Equitable Adds Protection Features To Its Tax-Deferred Variable Annuity

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Equitable, a leading financial services organization and principal franchise of Equitable Holdings, Inc., today announced enhancements to its Investment Edge tax-deferred variable annuity designed to give clients a level of protection against market volatility while preserving their ability to participate in market growth.

The latest version of Investment Edge adds an investment choice with partial downside protection from equity market losses similar to Equitable’s Structured Capital Strategies registered index-linked annuity.

This segment-based investment approach will track a well-known benchmark index of the client’s choosing. Clients can benefit from the potential growth of that index up to a performance cap rate, with protection against the first -10% of potential losses, less the contract fee.

Clients can further fine-tune their approach by selecting either a Standard Segment which measures investment performance over one year from the date of investment, or the Step Up Segment which guarantees a return equal to the Performance Cap Rate, less the contract fee, if the index performance is equal to or greater than zero when the Segment matures. Clients will maintain the flexibility to transfer out of, or between, the two Segment options at any time.

“Tax-efficient investment strategies for growth are paramount for advisors and clients when constructing a portfolio,” said Robin M. Raju, head of Individual Retirement, Equitable. “By combining some of the most popular features of our retirement products, we are continuing to invest in innovative solutions that meet our clients’ needs for an asset allocation approach, providing both the potential for growth and protection in these uncertain times.”

Investment Edge also includes two other choices for investing:

- Preset portfolios consisting of either investments selected by well-known managers, or risk-based portfolios that create a diversified asset-allocation and help provide consistent performance over time

- Option to build a diversified portfolio of investments from more than 100 investment options, including core U.S. and international equity options and alternative investments

Interactive retirement education and detailed product information for Equitable Financial’s individual retirement annuities is available through its online Retirement Guide.

About Investment Edge

Investment Edge is a tax-deferred variable annuity designed to provide clients with the ability to optimize how and when they start taking distributions for their account, thereby potentially reducing taxes in the early years of retirement. These benefits can also be extended to beneficiaries as well. The latest version of Investment Edge also allows clients to elect for their premiums to be returned to heirs upon their death, eliminating a common hesitancy to invest in variable annuities. It can be used as an investment vehicle for inherited IRA contracts, increasing flexibility in investment choices beyond what is often a limited number of options.