correspondence.htm
Nationwide DestinationSM Annuity 2.0
Nationwide Life Insurance Company
Individual Flexible Premium Deferred Variable Annuity Contracts
Issued by Nationwide Life Insurance Company through its Nationwide Variable Account-II
The date of this prospectus is ________________, 2012.
This prospectus contains basic information you should understand about the contracts before investing. Please read this prospectus carefully and keep it for future reference.
Variable annuities are complex investment products with unique benefits and advantages that may be particularly useful in meeting long-term savings and retirement needs. There are costs and charges associated with these benefits and advantages - costs and charges that are different, or do not exist at all, within other investment products. With help from financial consultants and advisors, investors are encouraged to compare and contrast the costs and benefits of the variable annuity described in this prospectus against those of other investment products, especially other variable annuity and variable life insurance products offered by Nationwide and its affiliates. Nationwide offers a wide array of such products, many with different charges, benefit features and underlying investment options. This process of comparison and analysis should aid in determining whether the purchase of the contract described in this prospectus is consistent with your investment objectives, risk tolerance, investment time horizon, marital status, tax situation and other personal characteristics and needs.
The Statement of Additional Information (dated ____________, 2012), which contains additional information about the contracts and the Variable Account, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and is incorporated herein by reference. The table of contents for the Statement of Additional Information is on page 37.
To obtain free copies of the Statement of Additional Information or to make any other service requests, please contact Nationwide by one of the methods described in the "Contacting the Service Center" provision on page 12.
Information about Nationwide and the variable annuity contract described in this prospectus (including the Statement of Additional Information) may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., or may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Additional information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. The SEC also maintains a web site (www.sec.gov) that contains the prospectus, the Statement of Additional Information, material incorporated by reference, and other information.
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the SEC, nor has the SEC passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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The Sub-Accounts available under this contract invest in underlying mutual funds of the portfolio companies listed below.
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AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.
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American Century Variable Portfolios II, Inc.
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Dreyfus Investment Portfolios
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Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund
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Fidelity Variable Insurance Products Fund
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Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust
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Ivy Funds Variable Insurance Portfolios, Inc.
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MFS® Variable Insurance Trust
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Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust
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Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust
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Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds
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PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust
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For a complete list of the available Sub-Accounts, refer to "Appendix A: Underlying Mutual Funds." For more information on the underlying mutual funds, refer to the prospectus for the mutual fund.
Glossary of Special Terms
Accumulation Unit- An accounting unit of measure used to calculate the Contract Value allocated to the Variable Account before the Annuitization Date.
Annuitant- The person(s) whose length of life determines how long annuity payments are paid.
Annuitization Date- The date on which annuity payments begin.
Annuity Commencement Date- The date on which annuity payments are scheduled to begin.
Annuity Unit- An accounting unit of measure used to calculate the value of variable annuity payments.
Co-Annuitant- The person designated by the Contract Owner to receive the Spousal Protection Feature.
Contract Anniversary- Each recurring one -year anniversary of the date the contract was issued.
Contract Owner(s)- The person(s) who owns all rights under the contract. All references in this prospectus to "you" shall mean the Contract Owner.
Contract Value- The value of all Accumulation Units in a contract.
Contract Year- Each year the contract is in force beginning with the date the contract is issued.
Current Income Benefit Base- For purposes of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , it is equal to the Original Income Benefit Base adjusted throughout the life of the contract to account for subsequent purchase payments, early withdrawals, excess withdrawals, and reset opportunities. This amount is multiplied by the Lifetime Withdrawal Percentage to arrive at the benefit amount for any given year.
Daily Net Assets- A figure that is calculated at the end of each Valuation Date and represents the sum of all the Contract Owners' interests in the variable Sub-Accounts after the deduction of contract and underlying mutual fund expenses.
General Account- All assets of Nationwide other than those of the Variable Account or in other separate accounts that have been or may be established by Nationwide.
Individual Retirement Account- An account that qualifies for favorable tax treatment under Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, but does not include Roth IRAs.
Individual Retirement Annuity or IRA- An annuity contract that qualifies for favorable tax treatment under Section 408(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, but does not include Roth IRAs.
Investment-Only Contract- A contract purchased by a qualified pension, profit-sharing or stock bonus plan as defined by Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Lifetime Withdrawal Percentage- An age-based percentage used to determine the annual amount available for withdrawal under the Nationwide L.inc LC Option . The applicable percentage is multiplied by the Current Income Benefit Base to arrive at the benefit amount for any given year.
Nationwide- Nationwide Life Insurance Company. All references in this prospectus to "we" or "us" shall mean Nationwide.
Net Asset Value- The value of one share of an underlying mutual fund at the close of the New York Stock Exchange.
Non-Qualified Contract- A contract which does not qualify for favorable tax treatment as a Qualified Plan, IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, Simple IRA, or Tax Sheltered Annuity.
Original Income Benefit Base- For purposes of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , the initial benefit base calculated on the date the contract is issued, which is equal to the Contract Value.
Qualified Plan- A retirement plan that receives favorable tax treatment under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code, including Investment-Only Contracts. In this prospectus, all provisions applicable to Qualified Plans also apply to Investment-Only Contracts unless specifically stated otherwise.
Roth IRA- An annuity contract that qualifies for favorable tax treatment under Section 408A of the Internal Revenue Code.
SEC- Securities and Exchange Commission.
SEP IRA- An annuity contract which qualifies for favorable tax treatment under Section 408(k) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Service Center- The department of Nationwide responsible for receiving service requests. For service requests submitted other than by telephone (including fax requests), the Service Center is Nationwide's mail and document processing facility. For service requests communicated by telephone, the Service Center is Nationwide's operations processing facility. Information on how to contact the Service Center is in the "Contacting the Service Center" provision.
Simple IRA- An annuity contract which qualifies for favorable tax treatment under Section 408(p) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Sub-Accounts- Divisions of the Variable Account, each of which invests in a single underlying mutual fund.
Tax Sheltered Annuity- An annuity that qualifies for favorable tax treatment under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contracts issued pursuant to this prospectus cannot be issued as Tax Sheltered Annuities.
Valuation Date- Each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business, or any other day during which there is a sufficient degree of trading of underlying mutual fund shares such that the current Net Asset Value of Accumulation Units or Annuity Units might be materially affected. Values of the Variable Account are determined as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange which generally closes at 4:00 pm EST.
Valuation Period- The period of time commencing at the close of a Valuation Date and ending at the close of the New York Stock Exchange for the next succeeding Valuation Date.
Variable Account- Nationwide Variable Account-II, a separate account that Nationwide established to hold Contract Owner assets allocated to variable investment options. The Variable Account is divided into Sub-Accounts, each of which invests in shares of a separate underlying mutual fund.
Table of Contents
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Page
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Glossary of Special Terms
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2
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Contract Expenses
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6
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Underlying Mutual Fund Annual Expenses
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7
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Example
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8
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Synopsis of the Contracts
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8
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Surrenders/Withdrawals
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Minimum Initial and Subsequent Purchase Payments
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Dollar Limit Restrictions
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Charges and Expenses
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Annuity Payments
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Taxation
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Death Benefit
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Right to Examine and Cancel
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Condensed Financial Information
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10
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Financial Statements
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10
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Nationwide Life Insurance Company
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10
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Nationwide Investment Services Corporation
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10
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Investing in the Contract
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11
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The Variable Account and Underlying Mutual Funds
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Contacting the Service Center
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12
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The Contract in General
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12
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Distribution, Promotional, and Sales Expenses
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Underlying Mutual Fund Payments
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Profitability
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Contract Modification
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Standard Charges and Deductions
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14
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Mortality and Expense Risk Charge
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Administrative Charge
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Premium Taxes
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Short-Term Trading Fees
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Optional Contract Benefits, Charges, and Deductions
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15
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Death Benefit Options
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Nationwide L.inc LC Option
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Spousal Continuation Benefit
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Income Benefit Investment Options
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Ownership and Interests in the Contract
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20
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Contract Owner
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Joint Owner
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Contingent Owner
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Annuitant
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Contingent Annuitant
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Co-Annuitant
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Joint Annuitant
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Beneficiary and Contingent Beneficiary
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Changes to the Parties to the Contract
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Operation of the Contract
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22
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Pricing
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Application and Allocation of Purchase Payments
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Determining the Contract Value
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Transfer Requests
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Table of Contents (continued)
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Page
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Transfer Restrictions
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Transfers Prior to Annuitization
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Transfers After Annuitization
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Right to Examine and Cancel
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25
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Surrender/Withdrawal Prior to Annuitization
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25
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Partial Withdrawals
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Full Surrenders
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Surrender/Withdrawal After Annuitization
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25
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Assignment
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25
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Contract Owner Services
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26
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Asset Rebalancing
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Dollar Cost Averaging
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Systematic Withdrawals
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Custom Portfolio Asset Rebalancing Service
Static Asset Allocation Model
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Death Benefits
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27
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Death of Contract Owner
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Death of Annuitant
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Death of Contract Owner/Annuitant
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Death Benefit Payment
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Impact of Ownership Changes and Assignment on the Death Benefits
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Death Benefit Calculations
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Spousal Protection Feature
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Annuity Commencement Date
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30
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Annuitizing the Contract
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31
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Annuitization Date
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Annuitization
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Fixed Annuity Payments
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Variable Annuity Payments
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Frequency and Amount of Annuity Payments
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Annuity Payment Options
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32
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Annuity Payment Options for Contracts with Total Purchase Payments and Contract Value Annuitized Less Than or Equal to $2,000,000
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Annuity Payment Options for Contracts with Total Purchase Payments and/or Contract Value Annuitized Greater Than $2,000,000
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Annuitization of Amounts Greater than $5,000,000
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Statements and Reports
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33
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Legal Proceedings
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33
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Table of Contents of Statement of Additional Information
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37
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Appendix A: Underlying Mutual Funds
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38
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Appendix B: Condensed Financial Information
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43
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Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information
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44
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The following tables describe the fees and expenses that a Contract Owner will pay when buying, owning, or surrendering the contract.
The first table describes the fees and expenses a Contract Owner will pay at the time the contract is purchased, surrendered, or when cash value is transferred between investment options.
Contract Owner Transaction Expenses
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Maximum Premium Tax Charge (as a percentage of purchase payments)
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Maximum Short-Term Trading Fee (as a percentage of transaction amount2)
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1%
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The next table describes the fees and expenses that a Contract Owner will pay periodically during the life of the contract (not including underlying mutual fund fees and expenses).
Recurring Contract Expenses
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Variable Account Annual Expenses (assessed as an annualized percentage of Daily Net Assets)
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Mortality and Expense Risk Charge
Administrative Charge
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0.20 %
0.20%
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One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option Charge
Total Variable Account Charges (including this option only)
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0.20%
0.60%
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Additional Optional Riders (assessed annually as a percentage of the Current Income Benefit Base3)
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Maximum Nationwide L.inc LC Option Charge
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Maximum Spousal Continuation Benefit Charge
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The next table shows the fees and expenses that a Contract Owner would pay if he/she elected all of the optional benefits available under the contract (and the most expensive of mutually exclusive optional benefits).
Summary of Maximum Contract Expenses
(annualized rate, as a percentage of the Daily Net Assets)
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Mortality and Expense Risk Charge (applicable to all contracts)
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0.20 %
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Administrative Charge (applicable to all contracts)
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0.20%
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One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option Charge
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0.20%
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Maximum Nationwide L.inc LC Option Charge
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Maximum Spousal Continuation Benefit Charge
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0.40% 6
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Maximum Possible Total Variable Account Charges
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Underlying Mutual Fund Annual Expenses
The next table provides the minimum and maximum total operating expenses, as of December 31, 2011, charged by the underlying mutual funds that you may pay periodically during the life of the contract. More detail concerning each underlying mutual fund's fees and expenses is contained in the prospectus for each underlying mutual fund.
Total Annual Underlying Mutual Fund Operating Expenses
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Minimum
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Maximum
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(expenses that are deducted from underlying mutual fund assets, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) fees, and other expenses, as a percentage of average underlying mutual fund assets)
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0.42 %
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1.16 %
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The minimum and maximum underlying mutual fund operating expenses indicated above do not reflect voluntary or contractual reimbursements and/or waivers applied to some underlying mutual funds. Therefore, actual expenses could be lower. Refer to the underlying mutual fund prospectuses for specific expense information.
1 Nationwide will charge between 0% and 5% of purchase payments for premium taxes levied by state or other government entities. The amount assessed to the contract will equal the amount assessed by the state or government entity.
3 For information about how the Current Income Benefit Base is calculated, see "Determination of the Income Benefit Base Prior to the First Lifetime Income Withdrawal . "
4 Currently, the charge associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option is equal to 0.80 % of the Current Income Benefit Base.
5 The Spousal Continuation Benefit may only be elected if and when the Nationwide L.inc LC Option is elected. Currently, the charge associated with the Spousal Continuation Benefit is equal to 0.25% of the Current Income Benefit Base .
6 This charge is a percentage of the Current Income Benefit Base. For purposes of this table, Nationwide assumes the Current Income Benefit Base is equal to the Daily Net Assets.
7 The Maximum Possible Total Variable Account Charges associated with a particular contract may be higher or lower depending on whether the Current Income Benefit Base is higher or lower than the Daily Net Assets. For purposes of this table, Nationwide assumes the Current Income Benefit Base is equal to the Daily Net Assets.
This Example is intended to help Contract Owners compare the cost of investing in the contract with the cost of investing in other variable annuity contracts. These costs include Contract Owner transaction expenses, contract fees, Variable Account annual expenses, and underlying mutual fund fees and expenses. The Example does not reflect premium taxes or short-term trading fees which, if reflected, would result in higher expenses.
The following Example assumes:
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a $10,000 investment in the contract for the time periods indicated;
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the maximum and the minimum fees and expenses of any of the underlying mutual funds; and
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the total Variable Account charges associated with the most expensive allowable combination of optional benefits ( 2.00 %)1
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For those contracts that do not elect the most expensive combination of optional benefits, the expenses would be lower.
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If you surrender your contract
at the end of the applicable
time period
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If you annuitize your contract
at the end of the applicable
time period
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If you do not
surrender
your contract
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1 Yr.
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3 Yrs.
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5 Yrs.
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10 Yrs.
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1 Yr.
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3 Yrs.
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5 Yrs.
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10 Yrs.
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1 Yr.
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3 Yrs.
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5 Yrs.
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10 Yrs.
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Maximum Total Underlying Mutual
Fund Operating Expenses ( 1.16 %)
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**
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**
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**
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**
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*
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**
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**
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**
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**
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**
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**
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**
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Minimum Total Underlying Mutual Fund Operating Expenses ( 0.42 %)
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**
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**
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**
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**
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*
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**
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**
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**
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**
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**
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**
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**
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*The contracts sold under this prospectus do not permit annuitization during the first two Contract Years.
**To be filed by subsequent Pre-Effective Amendment
1The total Variable Account charges associated with the most expensive allowable combination of optional benefits may be higher or lower depending on whether the Current Income Benefit Base is higher or lower than the Daily Net Assets. For purposes of this table, Nationwide assumes the Current Income Benefit Base is equal to the Daily Net Assets.
Synopsis of the Contracts
The annuity described in this prospectus is intended to provide benefits to a single or joint owner and his/her beneficiaries. The contracts described in this prospectus are individual flexible purchase payment contracts.
The contracts can be categorized as:
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Charitable Remainder Trusts;
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Individual Retirement Annuities ("IRAs");
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Investment-Only Contracts (Qualified Plans);
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Non-Qualified Contracts;
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Simplified Employee Pension IRAs ("SEP IRAs"); and
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For more detailed information with regard to the differences in contract types, see "Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information." Prospective purchasers may apply to purchase a contract through broker dealers that have entered into a selling agreement with Nationwide Investment Services Corporation.
Surrenders/Withdrawals
Contract Owners may generally withdraw some or all of their Contract Value at any time prior to annuitization by notifying the Service Center in writing (see "Surrender/Withdrawal Prior to Annuitization"). After the Annuitization Date, withdrawals are not permitted (see "Surrender/Withdrawal After Annuitization").
Minimum Initial and Subsequent Purchase Payments
For all contract types the minimum initial purchase payment is $ 25,000 . A Contract Owner will meet the minimum initial purchase payment requirement by making purchase payments equal to $ 25 ,000 over the course of the first Contract Year.
The minimum subsequent purchase payment is $1,000. However, for subsequent purchase payments sent via electronic deposit, the minimum subsequent purchase payment is $150. Some states have different minimum initial and subsequent purchase payment amounts, and subsequent purchase payments may not be permitted in all states. C ontact the Service Center for information on purchase payments in a particular state. Some optional benefits may restrict the Contract Owner's ability to make subsequent purchase payments.
Nationwide reserves the right to refuse any purchase payment that would result in the cumulative total for all contracts issued by Nationwide on the life of any one Annuitant or owned by any one Contract Owner to exceed $1,000,000. Its decision as to whether or not to accept a purchase payment in excess of that amount will be based on one or more factors, including, but not limited to: age, spouse age (if applicable), Annuitant age, state of issue, total purchase payments, optional benefits elected, current market conditions, and current hedging costs. All such decisions will be based on internally established actuarial guidelines and will be applied in a non-discriminatory manner. In the event that we do not accept a purchase payment under these guidelines, we will
immediately return the purchase payment in its entirety in the same manner as it was received. If we accept the purchase payment, it will be applied to the contract immediately and will receive the next calculated Accumulation Unit value (see "Pricing"). Any references in this prospectus to purchase payment amounts in excess of $1,000,000 are assumed to have been approved by Nationwide.
Nationwide prohibits subsequent purchase payments made after death of the Contract Owner(s), the Annuitant , or Co-Annuitant. If upon notification of death of the Contract Owner(s), the Annuitant , or Co-Annuitant, it is determined that death occurred prior to a subsequent purchase payment being made, Nationwide reserves the right to return the purchase payment.
Dollar Limit Restrictions
In addition to the potential purchase payment restriction listed above, certain features of the contract have additional purchase payment and/or Contract Value limitations associated with them:
Annuitization. Annuity payment options will be limited if the Contract Owner submits total purchase payments in excess of $2,000,000. Furthermore, if the amount to be annuitized is greater than $5,000,000, we may limit both the amount that can be annuitized on a single life and the annuity payment options (see "Annuity Payment Options").
Death benefit calculations. Purchase payments up to $3,000,000 will result in a higher death benefit payment than purchase payments in excess of $3,000,000 (see "Death Benefit Calculations").
Optional rider. If the Contract Owner elects the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , subsequent purchase payments may be limited to an aggregate total of $50,000 per calendar year.
Charges and Expenses
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge
Nationwide deducts a Mortality and Expense Risk Charge equal to an annualized rate of 0.20 % of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account. The Mortality and Expense Risk Charge compensates Nationwide for providing the insurance benefits under the contract, including the contract's standard death benefit that provides a guaranteed death benefit to the beneficiary(ies) even if the market declines. It also compensates Nationwide for assuming the risk that Annuitants will live longer than assumed. Finally, the Mortality and Expense Risk Charge compensates Nationwide for guaranteeing that charges will not increase regardless of actual expenses. Nationwide may realize a profit from this charge.
Administrative Charge
Nationwide deducts an Administrative Charge equal to an annualized rate of 0.20% of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account. The Administrative Charge reimburses Nationwide for administrative costs it incurs resulting from providing contract benefits, including preparation of the contract and prospectus, confirmation statements, annual account statements and annual reports, legal and accounting fees as well as various related expenses. Nationwide may realize a profit from this charge.
Death Benefit Option
The contract contains a standard death benefit (the greater of (i) the Contract Value or (ii) the total purchase payments less amounts withdrawn) at no additional charge. In lieu of the standard death benefit, an applicant may elect the One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option at the time of application for an additional charge at the annualized rate of 0.20% of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account. The One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option is only available for contracts with Annuitants age 80 or younger at the time of application. The optional death benefit may provide a greater death benefit than the standard death benefit (see "Death Benefit Calculations").
Nationwide L.inc LC Option
After the Contract Owner reaches age 59½ (or if the Spousal Continuation Benefit is elected, both spouses reach age 59½) t he Nationwide L.inc LC Option provides for lifetime withdrawals, up to a certain amount each year, even after the Contract Value is $0, provided that the Contract Owner does not deplete the Current Income Benefit Base by taking early or excess withdrawals and does not make certain assignments or Contract Owner changes. Investment Restrictions apply. The Nationwide L.inc LC Option is available under the contract at the time of application. The Contract Owner (or the Annuitant in the case of a non-natural Contract Owner) must be age 85 or younger at the time of application.
If the applicant elects the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , Nationwide will deduct an additional charge not to exceed 1.00 % of the Current Income Benefit Base, which is the amount upon which the annual benefit is based. Currently, the charge for the Nationwide L.inc LC Option is 0.80 % of the Current Income Benefit Base. The charge is deducted on each Contract Anniversary and is taken from the Sub-Accounts proportionally based on contract allocations at the time the charge is deducted.
Election of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option requires that the Contract Owner, until annuitization, allocate the entire Contract Value to a limited set of investment options. If the Contract Value is greater than $0, then lifetime income withdrawals are paid from the Contract Owner's Contract Value. If the Contract Value is equal to or less than $0, then lifetime income withdrawals are paid from Nationwide's General Account. Income withdrawal payments paid from the General Account are subject to Nationwide's creditors and ultimately, its overall claims paying ability. Certain actions by the Contract Owner will terminate this optional benefit.
Early withdrawals and excess withdrawals that reduce the Current Income Benefit Base to $0 will automatically terminate the Nationwide L.inc LC Option .
Spousal Continuation Benefit
The Spousal Continuation Benefit allows a surviving spouse to continue to receive, for the duration of his/her lifetime, the benefit associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , provided that certain conditions are satisfied. The Spousal Continuation Benefit is only available for election at the time of application if the Nationwide L.inc LC Option is elected.
If the applicant elects the Spousal Continuation Benefit, Nationwide will deduct an additional charge not to exceed 0.40% of the Current Income Benefit Base. Currently, the charge for the Spousal Continuation Benefit is 0.25% of the Current Income Benefit Base . The Contract Owner’s spouse (or the Annuitant’s spouse in the case of a non-natural Contract Owner) must be age 85 or younger at the time of application. The charge is deducted at the same time and in the same manner as the Nationwide L.inc LC Option charge. The cost of the Spousal Continuation Benefit may exceed the benefit.
Charges for Optional Benefits
The charges associated with optional benefits are generally only assessed prior to annuitization.
