As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 4, 2022.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Arizona
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
6311
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)
86-0222062
(I. R. S. Employer Identification Number)
525 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
(212) 554-1234
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code,
of registrant’s principal executive offices)
SHANE DALY
Vice President and Associate General Counsel
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America
525 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
(212) 314-3912
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Please Send Copies of all Communications to:
DODIE C. KENT, ESQ.
Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
1114 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036-7703
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box: ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462 (b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ | Non-accelerated filer ☒ | Smaller reporting company ☐ |
Emerging growth company ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment under Flexible Payment Variable Annuity Contracts
PROSPECTUS Dated March 17, 2022 |
Issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America |
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (the "Company") issues the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment described in this prospectus. The Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is available only under certain variable annuity contracts that we offer.
This Contract is no longer being sold. This prospectus is used with current Contract Owners only. We will continue to accept Purchase Payments under existing Contracts. You should note that your Contract features and charges, and your investment options, may vary depending on your state and/or the date on which you purchased your Contract. For more information about the particular options, features and charges applicable to you, please contact your financial professional and/or refer to your Contract.
Among the many terms of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment are:
• Guaranteed interest to be credited for specific periods (referred to as "Accumulation Periods").
• Three (3), five (5), seven (7) and ten (10) year Accumulation Periods are available.
• Interest will be credited for the entire Accumulation Period on a daily basis. Different rates apply to each Accumulation Period and are determined by the Company from time to time at its sole discretion.
• A Market Value Adjustment may be charged if part or all of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is surrendered or transferred before the end of the Accumulation Period.
• Potential purchasers should carefully consider the factors described in "Risk Factors" beginning on page 7, as well as the other information contained in this prospectus before allocating Purchase Payments or Fund Values to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment offered herein.
These are only some of the terms of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment. Please read this prospectus and the prospectus for the variable annuity contract carefully for more complete details of the Contract.
Equitable Advisors, LLC and Equitable Distributors, LLC serve as the distributors of the Contracts. They use their best efforts to sell the Contracts, but are not required to sell a specific number or dollar amount of Contracts.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The Contracts are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency. They are not deposits or other obligations of any bank and are not bank guaranteed. They are subject to investment risks and possible loss of principal.
MLA-GIAMVA 05.20
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Definitions |
3 |
||||||
2. Summary |
4 |
||||||
Purpose of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment |
4 |
||||||
Purchase Payments |
4 |
||||||
The Accumulation Periods |
4 |
||||||
Crediting of interest |
4 |
||||||
The Market Value Adjustment |
5 |
||||||
Transfers, Surrenders and Loans |
5 |
||||||
Death benefit |
7 |
||||||
Other provisions of the Contract |
7 |
||||||
3. Risk factors |
7 |
||||||
4. Description of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment |
8 |
||||||
General |
8 |
||||||
Allocations to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment |
8 |
||||||
Specified Interest Rates and the Accumulation Periods |
9 |
||||||
End of Accumulation Periods |
9 |
||||||
The Market Value Adjustment |
10 |
||||||
Contract charges |
11 |
||||||
Guaranteed Interest Account at annuitization |
11 |
||||||
5. Federal tax status |
11 |
||||||
Introduction |
11 |
||||||
Taxation of annuities in general |
12 |
||||||
Qualified retirement plans |
15 |
||||||
Federal Income tax withholding |
19 |
||||||
6. Investments |
19 |
||||||
7. Contracts and the Distribution of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment |
20 |
||||||
8. Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America |
22 |
||||||
9. Legal proceedings |
23 |
||||||
10. COVID-19 |
23 |
||||||
11. Cyber-security | 23 | ||||||
12. Incorporation of certain documents by reference |
24 |
2
1. Definitions
Accumulation Period — Currently 3, 5, 7 and 10 years. The Accumulation Period starts on the Business Day that falls on, or next follows, the date the Purchase Payment is transferred into the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment and ends on the Monthly Contract Anniversary immediately prior to the last day of that Accumulation Period.
Annuitant — The person upon whose life continuation of any annuity payment depends.
Annuity Starting Date — Attainment of age 95, or at the discretion of the Owner of the Contract, a date that is at least ten years from the Effective Date of the Contract.
Business Day — Our "business day" is generally any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading and generally ends at 4.00 p.m. Eastern Time (or as of an earlier close of regular trading). A Business Day does not include a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is not open due to emergency conditions determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. We may also close early due to such emergency conditions.
Cash Value — The Contract's Fund Value, less (1) any applicable Surrender Charge, (2) any outstanding debt, and (3) any applicable Market Value Adjustment.
Code — The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Company — Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America, the issuer of the Contract. "We," "us," and "our" also refer to the Company.
Contract — The individual flexible payment variable annuity contract under which the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is available as an allocation option.
Contract Anniversary — An anniversary of the Effective Date of the Contract.
Contract Year — Any period of twelve (12) months commencing on the Effective Date and each Contract Anniversary hereafter.
Effective Date — The date the Contract begins as shown in the Contract.
Fund Value — The aggregate dollar value as of any Business Day of all amounts accumulated under each of the Subaccounts, the Guaranteed Interest Account, and the Loan Account of the Contract.
General Account — The General Account of the Company, which consists of all of the Company's assets other than those assets allocated to the Company's separate accounts.
Good Order — Instructions that we receive at the Operations Center within the prescribed time limits, if any, specified in the Contract for the transaction requested. The instructions must be on the appropriate form or in a form satisfactory to us that includes all the information necessary to execute the requested transaction, and must be signed by the individual authorized to make the transaction. To be in "Good Order," instructions must be sufficiently clear so that we do not need to exercise any discretion to follow such instructions and we must be able to execute the requisite orders.
Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment — An account which is part of the General Account.
Loan — Available under a Contract issued under Section 401(k) of the Code, subject to availability. To be considered a Loan: (1) the term must be no more than five years, (2) repayments must be at least quarterly and substantially level, and (3) the amount is limited to dollar amounts specified by the Code, not to exceed 50% of the Fund Value.
Loan Account — A part of the General Account where Fund Value is held as collateral for a Loan. An Owner may transfer Fund Value in the Subaccounts and/or Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment to the Loan Account.
Market Value Adjustment or MVA — An amount added to or deducted from the amount surrendered or transferred from the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment for Contracts issued in certain states.
Monthly Contract Anniversary — The date of each month corresponding to the Effective Date. For example, for a Contract with a June 15 Effective Date, the Monthly Contract Anniversary is the 15th of each month. If the Effective Date falls on the 29th, 30th or 31st day of a month, the Monthly Contract Anniversary will be the earlier of that day or the last day of the particular month in question.
Operations Center — 5788 Widewaters Parkway, Syracuse, New York 13214
3
Owner — The person so designated in the application to whom all rights, benefits, options, and privileges apply while the Annuitant is living. If a Contract has been absolutely assigned, the assignee becomes the Owner.
Purchase Payment — An amount paid to the Company by the Owner or on the Owner's behalf as consideration for the benefits provided by the Contract.
Subaccount — A division of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America Variable Account A, the separate account supporting the variable annuity portion of the Contracts.
Surrender Charge — A deferred sales load, expressed as a percentage of Fund Value surrendered.
2. Summary
This summary provides you with a brief overview of the more important aspects of the Contract's Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment. It is not intended to be complete. More detailed information is contained in this prospectus on the pages following this summary and in the Contract. This summary and the entire prospectus will describe only the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment. Other parts of the Contract are described in the Contract and in the prospectus for the variable annuity. Before allocating your Purchase Payments to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment, we urge you to read both prospectuses carefully.
Purpose of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment
The Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is designed to provide you with an opportunity to receive a guaranteed fixed rate of interest. You can choose the period of time over which the guaranteed fixed rate of interest will be paid. That period of time is known as the Accumulation Period.
The Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is also designed to provide you with the opportunity to transfer part or all of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment to the Subaccounts available to you under the Contract. It is also designed to provide you with the opportunity to surrender part or all of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment before the end of the Accumulation Period. If you ask us to transfer or surrender part or all of the Guaranteed Interest Account, we may apply an MVA. This adjustment may be positive, negative, or zero. A negative MVA can result in the loss of some or all of interest previously credited to you and the loss of a portion of the Purchase Payments you invested in the Contract.
Purchase Payments
The Purchase Payments you make for the Contract are received by the Company. Currently earnings on those Purchase Payments are not subject to taxes imposed by the U.S. Government or any state or local government.
You may allocate all or part of your Purchase Payments to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment.
The Accumulation Periods
There are 4 different Accumulation Periods currently available: a 3-year Accumulation Period, a 5-year Accumulation Period, a 7-year Accumulation Period and a 10-year Accumulation Period. You may allocate initial or additional Purchase Payments made under the Contract to one or more Accumulation Periods. You may also ask us to transfer Fund Values from the Subaccounts available under the Contract to one or more of the Accumulation Periods. There is no minimum amount required for allocation or transfer to an Accumulation Period. (See "Allocations to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment.")
Each Accumulation Period starts on the Business Day that falls on, or next follows, the date on which allocations are made and Purchase Payments are received or Fund Values are transferred. Each Accumulation Period ends on the Monthly Contract Anniversary immediately prior to the 3, 5, 7 or 10 year anniversary of the start of the Accumulation Period (the "Maturity Date"). This means that the Accumulation Period for a 3, 5, 7 or 10 year Accumulation Period may be up to 31 days shorter than 3, 5, 7 or 10 years, respectively. (See "Specified Interest Rates and the Accumulation Periods.")
Crediting of interest
The Company will credit amounts allocated to an Accumulation Period with interest at an annual rate not less than 3.50%. This interest rate is referred to as the "Specified Interest Rate." It will be credited for the duration of the Accumulation Period. Specified Interest Rates for each Accumulation Period are declared periodically at the sole discretion of the Company. (See "Specified Interest Rates and the Accumulation Periods.")
4
At least 15 days and at most 45 days prior to the Maturity Date, Owners having Fund Values allocated to such Accumulation Periods will be notified of the impending Maturity Date. Owners will then have the option of directing the surrender or transfer (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan) of the Fund Value within 30 days before the end of the Accumulation Period without application of any MVA.
The Specified Interest Rate will be credited to amounts allocated to an Accumulation Period, so long as such allocations are neither surrendered nor transferred prior to the Maturity Date. The Specified Interest Rate is credited daily, providing an annual effective yield. (See "Specified Interest Rates and the Accumulation Periods.")
The Market Value Adjustment
Amounts that are surrendered or transferred (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan) from an Accumulation Period more than 30 days before the Maturity Date will be subject to an MVA. An MVA will not apply upon annuitization or upon payment of a death benefit. The MVA is determined through the use of a factor, which is known as the MVA Factor. This factor is discussed in detail in the section entitled "The Market Value Adjustment." The MVA could cause an increase or decrease or no change at all in the amount of the distribution from an Accumulation Period.
Transfers, Surrenders and Loans
When you request that Fund Value in the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment be transferred to Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America Variable Account A, surrendered, loaned to you, or used to pay any charge imposed in accordance with the Contract, you should tell the Company the source of Fund Value, by Accumulation Period, of amounts to be transferred, surrendered, loaned, or used to pay charges. Except as described in the next sentence, we will not process the transaction unless you tell us the Accumulation Period(s) from which Fund Value should paid. If you do not specify an Accumulation Period, your transaction will be processed using the Accumulation Periods in the order in which money was most recently allocated.
Transfers
Transfers may be made from the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment at any time, but, if they are made before the end of the 3, 5, 7 or 10 year Accumulation Period there will be a Market Value Adjustment for Contracts issued in most states (except as described in the next sentence). If the transfer request is received in Good Order within 30 days before the end of the Accumulation Period, no Market Value Adjustment will apply. If multiple Accumulation Periods are in effect, your transfer request must specify from which Accumulation Period(s) we are to make the transfer.
Contracts issued in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Washington with Fund Value must maintain a minimum Fund Value in the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment of $2,500.
Surrenders
The Owner may elect to make a surrender of all or part of the Contract's Fund Value provided it is:
• on or before the Annuity Starting Date, and
• during the lifetime of the Annuitant.
Any such election shall specify the amount of the surrender. The surrender will be effective on the date a proper written request is received by the Company at its Operations Center in Good Order.
The amount of the surrender may be up to the Contract's Cash Value (a "full surrender"), which is its Fund Value less:
(1) any applicable Surrender Charge, and
(2) any applicable Market Value Adjustment, and
(3) any outstanding debt.
