and that no withdrawals are made prior to the Owner’s death. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example of Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has generally been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $90,000. The Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period is $72,000. The Death Benefit would be the Account Value ($90,000) because it is greater than the Highest Anniversary Value ($72,000) or the sum of prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77).

Example of Sub-account decrease

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value generally increased until the fifth anniversary but generally has been decreasing since the fifth contract anniversary. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $48,000. The Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period is $54,000. The Death Benefit would be the sum of prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77) because it is greater than the Highest Anniversary Value ($54,000) or the Account Value ($48,000).

Example of Sub-account increase followed by decrease

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value increased significantly during the first six years following the Issue Date. On the sixth anniversary date the Account Value is $90,000. During the seventh Annuity Year, the Account Value increases to as high as $100,000 but then subsequently falls to $80,000 on the date we receive due proof of death. The Death Benefit would be the Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period ($90,000), which occurred on the sixth anniversary, although the Account Value was higher during the subsequent period. The Account Value on the date we receive due proof of death ($80,000) is lower, as is the sum of all prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77).

Annuities with Joint Owners

For Annuities with Joint Owners, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the oldest of the Joint Owners is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. NOTE: If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we will pay the Death Benefit to the Beneficiary. If the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse, then the surviving spouse can elect to assume ownership of the Annuity and continue the contract instead of receiving the Death Benefit.

Annuities Owned by Entities

For Annuities owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the Annuitant is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. Payment of the Death Benefit is based on the death of the Annuitant (or Contingent Annuitant, if applicable).

Can I terminate the optional Death Benefits? Do the optional Death Benefits terminate under other circumstances?

You can terminate the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit and the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit at any time. Upon termination, you will be required to pay, on a proportional basis, a portion of the annual charge for the benefit. Both optional Death Benefits will terminate automatically on the Annuity Date. We may also terminate any optional Death Benefit if necessary to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations. Once terminated, the benefit cannot be reelected.

What are the charges for the optional Death Benefits?

The maximum charge for Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit and the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit respectively is 0.75% and 0.55%. The charges for these death benefits are deducted in arrears each Annuity Year. No charge applies after the Annuity Date. We deduct the charge:

 

1. on each anniversary of the Issue Date;

 

2. when Account Value is transferred to our general account prior to the Annuity Date;

 

3. if you surrender your Annuity; and

 

4. if you choose to terminate the benefit (Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit only).
 

If you surrender the Annuity, elect to begin receiving annuity payments or terminate the benefit on a date other than an anniversary of the Issue Date, the charge will be prorated. During the first year after the Issue Date, the charge will be prorated from the Issue Date. In all subsequent years, it would be prorated from the last anniversary of the Issue Date.

40 


 

Back to Table of Contents

We first deduct the amount of the charge on a proportional basis from the Account Value in the variable investment options. We only deduct the charge on a proportional basis from the Fixed Allocations to the extent there is insufficient Account Value in the variable investment options to pay the charge. If your Annuity’s Account Value is insufficient to pay the charge, we may deduct your remaining Account Value and terminate your Annuity. We will notify you if your Account Value is insufficient to pay the charge and allow you to submit an additional Purchase Payment to continue your Annuity.

Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for additional considerations in relation to the optional Death Benefit.

PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS

Payment of Death Benefit to Beneficiary from a Non-qualified Annuity

Except in the case of a spousal Beneficiary, in the event of your death, the death benefit must be distributed:

 

as a lump sum amount at any time within five (5) years 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.
 

Unless you have made an election prior to death benefit proceeds becoming due, a Beneficiary can elect to receive the Death Benefit proceeds as a series of fixed annuity payments. See the section entitled “Annuity Options”.

Spousal Beneficiary - Assumption of Annuity

You may name your spouse as your Beneficiary. If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we assume that the sole primary Beneficiary will be the surviving spouse unless you elect an alternative Beneficiary designation. Unless you elect an alternative Beneficiary designation, the spouse Beneficiary may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Death Benefit payment. Any Death Benefit (including any optional Death Benefits) that would have been payable to the Beneficiary will become the new Account Value as of the date we receive due proof of death and any required proof of a spousal relationship. As of the date the assumption is effective, the surviving spouse will have all the rights and benefits that would be available under the Annuity to a new purchaser of the same attained age. For purposes of determining any future Death Benefit for the surviving spouse, the new Account Value will be considered as the initial Purchase Payment. No CDSC will apply to the new Account Value. However, any additional Purchase Payments applied after the date the assumption is effective will be subject to all provisions of the Annuity, including any CDSC that may apply to the additional Purchase Payments.

See the section entitled “Managing Your Annuity - Contingent Annuitant” for a discussion of the treatment of a spousal Contingent Annuitant in the case of the death of the Annuitant in an entity owned Annuity.

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 proposed regulations. The accompanying proposed regulations are generally effective starting January 1, 2023 and we reserve our rights to implement any final regulations addressing these requirements in the future. The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances.

 

10-year rule: If you die after 2019, 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.

 

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 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 new 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 particular, if the EDB dies before the remaining interest is distributed under this stretch rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB’s death (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years). 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 majority, 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 new 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 new law might need to be commuted at the end of that period (or otherwise
 

41 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

    modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by Prudential) in order to comply with the new post-death distribution requirements.

 

    The new 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 or a deferred income annuity contract (including a qualifying lifetime annuity contract, or “QLAC”) 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 new 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 new law, as under prior law, if your Beneficiary is your spouse, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse’s death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse’s own IRA, or by treating your IRA as your surviving spouse’s own IRA subject to specific limits under the proposed regulations. The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear 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 advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
 

For more information, see “Tax Considerations.” You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your Beneficiary designations.

Designated Beneficiaries may be eligible for the IRA Beneficiary Continuation Option; however, distribution periods may be limited by applicable tax law as stated above. Beneficiaries should consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of distribution options.

Upon election of this IRA Beneficiary Continuation option:

 

the Annuity contract will be continued in the Owner’s name, for the benefit of the Beneficiary.

 

the Account 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 Beneficiary may request transfers among Sub-accounts, subject to the same limitations and restrictions that applied to the Owner. NOTE: The Sub-accounts offered under the IRA Beneficiary Continuation option may be limited.

 

no additional Purchase Payments can be applied to the Annuity.

 

the basic Death Benefit and any optional Death 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 Account Value at any time without application of a CDSC.

 

upon the death of the Beneficiary, any remaining Account Value will be paid in a lump sum to the person(s) named by the Beneficiary.

 

all amounts in the Annuity must be paid out to the Beneficiary according to the Minimum Distribution rules described in the Tax Considerations section.
 

Please contact us for additional information on the availability, restrictions and limitations that will apply to a Beneficiary under the IRA Beneficiary Continuation option.

Are there any exceptions to these rules for paying the Death Benefit?

There are exceptions that apply no matter how your Death Benefit is calculated. There are exceptions to the Death Benefit if the decedent was not the Owner or Annuitant as of the Issue Date and did not become the Owner or Annuitant due to the prior Owner’s or Annuitant’s death. Any Death Benefit (including either optional Death Benefit) that applies will be suspended for a two-year period from the date he or she first became Owner or Annuitant. After the two-year suspension period is completed, the Death Benefit is the same as if this person had been an Owner or Annuitant on the Issue Date.

When do you determine the Death Benefit?

We determine the amount of the Death Benefit as of the date we receive “due proof of death”, any instructions we require to determine the method of payment and any other written representations we require to determine the proper payment of the Death Benefit to all Beneficiaries. “Due proof of death” may include a certified copy of a death certificate, a certified copy of a decree of a court of competent jurisdiction as to the finding of death or other satisfactory proof of death. Upon our receipt of “due proof of death” we automatically transfer the Death Benefit to the AST Government Money Market Sub-account until we further determine the universe of eligible Beneficiaries.

Each Beneficiary must make an election as to the method they wish to receive their portion of the Death Benefit. Absent an election of a Death Benefit payment method, no Death Benefit can be paid to the Beneficiary. We may require written acknowledgment of all named Beneficiaries before we can pay the Death Benefit. During the period from the date of death until we receive all required paper work, the amount of the Death Benefit may be subject to Sub-account fluctuations.

42 


 

Back to Table of Contents

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE*


Do you provide any guarantees on my investment?

The Annuity provides variable investment options and fixed investment options. Only the fixed investment options provide a guaranteed return on your investment, subject to certain terms and conditions. However, your Annuity includes a feature at no additional cost that provides certain benefits if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded a “target value” on its 10th anniversary. If, on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, your Account Value has not reached the target value (as defined below) you can choose either of the following benefits:

 

You may continue your Annuity without electing to receive Annuity payments and receive an annual Credit to your Account Value payable until you begin receiving Annuity payments. The Credit is equal to 0.25% of the average of your Annuity’s Account Value for the preceding four complete calendar quarters. This Credit is applied to your investment options on a proportional basis based on the allocation of your then current Account Value.
 

OR

 

You may begin receiving Annuity payments within one year and accept a one-time Credit to your Annuity equal to 10% of the net of the Account Value on the 10th anniversary of its Issue Date minus the sum of all Purchase Payments allocated in the prior five years. The annuity option you select must initially guarantee payments for not less than seven years.
 

Following the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, we will inform you if your Account Value did not meet or exceed the Target Value. We will assume that you have elected to receive the annual credit to your Account Value unless, not less than 30 days prior to the next anniversary of the Annuity, we receive at our home office your election to begin receiving Annuity payments. Certain provisions of this benefit and of the Target Value Credits described below may differ if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, from any other Annuity we issue.

What is the “Target Value” and how is it calculated?

The Target Value is a tool used to determine whether you are eligible to elect either of the benefits described above. The Target Value does not impact the Account Value available if you surrender your Annuity or make a partial withdrawal and does not impact the Death Benefit available to your Beneficiary(ies). The Target Value assumes a rate of return over ten (10) Annuity Years that will allow your initial investment to double in value, adjusted for any withdrawals and/or additional Purchase Payments you make during the 10 year period. We calculate the “Target Value” as follows:

 

1. Accumulate the initial Purchase Payment at an annual interest rate of 7.2% until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date; plus

 

2. Accumulate any additional Purchase Payments at an annual interest rate of 7.2% from the date applied until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date; minus

 

3. Each “proportional reduction” resulting from any withdrawal, accumulating at an annual interest rate of 7.2% from the date the withdrawal is processed until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. We determine each “proportional reduction” by determining the percentage of your Account Value then withdrawn and reducing the Target Value by that same percentage. We include any withdrawals under your Annuity in this calculation, as well as the charge we deduct for any optional benefits you elect under the Annuity, but not the charge we deduct for the Annual Maintenance Fee or the Transfer Fee.
 

Examples

 

1. Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no further Purchase Payments. The Target Value on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date would be $20,042, assuming no withdrawals are made. This is equal to $10,000 accumulating at an annual rate of 7.2% for the 10-year period. In this example if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded the Target Value of $20,042 on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, you may choose to elect either of the benefits described above.

 

2. Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no further Purchase Payments. Assume at the end of Year 6, your Account Value has increased to $15,000 and you make a withdrawal of 10% or $1,500. The Target Value on the 10th anniversary would be $18,722. This is equal to $10,000 accumulating at an annual rate of 7.2% for the 10-year period, minus the proportional reduction accumulating at an annual interest rate of 7.2%. In this example if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded the Target Value of $18,722 on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, you may choose to elect either of the benefits described above.
 

Can I restart the 10-year Target Value calculation?

You can elect to lock in the growth in your Annuity by “restarting” the 10-year period on any anniversary of the Issue Date. If you elect to restart the calculation period, we will treat your Account Value on the restart date as if it was your Purchase Payment when determining if your Annuity’s Account Value meets or exceeds the Target Value on the appropriate tenth (10th) anniversary. You may elect to restart the calculation more than once, in which case, the 10-year calculation period will begin on the date of the last restart date. We must receive your election to restart the calculation at our home office not later than 30 days after each anniversary of the Issue Date.

43 


 

Back to Table of Contents

What are Target Value Credits?

Target Value Credits are additional amounts that we apply to your Account Value to increase the likelihood that your Account Value will meet or exceed the Target Value. We add Target Value Credits to your Account Value at the time a Purchase Payment is applied to your Annuity. Only those Purchase Payments made before the first anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity are eligible to receive Target Value Credits. Target Value Credits are separate and distinct from other Credits we apply to all Purchase Payments.

The amount of the Target Value Credit is equal to 1.0% of each qualifying Purchase Payment. Target Value Credits are only payable on qualifying Purchase Payments if the Owner(s) of the Annuity is(are) less than age 81 on its Issue Date. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the age restriction applies to the age of the Annuitant on the Issue Date. The Target Value Credit is payable from our general account and is allocated to the investment options in the same ratio that the qualifying Purchase Payment is allocated.

Target Value Credits will not be available if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, of an Annuity we issued that has the same or a similar benefit.

The amount of any Target Value Credits is not immediately vested and can be recaptured by us under the circumstances and for the time periods shown below. If we exercise our right to recapture the amount of any Target Value Credit, any investment gain on the Target Value Credit will not be recaptured.

 

1. If you surrender your Annuity before the 10th anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity.

 

2. If you elect to begin receiving Annuity payments before the first anniversary of the Issue Date.

 

3. If a person on whose life we pay the Death Benefit dies, or if a “contingency event” occurs which triggers a medically-related surrender:

 

a. within 12 months after the date a Target Value Credit was allocated to your Account Value; or

 

b. within 10 years after the date a Target Value Credit was allocated to your Account Value if any Owner was over age 70 on the Issue Date, or, if the Annuity was then owned by an entity, the Annuitant was over age 70 on the Issue Date.
 

Following completion of the above time periods, the amount of any Target Value Credits is vested in the Owner.

* Performance Advantage may be referred to as “Prudential Annuities’ Performance Advantage” in certain instances.

44 


 

Back to Table of Contents

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT


HOW IS MY ACCOUNT VALUE DETERMINED?

During the Accumulation Period, the Annuity has an Account Value. The Account Value is determined separately for each Sub-account allocation and for each Fixed Allocation. The Account Value is the sum of the values of each Sub-account allocation and the value of each Fixed Allocation. The Account Value does not reflect any CDSC that may apply to a withdrawal or surrender. The Account Value includes any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture under certain circumstances. When determining the Account Value on any day other than a Fixed Allocation’s Maturity Date, the Account Value may include any Market Value Adjustment that would apply to a Fixed Allocation (if withdrawn or transferred) on that day.

SURRENDER VALUE

The Surrender Value of your Annuity is the value available to you on any day during the Accumulation Period. The Surrender Value is equal to your Account Value minus any CDSC, the Annual Maintenance Fee, the charge for any optional benefits and any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture upon surrender of your Annuity. The Surrender Value will also include any Market Value Adjustment that may apply.

VALUING THE FIXED ALLOCATIONS

During the Guarantee Period, we use the concept of an Interim Value. The Interim Value can be calculated on any day and is equal to the initial value allocated to a Fixed Allocation plus all interest credited to a Fixed Allocation as of the date calculated. The Interim Value does not include the impact of any Market Value Adjustment. If you made any transfers or withdrawals from a Fixed Allocation, the Interim Value will reflect the withdrawal of those amounts and any interest credited to those amounts before they were withdrawn. To determine the Account Value of a Fixed Allocation on any day other than its Maturity Date, we multiply the Account Value of the Fixed Allocation times the Market Value Adjustment factor.

PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS

We are 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). Financial transactions requested before the close of the NYSE which meet our requirements will be processed according to the value next determined following the close of business. Financial transactions requested on a non-Valuation Day or after the close of the NYSE will be processed based on the value next computed on the next Valuation Day. There may be circumstances when the opening or closing time of the NYSE is different than other major stock exchanges, such as NASDAQ. Under such circumstances, the closing time of the NYSE will be used when valuing and processing transactions.

There may be circumstances where the NYSE is open, however, due to inclement weather, natural disaster or other circumstances beyond our control, our offices may be closed or our business processing capabilities may be restricted. Under those circumstances, your Account Value may fluctuate based on changes in the Unit Values, but you may not be able to transfer Account Value or make a purchase or redemption request.

The NYSE is closed on certain announced holidays. On those dates, we will not process any financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders.

We 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 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.
 

Initial Purchase Payments: We no longer allow new purchases of this Annuity. We allocated your initial Purchase Payment to the Sub-accounts within two (2) days after we receive all of our requirements to issue the Annuity. If we did not have all the required information to allow us to issue your Annuity, we may have retained the Purchase Payment while we tried to reach you or your representative to obtain all of our requirements. If we were unable to obtain all of our required information within five (5) days, we were required to return the Purchase Payment to you at that time, unless you specifically consented to our retaining the Purchase Payment while we gathered the required information. Once we obtained the required information, we invested the Purchase Payment and issued the Annuity within two (2) days. During any period that we were trying to obtain the required information, your money was not invested.

Additional Purchase Payments: We will apply any additional Purchase Payments on the Valuation Day that we receive the Purchase Payment with satisfactory allocation instructions.

45 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Scheduled Transactions: “Scheduled” transactions include transfers under a Dollar Cost Averaging, rebalancing, or asset allocation program, Systematic Withdrawals, Minimum Distributions or annuity payments. 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 and valued on Valuation Day prior to the scheduled transaction date.

Unscheduled Transactions: “Unscheduled” transactions include any other non-scheduled transfers and requests for Partial Withdrawals or Charge Free Withdrawals or Surrenders. Unscheduled transactions are processed and valued as of the Valuation Day we receive the request at our Office and have all of the required information.

Medically-related Surrenders & Death Benefits: Medically-related surrender requests and Death Benefit claims require our review and evaluation before processing. We price such transactions as of the date we receive at our Office all supporting documentation we require for such transactions and that are satisfactory to us.

Termination of Optional Benefit: If you terminate the Guaranteed Return Option benefit or the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit, we will no longer deduct the charge we apply to purchase the optional benefit. On the date the charge no longer applies, your Annuity will become subject to a different daily asset-based charge. We will process a transaction where your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts will be used to purchase new Units of the Sub-accounts that reflect the insurance charge, but not the charge for the optional program that you terminated. The number of Units attributed to your Annuity will be decreased and the Unit Price of each Unit of the Sub-accounts in which you invested will be increased. The adjustment in the number of Units and Unit Price will not affect your Account Value. Beginning on that date, your Account Value will be determined based on the change in the value of Units that reflect the insurance charge.

46 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Tax Considerations


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 establish an advisory fee deduction program for a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity with no living benefit 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. Charges for investment advisory fees that are taken from a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity with a living benefit are treated as a partial withdrawal from the Annuity and will be tax reported as such to the Annuity Owner.

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.

NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

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, an Annuity 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 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 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 purchased prior to August 14, 1982. Withdrawals are treated as a return of cost basis in the Annuity 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.

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. This rule does not apply if you transfer the Annuity to your spouse or under most circumstances if you transfer the Annuity incident to divorce.

47 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 “ Access to Account Value” section earlier in 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. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, this deduction is suspended until after 2025.

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 $15,200 for estates and 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 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 or receiving Annuity within 180 days of the date on which the partial exchange was completed (other than an amount received as

48 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 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 investment in the contract 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 (as defined earlier in this prospectus). 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 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.

49 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 “Death Benefits” 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 Sub-accounts 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 Investment 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 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 for tax purposes if persons with ownership rights have excessive control over the investments underlying such variable Annuity. 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 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.

QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

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.

50 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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”). Go to www.irs.gov for the contribution 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). 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;

 

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 1 st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age (see the Required Minimum Distribution rules for more details); and
 

51 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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.
 

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 limit 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. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. with the employer making these contributions to the SEP. 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. Under SECURE 2.0, employers may offer employees the ability to elect to treat employee and employer SEP contributions (in whole or in part) as made to a Roth IRA. 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).

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 are also subject to Roth IRA annual contribution limits, and the 529 account must have been open for more than 15 years, among other requirements.

The Code also permits the recharacterization of current year contribution amounts from a traditional IRA, SEP, or SIMPLE 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.

52 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Once an Annuity has been purchased, regular Roth IRA contributions will be accepted to the extent permitted by law. 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 (under limited circumstances, and only related to salary deferrals, not including earnings attributable to these amounts).
 

In any event, you must begin receiving distributions from your TDA by April 1 st 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 are not subject to these rules during the Owner’s lifetime.

53 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 IRS 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. 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 Annuities 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.

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. Effective 2020, 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 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. Consistent with the applicable IRS instructions, we report these distributions as normal IRA distributions on Form 1099-R. Individuals are responsible for reflecting the distributions as charitable IRA distributions on their personal tax returns.

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 new law applies if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, this new law generally applies if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).

 

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 determined on the date of
 

54 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

your death. An EDB (other than a minor child) can generally stretch distributions over their life or life expectancy if payments begin within one 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 10 th 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, EDBs who are older than the Owner, 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 new 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 new 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 new requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract or a deferred income annuity contract (including a qualifying lifetime annuity contract, or “QLAC”) 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 year 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, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse’s death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse’s own IRA, or by electing to treat your IRA as your surviving spouse’s own IRA.
 

The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear in numerous respects. Treasury has issued proposed regulations that may impact these required minimum distribution requirements for calendar years on or after January 1, 2023. We reserve the right to make changes in order to comply with the proposed regulations, or any final 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.

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
 

55 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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.)
 

Other exceptions to this tax may apply. 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.

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

56 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

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.

57 


 

Back to Table of Contents

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


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 through our website at www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-HARVESTERXT-STAT or any other electronic means. We send a confirmation statement to you each time a transaction is made affecting Account Value, such as making additional Purchase Payments, 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 the Annual Maintenance Fee, systematic withdrawals (including 72(t) payments and required minimum distributions), bank drafting, dollar cost averaging, and static rebalancing, 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 Office 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 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.

WHO IS FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY?

Annuities and Life Insurance are issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“FLIAC”), located in Jersey City, NJ. Fortitude Re has retained The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”) as an unaffiliated Third-Party Administrator. Variable Annuities are distributed by Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), Shelton, CT (main office). PICA and PAD are Prudential Financial Inc. companies. Each company (FLIAC, PICA, PAD) is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

Fortitude Re is the marketing name for FGH Parent, L.P. and its subsidiaries, including FLIAC. Each subsidiary is responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

FLIAC is in the process of changing its name from Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (“PALAC”) in certain jurisdictions. References to FLIAC shall be deemed to be references to PALAC in the jurisdictions where the name change is not yet effective.

Pursuant to the delivery obligations under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) and Rule 159 thereunder, we deliver this prospectus to current Owners that reside outside of the United States. In addition, we may not market or offer benefits, features or enhancements to prospective or current Owners while outside of the United States.

Service Providers

The Company conducts the bulk of its annuity operations through The Prudential Insurance Company of America (together with certain of its affiliates, the “Administrator”) and other third-party service providers, subject to the Company’s oversight. The entities engaged directly or indirectly by the Company to provide services may change over time.

The Administrator services and administers the Annuity on behalf of the Company through one or more third party administrator, administrative services or other similar agreements. The Administrator’s principal executive offices are located at One Corporate Drive, Shelton, CT 06484. The Administrator is an affiliate of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., the distributor of the Annuity, but is not otherwise an affiliate of the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Company and the Administrator were affiliates.

As of December 31, 2023, the following non-affiliated entities could be deemed service providers to the Company in connection with the Annuity.

Name of Service Provider

Services Provided

Address

Broadridge Investor Communication

Proxy services and regulatory mailings

51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY, 11717

DFIN Donnelley Financial Solutions

N-CEN filings

35 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL, 60601

Docufree Corporation

Records management and administration of annuity contracts Mail receipt / Imaging, check deposits, pricing, ahoc mailings.

10 Ed Preate Drive, Moosic, PA, 18507

EXL Service Holdings, Inc

Administration of annuity contracts

350 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10022

58 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Name of Service Provider

Services Provided

Address

FTI Consulting Inc.

TPA Audits

555 12th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC, 20004

Guidehouse

Claim related services

150 North Riverside Plaza, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL, 60606

National Financial Services

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA, 02109

Open Text, Inc

Fax Services

100 Tri-State International Parkway, Lincolnshire, IL, 60069

PERSHING LLC

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

One Pershing Plaza, Jersey City, NJ, 07399

Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”)

Third party administration and processing for Annuity contracts

213 Washington Street, Newark, NJ, 07102- 2992

The Depository Trust Clearinghouse Corporation

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

55 Water Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY, 10041

Thomson Reuters

Tax reporting services

3 Times Square, New York, NY, 10036

Universal Wilde

Composition, printing, and mailing of contracts and benefit documents

26 Dartmouth Street, Westwood, MA, 02090

WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?

During the Accumulation Period, the assets supporting obligations based on allocations to the variable investment options are held in Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (the “Separate Account”). Income, gains and losses credited to, or charged against, the Separate Account reflect the Separate Account’s own investment experience and not the investment experience of our other assets. The assets of the Separate Account may not be used to pay any liabilities of ours other than those arising from the Annuity and other annuity contracts issued in connection with the Separate Account. We are obligated to pay all amounts promised to investors under the Annuity.

The Separate Account consists of multiple Sub-accounts. Each Sub-account invests only in a single Portfolio. The name of each Sub-account generally corresponds to the name of the Portfolio. Each Sub-account may have several different Unit Prices to reflect charges that are offered under annuities issued by us through the Separate Account. The Separate 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 the Separate Account. We may offer new Sub-accounts, eliminate Sub-accounts, or combine Sub-accounts at our sole discretion. We may also close Sub-accounts to additional Purchase Payments on existing annuities or close Sub-accounts 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 Sub-accounts, eliminate Sub-accounts, substitute Sub-accounts or combine Sub-accounts;

 

close Sub-accounts to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or close Sub-accounts 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 Sub-account
 

We will first notify you and receive any necessary SEC and/or state approval before making such a change. If an underlying Portfolio 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 Portfolios, so we cannot guarantee that any of those Portfolios will always be available.

WHAT IS THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE PORTFOLIOS?

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.

59 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Voting Rights

We are the legal Owner of the shares of the underlying Portfolios in which the Sub-accounts invest. However, under current SEC rules, you have voting rights in relation to Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. 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 Sub-account. 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 investment 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 investment 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 Sub-account 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 Sub-accounts under the Annuity are managed by the same advisor or Sub-advisor 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 Sub-account.

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 investment 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 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, 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. Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. receives Rule 12b-1 fees which compensate it for distribution and administrative services (including recordkeeping services and the mailing of prospectuses and reports to Owners invested in the Portfolios). These fees are paid by the underlying Portfolio out of each Portfolio’s assets and are therefore borne by Owners.

We 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 administrative services 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.

60 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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, 2023, under the kind of agreements described in this paragraph, there were no payments received.

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 affiliated with us related to the offering of investment options within variable annuity contracts or life insurance policies offered by our different business units.

WHO DISTRIBUTES THE ANNUITIES?

Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity offered through this prospectus. PAD acts as the distributor of several annuity and life insurance products and the AST Portfolios. Other than in its role as distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity, PAD is not affiliated with the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Company and PAD were affiliates by virtue of common control. 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 (the “Exchange Act”) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Annuity is no longer sold but Owners may make additional Purchase Payments and transfer Account Value in accordance with the Annuity. PAD enters into distribution agreements with both affiliated and unaffiliated broker-dealers who are registered under the Exchange Act (“Firms”). Applications for annuity products are solicited by registered representatives of those firms. PAD utilizes a network of its own registered representatives to wholesale annuity products to Firms. Because a variable annuity contract is an insurance product as well as a security, all registered representatives who sell variable annuity contracts are also appointed as insurance agents of ours.

We sell our annuity products through multiple distribution channels, including (1) independent broker-dealer firms and financial planners; (2) broker-dealers that are members of the New York Stock Exchange, including “wirehouse” and regional broker-dealer firms; and (3) broker-dealers affiliated with banks or that specialize in marketing to customers of banks. Although we are active in each of those distribution channels, the majority of our sales have come from the independent broker-dealer firms and financial planners.

Under the selling agreements, cash compensation in the form of commissions is paid to firms on sales according to one or more schedules. The registered representative will receive a portion of the compensation, depending on the practice of his or her firm. Commissions are generally based on a percentage of Purchase Payments made. Alternative compensation schedules are available that generally provide a lower initial commission plus ongoing quarterly compensation based on all or a portion of the Account Value. We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to your Annuity. 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 of our 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 our annuity products sold through the firm. Commissions and other cash compensation paid in relation to your Annuity do not result in any additional charge to you or to the Separate Account.

In connection with the sale and servicing of the Annuity, Firms may receive cash compensation and/or non-cash compensation. Cash compensation includes discounts, concessions, 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.

We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing Firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to the Annuity. 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 of our 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 our annuity products sold through the Firm.

In addition, in an effort to promote the sale of our products (which may include the placement of the Annuity 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 Annuity’s features; 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

61 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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 occasional 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 us.

A list of the firms to whom we pay an amount under these arrangements is provided below. You should note that firms and individual registered representatives and branch managers within some firms participating in one of these compensation arrangements might receive greater compensation for selling one annuity than for selling a different annuity that is not eligible for these compensation arrangements. While compensation is generally considered 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. Your registered representative can provide you with more information about the compensation arrangements that apply to your Annuity. Further information about the firms that are part of these compensation arrangements appears in the Statement of Additional Information, which is available without charge upon request.

The list below includes the names of the firms that we are aware as of December 31, 2023 received cash compensation with respect to our annuity business during 2023 (or as to which a payment amount was accrued during 2023). The firms listed below include those receiving payments in connection with marketing of products issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company. During 2023, the least amount paid, and greatest amount paid, were $2.00 and $5,108,969.88, respectively.

Name of Firm:

AMERICAN PORTFOLIO FIN SVCS INC

ASSOCIATED SECURITIES CORP

Allstate Financial Srvcs, LLC

CUSO Financial Services, L.P.

Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc.

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.

Centaurus Financial, Inc.

Cetera Advisor Network LLC

Commonwealth Financial Network

Concourse Financial Group Securities Inc

Crown Capital Securities, L.P.

Equitable Advisors, LLC

Equity Services, Inc.