Underlying Mutual Fund Annual Expenses
The underlying mutual funds charge fees and expenses that are deducted from underlying mutual fund assets. These fees and expenses are in addition to the fees and expenses assessed by the contract. The prospectus for each underlying mutual fund provides information regarding the fees and expenses applicable to the fund (see "The Variable Account and Underlying Mutual Funds").
Short-Term Trading Fees
Some underlying mutual funds may assess (or reserve the right to assess) a short-term trading fee in connection with transfers from a Sub-Account that occur within 60 days after the date of allocation to the Sub-Account. Any short-term trading fee assessed by any underlying mutual fund available in conjunction with the contracts described in this prospectus will equal 1% of the amount determined to be engaged in short-term trading.
Annuity Payments
On the Annuitization Date, annuity payments begin (see "Annuity Commencement Date" and "Annuitizing the Contract"). Annuity payments will be based on the annuity payment option chosen prior to annuitization. Nationwide will send annuity payments no later than seven days after each annuity payment date.
Taxation
How distributions from an annuity contract are taxed depends on the type of contract issued and the purpose for which the contract is purchased. Generally, distributions from an annuity contract, including the payment of death benefits, are taxable to the extent they exceed investment in the contract. Nationwide will charge against the contract any premium taxes levied by any governmental authority. Premium tax rates currently range from 0% to 5% (see "Premium Taxes" and "Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information").
Death Benefit
An applicant may elect the standard death benefit (at no additional cost) or may elect the One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option for an additional charge (see "Death Benefits").
Right to Examine and Cancel
Under state insurance laws, Contract Owners have the right, during a limited period of time, to examine their contract and decide if they want to keep it or cancel it. This right is referred to as a "free look" right. The length of this time period depends on state law and may vary depending on whether your purchase is replacing another annuity contract you own.
If the Contract Owner elects to cancel the contract pursuant to the free look provision, where required by law, Nationwide will return the greater of the Contract Value or the amount of purchase payment(s) applied during the free look period, less any withdrawals from the contract and applicable federal and state income tax withholding. Otherwise, Nationwide will return the Contract Value, less any withdrawals from the contract and applicable federal and state income tax withholding (see "Right to Examine and Cancel").
Condensed Financial Information
The value of an Accumulation Unit is determined on the basis of changes in the per share value of the underlying mutual funds and the assessment of Variable Account charges which may vary from contract to contract (see "Determining the Contract Value"). Since this annuity contract was not available as of December 31, 2011, there are no Accumulation Unit values available.
Financial statements for the Variable Account and consolidated financial statements for Nationwide are located in the Statement of Additional Information. A current Statement of Additional Information may be obtained, without charge, by contacting the Service Center.
Nationwide Life Insurance Company
Nationwide, the depositor, is a stock life insurance company organized under Ohio law in March 1929, with its home office at One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Nationwide is a provider of life insurance, annuities and retirement products. It is admitted to do business in all states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Nationwide is a member of the Nationwide group of companies. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company (the "Companies") are the ultimate controlling persons of the Nationwide group of companies. The Companies were organized under Ohio law in December 1925 and 1933 respectively. The Companies engage in a general insurance and reinsurance business, except life insurance.
Nationwide Investment Services Corporation
The contracts are distributed by the general distributor, Nationwide Investment Services Corporation ("NISC"), One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215. NISC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide.
Investing in the Contract
The Variable Account and Underlying Mutual Funds
Nationwide Variable Account-II is a variable account that invests in the underlying mutual funds listed in "Appendix A: Underlying Mutual Funds." Nationwide established the Variable Account on October 7, 1981 pursuant to Ohio law. Although the Variable Account is registered with the SEC as a unit investment trust pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"), the SEC does not supervise the management of Nationwide or the Variable Account.
Income, gains, and losses credited to, or charged against, the Variable Account reflect the Variable Account's own investment experience and not the investment experience of Nationwide's other assets. The Variable Account's assets are held separately from Nationwide's assets and are not chargeable with liabilities incurred in any other business of Nationwide. Nationwide is obligated to pay all amounts promised to Contract Owners under the contracts.
The Variable Account is divided into Sub-Accounts, each of which invests in shares of a single underlying mutual fund. Nationwide uses the assets of each Sub-Account to buy shares of the underlying mutual funds based on Contract Owner instructions.
Contract Owners receive underlying mutual fund prospectuses when they make their initial Sub-Account allocations and any time they change those allocations. Contract Owners can obtain prospectuses for underlying funds free of charge at any other time by contacting the Service Center. Contract Owners should read these prospectuses carefully before investing.
Underlying mutual funds in the Variable Account are NOT publicly traded mutual funds. They are only available as investment options in variable life insurance policies or variable annuity contracts issued by life insurance companies, or in some cases, through participation in certain qualified pension or retirement plans.
The investment advisors of the underlying mutual funds may manage publicly traded mutual funds with similar names and investment objectives. However, the underlying mutual funds are NOT directly related to any publicly traded mutual fund. Contract Owners should not compare the performance of a publicly traded fund with the performance of underlying mutual funds participating in the Variable Account. The performance of the underlying mutual funds could differ substantially from that of any publicly traded funds.
The particular underlying mutual funds available under the contract may change from time to time. Specifically, underlying mutual funds or underlying mutual fund share classes that are currently available may be removed or closed off to future investment. New underlying mutual funds or new share classes of currently available underlying mutual funds may be added. Contract Owners will receive notice of any such changes that affect their contract. Additionally, the Nationwide L.inc LC Option limits the list of the Sub-Accounts available in connection with that option.
In the future, additional underlying mutual funds managed by certain financial institutions, brokerage firms or their affiliates may be added to the Variable Account. These additional underlying mutual funds may be offered exclusively to purchasing customers of the particular financial institution or brokerage firm, or through other exclusive distribution arrangements.
Voting Rights
Contract Owners who have allocated assets to the underlying mutual funds are entitled to certain voting rights. Nationwide will vote Contract Owner shares at special shareholder meetings based on Contract Owner instructions. However, if the law changes and Nationwide is allowed to vote in its own right, it may elect to do so.
Contract Owners with voting interests in an underlying mutual fund will be notified of issues requiring the shareholders' vote as soon as possible before the shareholder meeting. Notification will contain proxy materials and a form with which to give Nationwide voting instructions. Nationwide will vote shares for which no instructions are received in the same proportion as those that are received. What this means to you is that when only a small number of Contract Owners vote, each vote has a greater impact on, and may control, the outcome.
The number of shares which a Contract Owner may vote is determined by dividing the cash value of the amount they have allocated to an underlying mutual fund by the Net Asset Value of that underlying mutual fund. Nationwide will designate a date for this determination not more than 90 days before the shareholder meeting.
Material Conflicts
The underlying mutual funds may be offered through separate accounts of other insurance companies, as well as through other separate accounts of Nationwide. Nationwide does not anticipate any disadvantages to this. However, it is possible that a conflict may arise between the interests of the Variable Account and one or more of the other separate accounts in which these underlying mutual funds participate.
Material conflicts may occur due to a change in law affecting the operations of variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts, or differences in the voting instructions of the Contract Owners and those of other companies. If a material conflict occurs, Nationwide will take whatever steps are necessary to protect Contract Owners and variable annuity payees, including withdrawal of the Variable Account from participation in the underlying mutual fund(s) involved in the conflict.
Substitution of Securities
Nationwide may substitute, eliminate, or combine shares of another underlying mutual fund for shares already purchased or to be purchased in the future if either of the following occurs:
(1)
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shares of a current underlying mutual fund are no longer available for investment; or
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(2)
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further investment in an underlying mutual fund is inappropriate.
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No substitution of shares may take place without the prior approval of the SEC. All affected Contract Owners will be notified in the event there is a substitution, elimination or combination of shares.
Deregistration of the Variable Account
Nationwide may deregister the Variable Account under the 1940 Act in the event the Variable Account meets an exemption from registration under the 1940 Act, if there are no shareholders in the separate account, or for any other purpose approved by the SEC.
No deregistration may take place without the prior approval of the SEC. All affected Contract Owners will be notified in the event Nationwide deregisters the Variable Account.
Contacting the Service Center
All inquiries, paperwork, information requests, service requests, and transaction requests should be made to the Service Center:
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by telephone at 1-800-848-6331 (TDD 1-800-238-3035)
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by mail to P.O. Box 182021, Columbus, Ohio 43218-2021
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by fax at 1-888-634-4472
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by Internet at www.nationwide.com.
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Nationwide reserves the right to restrict or remove the ability to submit service requests via Internet, phone, or fax upon written notice.
Not all methods of communication are available for all types of requests. To determine which methods are permitted for a particular request, refer to the specific transaction provision in this prospectus, or call the Service Center. Requests submitted by means other than described in this prospectus could be returned or delayed.
Service and transaction requests will generally be processed on the Valuation Date they are received at the Service Center as long as the request is in good order. Good order generally means that all necessary information to process the request is complete and in a form acceptable to Nationwide. If a request is not in good order, Nationwide will take reasonable actions to obtain the information necessary to process the request. Requests that are not in good order may be delayed or returned. Nationwide reserves the right to process any purchase payment or withdrawal request sent to a location other than the Service Center on the Valuation Date it is received at the Service Center.
Nationwide may be required to provide information about your contract to government regulators. If mandated under applicable law, Nationwide may be required to reject a purchase payment and to refuse to process transaction requests for transfers, withdrawals, loans, and/or death benefits until instructed otherwise by the appropriate regulator.
Nationwide will use reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions are genuine and will not be liable for following instructions that it reasonably determined to be genuine. Nationwide may record telephone requests. Telephone and computer systems may not always be available. Any telephone system or computer, whether yours or Nationwide's, can experience outages or slowdowns for a variety of reasons. The outages or slowdowns could prevent or delay processing. Although Nationwide has taken precautions to support heavy use, it is still possible to incur an outage or delay. To avoid technical difficulties, submit transaction requests by mail.
The Contract in General
In order to comply with the USA Patriot Act and rules promulgated thereunder, Nationwide has implemented procedures designed to prevent contracts described in this prospectus from being used to facilitate money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities.
Due to state law variations, the options and benefits described in this prospectus may vary or may not be available depending on the state in which the contract is issued. Possible state law variations include, but are not limited to, minimum initial and subsequent purchase payment amounts, age issuance limitations, availability of certain investment options, optional benefits, free look rights, annuity payment options, ownership and interests in the contract, assignment, and death benefit calculations. This prospectus describes all the material features of the contract. To review a copy of the contract and any endorsements, contact the Service Center.
If the contract described in this prospectus is purchased to replace another variable annuity, be aware that the mortality tables used to determine the amount of annuity payments may be less favorable than those in the contract being replaced.
Except in certain circumstances involving fraud and where permitted by state law, Nationwide will not contest the contract after it has been in force during the lifetime of the Annuitant for two years after the date of contract issuance or effective date of certain contract changes, as defined in the contract.
The annuity described in this prospectus is intended to provide benefits to a single individual and his/her beneficiaries. It is not intended to be used by institutional investors, in connection with other Nationwide contracts that have the same Annuitant, or in connection with other Nationwide contracts that have different Annuitants, but the same Contract Owner. If Nationwide determines that the risks it intended to assume in issuing the contract have been altered by misusing the contract as described above, Nationwide reserves the right to take any action it deems necessary to reduce or eliminate the altered risk. Nationwide also reserves the right to take any action it deems necessary to reduce or eliminate altered risk resulting from materially false, misleading, incomplete or otherwise deficient information provided by the Contract Owner.
These contracts are offered to customers of various financial institutions and brokerage firms. No financial institution or brokerage firm is responsible for any of the contractual insurance benefits and features guaranteed under the contracts. These guarantees are the sole responsibility of Nationwide.
In general, deferred variable annuities are long-term investments; they are not intended as short-term investments. Deferred variable annuities are not intended to be sold to a
terminally ill Contract Owner or Annuitant. Accordingly, Nationwide has designed the contract to offer features, pricing, and investment options that encourage long-term ownership. It is very important that Contract Owners and prospective Contract Owners understand all the costs associated with owning a contract, and if and how those costs change during the lifetime of the contract. Contract and optional charges may not be the same in later Contract Years as they are in early Contract Years. The various contract and optional benefit charges are assessed in order to compensate Nationwide for administrative services, distribution and operational expenses, and assumed actuarial risks associated with the contract.
Following is a discussion of some relevant factors that may be of particular interest to prospective investors.
Distribution, Promotional, and Sales Expenses
No commissions are payable on the sale of a contract described in this prospectus. However, Nationwide may pay the selling firms a marketing allowance, which is based on the firm's ability and demonstrated willingness to promote and market Nationwide's products. How any marketing allowance is spent is determined by the firm, but generally will be used to finance firm activities that may contribute to the promotion and marketing of Nationwide's products. For more information on the exact compensation arrangement associated with this contract, please consult your registered representative.
Underlying Mutual Fund Payments
Nationwide's Relationship with the Underlying Mutual Funds
The underlying mutual funds incur expenses each time they sell, administer, or redeem their shares. The Variable Account aggregates Contract Owner purchase, redemption, and transfer requests and submits net or aggregated purchase/redemption requests to each underlying mutual fund daily. The Variable Account (not the Contract Owners) is the underlying mutual fund shareholder. When the Variable Account aggregates transactions, the underlying mutual fund does not incur the expense of processing individual transactions it would normally incur if it sold its shares directly to the public. Nationwide incurs these expenses instead.
Nationwide also incurs the distribution costs of selling the contract (as discussed above), which benefit the underlying mutual funds by providing Contract Owners with Sub-Account options that correspond to the underlying mutual funds.
An investment advisor or subadvisor of an underlying mutual fund or its affiliates may provide Nationwide or its affiliates with wholesaling services that assist in the distribution of the contract and may pay Nationwide or its affiliates to participate in educational and/or marketing activities. These activities may provide the advisor or subadvisor (or their affiliates) with increased exposure to persons involved in the distribution of the contract.
Types of Payments Nationwide Receives
In light of the above, the underlying mutual funds and their affiliates make certain payments to Nationwide or its affiliates (the "payments"). The amount of these payments is typically based on a percentage of assets invested in the underlying mutual funds attributable to the contracts and other variable contracts Nationwide and its affiliates issue, but in some cases may involve a flat fee. These payments may be used by us for any corporate purpose, which include reducing the prices of the contracts, paying expenses that Nationwide or its affiliates incur in promoting, marketing, and administering the contracts and the underlying mutual funds, and achieving a profit.
Nationwide or its affiliates receive the following types of payments:
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Underlying mutual fund 12b-1 fees, which are deducted from underlying mutual fund assets;
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Sub-transfer agent fees or fees pursuant to administrative service plans adopted by the underlying mutual fund, which may be deducted from underlying mutual fund assets; and
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Payments by an underlying mutual fund's advisor or subadvisor (or its affiliates). Such payments may be derived, in whole or in part, from the advisory fee, which is deducted from underlying mutual fund assets and is reflected in mutual fund charges.
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Furthermore, Nationwide benefits from assets invested in Nationwide's affiliated underlying mutual funds (i.e., Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust) because its affiliates also receive compensation from the underlying mutual funds for investment advisory, administrative, transfer agency, distribution, and/or other services. Thus, Nationwide may receive more revenue with respect to affiliated underlying mutual funds than unaffiliated underlying mutual funds.
Nationwide took into consideration the anticipated payments from the underlying mutual funds when we determined the charges imposed under the contracts (apart from fees and expenses imposed by the underlying mutual funds). Without these payments, Nationwide would have imposed higher charges under the contract.
Amount of Payments Nationwide Receives
Most underlying mutual funds or their affiliates have agreed to make payments to Nationwide or its affiliates, although the applicable percentages may vary from underlying mutual fund to underlying mutual fund and some may not make any payments at all. Because the amount of the actual payments Nationwide and its affiliates receive depends on the assets of the underlying mutual funds attributable to the contract, Nationwide and its affiliates may receive higher payments from underlying mutual funds with lower percentages (but greater assets) than from underlying mutual funds that have higher percentages (but fewer assets).
Identification of Underlying Mutual Funds
Nationwide may consider several criteria when identifying the underlying mutual funds, including some or all of the following: investment objectives, investment process, investment performance, risk characteristics, investment capabilities, experience and resources, investment consistency, and fund expenses. Another factor Nationwide considers during the identification process is whether the underlying mutual fund's advisor or subadvisor is one of our affiliates or whether the underlying mutual fund, its advisor, its
subadvisor(s), or an affiliate will make payments to us or our affiliates.
There may be underlying mutual funds with lower fees, as well as other variable contracts that offer underlying mutual funds with lower fees. You should consider all of the fees and charges of the contract in relation to its features and benefits when making your decision to invest. Please note that higher contract and underlying mutual fund fees and charges have a direct effect on and may lower your investment performance.
Profitability
Nationwide does consider profitability when determining the charges in the contract. In early Contract Years, Nationwide does not anticipate earning a profit, since that is a time when administrative and distribution expenses are typically higher. Nationwide does, however, anticipate earning a profit in later Contract Years. In general, Nationwide's profit will be greater the higher the investment return and the longer the contract is held.
Contract Modification
Nationwide may modify the contract, but no modification will affect the amount or term of any contract unless a modification is required to conform the contract to applicable federal or state law. No modification will affect the method by which Contract Value is determined.
Standard Charges and Deductions
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge
Nationwide deducts a Mortality and Expense Risk Charge that is reflected in the daily unit value calculations. The charge is equal to an annualized rate of 0.20 % of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account. This fee compensates Nationwide for providing the insurance benefits under the contract, including the contract's standard death benefit. It also compensates Nationwide for assuming the risk that Annuitants will live longer than assumed. Finally, the Mortality and Expense Risk Charge compensates Nationwide for guaranteeing that charges will not increase regardless of actual expenses. Nationwide may realize a profit from this charge.
Administrative Charge
Nationwide deducts an Administrative Charge that is reflected in the daily unit value calculations. The charge is equal to an annualized rate of 0.20% of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account. This fee reimburses Nationwide for administrative costs it incurs resulting from providing contract benefits, including preparation of the contract and prospectus, confirmation statements, annual account statements and annual reports, legal and accounting fees, as well as various related expenses. Nationwide may realize a profit from this charge.
Nationwide will charge against the Contract Value any premium taxes levied by a state or other government entity. Premium tax rates currently range from 0% to 5%. This range is subject to change. Nationwide will assess premium taxes to the contract at the time Nationwide is assessed the premium taxes by the state. Premium tax requirements vary from state to state. Premium taxes may be deducted from death benefit proceeds.
Short-Term Trading Fees
Some underlying mutual funds may assess (or reserve the right to assess) a short-term trading fee in connection with transfers from a Sub-Account that occur within 60 days after the date of allocation to the Sub-Account.
Short-term trading fees are intended to compensate the underlying mutual fund (and Contract Owners with interests allocated in the underlying mutual fund) for the negative impact on fund performance that may result from frequent, short-term trading strategies. Short-term trading fees are not intended to affect the large majority of Contract Owners not engaged in such strategies.
Any short-term trading fee assessed by any underlying mutual fund available in conjunction with the contracts described in this prospectus will equal 1% of the amount determined to be engaged in short-term trading. Short-term trading fees will only apply to those Sub-Accounts corresponding to underlying mutual funds that charge such fees (see the underlying mutual fund prospectus). Any short-term trading fees paid are retained by the underlying mutual fund, not by Nationwide, and are part of the underlying mutual fund's assets. Contract Owners are responsible for monitoring the length of time allocations are held in any particular underlying mutual fund. Nationwide will not provide advance notice of the assessment of any applicable short-term trading fee.
To determine whether a particular underlying mutual fund assesses (or reserves the right to assess) a short-term trading fee, see "Appendix A: Underlying Mutual Funds."
If a short-term trading fee is assessed, the underlying mutual fund will charge the Variable Account 1% of the amount determined to be engaged in short-term trading. The Variable Account will then pass the short-term trading fee on to the specific Contract Owner that engaged in short-term trading by deducting an amount equal to the short-term trading fee from that Contract Owner's Sub-Account value. All such fees will be remitted to the underlying mutual fund; none of the fee proceeds will be retained by Nationwide or the Variable Account.
When multiple purchase payments (or exchanges) are made to a Sub-Account that is subject to short-term trading fees, transfers will be considered to be made on a first in/first out (FIFO) basis for purposes of determining short-term trading fees. In other words, units held the longest time will be treated as being transferred first, and units held for the shortest time will be treated as being transferred last.
Some transactions are not subject to the short-term trading fees. Transactions that are not subject to short-term trading fees include:
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scheduled and systematic transfers, such as Dollar Cost Averaging, Asset Rebalancing, and Systematic Withdrawals;
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withdrawals of Annuity Units to make annuity payments;
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withdrawals of Accumulation Units to pay a death benefit; or
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transfers made upon annuitization of the contract.
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New share classes of certain currently available underlying mutual funds may be added as investment options under the contracts. These new share classes may require the assessment of short-term trading or redemption fees. When these new share classes are added, new purchase payment allocations and exchange reallocations to the underlying mutual funds in question may be limited to the new share class.
Optional Contract Benefits, Charges, and Deductions
For an additional charge, the following optional benefits are available to applicants. Unless otherwise indicated:
(1)
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optional benefits must be elected at the time of application;
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(2)
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optional benefits, once elected, may not be terminated; and
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(3)
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the charges associated with the optional benefits will be assessed until annuitization.
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One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option
In lieu of the standard death benefit, applicants with Annuitants age 80 or younger at the time of application can elect the One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option for an additional charge equal to an annualized rate of 0.20% of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account. Nationwide may realize a profit from the charge assessed for this option.
If the Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, the death benefit will be the greatest of:
(1)
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the Contract Value as of the date that Nationwide receives all the information necessary to pay the death benefit;
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(2)
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the total of all purchase payments, less an adjustment for amounts withdrawn; or
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(3)
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the highest Contract Value on any Contract Anniversary prior to the Annuitant's 86 th birthday, less an adjustment for amounts subsequently withdrawn, plus purchase payments received after that Contract Anniversary.
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The adjustment for amounts withdrawn will reduce items (2) and (3) above in the same proportion that the Contract Value was reduced on the date(s) of the partial withdrawals.
Note: For Contract Owners who have elected this option, if the total of all purchase payments made to the contract is greater than $3,000,000, the death benefit will be adjusted as described in "Death Benefit Calculations."
The One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option also includes the Spousal Protection Feature, which allows a surviving spouse to continue the contract while receiving the economic benefit of the death benefit upon the death of the other spouse (see "Spousal Protection Feature").