The surrender may also be for a lesser amount than the Cash Value (a "partial surrender"). Requested partial surrenders that would leave a Cash Value of less than $1,000 are treated and processed as a full surrender. In such case, the entire Cash Value will be paid to the Owner. For a partial surrender, any Surrender Charge or any applicable Market Value Adjustment will reduce the Fund Value in addition to the amount requested by the Owner. A partial surrender may reduce your death benefit proportionately by the same percentage that the surrender (including any Surrender Charge and any Market Value Adjustment, if applicable) reduced Fund Value.
5
A surrender will result in the cancellation of units of the particular Subaccounts (with respect to the variable annuity portion of the Contract) and/or the withdrawal of amounts credited to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment Accumulation Periods, as chosen by the Owner. The aggregate value of the surrender will be equal to the dollar amount of the surrender plus, if applicable, any Surrender Charge and any applicable Market Value Adjustment. For a partial surrender, the Company will cancel units of the particular Subaccounts (with respect to the variable annuity portion of the Contract) and withdraw amounts from the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment Accumulation Period under the allocation specified by the Owner. The unit value applicable to a surrender from the Subaccounts will be the unit value next determined after receipt of the surrender request in Good Order at our Operations Center. The Owner can specify partial surrender allocations by either amount or percentage. Allocations by percentage must be in whole percentages (totaling 100%). The minimum percentage of allocation for a partial surrender is 10% of any Subaccount or Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment designated by the Owner. The request will not be accepted if:
• there is insufficient Fund Value in the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment or a Subaccount to provide for the requested allocation against it, or
• the request is incomplete or incorrect or otherwise not in Good Order.
Any Surrender Charge will be allocated against the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment and each Subaccount in the same proportion that each allocation bears to the total amount of the partial surrender. Contracts issued in Maryland, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Washington must maintain a minimum Fund Value in the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment of $2,500.
The variable annuity prospectus fully describes the Surrender Charges. Please refer to the variable annuity prospectus for complete details regarding the Surrender Charges under the Contracts.
The amount of any surrender, death benefit, or transfer payable from Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America Variable Account A will be paid in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). However, the Company may be permitted to postpone such payment under the 1940 Act. Postponement is currently permissible only for any period during which:
(1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed other than customary weekend and holiday closings, or
(2) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or
(3) an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of securities held by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America Variable Account A is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable to determine the value of the net assets of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America Variable Account A.
Any surrender involving payment from amounts credited to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment may be postponed, at the option of the Company, for up to 6 months from the date the request for a surrender is received by the Company in Good Order. Surrenders involving payment from the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment may in certain circumstances and in certain states also be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, in addition to a Surrender Charge.
The tax results of a surrender should be carefully considered. (See "Federal tax status.")
Please note: If mandated under applicable law, we may be required to reject a Purchase Payment. In addition, we may also be required to block an Owner's account and thereby refuse to honor any request for transfers, partial surrenders, Loans or death benefits until instructions are secured from the appropriate regulator. We may also be required to provide additional information about your account to government regulators.
Loans
Qualified Contracts issued under Section 401(k) under the Code will have a loan provision (except in the case of Contracts issued in Vermont) under which a Loan can be taken using the Contract as collateral for the Loan. All of the following conditions apply in order for the amount to be considered a loan, rather than a (taxable) partial surrender:
• The term of the Loan generally must be 5 years or less.
• Repayments are required at least quarterly and must be substantially level.
• The Loan amount is limited to certain dollar amounts as specified by the IRS.
6
The Owner (which is the plan trustee, for a Qualified Contract) must certify that these conditions are satisfied. Loans could have tax consequences. (See "Federal tax status.")
In any event, the maximum outstanding Loan on a Contract is 50% of the Fund Value in the Subaccounts and/or the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment. Loans are not permitted before the end of the right to return contract period. In requesting a Loan, the Owner must specify the Subaccounts from which Fund Value equal to the amount of the Loan requested will be taken. Loans from the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment are not taken until Fund Value in the Subaccounts is exhausted. If in order to provide the Owner with the amount of the Loan requested, and Fund Values must be taken from the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment, then the Owner must specify the Accumulation Periods from which Fund Values equal to such amount will be taken. If the Owner fails to specify Subaccounts and Accumulation Periods, the request for a Loan will be returned to the Owner.
Values are transferred to a Loan Account that earns interest at an annual rate of 3.50%. The annual loan interest rate charged on outstanding Loans will be 6% in arrears. Thus, the annual net cost of the loan is 2.50%. Any interest not paid when due will be added to the Loan balance and bear interest at the 6% annual rate.
Loan repayments must be specifically earmarked as loan repayment and will be allocated to the Subaccounts and/or the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment using the most recent payment allocation on record. Otherwise, we will treat the payment as a net Purchase Payment.
Death benefit
Upon payment of a death benefit, if there are funds allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment at the time of death, any applicable Market Value Adjustment will be waived.
Other provisions of the Contract
This summary and this prospectus do not describe the other provisions of the Contract. Please refer to the separate prospectus concerning the variable annuity portion of the Contract and to the Contract itself for the details of these provisions.
3. Risk factors
Potential purchasers should carefully consider the Company's risk factors described in this section as well as the other information contained in this prospectus before allocating Purchase Payments or Fund Values to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment offered herein. Such risk factors relate to the Company's claims-paying ability and financial strength, upon which payments from the Company's General Account depend. They include:
(i) Real estate-related risks. The risk of losses on real estate and commercial mortgage loans held in our General Account,
(ii) General investment portfolio risks. Other risks relating to the Company's investment portfolio (e.g., especially fixed-income securities) that could affect the profitability of the Company,
(iii) Interest rate risks. The risk that interest rate changes could make certain of the Company's products less profitable to the Company or less attractive to customers,
(iv) Litigation risks. Risks with respect to certain sales practice litigation that could result in substantial judgments against the Company,
(v) Risk of significant contract surrenders. The risk of increased surrenders of certain annuities as the Surrender Charges with respect to such annuities expire that could eliminate sources of revenues (charges under the annuities) and/or exhaust the Company's liquid assets and force the Company to liquidate other assets, perhaps on unfavorable terms,
(vi) Claims experience risks. The risk of variations in claims experience that could be different than the assumptions management used in pricing the Company's products,
(vii) Insurance regulatory risk. Risks related to certain insurance regulatory matters — i.e., that certain issues raised during examinations of the Company could have a material impact on the Company,
(viii) Ratings risks. Risks with respect to claims paying ability ratings and financial strength ratings that could adversely affect the Company's ability to compete, and
7
(ix) Federal income tax legislation risks. Risks of potential adoption of new federal income tax legislation that could adversely affect the Company and its ability to compete with non-insurance products and the demand for certain insurance products.
4. Description of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment
General
The Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is an allocation option available under certain variable annuity contracts issued by the Company. Not all of the variable annuity contracts issued by the Company offer the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment, nor is the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment available in every state or jurisdiction. The Contract that offers the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment clearly discloses whether the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is available as an allocation choice to the Owner. If the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is available under a variable annuity issued by the Company, the prospectus for the variable annuity contract and this prospectus must be read carefully together in the same manner that prospectuses for underlying mutual funds in a variable annuity must be read with the prospectus for the Contracts.
The guarantees associated with the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment are made exclusively by the Company. The guarantees associated with the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment are legal obligations of the Company. Fund Values allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment are held in the General Account of the Company. Amounts allocated to the General Account of the Company are subject to the liabilities arising from the business the Company conducts. The Company has sole investment discretion over the investment of the assets of its General Account. Owners having allocated amounts to a particular Accumulation Period of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment, however, will have no claim against any particular assets of the Company.
The Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment provides for a Specified Interest Rate, which is a guaranteed interest rate that will be credited as long as any amount allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is not distributed for any reason prior to the Maturity Date of the particular Accumulation Period chosen by the Owner. Generally, a 3-year Accumulation Period offers guaranteed interest at a Specified Interest Rate over three years, a 5-year Accumulation Period offers guaranteed interest at a Specified Interest Rate over five years, and so on. Because the Maturity Date is the Monthly Contract Anniversary immediately prior to the 3, 5, 7 or 10 year anniversary of the start of the Accumulation Period, the Accumulation Period may be up to 31 days shorter than the 3, 5, 7 or 10 years, respectively.
Although the Specified Interest Rate will continue to be credited as long as Fund Value remains in an Accumulation Period of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment prior to the Maturity Date of that Accumulation Period, surrenders or transfers (including transfers to the Loan Account as a result of a request by the Owner for a Loan) will be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, as described below. Market Value Adjustments do not apply upon annuitization or upon payment of a death benefit.
Allocations to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment
There are three sources from which allocations to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment may be made:
(1) an initial Purchase Payment made under a Contract may be wholly or partially allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment;
(2) a subsequent or additional Purchase Payment made under a Contract may be partially or wholly allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment; and
(3) amounts transferred from Subaccounts available under the Contract may be wholly or partially allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment.
There is no minimum amount of any allocation of either Purchase Payments or transfers of Fund Value to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment. The Contract provides that the prior approval of the Company is required before it will accept a Purchase Payment where, with that Purchase Payment, cumulative Purchase Payments made under the Contract held by the Owner, less the amount of any prior partial surrenders and their Surrender Charges, the MVA, and any debt, exceed $1,500,000. This limit applies to the aggregate of Fund Values in the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment, the Subaccounts and the Loan Account of the Contract.
8
Specified Interest Rates and the Accumulation Periods
Specified Interest Rates
The Specified Interest Rate, at any given time, is the rate of interest guaranteed by the Company to be credited to allocations made to the Accumulation Period for the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment chosen by the Owner, so long as no portion of the allocation is distributed for any reason prior to the Maturity Date of the Accumulation Period. Different Specified Interest Rates may be established for the four different Accumulation Periods which are currently available (3, 5, 7 and 10 years).
The Company declares Specified Interest Rates for each of the available Accumulation Periods from time to time. Normally, new Specified Interest Rates will be declared monthly; however, depending on interest rate fluctuations, declarations of new Specified Interest Rates may occur more or less frequently. The Company observes no specific method in the establishment of the Specified Interest Rates, but generally will attempt to declare Specified Interest Rates which are related to interest rates associated with fixed-income investments available at the time and having durations and cash flow attributes compatible with the Accumulation Periods then available for the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment. In addition, the establishment of Specified Interest Rates may be influenced by other factors, including competitive considerations, administrative costs and general economic trends. The Company has no way of predicting what Specified Interest Rates may be declared in the future and there is no guarantee that the Specified Interest Rate for any of the Accumulation Periods will exceed the guaranteed minimum effective annual interest rate of 3.50%. Owners bear the risk that the Specified Interest Rate will not exceed the guaranteed minimum rate.
The period of time during which a particular Specified Interest Rate is in effect for new allocations to the then available Accumulation Periods is referred to as the "Investment Period." All allocations made to an Accumulation Period during an Investment Period are credited with the Specified Interest Rate in effect. An Investment Period ends only when a new Specified Interest Rate relative to the Accumulation Period in question is declared. Subsequent declarations of new Specified Interest Rates have no effect on allocations made to Accumulation Periods during prior Investment Periods. All such prior allocations will be credited with the Specified Interest Rate in effect when the allocation was made for the duration of the Accumulation Period selected.
Information concerning the Specified Interest Rates in effect for the various Accumulation Periods can be obtained by calling the Company at the toll free telephone number: (800) 487-6669 or contacting your financial professional.
The Specified Interest Rate is credited on a daily basis to allocations made to an Accumulation Period elected by the Owner, resulting in an annual effective yield which is guaranteed by the Company, unless amounts are surrendered, transferred or paid out on death of Annuitant from that Accumulation Period for any reason prior to the Maturity Date for that Accumulation Period. The Specified Interest Rate will be credited for the entire Accumulation Period. Except as described in the next sentence, if amounts are surrendered or transferred from the Accumulation Period for any reason prior to the Maturity Date, a Market Value Adjustment will be applied to the amount surrendered or transferred. However, if the transfer or surrender request is received in Good Order within 30 days before the end of the Accumulation Period, no Market Value Adjustment will apply.
Accumulation Periods
For each Accumulation Period, the Specified Interest Rate in effect at the time of the allocation to that Accumulation Period is guaranteed. An Accumulation Period always ends on a Maturity Date, which is the Monthly Contract Anniversary immediately prior to the 3, 5, 7 or 10 year anniversary of the start of the Accumulation Period. Therefore, the Specified Interest Rate may be credited for up to 31 days less than the full 3, 5, 7 or 10 years.