Geneos Wealth Management, Inc.

Grove Point Investments

Hantz Financial Services,Inc.

Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC.

Kestra Financial, Inc.

LPL Financial Corporation

Lincoln Financial Advisors

Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation

Lincoln Investment Planning

M Holdings Securities, Inc

MML Investors Services, Inc.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Mutual Service Corporation

Next Financial Group, Inc.

OSAIC Wealth

PNC Investments, LLC

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION

Raymond James Financial Svcs

SA Stone Wealth Management Inc.

Securian Financial Svcs, Inc.

Securities America, Inc.

Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

TFS Securities, Inc.

The Investment Center

TransAmerica Financial Advisors, Inc.

Triad Advisors, Inc.

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

United Planners Fin. Serv.

WATERSTONE FINANCIAL GROUP INC

WELLS FARGO ADVISORS LLC – WEALTH

Wells Fargo Advisors LLC

Wells Fargo Investments

Woodbury Financial Services

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company and the Separate Account are incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information.

INDEMNIFICATION

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

62 


 

Back to Table of Contents

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Company nor the Separate Account 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 Separate Account, or the Company’s ability to meet its obligations under the Annuity.

As of the date of this prospectus, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. is not a party to any material legal proceedings outside of the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. Although Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. 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 its ability to meet its obligations related to the Annuity.

HOW TO CONTACT US

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.

Annuities Service Center

Call our Annuities Service Center at 1-800-879-7012 during normal business hours.

Internet

Access information about your Annuity through our website: www.prudential.com/annuities

Correspondence Sent by Regular Mail

Annuities Service Center
P.O. Box 7960
Philadelphia, PA 19176

Correspondence Sent by Overnight*, Certified or Registered Mail

Annuities Service
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 Annuities 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 Annuities Service Center should be sent to the address shown above. Your correspondence will be picked up at this address and then delivered to our Annuities Service Center. Your correspondence is not considered received by us until it is received at our Annuities 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 Annuities 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 Annuities 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/annuities, 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 or your financial professional, 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 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/annuities, our website. Any third party that you authorize to perform financial transactions on your account will be assigned a PIN for your account.

63 


 

Back to Table of Contents

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.

We do 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. Regular and/or express mail 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. We reserve the right to limit, restrict or terminate telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic transaction privileges at any time.

This prospectus is being provided for informational or educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives or financial situation of any Annuity Owner. The information is not intended as investment advice and is not a recommendation about managing or investing your retirement savings. Annuity Owners seeking information regarding their particular investment needs should contact a financial professional.

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.

FORTITUDE RE AND THE FORTITUDE RE LOGO ARE SERVICE MARKS OF FORTITUDE GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC AND ITS AFFILIATES. OTHER PROPRIETARY FORTITUDE RE MARKS MAY BE DESIGNATED AS SUCH THROUGH THE USE OF THE SM OR ® SYMBOLS.

XTRA CREDIT, GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION (GRO), AND GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS (GRO PLUS) ARE SERVICE MARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA AND ARE USED UNDER LICENSE BY FORTITUDE RE.

64 


 

Back to Table of Contents

APPENDIX A – PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY


The following is a list of Portfolios available under the Annuity. 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/FLIAC-HARVESTERXT-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an email request 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 fees and expenses of the Portfolios, 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. Each Portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

Allspring VT Discovery All Cap Growth Fund - Class 11,
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

0.75%

33.50%

13.80%

10.68%

Equity

Allspring VT Opportunity Fund - Class 1
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

0.75%

26.83%

15.03%

10.60%

Equity

Allspring VT Small Cap Growth Fund - Class 11
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

0.92%

4.35%

7.95%

6.86%

Allocation

AST Academic Strategies Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate
Systematica Limited
Wellington Management Company LLP
Western Asset Management Company, LLC
Western Asset Management Company Limited

1.14%

10.21%

5.34%

3.67%

Allocation

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio1,
Jennison Associates LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate
PGIM Fixed Income

0.91%

14.48%

7.94%

6.33%

Allocation

AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.90%

15.77%

7.86%

6.14%

A-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Allocation

AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.90%

18.09%

9.74%

7.30%

Fixed Income

AST Core Fixed Income Portfolio1
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
Wellington Management Company LLP
Western Asset Management Company, LLC
Western Asset Management Company Limited

0.72%

6.35%

1.11%

2.28%

Fixed Income

AST Government Money Market Portfolio1
PGIM Fixed Income

0.57%

4.62%

1.54%

0.93%

Fixed Income

AST High Yield Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited

0.94%

10.56%

4.24%

4.00%

Equity

AST International Equity Portfolio1
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
LSV Asset Management
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC

1.06%

17.75%

10.39%

6.08%

Allocation

AST J.P. Morgan Global Thematic Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.04%

13.88%

7.51%

5.59%

Allocation

AST J.P. Morgan Tactical Preservation Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.03%

10.35%

5.08%

4.07%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Growth Portfolio1,
Clearbridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

0.93%

43.63%

15.03%

13.40%

Allocation

AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.92%

11.78%

4.63%

4.14%

Allocation

AST Prudential Growth Allocation Portfolio1
Jennison Associates LLC
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate

0.89%

18.06%

7.27%

6.17%

A-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Allocation

AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio1
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
T. Rowe Price International, Ltd
T. Rowe Price Australia Ltd.

0.89%

16.86%

8.37%

6.40%

Equity

Davis Value Portfolio1,
Investment Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
Sub-Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers–NY, Inc.

0.73%

32.63%

12.83%

8.85%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Discovery Mid Cap Growth Fund - Series I shares1,
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.87%

13.15%

12.77%

9.79%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.98%

46.94%

14.92%

12.24%

Fixed Income

ProFund Access VP High Yield♦,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

10.43%

2.74%

2.91%

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 Sub-accounts for those variable annuity contracts and an AST bond Portfolio Sub-account 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 Sub-accounts and the AST bond Sub-account 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 Sub-account 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.
The additional information below may be applicable to the Portfolios listed in the above table:
  Davis Value Portfolio
Effective April 29, 2013 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.
  Invesco V.I. Discovery Mid Cap Growth Fund - Series I shares
Effective May 1, 2020 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.
  Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares
Effective May 1, 2022 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.

A-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

  ProFund Access VP High Yield
Effective April 26, 2021 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.

Investment Restrictions

Please note that the following Portfolios are not available if you have elected any of the following optional benefits:

Optional Benefit Name:

All Investment Options Permitted, EXCEPT These:

Guaranteed Return Option
Guaranteed Return Option Plus

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund – Series I shares
ProFund Access VP High Yield

A-4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

APPENDIX B – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION BENEFIT


We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Sub-accounts and the Fixed Allocations. We will not alter this predetermined mathematical formula.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:

 

AV is the current Account Value of the Annuity (including any Market Value Adjustment on Fixed Allocations)

 

V is the current Account Value of the elected Sub-accounts of the Annuity

 

F is the current Account Value of the Fixed Allocations

 

G is the Principal Value of the guarantee

 

t is the number of whole and partial years between the current Valuation Day and the maturity date.

 

ti is the number of whole and partial years between the next Valuation Day (i.e., the Valuation Day immediately following the current Valuation Day) and the maturity date.

 

r is the fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length t (t1 is rounded to the next highest whole number to determine this rate) as of the current Valuation Day.

 

ri is the fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length t1 (t1 is rounded to the next highest whole number to determine this rate) as of the next Valuation Day.

 

M is the total maturity value of all Fixed Allocations, i.e., the total value that the Fixed Allocations will have on the maturity date of the guarantee if no subsequent transactions occur.
 

The formula determines, on each Valuation Day, when a transfer is required.

The formula begins by determining a “cushion”, D:

D

=

1 – [(G – M) / (1 + r)ti] / V

Next, the formula determines whether or not a transfer to or from the Fixed Allocations is needed:

A transfer into the Fixed Allocations will occur if D < 0.20, V > 0, and V > 0.02 × AV.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(V, (V × (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – G + M) / (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – (1 + r)t)))

A transfer from the Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts will occur if D > 0.30 and F > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(F, (V × (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – G + M) / ((1 + r)t – 0.75 × (1 + ri)ti)))

B-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

APPENDIX C – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS BENEFIT


We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Sub-accounts and the Fixed Allocations. We will not alter the pre-determined mathematical formula.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:

 

AV is the current Account Value of the Annuity (including any Market Value Adjustment on Fixed Allocations)

 

V is the current Account Value of the elected Sub-accounts of the Annuity

 

F is the current Account Value of the Fixed Allocations
 

For each guarantee provided under the program,

 

Gi is the Principal Value of the guarantee

 

ti is the number of whole and partial years until the maturity date of the guarantee.

 

ri is the current fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length ti (ti is rounded to the next highest integer to determine this rate).
 

The formula determines, on each Valuation Day, when a transfer is required.

The formula begins by determining for each guarantee the value (Li) that, if appreciated at the current fixed rate, would equal the Principal Value on the applicable maturity date. We call the greatest of these values the “current liability (L).”

L

=

MAX (Li), where Li = Gi / (1 + ri)ti

Next, the formula determines whether or not a transfer to or from the Fixed Allocations is needed:

A transfer into the Fixed Allocations will occur if L > (AV – 0.2 × V), and V > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(V, (V – (1 / 0.23) × (AV – L)))

A transfer from the Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts will occur if L < (AV – 0.26 × V), and F > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(F, ((1 / 0.23) × (AV – L) – V))

C-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

Mailing


This prospectus describes the important features of the Annuity and provides information about Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”) and Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (Separate Account).

We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Statement of Additional Information (SAI) that includes additional information about the Annuity 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 1-800-879-7012.

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.


 

Back to Table of Contents


10 Exchange Place
Suite 2210
Jersey City, New Jersey 07302

Edgar Contract Identifier: C000010700

EVAXTPROS


 

FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B
A Fortitude Re Company
10 Exchange Place, Suite 2210, Jersey City, NJ 07302

ADVANCED SERIES XTRA CREDIT PREMIER

Flexible Premium Deferred Annuities

This Prospectus describes Advanced Series XTra Credit Premier, a flexible premium deferred annuity (the “Annuity”), offered by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company, formerly named Prudential Annuities Life Assurance (“we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”). The Annuity provides for the potential accumulation of retirement savings and retirement income through Annuitization. The Annuity is intended for retirement or other long-term investment purposes. This prospectus describes all material rights and obligations of Annuity Owners under the Annuity contracts. The Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Options available with this Annuity are described in a separate prospectus, Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option Under Certain Variable Annuity Contracts, which can be found on our website www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-MVA2-S3.

If you are receiving this prospectus, it is because you currently own the Annuity. The Annuity is no longer offered for new sales.

Please read this prospectus and retain it for future reference.

In compliance with U.S. law, we deliver this prospectus to Annuity Owners that currently reside outside of the United States. In addition, 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, are NOT insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency. An investment in an annuity involves investment risks, including possible loss of value.


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, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at www.investor.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 1-800-879-7012 OR VISIT: WWW.PRUDENTIAL.COM/ANNUITIES

Prospectus Dated: May 1, 2024

Statement of Additional Information Dated: May 1, 2024

 

FUSIXTPROS 


 

 

Table of Contents


GLOSSARY OF TERMS.......................................................................................

1

KEY INFORMATION.........................................................................................

3

OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUITY..................................................................................

5

FEE TABLE................................................................................................

6

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE ANNUITY................................................................

8

INVESTMENT OPTIONS......................................................................................

9

WHAT ARE THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS?............................................................

9

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?.....................................................................

9

HOW DO THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS WORK?..................................................................

9

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE RATES FOR FIXED ALLOCATIONS?...................................................

9

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY GUARANTEE PERIOD MATURES?....................................................

10

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS............................................................................

11

FIXED RATE OPTION CHARGES............................................................................

12

ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION CHARGES......................................................................

12

EXCEPTIONS/REDUCTIONS TO FEES AND CHARGES...........................................................

12

PURCHASING YOUR ANNUITY.................................................................................

13

REQUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASING THE ANNUITY.............................................................

13

DESIGNATION OF OWNER, ANNUITANT, AND BENEFICIARY......................................................

13

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY...................................................................................

15

CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS.............................................

15

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENTS........................................................................

16

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS DIRECTLY FROM A BANK ACCOUNT....................................................

16

SALARY REDUCTION PROGRAMS..........................................................................

16

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE............................................................................

17

HOW AND WHEN ARE PURCHASE PAYMENTS INVESTED?.......................................................

17

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?.............................................................................

17

HOW ARE CREDITS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT VALUE?.........................................................

18

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS...............................................

19

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS.....................................................................

21

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING PROGRAMS.....................................................................

21

DO YOU OFFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO GUARANTEE A “RETURN OF PREMIUM” AT A FUTURE DATE?.................

21

FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERMISSION TO FORWARD TRANSACTION INSTRUCTIONS...............................

22

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE................................................................................

23

TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU...............................................................

23

TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES........................................

23

CAN I WITHDRAW A PORTION OF MY ANNUITY?...............................................................

23

FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNTS............................................................................

24

IS THERE A CHARGE FOR A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL?...........................................................

24

CAN YOU CLOSE MY ACCOUNT AND INVOLUNTARILY REDEEM MY INVESTMENT?...................................

24

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS..............................................................................

25

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS UNDER SECTION 72(t) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE..............................

25

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS.......................................................................

25

SURRENDERS.............................................................................................

26

SURRENDER VALUE.....................................................................................

26

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS.......................................................................

26

ANNUITY OPTIONS..........................................................................................

27

ANNUITY OPTIONS......................................................................................

27

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?................................................

27

HOW ARE ANNUITY PAYMENTS CALCULATED?...............................................................

27

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY.....................................................................

29

OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFITS..................................................................................

30

GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION (GRO)......................................................................

30

DEATH BENEFIT............................................................................................

38

 

 

 

TRIGGERS FOR PAYMENT OF THE DEATH BENEFIT............................................................

38

BASIC DEATH BENEFIT...................................................................................

38

ANNUITY REWARDS.....................................................................................

42

PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS............................................................................

43

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE.................................................................................

46

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT.................................................................................

48

HOW IS MY ACCOUNT VALUE DETERMINED?.................................................................

48

SURRENDER VALUE.....................................................................................

48

VALUING THE SUB-ACCOUNTS............................................................................

48

VALUING THE FIXED ALLOCATIONS.........................................................................

48

PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS.................................................................

48

TAX CONSIDERATIONS......................................................................................

50

NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES...............................................................................

50

QUALIFIED ANNUITIES...................................................................................

53

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS............................................................................

60

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...................................................................................

61

HOW WILL I RECEIVE STATEMENTS AND REPORTS?...........................................................

61

WHO IS FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY?....................................................

61

WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?.....................................................................

62

WHAT IS THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE PORTFOLIOS?.......................................................

62

WHO DISTRIBUTES THE ANNUITIES?........................................................................

64

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................................................................................

65

INDEMNIFICATION......................................................................................

65

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS...................................................................................

66

HOW TO CONTACT US...................................................................................

66

APPENDIX A - PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY.......................................................

A-1

APPENDIX B - PLUS40 OPTIONAL LIFE INSURANCE RIDER..........................................................

B-1

APPENDIX C - FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION BENEFIT.........................................

C-1

APPENDIX D - FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS BENEFIT....................................

D-1

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS


Many terms used within this Prospectus are described within the text where they appear. The description of those terms are not repeated in this Glossary of Terms.

Account Value: The value of each allocation to a Sub-account or a Fixed Allocation prior to the Annuity Date, plus any earnings, and/or less any losses, distributions and charges. The Account Value is calculated before we assess any applicable Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) and/or any Annual Maintenance Fee. The Account Value includes any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture under certain circumstances. The Account Value is determined separately for each Sub-account and for each Fixed Allocation, and then totaled to determine the Account Value for your entire Annuity. The Account Value of each Fixed Allocation on other than its Maturity Date may be calculated using a Market Value Adjustment.

Accumulation Period: The period of time from the Issue Date through the last Valuation Day immediately preceding the Annuity Date.

Annuities Service Center: The place to which all requests and payments regarding the Annuity are to be sent. We may change the address of the Annuities Service Center at any time, and will notify you in advance of any such change of address. Please see “How to Contact Us” later in this prospectus for the Annuities Service Center address.

Annuitization: The application of Account Value to one of the available annuity options for the Annuitant to begin receiving periodic payments for life, for a guaranteed minimum number of payments or for life with a guaranteed minimum number of payments.

Annuity Date: The date you choose for annuity payments to commence. A maximum Annuity Date may apply.

Annuity Year: A 12-month period commencing on the Issue Date of the Annuity and each successive 12-month period thereafter.

Free Withdrawal: The Free Withdrawal amount is the amount that can be withdrawn from your Annuity each Annuity Year without the application of any CDSC.

Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Co-Annuitant: The person shown on the contract data pages who becomes the Annuitant upon the death of the Annuitant before the Annuity Date. No Co-Annuitant may be designated if the Owner is a non-natural person.

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.

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.

Custodial Account: A trust or Custodial Account that qualifies 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.

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. Please see the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

Guarantee Period: A period of time during the Accumulation Period where we credit a fixed rate of interest on a Fixed Allocation.

Interim Value: The value of a Fixed Allocation on any date other than the Maturity Date. The Interim Value is equal to the initial value allocated to the Fixed Allocation plus all interest credited to the Fixed Allocation as of the date calculated, less any transfers or withdrawals from the Fixed Allocation.

Issue Date: The effective date of your Annuity.

Market Value Adjustment: A Market Value Adjustment used in the determination of Account Value of each Fixed Allocation on any day other than the Maturity Date of such Fixed Allocation. Please see the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

Owner: With an Annuity issued as an individual annuity contract, the Owner is either an eligible entity or person named as having ownership rights in relation to the Annuity. With an Annuity issued as a certificate under a group annuity contract, the “Owner” refers to the person or entity who has the rights and benefits designated as to the “Participant” in the certificate.

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.

Purchase Payment: A cash consideration in currency of the United States of America given to us in exchange for the rights, privileges, and benefits of the Annuity.

Separate Account: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B. The assets supporting your allocations to the variable investment options under the Annuity. Separate Account assets held in support of the Annuity are kept separate from all our other assets and may not be charged with liabilities arising out of any other business we may conduct.

1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Sub-account: A division of the Separate Account. Each Sub-account invests in a particular Portfolio.

Surrender Value: The value of your Annuity available upon surrender prior to the Annuity Date. It equals the Account Value as of the date we price the surrender minus any applicable CDSC, Annual Maintenance Fee, Tax Charge, the charge for any optional benefits and any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture upon surrender of your Annuity.

Unit: A measure used to calculate your Account Value in a Sub-account during the Accumulation Period.

Valuation Day: Every day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading or any other day the Securities and Exchange Commission requires mutual funds or unit investment trusts to be valued.

“We,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company.

“You” or “your”: the Owner(s) shown in the Annuity.

2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

KEY INFORMATION


Important Information You Should Consider About the Annuity

Fees and Expenses

Charges for
Early
Withdrawals

If you withdraw money from the Annuity within 8 years following your last premium payment, you may be assessed a surrender charge. The maximum surrender charge is 8.5% of the premium payment, and a surrender charge may be assessed up to 8 years after the last premium payment under the Annuity. If you make an early withdrawal, you could pay a surrender charge of up to $8,500 on a $100,000 withdrawal. Credits may also be recaptured if you take an Early Withdrawal.
For more information on early withdrawal charges, please refer to the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section of this prospectus.

Transaction
Charges

In addition to surrender charges, you may also be charged for other transactions. Charges may be applied to transfers (if more than 20 in an Annuity Year) or if state or local premium taxes are assessed.
For more information on transaction charges, please refer to the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section of this prospectus.

Ongoing
Fees and
Expenses
(annual
charges)

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay each year, depending on the options you choose. Please refer to your Annuity specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.

Annual Fee

Minimum

Maximum

Base Contract

1.443%

1.443%

Investment options
(Portfolio fees and expenses)

0.57%

1.95%

Optional benefits available for an additional charge
(for a single optional benefit, if elected)

0.25%

10.50%

Because your Annuity is customizable, the choices you make affect how much you will pay. To help you understand the cost of owning your Annuity, the following table shows the lowest and highest cost you could pay each year, based on current charges. This estimate assumes that you do not take withdrawals from the Annuity, which could add surrender charges that substantially increase costs.

Lowest Annual Cost
$2,014

Highest Annual Cost
$6,273

 

Assumes:

Investment of $100,000

5% annual appreciation

Least expensive Portfolio fees and
expenses

No optional benefits

No sales charges

No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers or withdrawals

Assumes:

Investment of $100,000

5% annual appreciation

Most expensive combination of
optional benefits and Portfolio fees
and expenses

No sales charges

No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers or withdrawals

 

For more information on ongoing fees and expenses, please refer to the “Fee Table” section of this prospectus.

3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Risks

Risk of Loss

You can lose money by investing in the Annuity. You can also lose value from Credits if they are recaptured by us.
For more information on the risk of loss, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Not a Short-Term Investment

The Annuity is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The Annuity is designed to provide benefits on a long-term basis. Consequently, you should not use the Annuity as a short-term investment or savings vehicle. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether investing Purchase Payments in the Annuity is consistent with the purpose for which the investment is being considered.
For more information on the short-term investment risks, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Risks Associated with Investment Options

An investment in the Annuity is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary depending on the performance of the investment options available under the Annuity, including the Fixed Allocations, each of which has its own unique risks. You should review the investment options before making an investment decision. The Fixed Allocations may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be negative, causing you to lose money.
For more information on the risks associated with investment options, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuitysection of this prospectus.

Insurance Company Risks

An investment in the Annuity 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 is available upon request. Such requests can be made toll free at 1-800-879-7012.
For more information on insurance company risks, please refer to the “Principal Risks of Investing in the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Restrictions

Investments

You may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. After the twentieth transfer in each Annuity Year, we will charge $10 for each additional transfer.
If you select an optional benefit, your selection of investment options may be limited.
We reserve the right to remove or substitute Portfolios as investment options.
We may impose limitations on an investment professional’s or investment advisor’s ability to request financial transactions on your behalf.
For more information on investment and transfer restrictions, please refer to the “
Fees, Charges and Deductions” section, “Appendix A”, the “What are Separate Accounts?” section and the “Financial Professional Permission to Forward Transaction Instructions” section of this prospectus.

Optional Benefits

You may be able to obtain optional benefits, which may require additional charges. If you elect to purchase one or more optional benefits, we will deduct an additional charge on a daily or annual basis from your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. The charge for each optional benefit is deducted in addition to the insurance charge due to the increased insurance risk associated with the optional benefits. Any withdrawals that exceed limits specified by the terms of an optional benefit may affect the availability of the benefit by reducing the benefit by an amount greater than the value withdrawn, and/or could terminate the benefit.
For more information on optional benefits under the Annuity, please refer to the “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

Taxes

Tax Implications

You should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under the Annuity. There is no additional tax benefit if you purchase the Annuity through a tax-qualified plan or individual retirement account (IRA). Withdrawals will be subject to ordinary income tax, and may be subject to the 10% additional tax for distributions taken prior to age 59½.
For more information on tax implications, please refer to the “Tax Considerations” section of this prospectus.

Conflicts of Interest

Investment Professional Compensation

Investment professionals may receive compensation for selling the Annuity to investors and may have a financial incentive to offer or recommend the Annuity over another investment. This compensation is paid in the form of commissions, based on your investment in the Annuity.
For more information on investment professional compensation, please refer to the “Who Distributes The Annuities?” section of this prospectus.

Exchanges

Some investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you an annuity 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, that it is preferable to purchase the new contract, rather than continue to own your existing contract. This Annuity is no longer sold.
For more information on exchanges, please refer to the “Who Distributes The Annuities?” section of this prospectus.

4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUITY


The Annuity referenced in this prospectus and applicable riders in no longer available for new sales.

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.

The Annuity offers two different types of Credits. We add a Credit to your Annuity with each Purchase Payment we receive. We also provide an additional 1% Credit on Purchase Payments made within the first year and may provide certain additional benefits if your Account Value has not reached a Target Value on its 10th anniversary.

The Annuity also 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. It also offers optional Death Benefits that provide enhanced levels of protection for your beneficiary(ies) for an additional charge. It offered the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider that provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit to your beneficiary(ies) for an additional charge. The Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider is no longer available. It may be used as an investment vehicle for “qualified” investments, including an IRA, SEP-IRA, Roth IRA or Tax-Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)). It may also be used as an investment vehicle for “Non-qualified” investments. The Annuity allows you to invest your money in several variable investment options as well as in one or more fixed investment options.

We offer optional benefits for an additional fee that guarantee your Account Value to a certain level after a period of years. As part of these benefits you are required to invest only in certain permitted investment options.

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. The variable investment options, each a Sub-account of the Separate Account, invest in an underlying Portfolio. The Fixed Allocation provides a fixed rate of return for a set period of time. Withdrawals during that period of time may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can reduce your initial investment. Additional information about the Portfolios is provided in Appendix A to the prospectus.

During the payout period (after Annuitization), you can elect to receive annuity payments (1) for life; (2) for life with a guaranteed minimum number of payments; (3) based on joint lives; or (4) for a guaranteed number of payments. 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.

You can withdraw a limited amount of money from your Annuity on an annual basis without any charges. Other product features allow you to access your Account Value at any time, although a charge may apply.

Transfers between investment options are tax-free. Currently, you may make twenty transfers each year free of charge. We also offer several programs that enable you to manage your Account Value as your financial needs and investment performance change.

5 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

FEE TABLE


The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from the Annuity. Please refer to your Annuity 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 that you buy the Annuity, surrender or make withdrawals from the Annuity, or transfer Account Value between investment options. State premium taxes may also be deducted. These fees and charges are described in more detail within this prospectus in the “Fees, Charges and Deductions” section.

Transaction Expenses

Maximum

Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases

None

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage of each Purchase Payment)1

8.5%

Transfer Fee2

$10

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.
2. You may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. We will charge $10 for each transfer after the twentieth in each Annuity Year.

The following Contingent Deferred Sales Charge percentages apply based on the year of the surrender or withdrawal:

Yr. 1

Yr. 2

Yr. 3

Yr. 4

Yr. 5

Yr. 6

Yr. 7

Yr. 8

Yr. 9+

8.5%

8.5%

8.5%

8.5%

7.5%

5.5%

3.5%

1.5%

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 Expenses1 (assessed annually on the Annuity’s anniversary date or upon surrender)

Lesser of $30 or 2% of Account Value

Base Contract Expenses2 (based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

1.40%

Optional Benefit Fees and Charges

 

Guaranteed Return Option (based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.50%

Guaranteed Return Option Plus (based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

0.50%

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit (based on the Account Value)

0.75%

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (based on the current Death Benefit amount)

0.55%

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (based on your age and your Account Value as of the Issue Date of your Annuity). Please refer to Appendix B for a complete description of charges.

Charges range from .80% for Owners age 40 - 75 to 10.50% for Owners age 95.

1. The Administrative Expense is referred to as “Annual Maintenance Fee” elsewhere in this Prospectus.
2. The Base Contract Expense is referred to as the “insurance charge” elsewhere in this Prospectus.

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. 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

0.57%

1.95%

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Annuity with the cost of investing in other variable annuity contracts. These costs include Transaction Expenses, Annual Annuity Expenses, and Annual Portfolio Expenses.

6 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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. The first example assumes a contract with GRO Plus, Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit and Plus40. The second example assumes a contract with GRO Plus and Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

XTRA CREDIT PREMIER WITH GRO PLUS, ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION DEATH BENEFIT AND PLUS40

 

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 annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$14,773

$27,361

$39,005

$71,512

$13,416

$23,492

$32,899

$62,055

If you annuitize your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$6,273

$18,861

$31,505

$71,512

$4,916

$14,992

$25,399

$62,055

If you do not surrender your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$6,273

$18,861

$31,505

$71,512

$4,916

$14,992

$25,399

$62,055

XTRA CREDIT PREMIER WITH GRO PLUS AND ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION DEATH BENEFIT

 

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 annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$13,169

$22,539

$30,951

$47,168

$11,790

$18,533

$24,498

$35,432

If you annuitize your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$4,669

$14,039

$23,451

$47,168

$3,290

$10,033

$16,998

$35,432

If you do not surrender your annuity at the end of the applicable time period:

$4,669

$14,039

$23,451

$47,168

$3,290

$10,033

$16,998

$35,432

7 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE ANNUITY


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.

Risks Associated with Variable Investment Options. You take all the investment risk for amounts allocated to one or more of the Sub-accounts, which invest in Portfolios. If the Sub-accounts 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 Sub-accounts 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.

Insurance Company Risk. No company other than us has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that we owe under the Annuity, including amounts allocated to the Fixed Allocations. You should look to our financial strength for our claims-paying ability. We are 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 us and our ability to conduct business and process transactions. Although we have business continuity plans, it is possible that the plans may not operate as intended or required and that we 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 benefits. In addition, we may recapture some or all of the Credits applied to your Annuity and 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.

Not a Short-Term Investment. 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. Consequently, you should not use the Annuity as a short-term investment or savings vehicle. Because of the long-term nature of the Annuity, you should consider whether investing Purchase Payments in the Annuity is consistent with the purpose for which the investment is being considered.

Effect of Withdrawals on Benefits. If you have elected certain Optional Benefits, a withdrawal may reduce the amount of your Benefit on more than a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Death Benefit Risk. While each 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.

Risk of Loss. All investments have risks to some degree and it is possible that you could lose money by investing in the Annuity. 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.

8 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

INVESTMENT OPTIONS


WHAT ARE THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS?

Each variable investment option is a Sub-account that invests exclusively in a single Portfolio. 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 subadvisor, (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/FLIAC-ASXTPREMIER-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-879-7012

WHAT ARE THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS?

