NORTHBROOK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                          (herein called "we" or "us")

                   Enhanced Earnings Death Benefit Plus Rider

This rider was issued  because you selected the Enhanced  Earnings Death Benefit
Plus Rider.

For purposes of this  benefit,  "Rider  Date" is the date the Enhanced  Earnings
Death Benefit Plus Rider was made a part of your Contract: xx/xx/xxxx

Definition of terms as used in this rider

o Contract: The Contract or Certificate to which this rider is attached.

o    In-Force  Earnings:  The  greater of (a) the  current  Contract  Value less
     current In-Force Premium; or (b) zero.

o    In-Force Premium:

If the Rider Date is equal to the Contract Date:

     The  sum  of  all  the   purchase   payments   less  the  sum  of  all  the
     Excess-of-Earnings Withdrawals.

If   the Rider Date is after the Contract Date:

     The Contract Value as of the Rider Date plus all the purchase payments made
     after the Rider Date less the sum of all the Excess-of-Earnings Withdrawals
     after the Rider Date.

o    Excess-of-Earnings  Withdrawals:  For each withdrawal, this amount is equal
     to the excess,  if any, of the amount of the withdrawal  less the amount of
     In-Force Earnings in the Contract immediately prior to the withdrawal.

Under this rider, the following death benefit is payable upon death of any Owner
(or  Annuitant,  if the Owner is a  non-natural  person)  and in addition to any
other Death Benefit  payable under this  Contract.  The Enhanced  Earnings Death
Benefit  Plus Rider will be  calculated  as of the date we receive  due proof of
death.

1.   If the oldest Owner, or the Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person,
     is age 55 or younger on the date we receive the  completed  application  or
     the date we receive the written  request to add this  rider,  whichever  is
     later, the Enhanced Earnings Death Benefit Plus Rider will be:

o    The lesser of 100% of In-Force  Premium,  excluding  purchase payments made
     after the Rider Date and in the twelve month period  immediately  preceding
     the death of an Owner (or Annuitant, if the Owner is a non-natural person),
     or 50% of In-Force Earnings, calculated as of the date we receive due proof
     of death.

          If the oldest  Owner,  or the  Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural
          person,  is between  the ages of 56 and 65 on the date we receive  the
          completed  application  or the date we receive the written  request to
          add this  rider,  whichever  is later,  the  Enhanced  Earnings  Death
          Benefit Plus Rider will be:



o    The lesser of 80% of In-Force  Premium,  excluding  purchase  payments made
     after the Rider Date and in the twelve month period  immediately  preceding
     the death of an Owner (or Annuitant,  if the Owner is a non-natural person)
     or 40% of In-Force Earnings, calculated as of the date we receive due proof
     of death.


          If the oldest  Owner,  or the  Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural
          person,  is between  the ages of 66 and 75 on the date we receive  the
          completed  application  or the date we receive the written  request to
          add this  rider,  whichever  is later,  the  Enhanced  Earnings  Death
          Benefit Plus Rider will be:

o    The lesser of 50% of In-Force  Premium,  excluding  purchase  payments made
     after the Rider Date and in the twelve month period  immediately  preceding
     the death of an Owner (or Annuitant,  if the Owner is a non-natural person)
     or 25% of In-Force Earnings, calculated as of the date we receive due proof
     of death.

          If the Owner is a natural person,  the Enhanced Earnings Death Benefit
          Plus Rider is payable  and this rider will  terminate  and charges for
          this rider will cease upon  receipt of due proof of death of the Owner
          unless the rider is continued as defined in Section III below.  If the
          Owner is a non-natural  person,  the Enhanced  Earnings  Death Benefit
          Plus Rider is payable  and this rider will  terminate  and charges for
          this  rider  will  cease  upon  receipt  of due  proof of death of the
          Annuitant.


II.  Under this rider, the maximum annualized Mortality and Expense Risk Charge,
     as defined in the Contract, is increased as follows:

          On the  date we  receive  the  completed  application  or the  date we
          receive the written request to add this rider,  whichever is later, if
          the oldest Owner (or Annuitant,  if the Owner is a non-natural person)
          is age 55 or younger,  the maximum  annualized  Mortality  and Expense
          Risk Charge will be increased on the Rider Date by 0.15%.

          On the  date we  receive  the  completed  application  or the  date we
          receive the written request to add this rider,  whichever is later, if
          the oldest Owner (or Annuitant,  if the Owner is a non-natural person)
          is between the ages of 56 and 65, the maximum annualized Mortality and
          Expense Risk Charge will be increased on the Rider Date by 0.25%.

          On the  date we  receive  the  completed  application  or the  date we
          receive the written request to add this rider,  whichever is later, if
          the oldest Owner (or Annuitant,  if the Owner is a non-natural person)
          is between the ages of 66 and 75, the maximum annualized Mortality and
          Expense Risk Charge will be increased on the Rider Date by 0.35%.


III.     Spousal Continuation of Enhanced Earnings Death Benefit Plus Rider

          Upon the death of any Owner,  if the sole new Owner is your spouse and
          your spouse  continues the Contract under the Death of Owner provision
          in your Contract, then this rider will also continue unless one of the
          following conditions apply:

o    The  oldest  new Owner is over age 75 on the date we  receive  due proof of
     death; or

o The new Owner elects to terminate this rider.

          If this rider is terminated under the conditions described above, then
          the charge  for this  rider  will cease as of the date we receive  due
          proof of death.

         If the rider is continued, then the following conditions apply:

o    The Rider Date is reset to the date the Contract is continued;




NLU944                                          Page 4                  (02/01)

o    The new Rider Date is used to calculate the In-Force Premium;

o    The age of the  oldest  new Owner as of the new Rider  Date will be used to
     determine  the  Enhanced  Earnings  Death  Benefit Plus Rider after the new
     Rider Date;

o    The  Mortality  and  Expense  Risk  Charge  (as  described  above)  used to
     determine  the rider fee will  change to reflect  the age of the oldest new
     Owner as of the new Rider Date; and

o    The  Enhanced  Earnings  Death  Benefit  Plus  Rider is added to the  Death
     Benefit  amount for purposes of  determining  the new Contract Value on the
     date the Contract is continued.


IV.  The Enhanced  Earnings  Death Benefit Plus Rider will terminate and charges
     for this rider will cease when the Owner (or  Annuitant,  if the Owner is a
     non-natural person) is changed for reasons other than death.


V.   Misstatement of Age for the Enhanced Earnings Death Benefit Plus Rider

          If an Owner or the Annuitant's age is misstated, the Enhanced Earnings
          Death  Benefit Plus Rider will be based on the  corrected  age and the
          Contract  will be  adjusted  to reflect the fees that should have been
          assessed based on the corrected age.


 Except as amended by this rider, the Contract remains unchanged.




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Secretary                        Chairman and Chief Executive Officer