A retirement services giant has developed a new twist on variable annuity guarantees.
The company AIG SunAmerica Retirement Markets Inc., Los Angeles, says it has added the new MarketLock living benefit option to its Polaris and Seasons VA contracts.
The feature is a "maximum anniversary value" guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit, according to AIG SunAmerica, which is a unit of American International Group Inc., New York.
The feature locks in investment gains each year and automatically for at least 10 years, AIG SunAmerica says.
The withdrawal benefit includes the initial investment, plus investments made during the contract's first 2 years.
The benefit, which is backed by AIG SunAmerica Life Assurance Company in most of the country and by First SunAmerica Life Insurance Company in New York, guarantees that investors who abide by the terms of contract can lock in any investment gains without bearing the effects of any investment losses, according to AIG SunAmerica.