We offer fixed investment options of different durations during the Accumulation Period. These “Fixed Allocations” earn a guaranteed fixed rate of interest for a specified period of time, called the “Guarantee Period.” In most states, we offer Fixed Allocations with Guarantee Periods from 1 to 10 years. We may also offer special purpose Fixed Allocations for use with certain optional investment programs. We guarantee the fixed rate for the entire Guarantee Period. However, if you withdraw or transfer Account Value before the end of the Guarantee Period, we will adjust the value of your withdrawal or transfer based on a formula, called a “Market Value Adjustment”. The Market Value Adjustment can either be positive or negative, depending on the rates that are currently being credited on Fixed Allocations. You may allocate Account Value to more than one Fixed Allocation at a time.

Please refer to the separate prospectus covering the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for more information.

Fixed Allocations may not be available in all states. Availability of Fixed Allocations is subject to change and may differ by state and by the annuity product you purchase. Please call us at 1-800-879-7012 to determine availability of Fixed Allocations in your state and for your annuity product.

The Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option is registered with the SEC on a separate registration statement. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

HOW DO THE FIXED RATE OPTIONS WORK?

The interest rate credited to a Fixed Allocation is the rate in effect when the Guarantee Period begins and does not change during the Guarantee Period. The rates are an effective annual rate of interest. We determine the interest rates for the various Guarantee Periods. At the time that we confirm your Fixed Allocation, we will advise you of the interest rate in effect and the date your Fixed Allocation matures. We may change the rates we credit new Fixed Allocations at any time. Any change in interest rate does not affect Fixed Allocations that were in effect before the date of the change. To inquire as to the current rates for Fixed Allocations, please call 1-800-879-7012.

A Guarantee Period for a Fixed Allocation begins:

 

when all or part of a net Purchase Payment is allocated to that particular Guarantee Period;

 

upon transfer of any of your Account Value to a Fixed Allocation for that particular Guarantee Period; or

 

when you “renew” a Fixed Allocation by electing a new Guarantee Period.
 

To the extent permitted by law, we may establish different interest rates for Fixed Allocations offered to a class of Owners who choose to participate in various optional investment programs we make available. This may include, but is not limited to, Owners who elect to use Fixed Allocations under a dollar cost averaging program (see “Dollar Cost Averaging Programs”) or a balanced investment program (see “Do you offer programs designed to guarantee a “Return of Premium” at a future date?”). The interest rate credited to Fixed Allocations offered to this class of purchasers may be different than those offered to other purchasers who choose the same Guarantee Period but who do not participate in an optional investment program. Any such program is at our sole discretion.

Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for information on how the Market Value Adjustment works. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE RATES FOR FIXED ALLOCATIONS?

We do not have a specific formula for determining the fixed interest rates for Fixed Allocations. Generally, the interest rates we offer for Fixed Allocations will reflect the investment returns available on the types of investments we make to support our fixed rate guarantees. These investment types may include cash, debt securities guaranteed by the United States government and its agencies and instrumentalities, money market instruments, corporate debt obligations of different durations, private placements, asset-backed obligations and municipal bonds. In determining rates we also consider factors such as the length of the Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation, regulatory and tax requirements, liquidity of the markets for the type of investments we make, commissions, administrative and investment expenses, our insurance risks in relation to the Fixed Allocations, general economic trends and competition. Some of these considerations are similar to those we consider in determining the insurance charge that we deduct from Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts.

9 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

We will credit interest on a new Fixed Allocation in an existing Annuity at a rate not less than the rate we are then crediting to Fixed Allocations for the same Guarantee Period selected by new Annuity purchasers in the same class.

Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option for information on how the Market Value Adjustment works. That registration statement explains how the option works, including the Market Value Adjustment and how that can impact your allocation.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY GUARANTEE PERIOD MATURES?

The “Maturity Date” for a Fixed Allocation is the last day of the Guarantee Period. Before the Maturity Date, you may choose to renew the Fixed Allocation for a new Guarantee Period of the same or different length or you may transfer all or part of that Fixed Allocation’s Account Value to another Fixed Allocation or to one or more Sub-accounts. We will notify you before the end of the Guarantee Period about the fixed interest rates that we are currently crediting to all Fixed Allocations that are being offered. The rates being credited to Fixed Allocations may change before the Maturity Date. We will not charge a Market Value Adjustment if you choose to renew a Fixed Allocation on its Maturity Date or transfer the Account Value to one or more variable investment options.

If you do not specify how you want a Fixed Allocation to be allocated on its Maturity Date, it will be renewed for a Fixed Allocation of the same duration if then available.

10 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

FEES, CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS


Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC): We do not deduct a sales charge from Purchase Payments you make to your Annuity. However, we may deduct a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge or CDSC if you surrender your Annuity or when you make a partial withdrawal. The CDSC reimburses us for expenses related to sales and distribution of the Annuity, including commissions, marketing materials and other promotional expenses. The CDSC is calculated as a percentage of your Purchase Payment being surrendered or withdrawn during the applicable Annuity Year. For purposes of calculating the CDSC, we consider the year following the date we receive a Purchase Payment as Year 1. After five years, the amount of the CDSC applicable to each Purchase Payment decreases over time, measured from the date the Purchase Payment is applied. The CDSC percentages are shown below.

YEARS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9+

CHARGE (%)

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.5

7.5

5.5

3.5

1.5

0.0

Each Purchase Payment has its own CDSC period. When you make a withdrawal, we assume that the oldest Purchase Payment is being withdrawn first so that the lowest CDSC is deducted from the amount withdrawn. After eight (8) complete years from the date you make a Purchase Payment, no CDSC will be assessed if you withdraw or surrender that Purchase Payment. Under certain circumstances you can withdraw a limited amount of Account Value without paying a CDSC. This is referred to as a “Free Withdrawal.” Free Withdrawals are not treated as a withdrawal of Purchase Payments for purposes of calculating the CDSC on a subsequent withdrawal or surrender. Withdrawals of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount are treated as a withdrawal of Purchase Payments and will be assessed a CDSC. For purposes of calculating the CDSC on a surrender or a partial withdrawal, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance.

We may waive the CDSC under certain medically-related circumstances or when taking a Minimum Distribution from an Annuity purchased as a “qualified” investment. Free Withdrawals, Medically-Related Surrenders and Minimum Distributions are each explained more fully in the section entitled “Access to Account Value”.

Transfer Fee: Currently, you may make twenty (20) free transfers between investment options each Annuity Year. We will charge $10.00 for each transfer after the twentieth in each Annuity Year. We do not consider transfers made as part of a dollar cost averaging program when we count the twenty free transfers. Transfers made as part of a rebalancing, market timing or third party investment advisory service will be subject to the twenty-transfer limit. However, all transfers made on the same day will be treated as one (1) transfer. Renewals or transfers of Account Value from a Fixed Allocation at the end of its Guarantee Period are not subject to the transfer fee and are not counted toward the twenty free transfers. We may reduce the number of free transfers allowable each Annuity Year (subject to a minimum of eight) without charging a transfer fee unless you make use of electronic means to transmit your transfer requests. We may eliminate the transfer fee for transfer requests transmitted electronically or through other means that reduce our processing costs.

Annual Maintenance Fee: During the Accumulation Period we deduct an Annual Maintenance Fee. The Annual Maintenance Fee is $30 or 2% of your Account Value invested in the variable investment options, whichever is less. This fee will be deducted annually on the anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity or, if you surrender your Annuity during the Annuity Year, the fee is deducted at the time of surrender.

Tax Charges: 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 (which includes the effect of any Market Value Adjustment) less any applicable CDSC, any applicable Tax Charge, any charges assessable as a deduction from the Account Value for any optional living or death benefits provided by rider or endorsement, and any Annual Maintenance Fee. We may also assess a charge equal to any Company Taxes or other taxes which may be imposed against the Separate Accounts.

Company Taxes: 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 dividends 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.

11 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Insurance Charge: We deduct an insurance charge daily against the average daily assets allocated to the Sub-accounts. The insurance charge is the combination of the Mortality & Expense Risk Charge (1.25%) and the Administration Charge (0.15%). The total charge is equal to 1.40% on an annual basis. The insurance charge is intended to compensate us for providing the insurance benefits under the Annuity, including the Annuity’s basic death benefit that provides guaranteed benefits to your beneficiaries even if the Sub-account declines and the risk that persons we guarantee annuity payments to will live longer than our assumptions. The charge also covers administrative costs associated with providing the Annuity benefits, including preparation of the contract, confirmation statements, annual account statements and annual reports, legal and accounting fees as well as various related expenses. Finally, the charge covers the risk that our assumptions about the mortality risks and expenses under this Annuity are incorrect and that we have agreed not to increase these charges over time despite our actual costs.

We may make a profit on the insurance charge if, over time, the actual cost of providing the guaranteed insurance obligations under the Annuity are less than the amount we deduct for the insurance charge. To the extent we make a profit on the insurance charge, such profit may be used for any other corporate purpose, including payment of other expenses that we incur in promoting, distributing, issuing and administering the Annuity and to offset a portion of the costs associated with offering Credits which are funded through our general account. The insurance charge is deducted against your Annuity’s Account Value, which includes the amount of any Credits we apply to your Purchase Payments and any increases or decreases in your Account Value based on Sub-account fluctuations of the Sub-accounts. Any profit that we may make on the insurance charge may include a profit on the portion of the Account Value that represents Credits applied to the Annuity, as well as profits based on market appreciation of the Sub-account values.

The insurance charge is not deducted against assets allocated to a Fixed Allocation. However, the amount we credit to Fixed Allocations may also reflect similar assumptions about the insurance guarantees provided under the Annuity.

Benefits Available Under the Annuity: For information about the benefits available under the Annuity and their corresponding charges, please refer to the section titled “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” in this prospectus.

Fees and Expenses Incurred by the Portfolios: We do not assess any charges directly against the Portfolios. However, each Portfolio pays charges, fees and expenses, which are deducted daily by each Portfolio before it provides us with the net asset value as of the close of business each day. More detailed information about fees and charges can be found in Appendix A to this prospectus and the prospectuses for the Portfolios located at www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-ASXTPREMIER-STAT.

FIXED RATE OPTION CHARGES

No specific fee or expenses are deducted when determining the rate we credit to a Fixed Allocation. However, for some of the same reasons that we deduct the insurance charge against Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts, we also consider mortality, expense, administration, profit and other factors in determining the interest rates we credit to Fixed Allocations. Any CDSC or Tax Charge applies to amounts that are taken from the variable investment options or the Fixed Allocations. A Market Value Adjustment may also apply to transfers, certain withdrawals, surrender or Annuitization from a Fixed Allocation. Please see the separate prospectus for the Market Value Adjusted Fixed Allocation Investment Option.

ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION CHARGES

In certain states a tax is due if and when you exercise your right to receive periodic annuity payments. The amount payable will depend on the applicable jurisdiction and on the annuity payment option you select. If you select a fixed payment option, the amount of each fixed payment will depend on the Account Value of your Annuity when you elected to annuitize. There is no specific charge deducted from these payments; however, the amount of each annuity payment reflects assumptions about our insurance expenses.

EXCEPTIONS/REDUCTIONS TO FEES AND CHARGES

We may reduce or eliminate certain fees and charges or alter the manner in which the particular fee or charge is deducted. For example, we may reduce the amount of the CDSC or the length of time it applies, reduce or eliminate the amount of the Annual Maintenance Fee or reduce the portion of the total insurance charge that is deducted as an Administration Charge. Generally, these types of changes will be based on a reduction to our sales, maintenance or administrative expenses due to the nature of the individual or group purchasing the Annuity. Some of the factors we might consider in making such a decision are: (a) the size and type of group; (b) the number of Annuities purchased by an Owner; (c) the amount of Purchase Payments or likelihood of additional Purchase Payments; and/or (d) other transactions where sales, maintenance or administrative expenses are likely to be reduced. We will not discriminate unfairly between Annuity purchasers if and when we reduce the portion of the insurance charge attributed to the charge covering administrative costs.

12 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

PURCHASING YOUR ANNUITY


The Annuity referenced in this prospectus is no longer available for new sales or re-elections.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASING THE ANNUITY

We may apply certain limits, restrictions, and/or underwriting standards as a condition of our issuance of the annuity and/or acceptance of Purchase Payments. Certain of the current limitations, restrictions and standards are described below. We may change these limitations, restrictions and standards in the future.

Initial Purchase Payment: We no longer allow new purchases of this Annuity. The minimum initial Purchase Payment is $1,000. However, if you decided to make payments under a systematic investment or “bank drafting” program, we accepted a lower initial Purchase Payment provided that, within the first Annuity Year, you made at least $1,000 in total Purchase Payments.

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. We may have applied certain limitations and/or restrictions on the Annuity as a condition of our acceptance, including limiting the liquidity features or the Death Benefit protection provided under the Annuity, limiting the right to make additional Purchase Payments, changing the number of transfers allowable under the Annuity or restricting the Sub-accounts that are available. Other limitations and/or restrictions may apply.

Age Restrictions: The Owner must have been age 80 or under as of the Issue Date of the Annuity. If the Annuity is owned jointly, the oldest of the Owners must have been age 80 or under on the Issue Date. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must have been age 80 or under as of the Issue Date. The availability of certain optional benefits may vary based on the age of the Owner on the Issue Date of the Annuity.

Additional Purchase Payments may be made at any time before the Annuity Date as long as the oldest Owner or Annuitant (if the Annuity is entity owned) is not over age 80.

DESIGNATION OF OWNER, ANNUITANT, AND BENEFICIARY

Owner, Annuitant and Beneficiary Designations: On your Application, we asked you to name the Owner(s), Annuitant and one or more Beneficiaries for your Annuity.

 

Owner: The Owner(s) holds all rights under the Annuity. You may name up to two Owners in which case all ownership rights are held jointly. Generally, joint Owners are required to act jointly; however, if each Owner provides us with a written form that we find acceptable, we will permit each Owner to act independently on behalf of both Owners. All information and documents that we are required to send you will be sent to the first named Owner. This Annuity does not provide a right of survivorship. Refer to the Glossary of Terms for a complete description of the term “Owner.”

 

Annuitant: The Annuitant is the person we agree to make annuity payments to and upon whose life we continue to make such payments. You must name an Annuitant who is a natural person. We do not accept a designation of joint Annuitants during the Accumulation Period. Where allowed by law, you may name one or more Contingent Annuitants. A Contingent Annuitant will become the Annuitant if the Annuitant dies before the Annuity Date. Please refer to the discussion of “Considerations for Contingent Annuitants” in the “Tax Considerations” section of the Prospectus.

 

Beneficiary: The Beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you name to receive the death benefit. If no beneficiary is named the death benefit will be paid to you or your estate. If no beneficiary is named for a trust owned contract, the default beneficiary will be the contract owner.
 

Your right to make certain designations may be limited if your Annuity is to be used as an IRA or other “qualified” investment that is given beneficial tax treatment under the Code. You should seek tax advice on the income, estate and gift tax implications of your designations.

Special Considerations for Purchasers of Bonus or Credit Products

 

This Annuity features the same insurance charge as many of our other variable annuities and does not charge an additional amount for the XTra Credit feature. However, if you make a withdrawal that exceeds the annual free withdrawal amount or choose to surrender your Annuity, the contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) on this Annuity is higher and is deducted for a longer period of time as compared to our other variable annuities. If you expect that you will need to access your Account Value during the CDSC period and the liquidity provisions are insufficient to satisfy that need, then this Annuity may be more expensive than other variable annuities.

 

The XTra Credit amount is included in your Account Value. However, we may recapture the original XTra Credit amount applied to your Purchase Payment if you die, or elect to withdraw all or a portion of your Account Value under the medically-related waiver provision, within 12 months of having received an XTra Credit amount. In either situation, the value of the XTra Credit amount could be substantially reduced. However, any investment gain on the XTra Credit amount will not be recaptured. Additional conditions and restrictions apply.
 

13 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

We offer other annuities through investment professionals associated with other firms, where we apply an XTra Credit to your annuity with each Purchase Payment you make. The XTra Credit amount we apply to Purchase Payments on those annuities is initially higher than on this Annuity but reduces over time and only applies during the first six Annuity Years. The total asset-based charges on those annuities are higher during the first 10 years but are lower than this Annuity after the 10th year. The CDSC is also higher and is deducted for a longer period of time than on this Annuity; however the CDSC on those annuities applies from the Issue Date of the annuity, not separately to each Purchase Payment.
 

14 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

MANAGING YOUR ANNUITY


CHANGE OF OWNER, ANNUITANT AND BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS

You may change the Owner, Annuitant and Beneficiary designations. Where allowed by law, such changes will be subject to our acceptance. Some of the changes we will not accept include, but are not limited to:

 

a new Owner subsequent to the death of the Owner or the first of any joint Owners to die, except where a spouse-Beneficiary has become the Owner as a result of an Owner’s death;

 

a new Annuitant subsequent to the Annuity Date;

 

for “Non-qualified” investments, a new Annuitant prior to the Annuity Date if the Annuity is owned by an entity;

 

a change in Beneficiary if the Owner had previously made the designation irrevocable;

 

a new Owner or Annuitant that is a certain ownership type, including but not limited to corporations, partnerships, endowments, and grantor trusts with multiple grantors (if allowed by state law); and

 

a new Annuitant for a contract issued to a grantor trust where the new Annuitant is not the grantor of the trust.
 

Unless prohibited by applicable State Law, we reserve the right to refuse a proposed change of Owner and/or Beneficiary, and a proposed assignment of the Annuity.

We will reject a proposed change where the proposed Owner, Annuitant, Beneficiary or assignee is any of the following:

 

a company(ies) that issues or manages viatical or structured settlements;

 

an institutional investment company;

 

an Owner with no insurable relationship to the Annuitant or Contingent Annuitant (a “Stranger-Owned Annuity” or “STOA”); or

 

a change in designation(s) that does not comply with or that we cannot administer in compliance with Federal and/or state law.
 

Spousal Owners/Spousal Beneficiaries

If an Annuity is co-owned by spouses, we will assume that the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse. Upon the death of either spousal Owner, the surviving spouse may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Death Benefit payment. The Death Benefit that would have been payable will be the new Account Value of the Annuity as of the date of due proof of death and any required proof of a spousal relationship. As of the date the assumption is effective, the surviving spouse will have all the rights and benefits that would be available under the Annuity to a new purchaser of the same attained age. For purposes of determining any future Death Benefit for the beneficiary of the surviving spouse, the new Account Value will be considered as the initial Purchase Payment. No CDSC will apply to the new Account Value. However, any additional Purchase Payments applied after the date the assumption is effective will be subject to all provisions of the Annuity, including the CDSC when applicable.

Spousal assumption is also permitted, subject to our rules and regulatory approval, if the Annuity 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 Code (“Code”) (or any successor Code section thereto) (“Custodial Account”) and, on the date of the Annuitant’s death, the spouse of the Annuitant is (1) the Contingent Annuitant under the Annuity and (2) the beneficiary of the Custodial Account. The ability to continue the Annuity in this manner will result in the Annuity no longer qualifying for tax deferral under the Code. However, such tax deferral should result from the ownership of the Annuity by the Custodial Account. Please consult your tax or legal advisor.

Note that any division of your Annuity due to divorce will be treated as a withdrawal and the non-Owner spouse may then decide whether he or she would like to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity that is then available to new contract Owners. Note that any division of your Annuity due to divorce will be treated as a withdrawal and CDSC may apply. If CDSC is applicable, it cannot be divided between the Owner and the non-Owner ex-spouses. The non-Owner ex-spouse may decide whether he or she would like to use the withdrawn funds to purchase a new Annuity that is then available to new contract Owners. Depending upon the method used for the division of the Annuity, the CDSC may be applied to the existing or new Annuity. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding your personal situation if you will be transferring or dividing your Annuity pursuant to a divorce.

The federal and state tax law provisions applicable to an opposite sex spouse will also apply to a same sex spouse. Please note that a civil union or registered domestic partnership is generally not recognized as a marriage.

Contingent Annuitant

Generally, if an Annuity is owned by an entity and the entity has named a Contingent Annuitant, the Contingent Annuitant will become the Annuitant upon the death of the Annuitant, and no Death Benefit is payable. Unless we agree otherwise, the Annuity is only eligible to have a Contingent Annuitant designation if the entity which owns the Annuity is (1) a plan described in 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, as described in the above section.

15 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Where the Annuity is held by a Custodial Account, the Contingent 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 Annuity. If the Custodial Account elects to receive the Death Benefit, the Account Value of the Annuity 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. See the section above entitled “Spousal Owners/Spousal Beneficiaries” for more information about how the Annuity can be continued by a Custodial Account.

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENTS

The minimum amount that we accept as an additional Purchase Payment is $100 unless you participate in the Systematic Investment Program or a periodic Purchase Payment program. We will allocate any additional Purchase Payments you make according to your most recent allocation instructions, unless you request new allocations when you submit a new Purchase Payment. Additional Purchase Payments may be paid at any time before the Annuity Date as long as the oldest Owner or Annuitant (if the Annuity is entity owned) is not over age 80.

SCHEDULED PAYMENTS DIRECTLY FROM A BANK ACCOUNT

You can make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity by authorizing us to deduct money directly from your bank account and applying it to your Annuity. This type of program is often called “bank drafting”. We call our bank drafting program the “Systematic Investment Program.” Purchase Payments made through bank drafting may only be allocated to the variable investment options when applied. Bank drafting allows you to invest in your Annuity with a lower initial Purchase Payment, as long as you authorize payments that will equal at least $1,000 during the first 12 months of your Annuity. We may suspend or cancel bank drafting privileges if sufficient funds are not available from the applicable financial institution on any date that a transaction is scheduled to occur.

SALARY REDUCTION PROGRAMS

These types of programs are only available with certain types of qualified investments. If your employer sponsors such a program, we may agree to accept periodic Purchase Payments through a salary reduction program as long as the allocations are made only to variable investment options and the periodic Purchase Payments received in the first year total at least $1,000.

16 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE


HOW AND WHEN ARE PURCHASE PAYMENTS INVESTED?

(See “Valuing Your Investment” for a description of our procedure for pricing initial and subsequent Purchase Payments.)

Initial Purchase Payment: Once we accepted your application, we invested your net Purchase Payment in the Annuity. The net Purchase Payment is your initial Purchase Payment minus any tax charges that may apply. The Annuity is no longer sold.

Subsequent Purchase Payments: We will allocate any additional Purchase Payments you make according to your current allocation instructions. If any rebalancing or asset allocation programs are in effect, the allocation should conform with such a program. We assume that your current allocation instructions are valid for subsequent Purchase Payments until you make a change to those allocations or request new allocations when you submit a new Purchase Payment.

HOW DO I RECEIVE CREDITS?

We apply a “Credit” 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, according to the tables below:

The Credits shown below are in effect as of October 23, 2000 in those states where approved.

Cumulative Purchase Payments

Credit

Between $1,000 and $9,999.99

1.5%

Between $10,000 and $4,999,999.99

4.0%

Greater than $5,000,000

5.0%

The Credits shown below apply to all Annuities issued before October 23, 2000 and to Annuities issued after October 23, 2000 in those states where the above table had not been approved.

Cumulative Purchase Payments

Credit

Between $1,000 and $9,999.99

1.5%

Between $10,000 and $999,999.99

3.0%

Between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999.99

4.0%

Greater than $5,000,000

5.0%

Credits Applied to Purchase Payments for Designated Class of Annuity Owner

Where allowed by state law, on Annuities owned by a member of the class defined below, the table of Credits we apply to Purchase Payments is deleted. The Credit applied to all Purchase Payments on such Annuities is 8.5%.

The designated class of Annuity Owners includes: (a) any parent company, affiliate or subsidiary of ours; (b) an officer, director, employee, retiree, sales representative, or in the case of an affiliated broker-dealer, registered representative of such company; (c) a director, officer or trustee of any underlying Portfolio; (d) a director, officer or employee of any investment manager, sub-advisor, transfer agent, custodian, auditing, legal or administrative services provider that is providing investment management, advisory, transfer agency, custodianship, auditing, legal and/or administrative services to an underlying mutual fund or any affiliate of such firm; (e) a director, officer, employee or registered representative of a broker-dealer or insurance agency that has a then current selling agreement with us and/or with Prudential Annuities Distributors, Incorporated, a Prudential Financial Company, or the prior principal underwriter of the Annuity; (f) a director, officer, employee or authorized representative of any firm providing us or our affiliates with regular legal, actuarial, auditing, underwriting, claims, administrative, computer support, marketing, office or other services; (g) the then current spouse of any such person noted in (b) through (f), above; (h) the parents of any such person noted in (b) through (g), above; (i) the child(ren) or other legal dependent under the age of 21 of any such person noted in (b) through (h) above; and (j) the siblings of any such persons noted in (b) through (h) above. Membership in a designated class was determined at the time the annuity was purchased.

All other terms and conditions of the Annuity apply to Owners in the designated class, except that we will not provide any Additional Amounts for any such contracts. Any Target Value Credits applied under the Performance Advantage benefit are not affected by an Owner’s inclusion in the designated class of Annuity Owners.

You must notify us at the time you apply for an Annuity if you are a member of the designated class. We are not responsible for monitoring whether you qualify as a member of the designated class. Failure to inform us that you qualify as a member of the designated class may result in your Annuity receiving fewer Credits than would otherwise be applied to your Annuity.

17 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

HOW ARE CREDITS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT VALUE?

Each Credit is allocated to your Account Value at the time the Purchase Payment is applied to your Account Value. The amount of the Credit is allocated to the investment options in the same ratio as the applicable Purchase Payment is applied and is thereafter treated as a Purchase Payment.

Examples of Applying Credits

Initial Purchase Payment

Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $2,500. We would apply a 1.5% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($37.50 = $2,500 ×.015) to your Account Value in the proportion that your Account Value is allocated.

Additional Purchase Payment (at same breakpoint)

Assume that you make an additional Purchase Payment of $5,000. Because your cumulative Purchase Payments are less than the next breakpoint ($10,000), we would apply a 1.5% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($75.00 = $5,000 ×.015) to your Account Value.

Additional Purchase Payment (at higher breakpoint)

Assume that you make an additional Purchase Payment of $400,000. Because your cumulative Purchase Payments are now $407,500 (greater than the next breakpoint), we would apply a 4.0% Credit to your Purchase Payment and allocate the amount of the Credit ($16,000 = $400,000 ×.04) to your Account Value.

This Annuity features the same insurance charge as many of our other variable annuities and does not charge an additional amount for the XTra Credit feature. However, the amount of any Credits applied to your Account Value can be recaptured by us under certain circumstances:

 

any Credits applied to your Account Value on Purchase Payments made within the 12 months before the date of death will be recaptured.

 

the amount available under the medically-related surrender portion of the Annuity will not include the amount of any Credits payable on Purchase Payments made within 12 months of the date the Annuitant first became eligible for the medically-related surrender.

 

if you elect to “free-look” your Annuity, the amount returned to you will not include the amount of any Credits.
 

The value of the XTra Credit amount will be substantially reduced if we recapture the XTra Credit amount under these circumstances. However, any investment gain on the XTra Credit amount will not be taken back. We do not deduct a CDSC in any situation where we recapture the XTra Credit amount.

Examples of Recapturing Credits

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

 

1. 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).

 

2. 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 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).

 

3. 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.
 

18 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Recapture from Medically-Related Surrenders

 

1. Assume you purchase your Annuity with an initial Purchase Payment of $50,000. You receive a Credit of $2,000 ($50,000 X.04). The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill in the 6th month after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the medically-related surrender provision. Assuming the Credits were applied within 12-months of the date of diagnosis of the terminal illness, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision would be reduced by the entire amount of the Credits ($2,000).

 

2. 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. The Annuitant is diagnosed as terminally ill in the 16th month after the Issue Date and we grant your request to surrender your Annuity under the medically-related surrender provision. Since the initial Purchase Payment (and the Credits that were applied) occurred more than 12-months before the diagnosis, the amount that would be payable upon the medically-related surrender provision 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 diagnosis. Therefore, the amount that would be payable under the medically-related surrender provision would be reduced by the amount of the Credits payable on the additional Purchase Payment ($400).
 

Credits applied to estimated Purchase Payments

Under certain circumstances, we may determine the amount of Credits payable on two or more separate Purchase Payments based on the Credit percentage that would have applied had all such Purchase Payments been made at the same time. To make use of this procedure, often referred to as a “letter of intent”, you must provide evidence of your intention to submit the cumulative additional Purchase Payments within a 13-month period. A letter of intent must be provided to us prior to the Issue Date to be effective. Acceptance of a letter of intent is at our sole discretion and may be subject to restrictions as to the minimum initial Purchase Payment that must be submitted to receive the next higher breakpoint.

Failure to inform us that you intend to submit two or more Purchase Payments within a 13-month period may result in your Annuity receiving fewer Credits than would otherwise be added to your Annuity.

If you submit a letter of intent and receive Credits on Purchase Payments at a higher Credit percentage than would have applied BUT do not submit the required Purchase Payments during the 13-month period as required by your letter of intent, we may recapture the “excess” Credits. “Excess” Credits are Credits in excess of the Credits that would have been payable without the letter of intent. If we determine that you have received “excess” Credits, any such amounts will be taken on a proportional basis from the investment options based on your Account Values as of the date we act to recapture the excess. If the amount of the recapture exceeds your then current Surrender Value, we will recapture all remaining Account Value and terminate your Annuity.

General Information about Credits

 

We do not consider Credits to be “investment in the contract” (also known as “basis”) for income tax purposes.

 

You may not withdraw the amount of any Credits under the Free Withdrawal provision. The Free Withdrawal provision only applies to withdrawals of Purchase Payments.

 

These Credits are separate and distinct from the Target Value Credits discussed below in the section entitled “Performance Advantage.”

 

Credits are included in any contract level standardized or non-standardized performance calculations.

 

Please note that we expect to make a profit from the Annuity, even though there is not an explicit charge for the Credits.
 

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN INVESTMENT OPTIONS

During the Accumulation Period you may transfer Account Value between investment options. Transfers are not subject to taxation on any gain. We currently limit the number of Sub-accounts you can invest in at any one time to twenty (20). However, you can invest in an unlimited number of Fixed Allocations. We may require a minimum of $500 in each Sub-account you allocate Account Value to at the time of any allocation or transfer. If you request a transfer and, as a result of the transfer, there would be less than $500 in the Sub-account, we may transfer the remaining Account Value in the Sub-account on a proportional basis to the other investment options to which you transferred.