For example, if the Effective Date of a Contract is August 10, 2020 and an allocation is made to a 10 year Accumulation Period on August 15, 2020 and the funds for a new Purchase Payment are received in Good Order on that day, the Accumulation Period will begin on August 15, 2020 and end on August 10, 2030, during which period the Specified Interest Rate will be credited.
All Accumulation Periods for the 3, 5, 7 and 10 year Accumulation Periods, respectively, will be determined in a manner consistent with the foregoing example.
We reserve the right to change the Accumulation Periods offered.
End of Accumulation Periods
At least fifteen days and at most forty-five days prior to the end of an Accumulation Period, the Company will send notice to the Owner of the impending Maturity Date. The notice will include the projected Fund Value held in the
9
Accumulation Period on the Maturity Date and will specify the various options Owners may exercise with respect to the Accumulation Period:
(1) During the thirty-day period before the Maturity Date, the Owner may wholly or partially surrender the Fund Value held in that Accumulation Period without a Market Value Adjustment; however, Surrender Charges under the Contract, if applicable, will be assessed.
(2) During the thirty-day period before the Maturity Date, the Owner may wholly or partially transfer the Fund Value held in that Accumulation Period, without a Market Value Adjustment, to any Subaccount then available under the Contract or may elect that the Fund Value held in that Accumulation Period be held for an additional Accumulation Period of the same number of years or for another Accumulation Period of a different number of years which may at the time be available. A confirmation of any such transfer or election will be sent immediately after the transfer or election is processed.
(3) If the Owner does not make an election within thirty days following the Maturity Date, the entire Fund Value held in the maturing Accumulation Period will be transferred to an Accumulation Period of the same number of years as the Accumulation Period which matured. The start of the new Accumulation Period is the ending date of the previous Accumulation Period. However, if that period would extend beyond the Annuity Starting Date of the Contract or if that period is not then made available by the Company, the Fund Value held in the maturing Accumulation Period will be automatically transferred to the Money Market Subaccount at the end of the Maturity Period. A confirmation will be sent immediately after the automatic transfer is executed.
During the thirty-day period prior to the Maturity Date, and prior to any of the transactions set forth in (1), (2), or (3) above, the Specified Value held in the maturing Accumulation Period will continue to be credited with the Specified Interest Rate in effect before the Maturity Date.
The Market Value Adjustment
General information regarding the MVA
A surrender or transfer (including a transfer to the Loan Account as a result of a request by the Owner for a Loan) from the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment prior to thirty-day period before the Maturity Date of that particular Accumulation Period will be subject to a Market Value Adjustment. A Market Value Adjustment will not apply upon annuitization or upon payment of a death benefit. The Market Value Adjustment is determined by the multiplication of an MVA Factor (see "The MVA Factor" below) by the Specified Value, or the portion of the Specified Value being surrendered or transferred (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan). The Specified Value is the amount of the allocation of Purchase Payments and transfers of Fund Value to an Accumulation Period of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment, plus interest accrued at the Specified Interest Rate minus prior distributions. The Market Value Adjustment may either increase, decrease, or have no impact on the amount of the distribution. It will not apply to requests for transfer or full or partial surrenders received at our Operations Center in Good Order within 30 days before the end of the applicable Accumulation Period.
The Market Value Adjustment is intended to approximate, without duplicating, the experience of the Company when it liquidates assets in order to satisfy contractual obligations. Such obligations arise when Owners request surrenders or transfers (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan). When liquidating assets, the Company may realize either a gain or a loss.
If prevailing interest rates are higher at the time of a surrender or transfer (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan) than the Specified Interest Rate in effect at the time the Accumulation Period commences, the Company will realize a loss when it liquidates assets in order to process a surrender or transfer (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan); therefore, application of the Market Value Adjustment under such circumstances will decrease the amount of the surrender or transfer (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan).
Generally, if prevailing interest rates are lower than the Specified Interest Rate in effect at the time the Accumulation Period commences, the Company will realize a gain when it liquidates assets in order to process a surrender or transfer (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan); therefore, application of the MVA under such circumstances will generally increase the amount of the surrender or transfer (including transfers for the purpose of obtaining a Loan).
The Company measures the relationship between prevailing interest rates and the Specified Interest Rates it declares through the MVA Factor. The MVA Factor is described more fully below.
10
The MVA Factor
The formula for determining the MVA Factor is:
[(1+a)/(1+b)]/((n-t)/12)/-1
Where:
a |
= |
the Specified Interest Rate for the Accumulation Period from which the surrender, transfer or Loan is to be taken; |
|||||||||
b |
= |
the Specified Interest Rate declared at the time a surrender or transfer is requested for an Accumulation Period equal to the time remaining in the Accumulation Period from which the surrender or transfer (including transfer to the Loan Account as a result of a request by the Owner for a Loan) is requested, plus 0.25%; |
|||||||||
n |
= |
the length of the Accumulation Period from which the surrender or transfer occurs in months; and |
|||||||||
t |
= |
the number of elapsed months (or portion thereof) in the Accumulation Period from which the surrender or transfer occurs. |
If an Accumulation Period equal to the time remaining is not issued by the Company, the rate will be an interpolation between two available Accumulation Periods. If two such Accumulation Periods are not available, we will use the rate for the next closest available Accumulation Period.
If the Company is no longer declaring rates on new payments, we will use U.S. Treasury yields adjusted for investment risk as the basis for the Market Value Adjustment.
The MVA Factor shown above also accounts for some of the administrative and processing expenses incurred when fixed-interest investments are liquidated. This is represented in the addition of 0.25% in the MVA Factor.
The MVA Factor will be multiplied by that portion of the Fund Value being surrendered, transferred, or distributed for any other reason. If the result is greater than 0, a gain will be realized by the Owner; if less than 0, a loss will be realized. If the MVA Factor is exactly 0, no gain or loss will be realized by the Owner.
Contract charges
The Contracts under which the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is made available have various fees and charges, some of which may be assessed against allocations made to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment.
Surrender Charges, if applicable, will be assessed against full or partial surrenders from the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment. If any such surrender occurs prior to the thirty-day period before the Maturity Date for any particular Accumulation Period elected by the Owner, the amount surrendered will be subject to a Market Value Adjustment in addition to Surrender Charges. The variable annuity prospectus fully describes the Surrender Charges. Please refer to the variable annuity prospectus for complete details regarding the Surrender Charges under the Contracts.
Mortality and expense risk charges which may be assessed under Contracts will not be assessed against any allocation to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment. Such charges apply only to the Fund Value allocated to the Subaccounts.
Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment at annuitization
On the Annuity Starting Date, the Contract's Cash Value, including the Specified Value of all Accumulation Periods of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment, will be applied to provide an annuity or any other option previously chosen by the Owner and permitted by the Company. Because the Annuity Starting Date will always coincide with or follow the Maturity Date of any Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment, no Market Value Adjustment will apply at annuitization. For more information about annuitization and annuity options, please refer to the prospectus for the variable annuity portion of the Contract and to the Contract itself.
5. Federal tax status
Introduction
The following discussion of the federal income tax treatment of the Contract is not exhaustive, does not purport to cover all situations, and is not intended as tax advice. The federal income tax treatment of the Contract is unclear in
11
certain circumstances, and you should always consult a qualified tax adviser regarding the application of law to individual circumstances. This discussion is based on the Code, Treasury Department regulations, and interpretations existing on the date of this prospectus. These authorities, however, are subject to change by Congress, the Treasury Department, and judicial decisions.
This discussion does not address Federal estate, gift, or generation skipping transfer taxes, or any state or local tax consequences associated with the purchase of the Contract. In addition, the Company makes no guarantee regarding any tax treatment — federal, state or local — of any Contract or of any transaction involving a Contract.
The Company's Tax Status
The Company is taxed as a life insurance company under the Code. The assets underlying the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment are owned by the Company, and the income derived from such assets will be includible in the Company's income for federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of annuities in general
Tax deferral during Accumulation Period
Under existing provisions of the Code, except as described below, any increase in an Owner's Fund Value is generally not taxable to the Owner until received, either in the form of annuity payments as contemplated by the Contracts, or in some other form of distribution.
Nonnatural Owner
As a general rule, Contracts held by "nonnatural persons" such as a corporation, trust or other similar entity, as opposed to a natural person, are not treated as annuity contracts for federal tax purposes. The income on such Contracts (as defined in the tax law) is taxed as ordinary income that is received or accrued by the Owner of the Contract during the taxable year. There are several exceptions to this general rule for nonnatural Owners. First, Contracts will generally be treated as held by a natural person if the nominal owner is a trust or other entity which holds the Contract as an agent for a natural person. Thus, if a group Contract is held by a trust or other entity as an agent for certificate owners who are individuals, those individuals should be treated as owning an annuity for federal income tax purposes. However, this special exception will not apply in the case of any employer who is the nominal owner of a Contract under a non-qualified deferred compensation arrangement for its employees.
In addition, exceptions to the general rule for nonnatural Owners will apply with respect to:
(1) Contracts acquired by an estate of a decedent by reason of the death of the decedent;
(2) certain Qualified Contracts;
(3) Contracts purchased by employers upon the termination of certain Qualified Plans;
(4) certain Contracts used in connection with structured settlement agreements; and
(5) Contracts purchased with a single purchase payment when the annuity starting date is no later than a year from purchase of the Contract and substantially equal periodic payments are made, not less frequently than annually, during the annuity period.
Delayed annuity payment dates
If the date annuity payments start under the Contract occurs (or is scheduled to occur) at a time when the Annuitant has reached an advanced age (e.g., past age 95), it is possible that the Contract would not be treated as an annuity for federal income tax purposes. In that event, the income and gains under the Contract could be currently includable in the Owner's income.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Contract will be treated as an annuity contract for federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of surrenders and partial surrenders
In the case of a partial surrender, amounts you receive are generally includable in income to the extent your "cash surrender value" before the partial surrender exceeds your "investment in the contract" (defined below). All amounts includable in income with respect to the Contract are taxed as ordinary income; no amounts are taxed at the special lower rates applicable to long term capital gains and corporate dividends. Amounts received under an automatic partial surrender plan are treated for tax purposes as partial surrenders, not annuity payments. In the case of a surrender, amounts received are includable in income to the extent they exceed the "investment in the contract." For
12
these purposes, the "investment in the contract" at any time equals the total of the Purchase Payments made under the Contract to that time (to the extent such payments were neither deductible when made nor excludable from income as, for example, in the case of certain contributions to Qualified Contracts) less any amounts previously received from the Contract which were not includable in income.
As described in the prospectus for the variable annuity portion of the Contract, the cost of the enhanced death benefit option is reflected in the mortality and expense risk charge. It is possible that the portion of the mortality and expense risk charge that represents the cost of the enhanced death benefit option could be treated for federal tax purposes as a partial surrender from the Contract. If the Contract has additional riders, charges (or some portion thereof) for such riders could be treated for federal tax purposes as partial surrenders from the Contract.
There is some uncertainty regarding the treatment of the Market Value Adjustment for purposes of determining the amount includible in income as a result of any partial surrender, surrender, assignment, pledge, or transfer without adequate consideration. Congress has given the IRS regulatory authority to address this uncertainty. However, as of the date of this Prospectus, the IRS has not issued any regulations addressing these determinations.
Surrenders and partial surrenders may be subject to a 10% penalty tax. (See "Penalty Tax on Premature Distributions.") Surrenders and partial surrenders may also be subject to federal income tax withholding requirements. (See "Federal Income Tax Withholding.")
Taxation of annuity payments
Normally, the portion of each annuity income payment taxable as ordinary income equals the excess of the payment over the exclusion amount. The exclusion amount is determined by multiplying (1) the payment by (2) the ratio of the "investment in the contract" (defined above) you allocate to the settlement option, adjusted for any period certain or refund feature, to the total expected amount of annuity income payments for the term of the Contract (determined under Treasury Department regulations).
Once the total amount of the investment in the contract is excluded using the above formula, annuity income payments will be fully taxable. If annuity income payments cease because of the death of the Annuitant and before the total amount of the investment in the contract is recovered, the unrecovered amount generally will be allowed as a deduction.
There may be special income tax issues present in situations where the Owner and the Annuitant are not the same person and are not married to one another within the meaning of federal law. You should consult a tax advisor in those situations.
Annuity income payments may be subject to federal income tax withholding requirements. (See "Federal Income Tax Withholding.")