Nationwide L.inc LC Option
After the Contract Owner reaches age 59½ (or if the Spousal Continuation Benefit is elected, both spouses reach age 59½) (the "Withdrawal Start Date"), the Nationwide L.inc LC Option provides for lifetime withdrawals, up to a certain amount each year, even after the Contract Value is $0, provided that the Contract Owner does not deplete the Current Income Benefit Base by taking early or excess withdrawals and does not make certain assignments or Contract Owner changes. Investment restrictions apply. The age of the person upon which the benefit depends (the "determining life") must be 85 or younger at the time of application. For most contracts, the determining life is that of the Contract Owner. For those contracts where the Contract Owner is a non-natural person, for purposes of this option, the determining life is that of the Annuitant, and all references in this option to "Contract Owner" shall mean Annuitant. If, in addition to the Annuitant, a Co-Annuitant or joint annuitant has been elected, the determining life will be that of the younger Annuitant. The determining life may not be changed.
Availability
The Nationwide L.inc LC Option is available under the contract at the time of application. The Nationwide L.inc LC Option is not available on beneficially owned contracts – those contracts that are inherited by a beneficiary and the beneficiary continues to hold the contract as a beneficiary (as opposed to treating the contract as his/her own) for tax purposes. However, contracts that are purchased in the normal course of business with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option may keep the Nationwide L.inc LC Option even after such contract becomes beneficially owned. However, once a contract becomes beneficially owned, the contract will not receive the benefit of the RMD privilege discussed later in this section.
Nationwide L.inc LC Option Charge
In exchange for this lifetime withdrawal benefit, Nationwide will assess an annual charge not to exceed 1.00 % of the Current Income Benefit Base. The current charge for the Nationwide L.inc LC Option is 0.80 % of the Current Income Benefit Base. The current charge associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option will not change, except, possibly, upon the Contract Owner's election to reset the benefit base, as discussed herein. If the current charge does change, it will not exceed the maximum charge of 1.00 % of the Current Income Benefit Base.
The charge will be assessed on each Contract Anniversary and will be deducted via redemption of Accumulation Units. A prorated charge will also be deducted upon full surrender of the contract. Accumulation Units will be redeemed proportionally from each Sub-Account in which the Contract Owner is invested at the time the charge is taken. Amounts redeemed as the Nationwide L.inc LC Option charge will not negatively impact calculations associated with other benefits elected or available under the contract.
Lifetime Income Option Investment Requirements
Election of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option requires that the Contract Owner, until annuitization, allocate the entire Contract Value to a limited set of investment options
currently available in the contract. For the list of investment options available under the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , see "Income Benefit Investment Options." Allocation requests to investment options other than those listed in the "Income Benefit Investment Options" section will not be honored; they will be treated as though no allocation request was submitted.
Dollar Cost Averaging programs for the Nationwide L.inc LC Option are not available.
Transfers Among Permitted Investment Options
The Contract Owner may reallocate the Contract Value among the limited set of investment options in accordance with the "Transfers Prior to Annuitization" provision. The Contract Owner may reallocate the Contract Value within the Custom Portfolio Asset Rebalancing Service in accordance with that provision. Additionally, Contract Owners may change from the Custom Portfolio Asset Rebalancing Service to the permitted investment options, and vice versa.
Subsequent Purchase Payments
Subsequent purchase payments are permitted under the Nationwide L.inc LC Option as long as the Contract Value is greater than $0. There may be instances where a subsequent purchase payment creates a financial risk that Nationwide is unwilling to bear. If this occurs, Nationwide may exercise its right to refuse subsequent purchase payments which total in aggregate $50,000 or more in any calendar year. The $50,000 threshold will take into consideration all contracts issued by Nationwide to a particular Contract Owner or using the same determining life. If Nationwide exercises this right to refuse a purchase payment, the entire purchase payment that causes the aggregate amount to exceed $50,000 will be immediately returned to the Contract Owner in the same form in which it was received. Generally, Nationwide may invoke this right in times of economic instability. Contract Owners may contact the Service Center to find out if Nationwide will accept a particular subsequent purchase payment.
Determination of the Income Benefit Base Prior to the First Lifetime Income Withdrawal
Upon contract issuance, the Original Income Benefit Base is equal to the Contract Value. Thereafter, Nationwide tracks, on a continuous basis, the Current Income Benefit Base which is used to calculate the benefit amount.
The Current Income Benefit Base for the Nationwide L.inc LC Option will equal the highest Contract Value on any Contract Anniversary (unless the Contract Owner cancels this automatic reset feature as described in "Reset Opportunities") adjusted by the following:
(1)
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Additional purchase payments submitted after that Contract Anniversary. Additional purchase payments will result in an immediate increase to the Current Income Benefit Base equal to the dollar amount of the additional purchase payment(s).
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(2)
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Early withdrawals, which are withdrawals taken from the contract prior to the Withdrawal Start Date. Early withdrawals will result in a decrease to the Current Income Benefit Base. The amount of that decrease will be the greater of (a) or (b), where:
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(a)
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= the dollar amount of the early withdrawal; and
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(b)
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= a figure representing the proportional amount of the early withdrawal. This amount is determined by the following formula:
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dollar amount
of the
early withdrawal
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X
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Current Income
Benefit Base
prior to the withdrawal
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Contract Value (reduced by the amount withdrawn)
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In situations where the Contract Value exceeds the existing Current Income Benefit Base, early withdrawals will typically result in a dollar amount reduction to the new Current Income Benefit Base. In situations where the Contract Value is less than the existing Current Income Benefit Base, early withdrawals will typically result in a proportional reduction to the new Current Income Benefit Base.
If at any time prior to the first lifetime income withdrawal the Contract Value equals $0, no additional purchase payments will be accepted and no further benefit base calculations will be made.
Lifetime Income Withdrawals
At any time after the Withdrawal Start Date , the Contract Owner may begin taking the lifetime income benefit by taking a withdrawal from the contract. The first withdrawal after the Withdrawal Start Date constitutes the first lifetime income withdrawal, even if such withdrawal is taken to meet minimum distribution requirements under the Internal Revenue Code. Nationwide will surrender Accumulation Units proportionally from the Sub-Accounts as of the date of the withdrawal request. As with any withdrawal, lifetime income withdrawals reduce the Contract Value and consequently, the amount available for annuitization.
At the time of the first lifetime income withdrawal, the Current Income Benefit Base is locked in and will not change unless the Contract Owner takes excess withdrawals, elects a reset opportunity (both discussed later in this provision), or submits additional purchase payments. Additional purchase payments submitted after the first lifetime income withdrawal will increase the Current Income Benefit Base by the amount of the purchase payment.
Simultaneously, the Lifetime Withdrawal Percentage is determined based on the age of the Contract Owner as indicated in the following table:
Contract Owner’s Age
(at time of first lifetime income withdrawal)
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Lifetime Withdrawal
Percentage
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59½ through 64
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4.00 %
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65 through 80
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4.50 %
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81 and older
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5.50 %
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A Contract Owner will receive the greatest Lifetime Withdrawal Percentage only if he or she does not take a lifetime income withdrawal from the contract prior to age 81. Note: The Internal Revenue Code requires that IRAs, SEP
IRAs, Simple IRAs, and Investment-Only Contracts begin distributions no later than April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Contract Owner reaches age 70½. Contract Owners subject to minimum required distribution rules may not be able to take advantage of the Lifetime Withdrawal Percentages available at higher age bands if distributions are taken from the contract to meet these Internal Revenue Code requirements. Contract Owners who elect not to take minimum required distributions from this contract, i.e., they take minimum required distributions from other sources, may be able to take advantage of Lifetime Withdrawal Percentages at the higher age bands. Consult a qualified tax advisor for more information.
At the time of the first lifetime income withdrawal and on each Contract Anniversary thereafter, the Lifetime Withdrawal Percentage is multiplied by the Current Income Benefit Base to determine the benefit amount for that year. The benefit amount is the maximum amount that can be withdrawn from the contract before the next Contract Anniversary without reducing the Current Income Benefit Base. The ability to withdraw the current benefit amount will continue until the earlier of the Contract Owner's death or annuitization.
The Contract Owner can elect to set up Systematic Withdrawals or can request each withdrawal separately. All lifetime income withdrawal requests must be made on a Nationwide form available by contacting the Service Center.
Each year's benefit amount is non-cumulative. A Contract Owner cannot take a previous year's benefit amount in a subsequent year without causing an excess withdrawal (see below) that will reduce the Current Income Benefit Base. Although withdrawals up to the benefit amount do not reduce the Current Income Benefit Base, they do reduce the Contract Value and the death benefit.
Impact of Withdrawals in Excess of the Withdrawal Percentage Limit
After the Withdrawal Start Date, t he Contract Owner is permitted to withdraw Contract Value in excess of that year's benefit amount provided that the Contract Value is greater than $0. Withdrawals in excess of the benefit amount will reduce the Current Income Benefit Base, and consequently, the benefit amount calculated for subsequent years. In the event of excess withdrawals, the Current Income Benefit Base will be reduced by the greater of:
(1)
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the dollar amount of the withdrawal in excess of the benefit amount; or
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(2)
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a figure representing the proportional amount of the withdrawal. This amount is determined by the following formula:
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dollar amount
of the
excess withdrawal
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X
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Current Income
Benefit Base
prior to the withdrawal
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Contract Value (reduced by the amount of the benefit amount withdrawn)
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In situations where the Contract Value exceeds the existing Current Income Benefit Base, excess withdrawals will typically result in a dollar amount reduction to the new Current Income Benefit Base. In situations where the Contract Value is less than the existing Current Income Benefit Base, excess withdrawals will typically result in a proportional reduction to the new Current Income Benefit Base.
Currently, Nationwide allows for an "RMD privilege" whereby Nationwide permits a Contract Owner to withdraw Contract Value in excess of the benefit amount without reducing the Current Income Benefit Base if such excess withdrawal is for the sole purpose of meeting Internal Revenue Code required minimum distributions for this contract. This RMD privilege does not apply to beneficially owned contracts. In order to qualify for the RMD privilege, the Contract Owner must:
(1)
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be at least 70½ years old as of the date of the request;
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(2)
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own the contract as an IRA, SEP IRA, Simple IRA, or Investment-Only Contract; and
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(3)
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submit a completed administrative form in advance of the withdrawal to the Service Center.
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Nationwide reserves the right to modify or eliminate the RMD privilege if there is any change to the Internal Revenue Code or IRS rules relating to required minimum distributions, including the issuance of relevant IRS guidance. If Nationwide exercises this right, Nationwide will provide notice to Contract Owners and any withdrawal in excess of the benefit amount will reduce the remaining Current Income Benefit Base.
Once the Contract Value falls to $0, the Contract Owner is no longer permitted to submit additional purchase payments or take withdrawals in excess of the benefit amount. Additionally, there is no Contract Value to annuitize, making the payment of the benefit associated with this option the only income stream producing benefit remaining in the contract.
Difference between Early Withdrawals and Excess Withdrawals
Early withdrawals and excess withdrawals vary in their impact on the Current Income Benefit Base.
Early withdrawals are taken before the Withdrawal Start Date and the entire amount of the early withdrawal is considered when calculating the reduction to the Current Income Benefit Base.
Excess withdrawals are taken after the Withdrawal Start Date, when the Contract Owner takes withdrawals in excess of the benefit amount, and only the amount in excess of the benefit amount is considered when calculating the reduction to the Current Income Benefit Base.
This means that early withdrawals will have a greater overall negative impact on the Current Income Benefit Base than excess withdrawals, because early withdrawals will impact the Current Income Benefit Base in their entirety, where excess withdrawals will only impact the Current Income Benefit Base by the amount of the withdrawal that was in excess of the benefit amount.
Reset Opportunities
Nationwide offers an automatic reset of the income benefit base. If, on any Contract Anniversary, the Contract Value exceeds the Current Income Benefit Base, Nationwide will automatically reset the Current Income Benefit Base to equal that Contract Value. This higher amount will be the new Current Income Benefit Base. This automatic reset will continue until either the current price or the list of permitted investment options associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option changes.
In the event the current price or the list of permitted investment options of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option changes, the reset opportunities still exist, but are no longer automatic. An election to reset the Current Income Benefit Base must be made by the Contract Owner to Nationwide. On or about each Contract Anniversary, Nationwide will provide the Contract Owner with information necessary to make this determination. Specifically, Nationwide will provide: the Contract Value; the Current Income Benefit Base; the current terms and conditions associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option ; and instructions on how to communicate an election to reset the benefit base.
If the Contract Owner elects to reset the Current Income Benefit Base, it will be at the then current terms and conditions of the option as described in the most current prospectus. If Nationwide does not receive a Contract Owner's election to reset the Current Income Benefit Base within 60 days after the Contract Anniversary, Nationwide will assume that the Contract Owner does not wish to reset the Current Income Benefit Base. If the Current Income Benefit Base is not reset, it will remain the same and the terms and conditions of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option will not change (as applicable to that particular contract).
Contract Owners may cancel the automatic reset feature of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option by notifying Nationwide as to such election.
Settlement Options
If, after beginning the lifetime income withdrawals, a Contract Owner's Contract Value falls to $0 and there is still a positive Current Income Benefit Base, Nationwide will provide the Contract Owner with settlement options. Specifically, Nationwide will provide a notification to the Contract Owner describing the following three options, along with instructions on how to submit the election to Nationwide:
(1)
|
The Contract Owner can continue to take annual withdrawals of no more than the annual benefit amount until the death of the Contract Owner;
|
(2)
|
The Contract Owner can elect the Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option, as described below; or
|
(3)
|
If the Contract Owner qualifies after a medical examination, the Contract Owner can elect the Underwritten Lump Sum Settlement Option, as described below.
|
The options above each result in a different amount ultimately received under the Nationwide L.inc LC Option . The Underwritten Lump Sum Settlement Option will generally pay a larger amount than the Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option when a Contract Owner is healthier than the normal population. Regardless of age or health, the Underwritten Lump Sum Settlement Option amount will never be less than the Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option amount. Election of the Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option enables the Contract Owner to receive payment without a medical exam, which could potentially delay payment. Before selecting a settlement option, consult with a qualified financial advisor to determine which option is best for you based on your individual financial situation and needs.
The Contract Owner will have 60 days from the date of Nationwide's notification letter to make an election. Once the Contract Owner makes an election, the election is irrevocable. If the Contract Owner does not make an election within the 60 days of the date of the notification letter, Nationwide will assume that the Contract Owner intends to continue to take withdrawals of the annual benefit amount. If the Contract Owner had requested Systematic Withdrawals of the annual benefit amount prior to the notice, those Systematic Withdrawals will continue. If the Contract Owner had not requested Systematic Withdrawals prior to the notice, the Contract Owner may request Systematic Withdrawals by contacting the Service Center. It is the Contract Owner's responsibility to establish Systematic Withdrawals or otherwise request the annual benefit amount. Benefit amounts not withdrawn in a given year are forfeited.
Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option. Under the Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option, in lieu of taking withdrawals of the annual benefit amount, Nationwide will pay the Contract Owner a lump sum equal to the Contract Owner's most recently calculated annual benefit amount multiplied by the Annual Benefit Multiplier listed below:
Contract Owner's Age
(as of the date the Age Based Lump Sum Option is elected)
|
Annual Benefit Multiplier
|
Up to Age 70
|
5.5
|
71-75
|
4.5
|
76-80
|
3.5
|
81-85
|
2.5
|
86-90
|
2.0
|
91-95
|
1.5
|
96+
|
1.0
|
For contracts that have elected the Spousal Continuation Benefit, if both spouses are living on the date the Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option is elected, Nationwide will use the age of the younger spouse minus three years to determine the Annual Benefit Multiplier. If only one spouse is living on the date the Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option is elected, Nationwide will use the age of the living spouse to determine the Annual Benefit Multiplier.
Underwritten Lump Sum Settlement Option. Under the Underwritten Lump Sum Settlement Option, in lieu of taking withdrawals of the annual benefit amount, for those who qualify based on a medical exam, Nationwide will pay the Contract Owner a lump sum based upon the attained age, sex,
and health of the Contract Owner (and spouse if the Spousal Continuation Benefit is elected). Once Nationwide receives the Contract Owner's election to take the Underwritten Lump Sum Settlement Option, Nationwide will provide the Contract Owner with a medical examination form, which must be completed by a certified physician chosen by the Contract Owner and returned to the Service Center within 30 days. Upon completion of underwriting by Nationwide, the lump sum settlement amount (determined as of the date that Nationwide received all of the necessary information) is issued to the Contract Owner. If Nationwide does not receive the completed form within the 30-day period, Nationwide will pay the Contract Owner the amount that would be payable under the Age Based Lump Sum Settlement Option.
Annuitization
If the Contract Owner elects to annuitize the contract, this option will terminate. Specifically, the charge associated with the option will no longer be assessed and all benefits associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option will terminate.
Death of Determining Life
For contracts with no Spousal Continuation Benefit, upon the death of the determining life, the benefits associated with the option terminate. If the Contract Owner is also the Annuitant, the death benefit will be paid in accordance with the "Death Benefits" provision. If the Contract Owner is not the Annuitant, the Contract Value will be distributed in accordance with the "Required Distributions" section of "Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information."
For contracts with the Spousal Continuation Benefit, upon the death of the determining life, the surviving spouse continues to receive the same benefit associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option which had been received by the deceased spouse, for the remainder of the survivor's lifetime. The Contract Value will reflect the death benefit and Spousal Protection Feature.
Tax Treatment
Although the tax treatment for withdrawals under withdrawal benefits such as the Nationwide L.inc LC Option is not clear, Nationwide will treat a portion of each withdrawal as a taxable distribution, as follows:
First, we determine which is greater: (1) the Contract Value immediately before the withdrawal; or (2) the guaranteed benefit amount immediately before the withdrawal. That amount (the greater of (1) or (2)) minus any remaining investment in the contract at the time of the withdrawal will be reported as a taxable distribution.
For any withdrawal taken when the Contract Value is less than or equal to the total investment in the contract, Nationwide treats the withdrawal as a tax-free return of investment until the entire investment in the contract has been received tax-free. Once the entire investment in the contract has been received tax-free, withdrawals will be reported as taxable distributions. Consult a qualified tax adviser.
Automatic Termination of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option
Early or excess withdrawals that reduce the Current Income Benefit Base to $0 will automatically terminate the Nationwide L.inc LC Option . If this option terminates, then Nationwide will no longer assess the fee associated with this option.
In addition, where permitted under state law, the Nationwide L.inc LC Option will automatically terminate if the Contract Owner is changed or if the contract is assigned (including a collateral assignment), except as follows:
(1)
|
The new Contract Owner or assignee assumes full ownership of the contract and is essentially the same person (e.g., individual ownership is changed to ownership by a personal revocable trust, a change to the Contract Owner's spouse during the Contract Owner's lifetime, a change to a court appointed guardian representing the Contract Owner during the Contract Owner's lifetime, etc.);
|
(2)
|
Ownership of a contract issued as an IRA or Roth IRA is being changed from one custodian to another, from the determining life to a custodian, or from a custodian to the determining life;
|
(3)
|
The assignment is for the purpose of effectuating an exchange pursuant to Section 1035 under the Internal Revenue Code; or
|
(4)
|
The change is merely the removal of a Contract Owner where the contract is jointly owned.
|
Contract Owners contemplating changes to the ownership of their contract, including assignments, should contact their registered representative to determine how the changes impact the benefit associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option .
Spousal Continuation Benefit
At the time the Nationwide L.inc LC Option is elected (at time of application), the Contract Owner may elect the Spousal Continuation Benefit (not available for contracts issued as Charitable Remainder Trusts). The Spousal Continuation Benefit allows a surviving spouse to continue to receive, for the duration of his/her lifetime, the benefit associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , provided certain conditions are met. Once the Spousal Continuation Benefit is elected, it may not be removed from the contract, except as provided in the "Marriage Termination" section.
The charge for the Spousal Continuation Benefit will not exceed 0.40% of the Current Income Benefit Base. Currently, the charge for the Spousal Continuation Benefit is 0.25% of the Current Income Benefit Base .
If the Contract Owner elects the Spousal Continuation Benefit, t he Lifetime Withdrawal Percentage will be based on the age of the younger spouse as of the date of the first lifetime income withdrawal from the contract.
To be eligible for the Spousal Continuation Benefit, the following conditions must be met:
(1)
|
Both spouses must be age 85 or younger at the time of application;
|
(2)
|
Both spouses must be at least age 59½ before either spouse is eligible to begin withdrawals.
|
(3)
|
If the Contract Owner is a non-natural person, both spouses must be named as Co-Annuitants;
|
(4)
|
One or both spouses (or a revocable trust of which either or both of the spouses is/are grantor(s)) must be named as the Contract Owner. For contracts issued as IRAs and Roth IRAs, only the person for whom the IRA or Roth IRA was established may be named as the Contract Owner;
|
(5)
|
Both spouses must be named as primary beneficiaries;
|
(6)
|
No person other than the spouse may be named as Contract Owner, Annuitant, or primary beneficiary; and
|
(7)
|
If both spouses are alive upon annuitization, the Contract Owner must specify which spouse is the Annuitant upon whose continuation of life any annuity payments involving life contingencies depend (for IRA and Roth IRA contracts, this person must be the Contract Owner).
|
Note: The Spousal Continuation Benefit is distinct from the Spousal Protection Feature associated with the death benefits. The Spousal Continuation Benefit allows a surviving spouse to continue receiving the lifetime income payments associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option . In contrast, the Spousal Protection Feature is a death benefit bump-up feature associated with the death benefits.
Marriage Termination
If, prior to taking the first lifetime income withdrawal , the marriage terminates due to divorce, dissolution, or annulment, the Contract Owner may remove the Spousal Continuation Benefit from the contract. Nationwide will remove the benefit and the associated charge after the Contract Owner submits to the Service Center a written request and evidence of the marriage termination satisfactory to Nationwide. Once the Spousal Continuation Benefit is removed from the contract, the benefit may not be re-elected or added to cover a subsequent spouse.
If, after taking the first lifetime income withdrawal , the marriage terminates due to divorce, dissolution, or annulment, the Contract Owner may not remove the Spousal Continuation Benefit from the contract.
Risks Associated with Electing the Spousal Continuation Benefit
There are situations where a Contract Owner who elects the Spousal Continuation Benefit will not receive the benefits associated with the option. This will occur if:
(1)
|
the Contract Owner's spouse (Co-Annuitant) dies before him/her;
|
(2)
|
the contract is annuitized; or
|
(3)
|
after the first lifetime income withdrawal, the marriage terminates due to divorce, dissolution, or annulment.
|
Additionally, in the situations described in (1) and (3) above, not only will the Contract Owner not receive the benefit associated with the Spousal Continuation Benefit, but he/she must continue to pay any applicable charge until annuitization.
Income Benefit Investment Options
The following investment options are the only investment options available for contracts that have elected the Nationwide L.inc LC Option :
Custom Portfolio Asset Rebalancing Service (see "Contract Owner Services")
·
|
Moderately Conservative
|
Ivy Funds Variable Insurance Portfolios, Inc.