We may impose specific restrictions on financial transactions for certain Portfolios based on the Portfolio’s investment restrictions. Currently, any purchase, redemption or transfer involving the Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-accounts must be received by us no later than one hour prior to any announced closing of the applicable securities exchange (generally, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to be processed on the current Valuation Day. The “cut-off” time for such financial transactions involving a Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-account will be extended to ½ hour prior to any announced closing (generally, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time) for transactions submitted electronically through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities).

Currently, we charge $10 for each transfer after the twentieth (20th) in each Annuity Year, including transfers made as part of any rebalancing, market timing, asset allocation or similar program which you have authorized. Transfers made as part of a dollar cost averaging program do not count toward the twenty free transfer limit. Renewals or transfers of Account Value from a Fixed Allocation at the end of its Guarantee Period are not subject to the transfer charge. We may reduce the number of free transfers allowable each Annuity Year (subject to a minimum of eight) without charging a Transfer Fee unless you make use of electronic means to transmit your transfer requests. We may eliminate the Transfer Fee for transfer requests transmitted electronically or through other means that reduce our processing costs.

19 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Frequent Transfers

Frequent transfers among investment options in response to short-term fluctuations in markets, sometimes called “market timing,” can make it very difficult for a Portfolio manager to manage a Portfolio’s investments. Frequent transfers may cause the Portfolio to hold more cash than otherwise necessary, disrupt management strategies, increase transaction costs, or affect performance. Considering the risks posed to Owners and other investors by frequent transfers, we reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any Annuity Year for all Owners and to take the other actions discussed below. We also reserve the right to limit the number of transfers in any Annuity 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 Unit Values or the share prices of the Portfolios; or (b) we are informed by a Portfolio (e.g., by a Portfolio’s Portfolio manager) that the purchase or redemption of shares in the Portfolio must be restricted because the Portfolio believes the transfer activity to which such purchase and redemption relates would have a detrimental effect on the share prices of the affected Portfolio. 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 Portfolio. 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 Annuity, we track amounts exceeding a certain dollar threshold that were transferred into a Sub-account. If you transfer such amount into a particular Sub-account, and within 30 calendar days thereafter transfer (the “Transfer Out”) all or a portion of that amount into another Sub-account, then upon the Transfer Out, the former Sub-account becomes restricted (the “Restricted Sub-account”). Specifically, we will not permit subsequent transfers into the Restricted Sub-account for 90 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Sub-account invests in a non-international Portfolio, or 180 calendar days after the Transfer Out if the Restricted Sub-account invests in an international Portfolio. For purposes of this rule, we (i) do not count transfers made in connection with one of our systematic programs; (ii) do not count any transfer that solely involves a holding account; and (iii) do not categorize as a transfer the first transfer that you make after the Issue Date, if you make that transfer within 30 calendar days after the Issue Date. Even if an amount becomes restricted under the foregoing rules, you are still free to redeem the amount from your Annuity at any time.

We reserve the right to effect transfers on a delayed basis for all annuities in accordance with our rules regarding frequent transfers. That is, we may price a transfer involving the Sub-accounts on the Valuation Day subsequent to the Valuation Day on which the transfer request was received. Before implementing such a practice, we would issue a separate written notice to Owners that explains the practice in detail.

If we deny one or more transfer requests under the foregoing rules, we will inform you or your financial professional promptly of the circumstances concerning the denial.

There are Owners of different variable annuity contracts that are funded through the same Separate Account that may not be subject to the above- referenced transfer restrictions and, therefore, might make more numerous and frequent transfers than Owners who are subject to such limitations. Finally, there are Owners of other variable annuity contracts or variable life contracts that are issued by us as well as other insurance companies that have the same Portfolios available to them. Since some Owners are not subject to the same transfer restrictions, unfavorable consequences associated with such frequent trading within the Portfolios (e.g., greater Portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, or performance or tax issues) may affect all Owners. Similarly, while contracts managed by a financial professional are subject to the restrictions on transfers between Sub-accounts that are discussed above, if the financial professional manages a number of contracts in the same fashion unfavorable consequences may be associated with management activity since it may involve the movement of a substantial portion of an Portfolio’s assets which may affect all Owners invested in the affected Portfolios. Apart from jurisdiction-specific and contract differences in transfer restrictions, we will apply these rules uniformly (including contracts managed by a financial professional) and will not waive a transfer restriction for any Owner.

Although our transfer restrictions are designed to prevent excessive transfers, they are not capable of preventing every potential occurrence of excessive transfer activity. The Portfolios have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to excessive trading of their respective shares, and we reserve the right to enforce any such current or future 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 or its transfer agent that obligates us to provide to the Portfolio promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual Owners (including an Owner’s TIN number), and (2) execute instructions from the Portfolio to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific 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 you) 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 (also referred to as “redemption fee”) in connection with a transfer out of the Sub-account investing in that Portfolio that occurs within a certain number of days following the date of allocation to the Sub-account. 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 Account Value, to the extent allowed by law. At present, no Portfolio has adopted a short-term trading fee.

20 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING PROGRAMS

We offer Dollar Cost Averaging during the Accumulation Period. Dollar Cost Averaging allows you to systematically transfer an amount each month from one investment option to one or more other investment options. You can choose to transfer earnings only, principal plus earnings or a flat dollar amount. Dollar Cost Averaging allows you to invest regularly each month, regardless of the current Unit value (or price) of the Sub-account(s) you invest in. This enables you to purchase more Units when the Sub-account price is low and fewer Units when the Sub-account price is high. This may result in a lower average cost of Units over time. However, there is no guarantee that Dollar Cost Averaging will result in a profit or protect against a loss in a declining Sub-account. We do not deduct a charge for participating in a Dollar Cost Averaging program.

You must have a minimum Account Value of at least $10,000 to enroll in a Dollar Cost Averaging program.

You can Dollar Cost Average from variable investment options or Fixed Allocations. Dollar Cost Averaging from Fixed Allocations is subject to a number of rules that include, but are not limited to the following:

 

You may only use Fixed Allocations with Guarantee Periods of 1, 2 or 3 years.

 

You may only Dollar Cost Average earnings or principal plus earnings. If transferring principal plus earnings, the program must be designed to last the entire Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation.

 

Dollar Cost Averaging transfers from Fixed Allocations are not subject to a Market Value Adjustment.
 

NOTE: When a Dollar Cost Averaging program is established from a Fixed Allocation, the fixed rate of interest we credit to your Account Value is applied to a declining balance due to the transfers of Account Value to the Sub-accounts during the Guarantee Period. This will reduce the effective rate of return on the Fixed Allocation over the Guarantee Period.

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING PROGRAMS

During the Accumulation Period, we offer automatic rebalancing among the variable investment options you choose. You can choose to have your Account Value rebalanced monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. On the appropriate date, your variable investment options are rebalanced to the allocation percentages you request. For example, over time the performance of the variable investment options will differ, causing your percentage allocations to shift. With automatic rebalancing, we transfer the appropriate amount from the “overweighted” Sub-accounts to the “underweighted” Sub-accounts to return your allocations to the percentages you request. If you request a transfer from or into any variable investment option participating in the automatic rebalancing program, we will assume that you wish to change your rebalancing percentages as well, and will automatically adjust the rebalancing percentages in accordance with the transfer unless we receive alternate instructions from you.

You must have a minimum Account Value of at least $10,000 to enroll in automatic rebalancing. All rebalancing transfers made on the same day as part of an automatic rebalancing program are considered as one transfer when counting the number of transfers each year toward the maximum number of free transfers. We do not deduct a charge for participating in an automatic rebalancing program.

DO YOU OFFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO GUARANTEE A “RETURN OF PREMIUM” AT A FUTURE DATE?

We offer two different programs for investors who wish to invest in the variable investment options but also wish to protect their principal, at least as of a specific date in the future. You may not want to use either of these programs if you expect to begin taking annuity payments before the program would be completed.

Balanced Investment Program

We offer a balanced investment program where a portion of your Account Value is allocated to a Fixed Allocation and the remaining Account Value is allocated to the variable investment options that you select. When you enroll in the Balanced Investment Program, you choose the duration that you wish the program to last. This determines the duration of the Guarantee Period for the Fixed Allocation. Based on the fixed rate for the Guarantee Period chosen, we calculate the portion of your Account Value that must be allocated to the Fixed Allocation to grow to a specific “principal amount” (such as your initial Purchase Payment). We determine the amount based on the rates then in effect for the Guarantee Period you choose. If you continue the program until the end of the Guarantee Period and make no withdrawals or transfers, at the end of the Guarantee Period, the Fixed Allocation will have grown to equal the “principal amount”. Withdrawals or transfers from the Fixed Allocation before the end of the Guarantee Period will terminate the program and may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment. You can transfer the Account Value that is not allocated to the Fixed Allocation between any of the Sub-accounts available under the Annuity. Account Value you allocate to the variable investment options is subject to Sub-account fluctuations and may increase or decrease in value. We do not deduct a charge for participating in the Balanced Investment Program.

21 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

  Example

 

  Assume you invest $100,000. You choose a 10-year program and allocate a portion of your Account Value to a Fixed Allocation with a 10- year Guarantee Period. The rate for the 10-year Guarantee Period is 2.50%*. Based on the fixed interest rate for the Guarantee Period chosen, the factor is 0.781198 for determining how much of your Account Value will be allocated to the Fixed Allocation. That means that $78,120 will be allocated to the Fixed Allocation and the remaining Account Value ($21,880) will be allocated to the Sub-accounts. Assuming that you do not make any withdrawals or transfers from the Fixed Allocation, it will grow to $100,000 at the end of the Guarantee Period. Of course we cannot predict the value of the remaining Account Value that was allocated to the Sub-accounts.
 
* The rate in this example is hypothetical and may not reflect the current rate for Guarantee Periods of this duration.

Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)

We also offer a seven-year program where we monitor your Account Value daily and systematically transfer amounts between Fixed Allocations and the variable investment options you choose. For more information about this option, please refer to the “Benefits Available Under the Annuity” section of this prospectus.

FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERMISSION TO FORWARD TRANSACTION INSTRUCTIONS

If you have provided the necessary authorization on the application for your Annuity, the individual who signed the application for your Annuity may forward instructions regarding the allocation of your Account Value, and request financial transactions involving Investment Options. We refer to this person as your “financial professional.” You may have another person providing investment advisory services to you with respect to this Annuity and who you have separately authorized on the form we require to forward instructions to us regarding the allocation of your Account Value or certain financial transactions. Please be aware that if you authorize more than one person to provide investment instructions to us, we will follow all instructions received from authorized persons in the order in which we receive them. If your financial professional or investment advisor has this authority, we deem that all such transactions that are directed by your financial professional or investment advisor, as applicable, with respect to your Annuity have been authorized by you. You will receive a confirmation of any financial transaction involving the purchase or sale of Units of your Annuity. You must contact us immediately if and when you revoke such authority. We will not be responsible for acting on instructions from your financial professional or authorized investment advisor until we receive notification of the revocation of such person’s authority. We may also suspend, cancel or limit these authorizations at any time. In addition, we may restrict the Investment Options available for transfers or allocation of Purchase Payments by such financial professional or investment advisor. We will notify you and your financial professional if we implement any such restrictions or prohibitions.

Please Note: Annuity contracts managed by your financial professional or investment advisor also are subject to the restrictions on transfers between Investment Options that are discussed in the section titled “Restrictions on Transfers Between Investment Options.” We may also require that your financial professional or investment advisor transmit all financial transactions using the electronic trading functionality available through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities). Limitations that we may impose on your financial professional or investment advisor under the agreement (e.g., a custodial agreement) do not apply to financial transactions requested by an Owner on his or her own behalf, except as otherwise described in this prospectus.

It is your responsibility to arrange for the payment of the advisory fee charged by your investment advisor. Similarly, it is your responsibility to understand the advisory services provided by your investment advisor and the advisory fees charged for the services.

For certain Broker Dealers: If instructed by your Broker Dealer, we may allow your financial professional to effectuate withdrawals on your behalf. In the event you do not wish that your financial professional has this authority, please contact us immediately.

22 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

ACCESS TO ACCOUNT VALUE


TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU

During the Accumulation Period you can access your Account Value through Partial Withdrawals, Systematic Withdrawals, and where required for tax purposes, Minimum Distributions. You can also surrender your Annuity at any time. We may deduct a portion of the Account Value being withdrawn or surrendered as a CDSC. If you surrender your Annuity, in addition to any CDSC, we may deduct the Annual Maintenance Fee, any Tax Charge that applies and the charge for any optional benefits. We may also apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. Certain amounts may be available to you each Annuity Year that are not subject to a CDSC. These are called “Free Withdrawals.” In addition, under certain circumstances, we may waive the CDSC for surrenders made for qualified medical reasons or for withdrawals made to satisfy Minimum Distribution requirements. Unless you notify us differently, withdrawals are taken on a proportional basis based on the Account Value in the investment options at the time we receive your withdrawal request. Each of these types of distributions is described more fully below.

TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

(For more information, see “Tax Considerations”)

Prior to Annuitization

A distribution during the Accumulation Period is deemed to come first from any “gain” in your Annuity and second as a return of your “tax basis”, if any. 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. 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. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor for advice before requesting a distribution.

During Annuitization

During the Annuitization period, a portion of each annuity payment is taxed as ordinary income at the tax rate you are subject to at the time of the payment. The Code and regulations have “exclusionary rules” that we use to determine what portion of each annuity payment should be treated as a return of any tax basis you have in the Annuity. Once the tax basis in the Annuity has been distributed, the remaining annuity payments are taxable as ordinary income. The tax basis in the Annuity may be based on the tax-basis from a prior contract in the case of a 1035 exchange or other qualifying transfer.

CAN I WITHDRAW A PORTION OF MY ANNUITY?

You can make a withdrawal during the Accumulation Period.

 

To meet liquidity needs, you can withdraw a limited amount from your Annuity during each of Annuity Years 1-8 without a CDSC being applied. We call this the “Free Withdrawal” amount. The Free Withdrawal amount is not available if you choose to surrender your Annuity. Amounts withdrawn as a Free Withdrawal do not reduce the amount of CDSC that may apply upon a subsequent withdrawal or surrender of the Annuity. The minimum Free Withdrawal you may request is $100.

 

You can also make withdrawals in excess of the Free Withdrawal amount. We call this a “Partial Withdrawal.” The amount that you may withdraw will depend on the Annuity’s Surrender Value. The Surrender Value is equal to your Account Value minus any CDSC, the Annual Maintenance Fee, the Tax Charge, any charges for optional benefits and any Market Value Adjustment that may apply to any Fixed Allocations. After any Partial Withdrawal, your Annuity must have a Surrender Value of at least $1,000, or we may treat the Partial Withdrawal request as a request to fully surrender your Annuity. The minimum Partial Withdrawal you may request is $100.
 

When we determine if a CDSC applies to Partial Withdrawals and Systematic Withdrawals, we will first determine what, if any, amounts qualify as a Free Withdrawal. Those amounts are not subject to the CDSC. Partial Withdrawals or Systematic Withdrawals of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount will be subject to a CDSC.

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.

Partial Withdrawals may also be available following Annuitization but only if you choose certain annuity payment options.

To request the forms necessary to make a withdrawal from your Annuity, call 1-800-879-7012 or visit our website at www.prudential.com/annuities.

23 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNTS

The maximum Free Withdrawal amount during any Annuity Year is the greater of:

 

the “Growth” in the Annuity; or

 

10% of Purchase Payments that, as of the date of the withdrawal, have been invested for less than the CDSC period (with your Annuity, eight (8) years). The 10% amount is not cumulative.
 

“Growth” equals the current Account Value less all Purchase Payments that have been invested for less than the CDSC period and have not been previously withdrawn. “Growth” does not include any additional amounts we applied to your Annuity based on your Purchase Payments (see “How Do I Receive Credits” and “What Are Target Value Credits”).

NOTE: Free Withdrawals do not reduce the amount of any CDSC that would apply upon a partial withdrawal or subsequent surrender. The minimum Free Withdrawal you may request is $100. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations.

We may reduce or eliminate the amount available as a Free Withdrawal if your Annuity is used in connection with certain plans that receive special tax treatment under the Code.

Examples

Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no additional Purchase Payments. Assume that in Annuity Year 2, due to positive investment performance, your Account Value is $12,500. The maximum Free Withdrawal amount would be the greater of Growth (Account Value minus Purchase Payments = $2,500) or 10% of Purchase Payments ($1,000). Your maximum Free Withdrawal amount would therefore be $2,500.

Further assume that in your third Annuity Year, you choose to surrender your Annuity. Assume that after taking your $2,500 Free Withdrawal in Year 2, your Account Value has increased to $11,000 due to positive investment performance. Upon surrender, we will deduct a CDSC of 8.5% based on the number of years that your Purchase Payment has been invested times the amount of your Purchase Payment that has not been previously withdrawn (8.5% of $10,000 = $850). The amount of the previous Free Withdrawal was not subject to a CDSC when withdrawn. Therefore, upon surrender, the amount of the entire Purchase Payment is subject to the CDSC. You would receive $10,150 minus the Annual Maintenance Fee and any Target Value Credits.

These examples do not reflect the effect of any Credits or Target Value Credits. These amounts are not available as a Free Withdrawal.

When we determine if a CDSC applies to Partial Withdrawals and Systematic Withdrawals, we will first determine what, if any, amounts qualify as a Free Withdrawal. Those amounts are not subject to the CDSC. Partial Withdrawal or Systematic Withdrawal of amounts greater than the maximum Free Withdrawal amount will be subject to a CDSC.

IS THERE A CHARGE FOR A PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL?

A CDSC may be assessed against a Partial Withdrawal during the Accumulation Period. Whether a CDSC applies and the amount to be charged depends on whether the Partial Withdrawal exceeds any Free Withdrawal amount and, if so, the number of years that have elapsed since the Purchase Payment being withdrawn has been invested in the Annuity.

 

1. If you request a Partial Withdrawal we determine if the amount you requested is available as a Free Withdrawal (in which case it would not be subject to a CDSC);

 

2. If the amount requested exceeds the available Free Withdrawal amount:

 

a. First, we withdraw the amount from Purchase Payments that have been invested for longer than the CDSC period, if any (with your Annuity, eight (8) years);

 

b. Second, we withdraw the remaining amount from the Purchase Payments that are still subject to a CDSC. We withdraw the “oldest” of your Purchase Payments first so that the lowest CDSC will apply to the amount withdrawn.


Any CDSC will only apply to the amount withdrawn that exceeds the Free Withdrawal amount.


For purposes of calculating the CDSC on a partial withdrawal, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance.

 

3. If the amount requested exceeds the amounts available under Item #2 above, we withdraw the remaining amount from any other Account Value (including Account Value due to Credits and Target Value Credits).
 

CAN YOU CLOSE MY ACCOUNT AND INVOLUNTARILY REDEEM MY INVESTMENT?

As explained above, after any Partial Withdrawal, your Annuity must have a Surrender Value of at least $1,000, or we may treat the Partial Withdrawal request as a request to fully surrender your Annuity.

24 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS

You can receive Systematic Withdrawals of earnings only, principal plus earnings or a flat dollar amount. Systematic Withdrawals based on the Free Withdrawal amount are only available if the contract is still within the surrender charge period and will be calculated based only on the Purchase Payments that are still subject to CDSC. Systematic Withdrawals may be subject to a CDSC. We will determine whether a CDSC applies and the amount in the same way as we would for a Partial Withdrawal.

Systematic Withdrawals can be made from Account Value allocated to the variable investment options or Fixed Allocations. Generally, Systematic Withdrawals from Fixed Allocations are limited to earnings accrued after the program of Systematic Withdrawals begins, or payments of fixed dollar amounts that do not exceed such earnings. Systematic Withdrawals are available on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. We may require that the Surrender Value of your Annuity must be at least $20,000 before we will allow you to begin a program of Systematic Withdrawals.

The minimum amount for each Systematic Withdrawal is $100. If any scheduled Systematic Withdrawal is for less than $100, we may postpone the withdrawal and add the expected amount to the amount that is to be withdrawn on the next scheduled Systematic Withdrawal.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS UNDER SECTION 72(t) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

If your Annuity is used as a funding vehicle for certain retirement plans that receive special tax treatment under Sections 401, 403(b) or 408 of the Code, Section 72(t) of the Code may provide an exception to the 10% additional tax on distributions made prior to age 59½ if you elect to receive distributions as a series of “substantially equal periodic payments”. Distributions received under this provision in any Annuity Year that exceed the maximum amount available as a Free Withdrawal will be subject to a CDSC. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. To request a program that complies with Section 72(t), you must provide us with certain required information in writing on a form acceptable to us. We may require advance notice to allow us to calculate the amount of 72(t) withdrawals. The Surrender Value of your Annuity must be at least $20,000 before we will allow you to begin a program for withdrawals under Section 72(t). The minimum amount for any such withdrawal is $100.

You may also annuitize your contract and begin receiving payments for the remainder of your life (or life expectancy) as a means of receiving income payments before age 59½ that are not subject to the 10% additional tax.

REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS

(See “Tax Considerations” for a further discussion of Minimum Distributions.)

Minimum Distributions are a type of Systematic Withdrawal we allow to meet distribution requirements under Sections 401, 403(b) or 408 of the Code. Under the Code, you may be required to begin receiving periodic amounts from your Annuity. In such case, we will allow you to make Systematic Withdrawals in amounts that satisfy the minimum distribution rules under the Code. We do not assess a CDSC on Minimum Distributions from your Annuity if you are required by law to take such Minimum Distributions from your Annuity at the time it is taken. However, a CDSC may be assessed on that portion of a Systematic Withdrawal that is taken to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements in relation to other savings or investment plans under other qualified retirement plans not maintained with us.

The amount of the required Minimum Distribution for your particular situation may depend on other annuities, savings or investments. We will only calculate the amount of your required Minimum Distribution based on the value of your Annuity. We require three (3) days advance written notice to calculate and process the amount of your payments. You may elect to have Minimum Distributions paid out monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The $100 minimum that applies to Systematic Withdrawals does not apply to Minimum Distributions.

You may also annuitize your contract and begin receiving payments for the remainder of your life (or life expectancy) as a means of receiving income payments and satisfying the Minimum Distribution requirements under the Code.

25 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

SURRENDERS


SURRENDER VALUE

During the Accumulation Period you can surrender your Annuity at any time. Upon surrender, you will receive the Surrender Value. Upon surrender of your Annuity, you will no longer have any rights under the Annuity.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC on surrender, the Purchase Payments being withdrawn may be greater than your remaining Account Value or the amount of your withdrawal request. This is most likely to occur if you have made prior withdrawals under the Free Withdrawal provision or if your Account Value has declined in value due to negative Sub-account performance. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations.

Under certain annuity payment options, you may be allowed to surrender your Annuity for its then current value.

To request the forms necessary to surrender your Annuity, call 1-800-879-7012 or visit our website at www.prudential.com/annuities.

MEDICALLY-RELATED SURRENDERS

Where permitted by law, you may request to surrender your Annuity prior to the Annuity Date without application of any CDSC upon occurrence of a medically-related “Contingency Event”. We may apply a Market Value Adjustment to any Fixed Allocations. The amount payable will be your Account Value minus: (a) the amount of any Credits applied within 12 months of the applicable “Contingency Event” as defined below; (b) the amount of any Credits added in conjunction with any Purchase Payments received after our receipt of your request for a medically-related surrender (i.e. Purchase Payments received at such time pursuant to a salary reduction program; and (c) the amount of any Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

This waiver of any applicable CDSC is subject to our rules, including but not limited to the following:

 

the Annuitant must be named, or any change of Annuitant must be accepted by us, prior to the “Contingency Event” described below;

 

the Annuitant must be alive as of the date we pay the proceeds of such surrender request;

 

if the Owner is one or more natural persons, all such Owners must also be alive at such time;

 

we must receive satisfactory proof of the Annuitant’s confinement in a Medical Care Facility or Fatal Illness in writing on a form satisfactory to us;

 

this benefit is not available if the total Purchase Payments received exceed $500,000 for all annuities issued by us with this benefit where the same person is named as Annuitant; and

 

proceeds will only be sent by check or electronic fund transfer directly to the Owner.
 

A “Contingency Event” occurs if the Annuitant is:

 

first confined in a “Medical Care Facility” while your Annuity is in force and remains confined for at least 90 days in a row; or

 

first diagnosed as having a “Fatal Illness” while your Annuity is in force.
 

The definitions of “Medical Care Facility” and “Fatal Illness,” as well as additional terms and conditions, are provided in your Annuity. Specific details and definitions in relation to this benefit may differ in certain jurisdictions.

26 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

ANNUITY OPTIONS


We currently make annuity options available that provide fixed annuity payments. Your Annuity provides certain fixed annuity payment options. We do not guarantee to continue to make available any other option other than the fixed annuity payment options set forth in your Annuity. Fixed options provide the same amount with each payment. You must annuitize your entire Account Value; partial Annuitizations are not allowed.

When you purchase an Annuity, or at a later date, you may choose an Annuity Date, an annuity option and the frequency of annuity payments. You may change your choices before the Annuity Date under the terms of the contract. A maximum Annuity Date may be required by law. The Annuity Date may depend on the annuity option you choose. Certain annuity options may not be available depending on the age of the Annuitant.

Certain of these annuity options may be available to Beneficiaries who choose to receive the Death Benefit proceeds as a series of payments instead of a lump sum payment.

Option 1

Payments for Life: Under this option, income is payable periodically until the death of the “key life”. The “key life” (as used in this section) is the person or persons upon whose life annuity payments are based. No additional annuity payments are made after the death of the key life. Since no minimum number of payments is guaranteed, this option offers the largest amount of periodic payments of the life contingent annuity options. It is possible that only one payment will be payable if the death of the key life occurs before the date the second payment was due, and no other payments nor death benefits would be payable. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

Option 2

Payments Based on Joint Lives: Under this option, income is payable periodically during the joint lifetime of two key lives, and thereafter during the remaining lifetime of the survivor, ceasing with the last payment prior to the survivor’s death. No minimum number of payments is guaranteed under this option. It is possible that only one payment will be payable if the death of all the key lives occurs before the date the second payment was due, and no other payments or death benefits would be payable. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

Option 3

Payments for Life with a Certain Period: Under this option, income is payable until the death of the key life. However, if the key life dies before the end of the period selected (5, 10 or 15 years), the remaining payments are paid to the Beneficiary until the end of such period.

Option 4

Fixed Payments for a Certain Period: Under this option, income is payable periodically for a specified number of years. If the payee dies before the end of the specified number of years, the remaining payments are paid to the Beneficiary until the end of such period. Note that under this option, payments are not based on any assumptions of life expectancy. Therefore, that portion of the insurance charge assessed to cover the risk that key lives outlive our expectations provides no benefit to an Owner selecting this option. Under this option, you cannot make a partial or full surrender of the annuity.

For qualified annuities, the period certain option may be limited to 10 years or less depending on the circumstances.

We may make different annuity and settlement options available in the future. We do not guarantee to continue to make available or any other option other than the fixed annuity payment options set forth in your contract.

HOW AND WHEN DO I CHOOSE THE ANNUITY PAYMENT OPTION?

Unless prohibited by law, we require that you elect either a life annuity or an annuity with a certain period of at least 5 years if any CDSC would apply were you to surrender your Annuity on the Annuity Date. Therefore, making a Purchase Payment within eight years of the Annuity Date limits your annuity payment options. Certain annuity payment options may not be available if your Annuity Date occurs during the period that a CDSC would apply.

If you have not provided us with your Annuity Date or annuity payment option in writing, then:

 

the Annuity Date will be the first day of the calendar month following the later of the Annuitant’s 85th birthday or the fifth anniversary of our receipt of your request to purchase an Annuity; and

 

the annuity payments, where allowed by law, will be calculated on a fixed basis under Option 3, Payments for Life with 10 years certain.
 

HOW ARE ANNUITY PAYMENTS CALCULATED?

Fixed Annuity Payments

If you choose to receive fixed annuity payments, you will receive equal fixed-dollar payments throughout the period you select. The amount of the fixed payment will vary depending on the annuity payment option and payment frequency you select. Generally, the first annuity payment is determined by multiplying the Account Value, minus any state premium taxes that may apply, by the factor determined from our table of annuity rates. The table of annuity rates differs based on the type of annuity chosen and the frequency of payment selected. Our rates will not be less than our guaranteed

27 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

minimum rates. These guaranteed minimum rates are derived from the 1983a Individual Annuity Mortality Table with an assumed interest rate of 3% per annum. Where required by law or regulation, such annuity table will have rates that do not differ according to the gender of the key life. Otherwise, the rates will differ according to the gender of the key life.

28 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY


The following table summarizes information about the benefits available under the Annuity.

Name of Benefit

Purpose

Standard or Optional

Maximum Fee

Restrictions/Limitations

Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)1/Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)2

Guarantees a “return of premium” at a future date, while allowing you to allocate all or a portion of your Account Value to the Sub-accounts of your choice

Optional

0.50%
(based on the average daily net assets of the Sub-accounts)

Account Value subject to systematic transfers to and from Fixed Allocations. We may restrict the selection of certain Portfolios. Please refer to Appendix A for variable Sub-account availability.

Basic Death Benefit

Provides protection for your beneficiary(ies) by ensuring that they do not receive less than your Account Value

Standard

0%

None.

Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit3

Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing amounts in addition to the basic Death Benefit that can be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death.

Optional

0.75%
(based on the Account Value)

None.

Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit3

Provides an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiary(ies) by providing amounts in addition to the basic Death Benefit.

Optional

0.55%
(based on the current Death Benefit amount)

None.

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider3

Provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit for your Beneficiary(ies) that may be useful in offsetting federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Please refer to Appendix B for a complete description of the charges.

Optional

10.50%
(based on your age and your Account Value as of the Issue Date of your Annuity)

None.

