Market Protection — Indexed Life and Retirement Income, Limits and All

0% floor on index credits
Caps and surrender terms in writing
Issued by rated insurance carriers
Your number in 60 seconds

See the difference

Same crash. Two statements.

Flip the switch. In the market, the balance takes the full hit and spends years climbing back. In an indexed contract, the down year credits zero, so the market itself doesn't reduce the balance. Caps, rider fees and surrender charges still apply.

A 30% loss needs a 43% gain just to get back to even.
Withdrawals during the climb back are losses you never recover.
With an annual reset, interest already credited isn't taken back by a later market drop.

Retirement statementMonth 2

Account balance

$237,500

−5%

Starting balance

$250,000

Lost in the correction

−$12,500

Years to get back to even

~5.3 at 7%

Withdrawals during the dip

Lock in the loss

30% correction

Every withdrawal during the climb back is money that never recovers.

Why Market Protection

Interest when the index rises. A 0% floor when it falls.

Part of the upside
Indexed strategies credit interest tied to a market index in good years, up to a cap or participation rate.
A floor in down years
When the index falls, the credit is zero. Market losses don't reduce your principal or prior credits, subject to the contract's terms.
Income for life, as a contract term
Some retirement income options can pay income for life. That is a contract term, backed by the insurer that issues it. The agent shows you which.

A couple reading a retirement statement together on the edge of the bed.

How an indexed contract works

Insurers have written floors into contracts for decades. Here is how one works.

An indexed contract, such as indexed universal life, links your interest to an index like the S&P 500 without putting your money in the market.

Index goes up
You're credited a share of the gain, up to a cap. The money itself stays in the insurance company's general account.
Index goes down
The credit is zero. Market losses don't reduce your principal or interest already credited, subject to the contract's terms.
Every year, it resets
The starting point moves to the new balance. Credited interest stays; rider fees and early-withdrawal charges still apply.

Index, up year Index, down year Credited to you

Two ways to hold it

The trade is upside for downside. Here it is in one table.

Neither column is free. Which one fits depends on your timeline, and that's what the agent works out with you.

One balance, two homes

$250,000

A normal yearA 30% correction

Market share: $150,000$105,000; Full upside, full downside−30% in the correction
Floored share: $100,000; Credited up to the cap0% credited, not a loss.

In an up year
Money in the market
Full gain
Indexed with a 0% floor
Gain up to a cap or participation rate
In a down year
Money in the market
Full loss
Indexed with a 0% floor
0% credited; market losses don't reduce the contract value
Contract guarantees
Money in the market
None
Indexed with a 0% floor
Set in the contract; depend on the carrier's claims-paying ability
Lifetime income option
Money in the market
No, you manage withdrawals
Indexed with a 0% floor
Available on many contracts
Early access
Money in the market
Any time, at market value
Indexed with a 0% floor
Surrender charges may apply in the early years
Fees
Money in the market
Fund and advisory fees
Indexed with a 0% floor
Built into the cap; some riders carry a fee

	Money in the market	Indexed with a 0% floor
In an up year	Full gain	Gain up to a cap or participation rate
In a down year	Full loss	0% credited; market losses don't reduce the contract value
Contract guarantees	None	Set in the contract; depend on the carrier's claims-paying ability
Lifetime income option	No, you manage withdrawals	Available on many contracts
Early access	Any time, at market value	Surrender charges may apply in the early years
Fees	Fund and advisory fees	Built into the cap; some riders carry a fee

Many people hold both: some money in the market, and the part they can't afford to see fall behind a floor, on the contract's terms.

The math of a crash

Falling is fast. Recovering isn't.

S&P 500 price return in 2008¹: −38%
for the S&P 500 to get back to its 2007 high¹: 5½ yrs
peak-to-trough fall in the dot-com crash, 2000 to 2002¹: −49%
gain needed just to recover from a 30% loss²: 43%

Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

How it works

Three steps, everything in writing

What Is Your Current Age?
Under 45›
45 to 54›
55 to 64›
65 to 74›
Answer six questions
Age, savings, where it's held, what worries you, when you'll draw on it, and how much to shield. About a minute.
Market Protection
Hi Dan, it's Elena with Market Protection. You asked about shielding $187,500. Do you have ten minutes this week to go through it?
Wednesday morning is open.
Wednesday at 10. I'll have two illustrations ready, with the caps, the floor, and the surrender schedule on paper.
A licensed agent reaches out
By text or call. They're licensed in your state and walk you through the strategies that fit.
Your plan
In writing
- Indexed contract · $187,500 · 0% floor
- Lifetime income rider · from 67
- Keep $62,500 in the market
No fee · No obligation · Your call
See an illustration, then decide
Caps, floors, and any surrender schedule are on paper before anything moves. No fee, no obligation.