Taxation of proceeds payable upon death
Prior to the date annuity payments start, we may distribute amounts from a Contract because of the death of an Owner or, in certain circumstances, the death of the Annuitant. Such proceeds are includable in income as follows:
(1) if distributed in a lump sum or under Settlement Option 1 (described in the variable annuity prospectus), they are taxed in the same manner as a surrender, as described above; or
(2) if distributed under Settlement Options 2, 3, 3A, or 4 (described in the variable annuity prospectus), they are taxed in the same manner as annuity income payments, as described above.
After the date annuity payments start, if a guaranteed period exists under a life income settlement option and the payee dies before the end of that period, payments we make to the Beneficiary for the remainder of that period are includable in income as follows:
(1) if received in a lump sum, they are included in income to the extent that they exceed the unrecovered investment in the contract at that time; or
(2) if distributed in accordance with the existing settlement option selected, they are fully excluded from income until the remaining investment in the contract is deemed to be recovered, and all annuity income payments thereafter are fully includable in income.
Proceeds payable on death may be subject to federal income tax withholding requirements. (See "Federal Income Tax Withholding.")
13
The Company may be liable for payment of the generation skipping transfer tax under certain circumstances. In the event that the Company determines that such liability exists, an amount necessary to pay the generation skipping transfer tax may be subtracted from the proceeds.
Assignments, pledges, and gratuitous transfers
Other than in the case of Qualified Contracts (which generally cannot be assigned or pledged), any assignment or pledge of (or agreement to assign or pledge) any portion of the Fund Value is treated for federal income tax purposes as a partial surrender of such amount or portion. If the entire Fund Value is assigned or pledged, subsequent increases in the Fund Value are also treated as partial surrenders for as long as the assignment or pledge remains in place. The investment in the contract is increased by the amount included in income with respect to such assignment or pledge, though it is not affected by any other aspect of the assignment or pledge (including its release). If an Owner transfers a Contract without adequate consideration to a person other than the Owner's spouse (or to a former spouse incident to divorce), the Owner will be required to include in income the difference between the "cash surrender value" and the investment in the contract at the time of transfer. In such case, the transferee's "investment in the contract" will increase to reflect the increase in the transferor's income. The exceptions for transfers to the Owner's spouse (or to a former spouse) are limited to individuals that are treated as spouses under federal law.
Penalty tax on premature distributions
Where we have not issued the Contract in connection with a Qualified Plan, there generally is a 10% penalty tax on the amount of any payment from the Contract, e.g., surrenders, partial surrenders, annuity payments, death proceeds, assignments, pledges and gratuitous transfers, that is includable in income unless the payment is:
(a) received on or after the Owner reaches age 591/2;
(b) attributable to the Owner's becoming disabled (as defined in the tax law);
(c) made on or after the death of the Owner or, if the Owner is not an individual, on or after the death of the primary annuitant (as defined in the tax law);
(d) made as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments (not less frequently than annually) for the life (or life expectancy) of the Owner or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the Owner and a designated beneficiary (as defined in the tax law); or
(e) made under a Contract purchased with a single Purchase Payment when the annuity starting date is no later than a year from purchase of the Contract and substantially equal periodic payments are made, not less frequently than annually, during the annuity period.
Certain other exceptions to the 10% penalty tax not described herein also may apply. (Similar rules, discussed below, apply in the case of certain Qualified Contracts.)
Aggregation of Contracts
In certain circumstances, the IRS may determine the amount of an annuity income payment, a partial surrender, or a surrender from a Contract that is includable in income by combining some or all of the annuity contracts a person owns that were not issued in connection with Qualified Plans. For example, if a person purchases a Contract offered by this Prospectus and also purchases at approximately the same time an immediate annuity issued by the Company (or its affiliates), the IRS may treat the two contracts as one contract. In addition, if a person purchases two or more deferred annuity contracts from the same insurance company (or its affiliates) during any calendar year, all such contracts will be treated as one contract for purposes of determining whether any payment that was not received as an annuity (including surrenders prior to the date annuity payments start) is includable in income. The effects of such aggregation are not always clear; however, it could affect the amount of a partial surrender, surrender, or an annuity payment that is taxable and the amount which might be subject to the 10% penalty tax described above.
Medicare Hospital Insurance Tax on Certain Distributions
A Medicare hospital insurance tax of 3.8% will apply to some types of investment income. This tax will apply to all taxable distributions from non-Qualified Contracts. This tax only applies to taxpayers with "modified adjusted gross income" above $250,000 in the case of married couples filing jointly or a qualifying widow(er) with dependent child, $125,000 in the case of married couples filing separately, and $200,000 for all others. For more information regarding this tax and whether it may apply to you, please consult your tax advisor.
14
Loss of interest deduction where contract is held by or for the benefit of certain nonnatural persons
In the case of Contracts issued after June 8, 1997, to a nonnatural taxpayer (such as a corporation or a trust), or held for the benefit of such an entity, that entity's general interest deduction under the Code may be limited. More specifically, a portion of its otherwise deductible interest may not be deductible by the entity, regardless of whether the interest relates to debt used to purchase or carry the Contract. However, this interest deduction disallowance does not affect Contracts where the income on such Contracts is treated as ordinary income that the Owner received or accrued during the taxable year. Entities that have purchased the Contract, or entities that will be beneficiaries under a Contract, should consult a tax adviser.
Qualified retirement plans
In general
The Contracts are also designed for use in connection with certain types of retirement plans which receive favorable treatment under the Code. Many Qualified Plans provide the same type of tax deferral as provided by the Contract. The Contract, however, provides a number of benefits and features not provided by such retirement plans and employee benefits plans or arrangements alone. Numerous special tax rules apply to the participants in Qualified Plans and to Contracts used in connection with Qualified Plans. Therefore, we make no attempt in this prospectus to provide more than general information about use of the Contract with the various types of Qualified Plans. State income tax rules applicable to Qualified Plans and Qualified Contracts often differ from federal income tax rules, and this prospectus does not describe any of these differences. Those who intend to use the Contract in connection with Qualified Plans should seek competent advice.
The tax rules applicable to Qualified Plans vary according to the type of plan and the terms and conditions of the plan itself. For example, for surrenders, automatic partial surrenders, partial surrenders, and annuity income payments under Qualified Contracts, there may be no "investment in the contract" and the total amount received may be taxable. Both the amount of the contribution that you and/or your employer may make, and the tax deduction or exclusion that you and/ or your employer may claim for such contribution, are limited under Qualified Plans.
Required Minimum Distributions In General
In the case of Qualified Contracts, special tax rules apply to the time at which distributions must commence and the form in which the distributions must be paid. For example, the length of any guarantee period may be limited in some circumstances to satisfy certain minimum distribution requirements under the Code. Furthermore, failure to comply with minimum distribution requirements applicable to Qualified Plans will result in the imposition of an excise tax. This excise tax generally equals 50% of the amount by which a minimum required distribution exceeds the actual distribution from the Qualified Plan. Distributions of minimum amounts (as specified in the tax law) must commence from Qualified Plans by the "required beginning date." In the case of Individual Retirement Accounts or Annuities (IRAs), this generally means April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Owner attains age 72 (age 701/2 for Owners born before July 1, 1949). In the case of certain other Qualified Plans, distributions of such minimum amounts must generally commence by the later of this date or April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the employee retires. The death benefit under your Contract and certain other benefits that the IRS may characterize as "other benefits" for purposes of the regulations under Code Section 401(a)(9), may increase the amount of the minimum required distribution that must be taken from your Contract.
Required Minimum Distributions Upon Your Death
Upon your death under an IRA, Roth IRA or other employer sponsored defined contribution plan, any remaining interest must be distributed in accordance with federal income tax requirements under Section 401(a)(9) of the Code. The death benefit provisions of your Qualified Contract shall be interpreted to comply with those requirements. The post-death distribution requirements were amended, applicable generally with respect to deaths occurring after 2019, by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act), which was part of the larger Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020. The post-death distribution requirements under prior law continue to apply in certain circumstances.
• Prior law. Under prior law, if an employee under an employer sponsored plan or the owner of an IRA dies prior to the required beginning date, the remaining interest must be distributed (1) within 5 years after the death (the "5-year rule"), or (2) over the life of the designated beneficiary, or over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of the designated beneficiary, provided that such distributions commence within one year after death (the "lifetime payout rule"). If the employee or IRA owner dies on or after the required beginning date (including after the date distributions have commenced in the form of an annuity), the remaining interest must be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death (the "at-least-as-rapidly rule").
15
• The new law. Under the new law, if you die after 2019, and you have a designated beneficiary, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after your death, unless the designated beneficiary is an "eligible designated beneficiary" ("EDB") or some other exception applies. A designated beneficiary is any individual designated as a beneficiary by the employee or IRA owner. An EDB is any designated beneficiary who is (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your minor child, (3) disabled, (4) chronically ill, or (5) an individual not more than 10 years younger than you. An individual's status as an EDB is determined on the date of your death. However, please note that contracts issued by the Company do not allow individual beneficiaries who are EDBs solely by virtue of being your minor children to stretch post-death required minimum distribution payments over their lives or life expectancies.
This 10-year post-death distribution period applies regardless of whether you die before your required beginning date or you die on or after that date (including after distributions have commenced in the form of an annuity). However, if the beneficiary is an EDB and the EDB dies before the entire interest is distributed under this 10-year rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB's death (i.e., a new 10-year distribution period begins).
Instead of taking distributions under the new 10-year rule, an EDB can stretch distributions over life, or over a period not extending beyond life expectancy, provided that such distributions commence within one year of your death, subject to certain special rules. In particular, if the EDB dies before the remaining interest is distributed under this stretch rule, the remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after the EDB's death (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years). In addition, if your minor child is an EDB, the child will cease to be an EDB on the date the child reaches the age of majority, and any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years after that date (regardless of whether the remaining distribution period under the stretch rule was more or less than 10 years).
If your beneficiary is not an individual, such as a charity, your estate, or in some cases a trust, any remaining interest after your death generally must be distributed under prior law in accordance with the 5-year rule or the at-least-as-rapidly rule, as applicable (but not the lifetime payout rule). However, if your beneficiary is a trust and all the beneficiaries of the trust are individuals, the new law may apply pursuant to special rules that treat the beneficiaries of the trust as designated beneficiaries, including special rules allowing a beneficiary of a trust who is disabled or chronically ill to stretch the distribution of their interest over their life or life expectancy in some cases. You may wish to consult a professional tax advisor about the federal income tax consequences of your beneficiary designations, particularly if a trust is involved.
More generally, the new law applies if you die after 2019, subject to several exceptions. In particular, if you are an employee under a governmental plan, such as a governmental 457(b) plan, the new law applies to your interest in that plan if you die after 2021. In addition, if your plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements, the new law generally applies to your interest in that plan if you die after 2021 (unless the collective bargaining agreements terminate earlier).
In addition, the new post-death distribution requirements generally do not apply if the employee or IRA owner died prior to January 1, 2020. However, if the designated beneficiary of the deceased employee or IRA owner dies after January 1, 2020, any remaining interest must be distributed within 10 years of the designated beneficiary's death. Hence, this 10-year rule generally will apply to (1) a contract issued prior to 2020 which continues to be held by a designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020, and (2) an inherited IRA issued after 2019 to the designated beneficiary of an employee or IRA owner who died prior to 2020.
It is important to note that under prior law, annuity payments that commenced under a method that satisfied the distribution requirements while the employee or IRA owner was alive could continue to be made under that method after the death of the employee or IRA owner. Under the new law, however, if you commence taking distributions in the form of an annuity that can continue after your death, such as in the form of a joint and survivor annuity or an annuity with a guaranteed period of more than 10 years, any distributions after your death that are scheduled to be made beyond the applicable distribution period imposed under the new law might need to be accelerated at the end of that period (or otherwise modified after your death if permitted under federal tax law and by the Company) in order to comply with the new post-death distribution requirements.
As a general matter, however, the new post-death distribution requirements do not apply if annuity payments that comply with prior law commenced prior to December 20, 2019. Also, even if annuity payments have not commenced prior to December 20, 2019, the new requirements generally do not apply to certain annuity
16
payments, if you have made an irrevocable election before that date as to the method and amount of the annuity.
• Spousal continuation. Under the new law, as under prior law, if your beneficiary is your spouse, your surviving spouse can delay the application of the post-death distribution requirements until after your surviving spouse's death by transferring the remaining interest tax-free to your surviving spouse's own IRA, or by treating your IRA as your surviving spouse's own IRA.
The post-death distribution requirements are complex and unclear in numerous respects. The Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of the Treasury have issued very little guidance on the new law. In addition, the manner in which these requirements will apply will depend on your particular facts and circumstances. You may wish to consult a professional tax adviser for tax advice as to your particular situation.