Annuity Rewards4

Provides an enhancement to the Death Benefit that captures any Sub-account gains since the Issue Date of your Annuity so that your beneficiary(ies) would not receive less than an Annuity’s value as of the effective date of the benefit. After the 10th Annuity Year, the Death Benefit would equal the Account Value.

Standard

0%

None.

Performance Advantage

Provides an increase to the Account Value if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded a “target value” on its 10th anniversary.

Standard

0%

None.

Dollar Cost Averaging

Allows you to systematically transfer a percentage amount out of an investment option and into any other variable investment option(s).

Standard

0%

Minimum allocation requirements.

Automatic 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

0%

None.

1. The Guaranteed Return Option benefit is no longer available for election. If you currently participate in this benefit, you may re-start the benefit on each anniversary of the Issue Date.
2. The Guaranteed Return Plus Option benefit is no longer available for election.
3. These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity.
4. This benefit may be referred to as “Prudential Annuities’ Annuity Rewards” in certain documents.

29 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFITS


Guaranteed Return Option (GRO)

GRO is no longer available for new elections.

GRO is an optional benefit that, after a seven-year period following commencement of the benefit (we refer to the end of that period as the “maturity date”) guarantees your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your benefit (called the “Protected Principal Value”).

The benefit monitors your Account Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfers amounts pursuant to a mathematical formula between the Sub-accounts you choose and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation used to support the Protected Principal Value. There is an additional charge if you elect the Guaranteed Return Option benefit.

The guarantee provided by the benefit exists only on the applicable maturity date. However, due to the ongoing monitoring of your Account Value and the transfer of Account Value between the Sub-accounts and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support our future guarantee, the benefit may provide some protection from significant Sub-account losses if you choose to surrender your Annuity or begin receiving annuity payments prior to a maturity date.

Key Feature – Protected Principal Value

Under the GRO benefit, we guarantee that on the maturity date, your Account Value will be no less than the Protected Principal Value. On the maturity date if your Account Value is below the Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Protected Principal Value. A subsequent Purchase Payment increases the amount of the Protected Principal Value by the amount of the Purchase Payment (plus any Credits), and withdrawals reduce the Protected Principal Value (as discussed below).

We will notify you of any amounts added to your Annuity under the benefit. If our assumptions are correct and the operations relating to the administration of the benefit work properly, we do not expect that we will need to add additional amounts to an Annuity. The Protected Principal Value is generally referred to as the “Guaranteed Amount” in the rider we issue for this benefit.

Key Feature – Allocation of Account Value

GRO uses a mathematical formula that we operate to help manage your guarantees through all market cycles. The formula weighs a number of factors, including the current Account Value, the value in the Sub-accounts, the value in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the Protected Principal Value, the expected value of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations used to support the guarantee, the time remaining until maturity, and the current crediting rates associated with the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. In essence, and as detailed in the formula, the formula will transfer Account Value into the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations if needed to support an anticipated guarantee. The formula is set forth in Appendix C. This required formula thus helps us manage our financial exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations).

Each Valuation Day, the formula determines if any portion of your Account Value needs to be transferred into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, through reference to a “reallocation trigger”. At any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If your entire Account Value is transferred to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the formula will not transfer amounts out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts and the entire Account Value would remain in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Sub-accounts according to your allocation instructions. Such additional Purchase Payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, if dictated by the formula. The amount of any such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.

Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Sub-accounts, 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations 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 (including any Market Value Adjustment) and your Protected Principal Value(s);

 

The amount of time until the maturity of your Guarantee(s);

 

The amount invested in, and the performance of, the Sub-accounts;

 

The amount invested in, and interest earned within, the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

The current crediting rates associated with Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

Additional Purchase Payments, if any, that you make to the Annuity; and

 

Withdrawals, if any, taken from the Annuity.
 

30 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Any amounts invested in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will affect your ability to participate in a subsequent recovery within the Sub-accounts. Conversely, the Account Value may be higher at the beginning of the recovery, e.g. more of the Account Value may have been protected from decline and volatility than it otherwise would have been had the benefit not been elected.

While you are not notified when your Account Value reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Account Value either to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

You may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

You should be aware of the following potential ramifications of the formula:

 

A Market Value Adjustment will apply when we reallocate Account Value from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub- accounts. Transfers of your Account Value can be frequent, and under some scenarios may occur on a daily basis. As indicated, each such transfer may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be positive or negative. Thus, a Market Value Adjustment will directly increase or reduce your Account Value.

 

As indicated, some or even all, of your Account Value may be maintained in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. The greater the Account Value held in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the larger (in dollar terms) the Market Value Adjustment upon any transfer of such Account Value to the Sub-accounts.

 

If your Account Value is less than the reallocation trigger, a portion of your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will be transferred from the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis according to your allocations to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) to support the applicable guaranteed amount. The new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will have a Guarantee Period equal to the time remaining until the applicable maturity date(s). The Account Value allocated to the new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will be credited with the fixed interest rate(s) then being credited to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) maturing on the applicable maturity date(s) (rounded to the next highest yearly duration). The Account Value will remain invested in each applicable Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation until the applicable maturity date unless, at an earlier date, your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger and, therefore, amounts can be transferred to the Sub-accounts while maintaining the guaranteed protection under the program (as described above).

 

If your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger, and a portion of the Account Value must be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts, then those amounts will be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts according to any asset allocation programs (including an Automatic Rebalancing program) established on your Annuity or in the absence of such programs, on a proportional basis, based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts at that time. A Market Value Adjustment will apply upon a transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, which may result in an increase or decrease in your Account Value.

 

Transfers under the formula do not impact your guarantees under GRO that have already been locked-in.
 

Withdrawals from your Annuity, while the benefit is in effect, will reduce the Protected Principal Value proportionally. The proportion will be equal to the proportionate reduction in the Account Value due to the withdrawal as of that date. Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. Systematic Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations up to growth in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and thereafter on a proportional basis solely from the Sub-accounts. The growth in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations at any point in time consists of the remaining earnings since the program of systematic withdrawal began. Withdrawals will be subject to all other provisions of your Annuity, including any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge and Market Value Adjustment that would apply.

Election of the Benefit

We no longer permit new elections of GRO. If you currently participate in GRO, your existing guarantees are unaffected by the fact that we no longer offer GRO. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as GRO 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 Account 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.

Restart of the Benefit

Once each Annuity Year you may request to restart the Benefit. Such a request is an election by you to terminate the existing Benefit (and all guarantees under the benefit) and start a new one. Restarts only take effect on anniversaries of the Issue Date. To make such a request for a restart, you must notify us in advance in accordance with our administrative requirements. If we accept your request, we then terminate the existing Benefit as of that valuation period, if it is an anniversary of the Issue Date, or, if not, as of the next following anniversary of the Issue Date. The new Benefit starts at that time. The initial Protected Principal Value for the new Benefit is the Account Value as of the effective date of the new Benefit. Unless you tell us otherwise, the duration of the new Benefit will be the same as that for the existing Benefit. However, if we do not then make that duration available, you must elect from those we make available at that time. For those who elect to re-start the benefit, the charge will be assessed according to the current methodology prior to re-starting the benefit. – see “Charges under the Program” below.

As part of terminating the existing Benefit, we transfer any amounts in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, subject to a Market Value Adjustment, to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis. If your entire Account Value was then in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, you must first provide us instructions as to how to allocate the transferred Account Value among the Sub-accounts.

31 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Termination of the Benefit

The Annuity Owner also can terminate the Guaranteed Return Option benefit. Upon termination, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will be transferred as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive at our office other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program (b) if your entire Account Value is in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive at our Office prior instructions from you. A Market Value Adjustment will apply (except that if the benefit has terminated automatically due to payment of a death benefit, whether a Market Value Adjustment applies depends solely on the terms of the death benefit – see the Death Benefit section of this prospectus).

In general, you may cancel GRO and then elect another living benefit available post issue, effective on any Valuation Day after your cancellation of GRO. If you terminate GRO, you will lose all guarantees under that benefit. Your election of another living benefit is subject to State and firm availability and our eligibility rules.

The benefit will terminate automatically upon: (a) the death of the Owner or the Annuitant (in an entity owned contract); (b) as of the date Account Value is applied to begin annuity payments; or (c) upon full surrender of your Annuity. If you elect to terminate the benefit, the Guaranteed Return Option will no longer provide any guarantees.

The charge for the Guaranteed Return Option benefit will no longer be deducted from your Account Value after the benefit has been terminated, although for those Annuities for which the GRO charge is deducted annually rather than daily (see “Charges Under the Benefit” below), we will deduct the final annual charge upon termination of the benefit.

Special Considerations under the Guaranteed Return Option

This benefit is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including, but not limited to the following:

 

Upon inception of the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Sub-accounts. The Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation must not have been in effect as of the date that you elected to participate in the benefit. However, the formula may transfer Account Value to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation as of the effective date of the benefit under some circumstances.

 

Annuity Owners cannot allocate any portion of Purchase Payments (including any Credits) or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation while participating in the benefit; however, all or a portion of any Purchase Payments (including any Credits) may be allocated by us to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the amount guaranteed. You cannot participate in any dollar cost averaging benefit that transfers Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to a Sub-account.

 

Transfers from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation made as a result of the formula under the benefit will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment formula under an Annuity; however, the 0.10% liquidity factor in the formula will not apply. A Market Value Adjustment may be either positive or negative. Transfer amounts will be taken from the most recently established Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

Transfers from the Sub-accounts to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts under the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity.

 

Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date will not be treated as “investment in the contract” for income tax purposes.

 

Any amounts that we add to your Annuity to support our guarantee under the benefit will be applied to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, after first transferring any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive at our office other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program and (b) if your entire Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive at our Office prior instructions from you.

 

Low interest rates may require allocation to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation even when the current Account Value exceeds the guarantee.

 

As the time remaining until the applicable maturity date gradually decreases the benefit will become increasingly sensitive to moves to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

We currently limit the Sub-accounts in which you may allocate Account Value if you participate in this benefit. Should we prohibit access to any investment option, any transfers required to move Account Value to eligible investment options will not be counted in determining the number of free transfers during an Annuity Year.
 

32 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Charges under the Program

The maximum charge for Guaranteed Return Option is 0.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Sub-accounts. The annual charge is deducted daily. Account Value allocated to Fixed Allocations under the program is not subject to the charge. The charge is deducted to compensate us for: (a) the risk that your Account Value on the maturity date of the program is less than the amount guaranteed; and (b) administration of the program. You will begin paying this charge as of the effective date of the benefit. We will not refund the charges you have paid even if we never have to make any payments under the benefit.

Effective November 18, 2002, we changed the way in which the annual charge for the Guaranteed Return Option is deducted to the method described above. The annual charge for the Guaranteed Return Option for Owners who elected the benefit between May 1, 2001 and November 15, 2002 and subsequent to November 19, 2002 in those states where the daily deduction of the charge has not been approved, is deducted annually, in arrears, according to the prospectus in effect as of the date the program was elected. Owners who terminate and then re-elect the Guaranteed Return Option or elect to restart the Guaranteed Return Option at any time after November 18, 2002 will be subject to the charge method described above.

Examples

Example 1. Benefit Maturity

This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges under the annuity. It is intended to illustrate the benefit maturity on a guarantee amount under this benefit.

A Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) program begins on July 1, 2015. Your Account Value (AV) at the start of the program is $100,000. As of program maturity on July 1, 2022, there have been no additional Purchase Payments and no prior withdrawals, so your Guaranteed Amount remains at $100,000. The Account Value is $93,000.

Since the Guaranteed Amount exceeds the Account Value, a total of $7,000, the amount by which the guaranteed exceeds the AV, is added to the variable Sub-accounts which you have elected (or the AST Government Money Market Sub-account if such elections have not been made).

Example 2. Proportional reduction for withdrawal.

This example is purely hypothetical and does not reflect the charges for the benefit or any other fees and charges under the Annuity. It is intended to illustrate the proportional reduction of a withdrawal on each guarantee amount under this benefit.

A Guaranteed Return Option (GRO) program begins on July 1, 2015. Your Account Value (AV) at the start of the program is $100,000. As of July 1, 2020, there have been no additional Purchase Payments and no prior withdrawals, so your Guaranteed Amount remains at $100,000. The Account Value is $120,000. You then elect to take a $6,000 withdrawal. Assume that no CDSC, Market Value Adjustment or other charges apply.

The Guaranteed Amount is reduced as follows:

●     Guaranteed Amount prior to withdrawal × (1 - withdrawal / AV prior to withdrawal)

= $100,000 × (1 - $6,000 / $120,000)

= $95,000

Guaranteed Return Option Plus (GRO Plus)

GRO Plus is no longer available for new elections.

GRO Plus is an optional benefit that, after a seven-year period following commencement of the benefit (we refer to the end of that period and any applicable subsequent period as the “maturity date”) and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter while the benefit remains in effect, guarantees your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your benefit (called the “Protected Principal Value”). The benefit also offers you the opportunity to elect a second, enhanced guaranteed amount at a later date if your Account Value has increased, while preserving the guaranteed amount established on the effective date of your benefit. The enhanced guaranteed amount (called the “Enhanced Protected Principal Value”) guarantees that, after a separate period following election of the enhanced guarantee and on each anniversary thereafter while this enhanced guarantee amount remains in effect, your Account Value will not be less than your Account Value on the effective date of your election of the enhanced guarantee. If the maturity date of any guarantee under GRO Plus is not a Valuation Day, and we are required to contribute an amount to your Account Value with respect to that maturing guarantee, we would contribute such an amount on the next Valuation Day.

The benefit monitors your Account Value daily and, if necessary, systematically transfers amounts between the Sub-accounts you choose and Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations used to support the Protected Principal Value(s). The benefit may be appropriate if you wish to protect a principal amount against poor Sub-account performance as of a specific date in the future. There is an additional charge if you elected the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit.

The guarantees provided by the benefit exist only on the applicable maturity date(s) and on each anniversary of the maturity date(s) thereafter.

33 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Key Feature – Protected Principal Value/Enhanced Protected Principal Value

The Guaranteed Return Option Plus offers a base guarantee as well as the option of electing an enhanced guarantee at a later date.

 

Base Guarantee: Under the base guarantee, we guarantee that on the maturity date and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the benefit remains in effect, your Account Value will be no less than the Protected Principal Value. On the maturity date and on each anniversary after the maturity date that the benefit remains in effect, if your Account Value is below the Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Protected Principal Value. A subsequent Purchase Payment increases the amount of the base guarantee by the amount of the Purchase Payment (plus any Credits), and withdrawals reduce the base guarantee (as discussed below). Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will first be applied to any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations then required to support guarantees due on subsequent maturity dates. We will allocate the remainder to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on the Account Value in the Sub-accounts at that time.

 

Enhanced Guarantee: On any anniversary following commencement of the benefit, you can establish an enhanced guarantee amount based on your current Account Value. Under the enhanced guarantee, we guarantee that at the end of the specified period following the election of the enhanced guarantee (also referred to as its “maturity date”), and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the enhanced guaranteed amount remains in effect, your Account Value will be no less than the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. You can elect an enhanced guarantee more than once; however, a subsequent election supersedes the prior election of an enhanced guarantee. Election of an enhanced guarantee does not impact the base guarantee. In addition, you may elect an “auto step-up” feature that will automatically create an enhanced guarantee (or increase your enhanced guarantee, if previously elected) on each anniversary of the benefit (and create a new maturity period for the new enhanced guarantee) if the Account Value as of that anniversary exceeds the Protected Principal Value and Enhanced Protected Principal Value by 7% or more. You may also elect to terminate an enhanced guarantee. If you elect to terminate an enhanced guarantee, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations for the enhanced guarantee will be liquidated, on the Valuation Day the request is processed, (which may result in a Market Value Adjustment), and such amounts will be transferred according to the rules described in “Termination of the Benefit/ Enhanced Guarantee”. Termination of an enhanced guarantee will not result in termination of the base guarantee. If you have elected the enhanced guarantee, on the guarantee’s maturity date and on each anniversary of the maturity date thereafter that the enhanced guarantee amount remains in effect, if your Account Value is below the Enhanced Protected Principal Value, we will apply additional amounts to your Annuity from its general account to increase your Account Value to be equal to the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will first be applied to any Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations then required to support guarantees due on subsequent maturity dates. We will allocate the remainder to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on the Account Value in the Sub-accounts at that time.
 

If our assumptions are correct and the operations relating to the administration of the benefit work properly, we do not expect that we will need to add additional amounts to your Annuity. The Protected Principal Value is referred to as the “Base Guarantee” and the Enhanced Protected Principal Value is referred to as the “Step-Up Guarantee” in the rider we issue for this benefit.

Withdrawals under your Annuity

Withdrawals from your Annuity, while the benefit is in effect, will reduce the base guarantee under the benefit as well as any enhanced guarantee. Cumulative annual withdrawals up to 5% of the Protected Principal Value as of the effective date of the benefit (adjusted for any subsequent Purchase Payments and any Credits applied to such Purchase Payments) will reduce the applicable guaranteed amount by the actual amount of the withdrawal (referred to as the “dollar-for-dollar limit”). If the amount withdrawn is greater than the dollar-for-dollar limit, the portion of the withdrawal equal to the dollar-for-dollar limit will be treated as described above, and the portion of the withdrawal in excess of the dollar-for-dollar limit will reduce the base guarantee and the enhanced guarantee proportionally, according to the formula as described in the rider for this benefit (see the examples of this calculation below). Withdrawals other than Systematic Withdrawals will be taken on a proportional basis from the Sub-accounts and any Fixed Allocations. Withdrawals will be subject to all other provisions of your Annuity, including any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge and Market Value Adjustment (which may be positive or negative) that would apply.

Charges for other optional benefits under your Annuity that are deducted as an annual charge in arrears will not reduce the applicable guaranteed amount under the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit, however, any partial withdrawals in payment of charges for the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (not currently offered for sale) and any third party investment advisory service will be treated as withdrawals and will reduce the applicable guaranteed amount.

The following examples of dollar-for-dollar and proportional reductions assume that: 1.) the Issue Date and the effective date of the GRO Plus benefit are October 13, 2004; 2.) an initial Purchase Payment of $250,000 (includes any Credits); 3.) a base guarantee amount of $250,000; and 4.) a dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500 (5% of $250,000). The values set forth here are purely hypothetical and do not reflect the charge for GRO Plus or other fees and charges.

34 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Example 1. Dollar-for-dollar reduction

A $10,000 withdrawal is taken on November 29, 2004 (in the first Annuity Year). No prior withdrawals have been taken. As the amount withdrawn is less than the Dollar-for-dollar Limit:

 

The base guarantee amount is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., by $10,000, from $250,000 to $240,000).

 

The remaining dollar-for-dollar limit (“Remaining Limit”) for the balance of the first Annuity 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 December 18, 2004 (still within the first Annuity Year). The Account Value immediately before the withdrawal is $180,000. As the amount withdrawn exceeds the Remaining Limit of $2,500 from Example 1:

 

The base guarantee amount is first reduced by the Remaining Limit (from $240,000 to $237,500);

 

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 Account Value less the Remaining Limit ($180,000 – $2,500, or $177,500).
 

The resulting base guarantee amount is: $237,500 × (1 – $7,500 / $177,500), or $227,464.79.

 

The Remaining Limit is set to zero (0) for the balance of the first Annuity Year.
 

Example 3. Reset of the Dollar-for-Dollar Limit

A $10,000 withdrawal is made on December 19, 2005 (second Annuity Year). The Remaining Limit has been reset to the dollar-for-dollar limit of $12,500. As the amount withdrawn is less than the dollar-for-dollar limit:

 

The base guarantee amount is reduced by the amount withdrawn (i.e., reduced by $10,000, from $227,464.79 to $217,464.79)

 

The Remaining Limit for the balance of the second Annuity Year is also reduced by the amount withdrawn (from $12,500 to $2,500).
 

Key Feature – Allocation of Account Value

GRO Plus uses a mathematical formula that we operate to help manage your guarantees through all market cycles. Each Valuation Day, the formula determines if any portion of your Account Value needs to be transferred into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, through reference to a “reallocation trigger”. The formula does this by (a) first identifying each guarantee that is outstanding under GRO Plus (b) then discounting the value of each such guarantee to a present value, based on crediting rates associated with the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, then (c) identifying the largest of such present values. Then, the formula compares the largest present value to both the Account Value and the value of assets allocated to the Sub-accounts to determine whether a transfer into or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations is required. As detailed in the formula, if that largest present value exceeds the Account Value less a percentage of the Sub-account value, a transfer into the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will occur. Conversely, if the largest present value is less than the Account Value less a percentage of the Sub-account value, a transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will occur. This required formula helps us manage our financial exposure under the benefit, by moving assets to a more stable option (i.e., the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations). The formula is set forth in Appendix D.

If your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger, then:

 

your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will remain allocated according to your most recent instructions; and

 

if a portion of your Account Value is allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to support the applicable guaranteed amount, all or a portion of those amounts will be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts according to any asset allocation programs (including an Automatic Rebalancing program) established on your Annuity or in the absence of such programs, on a proportional basis, based on the Account Values in such Sub-accounts at that time;

 

if all of your Account Value is allocated to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation, then all or a portion of that amount may be transferred from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation and re-allocated to the Sub-accounts, according to the following hierarchy: (i) first according to any asset allocation program that you may have in effect (ii) if no such program is in effect, then in accordance with any automatic rebalancing program that you may have in effect and (iii) if neither such program is in effect, then to the AST Government Money Market Sub-account; and

 

a Market Value Adjustment will apply when we reallocate Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to the Sub-accounts, which may result in a decrease or increase in your Account Value.
 

If your Account Value is less than the reallocation trigger, a portion of your Account Value in the Sub-accounts will be transferred from the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis according to your allocations to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) to support the applicable guaranteed amount. The new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will have a Guarantee Period equal to the time remaining until the applicable maturity date(s). The Account Value allocated to the new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) will be credited with the fixed interest rate(s) then being credited to a new Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation(s) maturing on the applicable maturity date(s) (rounded to the next highest yearly duration). The Account Value

35 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

will remain invested in each applicable Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation until the applicable maturity date unless, at an earlier date, your Account Value is greater than or equal to the reallocation trigger and, therefore, amounts can be transferred to the Sub-accounts while maintaining the guaranteed protection under the program (as described above).

At any given time, some, none, or all of your Account Value may be allocated to the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. With respect to any amounts held within the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we can give no assurance how long the amounts will reside there or if such amounts will transfer out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. If you make additional Purchase Payments to your Annuity, they will be allocated to the Sub-accounts according to your allocation instructions. Such additional Purchase Payments may or may not cause the formula to transfer money in or out of the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, if dictated by the formula. The amount of such transfers will vary, as dictated by the formula, and will depend on the factors listed below.

Each market cycle is unique, therefore the performance of your Sub-accounts, 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 Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations 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 (including any Market Value Adjustment) and your Protected Principal Value(s);

 

The amount of time until the maturity of your guarantee(s);

 

The amount invested in, and the performance of, the Sub-accounts;

 

The amount invested in, and interest earned within, the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

The current crediting rates associated with Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations;

 

Additional Purchase Payments, if any, that you make to the Annuity; and

 

Withdrawals, if any, taken from the Annuity.
 

Any amounts invested in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations will affect your ability to participate in a subsequent recovery within the Sub-accounts. Conversely, the Account Value may be higher at the beginning of the recovery, e.g. more of the Account Value may have been protected from decline and volatility than it otherwise would have been had the benefit not been elected.

While you are not notified when your Account Value reaches a reallocation trigger, you will receive a confirmation statement indicating the transfer of a portion of your Account Value either to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

You may not allocate Purchase Payments to or transfer Account Value to or from the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

Separate Fixed Allocations may be established in support of the Protected Principal Value and the Enhanced Protected Principal Value (if elected). There may also be circumstances when a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation will be established only in support of the Protected Principal Value or the Enhanced Protected Principal Value. If you elect an enhanced guarantee, it is more likely that a portion of your Account Value may be allocated to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations and will remain allocated for a longer period of time to support the Enhanced Protected Principal Value, even during a period of positive Sub-account performance and/or under circumstances where Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations would not be necessary to support the Protected Principal Value. Further, there may be circumstances where Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations in support of the Protected Principal Value or Enhanced Protected Principal Value are transferred to the Sub-accounts under the formula differently than each other because of the different guarantees they support.

You should be aware of the following potential ramifications of the formula:

 

Transfers of your Account Value can be frequent, and under some scenarios may occur on a daily basis. As indicated, each such transfer may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which can be positive or negative. Thus, a Market Value Adjustment will directly increase or reduce your Account Value.

 

As indicated, some or even all, of your Account Value may be maintained in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations. The greater the Account Value held in Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, the larger (in dollar terms) the Market Value Adjustment upon any transfer of such Account Value to the Sub-accounts.

 

Transfers under the formula do not impact your guarantees under GRO Plus that have already been locked-in.
 

Election of the Benefit

We no longer permit new elections of GRO Plus. If you currently participate in GRO Plus, your existing guarantees are unaffected by the fact that we no longer offer GRO Plus. Please note that if you terminate a living benefit such as GRO Plus 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 Account 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.

36 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Termination of the Benefit/Enhanced Guarantee

You can elect to terminate the enhanced guarantee but maintain the protection provided by the base guarantee. You also can terminate the Guaranteed Return Option Plus benefit entirely, in which case you will lose any existing guarantees.

Upon termination of the benefit or of the enhanced guarantee, any amounts held in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations related to the guarantee(s) being terminated will be transferred as follows: (a) if only a portion of your Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer such Account Value (i) to the Sub-accounts on a proportional basis, based on your Account Value in such Sub-accounts on the day of the transfer, unless we receive other prior instructions from you or (ii) if you are then participating in an asset allocation program for which we are providing administrative support, we allocate the transferred amount in accordance with the then current percentages for that asset allocation program (b) if your entire Account Value is in the Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations, we will transfer your Account Value to the Sub-account corresponding to the AST Government Money Market Portfolio, unless we receive prior instructions from you. A Market Value Adjustment will apply (except that if the benefit has terminated automatically due to payment of a death benefit, whether a Market Value Adjustment applies depends solely on the terms of the death benefit – see the “Death Benefit” section of this prospectus).

In general, you may cancel GRO Plus and then elect another living benefit that is available post issue, effective on any Valuation Day after your cancellation of GRO Plus. If you terminate GRO Plus, you will lose all guarantees under that benefit. Your election of another living benefit is subject to State and firm availability and our eligibility rules.

The benefit will terminate automatically upon: (a) the death of the Owner or the Annuitant (in an entity owned contract); (b) as of the date Account Value is applied to begin annuity payments; or (c) upon full surrender of the Annuity. If you elect to terminate the benefit, the Guaranteed Return Option Plus will no longer provide any guarantees.

Special Considerations under the Guaranteed Return Option Plus

This benefit is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including, but not limited to the following:

 

Upon inception of the benefit, 100% of your Account Value must have been allocated to the Sub-accounts. No Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations may be in effect as of the date that you elect to participate in the benefit. However, the formula may transfer Account Value to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations as of the effective date of the benefit under some circumstances.

 

You cannot allocate any portion of Purchase Payments (including any Credits) or transfer Account Value to or from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation while participating in the benefit; however, all or a portion of any Purchase Payments (including any Credits) may be allocated by us to a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to support the amount guaranteed. You cannot participate in any dollar cost averaging benefit that transfers Account Value from a Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation to a Sub-account.

 

Transfers from Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations made as a result of the formula under the benefit will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment formula under an Annuity; however, the 0.10% liquidity factor in the formula will not apply. A Market Value Adjustment may be either positive or negative. Transfer amounts will be taken from the most recently established Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocation.

 

Transfers from the Sub-accounts to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations or from Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts under the benefit will not count toward the maximum number of free transfers allowable under an Annuity.

 

Any amounts applied to your Account Value by us on the maturity date or any anniversary of the maturity date will not be treated as “investment in the contract” for income tax purposes.

 

Low interest rates may require allocation to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations even when the current Account Value exceeds the guarantee.

 

As the time remaining until the applicable maturity date gradually decreases the benefit will become increasingly sensitive to moves to Market Value Adjustment Fixed Allocations.

 

We currently limit the Sub-accounts in which you may allocate Account Value if you participate in this benefit. Should we prohibit access to any investment option, any transfers required to move Account Value to eligible investment options will not be counted in determining the number of free transfers during an Annuity Year.
 

Charges under the Benefit

The maximum charge for Guaranteed Return Option Plus is 0.50% annually of the daily net assets of the Sub-accounts. The annual charge is deducted daily. The charge is deducted to compensate us for: (a) the risk that your Account Value on the maturity date is less than the amount guaranteed; and (b) administration of the benefit. You will begin paying this charge as of the effective date of the benefit. We will not refund the charges you have paid even if we never have to make any payments under the benefit.

If you elect the Enhanced Guarantee under the benefit, and on the date you elect to step-up, the charges under the benefit have changed for new purchases, your benefit may be subject to the new charge level. These charges will not exceed the maximum charges shown in the section of this prospectus entitled “Benefits Available Under the Annuity.”

37 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

DEATH BENEFIT


TRIGGERS FOR PAYMENT OF THE DEATH BENEFIT

The Annuity provides a Death Benefit during its Accumulation Period. If the Annuity is owned by one or more natural persons, the Death Benefit is payable upon the first death of an Owner. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is payable upon the Annuitant’s death, if there is no Contingent Annuitant. If a Contingent Annuitant was designated before the Annuitant’s death and the Annuitant dies, then the Contingent Annuitant becomes the Annuitant and a Death Benefit will not be paid at that time. The person upon whose death the Death Benefit is paid is referred to below as the “decedent.”

BASIC DEATH BENEFIT

The Annuity provides a basic Death Benefit at no additional charge. The insurance charge we deduct daily from your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts is used, in part, to pay us for the risk we assume in providing the basic Death Benefit guarantee under the Annuity. Under certain circumstances, your Death Benefit may be reduced by the amount of any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments (see “How are Credits Applied to My Account Value” and “Recapture of Target Value Credits”).