A retired couple in their kitchen, one reading the paper, one rinsing radishes.

Who this is for

If a bad year would change your plans, this is for you

Five to ten years out
The window when a crash does the most damage and there's the least time to recover.
Already retired
Drawing income during a downturn locks in losses. A floor changes that math.
Sitting on an old 401(k)
Money left with a former employer can often move as a direct transfer, without tax. The agent walks through where it can go and the rules for each.
Done with the roller coaster
You want a share of the index's rise, with the cap and the floor on paper.

Common questions

Asked all the time, answered straight

What is market protection?

Our name for indexed insurance strategies, including indexed universal life (IUL) and other indexed retirement income contracts. Your interest is linked to a market index, credited in up years up to a cap or participation rate, and floored at zero in down years, subject to the contract's terms. Surrender charges apply to early withdrawals. Your money is held by an insurance company, not invested in the market.

Is this an investment?

No. These are insurance contracts, not securities. They don't buy stocks and they aren't FDIC insured; the guarantees rest on the issuing carrier's ability to pay claims. That's why a licensed agent looks at each carrier's financial-strength ratings.

What's the catch?

Three things, all in writing before you sign. A cap or participation rate limits how much of an up year you're credited. Surrender charges apply if you pull money out early, usually in the first several years. And some income or death-benefit riders carry a fee.

Can I move my 401(k) or IRA into one?

Often, yes. Money from a former employer's plan or an IRA can usually move into an indexed retirement contract as a direct transfer without triggering tax. Life insurance is funded differently, so the agent walks through the rules for your specific account.

Will I be locked in?

Most contracts allow a free withdrawal of a set percentage each year, commonly 10%, and full access after the surrender period. Lifetime-income options, if you choose one, pay for as long as you live.

Is Market Protection an insurance company?

No. Market Protection helps you work out how much of your savings you'd want behind a floor, and a licensed agent talks it through with you and walks you through the indexed strategies that fit. We don't issue contracts, set rates, or give investment advice. Contracts are issued by licensed insurance carriers.

What happens after I submit?

A licensed agent reviews your request and reaches out by text or call. There's no fee and you're never obligated to buy. You can stop contact at any time by replying STOP.

0% floor on index credits
Caps and surrender terms in writing
Issued by rated insurance carriers
Your number in 60 seconds

See the difference

Same crash. Two statements.

A 30% loss needs a 43% gain just to get back to even.
Withdrawals during the climb back are losses you never recover.
With an annual reset, interest already credited isn't taken back by a later market drop.

Retirement statementMonth 2

Account balance

$237,500

−5%

Starting balance

$250,000

Lost in the correction

−$12,500

Years to get back to even

~5.3 at 7%

Withdrawals during the dip

Lock in the loss

30% correction

Every withdrawal during the climb back is money that never recovers.

Why Market Protection

Interest when the index rises. A 0% floor when it falls.

Part of the upside
Indexed strategies credit interest tied to a market index in good years, up to a cap or participation rate.
A floor in down years
When the index falls, the credit is zero. Market losses don't reduce your principal or prior credits, subject to the contract's terms.
Income for life, as a contract term
Some retirement income options can pay income for life. That is a contract term, backed by the insurer that issues it. The agent shows you which.

How an indexed contract works

Insurers have written floors into contracts for decades. Here is how one works.

An indexed contract, such as indexed universal life, links your interest to an index like the S&P 500 without putting your money in the market.

Index goes up
You're credited a share of the gain, up to a cap. The money itself stays in the insurance company's general account.
Index goes down
The credit is zero. Market losses don't reduce your principal or interest already credited, subject to the contract's terms.
Every year, it resets
The starting point moves to the new balance. Credited interest stays; rider fees and early-withdrawal charges still apply.

Index, up year Index, down year Credited to you

Two ways to hold it

The trade is upside for downside. Here it is in one table.

Neither column is free. Which one fits depends on your timeline, and that's what the agent works out with you.

One balance, two homes

$250,000

A normal yearA 30% correction

Market share: $150,000$105,000; Full upside, full downside−30% in the correction
Floored share: $100,000; Credited up to the cap0% credited, not a loss.