·
|
Pathfinder Conservative
|
·
|
Pathfinder Moderately Aggressive
|
·
|
Pathfinder Moderately Conservative
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust
·
|
American Funds NVIT Asset Allocation Fund: Class II
|
·
|
NVIT CardinalSM Balanced Fund: Class II
|
·
|
NVIT CardinalSM Capital Appreciation Fund: Class II
|
·
|
NVIT Cardinal SM Moderate Fund: Class II
|
·
|
NVIT CardinalSM Moderately Conservative Fund: Class II
|
·
|
NVIT Investor Destinations Balanced Fund: Class II
|
·
|
NVIT Investor Destinations Capital Appreciation Fund: Class II
|
·
|
NVIT Investor Destinations Moderate Fund: Class II
|
·
|
NVIT Investor Destinations Moderately Conservative Fund: Class II
|
Static Asset Allocation Model (see "Static Asset Allocation Model")
·
|
American Funds Option (33% NVIT - American Funds NVIT Asset Allocation Fund, 33% NVIT - American Funds NVIT Bond Fund and 34% NVIT - American Funds NVIT Growth-Income Fund)
|
Note: Some of the investment options listed above are funds of funds. Refer to "Appendix A: Underlying Mutual Funds" for more information.
Ownership and Interests in the Contract
Contract Owner
Prior to the Annuitization Date, the Contract Owner has all rights under the contract, unless a joint owner is named. If a joint owner is named, each joint owner has all rights under the contract. Purchasers who name someone other than themselves as the Contract Owner will have no rights under the contract.
On the Annuitization Date, the Annuitant becomes the Contract Owner, unless the Contract Owner is a Charitable Remainder Trust. If the Contract Owner is a Charitable Remainder Trust, the Charitable Remainder Trust continues to be the Contract Owner after annuitization.
Contract Owners of Non-Qualified Contracts may name a new Contract Owner at any time before the Annuitization Date. Any change of Contract Owner automatically revokes any prior Contract Owner designation. Ownership changes could have a negative impact on certain benefits under the contract (see " Nationwide L.inc LC Option " and "Death Benefits"). Changes in contract ownership may result in federal income taxation and may be subject to state and federal gift taxes.
Joint owners each own an undivided interest in the contract.
Non-Qualified Contract Owners can name a joint owner at any time before annuitization. However, joint owners must be spouses at the time joint ownership is requested, unless state law requires Nationwide to allow non-spousal joint owners.
Generally, the exercise of any ownership rights under the contract must be in writing and signed by both joint owners. However, if a written election, signed by both Contract Owners, authorizing Nationwide to allow the exercise of ownership rights independently by either joint owner is submitted, Nationwide will permit joint owners to act independently. If such an authorization is submitted, Nationwide will not be liable for any loss, liability, cost, or expense for acting in accordance with the instructions of either joint owner.
If either joint owner dies before the Annuitization Date, the contract continues with the surviving joint owner as the remaining Contract Owner.
Contingent Owner
The contingent owner succeeds to the rights of a Contract Owner if a Contract Owner who is not the Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, and there is no surviving joint owner.
If a Contract Owner who is the Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, the contingent owner will not have any rights under the contract, unless such contingent owner is also the beneficiary.
The Contract Owner may name a contingent owner at any time before the Annuitization Date.
The Annuitant is the person who will receive annuity payments and upon whose continuation of life any annuity payment involving life contingencies depends. This person must be age 85 or younger at the time of contract issuance, unless Nationwide approves a request for an Annuitant of greater age.
Only Non-Qualified Contract Owners may name someone other than himself/herself as the Annuitant.
The Contract Owner may not name a new Annuitant without Nationwide's consent.
Contingent Annuitant
If the Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, the contingent annuitant becomes the Annuitant. The contingent annuitant must be age 85 or younger at the time of contract issuance, unless Nationwide approves a request for a contingent annuitant of greater age.
If a contingent annuitant is named, all provisions of the contract that are based on the Annuitant's death prior to the Annuitization Date will be based on the death of the last survivor of the Annuitant and contingent annuitant.
Co-Annuitant
A Co-Annuitant, if named, must be the Annuitant's spouse. The Co-Annuitant must be named at the time of application and will receive the benefit of the Spousal Protection Feature, provided all of the requirements set forth in the "Spousal Protection Feature" section are met.
If either Co-Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, the surviving Co-Annuitant may continue the contract and will receive the benefit of the Spousal Protection Feature.
Joint Annuitant
The joint annuitant is designated as a second person (in addition to the Annuitant) upon whose continuation of life any annuity payment involving life contingencies depends. The joint annuitant is named at the time of annuitization.
Beneficiary and Contingent Beneficiary
The beneficiary is the person who is entitled to the death benefit if the Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date and there is no joint owner. The Contract Owner can name more than one beneficiary. Multiple beneficiaries will share the death benefit equally, unless otherwise specified.
A contingent beneficiary will succeed to the rights of the beneficiary if no beneficiary is alive when a death benefit is paid. The Contract Owner can name more than one contingent beneficiary. Multiple contingent beneficiaries will share the death benefit equally, unless otherwise specified.
Changes to the Parties to the Contract
Prior to the Annuitization Date (and subject to any existing assignments), the Contract Owner may request to change the following:
·
|
Contract Owner (Non-Qualified Contracts only);
|
·
|
joint owner (must be the Contract Owner's spouse);
|
·
|
Annuitant (subject to Nationwide's underwriting and approval);
|
·
|
contingent annuitant (subject to Nationwide's underwriting and approval);
|
·
|
Co-Annuitant (must be the Annuitant's spouse);
|
·
|
contingent beneficiary.
|
The Contract Owner must submit the request to Nationwide in writing and Nationwide must receive the request at the Service Center before the Annuitization Date. Once Nationwide receives and records the change request, the change will be effective as of the date the written request was signed (unless
otherwise specified by the Contract Owner), whether or not the Contract Owner or Annuitant is living at the time it was recorded. The change will not affect any action taken by Nationwide before the change was recorded.
In addition to the above requirements, any request to change the Contract Owner must be signed by the existing Contract Owner and the person designated as the new Contract Owner. Nationwide may require a signature guarantee.
If the Contract Owner is not a natural person and there is a change of the Annuitant, distributions will be made as if the Contract Owner died at the time of the change, regardless of whether the Contract Owner named a contingent annuitant.
Nationwide reserves the right to reject any change request that would alter the nature of the risk that Nationwide assumed when it originally issued the contract.
Operation of the Contract
Pricing
Generally, Nationwide prices Accumulation Units of the Sub-Accounts on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. (Pricing is the calculation of a new Accumulation Unit value that reflects that day's investment experience.)
Accumulation Units are not priced when the New York Stock Exchange is closed or on the following nationally recognized holidays:
· New Year's Day
|
· Independence Day
|
· Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
|
· Labor Day
|
· Presidents' Day
|
· Thanksgiving
|
· Good Friday
|
· Christmas
|
· Memorial Day
|
|
Nationwide also will not price purchase payments, withdrawals or transfers if:
(1)
|
trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted;
|
(2)
|
an emergency exists making disposal or valuation of securities held in the Variable Account impracticable; or
|
(3)
|
the SEC, by order, permits a suspension or postponement for the protection of security holders.
|
Rules and regulations of the SEC will govern as to when the conditions described in (2) and (3) exist. If Nationwide is closed on days when the New York Stock Exchange is open, Contract Value may change and Contract Owners will not have access to their accounts.
Application and Allocation of Purchase Payments
Initial Purchase Payments
Initial purchase payments will be priced at the Accumulation Unit value next determined no later than two business days after receipt of an order to purchase if the application and all necessary information are complete and are received at the Service Center before the close of the New York Stock Exchange, which generally occurs at 4:00 pm EST. If the order is received after the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the initial purchase payment will be priced within two business days after the next Valuation Date.
If an incomplete application is not completed within five business days after receipt at the Service Center, the prospective purchaser will be informed of the reason for the delay. The purchase payment will be returned unless the prospective purchaser specifically consents to allow Nationwide to hold the purchase payment until the application is completed.
Generally, initial purchase payments are allocated according to Contract Owner instructions on the application. However, in some states, Nationwide will allocate initial purchase payments to the money market Sub-Account during the free look period. After the free look period, Nationwide will reallocate the Contract Value among the investment options based on the instructions contained on the application. In other states, Nationwide will immediately allocate initial purchase payments to the investment options based on the instructions contained on the application.
Subsequent Purchase Payments
Any subsequent purchase payment received at the Service Center (along with all necessary information) before the close of the New York Stock Exchange on any Valuation Date will be priced at the Accumulation Unit value next determined after receipt of the purchase payment. If a subsequent purchase payment is received at the Service Center (along with all necessary information) after the close of the New York Stock Exchange, it will be priced at the Accumulation Unit value determined on the following Valuation Date.
Allocation of Purchase Payments
Nationwide allocates purchase payments to Sub-Accounts as instructed by the Contract Owner. Shares of the underlying mutual funds allocated to the Sub-Accounts are purchased at Net Asset Value, then converted into Accumulation Units.
Contract Owners can change allocations or make exchanges among the Sub-Accounts after the time of application by submitting a written request to the Service Center. However, no change may be made that would result in an amount less than 1% of the purchase payments being allocated to any Sub-Account. In the event that Nationwide receives such a request, Nationwide will inform the Contract Owner that the allocation instructions are invalid and that the contract's allocations among the Sub-Accounts prior to the request will remain in effect. Certain transactions may be subject to conditions imposed by the underlying mutual funds.
Determining the Contract Value
The Contract Value is the sum of the value of amounts allocated to the Sub-Accounts of the Variable Account.
If charges are assessed against the whole Contract Value, Nationwide will deduct a proportionate amount from each Sub-Account based on current cash values.
Determining Variable Account Value – Valuing an Accumulation Unit
Sub-Account alloctions are accounted for in Accumulation Units. Accumulation Unit values (for each Sub-Account) are determined by calculating the Net Investment Factor for the underlying mutual funds for the current Valuation Period and
multiplying that result with the Accumulation Unit values determined on the previous Valuation Period. For each Sub-Account, the Net Investment Factor is the investment performance of the underlying mutual fund in which a particular Sub-Account invests, including the charges assessed against that Sub-Account for a Valuation Period.
Nationwide uses the Net Investment Factor as a way to calculate the investment performance of a Sub-Account from Valuation Period to Valuation Period.
The Net Investment Factor for any particular Sub-Account before the Annuitization Date is determined by dividing (a) by (b), and then subtracting (c) from the result, where:
(1)
|
the Net Asset Value of the underlying mutual fund as of the end of the current Valuation Period; and
|
(2)
|
the per share amount of any dividend or income distributions made by the underlying mutual fund (if the date of the dividend or income distribution occurs during the current Valuation Period).
|
(b)
|
is the Net Asset Value of the underlying mutual fund determined as of the end of the preceding Valuation Period.
|
(c)
|
is a factor representing the daily total Variable Account charges, which may include charges for optional benefits elected by the Contract Owner. The factor is equal to an annualized rate ranging from 0.40 % to 0.60 % of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account, depending on which optional benefits the Contract Owner elects.
|
Note: The range shown above reflects only those Variable Account charges that are assessed daily as part of the daily Accumulation Unit calculation. It does not reflect the cost of other optional benefits that assess charges via the redemption of Accumulation Units (e.g., the Nationwide L.inc LC Option and the Spousal Continuation Benefit).
Based on the change in the Net Investment Factor, the value of an Accumulation Unit may increase or decrease. Changes in the Net Investment Factor may not be directly proportional to changes in the Net Asset Value of the underlying mutual fund shares because of the deduction of Variable Account charges.
Though the number of Accumulation Units will not change as a result of investment experience, the value of an Accumulation Unit may increase or decrease from Valuation Period to Valuation Period.
Transfer Requests
Contract Owners may submit transfer requests in writing, over the telephone, or via the internet to the Service Center. Nationwide may restrict or withdraw the telephone and/or internet transfer privilege at any time.
Generally, Sub-Account transfers will receive the Accumulation Unit value next computed after the transfer request is received at the Service Center. However, if a contract that is limited to submitting transfer requests via U.S. mail submits a transfer request via the internet or telephone pursuant to Nationwide's one -day delay policy, the transfer will be executed on the next Valuation Date after the exchange request is received at the Service Center (see "Managers of Multiple Contracts").
Transfer Restrictions
Neither the contracts described in this prospectus nor the underlying mutual funds are designed to support active trading strategies that require frequent movement between or among Sub-Accounts (sometimes referred to as "market-timing" or "short-term trading"). A Contract Owner who intends to use an active trading strategy should consult his/her registered representative and request information on other Nationwide variable annuity contracts that offer underlying mutual funds that are designed specifically to support active trading strategies.
Nationwide discourages (and will take action to deter) short-term trading in this contract because the frequent movement between or among Sub-Accounts may negatively impact other investors in the contract. Short-term trading can result in:
·
|
the dilution of the value of the investors' interests in the underlying mutual fund;
|
·
|
underlying mutual fund managers taking actions that negatively impact performance (keeping a larger portion of the underlying mutual fund assets in cash or liquidating investments prematurely in order to support redemption requests); and/or
|
·
|
increased administrative costs due to frequent purchases and redemptions.
|
To protect investors in this contract from the negative impact of these practices, Nationwide has implemented, or reserves the right to implement, several processes and/or restrictions aimed at eliminating the negative impact of active trading strategies. Nationwide makes no assurances that all risks associated with short-term trading will be completely eliminated by these processes and/or restrictions.
Nationwide cannot guarantee that its attempts to deter active trading strategies will be successful. If we are unable to deter active trading strategies, the performance of the Sub-Accounts that are actively traded may be adversely impacted.
Redemption Fees
Some underlying mutual funds assess a short-term trading fee in connection with transfers from a Sub-Account that occur within 60 days after the date of the allocation to the Sub-Account. The fee is assessed against the amount transferred and is paid to the underlying mutual fund. Redemption fees compensate the underlying mutual fund for any negative impact on fund performance resulting from short-term trading (see "Short-Term Trading Fees").
U.S. Mail Restrictions
Nationwide monitors transfer activity in order to identify those who may be engaged in harmful trading practices. Transaction reports are produced and examined. Generally, a contract may appear on these reports if the Contract Owner (or a third party acting on their behalf) engages in a certain number of "transfer events" in a given period. A "transfer event" is any transfer, or combination of transfers, occurring
on a given trading day (Valuation Period). For example, if a Contract Owner executes multiple transfers involving 10 underlying mutual funds in one day, this counts as one transfer event. A single transfer occurring on a given trading day and involving only two underlying mutual funds will also count as one transfer event.
As a result of this monitoring process, Nationwide may restrict the method of communication by which transfer orders will be accepted. In general, Nationwide will adhere to the following guidelines:
Trading Behavior
|
Nationwide's Response
|
Six or more transfer events in one calendar quarter
|
Nationwide will mail a letter to the Contract Owner notifying them that:
(1) they have been identified as engaging in harmful trading practices; and
(2) if their transfer events exceed 11 in two consecutive calendar quarters or 20 in one calendar year, the Contract Owner will be limited to submitting transfer requests via U.S. mail on a Nationwide issued form.
|
More than 11 transfer events in two consecutive calendar quarters
OR
More than 20 transfer events in one calendar year
|
Nationwide will automatically limit the Contract Owner to submitting transfer requests via U.S. mail on a Nationwide issued form.
|
For purposes of Nationwide's transfer policy, U.S. mail includes standard U.S. mail, overnight U.S. mail, and overnight delivery via private carrier.
Each January 1st, Nationwide will start the monitoring anew, so that each contract starts with 0 zero transfer events each January 1. See, however, the "Other Restrictions" provision.
Managers of Multiple Contracts
Some investment advisors/representatives manage the assets of multiple Nationwide contracts pursuant to trading authority granted or conveyed by multiple Contract Owners. These multi-contract advisors will generally be required by Nationwide to submit all transfer requests via U.S. mail.
Nationwide may, as an administrative practice, implement a " one -day delay" program for these multi-contract advisors, which they can use in addition to or in lieu of submitting transfer requests via U.S. mail. The one -day delay option permits multi-contract advisors to continue to submit transfer requests via the internet or telephone. However, transfer requests submitted by multi-contract advisors via the internet or telephone will not receive the next available Accumulation Unit value. Rather, they will receive the Accumulation Unit value that is calculated on the following Valuation Date.
Transfer requests submitted under the one -day delay program are irrevocable. Multi-contract advisors will receive advance notice of being subject to the one -day delay program.
Other Restrictions
Contract Owners that are required to submit transfer requests via U.S. mail will be required to use a Nationwide issued form for their transfer request. Nationwide will refuse transfer requests that either do not use the Nationwide issued form for their transfer request or fail to provide accurate and complete information on their transfer request form. In the event that a Contract Owner's transfer request is refused by Nationwide, they will receive notice in writing by U.S. mail and will be required to resubmit their transfer request on a Nationwide issued form.
Nationwide reserves the right to refuse or limit transfer requests, or take any other action it deems necessary in order to protect Contract Owners, Annuitants, and beneficiaries from the negative investment results that may result from short-term trading or other harmful investment practices employed by some Contract Owners (or third parties acting on their behalf). In particular, trading strategies designed to avoid or take advantage of Nationwide's monitoring procedures (and other measures aimed at curbing harmful trading practices) that are nevertheless determined by Nationwide to constitute harmful trading practices, may be restricted.
Any restrictions that Nationwide implements will be applied consistently and uniformly.
Underlying Mutual Fund Restrictions and Prohibitions
Pursuant to regulations adopted by the SEC, Nationwide is required to enter into written agreements with the underlying mutual funds which allow the underlying mutual funds to:
(1)
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request the taxpayer identification number, international taxpayer identification number, or other government issued identifier of any Nationwide Contract Owner;
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(2)
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request the amounts and dates of any purchase, redemption, transfer or exchange request ("transaction information"); and
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(3)
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instruct Nationwide to restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges by Contract Owners that violate policies established by the underlying mutual fund (whose policies may be more restrictive than Nationwide's policies).
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Nationwide is required to provide such transaction information to the underlying mutual funds upon their request. In addition, Nationwide is required to restrict or prohibit further purchases or requests to exchange into an underlying mutual fund upon instruction from the underlying mutual fund. Nationwide and any affected Contract Owner may not have advance notice of such instructions from an underlying mutual fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases or requests to exchange into an underlying mutual fund. If an underlying mutual fund refuses to accept a purchase or request to exchange into the underlying mutual fund submitted by Nationwide, Nationwide will keep any affected Contract Owner in their current underlying mutual fund allocation.
Transfers Prior to Annuitization
A Contract Owner may request to transfer allocations among the Sub-Accounts at any time, subject to terms and conditions imposed by this prospectus and the underlying mutual funds.
Transfers After Annuitization
After annuitization, the portion of the Contract Value allocated to fixed annuity payments and the portion of the Contract Value allocated to variable annuity payments may not be changed.
After annuitization, transfers among Sub-Accounts may only be made once per calendar year.
Right to Examine and Cancel
If the Contract Owner elects to cancel the contract, he/she may return it to the Service Center within a certain period of time known as the "free look" period. Depending on the state in which the contract was purchased (and, in some states, if the contract is purchased as a replacement for another annuity contract), the free look period may be 10 days or longer. For ease of administration, Nationwide will honor any free look cancellation that is received at the Service Center or postmarked within 30 days after the contract issue date. The contract issue date is the date the initial purchase payment is applied to the contract.
Where state law requires the return of purchase payments for free look cancellations, Nationwide will return all purchase payments applied to the contract, less any withdrawals from the contract and any applicable federal and state income tax withholding.
Where state law requires the return of Contract Value for free look cancellations, Nationwide will return the Contract Value as of the date of the cancellation, less any withdrawals from the contract and any applicable federal and state income tax withholding.
Liability of the Variable Account under this provision is limited to the Contract Value in each Sub-Account on the date of revocation. Any additional amounts refunded to the Contract Owner will be paid by Nationwide.
Allocation of Purchase Payments during Free Look Period
Where state law requires the return of purchase payments for free look cancellations, Nationwide reserves the right to allocate initial purchase payments allocated to Sub-Accounts to the money market Sub-Account during the free look period.
Where state law requires the return of Contract Value for free look cancellations, Nationwide will immediately allocate initial purchase payments to the investment options based on the instructions contained on the application.
Surrender/Withdrawal Prior to Annuitization
Prior to annuitization and before the Annuitant's death, Contract Owners may generally withdraw some or all of their Contract Value. Withdrawals from the contract may be subject to federal income tax and/or a tax penalty (see "Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information").
Withdrawal requests must be submitted in writing to the Service Center and Nationwide may require additional information. When taking a full surrender, the contract must accompany the written request. Nationwide may require a signature guarantee.
Nationwide will pay any amounts withdrawn from the Sub-Accounts within seven days after the request is received at the Service Center (see "Pricing"). However, Nationwide may suspend or postpone payment when it is unable to price a purchase payment or transfer.
Partial Withdrawals
If a Contract Owner requests a partial withdrawal, Nationwide will redeem Accumulation Units from the Sub-Accounts. The amount withdrawn from each investment option will be in proportion to the value in each option at the time of the withdrawal request.
Partial Withdrawals to Pay Investment Advisory Fees
Some Contract Owners utilize an investment advisor(s) to manage their assets, for which the investment advisor assesses a fee. Investment advisors are not endorsed or affiliated with Nationwide and Nationwide makes no representation as to their qualifications. The fees for these investment advisory services are specified in the respective account agreements and are separate from and in addition to the contract fees and expenses described in this prospectus. Some Contract Owners authorize their investment advisor to take a partial withdrawal(s) from the contract in order to collect investment advisory fees. Withdrawals taken from this contract to pay advisory or investment management fees may be subject to income tax and/or tax penalties. In addition, withdrawals taken from the contract to pay advisory or investment management fees may negatively impact the benefit associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option (see " Nationwide L.inc LC Option ").
Full Surrenders
Upon full surrender, the Contract Value may be more or less than the total of all purchase payments made to the contract. The Contract Value will reflect:
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Variable Account charges;
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·
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underlying mutual fund charges; and
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·
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the investment performance of the underlying mutual funds;
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Surrender/Withdrawal After Annuitization
After the Annuitization Date, withdrawals other than regularly scheduled annuity payments are not permitted.
Investment-Only Contracts, IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and Simple IRAs may not be assigned, pledged or otherwise transferred except where allowed by law.
