Lincoln National Variable Annuity Account C

05/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/01/2024 11:38

Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497

EDGAR HTML
Multi-Fund®Individual Variable Annuity Contracts
The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company
Lincoln National Variable Annuity Account C
May 1, 2024
Home Office:
The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company
1301 South Harrison Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
www.LincolnFinancial.com
1-800-454-6265
This prospectus describes certain individual deferred annuity contracts issued by The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (Lincoln Life or Company). This Contract may be owned by individuals and by participants in nonqualified plans (including IRAs) and qualified retirement plans provided by an employer. Generally, you do not pay federal income tax on the Contract's growth until it is paid out. Qualified retirement plans already provide for tax deferral. Therefore, there should be reasons other than tax deferral for acquiring the Contract within a qualified plan. The Contract is designed to accumulate Contract Value to provide retirement income over a certain period of time, or for life, subject to certain conditions. If the Annuitant dies before the Contract is annuitized, a Death Benefit may be payable.
This prospectus describes three versions of the Contract: a single premium deferred annuity (Multi-Fund®1), a flexible premium deferred annuity (Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4) and a periodic premium deferred annuity (Multi-Fund®1). Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4 contracts are no longer sold.
If you are a new investor in the Contract, you may cancel your Contract within ten days of receiving it without paying fees or penalties. In some states, and under certain scenarios, this free look or cancellation period may be longer. Upon cancellation, you will receive either a full refund of the amount you paid with your application or your total Contract Value. You should review this prospectus and consult with your registered representative for additional information about the specific cancellation terms that may apply.
Purchase Payments in total may not equal or exceed $1 million without Lincoln Life approval. If you stop making Purchase Payments the Contract will remain in force as a paid up Contract as long as the total Contract Value is at least $600. Payments may be resumed at any time if your plan permits until the Annuity Commencement Date, the maturity date, the surrender of the Contract, or payment of any Death Benefit, whichever comes first.
You choose whether your Contract Value accumulates on a variable or a fixed (guaranteed) basis or both. The fixed account provides a guarantee of principal and interest, as specified in the Contract. Assets in the fixed account are part of the general assets of Lincoln Life and are subject to the claims paying ability of the Company. If you put all your Purchase Payments into the fixed account, we guarantee your principal and a minimum interest rate. We limit withdrawals and transfers from the fixed side of the contract.
All Purchase Payments for benefits on a variable basis will be placed in Lincoln National Variable Annuity Account C (Variable Annuity Account or VAA). You take all the investment risk on the Contract Value and the retirement income for amounts placed into one or more of the Contract's variable options. If the Subaccounts you select make money, your Contract Value goes up; if they lose money, it goes down. How much it goes up or down depends on the performance of the Subaccounts you select. We do not guarantee how any of the variable options or their underlying funds (funds) will perform. Also, neither the U.S. Government nor any federal agency insures or guarantees your investment in the Contract.
All prospectuses and other shareholder reports, will be made available on www.lfg.com/VAprospectus. This prospectus gives you information about the Contract that you should know before you decide to buy a Contract and make a Purchase Payment. You should also review the prospectus for the funds and keep all prospectuses for future reference.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable annuities, has been prepared by the SEC's staff and is available at Investor.gov.
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Table of Contents
Item
Page
Special Terms
3
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract
5
Overview of the Contract
8
Fee Tables
10
Principal Risks
12
Investments of the Variable Annuity Account
14
Charges and Other Deductions
16
Surrender Charge
17
Additional Information
20
The Contracts
21
Transfers On or Before the Annuity Commencement Date
23
Surrenders and Withdrawals
25
Benefits Available Under the Contract
26
Death Benefit
30
Living Benefit Riders
32
i4LIFE® Advantage for Qualified Contracts
32
i4LIFE®Advantage for Nonqualified Contracts and IRAs
38
Guaranteed Income Benefit with i4LIFE®Advantage (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
43
Annuity Payouts
47
Fixed Side of the Contract
49
Distribution of the Contracts
49
Federal Tax Matters
50
Additional Information
56
Voting Rights
56
Return Privilege
57
State Regulation
57
Records and Reports
57
Other Information
57
Legal Proceedings
57
Appendix A - Funds Available Under The Contract
A-1
Appendix B - Investment Requirements
B-1
Appendix C - Discontinued Living Benefit Riders
C-1
Appendix D - Guaranteed Income Benefit Percentages for Previous Rider Elections
D-1
2
Special Terms
In this prospectus, the following terms have the indicated meanings:
5% Enhancement-A feature under certain Living Benefit Riders in which the Guaranteed Amount or Income Base, minus Purchase Payments received in the preceding Benefit Year, will be increased by 5%, subject to certain conditions.
Access Period-Under i4LIFE®Advantage, a defined period of time during which we make Regular Income Payments to you while you still have access to your Account Value. This means that you may make withdrawals, surrender the Contract, and have a Death Benefit.
Account or Variable Annuity Account (VAA)-The segregated investment account, Account C, into which we set aside and invest the assets for the variable side of the contract offered in this prospectus.
Account Value-Under i4LIFE® Advantage, the initial Account Value is the Contract Value on the Valuation Date that i4LIFE® Advantage is effective (or initial Purchase Payment if i4LIFE® Advantage is purchased at contract issue), less any applicable premium taxes. During the Access Period, the Account Value on a Valuation Date equals the total value of all of the Contractowner's Accumulation Units plus the Contractowner's value in the fixed account, reduced by Regular Income Payments, Guaranteed Income Benefit payments and withdrawals.
Accumulation Unit-A measure used to calculate Contract Value for the variable side of the contract before the Annuity Commencement Date.
Annuitant-The person upon whose life the annuity benefit payments are based, and upon whose death a Death Benefit may be paid.
Annuity Commencement Date-The Valuation Date when funds are withdrawn or converted into Annuity Units or fixed dollar payout for payment of retirement income benefits under the Annuity Payout option you select(other than i4LIFE®Advantage).
Annuity Payout-A regularly scheduled payment (under any of the available annuity options) that occurs after the Annuity Commencement Date (or Periodic Income Commencement Date if i4LIFE®Advantage has been elected). Payments may be variable or fixed, or a combination of both.
Annuity Unit-A measure used to calculate the amount of Annuity Payouts for the variable side of the contract after the Annuity Commencement Date.
Account Value Step-up-(may be referred to as Account Value lock-in in marketing materials)-Under certain Living Benefit Riders, the Guaranteed Amount or Protected Income Base will automatically step up to the Contract Value on each Benefit Year anniversary, subject to certain conditions.
Beneficiary-The person or entity designated by you to receive any Death Benefit paid if the Annuitant dies before the Annuity Commencement Date.
Benefit Year-Under certain Living Benefit Riders, the 12-month period starting with the effective date of the rider and starting with each anniversary of the rider effective date after that. Under Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage, if the Contractowner elects a step-up, the Benefit Year will begin on the effective date of the step-up and each anniversary of the step-up after that.
Contract-The variable annuity contract you have entered into with Lincoln Life.
Contractowner(you, your, owner)-The person who can exercisethe rights within the Contract (decides on investment allocations, transfers, payout option, designates the beneficiary, etc.). Usually, but not always, the Contractowner is the annuitant.
Contract Value(may be referred to as Account Value in marketing materials)-At any given time before the Annuity Commencement Date, the total value of all Accumulation Units of a Contract, plus the value of the fixed side of the contract, if any.
Contract Year-Each 12-month period starting with the effective date of the Contract and starting with each contract anniversary after that.
Death Benefit-The amount payable to your designated Beneficiaryif the owner dies before the Annuity Commencement Date. If the Contract is owned by a non-natural person, the Death Benefit will be paid on the death of the Annuitant.
Enhancement Period-Under certain Living Benefit Riders, the 10-year period during which a 5% Enhancement is in effect. A new Enhancement Period may begin each time an Account Value Step-up to the Contract Value occurs, subject to certain conditions.
Excess Withdrawals-Amounts withdrawn during a Benefit Year, as specified for each Living Benefit Rider, which decrease or eliminate the guarantees under the rider.
Good Order-The actual receipt at our Home Office of the requested transaction in writing or by other means we accept, along with all information and supporting legal documentation necessary to complete the transaction. The forms we provide will identify the necessary documentation. We may, in our sole discretion, determine whether any particular transaction request is in Good Order, and we reserve the right to change or waive any Good Order requirements at any time.
Guaranteed Amount-The value used to calculate your withdrawal benefit under Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage.
Guaranteed Amount Annuity Payment Option-A fixed Annuity Payout option available under Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage under which the Contractowner (and spouse if applicable) will receive annual annuity payments equal to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount for life.
3
i4LIFE®Advantage Credit-Under i4LIFE®Advantage, the additional amount credited to the Contract if both the minimum Access Period requirement and threshold value are met.
Investment Requirements-Restrictions in how you may allocate your Subaccount investments if you own certain Living Benefit Riders.
Lifetime Income Period-Under i4LIFE®Advantage, the period of time following the Access Period during which we make Regular Income Payments to you for the rest of your life (and Secondary Life, if applicable). During the Lifetime Income Period, you will no longer have access to your Account Value or receive a Death Benefit.
Lincoln Life(we, us, our, Company)-The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company.
Living Benefit Rider-A general reference to optional riders that provide some type of a minimum income guarantee while you are alive. If you select a Living Benefit Rider, Excess Withdrawals may have adverse effects on the benefit, and you may be subject to Investment Requirements.
Maximum Annual Withdrawal-The guaranteed periodic withdrawal available under Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage.
Nursing Home Enhancement-A feature that will increase the Protected Annual Income amount under Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 or the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount under Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage upon admittance to an approved nursing care facility, subject to certain conditions.
Periodic Income Commencement Date-The Valuation Date on which the amount of i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payments are determined.
Protected Annual Income-(may be referred to as Guaranteed Annual Income or Maximum Annual Withdrawal in your Contract)-The guaranteed periodic withdrawal amount avail
able from the Contract each Benefit Year for life under certain Living Benefit Riders.
Protected Annual Income Payout Option-(may be referred to as Guaranteed Annual Income Amount Annuity Payout Option or Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payout Option in your Contract)-A payout option available under certain Living Benefit Riders in which the Contractowner (and spouse if applicable) will receive annual annuity payments equal to the Protected Annual Income amount for life.
Protected Income Base-(may be referred to as Income Base or Guaranteed Amount in your Contract)-Under certain Living Benefit Riders, the Protected Income Base is a value used to calculate your Protected Annual Income amount or the minimum payouts under your Contract at a later date.
Purchase Payments-Amounts paid into the Contract.
Regular Income Payments-The variable, periodic income payments paid under i4LIFE®Advantage.
SEC-Securities and Exchange Commission.
Secondary Life-Under certain Living Benefit Riders, the person designated by the Contractowner upon whose life the annuity payments will also be contingent.
Subaccount-The portion of the VAA that reflects investments in Accumulation and Annuity Units of a class of a particular fund available under the contracts. There is a separate Subaccount which corresponds to each class of a fund.
Valuation Date-Each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading.
Valuation Period-The period starting at the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) on each day that the NYSE is open for trading (Valuation Date) and ending at the close of such trading on the next Valuation Date.
4
Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract
FEES AND EXPENSES
Location in
Prospectus
Charges for Early
Withdrawals
The surrender charges applicable to your Contract depend on the version of the Contract
that you own.
Single premium contract (Multi-Fund®1). If you withdraw money during the first 7
full Contract Years, you may be assessed a surrender charge of up to 7% of the
amount withdrawn, declining to 0% over that time period.
Flexible premium contract (Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4). If you withdraw money before the
7th anniversary since your last Purchase Payment, you may be assessed a surrender
charge of up to 7% of Purchase Payments withdrawn, declining to 0% over that time
period.
Periodic premium contract (Multi-Fund®1). If you withdraw money during the first
10full Contract Years, you may be assessed a surrender charge of up to 8% of the
amount withdrawn, declining to 0% over that time period.
For example, if you purchase the Contract and make a withdrawal of $100,000 during
the surrender charge period, you could be assessed a charge of up to $7,000(for a
single or flexible premium contract) or $8,000(for a periodic premium contract).
Fee Tables
Examples
Charges and
Other
Deductions -
Surrender
Charge
Transaction
Charges
If you participate in a tax deferred retirement plan that allows participant loans, you may
be eligible to take a loan against your Contract Value. Depending on your state of
residence, a one-time fee of up to $35 may be charged to set up and process a loan. The
loan maintenance fee is an annual rate of 2.5%
Fee Tables
Charges and
Other
Deductions
5
FEES AND EXPENSES
Location in
Prospectus
Ongoing Fees and
Expenses (annual
charges)
Minimum and Maximum Annual Fee Table. The table below describes the fees and
expenses that you may pay each year, depending on the options you choose. Please
refer to your contract specifications page for information about the specific fees you will
pay each year based on the options you have elected.
Fee Tables
Examples
Charges and
Other
Deductions
Annual Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Base Contract
1.002%1, 2
Base Contract with Enhanced Guaranteed
Minimum Death Benefit
1.302%1, 2
Investment options (fund fees and
expenses)
0.23%1
1.32%1
Optional benefits available for an
additional charge (for a single optional
benefit, if elected)
0.30%1
2.00%3
1As a percentage of average Account Value in the Subaccounts.
2A charge of 0.952% applies only for assets invested in the LVIP Delaware Value Fund on and after May 1, 2009.
3 As a percentage of the Protected Income Base.
Lowest and Highest Annual Cost Table. Because your Contract is customizable, the
choices you make affect how much you will pay. To help you understand the cost of
owning your Contract, the following table shows the lowest and highest cost you could
pay each year. This estimate assumes that you do not take withdrawals from the
Contract, which could add surrender charges that substantially increase costs.
Lowest Annual Cost: $1,548
Highest Annual Cost: $6,258
Assumes:
Assumes:
Investment of $100,000
5% annual appreciation
Least expensive fund fees and
expenses
No optional benefits
No surrender charges
No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers, or withdrawals
Investment of $100,000
5% annual appreciation
Most expensive combination of
optional benefits and fund fees and
expenses
No surrender charges
No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers, or withdrawals
RISKS
Location in
Prospectus
Risk of Loss
You can lose money by investing in this Contract, including loss of principal.
Principal Risks
Investments of
the Variable
Annuity
Account
Not a Short-Term
Investment
This Contract is not designed for short-term investing and is not appropriate for an
investor who needs ready access to cash.
Surrender charges may apply to withdrawals. If you take a withdrawal, any surrender
charges will reduce the value of your Contract or the amount of money that you
actually receive.
The benefits of tax deferral, long-term income, and living benefit protections mean
the Contract is more beneficial to investors with a long-term investment horizon.
Withdrawals are subject to ordinary income tax and may be subject to tax penalties.
Principal Risks
Surrenders and
Withdrawals
Fee Tables
Living Benefit
Riders
6
RISKS
Location in
Prospectus
Risks Associated
with Investment
Options
An investment in this Contract is subject to the risk of poor investment performance
of the investment options you choose. Performance can vary depending on the
performance of the investment options available under the Contract.
Each investment option (including the fixed account option) has its own unique risks.
You should review the investment options before making an investment decision.
Principal Risks
Investments in
the Variable
Annuity
Insurance
Company Risks
An investment in the Contract is subject to the risks related to us, Lincoln Life. Any
obligations (including under the fixed account option), guarantees, or benefits of the
Contract are subject to our claims-paying ability. If we experience financial distress,
we may not be able to meet our obligations to you. More information about Lincoln
Life, including our financial strength ratings, is available upon request by calling 1-
800-454-6265 or visiting www.LincolnFinancial.com.
Principal Risks
RESTRICTIONS
Location in
Prospectus
Investments
The frequency of transfers between investment options is restricted. There are also
restrictions on the minimum amount that may be transferred from a variable option
and the maximum amount that may be transferred from the fixed account option.
Currently, there is no charge for transfers. We may impose a $10 charge for transfers
in excess of the maximum number of transfers allowed in a Contract Year.
We reserve the right to remove or substitute the funds that are available as
investment options under the Contract.
You are generally restricted to no more than 12 transfers between investment options
per Contract Year. Your ability to transfer between investment option may also be
restricted as a result of Investment Requirements if you have elected an optional
benefit.
Principal Risks
Investments of
the Variable
Annuity
Account
Transfers On
and Before the
Annuity
Commence-
ment Date
Optional Benefits
There are additional restrictions and limitations under the Contract's optional
benefits.
Optional benefits may limit or restrict the investment options that you may select
under the Contract. We may change these restrictions in the future.
Optional benefit availability may vary by state of issue or selling broker-dealer.
Excess Withdrawals may reduce the value of an optional benefit by an amount
greater than the value withdrawn or result in termination of the benefit.
We may modify or stop offering an optional benefit that is currently available at any
time.
Benefits
Available
Under the
Contract
The Contracts
Living Benefit
Riders
Appendix B -
Investment
Requirements
TAXES
Location in
Prospectus
Tax Implications
Consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in
and payments received under this Contract.
If you purchase the Contract through a tax-qualified plan or IRA, you do not get any
additional tax benefit under the Contract.
Earnings on your Contract are taxed at ordinary income tax rates when you withdraw
them, and you may have to pay a penalty if you take a withdrawal before age 59½.
Federal Tax
Matters
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Location in
Prospectus
Investment
Professional
Compensation
Your registered representative may receive compensation for selling this Contract to
you, in the form of commissions, additional cash benefits (e.g., bonuses), and non-
cash compensation. We may share the revenue we earn on this Contract with your
investment professional's firm.
This potential conflict of interest may influence your registered representative to
recommend this Contract over another investment for which the investment
professional is not compensated or compensated less.
Distribution of
the Contracts
Principal Risks
7
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Location in
Prospectus
Exchanges
If you already own a contract, some investment professionals may have a financial
incentive to offer you a new Contract in place of the one you own. You should only
exchange a contract you already own if you determine, after comparing the features,
fees, and risks of both contracts, that it is better for you to purchase the new
Contract rather than continue to own your existing contract.
Replacement
of Existing
Insurance
Overview of the Contract
Purpose of the Contract
The Multi-Fund®Individual variable annuity contract is designed for you to accumulate assets through investments in a variety of investment options during the accumulation phase. Then, during the annuity phase, the Contract is designed to supplement your retirement income by providing a stream of income payments. The Contract also offers a Death Benefit to protect your designated Beneficiaries.
This Contract may be appropriate if you have a long-term investment horizon. It is not intended for people who may need to make early or frequent withdrawals or intend to engage in frequent trading in the Subaccounts.
Phases of the Contract
The Contract has two phases: (1) an accumulation phase (for savings) and (2) an annuity phase (for income).
Accumulation (Savings) Phase.To help you accumulate assets during the accumulation phase, you can invest your payments and earnings in:
The variable options available under the Contract, each of which has an underlying mutual fund with its own investment objective, strategies, and risks; investment adviser(s); expense ratio; and performance history; and
A fixed account option, which guarantees principal and a minimum interest rate.
A list of the funds under the Contract is provided in Appendix A: Funds Available Under the Contract.
Annuity (Income) Phase.You can end the accumulation phase and enter the annuity phase by electing to annuitize your Contract, turning your Contract Value into a stream of income payments from us (sometimes called annuity payments). These payments may continue for life, a guaranteed period of years, or the longer of life or a guaranteed period of years. The payments may be fixed or variable. Variable payments will vary based on the performance of the investment options you select.
In general, if you elect to annuitize, your investments will be converted to annuity payments. You will no longer be able to withdraw money from your Contract, living benefits may terminate, and there won't be a Death Benefit. However, please note:
If you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, an optional benefit for an additional charge, you may continue to withdraw money from your Contract and have a death benefit for a limited period of time after you begin receiving income payments.
Certain annuity payout options make an amount payable upon death.
Primary Features and Options of the Contract
Contract Versions.This prospectus describes three different versions of the Contract:
(1)
Single premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®1)
(2)
Flexible premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®2, 3, or 4)
(3)
Periodic premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®1)*
*
A non-recurring lump sum payment may be made when purchasing a periodic premium contract.
The version of the Contract that you own impacts various aspects of your Contract, such as transaction expenses, Purchase Payments limitations, contract restrictions, and standard and optional benefits. For example, the different versions of the Contract have different surrender charges and surrender charge periods. You cannot elect more than one Living Benefit Rider or payout option at any one time.
The Contract may be owned by individuals and Participants in nonqualified plans (including IRAs) and qualified retirement plans provided by an employer. The tax treatment of your Contract will also impact your Contract's features, such as fees and expenses and applicable benefits.
Accessing Your Money.Before you annuitize, you can withdraw money from your Contract at any time. If you take a withdrawal, you may have to pay a surrender charge and/or income taxes, including a tax penalty if you are younger than age 59½.
8
Tax Treatment.You can transfer money between investment options without tax implications, and earnings (if any) on your investments are generally tax-deferred. You are taxed only upon: (1) making a withdrawal; (2) receiving a payment from us; or (3) payment of a Death Benefit.
Death Benefits.In general, the Contract includes a standard Death Benefit that will pay your designated Beneficiaries the Contract Value at the time of your death (or for periodic premium contracts, total Purchase Payments, less any withdrawals and outstanding loan balance, if greater). Enhanced Death Benefits may be purchased for an additional fee. An enhanced Death Benefit may increase the amount of money payable to your designated Beneficiaries upon your death.
Other Benefits.For an additional fee, you can elect an annuity payout rider that allows you to take withdrawals and have a death benefit for a limited period of time after you begin receiving income payments (i4LIFE®Advantage). There is also a guaranteed income benefit rider that ensures your income payments under i4LIFE®Advantage, which may fluctuate, do not fall below a minimum amount (Guaranteed Income Benefit).
We offered multiple Living Benefit Riders under the Contract that are no longer available for sale, including guaranteed minimum withdrawal riders (Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus, and Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage) and an annuity payout rider (4LATER®Advantage). Owners of these riders pay an additional fee for as long as they own the rider.
Additional Services.The additional services listed below are available under the Contract for no additional charge (unless otherwise indicated).
Dollar-Cost Averaging.Allows you to automatically transfer money between certain investment options on a monthly basis.
Portfolio Rebalancing.Allows you to automatically reallocate your money among investment options on a periodic basis based on your instructions.
Automatic Withdrawal Service.Allows you to automatically take periodic withdrawals from your Contract.
Cross-Reinvestment.When the amount invested in an investment option exceeds a certain amount, this service automatically transfers the excess amount to another investment option.
Loans.If you participate in a retirement plan that allows Participant loans and the additional loan set-up fee under the Contract is permitted by law, you may be able to take a loan against your Contract.
9
Fee Tables
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from the Contract. Please refer to your Contract Specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.
The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time that you buy the Contract, surrender or make withdrawals from the Contract, or transfer Contract Value between investment options, and/or the fixed account (if available). State premium taxes may also be deducted.