Considerations for Contingent Annuitants: We may allow the naming of a Contingent Annuitant when a Non-qualified Annuity contract is held by a pension plan or a tax favored retirement plan or held by a Custodial Account (as defined earlier in this prospectus). In such a situation, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the Annuity contract continues after the death of the Annuitant. In some of our Annuities held by these same types of entities we allow for the naming of a Co-Annuitant, which also is used to mean the successor annuitant (and not another life used for measuring the duration of an annuity payment option). Like in the case of a Contingent Annuitant, the Annuity may no longer qualify for tax deferral where the contract 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 contract is held by an entity which is not eligible for tax deferral benefits under Section 72(u) of the Code. This does not supersede any benefit language which may restrict the use of the Contingent Annuitant.

The basic Death Benefit depends on the decedent’s age on the date of death:

 

  If death occurs during the first ten (10) Annuity Years: The Death Benefit is the greater of the following, less an amount equal to any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments within the prior 12 months:

 

The sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals; and

 

The sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations.

 

  If death occurs after the tenth (10th) Annuity Year: The Death Benefit is your Account Value less an amount equal to any Credits or Target Value Credits we applied to your Purchase Payments within the prior 12 months.
 

Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated if death occurs during the first ten Annuity Years:

The contract was issued with Purchase Payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Sub-account 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 when you make a withdrawal from the contract. If the contract Owner had withdrawn $10,000 of the remaining $80,000, the death benefit would also be reduced by $10,000. Since the death benefit had been $100,000, it would now be $90,000.

Here is an example of how the basic death benefit is calculated if death occurs after the first ten Annuity Years:

The contract was issued with Purchase Payments totaling $100,000 but, due to negative Sub-account performance, the Account Value had decreased to $80,000. If the Owner died, the death benefit would be $80,000.

OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFITS

Optional Death Benefits are offered for purchase with your Annuity to provide an enhanced level of protection for your beneficiaries.

 


These benefits are no longer offered and must have been elected at the time that you purchased your Annuity. Certain terms and conditions may differ if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, from any other Annuity we issue.

1. ENHANCED BENEFICIARY PROTECTION OPTIONAL DEATH BENEFIT

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit can provide additional amounts to your Beneficiary that may be used to offset federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. Whether this benefit is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary to pay taxes on your Annuity should you die during the Accumulation Period. No benefit is payable if death occurs on or after the Annuity Date.

38 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit provides a benefit that is payable in addition to the basic Death Benefit. If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 75 or less at the time the benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 75 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 75 or less.

Calculation of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit

If you purchase the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit, the Death Benefit is calculated as follows:

 

1. the basic Death Benefit described above;

 

    PLUS

 

1. the basic Death Benefit described above;

PLUS

 

1. 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.
 

“Proportional withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of your Account Value that each prior withdrawal represented when withdrawn.

“Death Benefit Amount” includes your Account Value and any amounts added to your Account Value under the basic Death Benefit when the Death Benefit is calculated. Under the basic Death Benefit, amounts are added to your Account Value when the Account Value is less than Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals.

The amount calculated in Items 1 & 2 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is subject to a maximum of 50% of all Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity at least 12 months prior to the death of the decedent that triggers the payment of the Death Benefit.

 


The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit described above was offered in those jurisdictions where we received regulatory approval. Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for a discussion of special tax considerations for purchasers of this benefit.

Examples of Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made and that no withdrawals are made prior to the Owner’s death. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

39 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Example with Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $75,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, whichever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $75,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($75,000) PLUS 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.

Purchase Payments

=

$50,000

Account Value

=

$75,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

$75,000

Death Benefit Amount

=

$75,000 - $50,000 = $25,000

Amount Payable Under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = $75,000 + $12,500 = $87,500

Examples with Sub-account decline

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has been decreasing due to declines in Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $45,000. The basic Death Benefit is calculated as Purchase Payments minus proportional withdrawals, or Account Value, less the amount of any Credits applied within 12-months prior to the date of death, whichever is greater. Therefore, the basic Death Benefit is equal to $50,000. The Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit is equal to the amount payable under the basic Death Benefit ($50,000) PLUS 50% of the “Death Benefit Amount” less Purchase Payments reduced by proportional withdrawals.

Purchase Payments

=

$50,000

Account Value

=

$45,000

Basic Death Benefit

=

$50,000

Death Benefit Amount

=

$50,000 - $50,000 = $0

Amount Payable Under Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit = $50,000 + $0 = $50,000

In this example you would receive no additional benefit from purchasing the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit.

2. GUARANTEED MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT

If the Annuity has one Owner, the Owner must be age 80 or less at the time the optional Death Benefit is purchased. If the Annuity has joint Owners, the oldest Owner must be age 80 or less. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Annuitant must be age 80 or less.

Key Terms Used with the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

 

The Death Benefit Target Date is the contract anniversary on or after the 80th birthday of the current Owner, the oldest of either joint Owner or the Annuitant, if entity owned.

 

The Highest Anniversary Value equals the highest of all previous “Anniversary Values” on or before the earlier of the Owner’s date of death and the “Death Benefit Target Date”.

 

The Anniversary Value is the Account Value as of each anniversary of the Issue Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments on or after such anniversary less the sum of all “Proportional Reductions” since such anniversary.

 

A Proportional Reduction is a reduction to the value being measured caused by a withdrawal, equaling the percentage of the withdrawal as compared to the Account Value as of the date of the withdrawal. For example, if your Account Value is $10,000 and you withdraw $2,000 (a 20% reduction), we will reduce both your Anniversary Value and the amount determined by Purchase Payments increasing at the appropriate interest rate by 20%.
 

Calculation of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit

The Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit depends on whether death occurs before or after the Death Benefit Target Date.

 

  If the Owner dies before the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greatest of:

 

1. the Account Value in the Sub-accounts plus the Interim Value of any Fixed Allocations (no Market Value Adjustment) as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death”; and

 

2. the sum of all Purchase Payments minus the sum of all Proportional Reductions, each increasing daily until the Owner’s date of death at a rate of 5.0%, subject to a limit of 200% of the difference between the sum of all Purchase Payments and the sum of all withdrawals as of the Owner’s date of death; and
 

40 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

3. the “Highest Anniversary Value” on or immediately preceding the Owner’s date of death.

 

  The amount determined by this calculation is increased by any Purchase Payments received after the Owner’s date of death and decreased by any Proportional Reductions since such date. The amount calculated in Items 1 & 3 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.

 

  If the Owner dies on or after the Death Benefit Target Date, the Death Benefit equals the greater of:

 

1. the Account Value as of the date we receive in writing “due proof of death” (a Market Value Adjustment may be applicable to amounts in any Fixed Allocations); and

 

2. the greater of Item 2 & 3 above on the Death Benefit Target Date plus the sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all Proportional Reductions since the Death Benefit Target Date.

 

  The amount calculated in Item 1 above may be reduced by any Credits or Target Value Credits under certain circumstances.
 

Examples of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Calculation

The following are examples of how the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit is calculated. Each example assumes that a $50,000 initial Purchase Payment is made and that no withdrawals are made prior to the Owner’s death. Each example assumes that there is one Owner who is age 50 on the Issue Date and that all Account Value is maintained in the variable investment options.

NOTE: The examples below do not include Credits or Target Value Credits which may be recaptured by us under certain circumstances.

Example of Sub-account increase

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value has generally been increasing due to positive Sub-account performance. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $90,000. The Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period is $72,000. The Death Benefit would be the Account Value ($90,000) because it is greater than the Highest Anniversary Value ($72,000) or the sum of prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77).

Example of Sub-account decrease

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value generally increased until the fifth anniversary but generally has been decreasing since the fifth contract anniversary. On the date we receive due proof of death, the Account Value is $48,000. The Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period is $54,000. The Death Benefit would be the sum of prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77) because it is greater than the Highest Anniversary Value ($54,000) or the Account Value ($48,000).

Example of Sub-account increase followed by decrease

Assume that the Owner’s Account Value increased significantly during the first six years following the Issue Date. On the sixth anniversary date the Account Value is $90,000. During the seventh Annuity Year, the Account Value increases to as high as $100,000 but then subsequently falls to $80,000 on the date we receive due proof of death. The Death Benefit would be the Highest Anniversary Value at the end of any previous period ($90,000), which occurred on the sixth anniversary, although the Account Value was higher during the subsequent period. The Account Value on the date we receive due proof of death ($80,000) is lower, as is the sum of all prior Purchase Payments increased by 5.0% annually ($73,872.77).

Annuities with Joint Owners

For Annuities with Joint Owners, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the oldest of the Joint Owners is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. NOTE: If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we will pay the Death Benefit to the Beneficiary. If the sole primary Beneficiary is the surviving spouse, then the surviving spouse can elect to assume ownership of the Annuity and continue the contract instead of receiving the Death Benefit.

Annuities Owned by Entities

For Annuities owned by an entity, the Death Benefit is calculated as shown above except that the age of the Annuitant is used to determine the Death Benefit Target Date. Payment of the Death Benefit is based on the death of the Annuitant (or Contingent Annuitant, if applicable).

Can I terminate the optional Death Benefits? Do the optional Death Benefits terminate under other circumstances?

You can terminate the Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit and the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit at any time. Upon termination, you will be required to pay, on a proportional basis, a portion of the annual charge for the benefit. Both optional Death Benefits will terminate automatically on the Annuity Date. We may also terminate any optional Death Benefit if necessary to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations. Once terminated, the benefit cannot be reelected.

41 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

What are the charges for the optional Death Benefits?

The maximum charge for Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Death Benefit and the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit respectively is 0.75% and 0.55%. The charges for these death benefits are deducted in arrears each Annuity Year. No charge applies after the Annuity Date. We deduct the charge:

 

1. on each anniversary of the Issue Date;

 

2. when Account Value is transferred to our general account prior to the Annuity Date;

 

3. if you surrender your Annuity; and

 

4. if you choose to terminate the benefit (Enhanced Beneficiary Protection Optional Death Benefit only)
 

If you surrender the Annuity, elect to begin receiving annuity payments or terminate the benefit on a date other than an anniversary of the Issue Date, the charge will be prorated. During the first year after the Issue Date, the charge will be prorated from the Issue Date. In all subsequent years, it would be prorated from the last anniversary of the Issue Date.

We first deduct the amount of the charge on a proportional basis from the Account Value in the variable investment options. We only deduct the charge on a proportional basis from the Fixed Allocations to the extent there is insufficient Account Value in the variable investment options to pay the charge. If your Annuity’s Account Value is insufficient to pay the charge, we may deduct your remaining Account Value and terminate your Annuity. We will notify you if your Account Value is insufficient to pay the charge and allow you to submit an additional Purchase Payment to continue your Annuity.

Please refer to the section entitled “Tax Considerations” for additional considerations in relation to the optional Death Benefit.

Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider
No longer available for election

 


The life insurance coverage provided under the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (“Plus40 rider” or the “Rider”) is supported by our general account and is not subject to, or registered as a security under, either the Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940. Information about the Plus40 rider is included in this Prospectus to help you understand the Rider and the relationship between the Rider and the value of your Annuity. It is also included because you can elect to pay for the Rider with taxable withdrawals from your Annuity. The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission has not reviewed this information. However, the information may be subject to certain generally applicable provisions of the Federal securities laws regarding accuracy and completeness.

The Plus40 rider provides an income tax-free life insurance benefit to your Beneficiary(ies) equal to 40% of the Account Value of your Annuity as of the date we receive due proof of death, subject to certain adjustments, restrictions and limitations. The Rider may be especially useful in offsetting federal and state taxes payable on any taxable gains in your Annuity at the time of your death. The Rider is available in addition to the death benefit payable under the Annuity. Whether the Rider is appropriate for you may depend on your particular circumstances, including other financial resources that may be available to your Beneficiary(ies) to pay taxes on the gain in your Annuity should you die during the accumulation period. No amounts are payable under the Rider if you die on or after the date your Account Value is applied to begin receiving annuity payments or after you surrender the Annuity. The Rider has no cash value.

Please refer to Appendix B for a more complete description of the Plus40 rider.

ANNUITY REWARDS

What is the Annuity Rewards Benefit?

The Annuity Rewards benefit offers Owners the ability to capture any Sub-account gains since the Issue Date of their Annuity as an enhancement to their current Death Benefit so their Beneficiaries will not receive less than the Annuity’s value as of the date the Owner elects the benefit. Under the Annuity Rewards benefit, we guarantee that the Death Benefit will not be less than:

 

your Account Value in the variable investment options plus the Interim Value in any Fixed Allocations as of the effective date of the Owner’s election

 

MINUS any proportional withdrawals* following the date of election

 

PLUS any additional Purchase Payments applied to the Annuity following the date of election.

 

“Proportional withdrawals” are determined by calculating the percentage of the Account Value that each withdrawal represented when withdrawn. For example, a withdrawal of 50% of your Account Value would be treated as a 50% reduction in the amount payable under the Death Benefit.
 

If you elect the Annuity Rewards benefit, the cut-off date under the basic Death Benefit is amended and will depend on the decedent’s age on the date of death.

If death occurs before the decedent’s age 90: The Death Benefit is the greater of:

 

The sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals; and

 

The sum of your Account Value in the variable investment options and your Interim Value in the Fixed Allocations.
 

42 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

If death occurs after the decedent’s age 90: The Death Benefit is your Account Value.



The Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement does not affect any Optional Death Benefits available under the Annuity. If the Death Benefit amount payable under your Annuity’s basic Death Benefit or any Optional Death Benefits you purchase is greater than the enhanced Death Benefit under the Annuity Rewards benefit on the date the Death Benefit is calculated, your Beneficiary will receive the higher amount.

Who is eligible for the Annuity Rewards benefit?

Owners who have not elected an additional optional death benefit can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement following the eighth (8th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date and before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. However, the election is subject to the requirement that their Account Value on the election date is greater than the amount that would be payable to their Beneficiary under the Death Benefit provided under the Annuity as of the election date. If an Owner is ineligible when he or she applies for the optional benefit, the Owner can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement on any subsequent date if they otherwise qualify. The election must occur before annuity payments begin. An Owner can only elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement once. There is no additional charge for electing the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement.

Owners who have elected an additional optional death benefit can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement following the eighth (8th) anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. However, the election is subject to the requirement that their Account Value on the election date is greater than the amount that would be payable to their Beneficiary under the Death Benefit provided under the Annuity as of the election date (including any amounts payable under the Highest Anniversary Value Death Benefit). If an Owner is ineligible when he or she applies for the optional benefit, the Owner can elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement on any subsequent date if they otherwise qualify. The election must occur before annuity payments begin. An Owner can only elect the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement once. There is no additional charge for electing the Annuity Rewards Death Benefit enhancement.

PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS

Payment of Death Benefit to Beneficiary from a Non-qualified Annuity

Except in the case of a spousal Beneficiary, in the event of your death, the death benefit must be distributed:

 

as a lump sum amount at any time within five (5) years 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.
 

Unless you have made an election prior to death benefit proceeds becoming due, a Beneficiary can elect to receive the Death Benefit proceeds as a series of fixed annuity payments. See the section entitled “Annuity Options”.

SPOUSAL CONTINUATION OF ANNUITY

You may name your spouse as your Beneficiary. If you and your spouse own the Annuity jointly, we assume that the sole primary Beneficiary will be the surviving spouse unless you elect an alternative Beneficiary designation. Unless you elect an alternative Beneficiary designation, the spouse Beneficiary may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Death Benefit payment. Any Death Benefit (including any optional Death Benefits) that would have been payable to the Beneficiary will become the new Account Value as of the date we receive due proof of death and any required proof of a spousal relationship. As of the date the assumption is effective, the surviving spouse will have all the rights and benefits that would be available under the Annuity to a new purchaser of the same attained age. For purposes of determining any future Death Benefit for the surviving spouse, the new Account Value will be considered as the initial Purchase Payment. No CDSC will apply to the new Account Value. However, any additional Purchase Payments applied after the date the assumption is effective will be subject to all provisions of the Annuity, including any CDSC that may apply to the additional Purchase Payments.

See the section entitled “Managing Your Annuity - Contingent Annuitant” for a discussion of the treatment of a spousal Contingent Annuitant in the case of the death of the Annuitant in an entity owned Annuity.

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

43 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

the associated proposed regulations. The accompanying proposed regulations are generally effective starting January 1, 2023 and we reserve our rights to implement any final regulations addressing these requirements in the future. The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances.

 

10-year rule: If you die after 2019, 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.

 

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 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 new 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 particular, if the EDB dies before the remaining interest is distributed under this stretch rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB’s death (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years). 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 majority, 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 new 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 new 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 new post-death distribution requirements.

 

    The new 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 or a deferred income annuity contract (including a qualifying lifetime annuity contract, or “QLAC”) 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 new 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 new law, as under prior law, if your Beneficiary is your spouse, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse’s death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse’s own IRA, or by treating your IRA as your surviving spouse’s own IRA subject to specific limits under the proposed regulations. The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear 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 advisor for tax advice as to your particular situation.
 

For more information, see “Tax Considerations.” You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your Beneficiary designations.

Designated Beneficiaries may be eligible for the IRA Beneficiary Continuation Option; however, distribution periods may be limited by applicable tax law as stated above. Beneficiaries should consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of distribution options.

Upon election of this IRA Beneficiary Continuation option:

 

the Annuity contract will be continued in the Owner’s name, for the benefit of the Beneficiary.

 

the Account 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 Beneficiary may request transfers among Sub-accounts, subject to the same limitations and restrictions that applied to the Owner. NOTE: The Sub-accounts offered under the IRA Beneficiary Continuation option may be limited.

 

no additional Purchase Payments can be applied to the Annuity.

 

the basic Death Benefit and any optional Death 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 Account Value at any time without application of a CDSC.

 

upon the death of the Beneficiary, any remaining Account Value will be paid in a lump sum to the person(s) named by the Beneficiary.

 

all amounts in the Annuity must be paid out to the Beneficiary according to the Minimum Distribution rules described in the Tax Considerations section.
 

Please contact us for additional information on the availability, restrictions and limitations that will apply to a Beneficiary under the IRA Beneficiary Continuation option.

Are there any exceptions to these rules for paying the Death Benefit?

There are exceptions that apply no matter how your Death Benefit is calculated. There are exceptions to the Death Benefit if the decedent was not the Owner or Annuitant as of the Issue Date and did not become the Owner or Annuitant due to the prior Owner’s or Annuitant’s death. Any Death Benefit (including either optional Death Benefit) that applies will be suspended for a two-year period from the date he or she first became Owner or Annuitant. After the two-year suspension period is completed, the Death Benefit is the same as if this person had been an Owner or Annuitant on the Issue Date.

44 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

When do you determine the Death Benefit?

We determine the amount of the Death Benefit as of the date we receive “due proof of death”, any instructions we require to determine the method of payment and any other written representations we require to determine the proper payment of the Death Benefit to all Beneficiaries. “Due proof of death” may include a certified copy of a death certificate, a certified copy of a decree of a court of competent jurisdiction as to the finding of death or other satisfactory proof of death. Upon our receipt of “due proof of death” we automatically transfer the Death Benefit to the AST Government Money Market Sub-account until we further determine the universe of eligible Beneficiaries.

Each Beneficiary must make an election as to the method they wish to receive their portion of the Death Benefit. Absent an election of a Death Benefit payment method, no Death Benefit can be paid to the Beneficiary. We may require written acknowledgment of all named Beneficiaries before we can pay the Death Benefit. During the period from the date of death until we receive all required paper work, the amount of the Death Benefit may be subject to Sub-account fluctuations.

45 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE*


Do you provide any guarantees on my investment?

The Annuity provides variable investment options and fixed investment options. Only the fixed investment options provide a guaranteed return on your investment, subject to certain terms and conditions. However, your Annuity includes a feature at no additional cost that provides certain benefits if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded a “target value” on its 10th anniversary. If, on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, your Account Value has not reached the target value (as defined below) you can choose either of the following benefits:

 

You may continue your Annuity without electing to receive Annuity payments and receive an annual Credit to your Account Value payable until you begin receiving Annuity payments. The Credit is equal to 0.25% of the average of your Annuity’s Account Value for the preceding four complete calendar quarters. This Credit is applied to your investment options on a proportional basis based on the allocation of your then current Account Value.
 

OR

 

You may begin receiving Annuity payments within one year and accept a one-time Credit to your Annuity equal to 10% of the net of the Account Value on the 10th anniversary of its Issue Date minus the sum of all Purchase Payments allocated in the prior five years. The annuity option you select must initially guarantee payments for not less than seven years.
 

Following the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, we will inform you if your Account Value did not meet or exceed the Target Value. We will assume that you have elected to receive the annual Credit to your Account Value unless, not less than 30 days prior to the next anniversary of the Annuity, we receive at our home office your election to begin receiving Annuity payments.

Certain provisions of this benefit and of the Target Value Credits described below may differ if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, from any other Annuity we issue.

What is the “Target Value” and how is it calculated?

The Target Value is a tool used to determine whether you are eligible to elect either of the benefits described above. The Target Value does not impact the Account Value available if you surrender your Annuity or make a partial withdrawal and does not impact the Death Benefit available to your Beneficiary(ies). The Target Value assumes a rate of return over ten (10) Annuity Years that will allow your initial investment to double in value, adjusted for any withdrawals and/or additional Purchase Payments you make during the 10-year period. We calculate the “Target Value” as follows:

 

1. Accumulate the initial Purchase Payment at an annual interest rate of 7.2% until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date; plus

 

2. Accumulate any additional Purchase Payments at an annual interest rate of 7.2% from the date applied until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date; minus

 

3. Each “proportional reduction” resulting from any withdrawal, accumulating at an annual interest rate of 7.2% from the date the withdrawal is processed until the 10th anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date. We determine each “proportional reduction” by determining the percentage of your Account Value then withdrawn and reducing the Target Value by that same percentage. We include any withdrawals under your Annuity in this calculation, as well as the charge we deduct for any optional benefits you elect under the Annuity, but not the charge we deduct for the Annual Maintenance Fee or the Transfer Fee.
 

Examples

 

1. Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no further Purchase Payments. The Target Value on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date would be $20,042, assuming no withdrawals are made. This is equal to $10,000 accumulating at an annual rate of 7.2% for the 10-year period. In this example if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded the Target Value of $20,042 on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, you may choose to elect either of the benefits described above.

 

2. Assume you make an initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 and make no further Purchase Payments. Assume at the end of Year 6, your Account Value has increased to $15,000 and you make a withdrawal of 10% or $1,500. The Target Value on the 10th anniversary would be $18,722. This is equal to $10,000 accumulating at an annual rate of 7.2% for the 10-year period, minus the proportional reduction accumulating at an annual interest rate of 7.2%. In this example if your Account Value has not reached or exceeded the Target Value of $18,722 on the 10th anniversary of your Annuity’s Issue Date, you may choose to elect either of the benefits described above.
 

Can I restart the 10-year Target Value calculation?

You can elect to lock in the growth in your Annuity by “restarting” the 10-year period on any anniversary of the Issue Date. If you elect to restart the calculation period, we will treat your Account Value on the restart date as if it was your Purchase Payment when determining if your Annuity’s Account Value meets or exceeds the Target Value on the appropriate tenth (10th) anniversary. You may elect to restart the calculation more than once, in which case, the 10-year calculation period will begin on the date of the last restart date. We must receive your election to restart the calculation at our home office not later than 30 days after each anniversary of the Issue Date.

46 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

What are Target Value Credits?

Target Value Credits are additional amounts that we apply to your Account Value to increase the likelihood that your Account Value will meet or exceed the Target Value. We add Target Value Credits to your Account Value at the time a Purchase Payment is applied to your Annuity. Only those Purchase Payments made before the first anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity are eligible to receive Target Value Credits. Target Value Credits are separate and distinct from other Credits we apply to all Purchase Payments.

The amount of the Target Value Credit is equal to 1.0% of each qualifying Purchase Payment. Target Value Credits are only payable on qualifying Purchase Payments if the Owner(s) of the Annuity is(are) less than age 81 on its Issue Date. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the age restriction applies to the age of the Annuitant on the Issue Date. The Target Value Credit is payable from our general account and is allocated to the investment options in the same ratio that the qualifying Purchase Payment is allocated.

Target Value Credits will not be available if you purchase your Annuity as part of an exchange, replacement or transfer, in whole or in part, of an Annuity we issued that has the same or a similar benefit.

The amount of any Target Value Credits is not immediately vested and can be recaptured by us under the circumstances and for the time periods shown below. If we exercise our right to recapture the amount of any Target Value Credit, any investment gain on the Target Value Credit will not be taken back.

 

1. If you surrender your Annuity before the 10th anniversary of the Issue Date of the Annuity.

 

2. If you elect to begin receiving Annuity payments before the first anniversary of the Issue Date.

 

3. If a person on whose life we pay the Death Benefit dies, or if a “contingency event” occurs which triggers a medically-related surrender:

 

a. within 12 months after the date a Target Value Credit was allocated to your Account Value; or

 

b. within 10 years after the date a Target Value Credit was allocated to your Account Value if any Owner was over age 70 on the Issue Date, or, if the Annuity was then owned by an entity, the Annuitant was over age 70 on the Issue Date.
 

Following completion of the above time periods, the amount of any Target Value Credits is vested in the Owner.

Performance Advantage may be referred to as “Prudential Annuities’ Performance Advantage” in certain instances.

47 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

VALUING YOUR INVESTMENT


HOW IS MY ACCOUNT VALUE DETERMINED?

During the Accumulation Period, the Annuity has an Account Value. The Account Value is determined separately for each Sub-account allocation and for each Fixed Allocation. The Account Value is the sum of the values of each Sub-account allocation and the value of each Fixed Allocation. The Account Value does not reflect any CDSC that may apply to a withdrawal or surrender. The Account Value includes any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture under certain circumstances. When determining the Account Value on any day other than a Fixed Allocation’s Maturity Date, the Account Value may include any Market Value Adjustment that would apply to a Fixed Allocation (if withdrawn or transferred) on that day.

SURRENDER VALUE

The Surrender Value of your Annuity is the value available to you on any day during the Accumulation Period. The Surrender Value is equal to your Account Value minus any CDSC, the Annual Maintenance Fee, the charge for any optional benefits and any additional amounts we applied to your Purchase Payments that we are entitled to recapture upon surrender of your Annuity. The Surrender Value will also include any Market Value Adjustment that may apply.

VALUING THE SUB-ACCOUNTS

When you allocate Account Value to a Sub-account, you are purchasing Units of the Sub-account. Each Sub-account invests exclusively in shares of an underlying Portfolio. The value of the Units fluctuates with the market 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 annual charge is deducted daily; the additional charge made for such benefits. There may be several different Unit Prices for each Sub-account 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. See the section entitled “Processing and Valuing Transactions” for a detailed discussion of how Units are purchased and redeemed to reflect changes in the daily charges that apply to your Annuity.

Each Valuation Day, we determine the price for a Unit of each Sub-account, called the “Unit Price.” The Unit Price is used for determining the value of transactions involving Units of the Sub-accounts. We determine the number of Units involved in any transaction by dividing the dollar value of the transaction by the Unit Price of the Sub-account as of the Valuation Day. The investment performance of the Portfolios, expenses, and deductions of certain charges affects the Unit Price, the number of Units, or both.

Example

Assume you allocate $5,000 to a Sub-account. On the Valuation Day you make the allocation, the Unit Price is $14.83. Your $5,000 buys 337.154 Units of the Sub-account. Assume that later, you wish to transfer $3,000 of your Account Value out of that Sub-account and into another Sub-account. On the Valuation Day you request the transfer, the Unit Price of the original Sub-account has increased to $16.79. To transfer $3,000, we sell 178.677 Units at the current Unit Price, leaving you 158.477 Units. We then buy $3,000 of Units of the new Sub-account at the Unit Price of $17.83. You would then have 168.255 Units of the new Sub-account.

VALUING THE FIXED ALLOCATIONS

During the Guarantee Period, we use the concept of an Interim Value. The Interim Value can be calculated on any day and is equal to the initial value allocated to a Fixed Allocation plus all interest credited to a Fixed Allocation as of the date calculated. The Interim Value does not include the impact of any Market Value Adjustment. If you made any transfers or withdrawals from a Fixed Allocation, the Interim Value will reflect the withdrawal of those amounts and any interest credited to those amounts before they were withdrawn. To determine the Account Value of a Fixed Allocation on any day other than its Maturity Date, we multiply the Account Value of the Fixed Allocation times the Market Value Adjustment factor.

PROCESSING AND VALUING TRANSACTIONS

We are 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). Financial transactions requested before the close of the NYSE which meet our requirements will be processed according to the value next determined following the close of business. Financial transactions requested on a non-Valuation Day or after the close of the NYSE will be processed based on the value next computed on the next Valuation Day. There may be circumstances when the opening or closing time of the NYSE is different than other major stock exchanges, such as NASDAQ. Under such circumstances, the closing time of the NYSE will be used when valuing and processing transactions.

48 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

There may be circumstances where the NYSE is open, however, due to inclement weather, natural disaster or other circumstances beyond our control, our offices may be closed or our business processing capabilities may be restricted. Under those circumstances, your Account Value may fluctuate based on changes in the Unit Values, but you may not be able to transfer Account Value or make a purchase or redemption request.

The NYSE is closed on certain announced holidays. On those dates, we will not process any financial transactions involving purchase or redemption orders.

We 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 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.
 

Initial Purchase Payments: We no longer allow new purchases of this Annuity. We allocated your initial Purchase Payment to the Sub-accounts within two (2) days after we receive all of our requirements to issue the Annuity. If we did not have all the required information to allow us to issue your Annuity, we may have retained the Purchase Payment while we tried to reach you or your representative to obtain all of our requirements. If we were unable to obtain all of our required information within five (5) days, we were required to return the Purchase Payment to you at that time, unless you specifically consented to our retaining the Purchase Payment while we gathered the required information. Once we obtained the required information, we invested the Purchase Payment and issued the Annuity within two (2) days. During any period that we were trying to obtain the required information, your money was not invested.