Additional Tax on Premature Distributions
There may be a 10% additional tax on the taxable amount of payments from certain Qualified Contracts. There are exceptions to this additional tax which vary depending on the type of Qualified Plan. In the case of an IRA, exceptions provide that the additional tax does not apply to a payment:
(a) received on or after the date the Owner reaches age 591/2;
(b) received on or after the Owner's death or because of the Owner's disability (as defined in the tax law); or
(c) made as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments (not less frequently than annually) for the life (or life expectancy) of the Owner or for the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the Owner and his designated beneficiary (as defined in the tax law).
These exceptions generally apply to taxable distributions from other Qualified Plans (although, in the case of plans qualified under section 401, exception "c" above for substantially equal periodic payments applies only if the Owner has separated from service). In addition, the additional tax does not apply to certain distributions from IRAs which are used for qualified first time home purchases, for qualified higher education expenses, or in the case of a qualified birth or adoption. You must meet special conditions to be eligible for these three exceptions to the penalty tax. Those wishing to take a distribution from an IRA for these purposes should consult their tax advisor. Certain other exceptions to the 10% additional tax not described herein also may apply.
Other Considerations
When issued in connection with a Qualified Plan, we will amend a Contract as generally necessary to conform to the requirements of the plan. However, Owners, Annuitants, and Beneficiaries are cautioned that the rights of any person to any benefits under Qualified Plans may be subject to the terms and conditions of the plans themselves, regardless of the terms and conditions of the Contract. In addition, the Company shall not be bound by terms and conditions of Qualified Plans to the extent such terms and conditions contradict the Contract, unless the Company consents.
Following are brief descriptions of various types of Qualified Plans in connection with which the Company may issue a Contract.
Individual Retirement Accounts and Annuities
Section 408 of the Code permits eligible individuals to contribute to an individual retirement program known as an IRA. If you use this Contract in connection with an IRA, the Owner and Annuitant generally must be the same individual and generally may not be changed. IRAs are subject to limits on the amounts that may be contributed and deducted, on the persons who may be eligible, and on the time when distributions must commence. Also, subject to the direct rollover and mandatory withholding requirements (discussed below), you may "roll over" distributions from certain Qualified Plans on a tax-deferred basis into an IRA.
However, you may not use the Contract in connection with a "Coverdell Education Savings Account" (formerly known as an "Education IRA") under Section 530 of the Code, a "Simplified Employee Pension" under Section 408(k) of the Code, or a "Simple IRA" under Section 408(p) of the Code.
Roth IRAs
Section 408A of the Code permits eligible individuals to contribute to a type of IRA known as a "Roth IRA." Roth IRAs are generally subject to the same rules as non-Roth IRAs, but differ in several respects. Among the differences is that, although contributions to a Roth IRA are not deductible, "qualified distributions" from a Roth IRA will be excludable from income.
17
A qualified distribution is a distribution that satisfies two requirements. First, the distribution must be made in a taxable year that is at least five years after the first taxable year for which a contribution to any Roth IRA established for the Owner was made. Second, the distribution must be either (1) made after the Owner attains the age of 591/2; (2) made after the Owner's death; (3) attributable to the Owner being disabled; or (4) a qualified first-time homebuyer distribution within the meaning of Section 72(t)(2)(F) of the Code. In addition, distributions from Roth IRAs need not commence during the Owner's lifetime. A Roth IRA may accept a "qualified rollover contribution" from (1) a non-Roth IRA, (2) a "designated Roth account" maintained under a Qualified Plan, and (3) certain Qualified Plans of eligible individuals. Special rules apply to rollovers to Roth IRAs from Qualified Plans and from designated Roth accounts under Qualified Plans. You should seek competent advice before making such a rollover.
A conversion of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, and a rollover from any other eligible retirement plan to a Roth IRA, made after December 31, 2017, cannot be recharacterized as having been made to a traditional IRA.
IRA to IRA Rollovers and Transfers
A rollover contribution is a tax-free movement of amounts from one IRA to another within 60 days after you receive the distribution. In particular, a distribution from a non-Roth IRA generally may be rolled over tax-free within 60 days to another non-Roth IRA, and a distribution from a Roth IRA generally may be rolled over tax-free within 60 days to another Roth IRA. A distribution from a Roth IRA may not be rolled over (or transferred) tax-free to a non-Roth IRA.
A rollover from any one of your IRAs (including IRAs you have with another company) to another IRA is allowed only once within a one-year period. This limitation applies on an aggregate basis and applies to all types of your IRAs, meaning that you cannot make an IRA to IRA rollover if you have made such a rollover involving any of your IRAs in the preceding one-year period. For example, a rollover between your Roth IRAs would preclude a separate rollover within the one-year period between your non-Roth IRAs, and vice versa. The one-year period begins on the date that you receive the IRA distribution, not the date it is rolled over into another IRA.
If the IRA distribution does not satisfy the rollover rules, it may be (1) taxable in the year distributed, (2) subject to a 10% tax on early distributions, and (3) treated as a regular contribution to the recipient IRA, which could result in an excess contribution subject to an additional tax.
If you inherit an IRA from your spouse, you generally can roll it over into an IRA established for you, or you can choose to make the inherited IRA your own. If you inherited an IRA from someone other than your spouse, you cannot roll it over, make it your own, or allow it to receive rollover contributions.
A rollover from one IRA to another is different from a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer of your IRA assets from one IRA trustee to another IRA trustee. A "trustee-to-trustee" transfer is not considered a rollover and is not subject to the 60-day rollover requirement or the one rollover per year rule. In addition, a rollover between IRAs is different from direct rollovers from certain Qualified Plans to non-Roth IRAs and "qualified rollover contributions" to Roth IRAs, both of which are subject to special rules.
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Section 401(a) of the Code permits employers to establish various types of tax-favored retirement plans for employees. The Self-Employed Individuals' Tax Retirement Act of 1962, as amended, commonly referred to as "H.R. 10" or "Keogh," permits self-employed individuals also to establish such tax-favored retirement plans for themselves and their employees. Such retirement plans may permit the purchase of the Contract in order to provide benefits under the plans. These types of plans may be subject to rules under Sections 401(a)(11) and 417 of the Code that provide rights to a spouse or former spouse of a participant. In such a case, the participant may need the consent of the spouse or former spouse to change settlement options, to elect an automatic partial surrender option, or to make a partial or full surrender of the Contract.
Direct rollovers
If your Contract is used in connection with a pension or profit-sharing plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, or is used with an eligible deferred compensation plan that has a government sponsor and that is qualified under Section 457(b) of the Code, any "eligible rollover distribution" from the Contract will be subject to direct rollover and mandatory withholding requirements. An eligible rollover distribution generally is any taxable distribution from a qualified pension plan under Section 401(a) of the Code or an eligible Section 457(b) deferred compensation plan that has a government sponsor excluding certain amounts (such as minimum distributions required under Section 401(a)(9) of the Code, distributions which are part of a "series of substantially equal periodic payments" made for life or a specified period of 10 years or more, or hardship distributions as defined in the tax law).
18
Under these requirements, federal income tax equal to 20% of the eligible rollover distribution will be withheld from the amount of the distribution. Unlike withholding on certain other amounts distributed from the Contract, discussed below, you cannot elect out of withholding with respect to an eligible rollover distribution. However, this 20% withholding will not apply if, instead of receiving the eligible rollover distribution, you elect to have it directly transferred to certain eligible retirement plans (such as an IRA). Prior to receiving an eligible rollover distribution, you will receive a notice (from the plan administrator or the Company) explaining generally the direct rollover and mandatory withholding requirements and how to avoid the 20% withholding by electing a direct transfer.
Federal income tax withholding
In general
The Company will withhold and remit to the federal government a part of the taxable portion of each distribution made under a Contract unless the distributee notifies the Company at or before the time of the distribution that he or she elects not to have any amounts withheld. In certain circumstances, the Company may be required to withhold tax. The withholding rates applicable to the taxable portion of periodic annuity payments (other than eligible rollover distributions) are the same as the withholding rates generally applicable to payments of wages. A 10% withholding rate applies to the taxable portion of non-periodic payments (including surrenders prior to the date annuity payments start) and conversions of, or rollovers from, non-Roth IRAs and Qualified Plans to Roth IRAs. Regardless of whether you elect not to have federal income tax withheld, you are still liable for payment of federal income tax on the taxable portion of the payment. As discussed above, the withholding rate applicable to eligible rollover distributions is 20%.
Nonresident aliens and foreign corporations
The discussion above provides general information regarding federal withholding tax consequences to annuity contract owners or beneficiaries that are U.S. citizens or residents. Owners or beneficiaries that are not U.S. citizens or residents will generally be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax on taxable distributions from annuity contracts at a 30% rate, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Owners or beneficiaries that are not U.S. citizens or residents are advised to consult with a tax advisor regarding federal tax withholding with respect to the distributions from a Contract.
Status for income tax purposes; FATCA.
In order for the Company to comply with income tax withholding and information reporting rules which may apply to annuity contracts, the Company may request documentation of "status" for tax purposes. "Status" for tax purposes generally means whether a person is a "U.S. person" or a foreign person with respect to the United States; whether a person is an individual or an entity, and if an entity, the type of entity. Status for tax purposes is best documented on the appropriate IRS Form or substitute certification form (IRS Form W-9 for a U.S. person or the appropriate type of IRS Form W-8 for a foreign person). If the Company does not have appropriate certification or documentation of a person's status for tax purposes on file, it could affect the rate at which the Company is required to withhold income tax. Information reporting rules could apply not only to specified transactions, but also to contract ownership. For example, under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA"), which applies to certain U.S.-source payments, and similar or related withholding and information reporting rules, the Company may be required to report contract values and other information for certain contractholders. For this reason the Company may require appropriate status documentation at purchase, change of ownership, and affected payment transactions, including death benefit payments. FATCA and its related guidance is extraordinarily complex and its effect varies considerably by type of payor, type of payee and type of distributee or recipient.
6. Investments
Amounts allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment are transferred to the General Account of the Company. Amounts allocated to the General Account of the Company are subject to the liabilities arising from the business the Company conducts. This is unlike amounts allocated to the Subaccounts of Variable Account A, which are not subject to the liabilities arising from the business the Company conducts.
The Company has sole investment discretion over the investment of the assets of the General Account. We will invest these amounts primarily in investment-grade fixed income securities including: securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, which issues may or may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Government; debt securities that have an investment grade, at the time of purchase, within the four highest grades assigned by Moody's Investor Services, Inc., Standard & Poor's Corporation, or any other nationally recognized rating service; mortgage-backed securities collateralized by real estate mortgage loans or securities collateralized by other assets, that are insured or guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association, the Federal National Home Mortgage Association, or the Government National Mortgage Association, or that have an investment grade rating at
19
the time of purchase within the four highest grades described above; commercial and agricultural mortgage loans; other debt instruments; commercial paper; cash or cash equivalents.
Variable annuity Owners having allocated amounts to a particular Accumulation Period of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment will not have a direct or indirect interest in these investments, nor will they have a claim against any particular assets of the Company. The overall investment performance of the General Account will not increase or decrease their claim against the Company.
There is no specific formula for establishing Specified Interest Rates. The Specified Interest Rates declared by the Company for the various Accumulation Periods will not necessarily correspond to the performance of any group of assets of the General Account. We will consider certain factors in determining these rates, such as regulatory and tax environment, sales commissions, administrative expenses borne by us, and competitive factors. The Company's management will make the final determination of these rates. However, the Specified Interest Rate will never be less than 3.50%.
7. Contracts and the Distribution of the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment
Interests in the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment are only available through certain Contracts issued by the Company. The appropriate variable annuity prospectus and statement of additional information also contain information regarding the distribution of the Contracts.
The Contracts are distributed by both Equitable Advisors, LLC ("Equitable Advisors") and Equitable Distributors, LLC ("Equitable Distributors") (together, the "Distributors"). The Distributors serve as principal underwriters of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America Variable Account A. The offering of the Contracts is intended to be continuous.
Equitable Advisors is an affiliate of the Company, and Equitable Distributors is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Equitable Life Insurance Company ("Equitable"), an affiliate of the Company. The Distributors are under the common control of Equitable Holdings, Inc. Their principal business address is 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104. The Distributors are registered with the SEC as broker-dealers and are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA"). Both broker-dealers also act as distributors for the Company's life and annuity products.
The Contracts are sold by financial professionals of Equitable Advisors and its affiliates. The Contracts are also sold by financial professionals of unaffiliated broker-dealers that have entered into selling agreements with Equitable Distributors ("Selling broker-dealers").