TRANSACTION EXPENSES
Surrender charge - Single Premium (Multi-Fund®1) (as a percentage of Contract Value surrendered/withdrawn)
7.00%
Surrender charge - Flexible Premium (Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4) (as a percentage of Purchase Payments surrendered/
withdrawn)
7.00%
Surrender charge - Periodic Contract (Multi-Fund®1) (as a percentage of Contract Value surrendered/withdrawn):1
8.00%
Loan set-up fee2:
$35
1
The surrender charge percentage is reduced over time. The later the surrender or withdrawal occurs, the lower the surrender charge with respect to that surrender or withdrawal. We may reduce or waive this charge in certain situations. A withdrawal that does not exceed the free amount for a Contract Year is not subject to a surrender charge. See Charges and Other Deductions - Surrender Charge.
2
Loans are available only if your group plan allows for loans and such fee is permissible by state law.
The next table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay each yearduring the time that you own the Contract (not including fund fees and expenses). These fees and expenses are the same for the Single Premium (Multi-Fund®1), Flexible Premium (Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4) and Periodic Premium (Multi-Fund®1) contracts. If you choose to purchase an optional benefit, you will pay additional charges, as shown below.
ANNUAL CONTRACT EXPENSES
Administrative Expense (Annual Account Fee):1
$25
Base Contract Expenses:2
(as a percentage of average daily net assets in the Subaccounts):
Without Enhanced Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (EGMDB)
1.002%
Enhanced Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (EGMDB)
1.302%
Loan Maintenance Fee (as a percentage of amount of loans)2
2.50%
Optional Benefit Expenses4
Single
Life
Joint
Life
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0:5
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
2.00%
2.00%
Current Charge
1.05%
1.25%
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage:6
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
1.50%
1.50%
Current Charge
0.90%
0.90%
Additional Charge for Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus
0.15%
0.15%
Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option:6
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
1.50%
1.50%
Current Charge
0.85%
1.00%
Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option:7
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
0.95%
N/A
10
Current Charge
0.85%
N/A
4LATER®Advantage:8
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
1.50%
N/A
Current Charge
0.65%
N/A
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (qualified contracts only):9
Current Charge10
0.48%
0.48%
i4LIFE®Advantage (nonqualified contracts and IRAs):11
Current Charge
0.30%
0.30%
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) (nonqualified contracts and IRAs):12
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
2.00%
2.00%
Current Charge
0.95%
1.15%
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 3) (nonqualified contracts and IRAs):12
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
1.50%
1.50%
Current Charge
0.95%
0.95%
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2) (nonqualified contracts and IRAs):12
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
1.50%
1.50%
Current Charge
0.75%
0.75%
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 1) (nonqualified contracts and IRAs):12
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
1.50%
1.50%
Current Charge
0.50%
0.50%
1
Applies only to Periodic Multi-Fund®1 and Flexible Premium Multi-Fund®2 contracts.
2
The mortality and expense risk charge and administrative charge rates together are 1.002% for all contracts on and after the Annuity Commencement Date. Assets invested in the LVIP Delaware Value Fund on or after May 1, 2009, will have a mortality and expense risk charge of 0.952%.
3
Loan Maintenance Fee of 2.50% is comprised of a 7.00% loan interest less 4.50% credited on the amount held in the loan reserve account.
4
You may not have more than one Living Benefit Rider on your contract and those Living Benefit Riders are only available for nonqualified plans or IRAs.
5
As an annualized percentage of the Protected Income Base, as increased for subsequent Purchase Payments, Account Value Step-ups, 5% Enhancements and decreased by Excess Withdrawals. This fee is deducted from the Contract Value proportionately on a quarterly basis. This rider is no longer available for purchase. See Charges and Other Deductions - Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 Charge for a discussion of these changes to Protected Income Base.
6
As an annualized percentage of the Protected Income Base as increased for subsequent Purchase Payments, Account Value Step-ups, 5% Enhancements and the 200% step-up and decreased for withdrawals. This fee is deducted from the Contract Value on a quarterly basis. The current annual fee rate may increase to the current annual fee listed above upon the earlier of (a) the next Account Value Step-up of the Protected Income Base or (b) the next Benefit Year anniversary if cumulative Purchase Payments received after the first Benefit Year anniversary equal or exceed $100,000. See Charges and Other Deductions - Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Charge for more information. This rider is no longer available for purchase.
7
As an annualized percentage of the Guaranteed Amount, as increased for subsequent Purchase Payments, and step-ups and decreased for withdrawals. This charge is deducted from the Contract Value on a quarterly basis. For Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option riders the current annual charge rate may increase to the rate listed above upon the next election of a step-up of the Guaranteed Amount. For Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option riders the current annual charge rate may increase to the rate listed above upon the next election of a step-up of the Guaranteed Amount. See Charges and Other Deductions - Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage Charge for more information. This rider is no longer available for purchase.
8
As an annualized percentage of the Protected Income Base, as increased for subsequent Purchase Payments, automatic 15% enhancements, and Resets and decreased for withdrawals. This fee is deducted from the subaccounts on a quarterly basis. The protected lifetime income fee may increase to the current annual fee listed above upon the next election to reset the Protected Income Base. See Charges and Other Deductions - 4LATER®Advantage Fee for more information. This rider is no longer available for purchase.
9
This benefit is not available with the Enhanced Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit.
10
As an annualized percentage of Account Value deducted on a monthly basis (0.04% per month).
11
As an annualized percentage of average Account Value, computed daily. This charge is assessed only on and after the effective date of i4LIFE®Advantage. These charges continue during the Access Period. The i4LIFE®Advantage charge rate is reduced to 1.65% during the Lifetime Income Period. See Charges and Other Deductions - i4LIFE®Advantage Charge for more information.
12
These charges are added to the i4LIFE®Advantage charges to comprise the total charges. During the Lifetime Income Period, the Guaranteed Income Benefit charge rate is added to the i4LIFE®Advantage charge rate of 1.65%. See Charges and Other Deductions - i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit Charge
for more information.
The next item shows the minimum and maximum total annual operating expenses charged by the funds that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the Contract. A complete list of funds available under the Contract, including their annual expenses, may be found in an appendix to this prospectus. See Appendix A: Funds Available Under the Contract.
11
Annual Fund Expenses
Minimum
Maximum
Expenses that are deducted from the fund assets, including
management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other
expenses before reimbursements.
0.23
%
1.32
%
Expenses that are deducted from the fund assets, including
management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other
expenses after any waivers or expense reimbursements.1
0.23
%
1.17
%
1
Any expense waivers or reimbursements will remain in effect until at least April 30, 2025, and can only be terminated early with approval by the fund's board of directors.
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Contract with the cost of investing in other variable annuity contracts. These costs include transaction expenses, annual contract expenses, and annual fund expenses.
The example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Contract for the time periods indicated. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and assumes the most expensive combination of annual fund expenses and optional benefits available for an additional charge. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period:
Single Periodic
Premium Contract
Multi-Fund 2
Flexible
Premium Contract
Multi-Fund 3
or 4 Flexible
Premium Contract
Periodic
Premium Contract
1 year
$12,334
$13,160
$13,160
$13,086
3 years
$21,038
$23,545
$23,545
$23,354
5 years
$29,788
$34,016
$34,016
$33,751
10 years
$53,940
$62,575
$62,575
$56,063
If you do not surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period:
Single Periodic
Premium Contract
Multi-Fund 2
Flexible
Premium Contract
Multi-Fund 3
or 4 Flexible
Premium Contract
Periodic
Premium Contract
1 year
$5,310
$6,160
$6,160
$5,036
3 years
$15,986
$18,545
$18,545
$15,202
5 years
$26,736
$31,016
$31,016
$25,497
10 years
$53,940
$62,575
$62,575
$51,804
Principal Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Contract include:
Risk of Loss.You can lose money by investing in this Contract, including loss of principal. Neither the U.S. Government nor any federal agency insures or guarantees your investment in the Contract.
Short-Term Investment Risk.This Contract is not designed for short-term investing and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The benefits of tax deferral, long-term income, and living benefit protections also mean that the Contract is more beneficial to investors with a long-term horizon.
Variable Option Risk.You take all the investment risk on the Contract Value and the retirement income for amounts placed into one or more of the Subaccounts, which invest in corresponding underlying funds. If the Subaccounts you select make money, your Contract Value goes up; if they lose money, your Contract Value goes down. How much it goes up or down depends on the performance of the Subaccounts you select. Each underlying fund is subject to its own investment risks. When you invest in a Subaccount, you are exposed to the investment risks of the underlying fund.
Investment Requirements Risk.If you elect an optional benefit, you may be subject to Investment Requirements, which means you may not be permitted to invest in certain investment options or you may be permitted to invest in certain investment options only to a limited extent. Failing to satisfy applicable Investment Requirements may result in the termination of your optional benefit. We impose Investment Requirements to reduce the risk of investment losses that may require us to use our own assets to make guaranteed payments under an optional benefit. In turn, your compliance with the Investment Requirements could limit your participation in market
12
gains. This may conflict with your investment objectives by limiting your ability to maximize potential growth of your Contract Value and the value of your guaranteed benefits.
Managed Volatility Fund Risk.Certain underlying funds may employ risk management strategies to provide for downside protection during sharp downward movements in equity markets. These funds usually, but not always, have "Managed Risk" or "Managed Volatility" in the name of the fund. These strategies could limit the upside participation of the fund in rising equity markets relative to other funds. The Death Benefits and Living Benefit Riders offered under the Contract also provide protection in the event of a market downturn. Likewise, there are additional costs associated with the Death Benefits and Living Benefit Riders, which can limit the Contract's upside participation in the markets. Many of these funds are included in the Investment Requirements associated with Living Benefit Riders. Risk management strategies, in periods of high market volatility, could limit your participation in market gains. This may conflict with your investment objectives by limiting your ability to maximize potential growth of your Contract Value and the value of your guaranteed benefits. For more information on these funds and their risk management strategies, please see the funds' prospectuses.
Withdrawal Risk (Illiquidity Risk).You should carefully consider the risks associated with taking a withdrawal or surrender under the Contract. If you take a withdrawal or surrender the Contract, any applicable surrender charges will reduce the value of your Contract or the amount of money that you ultimately receive. The proceeds of your withdrawal or surrender may be subject to ordinary income taxes, including a tax penalty if you are younger than age 59½.
You should also consider the impact that a withdrawal may have on the standard and optional benefits under your Contract. For example, under certain Living Benefit Riders, excess or early withdrawals may reduce the value of the guaranteed benefit by an amount greater than the amount withdrawn and could result in termination of the benefit.
Transfer Risk.Your ability to transfer amounts between investment options is subject to restrictions. You are generally restricted to no more than 12 transfers per Contract Year. There are also restrictions on the minimum amount that may be transferred from a variable option and the maximum amount that may be transferred from the fixed account option. If permitted by your Contract, we may discontinue accepting transfers into the fixed side of the contract at any time. Your ability to transfer between investment options may also be restricted as a result of Investment Requirements if you have elected an optional benefit.
Purchase Payment Risk.Your ability to make additional Purchase Payments may be restricted under the Contract, depending on the version of the Contract that you own, the optional benefits that you have elected, and other factors. You must obtain our approval for Purchase Payments totaling $1 million or more. This amount includes total Purchase Payments for all variable annuity contracts issued by us or our affiliates (excluding any version of Lincoln Investor Advantage®, Lincoln Level Advantage®and Lincoln Level Advantage 2SMcontracts) for the same owner, joint owner, Annuitant, or Secondary Life. We reserve the right to further limit, restrict or suspend the ability to make additional Purchase Payments under the Contract.
If you elect a Living Benefit Rider (other than any version of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit), after the first anniversary of the rider effective date, once cumulative additional Purchase Payments exceed $100,000, additional Purchase Payments will be limited to $50,000 per Benefit Year.
If you elect any version of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, no additional Purchase Payments will be allowed at any time after the Periodic Income Commencement Date. If you elect i4LIFE®Advantage without Guaranteed Income Benefit, no additional Purchase Payments will be allowed after the Periodic Income Commencement Date for nonqualified contracts. For more information about these restrictions and limitations, see The Contracts - Purchase Payments.
Election of Optional Benefit Risk.There are a variety of optional benefits under the Contract that are designed for different financial goals and to protect against different financial risks. There is a risk that you may not choose the benefit or benefits that are best suited for you based on your present or future needs and circumstances. In addition, if you elect an optional benefit and do not use it, or if the contingencies upon which the benefit depend never occur, you will have paid for a benefit that did not provide a financial return. There is also a risk that a financial return of an optional benefit, if any, will ultimately be less than the amount you paid for the benefit. You should consult with your registered representative to determine which optional benefits (if any) are appropriate for you.
Loan Risk.The amount of the loan reserve account does not participate in the investment experience of the Subaccounts; therefore, loans can impact the Contract Value and Death Benefit, even if the loan is repaid in full. If the Contract is surrendered while there is an outstanding loan, the surrender value will be reduced by the amount of the loan plus loan interest rate. Upon the death of the Annuitant, we will pay the Beneficiary the Contract Value less the outstanding loan and loan interest due.
Fee and Expense Risk.You are subject to the risk that we may increase certain contract fees and charges, and that underlying fund expenses may increase.
Financial Strength and Claims-Paying Ability Risk.An investment in the Contract is subject to the risks related to us, Lincoln Life. Any obligations (including under the fixed account option), guarantees, or benefits of the Contract are subject to our claims-paying ability. If we experience financial distress, we may not be able to meet our obligations to you.
Cybersecurity and Business Interruption Risks.We rely heavily on interconnected computer systems and digital data to conduct our annuity business. Because our business is highly dependent upon the effective operation of our computer systems and those of our
13
business partners, our business is vulnerable to disruptions from utility outages, and susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from information systems failure (e.g., hardware and software malfunctions), and cyber-attacks, including ransomware and malware attacks. These risks include, among other things, the theft, loss, misuse, corruption and destruction of data maintained online or digitally, interference with or denial of service, attacks on websites and other operational disruption and unauthorized release of confidential customer information. The risk of cyber-attacks may be higher during periods of geopolitical turmoil. Such systems failures and cyber-attacks affecting us, any third-party administrator, the underlying funds, intermediaries and other affiliated or third-party service providers may adversely affect us and your Contract Value. For instance, systems failures and cyber-attacks may interfere with our processing of contract transactions, including the processing of orders from our website or with the underlying funds, impact our ability to calculate Accumulation Unit value, cause the release and possible destruction of confidential customer or business information, impede order processing, subject us and/or our service providers and intermediaries to regulatory fines, litigation, and financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. Cyber security risks may also impact the issuers of securities in which the underlying funds invest, which may cause the funds underlying your Contract to lose value. There can be no assurance that we or the underlying funds or our service providers will avoid losses affecting your Contract due to system disruptions, cyber-attacks or information security breaches in the future.
In addition to cyber security risks, we are exposed to risks related to natural and man-made disasters, such as (but not limited to) storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, public health crises, malicious acts, and terrorist acts, any of which could adversely affect our ability to conduct business. A natural or man-made disaster, including a pandemic (such as COVID-19), could affect the ability or willingness of our employees or the employees of our service providers to perform their job responsibilities. They could also result in our business operations being less efficient than under normal circumstances and could lead to delays in our processing of contract-related transactions, including orders from Contractowners. Disasters may negatively affect the computer and other systems on which we rely, impact our ability to calculate accumulation unit values, or have other possible negative impacts. They may also impact the issuers of securities in which the underlying funds invest, which may negatively affect the value of the underlying funds and the value of your Contract. There can be no assurance that we or the underlying funds or our service providers will be able to successfully avoid negative impacts associated with natural and man-made disasters.
Financial Statements
The December 31, 2023 financial statements of the VAA and the December 31, 2023 consolidated financial statements of Lincoln Life are located in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). Instructions on how to obtain a free copy of the SAI are provided on the last page of this prospectus.
Investments of the Variable Annuity Account
You decide the Subaccount(s) to which you allocate Purchase Payments. There is a separate Subaccount which corresponds to each class of each fund. You may change your allocation without penalty or charges. Shares of the funds will be sold at net asset value with no initial sales charge to the VAA in order to fund the contracts. The funds are required to redeem fund shares at net asset value upon our request. We reserve the right to add, delete or substitute funds.
Descriptions of the Funds
Information regarding each fund, including (1) its name, (2) its type or investment objective, (3) its investment adviser and any sub-investment adviser, (4) current expenses, and (5) performance is available in Appendix A: Funds Available Under the Contract. Each fund has issued a prospectus that contains more detailed information about the fund. Paper or electronic copies of the fund prospectuses may be obtained by contacting our Home Office or visiting www.lfg.com/VAprospectus.
Certain Payments We Receive with Regard to the Funds
We (and/or our affiliates) incur expenses in promoting, marketing, and administering the contracts and the underlying funds. With respect to a fund, including affiliated funds, the adviser and/or distributor, or an affiliate thereof, may make payments to us (or an affiliate) for certain services we provide on behalf of the funds. Such services include, but are not limited to, recordkeeping; aggregating and processing purchase and redemption orders; providing Contractowners with statements showing their positions within the funds; processing dividend payments; providing subaccounting services for shares held by Contractowners; and forwarding shareholder communications, such as proxies, shareholder reports, dividend and tax notices, and printing and delivering prospectuses and updates to Contractowners. It is anticipated that such payments will be based on a percentage of assets of the particular fund attributable to the contracts along with certain other variable contracts issued or administered by us (or an affiliate). These percentages are negotiated and vary with each fund. Some advisers and/or distributors may pay us significantly more than other advisers and/or distributors and the amount we receive may be substantial. These percentages currently range up to 0.25%, and as of the date of this prospectus, we were receiving payments from most fund families. We (or our affiliates) may profit from these payments. These payments may be derived, in whole or in part, from the investment advisory fee deducted from fund assets. Contractowners, through
14
their indirect investment in the funds, bear the costs of these investment advisory fees (see the funds' prospectuses for more information). Additionally, a fund's adviser and/or distributor or its affiliates may provide us with certain services that assist us in the distribution of the contracts and may pay us and/or certain affiliates amounts for marketing programs and sales support, as well as amounts to participate in training and sales meetings.
In addition to the payments described above, several of the funds offered as part of this Contract make payments to us under their distribution plans (12b-1 plans) for the marketing and distribution of fund shares. The payment rates range up to 0.30% based on the amount of assets invested in those funds. Payments made out of the assets of the fund will reduce the amount of assets that otherwise would be available for investment, and will reduce the fund's investment return. The dollar amount of future asset-based fees is not predictable because these fees are a percentage of the fund's average net assets, which can fluctuate over time. If, however, the value of the fund goes up, then so would the payment to us (or our affiliates). Conversely, if the value of the funds goes down, payments to us or our affiliates would decrease.
Selection of the Funds
We select the funds offered through the Contract based on several factors, including, without limitation, asset class coverage, the strength of the manager's reputation and tenure, brand recognition, performance, the capability and qualification of each sponsoring investment firm, and whether the fund is affiliated with us.
As noted above, a factor we may consider during the initial selection process is whether the fund (or an affiliate, investment adviser or distributor of the fund) being evaluated is an affiliate of ours and whether we are compensated for providing administrative, marketing, and/or support services that would otherwise be provided by the fund, its investment adviser or its distributor.
Some funds pay us significantly more than others and the amount we receive may be substantial. We often receive more revenue from an affiliated fund than one that is not affiliated with us. These factors give us an incentive to select a fund that yields more revenue, and this is often an affiliated fund.
We may also consider the ability of the fund to help manage volatility and our risks associated with the guarantees we provide under the Contract and under optional riders, especially the Living Benefit Riders.
We review each fund periodically after it is selected. We reserve the right to remove a fund or restrict allocation of additional Purchase Payments to a fund if we determine the fund no longer meets one or more of the factors and/or if the fund has not attracted significant Contractowner assets.
Finally, when we develop a variable annuity product in cooperation with a fund family or distributor (e.g., a "private label" product), we generally will include funds based on recommendations made by the fund family or distributor, whose selection criteria may differ from our selection criteria. Certain funds offered as part of this Contract have similar investment objectives and policies to other portfolios managed by the adviser. The investment results of the funds, however, may be higher or lower than the other portfolios that are managed by the adviser or sub-adviser. There can be no assurance, and no representation is made, that the investment results of any of the funds will be comparable to the investment results of any other portfolio managed by the adviser or sub-adviser, if applicable.
Certain funds invest their assets in other funds. As a result, you will pay fees and expenses at both fund levels. This will reduce your investment return. These arrangements are referred to as funds of funds or master-feeder funds, which may have higher expenses than funds that invest directly in debt or equity securities. An adviser affiliated with us manages some of the available funds of funds. Our affiliates may promote the benefits of such funds to Contractowners and/or suggest that Contractowners consider whether allocating some or all of their Contract Value to such portfolios is consistent with their desired investment objectives. In doing so, we may be subject to conflicts of interest insofar as we may derive greater revenues from the affiliated fund of funds than certain other funds available to you under your Contract.
Certain funds may employ risk management strategies to provide for downside protection during sharp downward movements in equity markets. These funds usually, but not always, have "Managed Risk" or "Managed Volatility" in the name of the fund. These strategies could limit the upside participation of the fund in rising equity markets relative to other funds. The Death Benefits and Living Benefit Riders offered under the Contract also provide protection in the event of a market downturn. Risk management strategies, in periods of high market volatility, could limit your participation in market gains; this may conflict with your investment objectives by limiting your ability to maximize potential growth of your Contract Value and, in turn, the value of any guaranteed benefit that is tied to investment performance.
For more information on these funds and their risk management strategies, please see the Investment Requirements section of this prospectus. You should consult with your registered representative to determine which combination of investment choices are appropriate for you. Certain plan sponsors may limit the availability of investment options. Check with your plan sponsor if you have questions about the availability of specific funds.
15
Fund Shares
We will purchase shares of the funds at net asset value and direct them to the appropriate Subaccounts of the VAA. We will redeem sufficient shares of the appropriate funds to pay Annuity Payouts, Death Benefits, surrender/withdrawal proceeds or for other purposes described in the Contract. If you want to transfer all or part of your investment from one Subaccount to another, we may redeem shares held in the first Subaccount and purchase shares of the other. Redeemed shares are retired, but they may be reissued later.
Shares of the funds are not sold directly to the general public. They are sold to us, and may be sold to other insurance companies, for investment of the assets of the Subaccounts established by those insurance companies to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts.
Reinvestment of Dividends and Capital Gain Distributions
All dividends and capital gain distributions of the funds are automatically reinvested in shares of the distributing funds at their net asset value on the date of distribution. Dividends are not paid out to Contractowners or participants as additional units, but are reflected as changes in unit values.
Addition, Deletion or Substitution of Investments
We reserve the right, within the law, to make certain changes to the structure and operation of the VAA at our discretion and without your consent.We may add, delete, or substitute funds for all Contractowners or only for certain classes of Contractowners. New or substitute funds may have different fees and expenses, and may only be offered to certain classes of Contractowners.