In an up year
Money in the market
Full gain
Indexed with a 0% floor
Gain up to a cap or participation rate
In a down year
Money in the market
Full loss
Indexed with a 0% floor
0% credited; market losses don't reduce the contract value
Contract guarantees
Money in the market
None
Indexed with a 0% floor
Set in the contract; depend on the carrier's claims-paying ability
Lifetime income option
Money in the market
No, you manage withdrawals
Indexed with a 0% floor
Available on many contracts
Early access
Money in the market
Any time, at market value
Indexed with a 0% floor
Surrender charges may apply in the early years
Fees
Money in the market
Fund and advisory fees
Indexed with a 0% floor
Built into the cap; some riders carry a fee

	Money in the market	Indexed with a 0% floor
In an up year	Full gain	Gain up to a cap or participation rate
In a down year	Full loss	0% credited; market losses don't reduce the contract value
Contract guarantees	None	Set in the contract; depend on the carrier's claims-paying ability
Lifetime income option	No, you manage withdrawals	Available on many contracts
Early access	Any time, at market value	Surrender charges may apply in the early years
Fees	Fund and advisory fees	Built into the cap; some riders carry a fee

Many people hold both: some money in the market, and the part they can't afford to see fall behind a floor, on the contract's terms.

The math of a crash

Falling is fast. Recovering isn't.

S&P 500 price return in 2008¹: −38%
for the S&P 500 to get back to its 2007 high¹: 5½ yrs
peak-to-trough fall in the dot-com crash, 2000 to 2002¹: −49%
gain needed just to recover from a 30% loss²: 43%

Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

How it works

Three steps, everything in writing

What Is Your Current Age?
Under 45›
45 to 54›
55 to 64›
65 to 74›
Answer six questions
Age, savings, where it's held, what worries you, when you'll draw on it, and how much to shield. About a minute.
Market Protection
Hi Dan, it's Elena with Market Protection. You asked about shielding $187,500. Do you have ten minutes this week to go through it?
Wednesday morning is open.
Wednesday at 10. I'll have two illustrations ready, with the caps, the floor, and the surrender schedule on paper.
A licensed agent reaches out
By text or call. They're licensed in your state and walk you through the strategies that fit.
Your plan
In writing
- Indexed contract · $187,500 · 0% floor
- Lifetime income rider · from 67
- Keep $62,500 in the market
No fee · No obligation · Your call
See an illustration, then decide
Caps, floors, and any surrender schedule are on paper before anything moves. No fee, no obligation.

Who this is for

If a bad year would change your plans, this is for you

Five to ten years out
The window when a crash does the most damage and there's the least time to recover.
Already retired
Drawing income during a downturn locks in losses. A floor changes that math.
Sitting on an old 401(k)
Money left with a former employer can often move as a direct transfer, without tax. The agent walks through where it can go and the rules for each.
Done with the roller coaster
You want a share of the index's rise, with the cap and the floor on paper.

Common questions

Asked all the time, answered straight

What is market protection?

Is this an investment?

What's the catch?

Can I move my 401(k) or IRA into one?

Will I be locked in?

Is Market Protection an insurance company?

What happens after I submit?

A licensed agent reviews your request and reaches out by text or call. There's no fee and you're never obligated to buy. You can stop contact at any time by replying STOP.

A floor under your savings. The limits in writing.

What Is Your Current Age?

What Is Your Current Age?

What's your age today?

How old are you?

How old are you, in years?

Same crash. Two statements.

Interest when the index rises. A 0% floor when it falls.

Part of the upside

A floor in down years

Income for life, as a contract term

Insurers have written floors into contracts for decades. Here is how one works.

Index goes up

Index goes down

Every year, it resets

The trade is upside for downside. Here it is in one table.

Falling is fast. Recovering isn't.

Three steps, everything in writing

Answer six questions

A licensed agent reaches out

See an illustration, then decide

If a bad year would change your plans, this is for you

Five to ten years out

Already retired

Sitting on an old 401(k)

Done with the roller coaster

Asked all the time, answered straight

See how much you could shield

Same crash. Two statements.

Interest when the index rises. A 0% floor when it falls.

Part of the upside

A floor in down years

Income for life, as a contract term

Insurers have written floors into contracts for decades. Here is how one works.

Index goes up

Index goes down

Every year, it resets

The trade is upside for downside. Here it is in one table.

Falling is fast. Recovering isn't.

Three steps, everything in writing

Answer six questions

A licensed agent reaches out

See an illustration, then decide

If a bad year would change your plans, this is for you

Five to ten years out

Already retired

Sitting on an old 401(k)

Done with the roller coaster

Asked all the time, answered straight

See how much you could shield