The Company pays compensation to both Distributors based on Contracts sold. The Company may also make additional payments to the Distributors, and the Distributors may, in turn, make additional payments to certain Selling broker-dealers. All payments will be in compliance with all applicable FINRA rules and other laws and regulations.
Although the Company takes into account all of its distribution and other costs in establishing the level of fees and charges under its Contracts, none of the compensation paid to the Distributors or the Selling broker-dealers discussed in this section of the prospectus are imposed as separate fees or charges under your Contract. The Company, however, intends to recoup amounts it pays for distribution and other services through the fees and charges of the Contract and payments it receives for providing administrative, distribution and other services to the mutual fund portfolios underlying the Subaccounts. For information about the fees and charges under the Contract, see "Summary of the Contract" and "Charges and deductions" earlier in this prospectus.
The SEC adopted a series of rules related to the standard of care owed by a broker-dealer to its customers ("Regulation BI"), and the creation of a Form CRS Relationship Summary. The obligations of Regulation BI and Form CRS generally become effective on June 30, 2020. Among other things, Regulation BI would impose a "best interest" standard of care on broker-dealers making recommendations to their customers. Broker-dealers would be required to provide the Form CRS Relationship Summary to their customers. The Form is designed to provide information about the broker-dealer to their customers. The changes under Regulation BI and the Form CRS could increase our overall compliance costs. In addition, these changes may lead to greater exposure to legal claims in certain circumstances, including an increased risk of regulatory enforcement actions or potentially private claims.
There is also a possibility that the various states may develop rules raising the standard of care owed by insurance agents to their customers. For example, the NAIC has been working towards the adoption of revisions to the NAIC's Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation that would impose a requirement that any recommendation of an annuity product be in the consumer's best interest. As a result, as this or similar changes are adopted by our state insurance regulator(s) and made applicable to us or the third-party firms that distribute our products, they could have
20
an adverse impact on our business. Whether other state proposals, or the proposed amendments to the NAIC's Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation, will ultimately be adopted is uncertain.
Compensation paid to the Distributors The Company pays compensation to the Distributors based on Purchase Payments made on the Contracts sold through the Distributors ("contribution-based compensation"). The contribution-based compensation will generally not exceed 6.50% of total Purchase Payments made under the Contracts, plus, starting in the second Contract Year, up to 0.25% of the cash value of the Contracts ("asset-based compensation"). The Distributors, in turn, may pay a portion of the compensation received from the Company to the Distributors financial professional and/or the Selling broker-dealer making the sale. This compensation may be made in the form of a marketing allowance and may be calculated as a percentage of contributions, a percentage of assets under management or a flat fee. The compensation paid by the Distributors varies among financial professionals and among Selling broker-dealers. The Distributors also pay a portion of the compensation it receives to its managerial personnel. When a Contract is sold by a Selling broker-dealer, the Selling broker-dealer, not the Distributors, determines the amount and type of compensation paid to the Selling broker-dealer's financial professional for the sale of the Contract. Therefore, you should contact your financial professional for information about the compensation he or she receives and any related incentives, as described below.
Equitable Advisors may receive compensation, and, in turn, pay its financial professionals a portion of such fee, from third party investment advisors to whom its financial professionals refer customers for professional management of the assets within their contract.
Equitable Advisors also pays its financial professionals and managerial personnel other types of compensation including service fees, expense allowance payments and health and retirement benefits. Equitable Advisors also pays its financial professionals, managerial personnel and Selling broker-dealers sales bonuses (based on selling certain products during specified periods) and persistency bonuses. Equitable Advisors may offer sales incentive programs to financial professionals and Selling broker-dealers who meet specified production levels for the sales of both the Company's Contracts and Contracts offered by other companies. These incentives provide non-cash compensation such as stock options awards and/or stock appreciation rights, expense-paid trips, expense-paid education seminars and merchandise.
The Company also pays Equitable Distributors compensation to cover its operating expenses and marketing services under the terms of the Company's distribution agreements with Equitable Distributors.
Differential compensation paid by Equitable Advisors. In an effort to promote the sale of the Company's products, Equitable Advisors may pay its financial professionals and managerial personnel a greater percentage of contribution-based compensation and/or asset-based compensation for the sale of the Company's contract than it pays for the sale of a contract or other financial product issued by a company other than the Company. Equitable Advisors may pay higher compensation on certain products in a class than others based on a group or sponsored arrangement, or between older and newer versions or series of the same contract. This practice is known as providing "differential compensation." Differential compensation may involve other forms of compensation to Equitable Advisors personnel. Certain components of the compensation paid to managerial personnel are based on whether the sales involve the Company's contracts. Managers earn higher compensation (and credits toward awards and bonuses) if the financial professionals they manage sell a higher percentage of the Company's contracts than products issued by other companies. Other forms of compensation provided to its financial professionals include health and retirement benefits, expense reimbursements, marketing allowances and contribution-based payments, known as "overrides." For tax reasons, Equitable Advisors financial professionals qualify for health and retirement benefits based solely on their sales of the Company's contracts and products sponsored by affiliates.
The fact that Equitable Advisors financial professionals receive differential compensation and additional payments may provide an incentive for those financial professionals to recommend the contract over a contract or other financial product issued by a company not affiliated with the Company. However, under applicable rules of FINRA, Equitable Advisors financial professionals may only recommend to you products that they reasonably believe are suitable for you based on the facts that you have disclosed as to your other security holdings, financial situation and needs. In making any recommendation, financial professionals of Equitable Advisors may nonetheless face conflicts of interest because of the differences in compensation from one product category to another, and because of differences in compensation among products in the same category. For more information, contact your financial professional.
Additional payments by Equitable Distributors to Selling broker-dealers. Equitable Distributors may pay, out of its assets, certain Selling broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries additional compensation in recognition of services provided or expenses incurred. Equitable Distributors may also pay certain Selling broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries additional compensation for enhanced marketing opportunities and other services (commonly referred to as "marketing allowances"). Services for which such payments are made may include, but are not limited to,
21
the preferred placement of the Company's products on a company and/or product list; sales personnel training; product training; business reporting; technological support; due diligence and related costs; advertising, marketing and related services; conference; and/or other support services, including some that may benefit the Contract owner. Payments may be based on ongoing sales, on the aggregate account value attributable to Contracts sold through a Selling broker-dealer or such payments may be a fixed amount. For certain Selling broker-dealers, Equitable Distributors increases the marketing allowance as certain sales thresholds are met. Equitable Distributors may also make fixed payments to Selling broker-dealers, for example in connection with the initiation of a new relationship or the introduction of a new product.
Additionally, as an incentive for the financial professionals of Selling broker-dealers to promote the sale of the Company's products, Equitable Distributors may increase the sales compensation paid to the Selling broker-dealer for a period of time (commonly referred to as "compensation enhancements"). Equitable Distributors also has entered into agreements with certain Selling broker-dealers in which the Selling broker-dealer agrees to sell certain Company contracts exclusively.
These additional payments may serve as an incentive for Selling broker-dealers to promote the sale of the Company Contracts over contracts and other products issued by other companies. Not all Selling broker-dealers receive additional payments, and the payments vary among Selling broker-dealers. The list below includes the names of Selling broker-dealers that we are aware (as of December 31, 2021) received additional payments. These additional payments ranged from $3,171.81 to $7,843,461.69. The Company and its affiliates may also have other business relationships with Selling broker-dealers, which may provide an incentive for the Selling broker-dealers to promote the sale of the Company's contracts over contracts and other products issued by other companies. The list below includes any such Selling broker-dealer. For more information, ask your financial professional.
Allstate Financial Services, LLC; American Portfolios Financial Services; Ameriprise Financial Services; Avantax Investment Services, Inc.; BBVA Securities, Inc.; Cabot Lodge Securities, LLC; Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc.; Cambridge Investment Research; Capital Investment Group; Centaurus Financial, Inc; Cetera Financial Group; Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.; Citizens Investment Services; Commonwealth Financial Network; Copper Financial Network, LLC; CUNA Brokerage Services; CUSO Financial Services; DPL Financial Partners; Equity Services Inc; Farmer's Financial Solution; First Horizon Advisors; Galt Financial Group, Inc; Geneos Wealth Management; Gradient Securities, LLC; Grove Point Financial (H. Beck); Harbour Investments, Inc; Independent Financial Group, LLC; Infinex Investments Inc.; Janney Montgomery Scott LLC; Kestra Investment Services, LLC; Key Investment Services LLC; Ladenburg Thalmann Advisor Network, LLC; Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp.; Lincoln Financial Securities Corp.; Lincoln Investment Planning; Lion Street Financial; LPL Financial Corporation; MML Investors Services, LLC; Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; Mutual of Omaha Investment Services, Inc.; Next Financial Group, Inc.; Park Avenue Securities, LLC; PlanMember Securities Corp.; PNC Investments; Primerica Financial Services, Inc.; Pruco Securities, LLC; Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc; Raymond James; RBC Capital Markets Corporation; Santander Securities Corp.; Securian Financial Service Inc; Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.; The Advisor Group (AIG); The Huntington Investment Company; The Leaders Group, Inc.; U.S. Bank Center; UBS Financial Services Inc.; Valmark Securities, Inc.; Voya Financial Advisors, Inc.; Waddell & Reed, Inc.; Wells Fargo; World Equity Group.
8. Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America
The Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment is issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (the "Company"), an Arizona stock life insurance corporation organized in 1969. Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Equitable Holdings, Inc. No company other than the Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that the Company owes under the Contracts. The Company is solely responsible for paying all amounts owed to you under your Contract.
The Company is licensed to sell life insurance and annuities in forty-nine states (not including New York), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Our main administrative office is located at 525 Washington Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07310.
On October 1, 2013, the Company entered into a reinsurance transaction with Protective Life Insurance Company ("Protective"), whereby Protective agreed to reinsure a substantial portion of the Company's life insurance and annuity business (the "Reinsured Business"). The Contracts are included in the Reinsured Business. Protective reinsures all of the insurance risks of the Reinsured Business and is responsible for customer service and administration for all contracts comprising the Reinsured Business. However, the Company remains the insurer of the Contracts and the terms, features, and benefits of the Contracts have NOT changed as a result of the transaction.
22
The Company may use proceeds in connection with the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment for any legitimate corporate purpose.
9. Legal proceedings
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America and its affiliates are parties to various legal proceedings. In our view, none of these proceedings would be considered material with respect to an Owner's interest in his or her Contract, nor would any of these proceedings be likely to have a material adverse effect upon our ability to meet our obligations under the Contracts or the distribution of the Contracts.
10. COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the U.S. and global economies. A wide variety of factors continue to impact financial and economic conditions, including, among others, volatility in the financial markets, rising inflation rates, supply chain disruptions, continued low interest rates and changes in fiscal or monetary policy. Efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have affected our business directly in a number of ways, including through the temporary closures of many businesses and schools and the institution of social distancing requirements in many states and local communities. Businesses or schools that have reopened have restricted or limited access for the foreseeable future and may do so on a permanent or episodic basis. As a result, our ability to sell products through our regular channels and the demand for our products and services has been significantly impacted.
While we have implemented risk management and contingency plans with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, such measures may not adequately protect our business from the full impacts of the pandemic. Currently, most of our employees and advisors are continuing to work remotely. Extended periods of remote work arrangements could introduce additional operational risk including, but not limited to, cybersecurity risks, and impair our ability to effectively manage our business. We also outsource a variety of functions to third parties whose business continuity strategies are largely outside our control.
Economic uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic may have an adverse effect on product sales and result in existing policyholders withdrawing at greater rates. COVID-19 could have an adverse effect on our insurance business due to increased mortality and morbidity rates. The cost of reinsurance to us for these policies could increase, and we may encounter decreased availability of such reinsurance. If policyholder lapse and surrender rates or premium waivers significantly exceed our expectations, we may need to change our assumptions, models or reserves.
Our investment portfolio has been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our investments in mortgages and commercial mortgage-backed securities have been, and could continue to be, negatively affected by delays or failures of borrowers to make payments of principal and interest when due. In some jurisdictions, local governments have imposed delays or moratoriums on many forms of enforcement actions. Furthermore, declines in equity markets and interest rates, reduced liquidity or a continued slowdown in the U.S. or in global economic conditions may also adversely affect the values and cash flows of investments. Market volatility also caused significant increases in credit spreads, and any continued volatility may increase our borrowing costs and decrease product fee income. Further, severe market volatility may leave us unable to react to market events in a prudent manner consistent with our historical investment practices.
The extent of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on us will depend on future developments that are still highly uncertain, including the severity and duration of the pandemic, actions taken by governments and other third parties in response to the pandemic and the availability and efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19 and its variants.