Substitutions may be made with respect to existing investments or the investment of future Purchase Payments, or both. In the event of a substitution, the Contract Value allocated to the existing fund will be allocated to the substitute fund. Any future allocations to the substitute fund will automatically be allocated according to the instructions we have on file for you unless otherwise instructed by you. If we don't have instructions from you on file, your Purchase Payments will be allocated to the substitute fund.
We may close Subaccounts to allocations of Purchase Payments or Contract Value, or both, at any time in our sole discretion. The funds, which sell their shares to the Subaccounts pursuant to participation agreements, also may terminate these agreements and discontinue offering their shares to the Subaccounts. In the event of a fund closure, any Contract Value you have invested in the closed fund will remain in that fund until you transfer it elsewhere. Any future allocation to the closed fund will be allocated in accordance with the instructions we have on file for you unless you instruct us otherwise.
In addition, a Subaccount may become unavailable due to the liquidation of its underlying fund portfolio. To the extent permitted by applicable law, upon notice to you and unless you otherwise instruct us, we will re-allocate any Contract Value in the liquidated fund to the money market subaccount. Any future allocations to the liquidated fund will automatically be allocated according to the instructions we have on file for you unless you instruct us otherwise.
From time to time, certain underlying funds may merge with other funds. If a merger of an underlying fund occurs, the Contract Value allocated to the existing fund will be merged into the surviving underlying fund. Any future allocations, including future Purchase Payments, to the merged fund will automatically be allocated to the surviving underlying fund unless you instruct us otherwise.
We may also:
remove, combine, or add Subaccounts and make the new Subaccounts available to you at our discretion;
transfer assets supporting the contracts from one Subaccount to another or from the VAA to another separate account;
combine the VAA with other separate accounts and/or create new separate accounts;
deregister the VAA under the 1940 Act; and
operate the VAA as a management investment company under the 1940 Act or as any other form permitted by law.
We may modify the provisions of the contracts to reflect changes to the Subaccounts and the VAA and to comply with applicable law. We will not make any changes without any necessary approval by the SEC. We will also provide you written notice.
Charges and Other Deductions
We will deduct the charges described below to cover our costs and expenses, services provided and risks assumed under the contracts. We incur certain costs and expenses for the distribution and administration of the contracts and for providing the benefits payable thereunder.
Our administrative services include:
processing applications for and issuing the contracts;
processing purchases and redemptions of fund shares as required (including dollar cost averaging, automatic withdrawal, and cross-reinvestment/earnings sweep services);
16
maintaining records;
administering Annuity Payouts;
furnishing accounting and valuation services (including the calculation and monitoring of daily Subaccount values);
reconciling and depositing cash receipts;
providing contract confirmations;
providing toll-free inquiry services and
furnishing telephone and electronic fund transfer services.
The risks we assume include:
the risk that Annuitants receiving Annuity Payouts under contracts live longer than we assumed when we calculated our guaranteed rates (these rates are incorporated in the Contract and cannot be changed);
the risk that Death Benefits paid will exceed the actual Contract Value;
the risk that more owners than expected will qualify for waivers of the surrender charge;
the risk that lifetime payments from Living Benefit Riders will exceed the Contract Value;
the risk that our costs in providing the services will exceed our revenues from contract charges (which we cannot change).
the risk that, if i4LIFE® Advantage with the Guaranteed Income Benefit or 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit is in effect, the required regular income payments will exceed the account value.
The amount of a charge may not necessarily correspond to the costs associated with providing the services or benefits indicated by the description of the charge. For example, the surrender charge collected may not fully cover all of the sales and distribution expenses actually incurred by us. Any remaining expenses will be paid from our general account which may consist, among other things, of proceeds derived from the base contract expenses deducted from the account. We may profit from one or more of the fees and charges deducted under the Contract. We may use these profits for any corporate purpose, including financing the distribution of the contracts.
Obligations under the contracts that are funded by our general account (rather than the Variable Annuity Account) include (1) the obligation to pay Death Benefits that exceed the Contract Value; (2) the obligation to pay Annuity Payouts that exceed the Contract Value. Payment of these benefits and obligations is subject to our claims-paying ability and financial strength. We are also responsible for providing for all administrative services necessary in connection with the contracts (and bearing all of the associated expenses).
Administrative Expense (Annual Account Fee)
There is no account fee for flexible premium Multi-Fund®3 and 4. Periodic premium Multi-Fund®1 contracts and flexible premium Multi-Fund®2 contracts will deduct $25 from the Contract Value on the last Valuation Date of each Contract Year; this $25 account fee will also be deducted from the Contract Value upon surrender.
Surrender Charge
A surrender charge applies (except as described below) to surrenders and withdrawals of other Purchase Payments that have been invested for the periods indicated as follows.
A. Single premium deferred contract or nonrecurring lump sum payment to periodic premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®1)
For a single premium deferred contract or a nonrecurring lump sum payment made to a periodic premium deferred contract, the surrender/withdrawal charges (when applicable as described below) will be:
Contract Year in which surrender/withdrawal occurs
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Surrender charge as a percentage of the proceeds
withdrawn
7
%
7
%
6
%
5
%
4
%
3
%
2
%
1
%
0
%
The surrender charge will never exceed 9% of the Purchase Payments applied to the Contract.
Investment gains attributable to a nonrecurring lump sum payment made to a periodic premium deferred contract will be subject to surrender charges of 8% in years 1-5, 4% in years 6-10, and no charge after the Contract has been in force for 10 years. For periodic premium deferred contracts under which a nonrecurring lump sum has been received, withdrawals will be made first from any amount subject to the lowest charge until that amount is gone. A surrender charge does not apply to:
A surrender or withdrawal of a Purchase Payment after 7 full Contract Years.
One withdrawal of Contract Value during a Contract Year that does not exceed the free amount which is equal to 15% of the Contract Value.
A surrender of the Contract as a result of the death of the Annuitant.
17
A surrender or withdrawal as a result of the onset of a permanent and total disability of the Contractowner as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the tax code, after the effective date of the Contract and before the 65thbirthday of the Contractowner.
Contract Value used in the calculation of the initial periodic income payment and the initial Account Value under the i4LIFE® Advantage option or the Contract Value applied to calculate the benefit amount under any Annuity Payout option made available by us.
Regular Income Payment made under i4LIFE®Advantage, including any payments to provide the 4LATER®Advantage or i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefits, or periodic payments made under any Annuity Payout option made available by us.
Amounts up to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Limit under Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage or Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage or amounts up to the Guaranteed Annual Income Amount under Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0, subject to certain conditions.
B. Flexible premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4)
For a flexible premium deferred contract, the surrender/withdrawal charges (when applicable as described previously) will be:
Number of contract anniversaries since
Purchase Payment was invested
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7+
Surrender charge as a percentage of total Purchase Payments
surrendered/withdrawn in a Contract Year
7
%
6
%
5
%
4
%
3
%
2
%
1
%
0
%
A surrender charge does not apply to:
A surrender or withdrawal of a Purchase Payment beyond the 7thanniversary since the Purchase Payment was invested.
Withdrawals of Contract Value during a Contract Year to the extent that the total Contract Value withdrawn during the current Contract Year does not exceed the free amount which is equal to 15% of the Purchase Payments.
A surrender of the Contract as a result of the death of the Annuitant.
A surrender or withdrawal as a result of the onset of a permanent and total disability of the Annuitant as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the tax code, after the effective date of the Contract and before the 65thbirthday of the Contractowner.
Contract Value used in the calculation of the initial periodic income payment and the initial Account Value under the i4LIFE® Advantage option or the Contract Value applied to calculate the benefit amount under any Annuity Payout option made available by us.
Regular Income Payment made under i4LIFE®Advantage, including any payments to provide the 4LATER®Advantage or i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefits, or periodic payments made under any Annuity Payout option made available by us.
Amounts up to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Limit under Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage or Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage or amounts up to the Guaranteed Annual Income amount under Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage 2.0, subject to certain conditions.
C. Periodic premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®1)
There will be a surrender charge for the first withdrawal each Contract Year in excess of 15% of Contract Value. Any subsequent withdrawals in the same Contract Year or upon surrender of Contract will also incur a surrender charge.
Contract Year in which surrender/withdrawal occurs
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11+
Surrender charge as a percentage of the
proceeds withdrawn
8
%
8
%
8
%
8
%
8
%
8
%
4
%
4
%
4
%
4
%
4
%
0
%
The surrender charge will never exceed 9% of the Purchase Payments applied to the Contract.
A surrender charge does not apply to:
A surrender or withdrawal of Contract Value after ten full Contract Years.
One withdrawal of Contract Value during a Contract Year that does not exceed the free amount which is equal to 15% of the Contract Value.
A surrender of the Contract as a result of the death of the Annuitant.
A surrender or withdrawal as a result of the onset of a permanent and total disability of the Contractowner as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the tax code, after the effective date of the Contract and before the 65thbirthday of the Contractowner.
Contract Value used in the calculation of the initial periodic income payment and the initial Account Value under the i4LIFE® Advantage option or the Contract Value applied to calculate the benefit amount under any Annuity Payout option made available by us.
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Regular Income Payment made under i4LIFE®Advantage, including any payments to provide the 4LATER®Advantage or i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefits, or periodic payments made under any Annuity Payout option made available by us.
Amounts up to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Limit under Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage or Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage, or amounts up to the Guaranteed Annual Income Amount under Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage 2.0, subject to certain conditions.
In addition, for 403(b) and 457 contracts, if the participant:
1)
has terminated employment with the employer that sponsored the Contract; and
2)
has been in the Contract for at least five years (the five year date beginning either November 1, 1991 or the date of the Contract, whichever is later); and
3)
is at least age 55.
We apply the surrender charge as a percentage of Purchase Payments, which means that you would pay the same surrender charge at the time of surrender regardless of whether your Contract Value has increased or decreased.
The surrender charge is calculated separately for each Contract Year's Purchase Payments to which a charge applies. (For purposes of calculating this charge, we assume that Purchase Payments are withdrawn on a first in-first out basis, and that all Purchase Payments are withdrawn before any earnings are withdrawn.) The surrender charges associated with surrender or withdrawal are paid to us to compensate us for the loss we experience on contract distributions costs when Contractowners surrender or withdraw before distribution costs have been recovered.
Deductions from the VAA
A charge is applied to the average daily net asset value of the Subaccounts, equal to an annual rate of:
With Enhanced Guaranteed
Minimum Death
Benefit (EGMDB)
Without Enhanced Guaranteed
Minimum Death
Benefit (EGMDB)
Mortality and expense risk charge
1.002
%*
1.002
%*
Enhanced Death Benefit charge
0.300
%
0.000
%
Total Base Contract Expense
1.302
%
1.002
%
*Assets invested in the LVIP Delaware Value Fund on and after May 1, 2009 will have a mortality and expense risk charge of 0.952%.
Deduction for the Enhanced Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (EGMDB)
When the EGMDB becomes effective, we will begin deducting from the VAA an amount, computed daily, which is equal to an annual rate of 0.30% of the daily net asset value. This charge will start at the beginning of the next Valuation Period. This charge will continue for all future Contract Years unless the owner elects to discontinue the EGMDB. If the EGMDB is discontinued, the 0.30% annual charge will stop at the end of the Valuation Period when the EGMDB is terminated. See The Contracts - Death Benefit.
Loan Charges
If you participate in a tax deferred retirement plan that allows participant loans, you may be eligible to take a loan against your Contract Value. Depending on your state of residence, a one-time fee of up to $35 may be charged to set up and process a loan. The loan maintenance fee is an annual rate of 2.5%.
Rider Charges
A fee or expense may also be deducted in connection with any benefits added to the Contract by rider or endorsement. The deduction of a rider charge will be noted on your quarterly statement.
A discussion of the charges for closed riders can be found in an Appendix to this prospectus.
i4LIFE®Advantage Charges (for Qualified Contracts).The annual rate of the i4LIFE®Advantage charge is currently 0.48% of the Account Value. During the Access Period, an amount equal to the monthly i4LIFE®Advantage percentage charge multiplied by the Account Value will be deducted from the Subaccounts on a monthly basis at a rate of 0.04%. The amount we deduct will increase or decrease as the Account Value increases or decreases, because the charge is based on the Account Value. The i4LIFE®Advantage rider charge is in addition to the base contract expense (without the EGMDB) of 1.002% and other charges applicable to your Contract as set forth in the Expense Table. During the Lifetime Income Period, the i4LIFE®Advantage charge will be computed daily based on the net asset value in the Subaccounts and added to the mortality and expense risk charge for a total charge of 1.482%. If you purchase i4LIFE®Advantage in the future, the annual percentage charge and maximum annual percentage charge will be the charges in effect at the time you elect i4LIFE®Advantage.
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Each time you elect to begin a new 15-year step-up period, the i4LIFE®Advantage charge will be the current charge in effect at the time up to the stated guaranteed maximum annual charge rate. See the Fee Tables. If you do not elect a new 15-year step-up period, your charge will not change.
i4LIFE®Advantage Charge (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only).While this rider is in effect, there is a daily charge for i4LIFE® Advantage that is based on your Account Value. The annual i4LIFE®Advantage charge rate during the Access Period is 0.30%. This rate is added to your base contract expense.
The initial Account Value is your Contract Value on the Valuation Date i4LIFE®Advantage is effective (or your initial Purchase Payment if i4LIFE®Advantage is purchased at contract issue), less any applicable premium taxes. During the Access Period, your Account Value on a Valuation Date equals the total value of all of the Contractowner's Accumulation Units plus the Contractowner's value in the fixed account, and will be reduced by Regular Income Payments, Guaranteed Income Benefit payments, and any withdrawals.
If i4LIFE®Advantage is elected at the time the Contract is issued, i4LIFE®Advantage and the charge will begin on the Contract's effective date. Otherwise, i4LIFE®Advantage and the charge will begin on the Periodic Income Commencement Date which is the Valuation Date on which the Regular Income Payment is determined and the beginning of the Access Period. Refer to the i4LIFE®Advantage section for explanations of the Account Value, the Access Period, the Lifetime Income Period, and the Periodic Income Commencement Date.
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit Charge (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only).The current annual charge rates for new elections of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit are disclosed in the Fee Tables.
The Guaranteed Income Benefit annual charge rate will not change unless there is an automatic step-up of the Guaranteed Income Benefit or you elect an additional step-up period (version 2 and version 3) during which the Guaranteed Income Benefit is stepped-up to 75% of the current Regular Income Payment (described later in the i4LIFE®Advantage section of this prospectus). At the time of the step-up, the Guaranteed Income Benefit charge rate will change to the current charge rate in effect at that time (if the current charge rate has changed) up to the stated guaranteed maximum annual charge rate. If we automatically administer the step-up Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) or step-up period election (versions 2 or 3) for you and your charge rate is increased, you may ask us to reverse the step-up or the step-up period election by giving us notice within 30 days after the date on which the step-up or the step-up period election occurred. If we receive notice of your request to reverse the step-up, on a going forward basis, we will decrease the charge rate to the charge rate in effect before the step-up or the step-up period election occurred. Any increased charges paid between the time of the step-up and the date we receive your notice to reverse the step-up will not be reimbursed. Future step-ups will continue even after you decline a current step-up. We will provide you with written notice when a step-up has resulted in an increase to the current charge so that you may give us timely notice if you wish to reverse a step-up. Version 1 does not step-up; therefore the charge does not change.
After the Periodic Income Commencement Date, if the Guaranteed Income Benefit is terminated, the Guaranteed Income Benefit annual charge will also terminate, but the i4LIFE®Advantage charge will continue.
Deductions for Premium Taxes
Any premium tax or other tax levied by any governmental entity as a result of the existence of the contracts or the VAA will be deducted from the Contract Value, unless the governmental entity dictates otherwise, when incurred, or at another time of our choosing.
The applicable premium tax rates that states and other governmental entities impose on the purchase of an annuity are subject to change by legislation, by administrative interpretation or by judicial action. These premium tax rates generally depend upon the law of your state of residence. The tax rates range from zero to 5%.
Other Charges and Deductions
The mortality and expense risk charge of 1.002% of the Contract Value will be assessed on all variable Annuity Payouts (except for the i4LIFE®Advantage, which has a different charge), including options that may be offered that do not have a life contingency and therefore no mortality risk. This charge covers the expense risk and administrative services listed previously in this prospectus. The expense risk is the risk that our costs in providing the services will exceed our revenues from contract charges.
There are additional deductions from and expenses paid out of the assets of the underlying funds that are more fully described in the prospectuses for the funds. Among these deductions and expenses are 12b-1 fees which reimburse us or an affiliate for certain expenses incurred in connection with certain administrative and distribution support services provided to the funds.
Additional Information
The charges described previously may be reduced or eliminated for any particular contract. However, these charges will be reduced only to the extent that we anticipate lower distribution and/or administrative expenses, or that we perform fewer sales or administrative services than those originally contemplated in establishing the level of those charges, or when required by law. Lower distribution and administrative expenses may be the result of economies associated with
20
the use of mass enrollment procedures,
the performance of administrative or sales functions by the employer,
the use by an employer of automated techniques in submitting deposits or information related to deposits on behalf of its employees, or
any other circumstances which reduce distribution or administrative expenses.
The exact amount of charges and fees applicable to a particular contract will be stated in that contract.
In certain circumstances a holder of an annuity contract issued by Lincoln Life may decide to surrender such a contract and purchase another (second) annuity contract issued by Lincoln Life. In that instance, the surrender charges (if any) applicable to the first annuity contract may be waived (depending on the type of second contract purchased) and the funds held in the first annuity contract will be transferred to the second annuity contract.
The Contracts
Purchase of Contracts
If you wish to purchase a Contract, you must apply for it through a registered representative authorized by us. The completed application is sent to us and we decide whether to accept or reject it. If the application is accepted, a Contract is prepared and executed by our legally authorized officers. The Contract is then sent to you either directly or through your registered representative. See Distribution of the Contracts.
When a completed application and all other information necessary for processing a purchase order is received in Good Order at our Home Office, an initial Purchase Payment will be priced no later than two business days after we receive the order. While attempting to finish an incomplete application, your initial Purchase Payment may be held for no more than five business days. If the incomplete application cannot be completed within those five days, you will be informed of the reasons, and the Purchase Payment will be returned immediately (unless you have authorized us to keep it until the application is complete). Current applicants will be notified if we implement this procedure. Once the application is complete, we will allocate your initial Purchase Payment within two business days.
Who Can Invest
To apply for a Contract, you must be of legal age in a state where the Contract may be lawfully sold and also be eligible to participate in the type of Contract for which you're applying. Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account in an effort to help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities. When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license, photo i.d., or other identifying documents.
In accordance with anti-money laundering laws and federal economic sanction policy, the Company may be required in a given instance to reject a Purchase Payment and/or freeze a Contractowner's account. This means we could refuse to honor requests for transfers, withdrawals, surrenders or Death Benefits. Once frozen, monies would be moved from the VAA to an interest-bearing account maintained solely for the Contractowner, and held in that account until instructions are received from the appropriate regulator.
For a periodic premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®1), the Annuitant must be under age 75. For a non-recurring lump sum payment to a periodic premium deferred contract, the Annuitant must be under age 85.
For a flexible premium (Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4) deferred contract or a single premium deferred contract, the Annuitant must be under age 85.
Do not purchase this Contract if you plan to use it, or any of its riders, for speculation, arbitrage, viatical arrangement, or other collective investment scheme. The Contract may not be traded on any stock exchange or sold on any secondary market.
If you are purchasing the Contract through a tax-favored arrangement, including traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs, you should carefully consider the cost and benefits of the Contract (including annuity income benefits) before purchasing the Contract, since the tax-favored arrangement itself provides tax-deferred growth.
Replacement of Existing Insurance
Careful consideration should be given prior to surrendering or withdrawing money from an existing insurance contract to purchase a Contract described in this prospectus. Surrender charges may be imposed on your existing contract. The benefits offered under this Contract may be less favorable or more favorable than the benefits offered under your current contract. It also may have different charges. You should also consult with your registered representative and/or your tax advisor prior to making an exchange. Cash surrenders from an existing contract may be subject to tax and tax penalties.
21
Purchase Payments
This prospectus offers three types of contracts. They are single premium deferred annuity, a flexible premium deferred annuity and a periodic premium deferred annuity.
The minimum Purchase Payment requirement for each Contract will not exceed:
1.
Single premium deferred contract: $1,000 for Roth IRAs, Traditional IRAs and SEPs; $3,000 for all others.
2.
Flexible premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4): $1,000 for Roth IRAs, Traditional IRAs and SEPs; $3,000 for all others (minimum $100 subsequent Purchase Payment); and
3.
Periodic premium deferred contract (Multi-Fund®1): $600 per Contract Year (minimum $25 per Purchase Payment).
Purchase Payments in total may not equal or exceed $1 million without Lincoln Life approval. If a Purchase Payment is submitted that does not meet the minimum amount, we will contact you to ask whether additional money will be sent, or whether we should return the Purchase Payment to you.
Purchase Payments totaling $1 million or more are subject to Home Office approval. This amount takes into consideration the total Purchase Payments for all variable annuity contracts issued by the Company (or its affiliates) in which you are a Contractowner and/or Annuitant. If you elect a Living Benefit Rider, you may be subject to further restrictions in terms of your ability to make additional Purchase Payments, as more fully described below. If you stop making Purchase Payments, the Contract will remain in force, however, we may terminate the Contract as allowed by your state's non-forfeiture law for individual deferred annuities. We will not surrender your Contract if you are receiving guaranteed payments from us under one of the Living Benefit Riders. Purchase Payments may be made or, if stopped, resumed at any time until the Annuity Commencement Date, the surrender of the Contract, or the death of the Contractowner, whichever comes first.
After the first anniversary of the rider effective date, once cumulative additional Purchase Payments exceed $100,000, additional Purchase Payments may not exceed $50,000 per Benefit Year without Home Office approval. No additional Purchase Payments are allowed:
at any time after the Periodic Income Commencement Date if you elect i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit; or
at any time after the Periodic Income Commencement Date if you elect i4LIFE®Advantage without Guaranteed Income Benefit on a nonqualified contract.
You should carefully consider these limitations, and any other limitations of the Contract, and how they may impact your long-term investment plans, especially if you intend to build Contract Value by making additional Purchase Payments over a long period of time. See the Living Benefit Riders section or Appendix C of this prospectus for additional information on any restrictions that may apply to your Living Benefit rider. State variations may apply.
In addition to the specific Purchase Payment restrictions and limitations immediately above, upon advance written notice, we reserve the right to further limit, restrict, or suspend Purchase Payments made to the Contract.
If your retirement plan is no longer submitting new payroll deduction contributions to a Lincoln contract, no further Purchase Payments of any type can be made into your Contract/certificate without the express permission of your plan sponsor. In certain limited exceptions, combining Contract Values from existing Lincoln contracts may be allowed.