Additional Purchase Payments: We will apply any additional Purchase Payments on the Valuation Day that we receive the Purchase Payment with satisfactory allocation instructions.

Scheduled Transactions: “Scheduled” transactions include transfers under a Dollar Cost Averaging, rebalancing, or asset allocation program, Systematic Withdrawals, Minimum Distributions or annuity payments. 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 and valued on Valuation Day prior to the scheduled transaction date.

Unscheduled Transactions: “Unscheduled” transactions include any other non-scheduled transfers and requests for Partial Withdrawals or Free Withdrawals or Surrenders. Unscheduled transactions are processed and valued as of the Valuation Day we receive the request at our Office and have all of the required information.

Deferral of Transactions: We may defer any distribution or transfer from a Fixed Allocation or an 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 Fixed Allocation or any annuity payment for more than thirty days, or less where required by law, we pay interest at the minimum rate required by law but not less than 3% or at least 4% if required by your contract, per year on the amount deferred. We may defer payment of proceeds of any distribution from any Sub-account or any transfer from a Sub-account for a period not to exceed 7 calendar days from the date the transaction is effected. Any deferral period begins on the date such distribution or transfer would otherwise have been transacted.

Medically-related Surrenders & Death Benefits: Medically-related surrender requests and Death Benefit claims require our review and evaluation before processing. We price such transactions as of the date we receive at our Office all supporting documentation we require for such transactions and that are satisfactory to us.

Transactions in Rydex and ProFunds VP Sub-accounts: Generally, purchase or redemption orders or transfer requests must be received by us by no later than the close of the NYSE to be processed on the current Valuation Day. However, any purchase or redemption order or transfer request involving the Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-accounts must be received by us no later than one hour prior to any announced closing of the applicable securities exchange (generally, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to be processed on the current Valuation Day. The “cut-off” time for such financial transactions involving a Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-account will be extended to ½ hour prior to any announced closing (generally, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time) for transactions submitted electronically through our website (www.prudential.com/annuities). You cannot request a transaction involving the purchase, redemption or transfer of Units in one of the Rydex or ProFunds VP Sub-accounts between the applicable “cut-off” time and 4:00 p.m. Transactions received after 4:00 p.m. will be treated as received by us on the next Valuation Day.

Termination of Optional Benefit: If you terminate the optional benefits, we will no longer deduct the charge we apply to purchase the optional benefit. On the date the charge no longer applies, your Annuity will become subject to a different daily asset-based charge. We will process a transaction where your Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts will be used to purchase new Units of the Sub-accounts that reflect the insurance charge, but not the charge for the optional program that you terminated. The number of Units attributed to your Annuity will be decreased and the Unit Price of each Unit of the Sub-accounts in which you invested will be increased. The adjustment in the number of Units and Unit Price will not affect your Account Value. Beginning on that date, your Account Value will be determined based on the change in the value of Units that reflect the insurance charge.

49 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Tax Considerations


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 establish an advisory fee deduction program for a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity with no living benefit 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. Charges for investment advisory fees that are taken from a qualified or Non-qualified Annuity with a living benefit are treated as a partial withdrawal from the Annuity and will be tax reported as such to the Annuity Owner.

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.

NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

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, an Annuity 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 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 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 purchased prior to August 14, 1982. Withdrawals are treated as a return of cost basis in the Annuity 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.

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. This rule does not apply if you transfer the Annuity to your spouse or under most circumstances if you transfer the Annuity incident to divorce.

50 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 “Access to Account Value” section earlier in 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. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, this deduction is suspended until after 2025.

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 $15,200 for estates and 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 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 or receiving Annuity within 180 days of the date on which the partial exchange was completed (other than an amount received as

51 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 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 investment in the contract 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 (as defined earlier in this prospectus). 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 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.

52 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 “Death Benefits” 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 Sub-accounts 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 Investment 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 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 for tax purposes if persons with ownership rights have excessive control over the investments underlying such variable Annuity. 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 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.

QUALIFIED ANNUITIES

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.

53 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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”). Go to www.irs.gov for the contribution 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). 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;

 

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 1 st of the calendar year after the calendar year you turn the applicable age (see the Required Minimum Distribution rules for more details); and
 

54 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

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.
 

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 limit 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. Contribution amounts are indexed for inflation. The IRS generally provides contribution limits for the subsequent year in the fourth quarter of the current year. with the employer making these contributions to the SEP. 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. Under SECURE 2.0, employers may offer employees the ability to elect to treat employee and employer SEP contributions (in whole or in part) as made to a Roth IRA. 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).

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 are also subject to Roth IRA annual contribution limits, and the 529 account must have been open for more than 15 years, among other requirements.

The Code also permits the recharacterization of current year contribution amounts from a traditional IRA, SEP, or SIMPLE 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.

55 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Once an Annuity has been purchased, regular Roth IRA contributions will be accepted to the extent permitted by law. 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 (under limited circumstances, and only related to salary deferrals, not including earnings attributable to these amounts).
 

In any event, you must begin receiving distributions from your TDA by April 1 st 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 are not subject to these rules during the Owner’s lifetime.

56 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 IRS 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. 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 Annuities 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.

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. Effective 2020, 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 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. Consistent with the applicable IRS instructions, we report these distributions as normal IRA distributions on Form 1099-R. Individuals are responsible for reflecting the distributions as charitable IRA distributions on their personal tax returns.

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 new law applies if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, this new law generally applies if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).

 

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 determined on the date of
 

57 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

your death. An EDB (other than a minor child) can generally stretch distributions over their life or life expectancy if payments begin within one 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 10 th 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, EDBs who are older than the Owner, 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 new 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 new 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 new requirements generally do not apply to an immediate annuity contract or a deferred income annuity contract (including a qualifying lifetime annuity contract, or “QLAC”) 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 year 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, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse’s death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse’s own IRA, or by electing to treat your IRA as your surviving spouse’s own IRA.
 

The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear in numerous respects. Treasury has issued proposed regulations that may impact these required minimum distribution requirements for calendar years on or after January 1, 2023. We reserve the right to make changes in order to comply with the proposed regulations, or any final 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.

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
 

58 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

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.)
 

Other exceptions to this tax may apply. 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.

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

59 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

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.

60 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


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 through our website at www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-ASXTPREMIER-STAT or any other electronic means. We send a confirmation statement to you each time a transaction is made affecting Account Value, such as making additional Purchase Payments, 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 the Annual Maintenance Fee, systematic withdrawals (including 72(t) payments and required minimum distributions), bank drafting, dollar cost averaging, and static rebalancing, 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 Office 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 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.

WHO IS FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY?

Annuities and Life Insurance are issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“FLIAC”), located in Jersey City, NJ. Fortitude Re has retained The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”) as an unaffiliated Third-Party Administrator. Variable Annuities are distributed by Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), Shelton, CT (main office). PICA and PAD are Prudential Financial Inc. companies. Each company (FLIAC, PICA, PAD) is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

Fortitude Re is the marketing name for FGH Parent, L.P. and its subsidiaries, including FLIAC. Each subsidiary is responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.

FLIAC is in the process of changing its name from Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (“PALAC”) in certain jurisdictions. References to FLIAC shall be deemed to be references to PALAC in the jurisdictions where the name change is not yet effective.

Pursuant to the delivery obligations under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) and Rule 159 thereunder, we deliver this prospectus to current Owners that reside outside of the United States. In addition, we may not market or offer benefits, features or enhancements to prospective or current Owners while outside of the United States.

Service Providers

The Company conducts the bulk of its annuity operations through The Prudential Insurance Company of America (together with certain of its affiliates, the “Administrator”) and other third-party service providers, subject to the Company’s oversight. The entities engaged directly or indirectly by the Company to provide services may change over time.

The Administrator services and administers the Annuity on behalf of the Company through one or more third party administrator, administrative services or other similar agreements. The Administrator’s principal executive offices are located at One Corporate Drive, Shelton, CT 06484. The Administrator is an affiliate of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., the distributor of the Annuity, but is not otherwise an affiliate of the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Company and the Administrator were affiliates.

As of December 31, 2023, the following non-affiliated entities could be deemed service providers to the Company in connection with the Annuity.

Name of Service Provider

Services Provided

Address

Broadridge Investor Communication

Proxy services and regulatory mailings

51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY, 11717

DFIN Donnelley Financial Solutions

N-CEN filings

35 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL, 60601

Docufree Corporation

Records management and administration of annuity contracts Mail receipt / Imaging, check deposits, pricing, ahoc mailings.

10 Ed Preate Drive, Moosic, PA, 18507

EXL Service Holdings, Inc

Administration of annuity contracts

350 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10022

61 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Name of Service Provider

Services Provided

Address

FTI Consulting Inc.

TPA Audits

555 12th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC, 20004

Guidehouse

Claim related services

150 North Riverside Plaza, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL, 60606

National Financial Services

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA, 02109

Open Text, Inc

Fax Services

100 Tri-State International Parkway, Lincolnshire, IL, 60069

PERSHING LLC

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

One Pershing Plaza, Jersey City, NJ, 07399

Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”)

Third party administration and processing for Annuity contracts

213 Washington Street, Newark, NJ, 07102- 2992

The Depository Trust Clearinghouse Corporation

Clearing and settlement services for Distributors and Carriers.

55 Water Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY, 10041

Thomson Reuters

Tax reporting services

3 Times Square, New York, NY, 10036

Universal Wilde

Composition, printing, and mailing of contracts and benefit documents

26 Dartmouth Street, Westwood, MA, 02090

WHAT ARE THE SEPARATE ACCOUNTS?

During the Accumulation Period, the assets supporting obligations based on allocations to the variable investment options are held in Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (the “Separate Account”). Income, gains and losses credited to, or charged against, the Separate Account reflect the Separate Account’s own investment experience and not the investment experience of our other assets. The assets of the Separate Account may not be used to pay any liabilities of ours other than those arising from the Annuity and other annuity contracts issued in connection with the Separate Account. We are obligated to pay all amounts promised to investors under the Annuity.

The Separate Account consists of multiple Sub-accounts. Each Sub-account invests only in a single Portfolio. The name of each Sub-account generally corresponds to the name of the Portfolio. Each Sub-account may have several different Unit Prices to reflect charges that are offered under annuities issued by us through the Separate Account. The Separate 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 the Separate Account. We may offer new Sub-accounts, eliminate Sub-accounts, or combine Sub-accounts at our sole discretion. We may also close Sub-accounts to additional Purchase Payments on existing annuities or close Sub-accounts 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 Sub-accounts, eliminate Sub-accounts, substitute Sub-accounts or combine Sub-accounts;

 

close Sub-accounts to subsequent Purchase Payments on existing Annuities or close Sub-accounts 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 Sub-account
 

We will first notify you and receive any necessary SEC and/or state approval before making such a change. If an underlying Portfolio 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 Portfolios, so we cannot guarantee that any of those Portfolios will always be available.

WHAT IS THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF THE PORTFOLIOS?

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.

62 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Voting Rights

We are the legal Owner of the shares of the underlying Portfolios in which the Sub-accounts invest. However, under current SEC rules, you have voting rights in relation to Account Value allocated to the Sub-accounts. 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 Sub-account. 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 investment 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 investment 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 Sub-account 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 Sub-accounts under the Annuity are managed by the same advisor or Sub-advisor 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 Sub-account.

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 investment options; 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 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, 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. Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. receives Rule 12b-1 fees which compensate it for distribution and administrative services (including recordkeeping services and the mailing of prospectuses and reports to Owners invested in the Portfolios). These fees are paid by the underlying Portfolio out of each Portfolio’s assets and are therefore borne by Owners.

We 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 administrative services 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.

63 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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, 2023, under the kind of agreements described in this paragraph, there were no payments received.

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 affiliated with us related to the offering of investment options within variable annuity contracts or life insurance policies offered by our different business units.

WHO DISTRIBUTES THE ANNUITIES?

Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity offered through this prospectus. PAD acts as the distributor of several annuity and life insurance products and the AST Portfolios. Other than in its role as distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity, PAD is not affiliated with the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Company and PAD were affiliates by virtue of common control. 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 (the “Exchange Act”) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Annuity is no longer sold but Owners may make additional Purchase Payments and transfer Account Value in accordance with the Annuity. PAD enters into distribution agreements with both affiliated and unaffiliated broker-dealers who are registered under the Exchange Act (“Firms”). Applications for annuity products are solicited by registered representatives of those firms. PAD utilizes a network of its own registered representatives to wholesale annuity products to Firms. Because a variable annuity contract is an insurance product as well as a security, all registered representatives who sell variable annuity contracts are also appointed as insurance agents of ours.

We sell our annuity products through multiple distribution channels, including (1) independent broker-dealer firms and financial planners; (2) broker-dealers that are members of the New York Stock Exchange, including “wirehouse” and regional broker-dealer firms; and (3) broker-dealers affiliated with banks or that specialize in marketing to customers of banks. Although we are active in each of those distribution channels, the majority of our sales have come from the independent broker-dealer firms and financial planners.

Under the selling agreements, cash compensation in the form of commissions is paid to firms on sales according to one or more schedules. The registered representative will receive a portion of the compensation, depending on the practice of his or her firm. Commissions are generally based on a percentage of Purchase Payments made. Alternative compensation schedules are available that generally provide a lower initial commission plus ongoing quarterly compensation based on all or a portion of the Account Value. We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to your Annuity. 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 of our 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 our annuity products sold through the firm. Commissions and other cash compensation paid in relation to your Annuity do not result in any additional charge to you or to the Separate Account.

In connection with the sale and servicing of the Annuity, Firms may receive cash compensation and/or non-cash compensation. Cash compensation includes discounts, concessions, 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.

We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing Firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to the Annuity. 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 of our 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 our annuity products sold through the Firm.

In addition, in an effort to promote the sale of our products (which may include the placement of the Annuity 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 Annuity’s features; 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

64 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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 occasional 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 us.

A list of the firms to whom we pay an amount under these arrangements is provided below. You should note that firms and individual registered representatives and branch managers within some firms participating in one of these compensation arrangements might receive greater compensation for selling one annuity than for selling a different annuity that is not eligible for these compensation arrangements. While compensation is generally considered 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. Your registered representative can provide you with more information about the compensation arrangements that apply to your Annuity. Further information about the firms that are part of these compensation arrangements appears in the Statement of Additional Information, which is available without charge upon request.

The list below includes the names of the firms that we are aware as of December 31, 2023 received cash compensation with respect to our annuity business during 2023 (or as to which a payment amount was accrued during 2023). The firms listed below include those receiving payments in connection with marketing of products issued by Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company. During 2023, the least amount paid, and greatest amount paid, were $2.00 and $5,108,969.88, respectively.

Name of Firm:

AMERICAN PORTFOLIO FIN SVCS INC

ASSOCIATED SECURITIES CORP

Allstate Financial Srvcs, LLC

CUSO Financial Services, L.P.

Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc.

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.

Centaurus Financial, Inc.

Cetera Advisor Network LLC

Commonwealth Financial Network

Concourse Financial Group Securities Inc

Crown Capital Securities, L.P.

Equitable Advisors, LLC

Equity Services, Inc.

Geneos Wealth Management, Inc.

Grove Point Investments

Hantz Financial Services,Inc.

Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC.

Kestra Financial, Inc.

LPL Financial Corporation

Lincoln Financial Advisors

Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation

Lincoln Investment Planning

M Holdings Securities, Inc

MML Investors Services, Inc.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Mutual Service Corporation

Next Financial Group, Inc.

OSAIC Wealth

PNC Investments, LLC

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION

Raymond James Financial Svcs

SA Stone Wealth Management Inc.

Securian Financial Svcs, Inc.

Securities America, Inc.

Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

TFS Securities, Inc.

The Investment Center

TransAmerica Financial Advisors, Inc.

Triad Advisors, Inc.

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

United Planners Fin. Serv.

WATERSTONE FINANCIAL GROUP INC

WELLS FARGO ADVISORS LLC – WEALTH

Wells Fargo Advisors LLC

Wells Fargo Investments

Woodbury Financial Services

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company and the Separate Account are incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information.

INDEMNIFICATION

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

65 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As of the date of this prospectus, neither the Company nor the Separate Account 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 Separate Account, or the Company’s ability to meet its obligations under the Annuity.

As of the date of this prospectus, Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. is not a party to any material legal proceedings outside of the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business. Although Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. 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 its ability to meet its obligations related to the Annuity.

HOW TO CONTACT US

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.

Annuities Service Center

Call our Annuities Service Center at 1-800-879-7012 during normal business hours.

Internet

Access information about your Annuity through our website: www.prudential.com/annuities

Correspondence Sent by Regular Mail

Annuities Service Center
P.O. Box 7960
Philadelphia, PA 19176

Correspondence Sent by Overnight*, Certified or Registered Mail

Annuities Service
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 Annuities 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 Annuities Service Center should be sent to the address shown above. Your correspondence will be picked up at this address and then delivered to our Annuities Service Center. Your correspondence is not considered received by us until it is received at our Annuities 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 Annuities 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 Annuities 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/annuities, 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 or your financial professional, 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 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/annuities, our website. Any third party that you authorize to perform financial transactions on your account will be assigned a PIN for your account.

66 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

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.

We do 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. Regular and/or express mail 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. We reserve the right to limit, restrict or terminate telephonic, facsimile, Internet or any other electronic transaction privileges at any time.

This prospectus is being provided for informational or educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives or financial situation of any Annuity Owner. The information is not intended as investment advice and is not a recommendation about managing or investing your retirement savings. Annuity Owners seeking information regarding their particular investment needs should contact a financial professional.

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.

FORTITUDE RE AND THE FORTITUDE RE LOGO ARE SERVICE MARKS OF FORTITUDE GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC AND ITS AFFILIATES. OTHER PROPRIETARY FORTITUDE RE MARKS MAY BE DESIGNATED AS SUCH THROUGH THE USE OF THE SM OR ® SYMBOLS.

ADVANCED SERIES, XTRA CREDIT, GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS (GRO PLUS), AND GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION (GRO PLUS) ARE SERVICE MARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA AND ARE USED UNDER LICENSE BY FORTITUDE RE.

67 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX A – PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ANNUITY


The following is a list of Portfolios available under the Annuity. 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/FLIAC-ASXTPREMIER-STAT. You can also request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an email request 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 Portfolios, 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. Each Portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

Allspring VT Discovery All Cap Growth Fund - Class 11,
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

0.75%

33.50%

13.80%

10.68%

Equity

Allspring VT Opportunity Fund - Class 1
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

0.75%

26.83%

15.03%

10.60%

Equity

Allspring VT Small Cap Growth Fund - Class 11
Allspring Funds Management, LLC (adviser)
Allspring Global Investments, LLC (subadviser)

0.92%

4.35%

7.95%

6.86%

Allocation

AST Academic Strategies Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate
Systematica Limited
Wellington Management Company LLP
Western Asset Management Company, LLC
Western Asset Management Company Limited

1.14%

10.21%

5.34%

3.67%

Allocation

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio1,
Jennison Associates LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate
PGIM Fixed Income

0.91%

14.48%

7.94%

6.33%

Allocation

AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.90%

15.77%

7.86%

6.14%

A-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Allocation

AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.90%

18.09%

9.74%

7.30%

Equity

AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio1
Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc.

1.12%

12.08%

8.79%

8.29%

Fixed Income

AST Core Fixed Income Portfolio1
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
Wellington Management Company LLP
Western Asset Management Company, LLC
Western Asset Management Company Limited

0.72%

6.35%

1.11%

2.28%

Fixed Income

AST Global Bond Portfolio1
AllianceBernstein L.P.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management International
Wellington Management Company LLP

1.01%

6.29%

0.56%

N/A

Fixed Income

AST Government Money Market Portfolio1
PGIM Fixed Income

0.57%

4.62%

1.54%

0.93%

Fixed Income

AST High Yield Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited

0.94%

10.56%

4.24%

4.00%

Equity

AST International Equity Portfolio1
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
LSV Asset Management
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC

1.06%

17.75%

10.39%

6.08%

Allocation

AST J.P. Morgan Global Thematic Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.04%

13.88%

7.51%

5.59%

Allocation

AST J.P. Morgan Tactical Preservation Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.03%

10.35%

5.08%

4.07%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Core Portfolio1
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC

0.90%

23.10%

12.69%

10.27%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Growth Portfolio1,
Clearbridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

0.93%

43.63%

15.03%

13.40%

Equity

AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio1
Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.84%

9.75%

13.37%

9.19%

A-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio1
Massachusetts Financial Services Company

1.12%

14.02%

10.15%

7.11%

Equity

AST Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio1
Delaware Investments Fund Advisers
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
TimesSquare Capital Management, LLC

1.12%

21.94%

10.31%

7.82%

Equity

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio1
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Victory Capital Management Inc.
Wellington Management Company LLP

1.02%

12.08%

10.42%

7.12%

Allocation

AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio1,
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
Jennison Associates LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP

0.92%

11.78%

4.63%

4.14%

Allocation

AST Prudential Growth Allocation Portfolio1
Jennison Associates LLC
PGIM Fixed Income
PGIM Limited
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
PGIM Real Estate

0.89%

18.06%

7.27%

6.17%

Equity

AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio1
Driehaus Capital Management LLC
Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
UBS Asset Management (Americas) Inc.
Victory Capital Management Inc.

1.00%

17.10%

11.35%

8.58%

Equity

AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio1
Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

1.01%

13.75%

9.79%

6.34%

Allocation

AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio1
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
T. Rowe Price International, Ltd
T. Rowe Price Australia Ltd.

0.89%

16.86%

8.37%

6.40%

Equity

AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio1
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

1.06%

1.35%

8.75%

2.58%

Equity

Inverse S&P 500® Strategy Fund♦,
Guggenheim Investments

1.85%

-14.95%

-15.41%

-12.35%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Discovery Mid Cap Growth Fund - Series I shares1,
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.87%

13.15%

12.77%

9.79%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Diversified Dividend Fund - Series I shares1
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.68%

9.05%

9.81%

7.80%

Equity

Invesco V.I. Health Care Fund - Series I shares1
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.98%

3.02%

8.75%

6.87%

A-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares
Invesco Advisers, Inc

0.98%

46.94%

14.92%

12.24%

Equity

NASDAQ-100® Fund1,♦,
Guggenheim Investments

1.77%

53.22%

20.24%

15.86%

Equity

Nova Fund♦,
Guggenheim Investments

1.75%

35.07%

18.45%

14.14%

Equity

NVIT Emerging Markets Fund Class D1,
Nationwide Fund Advisors
NS Partners Ltd

1.38%

3.80%

-0.08%

-0.22%

Fixed Income

ProFund Access VP High Yield♦,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

10.43%

2.74%

2.91%

Equity

ProFund VP Asia 301,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

4.32%

1.92%

0.66%

Equity

ProFund VP Banks1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

10.39%

6.53%

6.05%

Equity

ProFund VP Bear1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-15.27%

-15.58%

-12.62%

Equity

ProFund VP Biotechnology
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

10.14%

9.59%

7.42%

Equity

ProFund VP Bull1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

23.74%

13.41%

9.84%

Equity

ProFund VP Communication Services1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

31.82%

7.80%

4.15%

Equity

ProFund VP Consumer Discretionary1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

32.05%

9.78%

8.82%

Equity

ProFund VP Consumer Staples1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

3.92%

9.20%

6.11%

Equity

ProFund VP Energy1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-2.49%

10.93%

0.96%

Equity

ProFund VP Europe 301,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

17.47%

7.60%

2.67%

Equity

ProFund VP Financials1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

13.88%

9.98%

8.13%

Equity

ProFund VP Health Care1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

0.82%

9.48%

9.49%

Equity

ProFund VP Industrials1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

16.30%

11.72%

8.34%

Equity

ProFund VP Internet
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

49.85%

8.64%

10.74%

Equity

ProFund VP Japan1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

34.51%

11.86%

7.23%

Equity

ProFund VP Large-Cap Growth1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

27.86%

14.21%

11.39%

A-4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Fund Type

Portfolio Company and Advisor/Subadvisor

Current
Expenses

Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/2023)

1 Year

5 Year

10 Year

Equity

ProFund VP Large-Cap Value1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

20.09%

12.27%

8.19%

Equity

ProFund VP Materials1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

12.38%

11.96%

6.33%

Equity

ProFund VP Mid-Cap Growth1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

15.56%

10.09%

7.28%

Equity

ProFund VP Mid-Cap Value1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

13.45%

11.12%

7.41%

Equity

ProFund VP NASDAQ-1001,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

52.17%

20.09%

15.51%

Equity

ProFund VP Pharmaceuticals1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-5.49%

4.83%

4.63%

Equity

ProFund VP Precious Metals1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

1.48%

8.30%

0.78%

Equity

ProFund VP Real Estate1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

9.73%

5.58%

5.89%

Equity

ProFund VP Rising Rates Opportunity1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

1.75%

-0.50%

-5.26%

Equity

ProFund VP Semiconductor
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

93.66%

31.28%

22.99%

Equity

ProFund VP Short Mid-Cap
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-9.35%

-15.32%

-11.87%

Equity

ProFund VP Short NASDAQ-1001,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-32.40%

-22.40%

-18.53%

Equity

ProFund VP Short Small-Cap
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-10.88%

-14.46%

-11.16%

Equity

ProFund VP Small-Cap Growth1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

15.19%

8.56%

7.15%

Equity

ProFund VP Small-Cap Value1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

12.94%

9.51%

6.36%

Equity

ProFund VP Technology1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.67%

57.95%

23.56%

17.85%

Fixed Income

ProFund VP U.S. Government Plus1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.38%

0.04%

-5.01%

0.27%

Equity

ProFund VP UltraBull
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

45.23%

21.83%

16.33%

Equity

ProFund VP UltraMid-Cap1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

22.21%

13.59%

9.93%

Equity

ProFund VP UltraNASDAQ-100
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

115.46%

33.86%

27.05%

Allocation

ProFund VP UltraSmall-Cap
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

22.43%

7.83%

5.49%

Equity

ProFund VP Utilities1,
ProFund Advisors LLC

1.68%

-8.59%

4.76%

6.89%

A-5 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 
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 Sub-accounts for those variable annuity contracts and an AST bond Portfolio Sub-account 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 Sub-accounts and the AST bond Sub-account 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 Sub-account 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.
The additional information below may be applicable to the Portfolios listed in the above table:
  Inverse S&P 500® Strategy Fund
Effective March 19, 2001 was closed to all new investments. However, electronic funds transfer, dollar cost averaging, asset allocation and rebalancing programs, as applicable, that were elected prior to the effective date will not be affected by the closure unless a contract owner withdraws or otherwise transfers their entire Account Value from the Portfolio.
  Invesco V.I. Discovery Mid Cap Growth Fund - Series I shares
Effective May 1, 2020 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.
  Invesco V.I. Technology Fund - Series I shares
Effective May 1, 2022 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.
  NASDAQ-100® Fund
Effective March 19, 2001 was closed to all new investments. However, electronic funds transfer, dollar cost averaging, asset allocation and rebalancing programs, as applicable, that were elected prior to the effective date will not be affected by the closure unless a contract owner withdraws or otherwise transfers their entire Account Value from the Portfolio.
  Nova Fund
Effective March 19, 2001 was closed to all new investments. However, electronic funds transfer, dollar cost averaging, asset allocation and rebalancing programs, as applicable, that were elected prior to the effective date will not be affected by the closure unless a contract owner withdraws or otherwise transfers their entire Account Value from the Portfolio.
  ProFund Access VP High Yield
Effective April 26, 2021 was closed to all new investments except those made by contract Owners who had account value in the Portfolio on the effective date or at any time prior to the effective date.

A-6 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Investment Restrictions

Please note that the following Portfolios are not available if you have elected any of the following optional benefits:

Optional Benefit Name:

All Investment Options Permitted, EXCEPT these:

Guaranteed Return Option

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund – Series I shares

Guaranteed Return Option Plus

ProFund Access VP High Yield

 

ProFund VP Biotechnology

 

ProFund VP Internet

 

ProFund VP Semiconductor

 

ProFund VP Short Mid-Cap

 

ProFund VP Short Small-Cap

 

ProFund VP Technology

 

ProFund VP UltraBull

 

ProFund VP UltraNASDAQ-100

 

ProFund VP UltraSmall-Cap

A-7 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX B – Plus40 OPTIONAL LIFE INSURANCE RIDER


Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider was offered, in those states where approved, between September 17, 2001 and May 1, 2003. The description below of the Plus40 benefit applies to those Contract Owners who purchased an Annuity during that time period and elected the Plus40 benefit.

The life insurance coverage provided under the Plus40 Optional Life Insurance Rider (“Plus40 rider” or the “Rider”) is supported by our general account and is not subject to, or registered as a security under, either the Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940. Information about the Plus40 rider is included as an Appendix to this Prospectus to help you understand the Rider and the relationship between the Rider and the value of your Annuity. It is also included because you can elect to pay for the Rider with taxable withdrawals from your Annuity. The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission has not reviewed this information. However, the information may be subject to certain generally applicable provisions of the Federal securities laws regarding accuracy and completeness.

The income tax-free life insurance payable to your Beneficiary(ies) under the Plus40 rider is equal to 40% of the Account Value of your Annuity as of the date we receive due proof of death, subject to certain adjustments, restrictions and limitations described below.

ELIGIBILITY

The Plus40 rider may be purchased as a rider on your Annuity. The Rider must cover those persons upon whose death the Annuity’s death benefit becomes payable – the Annuity’s Owner or Owners, or the Annuitant (in the case of an entity owned Annuity). If the Annuity has two Owners, the Rider’s death benefit is payable upon the first death of such persons. If the Annuity is owned by an entity, the Rider’s death benefit is payable upon the death of the Annuitant, even if a Contingent Annuitant is named.

The minimum allowable age to purchase the Plus40 rider is 40; the maximum allowable age is 75. If the Rider is purchased on two lives, both persons must meet the age eligibility requirements. The Plus40 rider is not available to purchasers who use their Annuity as a funding vehicle for a Tax Sheltered Annuity (or 403(b)) or as a funding vehicle for a qualified plan under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”).