11. Cybersecurity Risks and Catastrophic Events
We rely heavily on interconnected computer systems and digital data to conduct our variable product business. Because our variable product business is highly dependent upon the effective operation of our computer systems and those of our business partners, our business is vulnerable to disruptions from utility outages, and susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from information systems failure (e.g., hardware and software malfunctions), and cyberattacks. These risks include, among other things, the theft, misuse, corruption and destruction of data maintained online or digitally, interference with or denial of service, attacks on websites and other operational disruption and unauthorized use or abuse of confidential customer information. Systems failures and cyberattacks, as well as, any other catastrophic event, including natural and manmade disasters, public health emergencies, pandemic diseases, terrorist attacks, floods or severe storms affecting us, any third-party administrator, the underlying funds, intermediaries and other affiliated or third-party service providers may adversely affect us, our
23
business operations and your account value. Systems failures and cyberattacks may also interfere with our processing of contract transactions, including the processing of orders from our website or with the underlying funds, impact our ability to calculate account values, cause the release and possible destruction of confidential customer or business information, impede order processing, subject us and/or our service providers and intermediaries to regulatory fines and financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. In addition, the occurrence of any pandemic disease (like COVID-19), natural disaster, terrorist attack or any other event that results in our workforce, and/or employees of service providers and/or third-party administrators, being compromised and unable or unwilling to fully perform their responsibilities, could likewise result in interruptions in our service, including our ability to issue contracts and process contract transactions. Even when our workforce and employees of our service providers and/or third-party administrators can work remotely, those remote work arrangements could result in our business operations being less efficient than under normal circumstances and lead to delays in our issuing contracts and processing of other contract-related transactions, as well as possibly being more susceptible to cyberattacks. Cybersecurity risks and catastrophic events may also impact the issuers of securities in which the underlying funds invest, which may cause the funds underlying your contract to lose value. While there can be no assurance that we or the underlying funds or our service providers will avoid losses affecting your contract due to cyberattacks, information security breaches or other catastrophic events in the future, we take reasonable steps to mitigate these risks and secure our systems and business operations from such failures, attacks and events.
12. Incorporation of certain documents by reference
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021 (the "Annual Report") is considered to be part of this Prospectus because it is incorporated by reference.
The Company files reports and other information with the SEC, as required by law. You may read and copy this information at the SEC's public reference facilities at Room 1580, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549, or by accessing the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
Under the Securities Act of 1933, the Company has filed with the SEC a registration statement relating to the Guaranteed Interest Account with Market Value Adjustment (the "Registration Statement"). This Prospectus has been filed as part of the Registration Statement and does not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement.
After the date of this Prospectus and before we terminate the offering of the securities under the Registration Statement, all documents or reports we file with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act"), will be considered to become part of this Prospectus because they are incorporated by reference.
Any statement contained in a document that is or becomes part of this Prospectus, will be considered changed or replaced for purposes of this Prospectus if a statement contained in this Prospectus changes or is replaced. Any statement that is considered to be a part of this Prospectus because of its incorporation will be considered changed or replaced for the purpose of this Prospectus if a statement contained in any other subsequently filed document that is considered to be part of this Prospectus changes or replaces that statement. After that, only the statement that is changed or replaced will be considered to be part of this Prospectus.
We file the Registration Statement and our Exchange Act documents and reports, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, electronically according to EDGAR. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the site is www.sec.gov.
Upon written or oral request, we will provide, free of charge, to each person to whom this Prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the documents considered to be part of this Prospectus because they are incorporated herein. In accordance with SEC rules, we will provide copies of any exhibits specifically incorporated by reference into the text of the Exchange Act reports (but not any other exhibits).
Requests for documents should be directed to:
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America
525 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ 07310
Attention: Corporate Secretary (telephone: (212) 554-1234)
You can access our website at www.equitable.com.
24
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The financial statements and financial statement schedules of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides independent audit services and certain other non-audit services to Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America as permitted by the applicable SEC independence rules, and as disclosed in Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America's Form 10-K. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's address is 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017.
25
Dealer Prospectus Delivery Obligations
All dealers that effect transactions in these securities are required to deliver a prospectus.
PART II
Item 14. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution |
Item of Expense | Estimated Expense |
|||
Registration fees | $ | [— | ] | |
Federal taxes | N/A | |||
State taxes and fees (based on 50 state average) | N/A | |||
Trustees’ fees | N/A | |||
Transfer agents’ fees | N/A | |||
Printing and filing fees | $ | 50,000 | * | |
Legal fees | $ | 10,000 | * | |
Accounting fees | N/A | |||
Audit fees | $ | 20,000 | * | |
Engineering fees | N/A | |||
Directors and officers insurance premium paid by Registrant | N/A |
* Approximate amounts
Item 15. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers |
The By-Laws of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America provide, in Article VI as follows:
ARTICLE VI
INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS
Section 1. Nature of Indemnity. The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, and may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to such an action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as an employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful; except that in the case of an action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor (1) such indemnification shall be limited to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in the defense or settlement of such action or suit, and (2) no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought or other court of competent jurisdiction shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity.
The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of no contest or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
Section 6. Survival; Preservation of Other Rights. The foregoing indemnification provisions shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each director, officer, employee and agent who serves in any such capacity at any time while these provisions as well as the relevant provisions of Title 10, Arizona Revised Statutes are in effect and any repeal or modification thereof shall not affect any right or obligation then existing with respect to any state of facts then or previously existing or any action, suit or proceeding previously or thereafter brought or threatened based in whole or in part upon any such state of facts. Such a “contract right” may not be modified retroactively without the consent of such director, officer, employee or agent.
1
The indemnification provided by this Article shall not be deemed exclusive of any other right to which those indemnified may be entitled under any by-law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
Section 7. Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this By-Law.
Item 16. | Exhibits |
1(a) Wholesale Distribution Agreement dated April 1, 2005 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America, MONY Securities Corporation, and AXA Distributors, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-177419) filed on October 20, 2011.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000119312511276175/d236217dex991a.htm
(i) Second Amendment dated as of August 1, 2015 to the Wholesale Distribution Agreement dated as of April 1, 2005 between MONY Life Insurance Company of America and AXA Distributors, LLC, previously filed with this Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-195491) on April 19, 2016.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000119312516546594/d170948dex99aii.htm
1(b) Broker-Dealer Distribution and Servicing Agreement dated June 6, 2005 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America and AXA Advisors, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-180068) filed on March 13, 2012.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000119312512111970/d310144dex991e.htm
1(c) General Agent Sales Agreement dated June 6, 2005 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America and AXA Network, LLC, incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-180068) filed on March 13, 2012.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000119312512111970/d310144dex991d.htm
1(i) First Amendment dated as of August 1, 2006 to General Agent Sales Agreement dated as of August 1, 2006 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America and AXA Network, incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registration Statement on Form N-6 (File No. 333-134304) filed on March 1, 2012.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/763862/000119312512092348/d236199dex99c9.htm
(ii) Second Amendment dated as of April 1, 2008 to General Agent Sales Agreement dated as of April 1, 2008 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America and AXA Network, LLC, incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-180068) filed on March 13, 2012.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000119312512111970/d310144dex991dii.htm
2
(v) Fifth Amendment to General Agent Sales Agreement, dated as of June 1, 2015 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America (“MONY America”) and AXA NETWORK, LLC and the additional affiliated entities of AXA Network, LLC, incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement on Form N-6 (File No. 333-207014) filed on December 23, 2015.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1585490/000119312515412386/d83707dex9926c4e.htm
(vi) Sixth Amendment to General Agent Sales Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2015 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America (“MONY America”) and AXA NETWORK, LLC and the additional affiliated entities of AXA Network, LLC., Incorporated herein by reference to the Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-229747) filed on April 16, 2019.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000110465919021713/a19-1256_6ex1dcvi.htm
(vii) Seventh Amendment to General Agent Sales Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2016 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America (“MONY America”) and AXA NETWORK, LLC and the additional affiliated entities of AXA Network, LLC., Incorporated here by reference to the Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-229747) filed on April 16, 2019.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000110465919021713/a19-1256_6ex1dcvii.htm
(viii) Eighth Amendment to the General Agent Sales Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2019 is by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America (“MONY America”), an Arizona life insurance company, and AXA Network, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“General Agent”), filed to Registration Statement on Form N-6 (File No. 333-229238) filed on April 21, 2021.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1585490/000119312521124972/d142515dex994h.htm
(ix) Ninth Amendment to the General Agent Sales Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2020 is by and between Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (“EFLOA”), an Arizona life insurance company, and Equitable Network, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“General Agent”), filed to Registration Statement on Form N-6 (File No. 333- 229238) filed on April 21, 2021.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1585490/000119312521124972/d142515dex994i.htm
(2) Not Applicable.
(3)(i) Articles of Incorporation.
Articles of Restatement of the Articles of Incorporation of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (as Amended December 13, 2019) incorporated herein by reference to registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-236437) filed on February 14, 2020.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000119312520037423/d863779dex993ia.htm
(3)(ii) By-Laws.
(2) By-Laws of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (as Amended December 13, 2019) incorporated herein by reference to registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-236437) filed on February 14, 2020.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000119312520037423/d863779dex993iia.htm
(3) Amended and Restated By-Laws of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America dated September 23, 2020 filed herewith to Registration Statement on Form S-1 (file No. 333-236437) filed on April 20, 2021.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000119312521122944/d77253dex993.htm
(4) Form of Contract.
(a) Proposed form of flexible payment variable annuity contract, incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement on Form N-4 (File No. 333-59717) filed on July 23, 1998.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/814378/0000950123-98-006820.txt
(b) Proposed form of flexible payment variable annuity contract, incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-4 (File No. 333-72632) filed on January 9, 2002.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/814378/000095010902000163/dex994.txt
(5) Opinion and consent of counsel regarding legality.
(a) Opinion and consent of Shane Daly as to the legality of securities being registered, incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (333-229747) filed on February 19, 2019.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/835357/000110465919009307/a19-1256_6ex5da.htm
(8) Not applicable.
3
(15) Not Applicable.
(22) Not Applicable.
(23) Consents of Experts and Counsel.
(a) Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, filed herewith.
(b) See Item (5) above.
(24) Powers of Attorney.
(a) Powers of Attorney, filed herewith.
(25) Not Applicable.
(96) Not Applicable.
(99) Not Applicable.
(107) Filing fee table, filed herewith.
Item 17. | Undertakings |
(a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
(1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
(i) | to include any prospectus required by section 10 (a) (3) of the Securities Act of 1933; |
(ii) | to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 (b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; |
(iii) | to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; |
provided, however, that paragraphs (a) (1) (i), (a) (1) (ii) and (a) (1) (iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424 (b) that is part of this Registration Statement.
(2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
(4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424 (b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
Unless the indemnification provisions for Directors and Officers have been waived with respect to liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, the following must be included pursuant to Item 17 of Form S-3 (See also paragraph (h) of Item 512 of Regulation S-K):
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
4
SIGNATURES
As required by the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf, by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City and State of New York, on the 4th day of March, 2022.
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America | ||
(Registrant) | ||
By: | /s/ Shane Daly | |
Shane Daly | ||
Vice President and Associate General Counsel | ||
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER:
* | Chief Executive Officer and Director | |||
Mark Pearson |
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER: | ||||
* | Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||
Robin Raju | ||||
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER: |
* | Senior Vice President, and Chief Accounting Officer | |||
William EcKert |
*DIRECTORS: |
Daniel G. Kaye | Bertram Scott | Mark Pearson |
Francis Hondal | Kristi Matus | George Stansfield |
Joan Lamm-Tennant | Charles G.T. Stonehill | |||
Ramon de Oliveira, Chairman of the Board |
*BY: | /S/ SHANE DALY | ||||
Shane Daly | |||||
Attorney-in-Fact | |||||
Exhibit Index
1(c)(iii) Fourth Amendment to General Agent Sales Agreement
d(5)(b) Opinion and consent of Shane Daly as to the legality of securities being registered.
d(23)(a) Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Exhibit 99.1(C)(iii)
FOURTH AMENDMENT
TO
GENERAL AGENT SALES AGREEMENT
FOURTH AMENDMENT TO GENERAL AGENT SALES AGREEMENT, dated as of October 1, 2014 by and between MONY LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA ("MONY America"), an Arizona life insurance company, and AXA NETWORK, LLC and the additional affiliated entities of AXA Network, LLC executing this Agreement below (collectively, the "General Agent").