Valuation Date
Accumulation and Annuity Units will be valued once daily at the close of trading (normally, 4:00 p.m., New York time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open (Valuation Date). On any date other than a Valuation Date, the Accumulation Unit value and the Annuity Unit value will not change.
Allocation of Purchase Payments
Purchase Payments are placed into the VAA's Subaccounts, each of which invests in shares of its corresponding fund, according to your instructions. In the absence of instructions accompanying the Purchase Payment, we will allocate the Purchase Payment in the same manner as your last Purchase Payment or, if not possible, otherwise contact you or your representative for additional information. Your Purchase Payment will not be considered as being in Good Order unless we have valid allocation instructions.
The minimum amount of any Purchase Payment which can be put into any one Subaccount is $20 under periodic premium deferred contracts, $1,000 under single premium deferred contracts and $100 under flexible premium deferred contracts.
If we receive your purchase payment from you or your broker-dealer in Good Order at our Home Office prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, we will use the Accumulation Unit value computed on that Valuation Date when processing your purchase payment. If we receive your purchase payment at or after 4:00 p.m., New York time, we will use the Accumulation Unit value computed on the next Valuation Date. If you submit your purchase payment to your representative, we will generally not begin processing the purchase payment until we receive it from your representative's broker-dealer. If your broker-dealer submits your purchase payment to us through
22
the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) or, pursuant to terms agreeable to us, uses a proprietary order placement system to submit your purchase payment to us, and your purchase payment was placed with your broker-dealer prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, then we will use the Accumulation Unit value computed on that Valuation Date when processing your purchase payment. If your purchase payment was placed with your broker-dealer at or after 4:00 p.m. New York time, then we will use the Accumulation Unit value computed on the next Valuation Date.
The number of Accumulation Units determined in this way is not impacted by any subsequent change in the value of an Accumulation Unit. However, the dollar value of an Accumulation Unit will vary depending not only upon how well the underlying fund's investments perform, but also upon the expenses of the VAA and the underlying funds.
Valuation of Accumulation Units
Purchase Payments allocated to the VAA are converted into Accumulation Units. This is done by dividing the amount allocated by the value of an Accumulation Unit for the Valuation Period during which the Purchase Payments are allocated to the VAA. The Accumulation Unit value for each Subaccount was or will be established at the inception of the Subaccount. It may increase or decrease from Valuation Period to Valuation Period. Accumulation Unit values are affected by investment performance of the funds, fund expenses, and the contract charges. The Accumulation Unit value for a Subaccount for a later Valuation Period is determined as follows:
1.
The total value of the fund shares held in the Subaccount is calculated by multiplying the number of fund shares owned by the Subaccount at the beginning of the Valuation Period by the net asset value per share of the fund at the end of the Valuation Period, and adding any dividend or other distribution of the fund if an ex-dividend date occurs during the Valuation Period; minus
2.
The liabilities of the Subaccount at the end of the Valuation Period. These liabilities include daily charges imposed on the Subaccount, and may include a charge or credit with respect to any taxes paid or reserved for by us that we determine result from the operations of the VAA; and
3.
The result is divided by the number of Subaccount units outstanding at the beginning of the Valuation Period. Contracts with different features have different daily charges, and therefore, will have different corresponding Accumulation Unit values on any given day.
The daily charges imposed on a Subaccount for any Valuation Period are equal to the daily mortality and expense risk charge and the daily administrative charge multiplied by the number of calendar days in the Valuation Period.
In certain circumstances, and when permitted by law, it may be prudent for us to use a different standard industry method for this calculation, called the Net Investment Factor method. We will achieve substantially the same result using either method.
Transfers On or Before the Annuity Commencement Date
You may transfer all or a portion of your investment from one Subaccount to another.
A transfer involves the surrender of Accumulation Units in one Subaccount and the purchase of Accumulation Units in the other Subaccount. A transfer will be done using the respective Accumulation Unit values determined at the end of the Valuation Date on which the transfer request is received.
For single premium deferred contracts, periodic premium Multi-Fund®1 contracts and flexible premium Multi-Fund®2 and 3 contracts, transfers within the VAA and between the variable and fixed account are restricted to once every thirty days. Transfers cannot be made during the first thirty days after the contract date for a flexible premium Multi-Fund®4 and no more than six transfers will be allowed in any Contract Year. We reserve the right to waive any of these restrictions. The minimum amount which may be transferred between Subaccounts is $500 or the entire amount in the Subaccount, if less than $500. If the transfer from a Subaccount would leave you with less than $100 for periodic premium Multi-Fund®1, flexible premium Multi-Fund®2 and 3 contracts for $500 for flexible premium Multi-Fund®4 contracts, we may transfer the total balance of the Subaccount. We have the right to reduce these minimum amounts.
A transfer request may be made to our Home Office in writing or by fax. A transfer request may also be made by telephone or other electronic means, provided the appropriate authorization is on file with us. Our address, telephone number, and internet address are on the first page of this prospectus. In order to prevent unauthorized or fraudulent transfers, we may require certain identifying information before we will act upon instructions. We may also assign the Contractowner a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to serve as identification. We will not be liable for following instructions we reasonably believe are genuine. Telephone requests will be recorded and written confirmation of all transfer requests will be mailed to the Contractowner on the next Valuation Date.
Please note that the telephone and/or electronic devices may not always be available. Any telephone or electronic device, whether it is yours, your service provider's, or your agent's, can experience outages or slowdowns for a variety of reasons. These outages or slowdowns may delay or prevent our processing of your request. Although we have taken precautions to limit these problems, we cannot promise complete reliability under all circumstances. If you are experiencing problems, you should make your transfer request by writing to our Home Office.
23
Requests for transfers will be processed on the Valuation Date that they are received in Good Order in our customer service center before the end of the Valuation Date (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time). If we receive a transfer request received in Good Order at or after 4:00 p.m., New York time, we will process the request using the Accumulation Unit value computed on the next Valuation Date.
When thinking about a transfer of Contract Value, you should consider the inherent risk involved. Frequent transfers based on short-term expectations may increase the risk that a transfer will be made at an inopportune time.
For transfers from the fixed account of the contract to the variable account, the sum of the percentages of fixed value transferred will be limited to 25% in any 12-month period. We reserve the right to waive any of these restrictions.
There is no charge to you for a transfer. However, we reserve the right to impose a charge of $10 per transfer in the future for any transfers above the maximum transfers allowed in a Contract Year.
Transfers may be delayed as permitted by the 1940 Act. See Delay of Payments.
Market Timing
Frequent, large, or short-term transfers among Subaccounts and the fixed account, such as those associated with "market timing" transactions, can affect the funds and their investment returns. Such transfers may dilute the value of the fund shares, interfere with the efficient management of the fund's portfolio, and increase brokerage and administrative costs of the funds. As an effort to protect our Contractowners and the funds from potentially harmful trading activity, we utilize certain market timing policies and procedures (the "Market Timing Procedures"). Our Market Timing Procedures are designed to detect and prevent such transfer activity among the Subaccounts and the fixed account that may affect other Contractowners or fund shareholders.
In addition, the funds may have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of their respective shares. The prospectuses for the funds describe any such policies and procedures, which may be more or less restrictive than the frequent trading policies and procedures of other funds and the Market Timing Procedures we have adopted to discourage frequent transfers among Subaccounts. While we reserve the right to enforce these policies and procedures, Contractowners and other persons with interests under the Contract should be aware that we may not have the contractual authority or the operational capacity to apply the frequent trading policies and procedures of the funds. However, under SEC rules, we are required to: (1) enter into a written agreement with each fund or its principal underwriter that obligates us to provide to the fund promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual Contractowners, and (2) execute instructions from the fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific Contractowners who violate the excessive trading policies established by the fund.
You should be aware that the purchase and redemption orders received by the funds generally are "omnibus" orders from intermediaries such as retirement plans or separate accounts funding variable insurance contracts. The omnibus orders reflect the aggregation and netting of multiple orders from individual retirement plan participants and/or individual owners of variable insurance contracts. The omnibus nature of these orders may limit the funds' ability to apply their respective disruptive trading policies and procedures. We cannot guarantee that the funds (and thus our Contractowners) will not be harmed by transfer activity relating to the retirement plans and/or other insurance companies that may invest in the funds. In addition, if a fund believes that an omnibus order we submit may reflect one or more transfer requests from Contractowners engaged in disruptive trading activity, the fund may reject the entire omnibus order.
Our Market Timing Procedures detect potential "market timers" by examining the number of transfers made by Contractowners within given periods of time. In addition, managers of the funds might contact us if they believe or suspect that there is market timing. If requested by a fund company, we may vary our Market Timing Procedures from Subaccount to Subaccount to comply with specific fund policies and procedures.
We may increase our monitoring of Contractowners who we have previously identified as market timers. When applying the parameters used to detect market timers, we will consider multiple contracts owned by the same Contractowner if that Contractowner has been identified as a market timer. For each Contractowner, we will investigate the transfer patterns that meet the parameters being used to detect potential market timers. We will also investigate any patterns of trading behavior identified by the funds that may not have been captured by our Market Timing Procedures.
Once a Contractowner has been identified as a market timer under our Market Timing Procedures, we will notify the Contractowner in writing that future transfers (among the Subaccounts and/or the fixed account) will be temporarily permitted to be made only by original signature sent to us by U.S. mail, first-class delivery for the remainder of the Contract Year (or calendar year if the Contract is an individual contract that was sold in connection with an employer sponsored plan). Overnight delivery or electronic instructions (which may include telephone, facsimile, or Internet instructions) submitted during this period will not be accepted. If overnight delivery or electronic instructions are inadvertently accepted from a Contractowner that has been identified as a market timer, upon discovery, we will reverse the transaction within 1 or 2 business days. We will impose this "original signature" restriction on that Contractowner even if we cannot identify, in the particular circumstances, any harmful effect from that Contractowner's particular transfers.
Contractowners seeking to engage in frequent, large, or short-term transfer activity may deploy a variety of strategies to avoid detection. Our ability to detect such transfer activity may be limited by operational systems and technological limitations. The identification
24
of Contractowners determined to be engaged in such transfer activity that may adversely affect other Contractowners or fund shareholders involves judgments that are inherently subjective. We cannot guarantee that our Market Timing Procedures will detect every potential market timer. If we are unable to detect market timers, you may experience dilution in the value of your fund shares and increased brokerage and administrative costs in the funds. This may result in lower long-term returns for your investments.
Our Market Timing Procedures are applied consistently to all Contractowners. An exception for any Contractowner will be made only in the event we are required to do so by a court of law. In addition, certain funds available as investment options in your Contract may also be available as investment options for owners of other, older life insurance policies issued by us. Some of these older life insurance policies do not provide a contractual basis for us to restrict or refuse transfers which are suspected to be market timing activity. In addition, because other insurance companies and/or retirement plans may invest in the funds, we cannot guarantee that the funds will not suffer harm from frequent, large, or short-term transfer activity among Subaccounts and the fixed accounts of variable contracts issued by other insurance companies or among investment options available to retirement plan participants.
In our sole discretion, we may revise our Market Timing Procedures at any time without prior notice as necessary to better detect and deter frequent, large, or short-term transfer activity to comply with state or federal regulatory requirements, and/or to impose additional or alternate restrictions on market timers (such as dollar or percentage limits on transfers). If we modify our Market Timing Procedures, they will be applied uniformly to all Contractowners or as applicable to all Contractowners investing in underlying funds.
Some of the funds have reserved the right to temporarily or permanently refuse payments or transfer requests from us if, in the judgment of the fund's investment adviser, the fund would be unable to invest effectively in accordance with its investment objective or policies, or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected. To the extent permitted by applicable law, we reserve the right to defer or reject a transfer request at any time that we are unable to purchase or redeem shares of any of the funds available through the VAA, including any refusal or restriction on purchases or redemptions of the fund shares as a result of the funds' own policies and procedures on market timing activities. If a fund refuses to accept a transfer request we have already processed, we will reverse the transaction within 1 or 2 business days. We will notify you in writing if we have reversed, restricted or refused any of your transfer requests. Some funds also may impose redemption fees on short-term trading (i.e., redemptions of mutual fund shares within a certain number of business days after purchase). We reserve the right to administer and collect any such redemption fees on behalf of the funds. You should read the funds' prospectuses for more details on their redemption fees and their ability to refuse or restrict purchases or redemptions of their shares.
Transfers After the Annuity Commencement Date
If you select i4LIFE®Advantage your transfer rights and restrictions for the variable Subaccounts and the fixed account are the same as they were on or before the Annuity Commencement Date.
If you do not select i4LIFE®Advantage, you may transfer all or a portion of your investment in one Subaccount to another subaccount or to the fixed side of the contract, as permitted under your Contract. Those transfers will be limited to three times per Contract Year. You may also transfer from a variable Annuity Payout to a fixed Annuity Payout. You may not transfer from a fixed Annuity Payout to a variable Annuity Payout. Once elected, the fixed Annuity Payout is irrevocable.
Ownership
Contractowners have all rights under the Contract. According to Indiana law, the assets of the VAA are held for the exclusive benefit of all Contractowners and their designated Beneficiaries; and the assets of the VAA are not chargeable with liabilities arising from any other business that we may conduct. Qualified contracts may not be assigned or transferred except as permitted by applicable law and upon written notification to us. Contracts used for qualified plans may not be assigned or transferred except as permitted by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 and upon written notification to us. Nonqualified contracts may not be sold, discounted or pledged as collateral for a loan or any other purpose. We assume no responsibility for the validity or effect of any assignment. An assignment affects the Death Benefit and benefits offered under Living Benefit Riders calculated under the Contract. Consult your tax adviser about the tax consequences of an assignment.
Joint/Contingent Ownership
Joint owners shall be treated as having equal undivided interests in the Contract. Either owner, independently of the other, may exercise any ownership rights in this Contract. Only spouses may be a joint owner on Multi-Fund®4, flexible premium deferred annuity contracts except where not permitted by law.
A contingent owner may exercise ownership rights in this Contract only after the Contractowner dies.
Surrenders and Withdrawals
Before the Annuity Commencement Date, we will allow the surrender of the Contract or a withdrawal of the Contract Value upon your written request on an approved Lincoln distribution request form (available from the Home Office), subject to the rules below. A surrender/withdrawal after the Annuity Commencement Date depends upon the annuity option selected. See Annuity Payouts - Annuity Options.
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The amount available upon surrender/withdrawal is the Contract Value less any applicable charges, fees, and taxes at the end of the Valuation Period during which the written request for surrender/withdrawal is received in Good Order at the Home Office. If we receive a surrender or withdrawal request in Good Order before the close of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time), we will process the request using the Accumulation Unit value computed on that Valuation Date. If we receive a surrender or withdrawal request in Good Order at our Home Office after market close, we will process the request using the Accumulation Unit Value computed on the next Valuation Date. There may be circumstances under which the NYSE may close early (prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time). In such instances, surrenders or withdrawal requests received after such early market close will be processed using the Accumulation Unit Value computed on the next Valuation Date. Unless a request for withdrawal specifies otherwise, withdrawals will be made from all Subaccounts within the VAA and from the general account in the same proportion that the amount of withdrawal bears to the total Contract Value. The minimum amount which can be withdrawn is $100. Where permitted by Contract, surrender/withdrawal payments will be mailed within seven days after we receive a valid written request at the Home Office. The payment may be postponed as permitted by the 1940 Act.
There are charges associated with surrender of a Contract or withdrawal of Contract Value. You may specify that the charges be deducted from the amount you request withdrawn or from the remaining Contract Value. If the charges are deducted from the remaining Contract Value, the amount of the total withdrawal will increase according to the impact of the applicable surrender charge percentage; consequently, the amount of the charge associated with the withdrawal will also increase. In other words, the amount deducted to cover the surrender charge is also subject to a surrender charge. See Charges and Other Deductions.
Surrenders and withdrawals may be taxable and, prior to age 59½, subject to a tax penalty. The tax consequences of a surrender/withdrawal are discussed later in this prospectus. See Federal Tax Matters - Taxation of Withdrawals and Surrenders. Withdrawals may have a negative impact on certain optional living benefits and on certain death benefits, and the impact could be significant. A withdrawal may reduce or even terminate certain benefits.
In addition to surrender charges, withdrawals from the fixed account may be subject to an Interest Adjustment, which could have a significant negative impact.
Benefits Available Under the Contract
The following tables summarize information about the benefits available under the Contract. A detailed description of each benefit follows the table.
Standard Benefits
Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions /
Limitations
Dollar-Cost Averaging
Allows you to automatically transfer
amounts between certain investment
options on a monthly basis.
None
Minimum amount to be dollar cost
averaged is $1,500 over any time period
between 3 and 60 months.
Cannot be used simultaneously with
portfolio rebalancing or cross
reinvestment.
Portfolio Rebalancing
Allows you to automatically reallocate your
Contract Value among investment options
on a periodic basis based on your standing
allocation instructions.
None
Cannot be used simultaneously with
dollar cost averaging or cross
reinvestment.
Cross-Reinvestment/
Earnings Sweep
Service
When the amount invested in an investment
option exceeds a baseline amount, allows
you to automatically transfer the excess
amount to another investment option.
None
Cannot be used simultaneously with
dollar cost averaging or portfolio
rebalancing.
Automatic Withdrawal
Service
Allows you to take periodic withdrawals
from your Contract automatically.
None
Automatically terminates once i4LIFE®
Advantage begins.
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Optional Benefits - Available for Election
Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions /
Limitations
Loans
You may be eligible to take a loan against
your Contract Value.
One-time fee of up
to $35to set up and
process loan.
Annual loan
maintenance fee of
2.5% (as a
percentage of loan
amount).
Only available to Participants in a tax
deferred retirement plan that allows
Participant loans.
Loans are subject to a variety of
limitations, including restrictions as to
the loan amount, the loan's duration, the
rate of interest, and the manner of
repayment.
Loan reserve account does not
participate in the investment experience
of the Sub-Accounts, which can impact
the Contract Value and Death Benefit,
even if the loan is repaid in full.
Enhanced Guaranteed
Minimum Death
Benefit
Provides an enhanced death benefit based
on the greater of Contract Value upon death,
Contract Value at the time of election, total
Purchase Payments, or highest Contract
Value on a contract anniversary, subject to
adjustments.
0.30%
(as a percentage of
average daily net
assets in the
Subaccounts)
Limited availability: Only available for
flexible premium contracts, not available
for qualified contracts or in all states,
and Owner(s) and Annuitant must be no
older than age 75.
Withdrawals could significantly reduce
the benefit.
i4LIFE®Advantage for
Qualified Contracts
Variable periodic Regular Income
Payments for life.
The ability to make additional
withdrawals and surrender the Contract
during the Access Period.
The optional Guaranteed Income Benefit
provides a minimum payout floor for
those Regular Income Payments.
Includes a Guaranteed Income Benefit
and its own standard death benefit.
1.482%
(as a percentage of
Account Value)
Limited availability:Must be elected
before an annuity option is selected,
must be elected no later than age 85
(single life); age 80 (joint life), may not
be available or limitations may apply
depending on state, tax treatment, and
terms of retirement plan.
Investment Requirements apply.
Restrictions apply to the length of the
Access Period.
Withdrawals during the Access Period
could significantly reduce the dollar
amount of income payments and the
death benefit.
Purchase Payments are subject to
additional restrictions.
i4LIFE®Advantage for
Nonqualified and IRA
Contracts
Variable periodic Regular Income
Payments for life.
The ability to make additional
withdrawals and surrender the Contract
during the Access Period.
The optional Guaranteed Income Benefit
provides a minimum payout floor for
those Regular Income Payments.
May be elected with or without the
Guaranteed Income Benefit. Includes its
own standard death benefit and an
enhanced death benefit may be elected
for an additional charge.
3.652%
(as a percentage of
Account Value)
Limited availability: Must have Contract
Value of at least $50,000 at election,
must be elected before an annuity option
is selected, for IRA contracts, must be
age 59½ or older and may not be
available or limitations may apply
depending on state and tax treatment.
Investment Requirements apply if
Guaranteed Income Benefit is elected.
Restrictions apply to the length of the
Access Period.
Withdrawals during the Access Period
could significantly reduce the dollar
amount of income payments and the
death benefit.
Purchase Payments are subject to
additional restrictions.
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Optional Benefits - Available for Election
Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions /
Limitations
Guaranteed Income
Benefit with i4LIFE®
Advantage
Provides that variable income payments
under i4LIFE®Advantage will never be less
than a guaranteed minimum amount
regardless of investment performance
during the Access Period or Lifetime Income
Period. Includes a step-up feature that may
result in a higher guaranteed minimum at
certain points in time.
Qualified contracts:
No additional charge
Included with i4LIFE®
Advantage
Nonqualified / IRA
contracts: 3.652%
(as a percentage of
Account Value)
Must be elected no later than age 95 for
nonqualified contracts or age 80 for IRA
contracts.
Investment Requirements apply.
Features, terms, and conditions differ for
qualified and nonqualified/IRA contracts.
Withdrawals during the Access Period
could significantly reduce the benefit and
negatively impact the potential for step-
ups.
Changes to the length of the Access
Period or payment frequency could
significantly reduce or terminate the
benefit.
Purchase Payments are subject to
additional restrictions.
Optional Benefits - No Longer Available for Election1
Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions /
Limitations
Lincoln Lifetime
IncomeSMAdvantage
2.0
Provides guaranteed lifetime periodic
withdrawals for you and any joint life
regardless of investment performance.
Includes step-up and enhancement features
that may result in a higher guaranteed
minimum at certain points in time.
2.00%
(as a percentage of
Protected Income
Base)
Investment Requirements apply.
Excess withdrawals (including early
withdrawals) may significantly reduce or
terminate the benefit.
Any withdrawal may negatively impact or
eliminate the potential for enhancements
or step-ups.
Purchase Payments and step-ups may
increase fee rate.
Purchase Payments subject to additional
restrictions.
Lincoln Lifetime
IncomeSMAdvantage
Provides guaranteed lifetime periodic
withdrawals for you and any joint life
regardless of investment performance.
Includes step-up and enhancement features
that may result in a higher guaranteed
minimum at certain points in time.
1.50%
(as a percentage of
Protected Income
Base)
Investment Requirements apply.
Must be at least age 59 (single life
option) or age 65 (joint life option) to
begin taking guaranteed withdrawals.
Excess and early withdrawals may
significantly reduce or terminate the
benefit.
Any withdrawal may negatively impact or
eliminate the potential for enhancements
or step-ups.
Purchase Payments and step-ups may
increase fee rate.
Purchase Payments subject to additional
restrictions.
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Optional Benefits - No Longer Available for Election1
Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions /
Limitations
Lincoln Lifetime
IncomeSMAdvantage
Plus
An additional option under Lincoln Lifetime
IncomeSMAdvantage. Provides the option
on the seventh benefit anniversary to cancel
the Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage benefit
and receive an increase in Contract Value
equal to the excess of your initial benefit
base over your Contract Value.
