American Equity Bonus Gold provides an opportunity for you to earn more interests on your investment. With a fixed annuity like this one, interest is calculated bed on increases in an equity or bond index. You have control of your annuity in that you get to choose the crediting method at each contract anniversary.
The American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company Bonus Gold uses the following common indices:
- S&P 500
- S&P 500*Dividend Aristocrats*Daily Risk Control 5% Index
- 10 Year U.S Treasury Bond
- Dow Jones Industrial Average
Premium protection
Although the value of the Bonus Gold contract may be affected by some internal index, it doesn’t directly participate in any equity investment or stocks. You are not purchasing an index, or stock shares.
Your principal is safe with American Equity Bonus Gold. The contract is for guaranteed interest and income options, and this guarantee is backed by the claims paying ability and financial strength of American Equity.
Guaranteed income
Since American Equity offers a guaranteed income with the Bonus Gold tax-deferred equity, you can comfortably specify your income options (for instance, the number of years through which you want to receive payments).
American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company Bonus Gold is a highly liquid fixed annuity in that you can withdraw your funds at any time. The policy allows penalty-free withdrawals of as much as 10% of your investment after the 1st contract anniversary. And in the case you’d like to increase the liquidity of your contract if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness or confined to a nursing home, there are certain riders to do so in some states.
- Withdrawal Penalty – if you make withdrawals or surrender your American Equity Bonus Gold annuity before you hit the age of 59.5, you might be subjected to a 10 percent federal penalty.
Note: States have a law that allows policy holders to change their mind within the first few days and still get a full refund of their money. If you’d like to cancel your American Equity Bonus Gold after you buy the annuity, review your contract after delivery to see how many days you have.
- Tax deferral – by current laws, annuities grow tax-deferred. But any distribution may trigger a taxable event, not to forget the fact that laws change all the time.
- Avoidance of probate – in the case of a policyholder’s demise, his or her beneficiaries can access the accumulated Bonus Gold annuity funds and might avoid the expenses and delays of probate. They’ll receive the funds either as a lump-sum payment, or in monthly income.
- 10% Premium Bonus – with Bonus Gold, American Equity offers a 10% premium bonus for issue age 18-80. This can be a great way for policyholders to jump start their retirement planning. There are no vesting schedules or waiting periods to keep this bonus, it’s yours.
Riders
a) Nursing Care Rider (NCR-100)
American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company Bonus Gold has this rider pre-included in the contract free of charge for all policy buyers below 75 years age. This rider allows annuity owners to get a 100% penalty-free withdrawal following the 3rd Contract Anniversary if at all they are confided in a qualified nursing care home for at least 3 consecutive months. If confinement happens within the second or third year of the contract, a 20% penalty-free withdrawal is a permitted.
b) Terminal Illness Rider (TIR-100)
Included cost-free for annuity buyers below the age of 75, this Bonus Gold rider allows annuitants to make a penalty-free withdrawal (up to 100%) if diagnosed with a terminal ailment after the 1st Contract Anniversary, and that is expected to result to demise within 12 months.
Annuity advantage
You can accumulate a significant sum of money by simply allowing your Bonus Gold annuity premium and interests to grow tax deferred. Unlike in a taxable investment, your money grows faster.
