The issuer behind the guarantee.
An annuity guarantee is a promise from one company, sometimes lasting forty years. The product matters less than the balance sheet standing behind it.
| Issuing company | Nationwide Life Insurance Company |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1929 |
| AM Best rating | A+ (Superior) |
| New Heights distributor | Annexus |
| New Heights surrender terms | 8, 9, 10 or 12 years |
| New Heights free withdrawal | Up to 7% per year |
Ratings and figures as published in our Nationwide review. Re-verify against the issuing agency before acting — ratings change, and a rating without a date is not a rating.
Our Nationwide reviews.
Three things to understand about Nationwide.
Balanced Allocation Strategies are not S&P 500 caps
New Heights credits interest through a strategy that smooths volatility rather than applying a simple cap to an index return. Smoothing limits the downside experience and also limits upside in a strong year. If you came in expecting full S&P 500 participation, the design will frustrate you.
The strategy menu includes proprietary indices
Available strategies include the S&P 500 alongside JP Morgan Mozaic II, SG Macro Compass, and Goldman Sachs New Horizons. Proprietary volatility-controlled indices have shorter live track records than their back-tests suggest. Ask when the index was actually launched.
Four surrender terms means four different products
An 8-year and a 12-year New Heights contract carry different rate structures. Comparing a quoted rate without matching the surrender term is comparing nothing.
How to read any carrier.
Palm Wealth Capital publishes independent annuity research and education. No carrier pays for placement on this site. Nothing here is individualized investment, tax, or legal advice.
Holding a Nationwide contract — or being shown one?
Send the illustration or statement. We will check Nationwide’s current AM Best rating and outlook against the date on this page, read the surrender schedule and any market value adjustment, price the riders, and tell you what the guaranteed terms are rather than the illustrated ones. If the answer is that you don’t need it, that is the answer you get — there is nothing here for us to sell you.
Carriers buyers weigh against this one.
Evaluating an indexed contract from this carrier? Start with how participation rates, caps, and spreads work — the three numbers that decide what any index year actually credits.