0.15%
(as a percentage of
Protected Income
Base)
May be exercised only if no withdrawals
since election.
Exercise terminates Lincoln Lifetime
IncomeSMAdvantage.
Must exercise option within 30 days after
seventh benefit anniversary.
If a withdrawal is taken prior to the
seventh benefit anniversary, additional
charge applies until the seventh benefit
anniversary even though the benefit
cannot be exercised.
Lincoln
SmartSecurity®
Advantage - 5 or 1
Year Elective Step-up
Option
Provides guaranteed lifetime periodic
withdrawals for you and any joint life
regardless of investment performance.
Includes a step-up feature that may result in
a higher guaranteed minimum at certain
points in time.
0.95% for 5 Year
Elective Step-up Option
1.50% for 1 Year
Elective Step-up Option
(as a percentage of
Guaranteed Amount)
Investment Requirements apply.
Must be at least age 65 to begin taking
guaranteed withdrawals.
Excess and early withdrawals may
significantly reduce or terminate the
benefit.
Any withdrawal may negatively impact
the potential for step-ups.
Step-ups may increase fee rate.
Purchase Payments subject to additional
restrictions.
4LATER®Advantage
Establishes a benefit base used to calculate
a guaranteed income benefit under i4LIFE®
Advantage when you are ready to elect it.
The benefit base has the potential for
enhancements and resets. Guaranteed
income benefit after election of i4LIFE®
Advantage has a step-up feature that may
result in a higher guaranteed minimum at
certain points in time.
1.50%
(as a percentage of
Protected Income
Base)
Investment Requirements apply.
Withdrawals may significantly reduce or
terminate the benefit.
Any withdrawal may negatively impact or
eliminate the potential for enhancements,
resets, or step-ups.
Resets may increase current fee rate.
Purchase Payments subject to additional
restrictions.
1
See "Appendix C - Discontinued Living Benefit Riders" for a description of the discontinued Living Benefit Riders.
Loans
If you participate in a tax deferred retirement plan that allows participant loans, you may be eligible to take a loan against your Contract Value. During the accumulation period, you may apply for a loan by completing a loan application provided by us. Loan proceeds will be direct deposited or mailed to you within 7 calendar days after we receive your valid, fully completed loan application. Depending on your state of residence, a one-time fee of up to $35 may be charged to set up and process a loan. The loan maintenance fee is an annual rate of 2.5%. Only two outstanding loans per Contract are allowed at one time.
Loans are subject to restrictions imposed by the IRC, Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and by your retirement plan. For plans subject to the IRC and Title I of ERISA, the initial amount of a loan cannot exceed the lesser of 50% of your vested account balance in the fixed account or $50,000 and, pursuant to the terms of the Contract, must be at least $1,000. For plans subject to the IRC, but not subject to Title I of ERISA, you are subject to the same $50,000 maximum, but may borrow up to $10,000 of your vested account balance even if that amount is greater than 50% of your vested account balance. The annual interest rate for loans is 7.0% of the amount held in the loan reserve account. The amount of the loan reserve account does not participate in the investment experience; therefore, loans can impact the Contract Value and Death Benefit, even if the loan is repaid in full. During the time that the loan is outstanding, the amount of the loan principal pledged as security for the loan will earn interest at an annual rate of 4.5%. Loan payments of principal and interest must be paid in level amortized payments, either monthly or quarterly. Loan payments will be allocated among the Subaccounts according to the allocation instructions we have on file for you. As you make payments on the loan, the loan reserve account will be reduced by the amount of the payment applied to the principal, and the interest is reduced on an annual basis. All interest earnings will be allocated 100% to the fixed account on your contract anniversary.
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If the Contract is surrendered while there is an outstanding loan, the surrender value will be reduced by the amount of the loan plus loan interest rate. Upon the death of the Annuitant, we will pay the Beneficiary the Contract Value less the outstanding loan and loan interest due.
Death Benefit
If the Contractowner (or a joint owner) or Annuitant dies prior to the Annuity Commencement Date, a Death Benefit may be payable. You can choose the Death Benefit. Generally, the more expensive the Death Benefit, the greater the protection. You should consider the following provisions carefully when designating the Beneficiary, Annuitant, any contingent Annuitant and any joint owner, as well as before changing any of these parties. The identity of these parties under the Contract may significantly affect the amount and timing of the Death Benefit or other amount paid upon a Contractowner's or Annuitant's death.
You may designate a Beneficiary during the life of the Annuitant and change the Beneficiary by filing a written request with the Home Office. Each change of Beneficiary revokes any previous designation. We reserve the right to request that you send us the Contract for endorsement of a change of Beneficiary.
The Contract Value available upon death is the value of the Contract at the end of the Valuation Period during which the death claim is approved by payment by Lincoln Life. The approval of the death claim payment will occur after receipt of all of the following:
proof, satisfactory to us, of the death of the Annuitant;
written authorization for payment; and our receipt of all required claim forms fully completed.
If the Beneficiary is the spouse of the Contractowner, then the spouse may elect to continue the Contract as the new Contractowner. All Contract provisions relating to spousal continuation are available only to a person who meets the definition of "spouse" under federal law. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that same-sex marriages must be permitted under state law and that marriages recognized under state law will be recognized for federal law purposes. Domestic partnerships and civil unions that are not recognized as legal marriages under state law, however, will not be treated as marriages under federal law. You are strongly encouraged to consult a tax advisor before electing spousal rights under the Contract.
Single premium deferred contracts and Flexible premium deferred contracts (Multi-Fund®2, 3, 4)
If the Annuitant dies before the Annuity Commencement Date and the enhanced guaranteed minimum Death Benefit (EGMDB) is not in effect, a Death Benefit equal to the Contract Value will be paid to your designated Beneficiary.
Prior to the Annuity Commencement Date, an optional EGMDB is available for nonqualified, Roth IRA and IRA flexible premium deferred annuity contracts, for Annuitants up to age 75. Please check with your financial adviser for availability to current Contractowners.
If the Annuitant dies before the Annuity Commencement Date and the EGMDB is in effect, the Death Benefit paid to your designated Beneficiary will be the greater of:
1.
The Contract Value at the end of the Valuation Period when the death claim is approved for payment by Lincoln Life, or
2.
The highest of:
a.
the Contract Value at the end of the Valuation Period when the EGMDB becomes effective and;
b.
the sum of all Purchase Payments less the sum of all withdrawals, partial annuitization and premium taxes incurred, if any; and
c.
the highest Contract Value, at the end of the Valuation Period, on any contract anniversary date up to and including age 75 following election of the EGMDB; increased by Purchase Payments and decreased by any withdrawals, annuitizations and premium taxes incurred after the EGMDB effective date or the contract anniversary on which the highest Contract Value occurred.
The EGMDB is not available under contracts issued to a Contractowner, joint owner or Annuitant who is age 75 or older at the time of issuance. The EGMDB is not available in the state of Louisiana.
If you add the EGMDB after purchase, the benefit will take effect as of the Valuation Date following our receipt of the election request, and we will begin deducting the charge for the benefit as of that date. When calculating the Death Benefit under the EGMDB, the highest Contract Value on the effective date when the benefit is added to the Contract or any contract anniversary after the effective date will be used.
The EGMDB will take effect on the Valuation Date when the EGMDB election form is approved at our Home Office, if before 4:00 p.m. New York time. If after 4:00 p.m. New York time, the EGMDB election or termination will be effective with the next Valuation Date. The owner may not reelect the EGMDB once it is discontinued. As of the Annuity Commencement Date the EGMDB will be discontinued and the charge for the EGMDB will stop. See Charges and Other Deductions-Deduction for the EGMDB.
Periodic premium deferred contracts (Multi-Fund®1)
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If the Annuitant dies before the Annuity Commencement Date, Lincoln Life will pay the Beneficiary a Death Benefit equal to the greater of the following amounts:
1.
The net Purchase Payments, or
2.
The value of the Contract less any outstanding loan balance.
Net Purchase Payments will mean the sum of all Purchase Payments credited to the Contract less any amounts paid when a withdrawal occurs and less any outstanding loan balance.
If your state has not approved this Death Benefit provision, the applicable Death Benefit will be equal to the Contract Value.
Upon the death of the Annuitant Federal Tax law requires that an annuity election be made no later than 60 days after we have approved the death claim for payment.
If a lump sum settlement is elected, the proceeds will be mailed within seven days of approval by us of the claim subject to the laws, regulations and tax code governing payment of Death Benefits. This payment may be postponed as permitted by the 1940 Act.
Annuity Payouts will be made in accordance with applicable laws and regulations governing payment of Death Benefits. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the payment of Death Benefits provided under the Contract must be made in compliance with Code Section 72(s) or 401(a)(9) as applicable, as amended from time to time. Death Benefits are taxable. See - Federal Tax Matters - Taxation of Death Benefits.
Unless otherwise provided in the Beneficiary designation, one of the following procedures will take place upon the death of a Beneficiary:
1.
If any Beneficiary dies before the Annuitant, the Contractowner may elect a new Beneficiary. If no new Beneficiary election is made, that Beneficiary's interest will go to any other Beneficiaries named, according to their respective interest. There are no restrictions on the Beneficiary's use of the proceeds; and/or
2.
If no Beneficiary survives the Annuitant, the proceeds will be paid to the Contractowner or to his/her estate, as applicable.
Death of Contractowner
If the Contractowner of a nonqualified contract dies before the Annuity Commencement Date, then, in compliance with the tax code, the cash surrender value (Contract Value less any applicable charges, fees, and taxes) of the Contract will be paid as follows:
1.
Upon the death of a non-Annuitant Contractowner, the proceeds shall be paid to any surviving joint or contingent owner(s). If no joint or contingent owner has been named, then the cash surrender value shall be paid to the Annuitant named in the Contract; and
2.
Upon the death of a Contractowner, who is also Annuitant, the death will be treated as death of the Annuitant and the provisions of this Contract regarding death of Annuitant will control. If the recipient of the proceeds is the surviving spouse of the Contractowner, the Contract may be continued in the name of that spouse as the new Contractowner or as a Contract for the benefit of the surviving spouse.
If you are a non-spouse Beneficiary, the tax code requires that any distribution to be paid within five years of the death of the Contractowner unless the Beneficiary begins receiving, within one year of the Contractowner's death, the distribution in the form of a life annuity or an annuity for a period certain not exceeding the Beneficiary's life expectancy.
Abandoned Property.Every state has unclaimed property laws which generally declare annuity contracts to be abandoned after a period of inactivity of three to five years from the date a benefit is due and payable. For example, if the payment of a Death Benefit has been triggered, but, if after a thorough search, we are still unable to locate the Beneficiary of the Death Benefit, or the Beneficiary does not come forward to claim the Death Benefit in a timely manner, the Death Benefit will be "escheated". This means that the Death Benefit will be paid to the abandoned property division or unclaimed property office of the state in which the Beneficiary or the Contractowner last resided, as shown on our books and records, or to our state of domicile. This escheatment is revocable and the state is obligated to pay the Death Benefit (without interest) if your Beneficiary steps forward to claim it with the proper documentation.
To prevent such escheatment, it is important that you update your Beneficiary designations, including addresses, if and as they change. You may update your Beneficiary designations by submitting a Beneficiary change form to our Home Office.
Additional Services
These additional services are available to you under your Contract: dollar-cost averaging (DCA), portfolio rebalancing, automatic withdrawal service (AWS), cross-reinvestment/earnings sweep. In order to take advantage of one of these services, you will need to complete the appropriate election form that is available from our Home Office or call 1-800-454-6265. These services will stop once we become aware of a pending death claim. For further detailed information on these services, please see Additional Services in the SAI.
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Dollar-Cost Averaging. Dollar-cost averaging allows you to transfer amounts from the DCA fixed account or select variable Subaccounts into the variable Subaccounts on a monthly basis. The minimum amount to be dollar cost averaged is $10,000 over any time period between 12 and 36 months. We may offer different time periods for new Purchase Payments and for transfers of Contract Value. State variations may exist. Currently, there is no charge for this service. However, we reserve the right to impose one. We reserve the right to discontinue or modify this program at any time. DCA does not assure a profit or protect against loss.
Automatic Withdrawal Service. The automatic withdrawal service (AWS) provides for an automatic periodic withdrawal of your Contract Value.
Portfolio Rebalancing. Portfolio rebalancing is an option that restores to a pre-determined level the percentage of Contract Value allocated to each Subaccount. The rebalancing may take place monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
Cross-Reinvestment/Earnings Sweep Service. The cross-reinvestment/earnings sweep service allows you to automatically transfer the Account Value in a designated variable Subaccount that exceeds a baseline amount to another specific variable Subaccount at specific intervals.
Only one of the three additional services (DCA, portfolio rebalancing and cross reinvestment) may be used at one time. In other words, you cannot have DCA and cross reinvestment running simultaneously.
Living Benefit Riders
The following optional Living Benefit Riders described in this prospectus are no longer available for election:
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus
Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage
4LATER®Advantage
Appendix C to this prospectus provides a detailed description of the following Living Benefit Riders: Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage 2.0, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus, Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage and 4LATER®Advantage.
Before electing to drop an existing Living Benefit Rider you should consider that you will no longer be able to repurchase that rider or any other Living Benefit Rider (except i4LIFE®Advantage with or without the Guaranteed Income Benefit, if available). You should consider whether you will be eligible to purchase i4LIFE®Advantage (with or without the Guaranteed Income Benefit) which is currently only available for contracts with Contract Values of at least $50,000 and before an annuity payment option is elected. i4LIFE® Advantage with the Guaranteed Income Benefit must be elected by age 80 (qualified contracts) or age 95 (nonqualified contracts). You should also consider whether the features of i4LIFE®Advantage (with or without the Guaranteed Income Benefit) will be sufficient to meet your future income needs. Contractowners might consider purchasing i4LIFE®Advantage with the Guaranteed Income Benefit if they need an income program that provides periodic variable income payments for life, with a minimum payout floor, the ability to make withdrawals during a defined period of time (Access Period) and a Death Benefit during the Access Period. i4LIFE®Advantage with the Guaranteed Income Benefit uses a different annuity factor to calculate payments and Contractowners might consider other annuity payment options if their annuity payments would be higher. Please refer to the i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit section of this prospectus for more details. Before deciding to drop an existing rider you should consult with your registered representative.
Excess Withdrawals under certain Living Benefit Riders may result in a reduction or premature termination of those benefits or of those riders. If you are not certain how an Excess Withdrawal will reduce your future guaranteed amounts, you should contact either your registered representative or us prior to requesting a withdrawal to find out what, if any, impact the Excess Withdrawal will have on any guarantees under the Living Benefit Rider. Terms and conditions may change after the Contract is purchased. i4LIFE® Advantage is the only Living Benefit Rider currently available to owners of qualified contracts.
The benefits and features of the optional Living Benefit Riders are separate and distinct from the downside protection strategies that may be employed by the funds offered under this Contract. The riders do not guarantee the investment results of the funds.
The Living Benefit Riders provide different methods to take income from your Contract Value or receive lifetime payments and may provide certain guarantees. There are differences between the riders in the features provided as well as the charge structure. Before you elect a rider, or terminate your existing rider to elect a new rider, you should carefully review the terms and conditions of each rider. If you elect a rider at contract issue, then the rider will be effective on the Contract's effective date.
i4LIFE® Advantage for Qualified Contracts
i4LIFE®Advantage (the Variable Annuity Income rider in your Contract) is an optional Annuity Payout rider you may elect and is separate and distinct from other Annuity Payout options offered under your Contract and described later in this prospectus.
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In order to elect the i4LIFE®Advantage benefit, you may need to surrender your existing base contract and apply for a new Contract. The surrender charges and fees applicable to the new base contract will not be higher than such fees applicable to the base contract being surrendered. However, an additional charge will be incurred on the new base contract fori4LIFE®Advantage; just as it would be for a Contract that need not be surrendered to elect i4LIFE® Advantage. Enhanced interest rates will not be offered on the fixed account(s) of the new base contract. Please contact your registered representative to determine if it is necessary to surrender your Contract in order to elect i4LIFE®Advantage.
i4LIFE®Advantage is a payout option that provides you with variable, regular monthly income payments for life. These payouts begin and are made during an Access Period, where you have access to the Account Value. After the Access Period ends, Regular Income Payments continue for the rest of your life, during the Lifetime Income Period. i4LIFE®Advantage is different from other Annuity Payout options provided by Lincoln because with i4LIFE® Advantage, you have the ability to make additional withdrawals or surrender the Contract during the Access Period. The initial regular monthly income payment is based on the Account Value on the Periodic Income Commencement Date. This date is no more than 14 days prior to the date you begin receiving the regular monthly income payments. This option is available for participants in 401(k), 403(b) and most 457 plans ("tax-deferred retirement plans"). This option, when available in your state, is subject to a charge. See Charges and Other Deductions - i4LIFE®Advantage Charges for Qualified Contracts.
i4LIFE®Advantage may be elected at the time of application or at any time before another Annuity Payout option is elected by sending a written request to our Home Office. When you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, you make certain choices about your Regular Income Payments. The Annuitant, or Secondary Life, if applicable, may not be changed after i4LIFE® Advantage is elected. The Periodic Income Commencement Date will be within one month of when your i4LIFE®Advantage election form is approved by us.
i4LIFE®Advantage for tax-deferred retirement plans is only available if the Annuitant is eligible to receive a payout pursuant to the terms and conditions of his or her plan at the time the option is elected. Additional limitations on issue ages and features may be necessary to comply with the Internal Revenue Code provisions for required minimum distributions.
If i4LIFE®Advantage is selected, in addition to the Investment Requirements imposed by electing this option, the applicable transfer provisions among Subaccounts and the fixed account during the access period will continue to be those specified in your prospectus. See The Contracts - Transfers on or Before the Annuity Commencement Date. During the Lifetime Income Period, the transfer provisions are those specified in your prospectus. See The Contracts - Transfers after the Annuity Commencement Date. Once i4LIFE® Advantage begins, any automatic withdrawal service will terminate. See The Contracts - Additional Services.
When you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, you will receive the i4LIFE®Advantage Guarantee of Principal Death Benefit. See i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefit.
Access Period.At the time you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, you also select the Access Period, which begins on the Periodic Income Commencement Date. The Access Period is a defined period of time during which we pay variable, regular monthly income payments and provide a Death Benefit, and during which you may surrender the Contract and make additional withdrawals from your Account Value. During the Access Period, the Account Value is available as a minimum Death Benefit, or for additional withdrawals or surrender of the Contract. At the end of the Access Period, the remaining Account Value is used to determine the amount of regular monthly income payments for the rest of your life (and the Secondary Life if applicable) and you will no longer be able to make withdrawals or surrenders or receive a Death Benefit. If your Account Value is reduced to zero because of withdrawals or market loss, your Access Period ends.
The minimum and maximum Access Periods are established at the time you elect i4LIFE®Advantage and/or the Guaranteed Income Benefit. The current Access Period requirements are outlined in the following chart:
Minimum Access Period
Maximum Access Period
i4LIFE®Advantage (without a Guaranteed Income
Benefit) for new elections on and after May 20, 2024
10 years
The length of time between
your age and age 100
i4LIFE®Advantage (without a Guaranteed Income
Benefit) for elections prior to May 20, 2024
5 years
The length of time between
your age and age 100
i4LIFE®Advantage (with a Guaranteed Income Benefit)
for new elections on and after May 20, 2024
The greater of 15 years or to age 85
The length of time between
your age and age 100
Generally, shorter Access Periods will produce a higher initial Regular Income Payment than longer Access Periods. At any time during the Access Period, and subject to the rules in effect at that time, you may extend the Access Period by sending us notice. Additional restrictions may apply if you are under 59½ when you request a change to the Access Period. A request to extend the Access Period will be effective on the next Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary. Currently, if you extend the Access Period, it must be extended at least 5 years.
If you extend the Access Period, subsequent Regular Income Payments and the Guaranteed Income Benefit will be reduced accordingly. The Guaranteed Income Benefit will be adjusted in proportion to the reduction in the new Regular Income Payment. Extending
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the Access Period lowers the regular payment and Guaranteed Income Benefit because these payments are spread out over a longer period of time. For example, assume you have an access period of 25 years, a Regular Income Payment of $433 a month and a Guaranteed Income Benefit of $332 per month. If you extend your Access Period to 30 years, the Regular Income Payment decreases to $428 per month (a reduction of 1.15%) and the Guaranteed Income Benefit is also reduced by 1.15% for a payment of $328.
We may reduce or terminate the Access Period for tax-deferred retirement plans in order to keep the Regular Income Payments in compliance with Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") provisions for required minimum distributions. You may not shorten your Access Period.
Account Value.The initial Account Value is equal to the total of the dollar value of the fixed and variable options contained in the Contract in which you are invested on the Periodic Income Commencement Date. During the Access Period, the Account Value will be increased/decreased by any investment gains/losses including interest credited on the fixed account, and will be reduced by Regular Income Payments made, any Guaranteed Income Benefit payments made, and any withdrawals taken. After the Access Period ends, the remaining Account Value will be applied to continue Regular Income Payments for your life (and the Secondary Life, if applicable) and the Account Value will be reduced to zero.
Regular Income Payments during the Access Period. i4LIFE®Advantage provides for variable, periodic Regular Income Payments for as long as an Annuitant (or Secondary Life, if applicable) is living; and access to your Account Value during the Access Period. Such payments will not vary during the year unless there is a withdrawal. When you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, you will have to choose the length of the Access Period. This choice will influence the amount of your Regular Income Payments. Regular Income Payments will begin within 14 days of the Periodic Income Commencement Date. At this time, changes to the Access Period can only be made on Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversaries.
Regular Income Payments for tax-deferred retirement plans will be paid monthly, and are only recalculated once per year, on December 31st(if not a Valuation Date, then on the first Valuation Date of the calendar year). An Assumed Investment Return (AIR) rate of 4% will be available. Regular Income Payments are not subject to any surrender charges or applicable Interest Adjustments. For information regarding income tax consequences of Regular Income Payments, See Federal Tax Matters.
The amount of the initial Regular Income Payment is determined on the Periodic Income Commencement Date by dividing the Account Value by 1,000 and multiplying the result by an annuity factor. In the absence of excess withdrawals this amount will remain constant throughout the calendar year. The annuity factor is based upon:
The age of the Annuitant and Secondary Life, if applicable;
the length of the Access Period selected;
the monthly Regular Income Payments;
the AIR of 4%; and
the Individual Annuity Mortality table.
The annuity factor used to determine the Regular Income Payments reflects the fact that, during the Access Period, you have the ability to withdraw the entire Account Value and that a Death Benefit will be paid to your Beneficiary upon your death. These benefits during the Access Period result in a slightly lower Regular Income Payment, during both the Access Period and the Lifetime Income Period, than would be payable if this access was not permitted and no lump-sum Death Benefit was payable. The annuity factor also reflects the requirement that there be sufficient Account Value at the end of the Access Period to continue your Regular Income Payments for the remainder of your life (and/or the Secondary Life if applicable), during the Lifetime Income Period, with no further access or Death Benefit.
