Enhanced Choice Index for California

Refer to your distributor Product Spreadsheet for state availability.

Performance Potential With Protection

The Enhanced Choice Index is a single-premium deferred index annuity offering multiple crediting strategies linked to index performance. Clients choose the combination of indices and crediting options that best align with their financial goals. Enhanced product features give flexibility, adaptability, and access to funds.

Index Choices

S&P 500^® Index

The S&P 500^® Index tracks the performance of 500 of the top companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices and widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities.

S&P MARC 5% Excess Return Index

The S&P Multi-Asset Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index aims for more stable index performance with a diversified multi-asset index that uses an innovative design to manage market volatility. It tracks three underlying asset classes: equities, commodities, and fixed income. The index is rebalanced daily to maintain a target volatility of 5%.

S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index

The S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index’s goal is to create stable returns using the existing S&P 500^® Index crediting design combined with a volatility target. The index is adjusted daily to target a 5% level of volatility. Clients will see upside potential with less exposure to market fluctuations, while benefiting from the performance of U.S. large-cap markets.

S&P 500 ESG Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index

The S&P 500 ESG Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index’s objective is to provide stable returns using the S&P 500^® Index, but focusing on companies with improved environmental, social, and governance characteristics.

The index is adjusted daily to target a 5% level of volatility. Clients will see upside potential with less exposure to market fluctuations. This Index allows your clients to align their investment objective with their sustainable values.

Interest Crediting Options

Clients can choose interest crediting using an annual point-to-point Index Participation Rate, an annual point-to-point Enhanced Index Participation Rate, fixed interest crediting or have funds in all options.

Index Participation Rate

Clients earn interest based on a percentage of the growth of the index each year. That percentage is the participation rate. Interest is credited to the account at the end of each year. Clients will not experience any losses if the index decreases.

Enhanced Index Participation Rate

In exchange for a fee, clients will receive a higher participation rate. This gives the annuity fund the potential to grow at a higher rate. The annual fee is 1.50% based on the beginning account value. Fees are deducted from the annuity fund value at the end of each index term, after interest is credited.

Participation Rate Guarantees

We offer a multi-year guaranteed participation rate on some index crediting options. After the initial guarantee period, the participation rate may change annually.

Surrender-Charge Period

There is a choice of a 5 or 7-year surrender-charge period, with no surrender charges thereafter.

Index Term and Crediting

Each point-to-point index term is 12 months, and we credit interest once at the end of the term. Interest is based on the growth of the index from the beginning to the end of the index term. As interest is credited, the earnings are locked into the Index Interest account value. Funds in the Index Interest account will never decrease if the market goes down.

At the end of each index term, your clients will receive notice from us of the Index Rate Cap and Index Participation Rate for the next index term. The new rate may be higher or lower than their initial rate.

Fixed Interest Crediting

Clients earn a fixed interest rate that credits interest daily. We guarantee that interest rate for the first contract year. Rates after the initial rate guarantee period may be higher or lower than the initial rate.

Account Allocations

Your clients can choose to place their funds in the index interest account, the fixed interest account or both. A total of at least 15% of premium must be allocated to the index accounts, and no less than $2,000 in any account to which funds are allocated. 

Premium will be allocated to the accounts on the contract effective date. All expected premium must be noted on the application and the policy will not issue until all funds are received. The contract effective date is the day we receive all of the expected premium.

Target Clients

The ECI is a good fit if you like the benefits of tax-deferred growth with upside potential based on market performance. Three of the indexes offer volatility control, providing clients with the potential for increased growth without increased exposure to market fluctuations. The S&P 500 ESG Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index provides an option that aligns with the values of socially conscientious clients.

This annuity is also an excellent way to enhance your client’s retirement-savings plan and can be used to fund Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Pensions Plans or Simplified Employee Pensions.

Some products and rate guarantee periods available through select distribution only.

Rates may change without notice. Products of Standard Insurance Company. Product features and availability varies by state.

Refer to your distributor Product Spreadsheet for state availability.

ECI Index Options

Watch our video for details about the ECI’s multiple index and crediting options.

• Index Choices
  • S&P 500^® Index
  • S&P MARC 5% Excess Return Index
  • S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index
  • S&P 500 ESG Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index
• Interest Crediting Options
  • Index participation rate
  • Enhanced index participation rate
  • Fixed interest with initial 1-year rate guarantee period
• Issue Age¹:
  • ECI 5: Issue to age 93²
  • ECI 7: Issue to age 90
• Guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit (GMAB)
• Multi-year guaranteed participation rate on some index crediting options
• $15,000 to $1,000,000 initial premium (greater amounts may be accepted if pre-approved by The Standard before you submit an application)³
• Joint owner and joint annuitant options
• Enhanced Choice Index 5
  • California 5-year surrender-charge periods (8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%)
• Enhanced Choice Index 7
  • California 7-year surrender-charge periods (8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%)
• Surrender-charge free withdrawal options 
  • 10% annual withdrawals⁴
  • IRS Required minimum distributions
  • Terminal conditions⁴ with partial index credit available
  • Home care, Community-based services, Nursing care facility or Residential care facility residency⁴ with partial index credit available
  • Death of Owner with partial index credit available
  • Annuitization with partial index credit available
• No annual contract fees

1 Maximum issue age may vary by distributor.

2 The purchase of the annuity for those age 91-93 must be for transfer-of-wealth or estate-planning purposes.

3 All expected premium must be noted on application, policy will not issue until all funds are received.

4 Applies after the first contract year.

Some products and rate guarantee periods available through select distribution only.

Rates may change without notice. Products of Standard Insurance Company. Product features and availability varies by state.

Refer to your distributor Product Spreadsheet for state availability.

ECI Marketing Materials

• At-A-Glance Product Guide  
• Product Highlights Flyer  
• ECI Brochure  
• Numerical Examples
• ECI State Comparison  

Index Information Guides

Article: Return Types for Insurance Indices — price return (PR), total return (TR) or excess return (ER)

S&P 500^®Index (SPX)

• Index Landing Page with Factsheet and Methodology
• Brochure: Understanding the S&P 500^®  

S&P MARC 5% Excess Return Index (SPMARC5P)

• Index Landing Page with Factsheet and Methodology: Choose Excess Return in the drop down menu
• Brochure: S&P MARC 5%  
• 2022 Performance Summary flyer: S&P MARC 5%  

S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index (SPXT5UE)

• Index Landing Page with Factsheet and Methodology: Choose Excess Return in the drop down menu
• Brochure: S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 5% Index   
• Limiting Risk Exposure with S&P Risk Control Indices 

S&P 500 ESG Daily Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index (SPXESU5E)

• Index Landing Page with Factsheet and Methodology: Choose Excess Return in the drop down menu
• Brochure: S&P 500 ESG Daily Risk Control 5% Index  
• Brochure: S&P 500 ESG Index: Integrating ESG Values into the Core  
• ESG Theme Page

Sample Policies

• ECI 5 Specimen Contract – CA Specific  
• ECI 7 Specimen Contract – CA Specific  

Some products and rate guarantee periods available through select distribution only.

Rates may change without notice. Products of Standard Insurance Company. Product features and availability varies by state.