A Non-Qualified Contract Owner may assign some or all rights under the contract subject to Nationwide’s consent. Additionally, Nationwide reserves the right to refuse to
recognize assignments on a non-discriminatory basis. Nationwide is not responsible for the validity or tax consequences of any assignment and Nationwide is not liable for any payment or settlement made before the assignment is recorded. Assignments will not be recorded until Nationwide receives sufficient direction from the Contract Owner and the assignee regarding the proper allocation of contract rights.
Where permitted under state law, an assignment or collateral assignment may terminate certain benefits under this contract (see " Nationwide L.inc LC Option " and "Death Benefits").
Asset Rebalancing
Asset Rebalancing is the automatic reallocation of Contract Values to the Sub-Accounts on a predetermined percentage basis. Requests for Asset Rebalancing must be on a Nationwide form and submitted to the Service Center. Once Asset Rebalancing is elected, it will only be terminated upon specific instruction from the Contract Owner; manual transfers will not automatically terminate the program.
Asset Rebalancing is available monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually . If the last day of the elected period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, recognized holiday, or any other day when the New York Stock Exchange is closed, Asset Rebalancing will occur on the next business day. Each Asset Rebalancing reallocation is considered a transfer event.
Contract Owners should consult a financial advisor to discuss the use of Asset Rebalancing.
Nationwide reserves the right to stop establishing new Asset Rebalancing programs.
Dollar Cost Averaging
Dollar Cost Averaging is a long-term transfer program that allows the Contract Owner to make regular, level investments over time. Dollar Cost Averaging involves the automatic transfer of a specific amount from certain Sub-Accounts into other Sub-Accounts. With this service, the Contract Owner benefits from the ability to invest in the Sub-Accounts over a period of time, thereby smoothing out the effects of market volatility. Nationwide does not guarantee that this program will result in profit or protect Contract Owners from loss.
Contract Owners direct Nationwide to automatically transfer specified amounts from the following Sub-Accounts:
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust
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NVIT Core Bond Fund: Class II
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NVIT Government Bond Fund: Class I
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·
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NVIT Money Market Fund: Class I
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·
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NVIT Short Term Bond Fund: Class II
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PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust
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Low Duration Portfolio: Advisor Class
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to any other Sub-Account(s).
Transfers occur monthly or on another frequency if permitted by Nationwide. Nationwide will process transfers until either the value in the originating investment option is exhausted, or the Contract Owner instructs Nationwide to stop the transfers.
When a Contract Owner instructs Nationwide to stop the transfers, all amounts remaining in the originating Sub-Account will remain allocated to the Sub-Account, unless Nationwide is instructed otherwise. Dollar Cost Averaging transfers are not considered transfer events.
Nationwide reserves the right to stop establishing new Dollar Cost Averaging programs.
Systematic Withdrawals allow Contract Owners to receive a specified amount (of at least $100) on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. Requests for Systematic Withdrawals and requests to discontinue Systematic Withdrawals must be submitted in writing to the Service Center.
The withdrawals will be taken from the Sub-Accounts proportionally unless Nationwide is instructed otherwise.
Nationwide will withhold federal income taxes from Systematic Withdrawals unless otherwise instructed by the Contract Owner. The Internal Revenue Service may impose a 10% penalty tax if the Contract Owner is under age 59½ unless the Contract Owner has made an irrevocable election of distributions of substantially equal payments.
Nationwide reserves the right to stop establishing new Systematic Withdrawal programs. Systematic Withdrawals are not available before the end of the free look period.
Custom Portfolio Asset Rebalancing Service
For Contract Owners that have elected the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , Nationwide makes available the Custom Portfolio Asset Rebalancing Service ("Custom Portfolio") at no extra charge. Custom Portfolio is an asset allocation program that Contract Owners can use to build their own customized portfolio of investments, subject to certain limitations. Asset allocation is the process of investing in different asset classes (such as equity funds, fixed income funds, and money market funds) and may reduce the risk and volatility of investing. There are no guarantees that Custom Portfolio will result in a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.
Each model is comprised of different percentages of standardized asset categories designed to meet different investment goals, risk tolerances, and investment time horizons. The Contract Owner selects their model, then selects the specific underlying mutual funds (also classified according to standardized asset categories) and investment percentages within the model's parameters, enabling the Contract Owner to create their own unique "Custom Portfolio." Only one "Custom Portfolio" may be created and in effect at a time and the entire Variable Account Contract Value must participate in the model.
Note: Contract Owners should consult with a qualified investment adviser regarding the use of Custom Portfolio and to determine which model is appropriate for them.
Once the Contract Owner creates their "Custom Portfolio," that Contract Owner's model is static. This means that the percentage allocated to each underlying mutual fund will not change over time, except for quarterly rebalancing, as
described below. Note: allocation percentages within a particular model may subsequently change, but any such changes will not apply to existing model participants; the changes will only apply to participants that elect the model after the change implementation date.
To participate in Custom Portfolio, eligible Contract Owners must submit the proper administrative form to the Service Center. While Custom Portfolio is elected, Contract Owners cannot participate in Asset Rebalancing.
Asset Allocation Models available with Custom Portfolio
The following models are available with Custom Portfolio:
Moderately Conservative:
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Designed for Contract Owners that are willing to accept some market volatility in exchange for greater potential income and growth.
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Balanced:
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Designed for Contract Owners that are willing to accept some market volatility in exchange for potential long-term returns.
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Moderate:
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Designed for Contract Owners that are willing to accept some short-term price fluctuations in exchange for potential long-term returns.
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Capital Appreciation:
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Designed for Contract Owners that are willing to accept more short-term price fluctuations in exchange for potential long-term returns.
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The specific underlying mutual funds available to comprise the equity and fixed income components of the models are contained in the election form, which is provided to Contract Owners at the time Custom Portfolio is elected. At that time, Contract Owners elect their model and the specific underlying mutual funds and percentages that will comprise their "Custom Portfolio."
Quarterly Rebalancing
At the end of each calendar quarter, Nationwide will reallocate the Variable Account Contract Value so that the percentages allocated to each underlying mutual fund match the most recently provided percentages provided by the Contract Owner. If the end of a calendar quarter is a Saturday, Sunday, recognized holiday, or any other day that the New York Stock Exchange is closed, the quarterly rebalancing will occur on the next business day. Rebalancing will be priced using the unit value determined on the last Valuation Date of the calendar quarter. Each quarterly rebalancing is considered a transfer event. However, quarterly rebalancing transfers within your Custom Portfolio are not subject to short-term trading fees.
Changing Models or Underlying Mutual Fund Allocations
Contract Owners who have elected the Nationwide L.inc LC Option may change the underlying mutual fund allocations within their elected model, percentages within their elected model and/or may change models and create a new "Custom Portfolio" within that new model. To implement one of these changes, Contract Owners must submit new allocation instructions to the Service Center in writing on Nationwide's administrative form. Any model and percentage changes will be subject to short-term trading fees and will count as a transfer event, as described in the "Transfer Restrictions" provision.
Nationwide reserves the right to limit the number of model changes a Contract Owner can make each year.
Terminating Participation in Custom Portfolio
Contract Owners can terminate participation in Custom Portfolio by submitting a written request to the Service Center. In order for the termination to be effective, the termination request must contain valid reallocation instructions that are in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Nationwide L.inc LC Option . Termination is effective on the date the termination request is received at the Service Center in good order.
Static Asset Allocation Model
For contracts that have elected the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , Nationwide makes available as a permitted investment option the American Funds Option, which is a static asset allocation model comprised as follows: 33% NVIT - American Funds NVIT Asset Allocation Fund, 33% NVIT - American Funds NVIT Bond Fund, and 34% NVIT - American Funds NVIT Growth-Income Fund.
A Static Asset Allocation Model is an allocation strategy comprised of two or more underlying mutual funds that together provide a unique allocation mix not available as a single underlying mutual fund. Contract Owners that elect a Static Asset Allocation Model directly own Sub-Account units of the underlying mutual funds that comprise the particular model. In other words, a Static Asset Allocation Model is not a portfolio of underlying mutual funds with one Accumulation Unit value, but rather, direct investment in a certain allocation of Sub-Accounts. There is no additional charge associated with investing in a Static Asset Allocation Model.
The Static Asset Allocation Model is just that: static. The allocations or "split" between one or more Sub-Accounts is not monitored and adjusted to reflect changing market conditions. However, a Contract Owner's investment in a Static Asset Allocation Model is rebalanced quarterly to ensure that the assets are allocated to the percentages in the same proportion that they were allocated at the time of election. The entire Contract Value must be allocated to the elected model.
With respect to transferring into and out of a Static Asset Allocation Model, the model is treated like an underlying mutual fund and is subject to the "Transfers Prior to Annuitization" provision. You may request to transfer from a model to a permitted underlying mutual fund. Each transfer into or out of a Static Asset Allocation Model is considered one transfer event.
For additional information about the underlying mutual funds that comprise the Static Asset Allocation Model, see "Appendix A: Underlying Mutual Funds."
Death Benefits
Death of Contract Owner
If a Contract Owner (including a joint owner) who is not the Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, no death benefit is payable and the surviving joint owner becomes the Contract Owner.
If no joint owner is named, the contingent owner becomes the Contract Owner.
If no contingent owner is named, the beneficiary becomes the Contract Owner.
If no beneficiary survives the Contract Owner, the last surviving Contract Owner's estate becomes the Contract Owner.
Distributions will be made pursuant to "Required Distributions for Non-Qualified Contracts" in "Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information."
Death of Annuitant
If the Annuitant who is not a Contract Owner dies before the Annuitization Date, the contingent annuitant becomes the Annuitant and no death benefit is payable. If no contingent annuitant is named, a death benefit is payable to the beneficiary. Multiple beneficiaries will share the death benefit equally unless otherwise specified.
If no beneficiaries survive the Annuitant, the contingent beneficiary receives the death benefit. Multiple contingent beneficiaries will share the death benefit equally unless otherwise specified.
If no beneficiaries or contingent beneficiaries survive the Annuitant, the Contract Owner or the last surviving Contract Owner's estate will receive the death benefit.
If the Contract Owner is a Charitable Remainder Trust and the Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, the death benefit will accrue to the Charitable Remainder Trust. Any designation in conflict with the Charitable Remainder Trust's right to the death benefit will be void.
If the Annuitant dies after the Annuitization Date, any benefit that may be payable will be paid according to the selected annuity payment option.
Death of Contract Owner/Annuitant
If a Contract Owner (including a joint owner) who is also the Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, a death benefit is payable to the surviving joint owner.
If there is no surviving joint owner, the death benefit is payable to the beneficiary. Multiple beneficiaries will share the death benefit equally unless otherwise specified.
If no beneficiaries survive the Contract Owner/Annuitant, the contingent beneficiary receives the death benefit. Multiple contingent beneficiaries will share the death benefit equally unless otherwise specified.
If no contingent beneficiaries survive the Contract Owner/Annuitant, the last surviving Contract Owner's estate will receive the death benefit.
If the Contract Owner/Annuitant dies after the Annuitization Date, any benefit that may be payable will be paid according to the selected annuity payment option.
Death Benefit Payment
The recipient of the death benefit may elect to receive the death benefit:
(2)
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as an annuity (see "Annuity Payment Options"); or
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(3)
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in any other manner permitted by law and approved by Nationwide.
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Nationwide will pay (or will begin to pay) the death benefit after it receives proof of death and the instructions as to the payment of the death benefit. Death benefit claims must be submitted to the Service Center. If the recipient of the death benefit does not elect the form in which to receive the death benefit payment, Nationwide will pay the death benefit in a lump sum. Contract Value will continue to be allocated according to the most recent allocation instructions until the death benefit is paid.
If the contract has multiple beneficiaries entitled to receive a portion of the death benefit, the Contract Value will continue to be allocated according to the most recent allocation instructions until the first beneficiary provides Nationwide with all the information necessary to pay that beneficiary's portion of the death benefit proceeds. At the time the first beneficiary’s proceeds are paid, the remaining portion(s) of the death benefit proceeds that are allocated to Sub-Accounts will be allocated to the available money market Sub-Account until instructions are received from the remaining beneficiary(ies).
Impact of Ownership Changes and Assignment on the Death Benefits
Where permitted under state law, if the Contract Owner is changed or if the contract is assigned (including a collateral assignment), the death benefit will be Contract Value on the date Nationwide receives proper proof of the Annuitant's death, an election specifying the distribution method, and any state required forms, except as follows:
(1)
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The new Contract Owner or assignee assumes full ownership of the contract and is essentially the same person (e.g., individual ownership is changed to ownership by a personal revocable trust, a change to the Contract Owner's spouse during the Contract Owner's lifetime, a change to a court appointed guardian representing the Contract Owner during the Contract Owner's lifetime, etc.);
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(2)
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Ownership of a contract issued as an IRA or Roth IRA is being changed from one custodian to another, from the determining life to a custodian, or from a custodian to the determining life;
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(3)
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The assignment is for the purpose of effectuating an exchange pursuant to Section 1035 under the Internal Revenue Code; or
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(4)
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The change is merely the removal of a Contract Owner where the contract is jointly owned.
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Contract Owners contemplating changes to the ownership of their contract, including assignments, should contact their registered representative to determine how the changes impact the death benefit.
Death Benefit Calculations
An applicant may elect either the standard death benefit or the available death benefit option that is offered under the contract for an additional charge. If no election is made at the time of application, the death benefit will be the standard death benefit.
The value of each component of the applicable death benefit calculation will be determined as of the date of the Annuitant's death, except for the Contract Value component, which will be determined as of the date Nationwide receives:
(1)
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proper proof of the Annuitant's death;
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(2)
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an election specifying the distribution method; and
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(3)
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any state required form(s).
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Nationwide reserves the right to refuse purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000. If you do not submit purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000, or if Nationwide has refused to accept purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000, the references in this provision to purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000 will not apply to your contract.
Standard Death Benefit
If the Annuitant dies prior to the Annuitization Date and the total of all purchase payments made to the contract is less than or equal to $3,000,000, the standard death benefit will be the greater of:
(1)
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the Contract Value as of the date that Nationwide receives all the information necessary to pay the death benefit; or
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(2)
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the total of all purchase payments, less an adjustment for amounts withdrawn.
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The adjustment for amounts withdrawn will reduce item (2) above in the same proportion that the Contract Value was reduced on the date(s) of the partial withdrawal(s).
If the Annuitant dies prior to the Annuitization Date and the total of all purchase payments made to the contract is greater than $3,000,000, the standard death benefit will be determined using the following formula:
(A x F) + B (1 - F), where
(1)
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the Contract Value as of the date that Nationwide receives all the information necessary to pay the death benefit; or
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(2)
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the total of all purchase payments, less an adjustment for amounts withdrawn.
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The adjustment for amounts withdrawn will reduce item (2) above in the same proportion that the Contract Value was reduced on the date(s) of the partial withdrawal(s).
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B = the Contract Value as of the date that Nationwide receives all the information necessary to pay the death benefit; and
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F = the ratio of $3,000,000 to the total of all purchase payments made to the contract.
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The practical effect of this formula is that the beneficiary recovers a lesser percentage of purchase payments in excess of $3,000,000 than for purchase payments up to $3,000,000. In no event will the beneficiary receive less than the Contract Value.
The standard death benefit also includes the Spousal Protection Feature, which allows a surviving spouse to continue the contract while receiving the economic benefit of the death benefit upon the death of the other spouse.
One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option
For an additional charge at an annualized rate of 0.20% of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account, an applicant can elect the One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option at the time of application. The One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option is only available for contracts with Annuitants age 80 or younger at the time of application.
If the Annuitant dies prior to the Annuitization Date and the total of all purchase payments made to the contract is less than or equal to $3,000,000, the death benefit will be the greatest of:
(1)
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the Contract Value as of the date that Nationwide receives all the information necessary to pay the death benefit;
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(2)
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the total of all purchase payments, less an adjustment for amounts withdrawn; or
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(3)
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the highest Contract Value on any Contract Anniversary prior to the Annuitant's 86 th birthday, less an adjustment for amounts subsequently withdrawn, plus purchase payments received after that Contract Anniversary.
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The adjustment for amounts withdrawn will reduce items (2) and (3) above in the same proportion that the Contract Value was reduced on the date(s) of the partial withdrawal(s).
If Nationwide does not receive all information necessary to pay the death benefit within one year of the Annuitant's death, the death benefit will be the greater of (1) or (2) above.
If the Annuitant dies prior to the Annuitization Date and the total of all purchase payments made to the contract is greater than $3,000,000, the death benefit will be determined using the following formula:
(A x F) + B (1 - F), where
(1)
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the Contract Value as of the date that Nationwide receives all the information necessary to pay the death benefit;
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(2)
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the total of all purchase payments, less an adjustment for amounts withdrawn; or
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(3)
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the highest Contract Value on any Contract Anniversary prior to the Annuitant's 86 th birthday, less an adjustment for amounts subsequently withdrawn, plus purchase payments received after that Contract Anniversary.
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The adjustment for amounts withdrawn will reduce items (2) and (3) above in the same proportion that the Contract Value was reduced on the date(s) of the partial withdrawal(s).
If Nationwide does not receive all information necessary to pay the death benefit within one year of the Annuitant's death, the calculation for A above will be the greater of (1) or (2) above.
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B = the Contract Value as of the date that Nationwide receives all the information necessary to pay the death benefit; and
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F = the ratio of $3,000,000 to the total of all purchase payments made to the contract.
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The practical effect of this formula is that the beneficiary recovers a lesser percentage of purchase payments in excess of $3,000,000 than for purchase payments up to $3,000,000. In no event will the beneficiary receive less than the Contract Value.
The One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option also includes the Spousal Protection Feature, which allows a surviving spouse to continue the contract while receiving the economic benefit of the death benefit upon the death of the other spouse.
Spousal Protection Feature
The standard death benefit and the One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option include a Spousal Protection Feature at no additional charge. The Spousal Protection Feature is not available for contracts issued as Charitable Remainder Trusts. The Spousal Protection Feature allows a surviving spouse to continue the contract while receiving the economic benefit of the death benefit upon the death of the other spouse, provided the conditions described below are satisfied:
(1)
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One or both spouses (or a revocable trust of which either or both of the spouses is/are grantor(s)) must be named as the Contract Owner. For contracts issued as IRAs and Roth IRAs, only the person for whom the IRA or Roth IRA was established may be named as the Contract Owner;
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(2)
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The spouses must be Co-Annuitants;
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(3)
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(a) Both spouses must be age 85 or younger at the time the contract is issued for the standard death benefit; and
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(b) Both spouses must be age 80 or younger at the time the contract is issued for the One-Year Enhanced Death Benefit Option;
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(4)
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Both spouses must be named as beneficiaries;
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(5)
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No person other than the spouse may be named as Contract Owner, Annuitant or primary beneficiary;
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(6)
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If both spouses are alive upon annuitization, the Contract Owner must specify which spouse is the Annuitant upon whose continuation of life any annuity payments involving life contingencies depend (for IRA and Roth IRA contracts, this person must be the Contract Owner); and
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(7)
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If the Contract Owner requests to add a Co-Annuitant after contract issuance, the date of marriage must be after the contract issue date and Nationwide will require the Contract Owner to provide a copy of the marriage certificate. The new Co-Annuitant must meet the age requirement of the respective death benefit option on the date the Co-Annuitant is added.
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If a Co-Annuitant dies before the Annuitization Date, the surviving spouse may continue the contract as its sole Contract Owner. Additionally, if the death benefit value is higher than the Contract Value at the time of the first Co-Annuitant's death, Nationwide will adjust the Contract Value to equal the death benefit value. The surviving Co-Annuitant may then name a new beneficiary but may not name another Co-Annuitant.
If the marriage of the Co-Annuitants terminates due to the death of a spouse, divorce, dissolution, or annulment, the Spousal Protection Feature terminates and the Contract Owner is not permitted to cover a subsequent spouse.
The Spousal Protection Feature may not apply if certain Contract Owner changes or assignments are made to the contract. Contract Owners contemplating changes to the ownership of their contract, including assignments, should contact their registered representative to determine how the changes impact the Spousal Protection Feature.
Annuity Commencement Date
The Annuity Commencement Date is the date on which annuity payments are scheduled to begin. Generally, the Contract Owner designates the Annuity Commencement Date at the time of application. If no Annuity Commencement Date is designated at the time of application, Nationwide will establish the Annuity Commencement Date as the date the Annuitant reaches age 90 for Non-Qualified Contracts and the date the Contract Owner reaches age 70½ for all other contract types.
The Contract Owner may change the Annuity Commencement Date before annuitization. This change must be submitted in writing to the Service Center and approved by Nationwide. The Annuity Commencement Date may not be later than the first day of the first calendar month after the Annuitant's 90th birthday (or the 90th birthday of the oldest Annuitant if there are joint annuitants) unless approved by Nationwide.
Annuity Commencement Date and the Nationwide L.inc LC Option
If the Contract Owner elected the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , Nationwide will, approximately three months before the Annuity Commencement Date, notify the Contract Owner of the impending Annuity Commencement Date and give the Contract Owner the opportunity to defer the Annuity Commencement Date in order to preserve the benefit associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option . Deferring the Annuity Commencement Date may have negative tax consequences (see " Nationwide L.inc LC Option " and "Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information"). Consult a qualified tax advisor.
Annuitizing the Contract
Annuitization Date
The Annuitization Date is the date that annuity payments begin. Annuity payments will not begin until the Contract Owner affirmatively elects to begin annuity payments by contacting the Service Center. If the Contract Owner has elected the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , an election to begin annuity payments will terminate all benefits, conditions, guarantees, and charges associated with the Nationwide L.inc LC Option .
The Annuitization Date will be the first day of a calendar month unless otherwise agreed. The Annuitization Date must be at least two years after the contract is issued, but may not be later than either:
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the age (or date) specified in your contract; or
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the age (or date) specified by state law, where applicable.
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On the Annuitization Date, the Annuitant becomes the Contract Owner unless the Contract Owner is a Charitable Remainder Trust.
The Internal Revenue Code may require that distributions be made prior to the Annuitization Date (see "Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information").
Annuitization
Annuitization is the period during which annuity payments are received. It is irrevocable once payments have begun. Upon arrival of the Annuitization Date, the Annuitant must choose:
(1)
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an annuity payment option; and
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(2)
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either a fixed payment annuity, variable payment annuity, or an available combination.
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Actual purchase rates used to determine annuity payments will be those in effect on the Annuitization Date.
Nationwide guarantees that each payment under a fixed payment annuity will be the same throughout annuitization. Under a variable payment annuity, the amount of each payment will vary with the performance of the underlying mutual funds chosen by the Contract Owner.
Fixed Annuity Payments
Fixed annuity payments provide for level annuity payments. Premium taxes are deducted prior to determining fixed annuity payments. The fixed annuity payments will remain level unless the annuity payment option provides otherwise.