The amount of your Regular Income Payment will be impacted by the length of the Access Period you have chosen. For example, if a 70-year old male makes a $100,000 initial Purchase Payment, elects monthly payments, a 4% AIR, and a 20-year Access Period, the initial Regular Income Payment will be $504.96 per month ($6,059.60 annually). Using the same assumptions, but with a 30-year Access Period, the initial Regular Income Payment will be $448.41 per month ($5,380.90 annually).
Subsequent Regular Income Payments during the Access Period are determined by dividing the Account Value, on the applicable Valuation Date (December 31) by 1,000 and multiplying this result by an annuity factor revised to reflect the declining length of the Access Period. You will receive the same payment each month throughout the year. The Account Value continues to vary with the performance of the Subaccounts selected and the interest credited on the fixed account. The AIR is the measuring point for subsequent Regular Income Payments. If the actual net investment return (annualized) for the Contract exceeds the AIR, the Regular Income Payment will increase at a rate approximately equal to the amount of such excess. Conversely, if the actual net investment return for the Contract is less than the AIR, the Regular Income Payment will decrease. For example, if net investment return is 3% higher (annualized) than the AIR, the Regular Income Payment for the next year will increase by approximately 3%. Conversely, if actual net investment return is 3% lower than the AIR, the Regular Income Payment will decrease by approximately 3%.
Withdrawals made during the Access Period will also reduce the Account Value that is available for Regular Income Payments, and subsequent Regular Income Payments will be recalculated and could be increased or reduced, based on the Account Value following the withdrawal. For example, a Contractowner has an Account Value of $100,000 and an income payment of $400 per month. If the Contractowner makes a withdrawal of $25,000 (resulting in a 25% reduction of Account Value), there would be a corresponding 25%
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reduction to the Regular Income Payment. The Regular Income Payment of $400 would be reduced to $300 [$400 - (25% x $400)]. See i4LIFE®Advantage - General i4LIFE®Advantage Provisions for more information on withdrawals.
For a joint life option, the Secondary Life must be the Annuitant's spouse and must be the primary Beneficiary. If either the Annuitant or Secondary Life dies during the Access Period, the surviving life may elect to continue Regular Income Payments. We may adjust the Access Period length to ensure the regular monthly income payments conform to the required minimum distribution requirements of Section 401(a)(9) of the IRC. Regular Income Payments will continue for the remainder of the Access Period and then, if there is a surviving life, for the Lifetime Income Period. As an alternative, upon the death of the Annuitant, the Secondary Life may choose to take the Death Benefit, and the i4LIFE®Advantage rider will terminate. The Account Value less any contingent deferred sales charge may be paid upon the death of the Secondary Life during the Access Period, if applicable. If there is no surviving life, then the Regular Income Payments will cease and this rider will terminate.
For a single life option, if the Annuitant dies during the Access Period, a Death Benefit will be paid and the Regular Income Payments will cease and this rider will terminate.
Regular Income Payments during the Lifetime Income Period.The Lifetime Income Period begins at the end of the Access Period if either the Annuitant or Secondary Life is living. The frequency of Regular Income Payments, the AIR and the frequency of the recalculation do not change. The initial Regular Income Payment during the Lifetime Income Period is determined by dividing the Account Value on the last Valuation Date of the Access Period by 1,000 and multiplying the result by an annuity factor revised to reflect that the Access Period has ended. The annuity factor is based upon:
the age of the Annuitant and Secondary Life (if living);
the monthly Regular Income Payments;
the AIR of 4%; and
the Individual Annuity Mortality table.
The impact of the length of the Access Period and any withdrawals made during the Access Period will continue to be reflected in the Regular Income Payments during the Lifetime Income Period. To determine subsequent Regular Income Payments, the Contract is credited with a fixed number of Annuity Units equal to the initial Regular Income Payment (during the Lifetime Income Period) divided by the Annuity Unit value (by Subaccount). Your Regular Income Payments are adjusted on an annual basis, and the total of the annual payment is transferred to Lincoln Life's general account in January to be paid out monthly. During the Lifetime Income Period monies deposited to the general account will receive the then current crediting rate. Your payment(s) will not be affected by market performance during that year. Your Regular Income Payment(s) for the following year will be recalculated at the beginning of the following year based on the current value of the Annuity Units.
Regular Income Payments will vary on an annual basis for as long as the Annuitant or Secondary Life, if applicable, is living, and will continue to be adjusted for investment performance of the Subaccounts your annuity units are invested in (and the fixed account if applicable). Regular Income Payments vary with investment performance.
During the Lifetime Income Period, there is no longer an Account Value; therefore, no withdrawals are available and no Death Benefit is payable.
i4LIFE®Advantage Credit.If you elect i4LIFE®Advantage on and after May 20, 2024 (subject to state approval) you will receive a quarterly i4LIFE®Advantage Credit if you select a minimum Access Period that is the longer of 20 years or the difference between your age and age 85, and you maintain a minimum threshold value. The threshold values and applicable credit percentages are outlined in the chart below. The i4LIFE®Advantage Credit is not applied to Contracts with the Guaranteed Income Benefit.
If you elect the rider at the time you purchase the Contract, the first i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will apply three months from the contract issue date. If you elect the rider after we issue the Contract, the first i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will apply three months from the first Regular Income Payment. Thereafter, it will apply every three months, if all conditions are met. The i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will end at the end of the Access Period. If the Contract is terminated for any reason, including death, no further i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will be paid. Proportionate credits will not be applied.
The amount of the i4LIFE®Advantage Credit is calculated on each quarterly Valuation Date by multiplying:
the variable Account Value on that date; by
the quarterly i4LIFE®Advantage Credit percentage (determined by the applicable tier).
Tier 1
Tier 2
Minimum Threshold Value
$500,000
$1,000,000
Credit Percentage (Annually)
0.10%
0.20%
Credit Percentage (Quarterly)
0.025%
0.050%
If you elect the rider at the time you purchase the Contract, the initial threshold value equals the initial Purchase Payment. If you elect the rider after we issue the Contract, the initial threshold value equals the Account Value on the first Regular Income Payment date. The threshold value will be increased by additional Purchase Payments (qualified contracts only), which may cause your Contract to
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move into a Tier 1 threshold, or to move from a Tier 1 to a Tier 2 threshold and receive the applicable credit. Conversely, additional withdrawals (exclusive of i4LIFE®Advantage payments and required minimum distributions) will reduce your threshold value on a dollar-for-dollar basis, potentially dropping a Tier 2 contract to a Tier 1 contract, or to become ineligible for the credit. The i4LIFE® Advantage Credit will not be applied when the minimum threshold value is not met at the time of the quarterly evaluation.
If you shorten the Access Period so that it no longer meets the stated requirement, the i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will end. However, if you subsequently extend the Access Period to meet the requirement, the i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will resume if the minimum threshold value requirement is met.
The i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will be allocated to the Subaccounts in proportion to the Contract Value in each variable Subaccount on the quarterly Valuation Date. There is no additional charge to receive this i4LIFE®Advantage Credit, and in no case will the i4LIFE® Advantage Credit be less than zero. The amount of any i4LIFE®Advantage Credit received will be noted on your quarterly statement. Confirmation statements for each individual transaction will not be issued. i4LIFE®Advantage Credits are not considered Purchase Payments.
Guaranteed Income Benefit with i4LIFE®Advantage for Qualified Contracts
The Guaranteed Income Benefit ensures that your Regular Income Payments will never be less than a minimum amount, adjusted for withdrawals, regardless of the actual investment performance of your Contract. The Guaranteed Income Benefit is in effect during both the Access Period and the Lifetime Income Period.
The Guaranteed Income Benefit is initially equal to 75% of the initial Regular Income Payment. If the amount of your i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment (which is based on your i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value) has fallen below the Guaranteed Income Benefit, because of poor investment results, a payment equal to the Guaranteed Income Benefit is the minimum payment you will receive. If the Guaranteed Income Benefit is paid, it will be paid with the same frequency as your Regular Income Payment. If your Regular Income Payment is less than the Guaranteed Income Benefit, we will reduce the Account Value by the Regular Income Payment plus an additional amount equal to the difference between your Regular Income Payment and the Guaranteed Income Benefit. This additional amount will be withdrawn from the variable Subaccounts and the fixed account on a pro-rata basis according to your investment allocations. If your Account Value reaches zero as a result of the payment of the Guaranteed Income Benefit, your Access Period will end and your Lifetime Income Period will begin. Additional amounts withdrawn from the Account Value to provide the Guaranteed Income Benefit may terminate your Access Period earlier than originally scheduled, and will reduce your Death Benefit. See i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefit. After the Access Period ends, we will continue to pay the Guaranteed Income Benefit for as long as the Annuitant, or Secondary Life, if applicable, is living.
The Guaranteed Income Benefit has an automatic step-up feature that works as follows: During the 15-year step-up period, the Guaranteed Income Benefit will automatically step-up every three years to 75% of the current Regular Income Payment, if that result is greater than the immediately prior Guaranteed Income Benefit. The 15-year period will run from the Periodic Income Commencement Date, or the date of the most recent reset of the 15-year step-up period. Each 3-year step-up occurs on the Valuation Date of the first Regular Income Payment in the first calendar year of each 3-year period. At the end of a 15-year step-up period, the Contractowner may continue with the current Guaranteed Income Benefit amount at the current fee with no further step-ups or alternatively elect a new 15-year step-up period by submitting a written request to the Home Office. If a new 15-year step-up period is elected, the i4LIFE® Advantage fee will be the current charge in effect at the time of the step-up election period. A new step-up period may be elected during the Access and Lifetime Income periods, but the new step-up period must be elected at or before the end of the previous step-up period or no new step-up period may be elected in the future. If you prefer, when you start the Guaranteed Income Benefit, you can request that Lincoln administer the election of a new 15-year step-up period for you. After Lincoln administers this election, you have 30 days to notify us if you wish to reverse the election. If a new 15-year step-up period is elected, the i4LIFE®Advantage charge may increase subject to the guaranteed maximum annual percentage charge of 1.50%.
The Guaranteed Income Benefit is reduced by withdrawals (other than Regular Income Payments or Guaranteed Income Benefit payments) in the same proportion that the withdrawals reduce the Account Value. See i4LIFE®Advantage - General i4LIFE®Advantage Provisions to see the impact of a withdrawal on the Regular Income Payments and the Guaranteed Income Benefit.
If you choose to lengthen your Access Period, (which must be increased by a minimum of 5 years up to the maximum available) thereby reducing your Regular Income Payment, your Guaranteed Income Benefit will also be reduced. The Guaranteed Income Benefit will be reduced in proportion to the reduction in the Regular Income Payment. You may not shorten your Access Period.
i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefit
i4LIFE®Advantage Guarantee of Principal Death Benefit.The i4LIFE®Advantage Guarantee of Principal Death Benefit is only available for qualified contracts during the Access Period and will be equal to the greater of:
the Account Value as of the Valuation Date we approve the payment of the claim; or
the sum of all Purchase Payments, less the sum of Regular Income Payments and other additional withdrawals (including withdrawals to provide the Guaranteed Income Benefit).
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References to Purchase Payments and withdrawals include Purchase Payments and withdrawals made prior to the election of i4LIFE® Advantage. Withdrawals that were not treated as Excess Withdrawals under a Prior Rider will reduce the Death Benefit by the dollar amount of the withdrawal.
The following example demonstrates the impact of a withdrawal on your Death Benefit:
Total Purchase Payments $200,000
Total i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payments $25,000
Additional Withdrawal $15,000
Death Benefit value after i4LIFE®Advantage withdrawal = $200,000 - $25,000 = $175,000
Death Benefit value after additional withdrawal = $175,000 - $15,000 = $160,000
General Death Benefit Provisions.Following the Access Period, there is no Death Benefit. The Death Benefits also terminate when the Account Value equals zero, because the Access Period terminates.
During the Access Period, if the single life option has been elected, then upon the death of the Annuitant, the Regular Income Payments will cease and this rider will terminate. If the joint life option has been elected, then upon the death of the Annuitant, the Secondary Life, if still surviving, as spouse and primary Beneficiary, may terminate the Contract and this rider and receive full payment of the Death Benefit or elect to continue the Contract and this rider and receive Regular Income Payments for his/her lifetime. Upon the death of the Secondary Life, the Annuitant if still surviving, may continue to receive Regular Income Payments for the remainder of the access period and for the Lifetime Income Period or may elect to terminate this rider. If neither the Annuitant nor the Secondary Life is still surviving, the Regular Income Payments will cease and this rider will terminate.
The value of the Death Benefit will be determined as of the Valuation Date we approve the payment of the claim. Approval of payment will occur upon our receipt of all the following:
1. an original certified death certificate or any other proof of death satisfactory to us; and
2. written authorization for payment; and
3. all required claim forms, fully completed (including selection of a settlement option).
Notwithstanding any provision of this Contract to the contrary, the payment of Death Benefits provided under this Contract must be made in compliance with IRC Section 72(s) or 401(a)(9) as applicable, as amended from time to time. Death Benefits may be taxable. See Federal Tax Matters.
Upon notification to Lincoln Life of the death, Regular Income Payments may be suspended until the death claim is approved. If this rider is continued, upon approval of the death claim the excess, if any, of the Death Benefit over the Account Value will be credited into the Contract at that time and a lump sum payment for the value of any suspended payments, as of the date the death claim is approved, will be made and the Regular Income Payments will restart. Otherwise, this rider terminates.
If a lump sum settlement is elected, the proceeds will be mailed within seven days of approval by us of the claim subject to the laws, regulations and tax code governing payment of Death Benefits. This payment may be postponed as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940.
General Provisions
Withdrawals.You may request a withdrawal at any time prior to or during the Access Period. We reduce the Account Value by the amount of the withdrawal, and all subsequent Regular Income Payments will be reduced in the same proportion as the withdrawal reduces the Account Value. Withdrawals may have tax consequences. Withdrawals are subject to any applicable surrender charges except when amounts may be withdrawn free of surrender charges. The Interest Adjustment may apply.
The following example demonstrates the impact of a withdrawal on the Regular Income Payments and the Guaranteed Income Benefit Payments:
i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment before Withdrawal $1,200
Guaranteed Income Benefit before Withdrawal $750
Account Value at time of Additional Withdrawal $150,000
Additional Withdrawal $15,000 (a 10% withdrawal)
Reduction in i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment for Withdrawal = $1,200 x 10% = $120
i4LIFE® Advantage Regular Income Payment after Withdrawal = $1,200 - $120 = $1,080
Reduction in Guaranteed Income Benefit for Withdrawal = $750 x 10% = $75
Guaranteed Income Benefit after Withdrawal = $750 - $75 = $675
Surrender.At any time prior to or during the Access Period, you may surrender the Contract by withdrawing the surrender value. If the Contract is surrendered, the Contract terminates and no further Regular Income Payments will be made. Withdrawals are subject to any applicable surrender charges except when amounts may be withdrawn free of surrender charges.
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Termination.You may terminate i4LIFE®Advantage prior to the end of the Access Period by notifying us in writing. The termination will be effective on the next Valuation Date after we receive the notice and your Contract will return to the accumulation phase. Upon termination, we will stop assessing the charge for i4LIFE® Advantage and assess the mortality and expense risk charge and administrative charge associated with the Contract without this feature. Your Contract Value upon termination will be equal to the Account Value on the Valuation Date we terminate i4LIFE®Advantage.
Availability.The availability of i4LIFE®Advantage will depend upon your state's approval of the i4LIFE®Advantage contract rider. Please check with your registered representative for availability.
i4LIFE®Advantage for Nonqualified Contracts and IRAs
i4LIFE®Advantage (the Variable Annuity Payout Option rider in your Contract) is an optional Annuity Payout rider you may purchase at an additional cost and is separate and distinct from other Annuity Payout options offered under your Contract and described later in this prospectus. You may also purchase either the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit or the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (described below) for an additional charge.
i4LIFE®Advantage is an Annuity Payout option that provides you with variable, periodic Regular Income Payments for life subject to certain conditions. These payouts are made during two time periods: an Access Period and a Lifetime Income Period. During the Access Period, you have access to your Account Value, which means you may surrender the Contract, make withdrawals, and have a Death Benefit. During the Lifetime Income Period, you no longer have access to your Account Value. You choose the length of the Access Period when you select i4LIFE®Advantage; the Lifetime Income Period begins immediately after the Access Period ends and continues until your death (or the death of a Secondary Life, if later). i4LIFE®Advantage is different from other Annuity Payout options provided by Lincoln because with i4LIFE®Advantage, you have the ability to make additional withdrawals or surrender the Contract during the Access Period. You may also purchase the Guaranteed Income Benefit which provides a minimum payout floor for your Regular Income Payments. You choose when you want to receive your first Regular Income Payment and the frequency with which you will receive Regular Income Payments. The initial Regular Income Payment is calculated from the Account Value on a date no more than 14 days prior to the date you select to begin receiving Regular Income Payments. This calculation date is called the Periodic Income Commencement Date, and is the same date the Access Period begins. Regular Income Payments must begin within one year of the date you elect i4LIFE®Advantage. Once they begin, Regular Income Payments will continue until the death of the Annuitant or Secondary Life, if applicable. This option is available on nonqualified annuities, IRAs and Roth IRAs (check with your registered representative regarding availability with SEP market). This option is subject to a charge while the i4LIFE®Advantage is in effect computed daily on the Account Value. See Charges and Other Deductions - i4LIFE®Advantage Charge (for Nonqualified contracts and IRAs only).
If i4LIFE®Advantage is selected, the applicable transfer provisions among Subaccounts and the fixed account will continue to be those specified in your annuity contract for transfers on or before the Annuity Commencement Date. However, once i4LIFE®Advantage begins, any automatic withdrawal service will terminate. See The Contracts - Transfers on or before the Annuity Commencement Date.
When you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, the Death Benefit option that you had previously elected will become the Death Benefit under i4LIFE®Advantage, unless you elect a less expensive Death Benefit option. Existing Contractowners with the Account Value Death Benefit who elect i4LIFE®Advantage must choose the i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value Death Benefit. The amount paid under the new death benefit may be less than the amount that would have been paid under the Death Benefit provided before i4LIFE®Advantage began(if premium taxes have been deducted from the Contract Value). See i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefits.
Availability. i4LIFE®Advantage is available for contracts with a Contract Value of at least $50,000 and may be elected at the time of application or at any time before any other Annuity Payout option under this Contract is elected by sending a written request to our Home Office. If you purchased 4LATER®Advantage, you must wait at least one year before you can purchase i4LIFE®Advantage. When you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, you must choose the Annuitant, Secondary Life, if applicable, and make several choices about your Regular Income Payments. The Annuitant and Secondary Life may not be changed after i4LIFE®Advantage is elected. For IRAs, the Secondary Life must be the spouse. See i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefits regarding the impact of a change to the Annuitant prior to the i4LIFE®Advantage election.
i4LIFE®Advantage for IRA contracts is only available if the Annuitant and Secondary Life are age 59½ or older at the time the option is elected. i4LIFE®Advantage with the Guaranteed Income Benefit must be elected by age 80 on IRA contracts or age 95 on nonqualified contracts. Additional limitations on issue ages and features may be necessary to comply with the IRC provisions for required minimum distributions. Additional Purchase Payments may be made during the Access Period for an IRA annuity contract, unless the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit or i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit has been elected. If the Guaranteed Income Benefit option has been elected on an IRA contract, additional Purchase Payments may be made until the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit is calculated. Additional Purchase Payments will not be accepted after the Periodic Income Commencement Date for a nonqualified annuity contract.
Access Period.At the time you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, you also select the Access Period, which begins on the Periodic Income Commencement Date. The Access Period is a defined period of time during which we pay variable, periodic Regular Income Payments
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and provide a Death Benefit, and during which you may surrender the Contract and make withdrawals from your Account Value (defined below). At the end of the Access Period, the remaining Account Value is used to make Regular Income Payments for the rest of your life (or the Secondary Life if applicable). This is called the Lifetime Income Period. During the Lifetime Income Period, you will no longer be able to make withdrawals or surrenders or receive a Death Benefit. If your Account Value is reduced to zero because of Regular Income Payments or market loss, your Access Period ends.
The minimum and maximum Access Periods are established at the time you elect i4LIFE®Advantage. The current Access Period requirements are outlined in the following chart:
Minimum Access Period
Maximum Access Period
i4LIFE®Advantage (without a Guaranteed Income
Benefit) for new elections on and after May 20, 2024
10 years
The length of time between
your age and age 115 for
nonqualified contracts
i4LIFE®Advantage (without a Guaranteed Income
Benefit) for elections prior to May 20, 2024
5 years
The length of time between
your age and age 115 for
nonqualified contracts
Generally, shorter Access Periods will produce a higher initial Regular Income Payment than longer Access Periods. At any time during the Access Period, you may extend or shorten the length of the Access Period subject to Home Office approval. Additional restrictions may apply if you are under age 59½ when you request a change to the Access Period. Currently, if you extend the Access Period, it must be extended at least 5 years. If you change the Access Period, subsequent Regular Income Payments will be adjusted accordingly, and the Account Value remaining at the end of the new Access Period will be applied to continue Regular Income Payments for your life. Additional limitations on issue ages and features may be necessary to comply with the IRC provisions for required minimum distributions. We may reduce or terminate the Access Period for IRA i4LIFE®Advantage contracts in order to keep the Regular Income Payments in compliance with IRC provisions for required minimum distributions. The minimum Access Period requirements for Guaranteed Income Benefits are longer than the requirements for i4LIFE®Advantage without a Guaranteed Income Benefit. Shortening the Access Period will terminate the Guaranteed Income Benefit. See Guaranteed Income Benefit with i4LIFE® Advantage.
Account Value.The initial Account Value is the Contract Value on the Valuation Date i4LIFE®Advantage is effective (or your initial Purchase Payment if i4LIFE®Advantage is purchased at contract issue), less any applicable premium taxes. During the Access Period, the Account Value on a Valuation Date will the total value of all of the Contractowner's Accumulation Units plus the Contractowner's value in the fixed account, and will be reduced by Regular Income Payments made and Guaranteed Income Benefit payments as well as any withdrawals taken. After the Access Period ends, the remaining Account Value will be applied to continue Regular Income Payments for your life and the Account Value will be reduced to zero.
Regular Income Payments during the Access Period. i4LIFE®Advantage provides for variable, periodic Regular Income Payments for as long as an Annuitant (or Secondary Life, if applicable) is living and access to your Account Value during the Access Period. When you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, you will have to choose the date you will receive the initial Regular Income Payment. Once they begin, Regular Income Payments will continue until the death of the Annuitant or Secondary Life, if applicable. Regular Income Payments must begin within one year of the date your elect i4LIFE®Advantage. You also select when the Access Period ends and when the Lifetime Income Period begins. You must also select the frequency of the payments (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually), how often the payment is recalculated, the length of the Access Period and the Assumed Investment Return (AIR). These choices will influence the amount of your Regular Income Payments.