ADJUSTMENTS, RESTRICTIONS & LIMITATIONS

 

If you die during the first 24 months following the effective date of the Plus40 rider (generally, the Issue Date of your Annuity), the death benefit will be limited to the amount of any charges paid for the Rider while it was in effect. While we will return the charges you have paid during the applicable period as the death benefit, your Beneficiary(ies) will receive no additional life insurance benefit from the Plus40 rider if you die within 24 months of its effective date.

 

If you make a Purchase Payment within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Account Value used to determine the amount of the death benefit will be reduced by the amount of such Purchase Payment(s). If we reduce the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider based on this provision, we will return 50% of any charges paid for the Rider based on those Purchase Payments as an additional amount included in the death benefit under the Rider.

 

If we apply Credits to your Annuity based on Purchase Payments, such Credits are treated as Account Value for purposes of determining the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider. However, if Credits were applied to Purchase Payments made within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Account Value used to determine the amount of the death benefit will be reduced by the amount of such Credits. If we reduce the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider based on this provision, we will return 50% of any charges paid for the Rider based on such Credits as an additional amount included in the death benefit under the Rider.

 

If you become terminally ill (as defined in the Rider) and elect to receive a portion of the Plus40 rider’s death benefit under the Accelerated Death Benefit provision, the amount that will be payable under the Rider upon your death will be reduced. Please refer to the Accelerated Death Benefit provision described below.

 

If charges for the Plus40 rider are due and are unpaid as of the date the death benefit is being determined, such charges will be deducted from the amount paid to your Beneficiary(ies).

 

If the age of any person covered under the Plus40 rider is misstated, we will adjust any coverage under the Rider to conform to the facts. For example, if, due to the misstatement, we overcharged you for coverage under the Rider, we will add any additional charges paid to the amount payable to your Beneficiary(ies). If, due to the misstatement, we undercharged you for coverage under the Rider, we will reduce the death benefit in proportion to the charges not paid as compared to the charges that would have been paid had there been no misstatement.

 

On or after an Owner reaches the expiry date of the Rider (the anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date on or immediately after the 95th birthday), coverage will terminate. No charge will be made for an Owner following the expiry date. If there are two Owners, the expiry date applies separately to each Owner; therefore, coverage may continue for one Owner and terminate as to the other Owner.
 

MAXIMUM BENEFIT

The Plus40 rider is subject to a Maximum Death Benefit Amount based on the Purchase Payments applied to your Annuity. The Plus40 rider may also be subject to a Per Life Maximum Benefit that is based on all amounts paid under any annuity contract we issue to you under which you have elected the Plus40 rider or similar life insurance coverage.

 

The Maximum Death Benefit Amount is 100% of the Purchase Payments increasing at 5% per year following the date each Purchase Payment is applied to the Annuity until the date of death. If Purchase Payments are applied to the Annuity within 24 months prior to the date of death, the Maximum Death Benefit Amount is decreased by the amount of such Purchase Payments.

 

The Per Life Maximum Benefit applies to Purchase Payments applied to any such annuity contracts more than 24 months from the date of death that exceed $1,000,000. If you make Purchase Payments in excess of $1,000,000, we will reduce the aggregate death benefit payable under all Plus40 riders, or similar riders issued by us, based on the combined amount of Purchase Payments in excess of $1,000,000 multiplied by 40%. If the Per Life Maximum Benefit applies, we will reduce the amount payable under each applicable Plus40
 

B-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

rider on a proportional basis. If the Per Life Maximum Benefit applies upon your death, we will return any excess charges that you paid on the portion of your Account Value on which no benefit is payable. The Per Life Maximum Benefit does not limit the amount of Purchase Payments that you may apply to your Annuity.
 

ACCELERATED DEATH BENEFIT PROVISION

If you become terminally ill, you may request that a portion of the death benefit payable under the Plus40 rider be prepaid instead of being paid to your Beneficiary(ies) upon your death. Subject to our requirements and where allowed by law, we will make a one time, lump sum payment. Our requirements include proof satisfactory to us, in writing, of terminal illness after the Rider’s Effective Date.

The maximum we will pay, before any reduction, is the lesser of 50% of the Rider’s death benefit or $100,000. If you elect to accelerate payment of a portion of the death benefit under the Plus40 rider, the amount of the remaining death benefit is reduced by the prepaid amount accumulating at an annualized interest rate of 6.0%. Eligibility for an accelerated payout of a portion of your Plus40 rider death benefit may be more restrictive than any medically-related surrender provision that may be applicable to you under the Annuity.

CHARGES FOR THE PLUS40 RIDER

The Plus40 rider has a current charge and a guaranteed maximum charge. The current charge for the Plus40 rider is based on a percentage of your Account Value as of the anniversary of the Issue Date of your Annuity. The applicable percentages differ based on the attained age, last birthday of the Owner(s) or Annuitant (in the case of an entity owned Annuity) as of the date the charge is due. We reserve the right to change the current charge, at any time, subject to regulatory approval where required. If there are two Owners, we calculate the current charge that applies to each Owner individually and deduct the combined amount as the charge for the Rider. There is no charge based on a person’s life after coverage expires as to that person. However, a charge will still apply to the second of two Owners (and coverage will continue for such Owner) if such Owner has not reached the expiry date.

Attained Age

Percentage of Account Value

Age 40-75

.80
%
 

Age 76-80

1.60
%
 

Age 81-85

3.20
%
 

Age 86-90

4.80
%
 

Age 91

6.50
%
 

Age 92

7.50
%
 

Age 93

8.50
%
 

Age 94

9.50
%
 

Age 95

10.50
%
 

The charge for the Plus40 rider may also be subject to a guaranteed maximum charge that will apply if the current charge, when applied to the Account Value, exceeds the guaranteed maximum charge. The guaranteed maximum charge is based on a charge per $1,000 of insurance.

We determine the charge for the Rider annually, in arrears. We deduct the charge: (1) upon your death; (2) on each anniversary of the Issue Date; (3) on the date that you begin receiving annuity payments; (4) if you surrender your Annuity other than a medically-related surrender; or (5) if you choose to terminate the Rider. If the Rider terminates for any of the preceding reasons on a date other than the anniversary of the Annuity’s Issue Date, the charge will be prorated. During the first year after the Annuity’s Issue Date, the charge will be prorated from the Issue Date. In all subsequent years, the charge will be prorated from the last anniversary of the Issue Date.

You can elect to pay the annual charge through a redemption from your Annuity’s Account Value or through funds other than those within the Annuity. If you do not elect a method of payment, we will automatically deduct the annual charge from your Annuity’s Account Value. The manner in which you elect to pay for the Rider may have tax implications.

 

If you elect to pay the charge through a redemption of your Annuity’s Account Value, the withdrawal will be treated as a taxable distribution, and will generally be subject to ordinary income tax on the amount of any investment gain withdrawn. If you are under the age of 59½, the distribution may also be subject to a 10% additional tax on any gain withdrawn, in addition to ordinary income taxes. We first deduct the amount of the charge on a proportional basis from the Account Value in the variable investment options. We only deduct the charge on a proportional basis from the Fixed Allocations to the extent there is insufficient Account Value in the variable investment options to pay the charge.

 

If you elect to pay the charge through funds other than those from your Annuity, we require that payment be made electronically in U.S. currency through a U.S. financial institution. If you elect to pay the charge through electronic transfer of funds and payment has not been received within 31 days from the due date, we will deduct the charge as a redemption from your Annuity, as described above.
 

B-2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Termination

You can terminate the Plus40 rider at any time. Upon termination, you will be required to pay on a proportional basis a portion of the annual charge for the Rider. The Plus40 rider will terminate automatically on the date your Account Value is applied to begin receiving annuity payments, on the date you surrender the Annuity or, on the expiry date with respect to such person who reaches the expiry date. We may also terminate the Plus40 rider, if necessary, to comply with our interpretation of the Code and applicable regulations. Once terminated, you may not reinstate your coverage under the Plus40 rider.

Changes in Annuity Designations

Changes in ownership and annuitant designations under the Annuity may result in changes in eligibility and charges under the Plus40 rider. These changes may include termination of the Rider. Please refer to the Rider for specific details.

Spousal Assumption

A spousal beneficiary may elect to assume ownership of the Annuity instead of taking the Annuity’s Death Benefit. However, regardless of whether a spousal beneficiary assumes ownership of the Annuity, the death benefit under the Plus40 rider will be paid despite the fact that the Annuity will continue. The spousal beneficiary can apply the death benefit proceeds under the Plus40 rider to the Annuity as a new Purchase Payment, can purchase a new annuity contract or use the death benefit proceeds for any other purpose. Certain restrictions may apply to an Annuity that is used as a qualified investment. Spousal beneficiaries may also be eligible to purchase the Plus40 rider, in which case the Annuity’s Account Value, as of the date the assumption is effective, will be treated as the initial Purchase Payment under applicable provisions of the Rider.

Tax Consideration

The Plus40 rider was designed to qualify as a life insurance contract under the Code. As life insurance, under most circumstances, the Beneficiary(ies) does not pay any Federal income tax on the death benefit payable under the Rider.

If your Annuity is being used as an Individual Retirement Annuity (IRA), we consider the Plus40 rider to be outside of your IRA, since premium for the Rider is paid for either with funds outside of your Annuity or with withdrawals previously subject to tax and any applicable 10% additional tax.

We believe payments under the accelerated payout provision of the Rider will meet the requirements of the Code and the regulations in order to qualify as tax-free payments. To the extent permitted by law, we will change our procedures in relation to the Rider, or the definition of terminally ill, or any other applicable term in order to maintain the tax-free status of any amounts paid out under the accelerated payout provision.

B-3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX C – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION BENEFIT


We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Sub-accounts and the Fixed Allocations. We will not alter this pre-determined mathematical formula.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:

 

AV is the current Account Value of the Annuity (including any Market Value Adjustment on Fixed Allocations)

 

V is the current Account Value of the elected Sub-accounts of the Annuity

 

F is the current Account Value of the Fixed Allocations

 

G is the Principal Value of the guarantee

 

t is the number of whole and partial years between the current Valuation Day and the maturity date.

 

ti is the number of whole and partial years between the next Valuation Day (i.e., the Valuation Day immediately following the current Valuation Day) and the maturity date.

 

r is the fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length t (t1 is rounded to the next highest whole number to determine this rate) as of the current Valuation Day.

 

ri is the fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length t1 (t1 is rounded to the next highest whole number to determine this rate) as of the next Valuation Day.

 

M is the total maturity value of all Fixed Allocations, i.e., the total value that the Fixed Allocations will have on the maturity date of the guarantee if no subsequent transactions occur.
 

The formula determines, on each Valuation Day, when a transfer is required.

The formula begins by determining a “cushion”, D:

D

=

1 – [(G – M) / (1 + r)ti] / V

Next, the formula determines whether or not a transfer to or from the Fixed Allocations is needed:

A transfer into the Fixed Allocations will occur if D < 0.20, V > 0, and V > 0.02 × AV.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(V, (V × (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – G + M) / (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – (1 + r)t)))

A transfer from the Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts will occur if D > 0.30 and F > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(F, (V × (0.75 × (1 + ri)ti – G + M) / ((1 + r)t – 0.75 × (1 + ri)ti)))

C-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

APPENDIX D – FORMULA UNDER THE GUARANTEED RETURN OPTION PLUS BENEFIT


We set out below the current formula under which we may transfer amounts between the Sub-accounts and the Fixed Allocations. We will not alter the pre-determined mathematical formula.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THE CALCULATION FORMULA:

 

AV is the current Account Value of the Annuity (including any Market Value Adjustment on Fixed Allocations)

 

V is the current Account Value of the elected Sub-accounts of the Annuity

 

F is the current Account Value of the Fixed Allocations
 

For each guarantee provided under the program,

 

Gi is the Principal Value of the guarantee

 

ti is the number of whole and partial years until the maturity date of the guarantee.

 

ri is the current fixed rate associated with Fixed Allocations of length ti (ti is rounded to the next highest integer to determine this rate).
 

The formula determines, on each Valuation Day, when a transfer is required.

The formula begins by determining for each guarantee the value (Li) that, if appreciated at the current fixed rate, would equal the Principal Value on the applicable maturity date. We call the greatest of these values the “current liability (L).”

L

=

MAX (Li), where Li = Gi / (1 + ri)ti

Next, the formula determines whether or not a transfer to or from the Fixed Allocations is needed:

A transfer into the Fixed Allocations will occur if L > (AV – 0.2 × V), and V > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(V, (V – (1 / 0.23) × (AV – L)))

A transfer from the Fixed Allocations to the Sub-accounts will occur if L < (AV – 0.26 × V), and F > 0.

The transfer amount is calculated by the following formula:

T

=

MIN(F, ((1 / 0.23) × (AV – L) – V))

D-1 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Mailing


This prospectus describes the important features of the Annuity and provides information about Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company”) and Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (Separate Account).

We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Statement of Additional Information (SAI) that includes additional information about the Annuity 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 1-800-879-7012.

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.

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 


10 Exchange Place
Suite 2210
Jersey City, New Jersey 07302

Edgar Contract Identifier: C000010698

FUSIXTPROS


 

PART B
Advanced Series XTra Credit
Stagecoach XTra Credit
Harvester XTra Credit
Advanced Series XTra Credit Premier

Statement of Additional Information: MAY 1, 2024
FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY VARIABLE ACCOUNT B

The variable annuity contracts listed above (Annuities) are issued by FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY, a Fortitude Re Company, and FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY VARIABLE ACCOUNT B, formerly named PRUDENTIAL ANNUITIES LIFE ASSURANCE CORPORATION VARIABLE ACCOUNT B (also known as “Separate Account B”).

 

THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT A PROSPECTUS. THE PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 1, 2024 CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING. FOR A COPY OF THE PROSPECTUS SEND A WRITTEN REQUEST TO ANNUITIES SERVICE CENTER, P.O. BOX 7960, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176 OR TELEPHONE 1-800-879-7012. YOU MAY ACCESS THE PROSPECTUS AT THE LINK(S) BELOW.

Table of Contents

   

 

PAGE

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY

2

Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company

2

Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B

2

PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER/DISTRIBUTOR - PRUDENTIAL ANNUITIES DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

2

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

3

MISSTATEMENT OF AGE OR SEX

4

CYBER SECURITY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY RISKS

4

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

4

 
   

Advanced Series XTra Credit: C000003476

www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-ASXT-STAT

Stagecoach XTra Credit: C000010681

www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-SC-ASXT-STAT

Harvester XTra Credit: C000010700

www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-HARVESTERXT-STAT

Advanced Series XTra Credit Premier: C000010698

www.prudential.com/regdocs/FLIAC-ASXTPREMIER-STAT

1 


 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY

Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company

 

Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“FLIAC” or the “Company”) is a stock life insurance company incorporated under the laws of Arizona as of August 31, 2013, formerly incorporated in Connecticut. FLIAC was formerly Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation (“PALAC” or “Former Company”). On April 1, 2022, Prudential Financial, Inc., the parent of PALAC, completed its sale of PALAC to Fortitude Group Holdings, LLC (the “Transaction”). As a result of the Transaction, PALAC changed its name to FLIAC. FLIAC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fortitude Group Holdings, LLC.

Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B

Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (formerly Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation Variable Account B), also referred to as “Separate Account B,” was established by us pursuant to Connecticut law on November 25, 1987.

Effective August 31, 2013, the state of domicile was changed from Connecticut to Arizona. On April 1, 2022, as a result of the Transaction noted above, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation Variable Account B changed its name to Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B.

 

Separate Account B is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”) as a unit investment trust, which is a type of investment company. Values and benefits based on allocations to the Sub-accounts will vary with the investment performance of the Portfolios, as applicable. We do not guarantee the investment results of any Sub-account. You bear the entire investment risk.

We reserve the right to do any or all of the following: (a) combine a Sub-account with other Sub-accounts; (b) combine Separate Account B or a portion of it with other “unitized” separate accounts; (c) deregister Separate Account B under the Investment Company Act; (d) operate Separate Account B as a management investment company under the Investment Company Act or in any other form permitted by law; (e) make changes required by any change in the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or the Investment Company Act; (f) make changes that are necessary to maintain the tax status of your Annuity under the Code; (g) make changes required by any change in other Federal or state laws relating to retirement annuities or annuity contracts; and (h) discontinue offering any Sub-account at any time.

Also, from time to time, we may make additional Sub-accounts available to you.

We may eliminate Sub-accounts, combine two or more Sub-accounts or substitute one or more new Portfolios for the one in which a Sub-account is invested.

We reserve the right to transfer assets of Separate Account B, which we determine to be associated with the class of contracts to which your Annuity belongs, to another “unitized” separate account. We will notify you (and/or any payee during the payout phase) of any modification to your Annuity. We may endorse your Annuity to reflect the change.

PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER/DISTRIBUTOR - PRUDENTIAL ANNUITIES DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Annuities, Inc., is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity described in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information. PAD acts as the distributor of a number of annuity and life insurance products and the AST Portfolios. Other than in its role as distributor and principal underwriter of the Annuity, PAD is not affiliated with the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Former Company and PAD were affiliates by virtue of common control.

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 (the “Exchange Act”) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Annuity is no longer sold but Owners may make additional Purchase Payments and transfer Account Value in accordance with the Annuity. PAD enters into distribution agreements with both affiliated and unaffiliated broker-dealers who are registered under the Exchange Act and with entities that may offer the Annuity but are exempt from registration (“firms”). Applications for annuity products are solicited by registered representatives of those firms.

Commissions are paid to firms on sales of the Annuity according to one or more schedules. The registered representative will receive a portion of the compensation, depending on the practice of his or her firm. Commissions are generally based on a percentage of Purchase Payments made. Alternative compensation schedules are available that generally provide a lower initial commission plus ongoing quarterly compensation based on all or a portion of the account value. We may also provide cash compensation to the distributing firm for providing ongoing service to you in relation to the Annuity. Commissions and other cash compensation paid in relation to the Annuity do not result in any additional charge to you or to Separate Account B.

2 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Payments made to promote sale of our products.

In an effort to promote the sale of our products, we and/or PAD pay certain broker-dealers cash compensation in the form of: commissions according to one or more schedules; percentage payments based on “Assets Under Management” (total assets”) subject to certain criteria in certain products; and/or percentage payments based on the total amount of money received as purchase payments under annuity products sold through the broker-dealer.

We or PAD also may compensate third-party vendors, for services that such vendors render to broker-dealer firms. To the extent permitted by FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations, PAD may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments in the forms of non-cash compensation. These arrangements may not be offered to all firms and the terms of such arrangements may differ between firms.

The list in the prospectus includes the names of the firms that we are aware (as of December 31, 2023) received cash compensation with respect to annuity business during 2023 (or as to which a payment amount was accrued during 2023). The firms listed include payments in connection with products issued by the Company. Your registered representative can provide you with more information about the compensation arrangements that apply upon the sale of the Annuity. During 2023, the least amount paid, and greatest amount paid, were $2.00 and $5,108,969.88, respectively.

With respect to all individual annuities issued by the Company (or its affiliates as of the time periods indicated), PAD received commissions as follows: 2023: $98,619,373.99; 2022: $107,409,500.10 and 2021: $467,002,678.61. PAD retained none of those commissions.

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

The Company conducts the bulk of its annuity operations through The Prudential Insurance Company of America (together with certain of its affiliates, the “Administrator”) and other third-party service providers, subject to the Company’s oversight. The entities engaged directly or indirectly by the Company to provide services may change over time.

The Administrator services and administers the Annuity on behalf of the Company through one or more third party administrator, administrative services or other similar agreements. The Administrator’s principal executive offices are located at One Corporate Drive, Shelton, CT 06484. The Administrator is an affiliate of Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc., the distributor of the Annuity, but is not otherwise an affiliate of the Company. Prior to the Transaction, the Former Company and the Administrator were affiliates. The prospectus provides a list of non-affiliated entities that could be deemed service providers to the Company in connection with the Annuity.

3 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 
 

MISSTATEMENT OF AGE OR SEX

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.

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 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. The performance of the Index(es) may be adversely affected.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B are incorporated into this Statement of Additional Information by reference to the latest financial statements on Form N-VPFS for the Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B as filed with the SEC on April 25, 2024. The financial statements of Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company are incorporated by reference

4 


 

Back to Table of Contents

 

to its annual report for the year ending December 31, 2023 on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on March 14, 2024. 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.

 

5 


 

PART C
OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 27. EXHIBITS:

(a)

Copy of the resolution of the board of directors of Depositor authorizing the establishment of the Registrant for Separate Account B filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed March 2, 1998.

(b)

Not applicable. Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company maintains custody of all assets.

(c)(1)

Revised Principal Underwriting Agreement between Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation and Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc, filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 to Registration Statement No. 333-96577, filed April 21, 2006.

(2)

Revised Dealer Agreement filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed April 24, 1998.

(d)(1)

Copy of the Annuity, filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to this Registration Statement 33-62793, filed April 29, 1997.

(2)

Copy of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit Endorsement filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed April 26, 1999.

(3)

Copy of Performance-related Benefits and First Year Credits Endorsement filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed April 26, 1999.

(4)

Copy of percent Death Benefit Endorsement filed via EDGAR with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement No. 333-49478, filed February 14, 2001.

(5)

Copy of Continuous Guaranteed Return Option filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement No. 333-96577, filed August 6, 2003.

(e)

A copy of the application form used with the Annuity filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed March 2, 1998.

(f)(1)

Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company, effective May 24, 2022 filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 to Registration Statement No. 033-62793 filed April 26, 2023.  

(2)

Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company, effective April 1, 2022 filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 to Registration Statement No. 03-62793 filed April 26, 2023.

(g)

Not Applicable

(h)(1)

Advanced Series Trust Participation Agreement dated January 19, 2022 filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 26, to Registration Statement No. 33-62793, filed April 19, 2022.

(2)

Life & Annuity Trust Agreement (previously filed in Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement No. 33-71118, filed February 17, 1995). FILED VIA EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to Registration Statement No. 33-59993, filed April 27, 1998.

(3)

Rydex Variable Trust filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed April 26, 1999.

(4)

First Defined Portfolio Fund LLC filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to Registration Statement No. 33-86866, filed April 26, 2000.

(5)

Evergreen Variable Annuity Trust filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 9 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed April 26, 2000.

(6)

INVESCO Variable Investment Funds, Inc. filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 9 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed April 26, 2000.

(7)

ProFunds VP filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 9 to Registration Statement No. 33-87010, filed April 26, 2000.

(8)

The Prudential Series Fund Participation Agreement dated January 18, 2022 filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 26, to Registration Statement No. 33-62793, filed April 19, 2022.

(9)

Gartmore Global Asset Management Trust filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement No. 333-96577, filed August 7, 2003.


 

 
   

(10)

ProFunds VP Amendment No. 2 filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to Registration Statement No. 333-96577, filed April 20, 2007.

(11)

Rule 22c-2 Agreement via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to Registration Statement No. 333-96577, filed April 20, 2007.

(12)

Notice re change of Depositor name to Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation filed via EDGAR to Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 to Registration Statement No. 333-96577, filed April 17, 2008.

(i)(1)

Third Party Administration Agreement by and between Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation and The Prudential Insurance Company of America effective as of April 1, 2022 filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 26, to Registration Statement No. 33-62793, filed April 19, 2022.

(2)

109 Plan Third Party Administration Agreement by and between Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation and The Prudential Insurance Company of America effective as of April 1, 2022 filed via EDGAR with Post-Effective Amendment No. 26, to Registration Statement No. 33-62793, filed April 19, 2022.

(j)

Not Applicable

(k)

Opinion and Consent of Counsel. (Filed herewith)

(l)(1)

Written Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. (Filed Herewith)

(2)

Powers of Attorney: Alon Neches, Brian T. Schreiber, Ciara A. Burnham, Douglas A. French, Jeffrey T. Condit, Kai Talarek, Richard Patching and Samuel J. Weinhoff. (Filed herewith)

(m)

Not Applicable

(n)

Not Applicable

(o)

Not Applicable


 

 

ITEM 28. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE DEPOSITOR:

NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ADDRESS*

POSITION AND OFFICES WITH DEPOSITOR

Alon Neches

President and Chief Executive Officer, Director

Jeffrey S. Burman

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Ciara A. Burnham

Director

Sean F. Coyle

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Douglas A. French

Director

Jeffrey P. Mauro

Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer

John M. McGregor

Senior Vice President

Brian P. Orndorff

Vice President and Director of Tax

Richard Patching

Director

Mark Retik

Senior Vice President

Jeffrey Condit

Principal Accounting Officer

Brian T. Schreiber

Director

Yi Yang

Chief Risk Officer

Kai Talarek

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Director

James West

Chief Actuary

Samuel J. Weinhoff

Director

* The address of each Director and Officer named is 10 Exchange Place, Suite 2210, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302.

ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE DEPOSITOR OR REGISTRANT:

FGH Parent, L.P. (Bermuda)(1)

Fortitude Group Holdings, LLC (Delaware)

Fortitude U.S. Reinsurance Company
Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd. (Bermuda)

Fortitude Re Investments, LLC (Delaware)

Fortitude Group Services, Inc. (Delaware)
Fortitude Life & Annuity Solutions, Inc. (Delaware)
Fortitude P&C Solutions, Inc. (Delaware)
Fortitude Casualty Insurance Company
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (Arizona)

Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B (Arizona)
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account E (Arizona)
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account F (Arizona)
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Index Strategies Separate Account (Arizona)
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account D (Arizona)
Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account Q (Arizona)

Fortitude International Ltd. (Bermuda)
Fortitude International Group Holdings Ltd. (United Kingdom)

Fortitude International Reinsurance Ltd. (Bermuda)
Fortitude Group Services Ltd. (Bermuda)

1. This organizational chart is presented on the basis of FGH Parent, L.P. being the ultimate controlling party of the Fortitude Re group of companies. This organizational chart does not include limited partners of limited partnerships and non-managing members of limited liability companies. The general partner of FGH Parent, L.P. does not have control over FGH Parent, L.P. and is therefore excluded from this organizational chart. This organizational chart does not include other Carlyle portfolio company investments or other entities through which such investments are made.

ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION:

The Registrant, 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 the Registrant, or who is or was serving at the request of the Registrant 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 Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (the Company), 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 the Company’s By-law, Article VI relates to indemnification of officers and directors.

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 the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, the Registrant 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 the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant 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, the Registrant 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 the Company, among other insurers. The separate account, through which the variable annuities are issued, is the Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company Variable Account B. In addition, PAD serves as principal underwriter for variable annuities issued by Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. The separate accounts of those insurance companies 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.

(b) Information concerning the directors and officers of PAD is set forth below:

NAME

POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH UNDERWRITER

Aismara J. Casanova
One Corporate Drive
Shelton, CT 06484

President and Director

Anju Nanda
One Corporate Drive
Shelton, Connecticut 06484

Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Elizabeth K. Dietrich
213 Washington Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Director

Donald Mallavia
One Corporate Drive
Shelton, Connecticut 06484

Director

Patricia L. O’Shea
213 Washington Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Chief Operating Officer

Kevin M. Brayton
280 Trumbull Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06103

Senior Vice President and Director

Jordan Thomsen
213 Washington Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

Kevin Chaillet
751 Broad Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Treasurer

Robert P. Smit
751 Broad Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Chief Financial Officer and Controller

Shane T. McGrath
280 Trumbull Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06103

Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President

Suzanne Amari
One Corporate Drive
Shelton, Connecticut 06484

Director

Amy M. Woltman
751 Broad Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Vice President and Assistant Secretary


 

 

NAME

POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH UNDERWRITER

Michael A. Pignatella
280 Trumbull Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06103

Senior Vice President

Jessica Conley
2101 Welsh Road
Dresher, Pennsylvania 19025

Vice President

Kelly Florio
751 Broad Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Anti-Money Laundering Officer

(c) Commissions received by PAD during 2023 with respect to all individual annuities issued by the Company.

NAME OF PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER

NET UNDERWRITING
DISCOUNTS AND
COMMISSIONS

COMPENSATION ON
REDEMPTION

BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS

OTHER
COMPENSATION

Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc.*

$98,619,373.99

$-0-

$-0-

$-0-

* PAD did not retain any of these commissions.

ITEM 32. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS:

Provided in the Registrant’s most recent report on Form N-CEN.

ITEM 33. MANAGEMENT SERVICES:

None.

ITEM 34. FEE REPRESENTATION:

The Company 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 under the Contracts.


 

 

SIGNATURES

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 post-effective amendment to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Jersey City and the State of New Jersey on this 25th day of April 2024.

FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY VARIABLE ACCOUNT B
REGISTRANT
BY: FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
DEPOSITOR

By:

Alon Neches*

 

 

Alon Neches

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer, Director

 

FORTITUDE LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY
DEPOSITOR

By:

Alon Neches*

 

 

Alon Neches

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer, Director

 

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

 

Alon Neches*

Alon Neches

President and Chief Executive Officer, Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

April 25, 2024

Ciara A. Burnham*

Ciara A. Burnham

Director

April 25, 2024

Douglas A. French*

Douglas A. French

Director

April 25, 2024

Richard Patching*

Richard Patching

Director

April 25, 2024

Brian T. Schreiber*

Brian T. Schreiber

Director

April 25, 2024

Kai Talarek*

Kai Talarek

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Director
(Principal Financial Officer)

April 25, 2024

Samuel J. Weinhoff*

Samuel J. Weinhoff

Director

April 25, 2024

Jeffrey T. Condit*

Jeffrey T. Condit

Principal Accounting Officer

April 25, 2024

   

By:

/s/ Richard E. Buckley

 

 

Richard E. Buckley

 

                                                        * Executed by Richard E. Buckley on behalf of those indicated pursuant to Power of Attorney.
 

 

 

EXHIBITS

   

Exhibit No.

Description

(k)

Opinion and Consent of Counsel

(l)(1)

Written Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

(l)(2)

Powers of Attorney: Alon Neches, Brian T. Schreiber, Ciara A. Burnham, Douglas A. French, Jeffrey T. Condit, Kai Talarek, Richard Patching and Samuel J. Weinhoff


ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

EX-99.K

EX-99.L1

EX-99.L2