Variable Annuity Payments
Variable annuity payments will vary depending on the performance of the underlying mutual funds selected. The underlying mutual funds available during annuitization are those underlying mutual funds shown in "Appendix A: Underlying Mutual Funds." The Static Asset Allocation Model and Custom Portfolio Asset Rebalancing Service are not available after annuitization.
First Variable Annuity Payment
The following factors determine the amount of the first variable annuity payment:
·
|
the portion of purchase payments allocated to provide variable annuity payments;
|
·
|
the Variable Account value on the Annuitization Date;
|
·
|
the adjusted age and sex of the Annuitant (and joint annuitant, if any) in accordance with the contract;
|
·
|
the annuity payment option elected;
|
·
|
the frequency of annuity payments;
|
·
|
the Annuitization Date;
|
·
|
the assumed investment return (the net investment return required to maintain level variable annuity payments);
|
·
|
the deduction of applicable premium taxes; and
|
·
|
the date the contract was issued.
|
Subsequent Variable Annuity Payments
Variable annuity payments after the first will vary with the performance of the underlying mutual funds chosen by the Contract Owner after the investment performance is adjusted by the assumed investment return factor.
The dollar amount of each subsequent variable annuity payment is determined by taking the portion of the first annuity payment funded by a particular Sub-Account divided by the Annuity Unit value for that Sub-Account as of the Annuitization Date. This establishes the number of Annuity Units provided by each Sub-Account for each variable annuity payment after the first.
The number of Annuity Units comprising each variable annuity payment, on a Sub-Account basis, will remain constant, unless the Contract Owner transfers value from one underlying mutual fund to another. After annuitization, transfers among Sub-Accounts may only be made once per calendar year.
The number of Annuity Units for each Sub-Account is multiplied by the Annuity Unit value for that Sub-Account for the Valuation Period for which the payment is due. The sum of these results for all the Sub-Accounts in which the Contract Owner invests establishes the dollar amount of the variable annuity payment.
Subsequent variable annuity payments may be more or less than the previous variable annuity payment, depending on whether the net investment performance of the elected underlying mutual funds is greater or lesser than the assumed investment return.
Assumed Investment Return
An assumed investment return is the net investment return required to maintain level variable annuity payments. Nationwide uses a 3.5% assumed investment return factor. Therefore, if the net investment performance of each Sub-Account in which the Contract Owner invests exactly equals
3.5% for every payment period, then each payment will be the same amount. To the extent that investment performance is not equal to 3.5% for given payment periods, the amount of the payments in those periods will not be the same. Payments will increase from one payment date to the next if the annualized net rate of return is greater than 3.5% during that time. Conversely, payments will decrease from one payment to the next if the annualized net rate of return is less than 3.5% during that time.
Nationwide uses the assumed investment rate of return to determine the amount of the first variable annuity payment.
Value of an Annuity Unit
Annuity Unit values for Sub-Accounts are determined by:
(1)
|
multiplying the Annuity Unit value for each Sub-Account for the immediately preceding Valuation Period by the Net Investment Factor for the Sub-Account for the subsequent Valuation Period; and then
|
(2)
|
multiplying the result from (1) by a factor to neutralize the assumed investment return factor.
|
The Net Investment Factor for any particular Sub-Account on or after the Annuitization Date is determined by dividing (a) by (b), and then subtracting (c) from the result, where:
(1)
|
the Net Asset Value of the underlying mutual fund as of the end of the current Valuation Period; and
|
(2)
|
the per share amount of any dividend or income distributions made by the underlying mutual fund (if the date of the dividend or income distribution occurs during the current Valuation Period).
|
(b)
|
is the Net Asset Value of the underlying mutual fund determined as of the end of the preceding Valuation Period.
|
(c)
|
is a factor equal to an annualized rate of 0.40 % of the Daily Net Assets of the Variable Account.
|
Based on the change in the Net Investment Factor, the value of an Annuity Unit may increase or decrease. Changes in the Net Investment Factor may not be directly proportional to changes in the Net Asset Value of the underlying mutual fund shares because of the deduction of Variable Account charges.
Though the number of Annuity Units will not change as a result of investment experience, the value of an Annuity Unit may increase or decrease from Valuation Period to Valuation Period.
Frequency and Amount of Annuity Payments
Annuity payments are based on the annuity payment option elected.
If the net amount to be annuitized is less than $2,000, Nationwide reserves the right to pay this amount in a lump sum instead of periodic annuity payments.
Nationwide reserves the right to change the frequency of payments if the amount of any payment becomes less than $100. The payment frequency will be changed to an interval that will result in payments of at least $100.
Nationwide will send annuity payments no later than seven days after each annuity payment date.
The Annuitant must elect an annuity payment option before the Annuitization Date. If the Annuitant does not elect an annuity payment option, a variable payment life annuity with a guarantee period of 240 months will be assumed as the automatic form of payment upon annuitization. Once elected or assumed, the annuity payment option may not be changed.
The annuity payment options available may be limited based on the Annuitant's age (and the joint annuitant's age, if applicable) or requirements under the Internal Revenue Code.
Nationwide reserves the right to refuse purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000. If you do not submit purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000, or if Nationwide has refused to accept purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000, the references in this provision to purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000 will not apply to your contract. If you are permitted to submit purchase payments in excess of $1,000,000, additional restrictions apply, as follows.
Annuity Payment Options for Contracts with Total Purchase Payments and Contract Value Annuitized Less Than or Equal to $2,000,000
If, at the Annuitization Date, the total of all purchase payments made to the contract and the Contract Value annuitized is less than or equal to $2,000,000, the annuity payment options available are:
·
|
Standard Joint and Survivor; and
|
·
|
Single Life with a 10 or 20 Year Term Certain.
|
Each of the annuity payment options is discussed more thoroughly below.
Single Life
The Single Life annuity payment option provides for annuity payments to be paid during the lifetime of the Annuitant. This option is not available if the Annuitant is 86 or older on the Annuitization Date.
Payments will cease with the last payment before the Annuitant's death. For example, if the Annuitant dies before the second annuity payment date, the Annuitant will receive only one payment. The Annuitant will only receive two annuity payments if he or she dies before the third payment date, and so on. No death benefit will be paid.
No withdrawals other than the scheduled annuity payments are permitted.
Standard Joint and Survivor
The Standard Joint and Survivor annuity payment option provides for annuity payments to continue during the joint lifetimes of the Annuitant and joint annuitant. After the death of either the Annuitant or joint annuitant, payments will continue for the life of the survivor. This option is not available if the Annuitant or joint Annuitant is 86 or older on the Annuitization Date.
Payments will cease with the last payment due prior to the death of the last survivor of the Annuitant and joint annuitant. As is the case of the Single Life annuity payment option, there is no guaranteed number of payments. Therefore, it is possible that if the Annuitant dies before the second annuity payment date, the Annuitant will receive only one annuity payment. No death benefit will be paid.
No withdrawals other than the scheduled annuity payments are permitted.
Single Life with a 10 or 20 Year Term Certain
The Single Life with a 10 or 20 Year Term Certain annuity payment option provides that monthly annuity payments will be paid during the Annuitant's lifetime or for the term selected, whichever is longer. The term may be either 10 or 20 years.
If the Annuitant dies before the end of the 10 or 20 year term, payments will be paid to the beneficiary for the remainder of the term.
No withdrawals other than the scheduled annuity payments are permitted.
Any Other Option
Annuity payment options not set forth in this provision may be available. Any annuity payment option not set forth in this provision must be approved by Nationwide.
Annuity Payment Options for Contracts with Total Purchase Payments and/or Contract Value Annuitized Greater Than $2,000,000
If, at the Annuitization Date, the total of all purchase payments made to the contract and/or the Contract Value to be annuitized is greater than $2,000,000, Nationwide may limit the annuity payment option to the longer of:
(1)
|
a Fixed Life Annuity with a 20 Year Term Certain; or
|
(2)
|
a Fixed Life Annuity with a Term Certain to Age 95.
|
Annuitization of Amounts Greater than $5,000,000
Additionally, we may limit the amount that may be annuitized on a single life to $5,000,000. If the total amount to be annuitized is greater than $5,000,000 under this contract and/or for all Nationwide issued annuity contracts with the same Annuitant, the Contract Owner must:
(1)
|
reduce the amount to be annuitized to $5,000,000 or less by taking a partial withdrawal from the contract;
|
(2)
|
reduce the amount to be annuitized to $5,000,000 or less by exchanging the portion of the Contract Value in excess of $5,000,000 to another annuity contract; or
|
(3)
|
annuitize the portion of the Contract Value in excess of $5,000,000 under an annuity payment option with a term certain, if available.
|
Nationwide will mail Contract Owners statements and reports. Therefore, Contract Owners should promptly notify the Service Center of any address change.
These mailings will contain:
·
|
statements showing the contract's quarterly activity;
|
·
|
confirmation statements showing transactions that affect the contract's value. Confirmation statements will not be sent for recurring transactions (i.e., Dollar Cost Averaging or salary reduction programs). Instead, confirmation of recurring transactions will appear in the contract's quarterly statements; and
|
·
|
semi-annual and annual reports of allocated underlying mutual funds.
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Contract Owners can receive information from Nationwide faster and reduce the amount of mail they receive by signing up for Nationwide's eDelivery program. Nationwide will notify Contract Owners by email when important documents (statements, prospectuses and other documents) are ready for a Contract Owner to view, print, or download from Nationwide's secure server. To choose this option, go to:
www.nationwide.com/login
Contract Owners should review statements and confirmations carefully. All errors or corrections must be reported to Nationwide immediately to assure proper crediting to the contract. Unless Nationwide is notified within 30 days of receipt of the statement, Nationwide will assume statements and confirmation statements are correct.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING DELIVERY OF SECURITY OWNER DOCUMENTS
When multiple copies of the same disclosure document(s), such as prospectuses, supplements, proxy statements and semi-annual and annual reports are required to be mailed to multiple Contract Owners in the same household, Nationwide will mail only one copy of each document, unless notified otherwise by the Contract Owner(s). Household delivery will continue for the life of the contracts.
A Contract Owner can revoke their consent to household delivery and reinstitute individual delivery by contacting the Service Center. Nationwide will reinstitute individual delivery within 30 days after receiving such notification.
Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. (NFS, or collectively with its subsidiaries, "the Company") was formed in November 1996. NFS is the holding company for Nationwide Life Insurance Company (NLIC), Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company (NLAIC) and other companies that comprise the life insurance and retirement savings operations of the Nationwide group of companies (Nationwide). This group includes Nationwide Financial Network (NFN), an affiliated distribution network that markets directly to its customer base. NFS is incorporated in Delaware and maintains its principal executive offices in Columbus, Ohio.
The Company is a subject to legal and regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of its business. The Company's legal and regulatory matters include proceedings specific to the Company and other proceedings generally applicable to business practices in the industries in which the Company
operates. The Company's litigation and regulatory matters are subject to many uncertainties, and given their complexity and scope, their outcomes cannot be predicted. Regulatory proceedings also could affect the outcome of one or more of the Company's litigation matters. Furthermore, it is often not possible to determine the ultimate outcomes of the pending regulatory investigations and legal proceedings or to provide reasonable ranges of potential losses with any degree of certainty. Some matters, including certain of those referred to below, are in very preliminary stages, and the Company does not have sufficient information to make an assessment of the plaintiffs' claims for liability or damages. In some of the cases seeking to be certified as class actions, the court has not yet decided whether a class will be certified or (in the event of certification) the size of the class and class period. In many of the cases, the plaintiffs are seeking undefined amounts of damages or other relief, including punitive damages and equitable remedies, which are difficult to quantify and cannot be defined based on the information currently available. The Company believes, however, that based on currently known information, the ultimate outcome of all pending legal and regulatory matters is not likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position. Nonetheless, given the large or indeterminate amounts sought in certain of these matters and the inherent unpredictability of litigation, it is possible that such outcomes could materially affect the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations in a particular quarter or annual period.
The financial services industry has been the subject of increasing scrutiny on a broad range of issues by regulators and legislators. The Company and/or its affiliates have been contacted by, self reported or received subpoenas from state and federal regulatory agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other governmental bodies, state securities law regulators and state attorneys general for information relating to, among other things, sales compensation, the allocation of compensation, unsuitable sales or replacement practices, and claims handling and escheatment practices. The Company is cooperating with and responding to regulators in connection with these inquiries and will cooperate with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (NMIC) in responding to these inquiries to the extent that any inquiries encompass NMIC's operations.
On November 20, 2007, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc. (NRS) and NLIC were named in a lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama entitled Ruth A. Gwin and Sandra H. Turner, and a class of similarly situated individuals v. Nationwide Life Insurance Company, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc., Alabama State Employees Association, PEBCO, Inc. and Fictitious Defendants A to Z. On March 12, 2010, NRS and NLIC were named in a Second Amended Class Action Complaint filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama entitled Steven E. Coker, Sandra H. Turner, David N. Lichtenstein and a class of similarly situated individuals v. Nationwide Life Insurance Company, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc., Alabama State Employees Association, Inc., PEBCO, Inc. and Fictitious Defendants A to Z claiming to represent a class of all participants in the Alabama State Employees Association, Inc. (ASEA) Plan, excluding members of the Deferred Compensation Committee, ASEA's directors, officers and board members, and PEBCO's directors, officers and board members. On October 22, 2010, the parties to this action executed a stipulation of settlement that agreed to certify a class for settlement purposes only, that provided for payments to the settlement class, and that provided for releases, certain bar orders, and dismissal of the case, subject to the Circuit Courts' approval. The Courts have approved the settlement and the settlement amounts have been paid, but have not yet been distributed to class members. On February 28, 2011, the Court in the Gwin case entered an Order permitting ASEA/PEBCO to assert indemnification claims for attorneys' fees and costs, but barring them from asserting any other claims for indemnification. On April 22, 2011, ASEA and PEBCO filed a second amended cross claim complaint in the Gwin case against NRS and NLIC seeking indemnification. These claims seeking indemnification remain severed. On April 29, 2011, the Companies filed a motion to dismiss ASEA’s and PEBCO’s amended cross complaint or alternatively for summary judgment. On December 6, 2011 the Court entered an Order that NRS owes indemnification to ASEA and PEBCO for the Coker (Gwin) class action, that NRS does not have a duty to indemnify ASEA and PEBCO for fees associated with the Interpleader action that NRS filed in Montgomery County and dismissing NLIC. On December 31, 2011, the Court denied the Company’s motion to certify this order for an interlocutory appeal. NRS continues to defend this case vigorously.
On August 15, 2001, NFS and NLIC were named in a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut entitled Lou Haddock, as trustee of the Flyte Tool & Die, Incorporated Deferred Compensation Plan, et al v. Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. and Nationwide Life Insurance Company. In the plaintiffs' sixth amended complaint, filed November 18, 2009, they amended the list of named plaintiffs and claim to represent a class of qualified retirement plan trustees under Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) that purchased variable annuities from NLIC. The plaintiffs allege that they invested ERISA plan assets in their variable annuity contracts and that NLIC and NFS breached ERISA fiduciary duties by allegedly accepting service payments from certain mutual funds. The complaint seeks disgorgement of some or all of the payments allegedly received by NFS and NLIC, other unspecified relief for restitution, declaratory and injunctive relief, and attorneys' fees. On November 6, 2009, the Court granted the plaintiff's motion for class certification and certified a class of "All trustees of all employee pension benefit plans covered by ERISA which had variable annuity contracts with NFS and NLIC or whose participants had individual variable annuity contracts with NFS and NLIC at any time from January 1, 1996, or the first date NFS and NLIC began receiving payments from mutual funds based on a percentage of assets invested in the funds by NFS and NLIC, whichever came first, to the date of November 6, 2009". On October 20, 2010, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals granted NLIC's 23(f) petition agreeing to hear an appeal of the District Court's order granting class certification. On October 21, 2010, the District Court dismissed NFS from the lawsuit. On October 27, 2010, the District Court stayed the underlying action pending a decision from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. On February 6, 2012, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals
vacated the class certification order that was issued on November 6, 2009 and remanded the case back to the District Court for further consideration. NLIC continues to defend this lawsuit vigorously.
On May 14, 2010, NLIC was named in a lawsuit filed in the Western District of New York entitled Sandra L. Meidenbauer, on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated v. Nationwide Life Insurance Company. The plaintiff claims to represent a class of all individuals who purchased a variable life insurance policy from NLIC during an unspecified period. The complaint claims breach of contract, alleging that NLIC charged excessive monthly deductions and costs of insurance resulting in reduced policy values and, in some cases, premature lapsing of policies. The complaint seeks reimbursement of excessive charges, costs, interest, attorney's fees, and other relief. NLIC filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on July 23, 2010. NLIC filed a motion to disqualify the proposed class representative on August 27, 2010. Plaintiff filed a motion to amend the complaint on September 17, 2010, and NLIC filed an opposition to the motion to amend on November 2, 2010. On October 13, 2011, plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice.
On October 22, 2010, NRS was named in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division entitled Camille McCullough, and Melanie Monroe, Individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. National Association of Counties, NACo Research Foundation, NACo Financial Services Corp., NACo Financial Center, and Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc. The Plaintiffs' First Amended Class Action Complaint and Demand for Jury Trial was filed on February 18, 2011. If the Court determined that the Plan was governed by ERISA, then Plaintiffs sought to represent a class of "All natural persons in the U.S. who are currently employed or previously were employed at any point during the six years preceding the date Plaintiffs filed their Original Class Action Complaint, by a government entity that is or was a member of the National Association of Counties, and who participate or participated in the Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plan for Public Employees endorsed by the National Association of Counties and administered by Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc." If the Court determined that the Plan was not governed by ERISA, then the Plaintiffs sough to represent a class of "All natural persons in the U.S. who are currently employed or previously were employed at any point during the four years preceding the date Plaintiffs filed their Original Class Action Complaint, by a government entity that is or was a member of the National Association of Counties, and who participate or participated in a Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plan for Public Employees endorsed by the National Association of Counties and administered by Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc." The First Amended Complaint alleged ERISA Violation, Breach of Fiduciary Duty - NACo, Aiding and Abetting Breach of Fiduciary Duty - Nationwide, Breach of Fiduciary Duty - Nationwide, and Aiding and Abetting Breach of Fiduciary Duty - NACo. The First Amended Complaint asked for actual damages, lost profits, lost opportunity costs, restitution, and/or other injunctive or other relief, including without limitation (a) ordering Nationwide and NACo to restore all plan losses, (b) ordering Nationwide to refund all fees associated with Nationwide's Plan to Plaintiffs and Class members, (c) ordering NACo and Nationwide to pay the expenses and losses incurred by Plaintiffs and/or any Class member as a proximate result of Defendants' breaches of fiduciary duty, (d) forcing NACo to forfeit the fees that NACo received from Nationwide for promoting and endorsing its Plan and disgorging all profits, benefits, and other compensation obtained by NACo from its wrongful conduct, and (e) awarding Plaintiff and Class members their reasonable and necessary attorney's fees and cost incurred in connection with this suit, punitive damages, and pre-judgment and post judgment interest, at the highest rates allowed by law, on the damages awarded. On March 21, 2011, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the plaintiffs' first amended complaint. On July 1, 2011, the plaintiffs filed their motion for class certification and later sought to amend their complaint. On November 25, 2011 the District Court entered an Order granting NACo's motion to dismiss, NRS's motion to dismiss, denying plaintiffs' motion to file an amended complaint, that all other remaining pending motions are moot, dismissing the class-wide claims with prejudice, dismissing individual claims without prejudice, and ordering the Clerk to close this case. On December 27, 2011, the plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal. The Company intends to defend this case vigorously.
On December 27, 2006, NLIC and NRS were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed in Circuit Court, Cole County Missouri entitled State of Missouri, Office of Administration, and Missouri State Employees Deferred Comp Plan v. NLIC and NRS. The complaint seeks recovery for breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing against NLIC and NRS as well as a breach of fiduciary duty against NRS. The complaint seeks to recover the amount of the market value adjustment withheld by NLIC ($19 million), prejudgment interest, loss of investment income from ING due to the Companies’ assessment of the market value adjustment. On March 8, 2007 the Companies filed a motion to remove this case from state court to federal court in Missouri. On March 20, 2007 the State filed a motion to remand to state court and to stay court order. On April 3, 2007 the case was remanded to state court. On June 25, 2007 the Companies filed an Answer. On October 16, 2009, the plaintiff filed a partial motion for summary judgment. On November 20, 2009, the Companies filed a response to the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment and also filed a motion for summary judgment on behalf of the Companies. On February 26, 2010, the court denied Missouri's partial motion for summary judgment and granted the Companies’ motion for summary judgment and dismissed the case. On March 8, 2011, the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed the granting of the Companies’ motion for summary judgment and directed the trial court to enter judgment in favor of the State and against the Companies in the amount of $19 million, plus statutory interest at the rate of 9% per annum from June 2, 2006. On March 22, 2011, the Companies filed with the Missouri Court of Appeals, a motion for rehearing and an application for transfer to the Supreme Court of Missouri. OnMay 3, 2011, the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District overruled the Companies’ motion for rehearing and denied the motion to transfer the case to the Missouri Supreme Court. On June 28, 2011, the Companies’
application to the Missouri Supreme Court to hear a further appeal was denied. On July 1, 2011, the Companies paid the amount of the judgment plus simple interest at 9%. On August 9, 2011, the plaintiffs filed a Satisfaction of Judgment.
On June 8, 2011, NMIC and NLIC were named in a lawsuit filed in Court of Common Pleas, Cuyahoga County, Ohio entitled Stanley Andrews and Donald Clark, on their behalf and on behalf of the class defined herein v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Nationwide Life Insurance Company. The complaint alleges that Nationwide has an obligation to review the Social Security Administration Death Master File database for all life insurance policyholders who have at least a 70% probability of being deceased according to actuarial tables. The complaint further alleges that Nationwide is not conducting such a review. The complaint seeks injunctive relief and declaratory judgment requiring Nationwide to conduct such a review, and alleges Nationwide has violated the covenant of good faith and fair dealing and has been unjustly enriched by not having conducted such reviews. The complaint seeks certification as a class action. Nationwide removed the case to federal court on July 6, 2011. Plaintiffs filed a motion to remand to state court on August 8, 2011. On October 26, 2011, the Northern District of Ohio remanded the case to Ohio State court. Nationwide appealed the order to remand on November 4, 2011. Including Andrews, there are four similar class actions in Ohio: two against Western & Sourther; one against Cincinnati Life. At the case management conference on November 21, 2011, the State Court order Plaintiffs to file an opposition to the motion to dismissed Nationwide filed in federal court. Plaintiffs filed their opposition to Nationwide’s motion to dismiss on December 19, 2011. By order dated January 18, 2012, the State Court issued an order dismissing the lawsuit. The court issued its opinion on January 23, 2012. On January 30, 2012, plaintiffs filed their appeal.
