Index credits are based on the change in the index value for the policy year. The point-to-point strategy compares two points – the value of the S&P 500® at the beginning of the policy year to the value at the end of the policy year. If the index value is greater than the beginning value, you are credited with the percentage increase, subject to a specified cap.
The annual cap rate is the most that can be credited in that policy year. The cap may be reset at the beginning of each policy year at the discretion of EquiTrust, but can never be less than the guaranteed minimum cap rate.
Index credits for any crediting period can only be positive, or zero. Once added to your accumulation value, index credits are locked in. If the index is down for the year, the credited amount is zero. If index values decline in later years, any index credits previously added cannot be lost. However, policy expense charges, cost-of-insurance rates and policy fees can reduce your Accumulation Value.
The “S&P Multi-Asset Risk Control 5% Excess Return Index” and “S&P 500®” Indices (“Indices”) are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (“SPDJI”) and have been licensed for use by EquiTrust Life Insurance Company (“the Company”). Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by the Company. The products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, or their respective affiliates and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the Indices.
Index life insurance policies are not stock-market investments and do not directly participate in any equity investments. The market index does not include dividends paid on underlying stocks, and therefore does not reflect the total return of underlying stocks. Purchases of index life insurance policies are not direct investments in the S&P 500® Index. Withdrawals from a policy may be subject to surrender charges.