MONY Life and the General Agent hereby modify and amend the General Agent Sales Agreement dated as of June 6, 2005 between them (the "Sales Agreement") to establish the compensation rates payable by MONY America to the General Agent on sales of Athena Indexed Universal LifeSM Series 153, Incentive Life Legacy® II, BrightLifeSM Protect and BrightLifeSM Grow Indexed Universal Life, Simplified Issue Term and Term SeriesSM 156 products, effective from and after the date hereof, as more particularly set forth on the amended and restated Schedule 1 of Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof.
Except as modified and amended hereby, the Sales Agreement is in full force and effect.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Fourth Amendment to General Agent Sales Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the day and year first above written.
MONY LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | AXA NETWORK, LLC | |||
OF AMERICA | ||||
By: | /s/ Anders Malstrom | By: | /s/ Eileen Forrest | |
Anders Malmstrom | Eileen Forrest | |||
Senior Executive Director | President and Chief Executive | |||
and Chief Financial Officer | Officer |
EXHIBIT A
AMENDED AND RESTATED SCHEDULE 1
EFFECTIVE AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2014
General Agent Compensation for Life Insurance Sales and Servicing
This Amended and Restated Schedule 1 of Exhibit A is effective as of the date set forth above and is attached to and made part of the General Agent Sales Agreement dated June 6, 2005 by and between MONY Life Insurance Company of America and AXA Network, LLC.
Compensation to General Agent in connection with the sale and servicing of life insurance policies will be calculated on a policy by policy basis. Total compensation to General Agent in respect of the sale and servicing of each life insurance policy will be a percentage of the premiums received by MONY America and, where applicable, fund-based basis points as more particularly set forth in the following tables:
Commissions on renewals and 2014 and later Sales of Individual Permanent Life Insurance Products:
Type of Premium | Percentage | |||
MONY VUL | ||||
First policy year up to Target | 110.0 | % | ||
Excess Premiums (Policy Year 1) | 4.0 | % | ||
Renewals1 | 5.0 | % | ||
Asset Based Trailer | 0.0 | % | ||
MONY ISWL | ||||
First policy year up to Target | 110.0 | % | ||
Excess Premiums (Policy Year 1) | 4.0 | % | ||
Renewals1 | 4.0 | % | ||
Group UL | ||||
First Policy Year up to Target | 110 | % | ||
Excess Premiums (Policy Year 1) | 4.0 | % | ||
Renewals | 4.8 | % |
1 Policy Year 2 and later.
2
Exhibit A
Amended and Restated Schedule 1 (cont.)
Effective as of October 1, 2014
Tvpe of Premium | Percentage | |||
Corporate Owned Life Insurance | ||||
First Policy Year up to Target | 30.8 | % | ||
Excess Premiums (Policy Year 1) | 13.6 | % | ||
Renewals2 | 15.0 | % | ||
Asset Based Trailer2 | 0.20 | %3 | ||
Bank Owned Life (BOLI) | ||||
Single Premium | 5.0 | % | ||
Asset Based Trailer2 | 0.25 | %3 | ||
Incentive Life Legacy II | ||||
First Policy Year up to Target | 99.0 | % | ||
Excess Premiums (Policy Year 1) | 8.5 | % | ||
Renewals for Policy Year 2-5 | 5.8 | % | ||
Renewals for Policy Years 6-10 | 3.8 | % | ||
Renewals for Policy Year 11+ | 2.5 | % | ||
Athena IUL 153 | ||||
First Policy Year up to Target | 99.0 | % | ||
Excess Premiums (Policy Year 1) | 8.5 | % | ||
Renewals for Policy Year 2-5 | 8.0 | % | ||
Renewals for Policy Years 6+ | 3.0 | % | ||
BrightLifeSM IUL Product Series | ||||
First policy year up to Target | 99.0 | % | ||
Excess Premiums (Policy Year 1) | 8.5 | % | ||
Renewals for Policy Years 2-5 | 5.0 | % | ||
Renewals for Policy Years 6-10 | 3.0 | % | ||
Renewals for Policy Years 11+ | ||||
BrightLifeSM Protect | 1.0 | % | ||
BrightLifeSMGrow | 2.0 | % | ||
All Other MLOA Products | ||||
First Policy Year up to Target | 110.0 | % | ||
Excess Premiums (Policy Year 1) | 4.0 | % | ||
Renewals2 | 5.0 | % | ||
Asset Based Trailer | 0.0 | % |
2 Policy Year 2 and later.
3 Based on unloaned policy account value.
3
Exhibit A
Amended and Restated Schedule 1 (cont.)
Effective as of October 1, 2014
Commissions on renewals and 2014 and later sales of Individual Term Life Insurance Products:
Tvpe of Premium | Percentage | |||
First Year | 99.0 | % | ||
One Year Term Life (GF #148-51) | 10% (5% for issue ages 80 and above) | |||
Renewals for Simplified Issue Term | ||||
Policy Years 2-5 | ||||
Term 10 SM | 0.25 | % | ||
Term l5 SM | 0.25 | % | ||
Term 20 SM | 0.25 | % | ||
Renewals for Term Series 156 | ||||
Policy Years 2-5 | ||||
Term 10 SM | 7.0 | % | ||
Term 15 SM | 10.5 | % | ||
Term 20 SM | 14.25 | % | ||
ART SM | 7.65 | % | ||
Policy Years 6-10 | ||||
Term 10 SM | 0.0 | % | ||
Term 15 SM | 1.0 | % | ||
Term 20 SM | 1.0 | % | ||
ART SM | 3.15 | % |
Commissions on In-force Permanent Life Insurance Products (other than COLI, BOLI, Incentive Life Legacy II, Athena IUL 153, and BrightLifeSM IUL):
Tvpe of Premium | Percentage | |||
Renewals4 | 5.0 | % | ||
Asset Based Trailer | 0.0 | % |
4 Policy Year 2 and later.
4
Exhibit A
Amended and Restated Schedule 1 (cont.)
Effective as of October 1, 2014
Commissions on In-force COLI: |
Type of Premium | Percentage | |||
Renewals5 | 15.0 | % | ||
Asset Based Trailer4 | 0.20 | %6 |
Commissions an In-force BOLI: |
Tvpe of Premium | Percentage | |||
Asset Based Trailer4 | 0.25 | %5 |
Commissions on In-force Term Life Insurance Products: |
Type of Premium | Percentage | |||
Renewals7 | 3.0 | % | ||
Renewals8 | 0.0 | % |
5 Policy Year 2 and later.
6 Based on unloaned policy account value
7 Applies to policies issued prior to 7/29/02.
8 Applies to policies issued on or after 7/29/02.
5
Exhibit 99(5)(b)
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America
525 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
SHANE DALY
Vice President and
Associate General Counsel
(212)314-3912
FAX (212)707-1791
LAW DEPARTMENT
March 4, 2022
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America
525 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
Dear Sirs:
This opinion is furnished in connection with the filing by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America of a Form S-3 Registration Statement of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America for the purpose of registering guaranteed interest account with market value adjustment interests under flexible premium annuity contracts (“Interests”) under the Securities Act of 1933.
The Interests are purchased with contributions received under individual variable annuity contracts (the “Contracts”). As described in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement, the Contracts are designed to provide for retirement income benefits.
I have examined such corporate records of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America and provisions of the Arizona Insurance Law as are relevant to authorization and issuance of the Contracts and such other documents and laws as I consider appropriate. On the basis of such examination, it is my opinion that:
1. | Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Arizona. |
2. | The Contracts (including any Interests credited thereunder) are duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with applicable regulatory approvals, represent validly issued and binding obligations of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America |
I hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
Very truly yours, | |
/s/ Shane Daly | |
Shane Daly |
Exhibit 99(23)(a)
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America of our report dated March 4, 2022 relating to the financial statements and financial statement schedules, which appears in Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | |
Charlotte, North Carolina | |
March 4, 2022 |
Exhibit 99(24)(a)
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned officer or Director of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (the “Company”), a stock life insurance company, hereby constitutes and appoints José Ramón González, Kurt Meyers, Ralph A. Petruzzo, Shane Daly and Robert Negron, each of them (with full power to each of them to act alone), his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent for him or her and on his or her behalf and in his or her name, place and stead, to execute and file any and all registration statements (and amendments thereto) by the Company or its separate accounts relating to annuity contracts and life insurance policies under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940, including but not limited to the “Registration Statements,” as defined below, with all exhibits and all instruments necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents being empowered to act with or without the others, and to have full power and authority to do or cause to be done in the name and on behalf of the undersigned each and every act and thing requisite and necessary or appropriate with respect thereto to be done in and about the premises in order to effectuate the same, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
The “Registration Statements” covered by the Power of Attorney are defined to include the registration statements listed below:
Equitable America Variable Account A (811-05166)
033-14362
033-20453
033-20696
333-59717
333-72632
333-91776
333-92066
Form N-4 registration statements to be filed as necessary.
Equitable America Variable Account 70A (811-23609)
333-248907
Form N-4 registration statements to be filed as necessary.
Equitable America Variable Account K (811-22886)
333-191149
333-191150
333-207014
333-229237
333-229238
333-256256
Form N-6 registration statements to be filed as necessary.
Equitable America Variable Account L (811-04234)
002-95990
033-82570
333-56969
333-64417
333-72578
333-72596
333-104162
333-134304
Form N-6 registration statements to be filed as necessary.
EFLOA
Equitable America Variable Account S (811-05100)
033-13183
Form N-6 registration statements to be filed as necessary.
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America
333-210276
333-223704
333-229747
333-236437
333-251416
Form S-1 or S-3 registration statements to be filed, as necessary, for Market Value Adjustment interests under MONY Variable Annuity and MONY Custom Master contracts issued by Equitable Life Insurance Company of America.
Form S-1 or S-3 registration statements to be filed, as necessary, for index-linked investment options to be offered with certain flexible premium variable life insurance policies. This includes, but is not limited to each Market Stabilizer Option®.
Form S-1, S-3, N-4 or N-6 registration statements to be filed as necessary, including but not limited to any registration statements filed to continue the offering of, and/or register more securities for, any securities offered by the registration statements identified above.
The undersigned has hereunto set his or her hand this 6th day of August, 2021.
Signature | Title | |
/s/ Daniel G. Kaye | Director | |
Daniel G. Kaye | ||
/s/ Francis Hondal | Director | |
Francis Hondal | ||
/s/ Joan Lamm-Tennant | Director | |
Joan Lamm-Tennant | ||
/s/ Kristi Matus | Director | |
Kristi Matus | ||
/s/ Ramon de Oliveira | Chairman of the Board and Director | |
Ramon de Oliveira | ||
/s/ Mark Pearson | Chief Executive Officer and Director | |
Mark Pearson | ||
/s/ Bertram Scott | Director | |
Bertram Scott |
EFLOA
Signature | Title | |
/s/ George Stansfield | Director | |
George Stansfield | ||
/s/ Charles G.T. Stonehill | Director | |
Charles G.T. Stonehill | ||
/s/ Robin Raju | Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial | |
Robin Raju | Officer | |
/s/ William Eckert | Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer | |
William Eckert |
EFLOA
EX‐FILING FEES
Calculation of Filing Fee Tables
Form S-3
(Form Type)
EQUITABLE FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Table 1: Newly Registered and Carry Forward Securities
Security Type |
Security Class Title |
Fee Calculation or Carry Forward Rule |
Amount Registered |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit |
Maximum Aggregate Offering Price |
Fee Rate |
Amount
of Registration Fee |
Carry Forward Form Type |
Carry Forward File Number |
Carry Forward Initial Effective Date |
Filing
Fee Previously Paid in Connection with Unsold Securities to be Carried Forward |
|||||||||||||||||
Newly Registered Securities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fees
to be Paid |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||||||
Fees Previously Paid | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||||||
Carry Forward Securities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Carry Forward Securities | Other | Modified Guaranteed Annuity Contracts and Participating Interests Therein | 415(a)(6) | N/A | N/A | $ | 55,046,930 | N/A | N/A | Form S-1 | 333-229747 | 5/1/2019 | $ | 9,586.15 | ||||||||||||||
Total Offering Amounts | $ | 55,046,930 | $ | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Fees Previously Paid | $ | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Fee Offsets | $ | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Fee Due | $ | 0 |
Approximately $55,046,930 of the interests previously registered on the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-229747) initially filed on April 19, 2019 and declared effective on May 1, 2019 (the “Prior Registration Statement”) remain unsold and are hereby carried forward to this Registration Statement on Form S-3 in reliance on Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act of 1933. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6), the offering of interests under the Prior Registration Statement will be deemed terminated as of the effective date of this Registration Statement.