The general distributor, NISC, is not engaged in any litigation of any material nature.
Table of Contents of Statement of Additional Information
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Page
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General Information and History
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1
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Services
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1
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Purchase of Securities Being Offered
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2
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Underwriters
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2
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Advertising
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2
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Annuity Payments
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2
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Condensed Financial Information
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2
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Financial Statements
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3
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Investment Company Act of 1940 Registration File No. 811-03330
Securities Act of 1933 Registration File No.
Appendix A: Underlying Mutual Funds
Below is a list of the available Sub-Accounts and information about the corresponding underlying mutual funds in which they invest. The underlying mutual funds in which the Sub-Accounts invest are designed primarily as investments for variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by insurance companies. There is no guarantee that the investment objectives will be met. Please refer to the prospectus for each underlying mutual fund for more detailed information.
STTF:
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The underlying mutual fund corresponding to this Sub-Account assesses (or reserves the right to assess) a short-term trading fee (see "Short-Term Trading Fees").
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FF:
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The underlying mutual fund corresponding to this Sub-Account primarily invests in other mutual funds. Therefore, a proportionate share of the fees and expenses of any acquired funds are indirectly borne by investors. As a result, investors in this Sub-Account may incur higher charges than if the assets were invested in an underlying mutual fund that does not invest in other mutual funds. Please refer to the prospectus for this underlying mutual fund for more information.
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AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. - AllianceBernstein Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio: Class B
Investment Advisor:
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AllianceBernstein L.P.
|
Investment Objective:
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Long-term growth of capital.
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American Century Variable Portfolios II, Inc. - American Century VP Inflation Protection Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
American Century Investment Management, Inc.
|
Investment Objective:
|
Long-term total return using a strategy that seeks to protect against U.S. inflation.
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Dreyfus Investment Portfolios - Small Cap Stock Index Portfolio: Service Shares
Investment Advisor:
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The Dreyfus Corporation
|
Sub-advisor:
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Mellon Capital Management
|
Investment Objective:
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To match performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index®.
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Dreyfus Stock Index Fund, Inc.: Service Shares
Investment Advisor:
|
The Dreyfus Corporation
|
Investment Objective:
|
To match performance of the S&P 500.
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Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund - Appreciation Portfolio: Service Shares
Investment Advisor:
|
The Dreyfus Corporation
|
Sub-advisor:
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Fayez Sarofim & Co.
|
Investment Objective:
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Long-term capital growth consistent with the preservation of capital.
|
Fidelity Variable Insurance Products Fund - VIP Equity-Income Portfolio: Service Class 2
Investment Advisor:
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Fidelity Management & Research Company
|
Sub-advisor:
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FMR Co., Inc., Fidelity Management & Research (U.K.) Inc., Fidelity Research & Analysis Company, Fidelity Investments Japan Limited, Fidelity International Investment Advisors, Fidelity International Investment Advisors (U.K.) Limited
|
Investment Objective:
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Reasonable income.
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Fidelity Variable Insurance Products Fund - VIP Growth Portfolio: Service Class 2
Investment Advisor:
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Fidelity Management & Research Company
|
Sub-advisor:
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FMR Co., Inc., Fidelity Management & Research (U.K.) Inc., Fidelity Research & Analysis Company, Fidelity International Investment Advisors, Fidelity International Investment Advisors (U.K.) Limited, Fidelity Investments Japan Limited
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Investment Objective:
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Capital appreciation.
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Fidelity Variable Insurance Products Fund - VIP Investment Grade Bond Portfolio: Service Class 2
Investment Advisor:
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Fidelity Management & Research Company
|
Sub-advisor:
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Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc., Fidelity Research & Analysis Company, Fidelity International Investment Advisors, Fidelity International Investment Advisors (U.K.) Limited
|
Investment Objective:
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High level of current income.
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Fidelity Variable Insurance Products Fund - VIP Mid Cap Portfolio: Service Class 2
Investment Advisor:
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Fidelity Management & Research Company
|
Sub-advisor:
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FMR Co., Inc., Fidelity Management & Research (U.K.) Inc., Fidelity Research & Analysis Company, Fidelity Investments Japan Limited, Fidelity International Investment Advisors, Fidelity International Investment Advisors (U.K.) Limited
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Investment Objective:
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Long-term growth of capital.
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Fidelity Variable Insurance Products Fund - VIP Overseas Portfolio: Service Class 2R
Investment Advisor:
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Fidelity Management & Research Company
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Sub-advisor:
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FMR Co., Inc., Fidelity Management & Research (U.K.) Inc., Fidelity Research & Analysis Company, Fidelity International Investment Advisors, Fidelity International Investment Advisors (U.K.) Limited, Fidelity Investments Japan Limited
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Investment Objective:
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Long-term capital growth.
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Designation: STTF
Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust - Franklin Small Cap Value Securities Fund: Class 2
Investment Advisor:
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Franklin Advisory Services, LLC
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Investment Objective:
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Long-term total return.
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Huntington VA Funds - Huntington VA Situs Fund
Investment Advisor:
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Huntington Asset Advisors, Inc.
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Investment Objective:
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Seeks long-term capital appreciation.
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Ivy Funds Variable Insurance Portfolios, Inc. - Pathfinder Conservative
Investment Advisor:
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Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company
|
Investment Objective:
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Seeks a high level of total return consistent with a conservative level of risk.
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Designation: FF
Ivy Funds Variable Insurance Portfolios, Inc. - Pathfinder Moderate
Investment Advisor:
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Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company
|
Investment Objective:
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Seeks a high level of total return consistent with a moderate level of risk.
|
Designation: FF
Ivy Funds Variable Insurance Portfolios, Inc. - Pathfinder Moderately Aggressive
Investment Advisor:
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Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company
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Investment Objective:
|
Seeks a high level of total return consistent with a moderately aggressive level of risk.
|
Designation: FF
Ivy Funds Variable Insurance Portfolios, Inc. - Pathfinder Moderately Conservative
Investment Advisor:
|
Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company
|
Investment Objective:
|
Seeks a high level of total return consistent with a moderately conservative level of risk.
|
Designation: FF
Janus Aspen Series - Forty Portfolio: Service Shares
Investment Advisor:
|
Janus Capital Management LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
Long-term growth of capital.
|
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust - MFS Value Series: Service Class
Investment Advisor:
|
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
|
Investment Objective:
|
To seek capital appreciation.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - American Century NVIT Multi Cap Value Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
American Century Investment Management, Inc.
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks capital appreciation, and secondarily current income.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - American Funds NVIT Asset Allocation Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Capital Research and Management Company
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks to provide high total return (including income and capital gains) consistent with the preservation of capital over the long term.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - American Funds NVIT Bond Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Capital Research and Management Company
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks to maximize an investors level of current income and preserve the investor's capital.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - American Funds NVIT Growth Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Capital Research and Management Company
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund is designed for investors seeking capital appreciation principally through investment in stocks.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - American Funds NVIT Growth-Income Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Capital Research and Management Company
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks returns from both capital gains as well as income generated by dividends paid by stock issuers.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - Neuberger Berman NVIT Multi Cap Opportunities Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Neuberger Berman Management LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks long-term capital growth.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Cardinal(SM) Balanced Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks a high level of total return through investment in both equity and fixed income securities.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Cardinal(SM) Capital Appreciation Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks growth of capital, but also seeks income consistent with a less aggressive level of risk as compared to other Cardinal Funds.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Cardinal(SM) Conservative Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks a high level of total return consistent with a conservative level of risk as compared to other Cardinal Funds.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Cardinal(SM) Moderate Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks a high level of total return consistent with a moderate level of risk as compared to other Cardinal Funds.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Cardinal(SM) Moderately Conservative Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks a high level of total return consistent with a moderately conservative level of risk.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Core Bond Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Nationwide Asset Management, LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks a high level of current income consistent with preserving capital.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Core Plus Bond Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Neuberger Berman Fixed Income LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks long-term total return consistent with reasonable risk.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Government Bond Fund: Class I
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Nationwide Asset Management, LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks as high level of income as is consistent with the preserving of capital.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT International Index Fund: Class VIII
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks to match the performance of the MSCI, Inc. Europe, Australasia and Far East Index (“MSCI EAFE»Index”) as closely as possible before the deduction of Fund expenses.
|
Designation: STTF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Investor Destinations Balanced Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The NVIT Investor Destinations Balanced Fund seeks a high level of total return through investment in both equity and fixed-income securities.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Investor Destinations Capital Appreciation Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The NVIT Investor Destinations Capital Appreciation Fund seeks growth of capital, but also seeks income consistent with a less aggressive level of risk as compared to other NVIT Investor Destinations Funds.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Investor Destinations Conservative Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The NVIT Investor Destinations Conservative Fund seeks a high level of total return consistent with a conservative level of risk as compared to other Investor Destinations Funds.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Investor Destinations Moderate Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The NVIT Investor Destinations Moderate Fund seeks a high level of total return consistent with a moderate level of risk as compared to other Investor Destinations Funds.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Investor Destinations Moderately Conservative Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Investment Objective:
|
The NVIT Investor Destinations Moderately Conservative Fund seeks a high level of total return consistent with a moderately conservative level of risk.
|
Designation: FF
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Large Cap Growth Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks long-term capital growth.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Mid Cap Index Fund: Class I
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks capital appreciation.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Money Market Fund: Class I
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Federated Investment Management Company
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks as high a level of current income as is consistent with preserving capital and maintaining liquidity.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Multi Sector Bond Fund: Class I
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Logan Circle Partners, L.P.
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks to provide above average total return over a market cycle of three to five years.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Multi-Manager Large Cap Growth Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Winslow Capital Management, Inc.; Neuberger Berman Management Inc. and Wells Capital Management, Inc.;
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks long-term capital growth.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Multi-Manager Large Cap Value Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.; Wellington Management Company, LLP; The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks long-term capital growth.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
American Century Investment Management, Inc.; Neuberger Berman Management LLC; Wells Capital Management, Inc.
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks long-term capital growth.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Multi-Manager Mid Cap Value Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
American Century Investment Management, Inc.; Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC; Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Nationwide Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Aberdeen Asset Management, Inc. and Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc.
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks total return through a flexible combination of capital appreciation and current income.
|
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust - NVIT Short Term Bond Fund: Class II
Investment Advisor:
|
Nationwide Fund Advisors
|
Sub-advisor:
|
Nationwide Asset Management, LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income while preserving capital and minimizing fluctuations in share value.
|
Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds - Oppenheimer Main Street Fund®/VA: Service Shares
Investment Advisor:
|
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
|
Investment Objective:
|
High total return which includes growth in the value of its shares as well as current income from equity and debt securities.
|
Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds - Oppenheimer Main Street Small- & Mid-Cap Fund®/VA: Service Shares
Investment Advisor:
|
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
|
Investment Objective:
|
Capital appreciation.
|
PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust - Low Duration Portfolio: Advisor Class
Investment Advisor:
|
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
Seeks maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management. The Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 65% of its assets in a diversified portfolio of Fixed Income Instruments of varying maturities, which may be represented by forwards or derivatives such as options, futures contracts or swap agreements.
|
PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust - Total Return Portfolio: Advisor Class
Investment Advisor:
|
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
|
Investment Objective:
|
The fund seeks maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.
|
Appendix B: Condensed Financial Information
Because the contracts described in this prospectus have not been previously made available for sale, there are no Accumulation Unit values for the year ending December 31, 2011. The Statement of Additional Information is available FREE OF CHARGE by contacting the Service Center.
Appendix C: Contract Types and Tax Information
The contracts described in this prospectus are classified according to the tax treatment to which they are subject under the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code"). Following is a general description of the various contract types. Eligibility requirements, tax benefits (if any), limitations, and other features of the contracts will differ depending on contract type.
Non-Qualified Contracts
A non-qualified contract is a contract that does not qualify for certain tax benefits under the Code, and which is not an IRA, a Roth IRA, a SEP IRA, or a Simple IRA.
Upon the death of the owner of a non-qualified contract, mandatory distribution requirements are imposed to ensure distribution of the entire balance in the contract within a required period.
Non-qualified contracts that are owned by natural persons allow the deferral of taxation on the income earned in the contract until it is distributed or deemed to be distributed. Non-qualified contracts that are owned by non-natural persons, such as trusts, corporations and partnerships are generally subject to current income tax on the income earned inside the contract, unless the non-natural person owns the contract as an "agent" of a natural person.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Charitable remainder trusts are trusts that meet the requirements of Section 664 of the Code. Non-qualified contracts that are issued to charitable remainder trusts will differ from other non-qualified contracts in two respects:
(1)
|
Contract ownership at annuitization. On the annuitization date, if the contract owner is a charitable remainder trust, the charitable remainder trust will continue to be the contract owner and the annuitant will NOT become the contract owner.
|
(2)
|
Recipient of death benefit proceeds. With respect to the death benefit proceeds, if the contract owner is a charitable remainder trust, the death benefit is payable to the charitable remainder trust. Any designation in conflict with the charitable remainder trust's right to the death benefit will be void.
|
While these provisions are intended to facilitate a charitable remainder trust's ownership of this contract, the rules governing charitable remainder trusts are numerous and complex. A charitable remainder trust that is considering purchasing this contract should seek the advice of a qualified tax and/or financial adviser prior to purchasing the contract. An annuity that has a charitable remainder trust endorsement is not a charitable remainder trust; the endorsement is merely to facilitate ownership of the contract by a charitable remainder trust.
Individual Retirement Annuities (IRAs)
IRAs are contracts that satisfy the provisions of Section 408(b) of the Code, including the following requirements:
·
|
the contract is not transferable by the owner;
|
·
|
the premiums are not fixed;
|
·
|
if the contract owner is younger than age 50, the annual premium cannot exceed $5,000; if the contract owner is age 50 or older, the annual premium cannot exceed $6,000 (although rollovers of greater amounts from qualified plans and other IRAs can be received);
|
·
|
certain minimum distribution requirements must be satisfied after the owner attains the age of 70½;
|
·
|
the entire interest of the owner in the contract is nonforfeitable; and
|
·
|
after the death of the owner, additional distribution requirements may be imposed to ensure distribution of the entire balance in the contract within the statutory period of time.
|
Depending on the circumstance of the owner, all or a portion of the contributions made to the account may be deducted for federal income tax purposes.
IRAs may receive rollover contributions from other Individual Retirement Accounts, other Individual Retirement Annuities, certain 457 governmental plans and qualified retirement plans (including 401(k) plans).
When the owner of an IRA attains the age of 70½, the Code requires that certain minimum distributions be made. In addition, upon the death of the owner of an IRA, mandatory distribution requirements are imposed by the Code to ensure distribution of the entire contract value within the required statutory period. Due to recent changes in Treasury Regulations, the amount used to compute the mandatory distributions may exceed the contract value.
Failure to make the mandatory distributions can result in an additional penalty tax of 50% of the excess of the amount required to be distributed over the amount that was actually distributed.
For further details regarding IRAs, please refer to the disclosure statement provided when the IRA was established and the annuity contract's IRA endorsement.
As used herein, the term "individual retirement plans" shall refer to both individual retirement annuities and individual retirement accounts that are described in Section 408 of the Code.
Roth IRAs
Roth IRA contracts are contracts that satisfy the provisions of Section 408A of the Code, including the following requirements:
·
|
the contract is not transferable by the owner;
|
·
|
the premiums are not fixed;
|
·
|
if the contract owner is younger than age 50, the annual premium cannot exceed $5,000; if the contract owner is age 50 or older, the annual premium cannot exceed $6,000 (although rollovers of greater amounts
|
from other Roth IRAs and other individual retirement plans can be received);
·
|
the entire interest of the owner in the contract is nonforfeitable; and
|
·
|
after the death of the owner, certain distribution requirements may be imposed to ensure distribution of the entire balance in the contract within the statutory period of time.
|
A Roth IRA can receive a rollover from an individual retirement plan or another eligible retirement plan; however, the amount rolled over from the individual retirement plan or other eligible retirement plan to the Roth IRA is required to be included in the owner's federal gross income at the time of the rollover, and will be subject to federal income tax.
There are income limitations on eligibility to participate in a Roth IRA and additional income limitations for eligibility to roll over amounts from an individual retirement plan or other eligible retirement plan to a Roth IRA.
For further details regarding Roth IRAs, please refer to the disclosure statement provided when the Roth IRA was established and the annuity contract's IRA endorsement.
Simplified Employee Pension IRAs (SEP IRA)
A SEP IRA is a written plan established by an employer for the benefit of employees which permits the employer to make contributions to an IRA established for the benefit of each employee.
An employee may make deductible contributions to a SEP IRA subject to the same restrictions and limitations as an IRA. In addition, the employer may make contributions to the SEP IRA, subject to dollar and percentage limitations imposed by both the Code and the written plan.
A SEP IRA plan must satisfy:
·
|
minimum participation rules;
|
·
|
top-heavy contribution rules;
|
·
|
nondiscriminatory allocation rules; and
|
·
|
requirements regarding a written allocation formula.
|
In addition, the plan cannot restrict withdrawals of non-elective contributions, and must restrict withdrawals of elective contributions before March 15th of the following year.
When the owner of a SEP IRA attains the age of 70½, the Code requires that certain minimum distributions be made. Due to recent changes in Treasury Regulations, the amount used to compute the minimum distributions may exceed the contract value. In addition, upon the death of the owner of a SEP IRA, mandatory distribution requirements are imposed by the Code to ensure distribution of the entire contract value within the required statutory period.
Simple IRAs
A Simple IRA is an individual retirement annuity that is funded exclusively by a qualified salary reduction arrangement and satisfies:
·
|
participation requirements; and
|
·
|
administrative requirements.
|
The funds contributed to a Simple IRA cannot be commingled with funds in other individual retirement plans or SEP IRAs.
A Simple IRA cannot receive rollover distributions except from another Simple IRA.
When the owner of Simple IRA attains the age of 70½, the Code requires that certain minimum distributions be made. Due to recent changes in Treasury Regulations, the amount used to compute the minimum distributions may exceed the contract value. In addition, upon the death of the owner of a Simple IRA, mandatory distribution requirements are imposed by the Code to ensure distribution of the entire contract value within the required statutory period.
Investment Only (Qualified Plans)
Contracts that are owned by qualified plans are not intended to confer tax benefits on the beneficiaries of the plan; they are used as investment vehicles for the plan. The income tax consequences to the beneficiary of a qualified plan are controlled by the operation of the plan, not by operation of the assets in which the plan invests.
Beneficiaries of qualified plans should contact their employer and/or trustee of the plan to obtain and review the plan, trust, summary plan description and other documents for the tax and other consequences of being a participant in a qualified plan.
Federal Tax Considerations
Federal Income Taxes
The tax consequences of purchasing a contract described in this prospectus will depend on:
·
|
the type of contract purchased;
|
·
|
the purposes for which the contract is purchased; and
|
·
|
the personal circumstances of individual investors having interests in the contracts.
|
Existing tax rules are subject to change, and may affect individuals differently depending on their situation. Nationwide does not guarantee the tax status of any contracts or any transactions involving the contracts.
Representatives of the Internal Revenue Service have informally suggested, from time to time, that the number of underlying mutual funds available or the number of transfer opportunities available under a variable product may be relevant in determining whether the product qualifies for the desired tax treatment. In 2003, the Internal Revenue Service issued formal guidance, in Revenue Ruling 2003-91, that indicates that if the number of underlying mutual funds available in a variable insurance product does not exceed 20, the number of underlying mutual funds alone would not cause the contract to not qualify for the desired tax treatment. The Internal Revenue Service has also indicated that exceeding 20 investment options may be considered a factor, along with other factors including the number of transfer opportunities available under the contract, when determining whether the contract qualifies for the desired tax treatment. The revenue
ruling did not indicate the actual number of underlying mutual funds that would cause the contract to not provide the desired tax treatment. Should the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury issue additional rules or regulations limiting the number of underlying mutual funds, transfers between underlying mutual funds, exchanges of underlying mutual funds or changes in investment objectives of underlying mutual funds such that the contract would no longer qualify for tax deferred treatment under Section 72 of the Code, Nationwide will take whatever steps are available to remain in compliance.
If the contract is purchased as an investment of certain retirement plans (such as qualified retirement plans, Individual Retirement Accounts, and custodial accounts as described in Sections 401 and 408(a), of the Code), tax advantages enjoyed by the contract owner and/or annuitant may relate to participation in the plan rather than ownership of the annuity contract. Such plans are permitted to purchase investments other than annuities and retain tax-deferred status.
The following is a brief summary of some of the federal income tax considerations related to the types of contracts sold in connection with this prospectus. In addition to the federal income tax, distributions from annuity contracts may be subject to state and local income taxes. The tax rules across all states and localities are not uniform and therefore will not be discussed in this prospectus. Tax rules that may apply to contracts issued in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam are also not discussed. Nothing in this prospectus should be considered to be tax advice. Purchasers and prospective purchases of the contract should consult a financial consultant, tax adviser or legal counsel to discuss the taxation and use of the contracts.
IRAs, SEP IRAs and Simple IRAs
Distributions from IRAs, SEP IRAs and Simple IRAs are generally taxed as ordinary income when received. If any of the amounts contributed to the individual retirement annuity were non-deductible for federal income tax purposes, then a portion of each distribution is excludable from income.
If distributions of income from an IRA are made prior to the date that the owner attains the age of 59½ years, the income is subject to the regular income tax, and an additional penalty tax of 10% is generally applicable. (For Simple IRAs, the 10% penalty is increased to 25% if the distribution is made during the 2-year period beginning on the date that the individual first participated in the Simple IRA.) The 10% penalty tax can be avoided if the distribution is:
·
|
made to a beneficiary on or after the death of the owner;
|
·
|
attributable to the owner becoming disabled (as defined in the Code);
|
·
|
part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments made not less frequently than annually made for the life (or life expectancy) of the owner, or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the owner and his or her designated beneficiary;
|
·
|
used for qualified higher education expenses; or
|
·
|
used for expenses attributable to the purchase of a home for a qualified first-time buyer.
|
If the contract owner dies before the contract is completely distributed, the balance will be included in the contract owner’s gross estate for tax purposes.