If you do not choose a payment frequency, the default is a monthly frequency. In most states, you may also elect to have Regular Income Payments from nonqualified contracts recalculated only once each year rather than recalculated at the time of each payment. This results in level Regular Income Payments between recalculation dates. Qualified contracts are only recalculated once per year, on December 31st(if not a Valuation Date, then on the first Valuation Date of the calendar year). You also choose the AIR. AIR rates of 3% or 4% may be available for Regular Income Payments under i4LIFE®Advantage. For i4LIFE®Advantage elections prior to May 20, 2024, AIR rates of 5% and 6% were also available, but certain states had limited availability of 5% and 6% AIR. The higher the AIR you choose, the higher your initial Regular Income Payment will be and the higher the return must be to increase subsequent Regular Income Payments. You also choose the length of the Access Period. At this time, changes to the Access Period can only be made on Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversaries.
Regular Income Payments are not subject to any surrender charges. See Charges and Other Deductions. For information regarding income tax consequences of Regular Income Payments, see Federal Tax Matters.
The amount of the initial Regular Income Payment is determined on the Periodic Income Commencement Date by dividing the Contract Value (or Purchase Payment if elected at contract issue), less applicable premium taxes by 1,000 and multiplying the result by an annuity factor. The annuity factor is based upon:
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the age of the Annuitant and Secondary Life, if applicable;
the length of the Access Period selected;
the frequency of the Regular Income Payments;
the AIR selected; and
the Individual Annuity Mortality table.
The annuity factor used to determine the Regular Income Payments reflects the fact that, during the Access Period, you have the ability to withdraw the entire Account Value and that a Death Benefit will be paid to your Beneficiary upon your death. These benefits during the Access Period result in a slightly lower Regular Income Payment, during both the Access Period and the Lifetime Income Period, than would be payable if this access was not permitted and no lump-sum Death Benefit was payable. The Contractowner must elect an Access Period of no less than the minimum Access Period which is currently set at 5 years. The annuity factor also reflects the requirement that there be sufficient Account Value at the end of the Access Period to continue your Regular Income Payments for the remainder of your life (and/or the Secondary Life if applicable), during the Lifetime Income Period, with no further access or Death Benefit.
The Account Value will vary with the actual net investment return of the Subaccounts selected and the interest credited on the fixed account, which then determines the subsequent Regular Income Payments during the Access Period. Each subsequent Regular Income Payment (unless the levelized option is selected) is determined by dividing the Account Value on the applicable Valuation Date by 1,000 and multiplying this result by an annuity factor revised to reflect the declining length of the Access Period. As a result of this calculation, the actual net returns in the Account Value are measured against the AIR to determine subsequent Regular Income Payments. If the actual net investment return (annualized) for the Contract exceeds the AIR, the Regular Income Payment will increase at a rate approximately equal to the amount of such excess. Conversely, if the actual net investment return for the Contract is less than the AIR, the Regular Income Payment will decrease. For example, if net investment return is 3% higher (annualized) than the AIR, the Regular Income Payment for the next year will increase by approximately 3%. Conversely, if actual net investment return is 3% lower than the AIR, the Regular Income Payment will decrease by approximately 3%.
Withdrawals made during the Access Period will also reduce the Account Value that is available for Regular Income Payments, and subsequent Regular Income Payments will be recalculated and could be increased or reduced, based on the Account Value following the withdrawal.
For a joint life option, if either the Annuitant or Secondary Life dies during the Access Period, Regular Income Payments will be recalculated using a revised annuity factor based on the single surviving life, if doing so provides a higher Regular Income Payment. On a joint life option, the Secondary Life spouse must be either the primary Beneficiary or joint owner in order to receive the surviving payments after the first spouse's death.
For nonqualified contracts, if the Annuitant (and Secondary Life if applicable) dies during the Access Period, the Guaranteed Income Benefit (if any) will terminate and the annuity factor will be revised for a non-life contingent Regular Income Payment and Regular Income Payments will continue until the Account Value is fully paid out and the Access Period ends. For qualified contracts, if the Annuitant (and Secondary Life) dies during the Access Period, i4LIFE®Advantage (and the Guaranteed Income Benefit if applicable) will terminate.
Regular Income Payments during the Lifetime Income Period.The Lifetime Income Period begins at the end of the Access Period if either the Annuitant or Secondary Life is living. Your earlier elections regarding the frequency of Regular Income Payments, AIR and the frequency of the recalculation do not change. The initial Regular Income Payment during the Lifetime Income Period is determined by dividing the Account Value on the last Valuation Date of the Access Period by 1,000 and multiplying the result by an annuity factor revised to reflect that the Access Period has ended. The annuity factor is based upon:
the age of the Annuitant and Secondary Life (if living);
the frequency of the Regular Income Payments;
the AIR selected; and
the Individual Annuity Mortality table.
The impact of the length of the Access Period and any withdrawals made during the Access Period will continue to be reflected in the Regular Income Payments during the Lifetime Income Period. To determine subsequent Regular Income Payments, the Contract is credited with a fixed number of Annuity Units equal to the initial Regular Income Payment (during the Lifetime Income Period) divided by the Annuity Unit value (by Subaccount). Subsequent Regular Income Payments are determined by multiplying the number of Annuity Units per Subaccount by the Annuity Unit value. Your Regular Income Payments will vary based on the value of your Annuity Units. If your Regular Income Payments are adjusted on an annual basis, the total of the annual payment is transferred to Lincoln Life's general account to be paid out based on the payment mode you selected. Your payment(s) will not be affected by market performance during that year. You Regular Income Payment(s) for the following year will be recalculated at the beginning of the following year based on the current value of the Annuity Units.
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Regular Income Payments will continue for as long as the Annuitant or Secondary Life, if applicable, is living, and will continue to be adjusted for investment performance of the Subaccounts your Annuity Units are invested in (and the fixed account if applicable). Regular Income Payments vary with investment performance.
During the Lifetime Income Period, there is no longer an Account Value; therefore, no withdrawals are available and no Death Benefit is payable. In addition, transfers are not allowed from a fixed annuity payment to a variable annuity payment.
i4LIFE®Advantage Credit.If you elect i4LIFE®Advantage on and after May 20, 2024 (subject to state approval) you will receive a quarterly i4LIFE®Advantage Credit if you select a minimum Access Period that is the longer of 20 years or the difference between your age and age 85, and you maintain a minimum threshold value. The threshold values and applicable credit percentages are outlined in the chart below. The i4LIFE®Advantage Credit is not applied to Contracts with the Guaranteed Income Benefit.
If you elect the rider at the time you purchase the Contract, the first i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will apply three months from the contract issue date. If you elect the rider after we issue the Contract, the first i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will apply three months from the first Regular Income Payment. Thereafter, it will apply every three months, if all conditions are met. The i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will end at the end of the Access Period. If the Contract is terminated for any reason, including death, no further i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will be paid. Proportionate credits will not be applied.
The amount of the i4LIFE®Advantage Credit is calculated on each quarterly Valuation Date by multiplying:
the variable Account Value on that date; by
the quarterly i4LIFE®Advantage Credit percentage (determined by the applicable tier).
Tier 1
Tier 2
Minimum Threshold Value
$500,000
$1,000,000
Credit Percentage (Annually)
0.10%
0.20%
Credit Percentage (Quarterly)
0.025%
0.050%
If you elect the rider at the time you purchase the Contract, the initial threshold value equals the initial Purchase Payment. If you elect the rider after we issue the Contract, the initial threshold value equals the Account Value on the first Regular Income Payment date. The threshold value will be increased by additional Purchase Payments (qualified contracts only), which may cause your Contract to move into a Tier 1 threshold, or to move from a Tier 1 to a Tier 2 threshold and receive the applicable credit. Conversely, additional withdrawals (exclusive of i4LIFE®Advantage payments and required minimum distributions) will reduce your threshold value on a dollar-for-dollar basis, potentially dropping a Tier 2 contract to a Tier 1 contract, or to become ineligible for the credit. The i4LIFE® Advantage Credit will not be applied when the minimum threshold value is not met at the time of the quarterly evaluation.
If you shorten the Access Period so that it no longer meets the stated requirement, the i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will end. However, if you subsequently extend the Access Period to meet the requirement, the i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will resume if the minimum threshold value requirement is met.
The i4LIFE®Advantage Credit will be allocated to the Subaccounts in proportion to the Contract Value in each variable Subaccount on the quarterly Valuation Date. There is no additional charge to receive this i4LIFE®Advantage Credit, and in no case will the i4LIFE® Advantage Credit be less than zero. The amount of any i4LIFE®Advantage Credit received will be noted on your quarterly statement. Confirmation statements for each individual transaction will not be issued. i4LIFE®Advantage Credits are not considered Purchase Payments.
i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefits
i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value Death Benefit.The i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value Death Benefit is only available during the Access Period and is equal to the Account Value as of the Valuation Date on which we approve the payment of the death claim. You may not change this Death Benefit once it is elected.
i4LIFE®Advantage EGMDB.The i4LIFE®Advantage EGMDB is only available for nonqualified contracts during the Access Period and is the greatest of:
the Account Value as of the Valuation Date on which we approve the payment of the claim; or
the highest Account Value or Contract Value on any contract anniversary date (including the inception date of the Contract) after the EGMDB is effective (determined before the allocation of any Purchase Payments on that contract anniversary) prior to the 81stbirthday of the deceased and prior to the date of death. The highest Account Value or Contract Value is increased by Purchase Payments and is decreased by Regular Income Payments, including withdrawals to provide the Guaranteed Income Benefits and all other withdrawals subsequent to the anniversary date on which the highest Account Value or Contract Value is obtained. Regular Income Payments and withdrawals are deducted on a dollar for dollar basis.
When determining the highest anniversary value, if you elected the EGMDB in the base contract and this Death Benefit was in effect when you purchased i4LIFE®Advantage, we will look at the Contract Value before i4LIFE®Advantage and the Account Value after the i4LIFE®Advantage election to determine the highest anniversary value.
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All references to withdrawals include deductions for any applicable charges associated with those withdrawals (surrender charges for example) and premium taxes, if any.
Contracts with the i4LIFE®Advantage EGMDB may elect to change to the i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value Death Benefit by contacting us in writing at the Home Office. This change will be effective on the Valuation Date we receive a completed election form at our Home Office, and we will begin deducting the lower i4LIFE®Advantage charge at that time. Once the change is effective, you may not elect to return to the i4LIFE®Advantage EGMDB.
General Death Benefit Provisions.These Death Benefit options are only available during the Access Period and will terminate when the Account Value equals zero, because the Access Period terminates.
If there is a change in the Contractowner, joint owner or Annuitant during the life of the Contract, for any reason other than death, the only Death Benefit payable for the new person will be the i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value Death Benefit. On a joint life option, the Secondary Life spouse must be either the primary Beneficiary or joint owner in order to receive the remaining payments after the first spouse's death.
For nonqualified contracts, upon the death of the Contractowner, joint owner or Annuitant, the Contractowner (or Beneficiary) may elect to terminate the Contract and receive full payment of the Death Benefit or may elect to continue the Contract and receive Regular Income Payments. Upon the death of the Secondary Life, who is not also an owner, no Death Benefit is paid.
If you are the owner of an IRA annuity contract, and there is no Secondary Life, and you die during the Access Period, the i4LIFE® Advantage will terminate. A spouse Beneficiary may start a new i4LIFE®Advantage program.
If a death occurs during the Access Period, the value of the Death Benefit will be determined as of the Valuation Date we approve the payment of the claim. Approval of payment will occur upon our receipt of all the following:
1. an original certified death certificate or any other proof of death satisfactory to us; and
2. written authorization for payment; and
3. all required claim forms, fully completed (including selection of a settlement option).
Notwithstanding any provision of this Contract to the contrary, the payment of Death Benefits provided under this Contract must be made in compliance with Code Section 72(s) or 401(a)(9) as applicable, as amended from time to time. Death Benefits may be taxable. See Federal tax matters.
Upon notification to us of the death, Regular Income Payments may be suspended until the death claim is approved. Upon approval, a lump sum payment for the value of any suspended payments will be made as of the date the death claim is approved, and Regular Income Payments will continue, if applicable. The excess, if any, of the Death Benefit over the Account Value will be credited into the Contract at that time.
If a lump sum settlement is elected, the proceeds will be mailed within seven days of approval by us of the claim subject to the laws, regulations and tax code governing payment of Death Benefits. This payment may be postponed as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Withdrawals.You may request a withdrawal at any time during the Access Period. We reduce the Account Value by the amount of the withdrawal, and all subsequent Regular Income Payments and Guaranteed Income Benefit payments, if applicable, will be recalculated.
Surrender.At any time prior to or during the Access Period, you may surrender the Contract by withdrawing the surrender value. If the Contract is surrendered, the Contract terminates and no further Regular Income Payments will be made. Withdrawals are subject to any applicable surrender charges except when amounts may be withdrawn free of surrender charges. See Charges and Other Deductions.
Termination.For IRA annuity contracts, you may terminate i4LIFE®Advantage prior to the end of the Access Period by notifying us in writing. The termination will be effective on the next Valuation Date after we receive the notice and your Contract will return to the accumulation phase. Your i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefit will terminate and you will have the Account Value Death Benefit option. Upon termination, we will stop assessing the charge for i4LIFE®Advantage and begin assessing the mortality and expense risk charge and administrative charge associated with the new Death Benefit option. Your Contract Value upon termination will be equal to the Account Value on the Valuation Date we terminate i4LIFE®Advantage.
For nonqualified contracts, your i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefit will terminate, and the Account Value Death Benefit will be in effect. The i4LIFE®Advantage charge will end, and the charge for the Account Value Death Benefit will begin. All earnings in the Contract will be subject to income taxation in the year of the termination. This will be treated as a surrender for income tax purposes. If you choose to keep your underlying contract in force, this transaction will be treated as a repurchase for purposes of calculating future income taxes. Your Contract Value upon termination will be equal to the Account Value on the Valuation Date we terminate i4LIFE®Advantage.
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Guaranteed Income Benefit with i4LIFE®Advantage (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
The Guaranteed Income Benefit is an optional benefit that is available for an additional charge. It provides that your Regular Income Payment will never be less than a minimum payout floor, regardless of the actual investment performance of your Contract. i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) is the only version of the Guaranteed Income Benefit available for purchase, unless you are guaranteed the right to elect a prior version under the terms of another Living Benefit Rider.
If you purchase any version of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, you will be required to adhere to Investment Requirements, which will limit your ability to invest in certain Subaccounts offered in your Contract. In addition, the fixed account is not available except for use with dollar cost averaging. See Appendix B - Investment Requirements for more information. You will be subject to those Investment Requirements for the entire time you own the rider. Failure to comply with the Investment Requirements will result in the termination of the rider.
There is no guarantee that any version of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit will be available to elect in the future, as we reserve the right to discontinue this option at any time. In addition, we may make different versions of the Guaranteed Income Benefit available to new purchasers or may create different versions for use with various Living Benefit Riders.However, certain Living Benefit Riders may guarantee a Contractowner the right to transition from that Prior Rider to a version of i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit that may no longer be offered. The transition rules are set forth below.
In certain states the total annual Guaranteed Income Benefit that would otherwise be payable may be subject to a maximum amount. Please refer to your Contract or contact your registered representative for more information.
Guaranteed Income Benefit Amount. For Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4), the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit will be an amount equal to a specified percentage of your Account Value (or Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 Guaranteed Amount), based on your age (or the age of the younger life under a joint life option) at the time the Guaranteed Income Benefit is elected.
For Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2 and 3), the Guaranteed Income Benefit is initially equal to 75% of the Regular Income Payment (which is based on your Account Value) in effect at the time the Guaranteed Income Benefit is elected.
There are four versions of the Guaranteed Income Benefit. Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 1) is no longer available for election. Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2) may only be elected if you own a version of Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage that guarantees you the right to elect that version. You may elect Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 3) after December 31, 2010 or after Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) is approved in your state, if later, only if you own a version of Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage that guarantees you the right to elect that version. Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) is the only version of the Guaranteed Income Benefit currently available for election unless you are guaranteed the right to elect a prior version pursuant to the terms of your Living Benefit Rider. Please refer to your Living Benefit Rider regarding the availability of prior versions of Guaranteed Income Benefit.
Guaranteed Income Benefit Percentages and Age-Bands. The specific percentages and applicable age-bands for calculating the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit are discussed below.
The initial Guaranteed Income Benefit percentages applicable to new rider elections are determined in our sole discretion based on current economic factors including interest rates and equity market volatility. Generally, the percentages may increase or decrease based on changes in equity market volatility, prevailing interest rates, or as a result of other economic conditions. This percentage structure is intended to help us provide the guarantees under the rider. The initial Guaranteed Income Benefit percentages for new rider elections may be higher or lower than prior percentages, but for existing Contractowners that have elected the rider, your Guaranteed Income Benefit percentages will not change as a result.
Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4).For Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4), the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit will be an amount equal to a specified percentage of your Account Value (or Income Base or Guaranteed Amount as applicable), based on your age (or the age of the younger life under a joint life option) at the time the Guaranteed Income Benefit is elected. The specified percentages and the corresponding age-bands for calculating the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit are outlined in the applicable table below for riders elected on or after May 20, 2013. Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage purchasers use the date of the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit election to determine the table applicable to their contracts.
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) elections on or after May 20, 2013.
Single Life Option
Joint Life Option
Age
Percentage of Account
Value, Protected Income Base or
Guaranteed Amount
Age
(younger of you and
your spouse's age)
Percentage of Account
Value, Protected Income Base or
Guaranteed Amount
Under age 40
2.00%
Under age 40
2.00%
40 - 54
2.50%
40 - 54
2.50%
55 - 58
3.00%
55 - 58
3.00%
59 - 64
3.50%
59 - 69
3.50%
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Single Life Option
Joint Life Option
Age
Percentage of Account
Value, Protected Income Base or
Guaranteed Amount
Age
(younger of you and
your spouse's age)
Percentage of Account
Value, Protected Income Base or
Guaranteed Amount
65 - 69
4.00%
70 - 74
4.00%
70 - 74
4.50%
75+
4.50%
75+
5.00%
Guaranteed Income Benefit General Provisions
For all versions of the Guaranteed Income Benefit, if the amount of your i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment has fallen below the Guaranteed Income Benefit, because of poor investment results, a payment equal to the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit is the minimum payment you will receive. If the market performance in your Contract is sufficient to provide Regular Income Payments at a level that exceeds the Guaranteed Income Benefit, the Guaranteed Income Benefit will never come into effect. If the Guaranteed Income Benefit is paid, it will be paid with the same frequency as your Regular Income Payment. If your Regular Income Payment is less than the Guaranteed Income Benefit, we will reduce the Account Value by the Regular Income Payment plus an additional amount equal to the difference between your Regular Income Payment and the Guaranteed Income Benefit (in other words, Guaranteed Income Benefit payments reduce the Account Value by the entire amount of the Guaranteed Income Benefit payment.) This payment will be made from the variable Subaccounts and the fixed account proportionately, according to your investment allocations.
If your Account Value reaches zero as a result of payments to provide the Guaranteed Income Benefit, we will continue to pay you an amount equal to the Guaranteed Income Benefit. If your Account Value reaches zero, your Access Period will end and your Lifetime Income Period will begin. Additional amounts withdrawn from the Account Value to provide the Guaranteed Income Benefit may terminate your Access Period earlier than originally scheduled, and will reduce your Death Benefit. If your Account Value equals zero, no Death Benefit will be paid. See i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefits. After the Access Period ends, we will continue to pay the Guaranteed Income Benefit for as long as the Annuitant (or the Secondary Life, if applicable) is living.
The following example illustrates how poor investment performance, which results in a Guaranteed Income Benefit payment, affects the i4LIFE®Account Value:
i4LIFE®Account Value before market decline
$135,000
i4LIFE®Account Value after market decline
$100,000
Monthly Guaranteed Income Benefit
$810
Monthly Regular Income Payment after market decline
$769
Account Value after market decline and Guaranteed Income Benefit
payment
$99,190
The Contractowner receives an amount equal to the Guaranteed Income Benefit. The entire amount of the Guaranteed Income Benefit is deducted from the Account Value.
Guaranteed Income Benefit Step-up
Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4). The Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) will automatically step up every year to 75% of the current Regular Income Payment, if that result is greater than the immediately prior Guaranteed Income Benefit. For nonqualified contracts, the step-up will occur annually on the first Valuation Date on or after each Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary starting on the first Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary. For qualified contracts, the step-up will occur annually on the first Valuation Date of the first periodic income payment of each calendar year.
The following example illustrates how the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit is calculated for a Contractowner with a nonqualified contract, and how a step-up would increase the Guaranteed Income Benefit in a subsequent year. The example assumes a 3.5% percentage was used to calculate the Guaranteed Income Benefit, and that the Account Value has increased due to positive investment returns resulting in a higher recalculated Regular Income Payment. See Living Benefit Riders - i4LIFE®Advantage-Regular Income Payments during the Access Period for a discussion of recalculation of the Regular Income Payment.
8/1/2024 Amount of initial Regular Income Payment
$4,801
8/1/2024 Account Value at election of Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4)
$100,000
8/1/2024 Initial Guaranteed Income Benefit (3.5% x $100,000 Account Value)
$4,000
8/1/2025 Recalculated Regular Income Payment
$6,000
8/1/2025 Guaranteed Income Benefit after step-up (75% of $6,000)
$4,500
The Guaranteed Income Benefit was increased to 75% of the recalculated Regular Income Payment.
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The next section describes any differences in how the Guaranteed Income Benefit works for Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 3), Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2) and Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 1). All other features of the Guaranteed Income Benefit not discussed below are the same as in General Provisions above.
Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 3).Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 3) was available for purchase on or after October 6, 2008 to December 31, 2010 or when Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) was approved in your state, whichever occurred later (unless version 3 is available for election at any time per the terms of your Living Benefit Rider). For Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 3) the Guaranteed Income Benefit is initially equal to 75% of the Regular Income Payment (which is based on your Account Value as defined in the i4LIFE®Advantage rider section) in effect at the time of the first Regular Income Payment.
The Guaranteed Income Benefit will automatically step up every year to 75% of the current Regular Income Payment, if that result is greater than the immediately prior Guaranteed Income Benefit. The step-up will occur on every Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary during a 5-year step-up period. At the end of a step-up period you may elect a new step-up period by submitting a written request to the Home Office. If you prefer, when you start the Guaranteed Income Benefit, you can request that we administer this election for you.
Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2).Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2) was available for election prior to October 6, 2008 (unless version 2 is available for election at any time per the terms of a Living Benefit Rider). For Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2) the Guaranteed Income Benefit is initially equal to 75% of the Regular Income Payment (which is based on your Account Value as defined in the i4LIFE®Advantage rider section) in effect at the time of the first Regular Income Payment.