Roth IRAs
Distributions of earnings from Roth IRAs are taxable or non-taxable depending upon whether they are "qualified distributions" or "non-qualified distributions." A "qualified distribution" satisfies the 5-year rule and meets 1 of the following requirements:
·
|
it is made on or after the date on which the contract owner attains age 59½;
|
·
|
it is made to a beneficiary (or the contract owner’s estate) on or after the death of the contract owner;
|
·
|
it is attributable to the contract owner’s disability; or
|
·
|
it is used for expenses attributable to the purchase of a home for a qualified first-time buyer.
|
The 5-year rule generally is satisfied if the distribution is not made within the 5-year period beginning with the first taxable year in which a contribution is made to any Roth IRA established for the owner.
A qualified distribution is not included in gross income for federal income tax purposes.
A non-qualified distribution is not includable in gross income to the extent that the distribution, when added to all previous distributions, does not exceed the total amount of contributions made to the Roth IRA. Any non-qualified distribution in excess of total contributions is includable in the contract owner’s gross income as ordinary income in the year that it is distributed to the contract owner.
Special rules apply for Roth IRAs that have proceeds received from an individual retirement plan prior to January 1, 1999 if the owner elected the special 4-year income averaging provisions that were in effect for 1998.
If non-qualified distributions of income from a Roth IRA are made prior to the date that the owner attains the age of 59½ years, the income is subject to both the regular income tax and an additional penalty tax of 10%. The penalty tax can be avoided if the distribution is:
·
|
made to a beneficiary on or after the death of the owner;
|
·
|
attributable to the owner becoming disabled (as defined in the Code);
|
·
|
part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments made not less frequently than annually made for the life (or life expectancy) of the owner, or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the owner and his or her designated beneficiary;
|
·
|
for qualified higher education expenses; or
|
·
|
used for expenses attributable to the purchase of a home for a qualified first-time buyer.
|
If the contract owner dies before the contract is completely distributed, the balance will be included in the contract owner’s gross estate for tax purposes.
Non-Qualified Contracts - Natural Persons as Contract Owners
Generally, the income earned inside a non-qualified annuity contract that is owned by a natural person is not taxable until it is distributed from the contract.
Distributions before the annuitization date are taxable to the contract owner to the extent that the cash value of the contract exceeds the contract owner’s investment in the contract at the time of the distribution. In general, the investment in the contract is equal to the purchase payments made with after-tax dollars. Distributions, for this purpose, include full and partial withdrawals, any portion of the contract that is assigned or pledged, amounts borrowed from the contract, or any portion of the contract that is transferred by gift. For these purposes, a transfer by gift may occur upon annuitization if the contract owner and the annuitant are not the same individual.
With respect to annuity distributions on or after the annuitization date, a portion of each annuity payment is excludable from taxable income. The amount excludable from each annuity payment is determined by multiplying the annuity payment by a fraction which is equal to the contract owner’s investment in the contract, divided by the expected return on the contract. Once the entire investment in the contract is recovered, all distributions are fully includable in income. The maximum amount excludable from income is the investment in the contract. If the annuitant dies before the entire investment in the contract has been excluded from income, and as a result of the annuitant's death no more payments are due under the contract, then the unrecovered investment in the contract may be deducted on his or her final tax return.
In determining the taxable amount of a distribution, all annuity contracts issued after October 21, 1988 by the same company to the same contract owner during the same calendar year will be treated as 1 annuity contract.
A special rule applies to distributions from contracts that have investments that were made prior to August 14, 1982. For those contracts, distributions that are made prior to the annuitization date are treated first as a recovery of the investment in the contract as of that date. A distribution in excess of the amount of the investment in the contract as of August 14, 1982, will be treated as taxable income.
The Code imposes a penalty tax if a distribution is made before the contract owner reaches age 59½. The amount of the penalty is 10% of the portion of any distribution that is includable in gross income. The penalty tax does not apply if the distribution is:
·
|
the result of a contract owner’s death;
|
·
|
the result of a contract owner’s disability (as defined in the Code);
|
·
|
one of a series of substantially equal periodic payments made over the life (or life expectancy) of the contract owner or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the contract owner and the beneficiary selected by the contract owner to receive payment under the annuity payment option selected by the contract owner; or
|
·
|
is allocable to an investment in the contract before August 14, 1982.
|
If the contract owner dies before the contract is completely distributed, the balance will be included in the contract owner’s gross estate for tax purposes.
Non-Qualified Contracts - Non-Natural Persons as Contract Owners
The previous discussion related to the taxation of non-qualified contracts owned by individuals. Different rules (the so-called "non-natural persons" rules) apply if the contract owner is not a natural person.
Generally, contracts owned by corporations, partnerships, trusts, and similar entities are not treated as annuity contracts under the Code. Therefore, income earned under a non-qualified contract that is owned by a non-natural person is taxed as ordinary income during the taxable year that it is earned. Taxation is not deferred, even if the income is not distributed out of the contract. The income is taxable as ordinary income, not capital gain.
The non-natural persons rules do not apply to all entity-owned contracts. For purposes of the non-natural persons rule, a contract that is owned by a non-natural person as an agent of an individual is treated as owned by the individual. This would cause the contract to be treated as an annuity under the Code, allowing tax deferral. However, this exception does not apply when the non-natural person is an employer that holds the contract under a non-qualified deferred compensation arrangement for one or more employees.
The non-natural persons rules also do not apply to contracts that are:
·
|
acquired by the estate of a decedent by reason of the death of the decedent;
|
·
|
issued in connection with certain qualified retirement plans and individual retirement plans;
|
·
|
purchased by an employer upon the termination of certain qualified retirement plans; or
|
·
|
immediate annuities within the meaning of Section 72(u) of the Code.
|
If the annuitant dies before the contract is completely distributed, the balance may be included in the annuitant's gross estate for tax purposes, depending on the obligations that the non-natural owner may have owed to the annuitant.
Exchanges
As a general rule, federal income tax law treats exchanges of property in the same manner as a sale of the property. However, pursuant to Section 1035 of the Code, an annuity contract may be exchanged tax-free for another annuity, provided that the obligee (the person to whom the annuity obligation is owed) is the same for both contracts. If the exchange includes the receipt of property in addition to
another annuity contract, such as cash, special rules may cause a portion of the transaction to be taxable.
Tax Treatment of a Partial 1035 Exchange With Subsequent Withdrawal
In March 2008, the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2008-24, which addresses the income tax consequences of the direct transfer of a portion of the cash value of an annuity contract in exchange for the issuance of a second annuity contract. A direct transfer that satisfies the revenue procedure will be treated as a tax-free exchange under Section 1035 of the Code if, for a period of at least 12 months from the date of the direct transfer, there are no distributions or withdrawals from either annuity contract involved in the exchange. In addition, the tax-free status of the exchange may still be preserved despite a distribution or withdrawal from either contract if the contract owner can show that between the date of the direct transfer and the distribution or withdrawal, one of the conditions described under Section 72(q)(2) of the Code that would exempt the distribution from the 10% early distribution penalty (such as turning age 59½, or becoming disabled; but not a series of substantially equal periodic payments or an immediate annuity) or "other similar life event" such as divorce or loss of employment occurred. Absent a showing of such an occurrence, Rev. Proc. 2008-24 concludes that the direct transfer would fail to qualify as a tax-free 1035 exchange, and the full amount transferred from the original contract would be treated as a taxable distribution, followed by the purchase of a new annuity contract. Rev. Proc. 2008-24 applies to direct transfers completed on or after June 30, 2008. Please discuss any tax consequences concerning any contemplated or completed transactions with a professional tax adviser.
Taxation of Lifetime Withdrawals Under the Nationwide L.inc LC Option
While the tax treatment for withdrawals for benefits such as the Nationwide L.inc LC Option is not clear under federal tax law, Nationwide intends to treat withdrawals under these options as taxable to the extent that the cash value of the contract exceeds the contract owner's investment at the time of the withdrawal. Specifically, we intend to treat the following amount of each withdrawal as a taxable distribution:
The greater of:
Where
A = the contract value immediately before the withdrawal;
B = the guaranteed annual benefit amount immediately before the withdrawal; and
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C = the remaining investment in the contract.
In certain circumstances, this treatment could result in the contract value being less than the investment in the contract after such a withdrawal. If you subsequently withdrawal your contract under such circumstances, you would have a loss that may be deductible. If you purchase one of these options in an IRA, withdrawals in excess of the annual benefit amount may be required to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements under the Code. Please consult a qualified tax adviser.
Same-Sex Marriages, Domestic Partnership, and Other Similar Relationships
Pursuant to Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA"), same-sex marriages currently are not recognized for purposes of federal law. Therefore, the favorable income-deferral options afforded by federal tax law to an opposite-sex spouse under Code Sections 72(s) and 401(a)(9) are currently NOT available to a same-sex spouse. Same-sex spouses who own or are considering the purchase of annuity products that provide benefits based upon status as a spouse should consult a tax advisor. To the extent that an annuity contract or certificate accords to spouses other rights or benefits that are not affected by DOMA, same-sex spouses remain entitled to such rights or benefits to the same extent as any annuity holder's spouse.
Withholding
Pre-death distributions from the contracts are subject to federal income tax. Nationwide will withhold the tax from the distributions unless the contract owner requests otherwise.
In addition, under some circumstances, the Code will not permit contract owners to waive withholding. Such circumstances include:
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if the payee does not provide Nationwide with a taxpayer identification number; or
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if Nationwide receives notice from the Internal Revenue Service that the taxpayer identification number furnished by the payee is incorrect.
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If a contract owner is prohibited from waiving withholding, as described above, the distribution will be subject to mandatory back-up withholding. The mandatory back-up withholding rate is established by Section 3406 of the Code and is applied against the amount of income that is distributed.
Non-Resident Aliens
Generally, a pre-death distribution from a contract to a non-resident alien is subject to federal income tax at a rate of 30% of the amount of income that is distributed.
Nationwide is required to withhold this amount and send it to the Internal Revenue Service. Some distributions to non-resident aliens may be subject to a lower (or no) tax if a treaty applies. In order to obtain the benefits of such a treaty, the non-resident alien must:
(1)
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provide Nationwide with a properly completed withholding certificate claiming the treaty benefit of a lower tax rate or exemption from tax; and
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(2)
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provide Nationwide with an individual taxpayer identification number.
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If the non-resident alien does not meet the above conditions, Nationwide will withhold 30% of income from the distribution.
Another exemption from the 30% withholding rate is for the non-resident alien to provide Nationwide with sufficient evidence that:
(1)
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the distribution is connected to the non-resident alien's conduct of business in the United States;
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(2)
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the distribution is includable in the non-resident alien's gross income for United States federal income tax purposes; and
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(3)
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provide Nationwide with a properly completed withholding certificate claiming the exemption.
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Note that for the preceding exemption, the distributions would be subject to the same withholding rules that are applicable to payments to United States persons, including back-up withholding, which is currently at a rate of 28%, if a correct taxpayer identification number is not provided.
This prospectus does not address any tax matters that may arise by reason of application of the laws of a non-resident alien’s country of citizenship and/or country of residence. Purchasers and prospective purchasers should consult a financial consultant, tax advisor or legal counsel to discuss the applicability of laws of those jurisdictions to the purchase or ownership of a contract.
Federal Estate, Gift and Generation Skipping Transfer Taxes
The following transfers may be considered a gift for federal gift tax purposes:
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a transfer of the contract from one contract owner to another; or
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a distribution to someone other than a contract owner.
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Upon the contract owner's death, the value of the contract may be subject to estate taxes, even if all or a portion of the value is also subject to federal income taxes.
Section 2612 of the Code may require Nationwide to determine whether a death benefit or other distribution is a "direct skip" and the amount of the resulting generation skipping transfer tax, if any. A direct skip is when property is transferred to, or a death benefit or other distribution is made to:
a)
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an individual who is 2 or more generations younger than the contract owner; or
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b)
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certain trusts, as described in Section 2613 of the Code (generally, trusts that have no beneficiaries who are not 2 or more generations younger than the contract owner).
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If the contract owner is not an individual, then for this purpose only, "contract owner" refers to any person:
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who would be required to include the contract, death benefit, distribution, or other payment in his or her federal gross estate at his or her death; or
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who is required to report the transfer of the contract, death benefit, distribution, or other payment for federal gift tax purposes.
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If a transfer is a direct skip, Nationwide may be required to deduct the amount of the transfer tax from the death benefit, distribution or other payment, and remit it directly to the Internal Revenue Service.
Charge for Tax
Nationwide is not required to maintain a capital gain reserve liability on non-qualified contracts. If tax laws change requiring a reserve, Nationwide may implement and adjust a tax charge.
Diversification
Code Section 817(h) contains rules on diversification requirements for variable annuity contracts. A variable annuity contract that does not meet these diversification requirements will not be treated as an annuity, unless:
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the failure to diversify was accidental;
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the failure is corrected; and
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a fine is paid to the Internal Revenue Service.
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The amount of the fine will be the amount of tax that would have been paid by the contract owner if the income, for the period the contract was not diversified, had been received by the contract owner.
If the violation is not corrected, the contract owner will be considered the owner of the underlying securities and will be taxed on the earnings of his or her contract. Nationwide believes that the investments underlying this contract meet these diversification requirements.
Required Distributions
The Code requires that certain distributions be made from the contracts issued in conjunction with this prospectus. Following is an overview of the required distribution rules applicable to each type of contract. Please consult a qualified tax or financial adviser for more specific required distribution information.
If you purchase the Nationwide L.inc LC Option , withdrawals in excess of the annual benefit amount may be required to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements under the Code. Please consult a qualified tax adviser.
Required Distributions – General Information
In general, a beneficiary is an individual or other entity that the contract owner designates to receive death proceeds upon the contract owner's death. The distribution rules in the Code make a distinction between "beneficiary" and "designated beneficiary" when determining the life expectancy that may be used for payments that are made from IRAs, SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, and Roth IRAs after the death of the annuitant, or that are made from non-qualified contracts after the death of the contract owner. A designated beneficiary is a natural person who is designated by the contract owner as the beneficiary under the contract. Non-natural beneficiaries (e.g. charities or certain trusts) are not designated beneficiaries for the purpose of required distributions and the life expectancy of such a beneficiary is 0.
Life expectancies and joint life expectancies will be determined in accordance with the relevant guidance provided by the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department, including but not limited to Treasury Regulation 1.72-9 and Treasury Regulation 1.401(a)(9)-9.
Required distributions paid upon the death of the contract owner are paid to the beneficiary or beneficiaries stipulated by the contract owner. How quickly the distributions must be made may be determined with respect to the life expectancies of the beneficiaries. For non-qualified contracts, the beneficiaries used in the determination of the distribution period are those in effect on the date of the contract owner's death. For contracts other than non-qualified contracts, the beneficiaries used in the determination of the distribution period do not have to be determined until September 30 of the year following the contract owner's death. If there is more than one beneficiary, the life expectancy of the beneficiary with the shortest life expectancy is used to determine the distribution period. Any beneficiary that is not a designated beneficiary has a life expectancy of 0.
Required Distributions for Non-Qualified Contracts
Code Section 72(s) requires Nationwide to make certain distributions when a contract owner dies. The following distributions will be made in accordance with the following requirements:
(1)
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If any contract owner dies on or after the annuitization date and before the entire interest in the contract has been distributed, then the remaining interest must be distributed at least as rapidly as the distribution method in effect on the contract owner's death.
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(2)
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If any contract owner dies before the annuitization date, then the entire interest in the contract (consisting of either the death benefit or the contract value reduced by charges set forth elsewhere in the contract) will be distributed within 5 years of the contract owner's death, provided however:
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(a)
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any interest payable to or for the benefit of a designated beneficiary may be distributed over the life of the designated beneficiary or over a period not longer than the life expectancy of the designated beneficiary. Payments must begin within 1 year of the contract owner's death unless otherwise permitted by federal income tax regulations; and
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(b)
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if the designated beneficiary is the surviving spouse of the deceased contract owner, the spouse can choose to become the contract owner instead of receiving a death benefit. Any distributions required under these distribution rules will be made upon that spouse's death.
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In the event that the contract owner is not a natural person (e.g., a trust or corporation), for purposes of these distribution provisions:
(a)
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the death of the annuitant will be treated as the death of a contract owner;
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(b)
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any change of annuitant will be treated as the death of a contract owner; and
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(c)
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in either case, the appropriate distribution will be made upon the death or change, as the case may be.
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These distribution provisions do not apply to any contract exempt from Section 72(s) of the Code by reason of Section 72(s)(5) or any other law or rule.
Required Distributions for IRAs, SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, and Roth IRAs
Distributions from IRA, SEP IRA, or Simple IRA must begin no later than April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the contract owner reaches age 70½. Distributions may be paid in a lump sum or in substantially equal payments over:
(a)
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the life of the contract owner or the joint lives of the contract owner and the contract owner's designated beneficiary; or
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(b)
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a period not longer than the period determined under the table in Treasury Regulation 1.401(a)(9)-9, which is the deemed joint life expectancy of the contract owner and a person 10 years younger than the contract owner. If the designated beneficiary is the spouse of the Co contract owner, the period may not exceed the longer of the period determined under such table or the joint life expectancy of the contract owner and the contract owner's spouse, determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation 1.72-9, or such additional guidance as may be provided pursuant to Treasury Regulation 1.401(a)(9)-9.
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For IRAs, SEP IRAs, and Simple IRAs, required distributions do not have to be withdrawn from this contract if they are being withdrawn from another IRA, SEP IRA, or Simple IRA of the contract owner.
If the contract owner's entire interest in IRA, SEP IRA, or Simple IRA will be distributed in equal or substantially equal payments over a period described in (a) or (b) above, the payments must begin on or before the required beginning date. The required beginning date is April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the contract owner reaches age 70½. The rules for Roth IRAs do not require distributions to begin during the contract owner's lifetime, therefore, the required beginning date is not applicable to Roth IRAs.
Due to recent changes in Treasury Regulations, the amount used to compute the minimum distribution requirement may exceed the contract value.
If the contract owner dies before the required beginning date (in the case of IRA, SEP IRA or Simple IRA) or before the entire contract value is distributed (in the case of a Roth IRA), any remaining interest in the contract must be distributed over a period not exceeding the applicable distribution period, which is determined as follows:
(a)
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if the designated beneficiary is the contract owner's spouse, the applicable distribution period is the surviving spouse's remaining life expectancy using the surviving spouse's birthday for each distribution calendar year after the calendar year of the contract owner's death. For calendar years after the death of the contract owner's surviving spouse, the applicable distribution period is the spouse's remaining life expectancy using the spouse's age
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in the calendar year of the spouse's death, reduced by 1 for each calendar year that elapsed since the calendar year immediately following the calendar year of the spouse's death;
(b)
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if the designated beneficiary is not the contract owner's surviving spouse, the applicable distribution period is the designated beneficiary's remaining life expectancy using the designated beneficiary's birthday in the calendar year immediately following the calendar year of the contract owner's death, reduced by 1 for each calendar year that elapsed thereafter; and
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(c)
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if there is no designated beneficiary, the entire balance of the contract must be distributed by December 31 of the 5th year following the contract owner's death.
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If the contract owner dies on or after the required beginning date, the interest in the IRA, SEP IRA, or Simple IRA must be distributed over a period not exceeding the applicable distribution period, which is determined as follows:
(a)
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if the designated beneficiary is the contract owner's spouse, the applicable distribution period is the surviving spouse's remaining life expectancy using the surviving spouse's birthday for each distribution calendar year after the calendar year of the contract owner's death. For calendar years after the death of the contract owner's surviving spouse, the applicable distribution period is the greater of (a) the contract owner's remaining life expectancy using the contract owner's birthday in the calendar year of the contract owner's death, reduced by one for each year thereafter; or (b) the spouse's remaining life expectancy using the spouse's age in the calendar year of the spouse's death, reduced by 1 for each calendar year that elapsed since the calendar year immediately following the calendar year of the spouse's death;
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(b)
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if the designated beneficiary is not the contract owner's surviving spouse, the applicable distribution period is the greater of (a) the contract owner's remaining life expectancy using the contract owner's birthday in the calendar year of the contract owner's death, reduced by 1 for each year thereafter; or (b) the designated beneficiary's remaining life expectancy using the designated beneficiary's birthday in the calendar year immediately following the calendar year of the contract owner's death, reduced by 1 for each calendar year that elapsed thereafter; and
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(c)
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if there is no designated beneficiary, the applicable distribution period is the contract owner's remaining life expectancy using the contract owner's birthday in the calendar year of the contract owner's death, reduced by 1 for each year thereafter.
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If distribution requirements are not met, a penalty tax of 50% is levied on the difference between the amount that should have been distributed for that year and the amount that actually was distributed for that year.
For IRAs, SEP IRAs, and Simple IRAs, all or a portion of each distribution will be included in the recipient's gross income and taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The portion of a distribution that is taxable is based on the ratio between the amount by which non-deductible purchase payments exceed prior non-taxable distributions and total account balances at the time of the distribution. The owner of an IRA, SEP IRA, or Simple IRA must annually report the amount of non-deductible purchase payments, the amount of any distribution, the amount by which non-deductible purchase payments for all years exceed non taxable distributions for all years, and the total balance of all IRAs, SEP IRAs, or Simple IRAs.
Distributions from Roth IRAs may be either taxable or nontaxable, depending upon whether they are "qualified distributions" or "non-qualified distributions."
Tax Changes
The foregoing tax information is based on Nationwide's understanding of federal tax laws. It is NOT intended as tax advice. All information is subject to change without notice. You should consult with your personal tax and/or financial adviser for more information.
In 2001, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) was enacted. EGTRRA made numerous changes to the Code, including the following:
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generally lowering federal income tax rates;
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increasing the amounts that may be contributed to various retirement plans, such as individual retirement plans and qualified plans;
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increasing the portability of various retirement plans by permitting individual retirement plans, qualified plans and certain governmental 457 plans to "roll" money from one plan to another;
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eliminating and/or reducing the highest federal estate tax rates;
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increasing the estate tax credit; and
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for persons dying after 2009, repealing the estate tax.
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In 2006, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 made permanent the EGTRRA provisions noted above that increase the amounts that may be contributed to various retirement plans and that increase the portability of various retirement plans. However, all of the other changes resulting from EGTRRA were scheduled to "sunset," or become ineffective, after December 31, 2010 unless they are extended by additional legislation. The sunset date for many of these provisions was extended to December 31, 2012 by the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. However, if these changes are not further extended (or modified) by new legislation, the Code will be restored to its pre-EGTRRA form after December 31, 2012.
This creates uncertainty as to future tax requirements and implications. Please consult a qualified tax or financial adviser for further information relating to these and other tax issues.
State Taxation
The tax rules across the various states and localities are not uniform and therefore are not discussed in this prospectus. Tax rules that may apply to contracts issued in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam are also not discussed.
Purchasers and prospective purchasers should consult a financial consultant, tax advisor or legal counsel to discuss the taxation and use of the contracts.