The Guaranteed Income Benefit will automatically step-up every three years on the Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary to 75% of the current Regular Income Payment, if the result is greater than the immediately prior Guaranteed Income Benefit. The step-up will occur on every third Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary during a 15-year step-up period. At the end of a step-up period, you may elect a new 15-year step-up period by submitting a written request to the Home Office. If you prefer, when you start the Guaranteed Income Benefit, you can request that we administer this election for you.
Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 1).If you have Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 1), your Guaranteed Income Benefit will not step-up on an anniversary, but will remain level. This version is no longer available for election.
Impacts to i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payments.When you select the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, certain restrictions will apply to your Contract:
A 4% AIR will be used to calculate the Regular Income Payments;
The minimum Access Period required for Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) is the longer of 20 years (15 years for versions 2 and 3) or the difference between your age (nearest birthday) and age 100 (age 90 for version 4 prior to May 21, 2012; age 85 for versions 2 and 3). We may change this Access Period requirement prior to election of the Guaranteed Income Benefit. If you use the greater of the Account Value or Income Base under Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 to calculate the Guaranteed Income Benefit after the fifth anniversary of the rider's effective date, the minimum Access Period will be the longer of 20 years or the difference between your age (nearest birthday) and age 95 (15 years or the difference between your age and age 85 prior to May 21, 2012).
If you choose to lengthen your Access Period (which must be increased by a minimum of 5 years), your Regular Income Payment will be reduced. For versions 1, 2 and 3 of Guaranteed Income Benefit, an extension of your Access Period will also reduce your i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit in proportion to the reduction in the Regular Income Payment. This reduction of the i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit does not apply to Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4). If you choose to shorten your Access Period, the i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit will terminate. Refer to the Example in the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit section of this prospectus.
Termination of the Guaranteed Income Benefit. The i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit will terminate due to any of the following events:
the death of the Annuitant (or the later of the death of the Annuitant or Secondary Life if a joint payout was elected); or
a Contractowner requested decrease in the Access Period or a change to the Regular Income Payment frequency; or
upon written notice from the Contractowner to us; or
assignment of the Contract; or
failure to comply with Investment Requirements.
A termination due to a decrease in the Access Period, a change in the Regular Income Payment frequency, or upon written notice from the Contractowner will be effective as of the Valuation Date on the next Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary. Termination will be only for the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit and not the i4LIFE®Advantage election, unless otherwise specified. However, if you used the greater of the Account Value or Income Base under a previously held Living Benefit Rider to establish the Guaranteed Income Benefit, any termination of the Guaranteed Income Benefit will also result in a termination of the i4LIFE® Advantage election. If you used your Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage Guaranteed Amount to establish the Guaranteed Income Benefit, you must keep i4LIFE®Advantage and the Guaranteed Income Benefit in effect for at least 3 years. If you terminate the
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i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit you may be able to re-elect it, if available, after one year. The election will be treated as a new purchase, subject to the terms and charges in effect at the time of election and the i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment will be recalculated. The i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit will be based on the Account Value at the time of the election.
Availability.The Guaranteed Income Benefit is available with qualified (IRAs and Roth IRAs) and nonqualified annuity contracts. The Contractowner must be under age 96 for nonqualified contracts and under age 81 for qualified contracts at the time this rider is elected.
The next section describes certain guarantees in Living Benefit Riders relating to the election of i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit.
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0.Contractowners who purchase Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 are guaranteed the ability in the future to purchase i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) even if it is no longer available for purchase. They are also guaranteed that the Guaranteed Income Benefit percentages and Access Period requirements will be at least as favorable as those available at the time they purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0. See Appendix C - Discontinued Living Benefit Riders - Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0.
Contractowners with an active Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 rider may decide to terminate Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage 2.0 and purchase i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) in accordance with the terms set out above for i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4). If this decision is made, the Contractowner can use the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 Income Base reduced by all Guaranteed Annual Income payments since the last Automatic Annual Step-up or since the rider's effective date (if there has not been an Automatic Annual Step-up) if greater than the Account Value to establish the Guaranteed Income Benefit at the terms in effect for purchasers of this rider.
Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage.Contractowners who purchased the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage are guaranteed that they may use the remaining Guaranteed Amount (if greater than the Account Value) at the time the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit is determined, to calculate the Guaranteed Income Benefit. The initial Guaranteed Income Benefit will be equal to the applicable percentage based on either the Contractowner's age (single life) or the youngest age of either the Contractowner or Secondary Life (if applicable), at the time the Guaranteed Income Benefit is elected, multiplied by the remaining Guaranteed Amount. The applicable percentage is found in the Guaranteed Income Benefit Percentages by Ages table above.
The following is an example of how the Guaranteed Amount from Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage or the Income Base from Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 may be used to calculate the i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4). The example assumes that on the date that i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) is elected the Contractowner is 70 years of age and has made no withdrawals from the Contract. The percentage of the Account Value used to calculate the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit is 4.5% for a 70-year old (single life) per the Guaranteed Income Benefit Percentages by Ages table above. The example assumes an annual payment mode has been elected.
Account Value (equals Contract Value on date i4LIFE®Advantage
with Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) is elected)
$100,000
Guaranteed Amount/Income Base on date i4LIFE®Advantage with
Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) is elected
$140,000
Amount of initial Regular Income Payment
$5,411
per year
Initial Guaranteed Income Benefit (4.5% x $140,000 Guaranteed
Amount/Income Base which is greater than $100,000 Account
Value)
$6,300
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage.Contractowners who purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage are guaranteed that they may use the remaining Guaranteed Amount (if greater than the Account Value) at the time the Guaranteed Income Benefit is determined, to increase the Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2 or version 3 only). The Guaranteed Income Benefit will be increased by the ratio of the remaining Guaranteed Amount to the Contract Value at the time the initial i4LIFE®Advantage payment is calculated. In other words, the Guaranteed Income Benefit will equal 75% of the initial Regular Income Payment times the remaining Guaranteed Amount divided by the Contract Value, if the Guaranteed Amount is greater than the Contract Value. See Appendix C - Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM- i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit Option section for an example of calculation of the Guaranteed Income Benefit using the purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage Guaranteed Amount.
Contractowners who purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage may also choose to terminate Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage to purchase the version of the Guaranteed Income Benefit that is then currently available; however, only the Account Value and not the Guaranteed Amount will be used to establish the Guaranteed Income Benefit. For Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4), the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit will be equal to the applicable percentage, which is based on the age of either the Contractowner (single life option) or the youngest age of either the Contractowner or Secondary Life (joint life option) at the time the Guaranteed Income Benefit is elected, multiplied by the Account Value. The applicable percentage is found in the Guaranteed Income Benefit Percentages by Ages table above.
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Small Contract Surrenders
We may surrender your Contract, in accordance with the laws of your state if:
your Contract Value drops below certain state specified minimum amounts ($1,000 or less) for any reason, including if your Contract Value decreases due to the performance of the Subaccounts you selected;
no Purchase Payments have been received for two (2) full, consecutive Contract Years; and
the annuity benefit at the Annuity Commencement Date would be less than $20.00 per month (these requirements may differ in some states).
At least 60 days before we surrender your Contract, we will send you a letter at your last address we have on file, to inform you that your Contract will be surrendered. You will have the opportunity to make additional Purchase Payments to bring your Contract Value above the minimum level to avoid surrender. If we surrender your Contract, we will not assess any surrender or other charge.
Delay of Payments
Contract proceeds from the VAA will be paid within seven days, except:
when the NYSE is closed (other than weekends and holidays);
times when market trading is restricted or the SEC declares an emergency, and we cannot value units or the funds cannot redeem shares; or
when the SEC so orders to protect Contractowners.
If, pursuant to SEC rules, an underlying money market fund suspends payment of redemption proceeds in connection with a liquidation of the fund, we will delay payment of any transfer, partial withdrawal, surrender, loan, or Death Benefit from the money market Subaccount until the fund is liquidated. Payment of contract proceeds from the fixed account may be delayed for up to six months.
We may defer payments from the fixed side of the contract for up to six months.
Due to federal laws designed to counter terrorism and prevent money laundering by criminals, we may be required to reject a Purchase Payment and/or deny payment of a request for transfers, withdrawals, surrenders, or Death Benefits, until instructions are received from the appropriate regulator. We also may be required to provide additional information about a Contractowner's account to government regulators.
Reinvestment Privilege
Lincoln may make available a reinvestment provision for purchase with any part of the proceeds of a surrender/withdrawal, and we will recredit that portion of the surrender/withdrawal charges attributable to the amount returned. This provision may not be available on all contracts. You should consult with us prior to sending us money.
This election must be made by your written authorization to us and received in our office within 30 days of the date of the surrender/withdrawal, and the repurchase must be of a Contract covered by this prospectus. A representation must be made that the proceeds being used to make the purchase have retained their tax-favored status under an arrangement for which the contracts offered by this prospectus are designed. The number of Accumulation Units which will be credited when the proceeds are reinvested will be based on the value of the Accumulation Unit(s) on the next Valuation Date. This computation will occur following receipt of the proceeds and request for reinvestment at the Home Office. You may utilize the reinvestment privilege only once. For tax reporting purposes, we will treat a surrender/withdrawal and a subsequent reinvestment purchase as separate transactions (and a Form 1099 may be issued, if applicable). Any taxable distribution that is reinvested may still be reported as taxable. You should consult a tax adviser before you request a surrender/withdrawal or subsequent reinvestment purchase.
Amendment of Contract
We reserve the right to amend the Contract to meet the requirements of the 1940 Act or other applicable federal or state laws or regulations. You will be notified in writing of any changes, modifications or waivers. Any changes are subject to prior approval of your state's insurance department (if required).
Annuity Payouts
When you apply for a Contract, you may select any Annuity Commencement Date permitted by law. (Please note the following exception:Contracts issued under qualified employee pension and profit-sharing trusts [described in Section 401(a) and tax exempt under Section 501(a) of the tax code] and qualified annuity plans [described in Section 403(a) of the tax code], including H.R. 10 trusts and plans covering self-employed individuals and their employees, provide for annuity payouts to start at the date and under the option specified in the plan.)
The Contract provides that all or part of the Contract Value may be used to purchase an Annuity Payout option. The Contract provides optional forms of payouts of annuities (annuity options), each of which is payable on a variable basis, a fixed basis or a combination of both.
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You may elect annuity payouts in monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual installments. If the payouts from any Subaccount would be or become less than $50, we have the right to reduce their frequency until the payouts are at least $50 each. Following are explanations of the annuity options available.
Annuity Options
The annuity options outlined below do not apply to Contractowners who have elected i4LIFE® Advantage, The Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payout option, the Guaranteed Annual Income Amount Annuity Payout Option or the Guaranteed Amount Annuity Payment option.
Life Annuity.This option offers a periodic payout during the lifetime of the Annuitant and ends with the last payout before the death of the Annuitant. This option offers the highest periodic payout since there is no guarantee of a minimum number of payouts or provision for a Death Benefit for Beneficiaries. However, there is the risk under this option that the recipient would receive no payouts if he or she dies before the date set for the first payout; only one payout if death occurs before the second scheduled payout, and so on.
Life Annuity with Guaranteed Period.This option guarantees periodic payouts during a designated period, usually 10 or 20 years, and then continues throughout the lifetime of the Annuitant. The designated period is selected by the Contractowner.
Joint Life Annuity.This option offers a periodic payout during the joint lifetime of the Annuitant and a designated joint Annuitant. The payouts continue during the lifetime of the survivor. However, under a joint life annuity, if both Annuitants die before the date set for the first payout, no payouts will be made. Only one payment would be made if both deaths occur before the second scheduled payout, and so on.
Joint Life Annuity with Guaranteed Period.This option guarantees periodic payouts during a designated period, usually 10 or 20 years, and continues during the joint lifetime of the Annuitant and a designated joint Annuitant. The payouts continue during the lifetime of the survivor. The designated period is selected by the Contractowner.
Joint Life and Two-Thirds to Survivor Annuity.This option provides a periodic payout during the joint lifetime of the Annuitant and a designated joint Annuitant. When one of the joint Annuitants dies, the survivor receives two- thirds of the periodic payout made when both were alive.
Joint Life and Two-Thirds Survivor Annuity with Guaranteed Period.This option provides a periodic payout during the joint lifetime of the Annuitant and a joint Annuitant. When one of the joint Annuitants dies, the survivor receives two-thirds of the periodic payout made when both were alive. This option further provides that should one or both of the Annuitants die during the elected guaranteed period, usually 10 or 20 years, full benefit payment will continue for the rest of the guaranteed period.
Unit Refund Life Annuity.This option offers a periodic payout during the lifetime of the annuitant with the guarantee that upon death a payout will be made of the value of the number of Annuity Units (See Variable Annuity Payouts) equal to the excess, if any, of:
the total amount applied under this option divided by the Annuity Unit value for the date payouts begin, minus
the Annuity Units represented by each payout to the Annuitant multiplied by the number of payouts paid before death.
The value of the number of Annuity Units is computed on the date the death claim is approved for payment by the Home Office.
Life Annuity with Cash Refund.This option provides fixed annuity benefit payments that will be made for the lifetime of the Annuitant with the guarantee that upon death, should (a) the total dollar amount applied to purchase this option be greater than (b) the fixed annuity benefit payment multiplied by the number of annuity benefit payments paid prior to death, then a refund payment equal to the dollar amount of (a) minus (b) will be made.
Under the annuity options listed above, you may not make withdrawals. Other options, with or without withdrawal features, may be made available by us. You may pre-select an Annuity Payout option as a method of paying the Death Benefit to a Beneficiary. If you do, the Beneficiary cannot change this payout option. You may change or revoke in writing to our Home Office, any such selection, unless such selection was made irrevocable. If you have not already chosen an Annuity Payout option, the Beneficiary may choose any Annuity Payout option. At death, options are only available to the extent they are consistent with the requirements of the Contract as well as Sections 72(s) and 401(a)(9) of the tax code, if applicable. The mortality and expense risk charge of 1.002% will be assessed on all variable Annuity Payouts (except for the i4LIFE® Advantage, which has a different charge), including options that may be offered that do not have a life contingency and therefore no mortality risk.
General information
The Annuity Commencement Date is usually on or before the Annuitant's 85thbirthday; however you may change the Annuity Commencement Date, change the annuity option, or change the allocation of the allocations among the Subaccounts up to 30 days before the scheduled Annuity Commencement Date, upon written notice to the Home Office. You must give us at least 30-days notice before the date on which you want payouts to begin. If proceeds become available to a Beneficiary in a lump sum, the Beneficiary may choose any Annuity Payout option.
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Unless you select another option, the Contract automatically provides for a life with a 10-year guaranteed period annuity (on a fixed, variable or combination fixed and variable basis, in proportion to the account allocation at the time of annuitization), except when a joint life payout is required by law. Under any option providing for guaranteed payouts, the number of payouts which remain unpaid at the date of the Annuitant's death (or surviving Annuitant's death in the case of a joint life annuity) will be paid to your Beneficiary as payouts become due after we are in receipt of all of the following:
proof, satisfactory to us, of the death;
written authorization for payment;
all claim forms, fully completed.
Variable Annuity Payouts
Variable Annuity Payouts will be determined using:
The Contract Value on the Annuity Commencement Date;
The annuity tables contained in the Contract;
The annuity option selected; and
The investment performance of the fund(s) selected.
To determine the amount of payouts, we make this calculation:
1. Determine the dollar amount of the first periodic payout; then
2. Credit the Contract with a fixed number of Annuity Units equal to the first periodic payout divided by the Annuity Unit value; and
3. Calculate the value of the Annuity Units each period thereafter.
We assume an investment return of 5% per year, as applied to the applicable mortality table. The amount of each payout after the initial payout will depend upon how the underlying fund(s) and series perform, relative to the 5% assumed rate. If the actual net investment rate (annualized) exceeds 5%, the Annuity Payout will increase at a rate proportional to the amount of such excess. Conversely, if the actual rate is less than 5% annuity payments will decrease. There is a more complete explanation of this calculation in the SAI.
Fixed Side of the Contract
Depending on when you purchased your Contract, you may be permitted to make allocations to the fixed account. The portion of the Contract Value allocated to the fixed side of the contract becomes part of our general account, and does notparticipate in the investment experience of the VAA.
In reliance on certain exemptions, exclusions and rules, we have not registered interests in the general account as a security under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act) and have not registered the general account as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act). Accordingly, neither the general account nor any interests in it are regulated under the 1933 Act or the 1940 Act. We have been advised that the staff of the SEC has not made a review of the disclosures which are included in this prospectus which relate to our general account and to the fixed account under the contract. These disclosures, however, may be subject to certain provisions of the federal securities laws relating to the accuracy and completeness of statements made in prospectuses. This prospectus is generally intended to serve as a disclosure document only for aspects of the Contract involving the VAA, and therefore contains only selected information regarding the fixed side of the contract. Complete details regarding the fixed side of the contract are in the Contract.
Distribution of the Contracts
Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc. ("LFD") serves as Principal Underwriter of this Contract. LFD is affiliated with Lincoln Life and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member of FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority). The Principal Underwriter has entered into selling agreements with Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation and/or Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation (collectively "LFN"), also affiliates of ours. The Principal Underwriter has also entered into selling agreements with broker-dealers that are unaffiliated with us ("Selling Firms"). While the Principal Underwriter has the legal authority to make payments to broker-dealers which have entered into selling agreements, we will make such payments on behalf of the Principal Underwriter in compliance with appropriate regulations. We also pay on behalf of LFD certain of its operating expenses related to the distribution of this and other of our contracts. The Principal Underwriter may also offer "non-cash compensation", as defined under FINRA's rules, which includes among other things, merchandise, gifts, marketing support, sponsorships, seminars, entertainment and travel expenses. You should ask your registered representative how the broker-dealer will be compensated for the sale of the Contract to you, or for any alternative proposal that may have been presented to you. You should take such compensation into account when considering and evaluating any recommendation made to you in connection with the purchase of a Contract. The following paragraphs describe how payments are made by us and the Principal Underwriter to various parties.
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Compensation Paid to LFN.The maximum commission we pay to LFN is 9.00% of Purchase Payments, plus up to 0.1256% quarterly based on Contract Value. LFN may elect to receive a lower commission when a Purchase Payment is made along with an earlier quarterly payment based on Contract Value for so long as the Contract remains in effect. Upon annuitization, the maximum commission we pay to LFN is 4.60% of annuitized value and/or ongoing annual compensation of up to 0.75% of annuity value or statutory reserves.
We also pay for the operating and other expenses of LFN, including the following sales expenses: registered representative training allowances; compensation and bonuses for LFN's management team; advertising expenses; and all other expenses of distributing the contracts. LFN pays its registered representatives a portion of the commissions received for their sales of contracts. LFN registered representatives and their managers are also eligible for various cash benefits, such as bonuses, insurance benefits and financing arrangements. In addition, LFN registered representatives who meet certain productivity, persistency and length of service standards and/or their managers may be eligible for additional compensation. Sales of the contracts may help LFN registered representatives and/or their managers qualify for such benefits. LFN registered representatives and their managers may receive other payments from us for services that do not directly involve the sale of the contracts, including payments made for the recruitment and training of personnel, production of promotional literature and similar services.
Compensation Paid to Unaffiliated Selling Firms. We pay commissions to all Selling Firms. The maximum commission we pay to Selling Firms, other than LFN, is 5.85% of Purchase Payments, plus up to 0.1256% quarterly based on Contract Value. Some Selling Firms may elect to receive a lower commission when a Purchase Payment is made along with an earlier quarterly payment based on Contract Value for so long as the Contract's Selling Firm remains in effect. Upon annuitization, the maximum commission paid to Selling Firms is 4.25% of annuitized value and/or ongoing annual compensation of up to 0.75% of annuity value or statutory reserves. Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc., our affiliate, is a broker-dealer and acts as wholesaler of the contracts and performs certain marketing and other functions in support of the distribution and servicing of the contracts.
LFD may pay certain Selling Firms or their affiliates additional amounts for, among other things: (1) "preferred product" treatment of the contracts in their marketing programs, which may include marketing services and increased access to registered representatives; (2) sales incentives relating to the contracts; (3) costs associated with sales conferences and educational seminars for their registered representatives; (4) other sales expenses incurred by them; and (5) inclusion in the financial products the Selling Firm offers.
Lincoln Life may provide loans to broker-dealers or their affiliates to help finance marketing and distribution of the contracts, and those loans may be forgiven if aggregate sales goals are met. In addition, we may provide staffing or other administrative support and services to broker-dealers who distribute the contracts. LFD, as wholesaler, may make bonus payments to certain Selling Firms based on aggregate sales of our variable insurance contracts (including the contracts) or persistency standards.
These additional types of compensation are not offered to all Selling Firms. The terms of any particular agreement governing compensation may vary among Selling Firms and the amounts may be significant. The prospect of receiving, or the receipt of, additional compensation may provide Selling Firms and/or their registered representatives with an incentive to favor sales of the contracts over other variable annuity contracts (or other investments) with respect to which a Selling Firm receives lower levels of or no additional compensation. You may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendation relating to the contracts. Additional information relating to compensation paid in 2023 is contained in the SAI.
Compensation Paid to Other Parties.Depending on the particular selling arrangements, there may be others whom LFD compensates for the distribution activities. For example, LFD may compensate certain "wholesalers", who control access to certain selling offices, for access to those offices or for referrals, and that compensation may be separate from the compensation paid for sales of the contracts. LFD may compensate marketing organizations, associations, brokers or consultants which provide marketing assistance and other services to broker-dealers who distribute the contracts, and which may be affiliated with those broker-dealers. Commissions and other incentives or payments described above are not charged directly to Contractowners or the VAA. All compensation is paid from our resources, which include fees and charges imposed on your Contract.
Federal Tax Matters
Introduction
The Federal income tax treatment of the Contract is complex and sometimes uncertain. The Federal income tax rules may vary with your particular circumstances. This discussion does not include all the Federal income tax rules that may affect you and your Contract. This discussion also does not address other Federal tax consequences (including consequences of sales to foreign individuals or entities), or state or local tax consequences, associated with the Contract. As a result, you should always consult a tax advisor about the application of tax rules found in the Internal Revenue Code ("Code"), Treasury Regulations and applicable IRS guidance to your individual situation.
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Nonqualified Annuities
This part of the discussion describes some of the Federal income tax rules applicable to nonqualified annuities. A nonqualified annuity is a contract not issued in connection with a qualified retirement plan, such as an IRA or a section 403(b) plan, receiving special tax treatment under the Code. We may not offer nonqualified annuities for all of our annuity products.
Tax Deferral On Earnings
Under the Code, you are generally not subject to tax on any increase in your Contract Value until you receive a Contract distribution. However, for this general rule to apply, certain requirements must be satisfied:
An individual must own the Contract (or the Code must treat the Contract as owned by an individual).
The investments of the VAA must be "adequately diversified" in accordance with Treasury regulations.
Your right to choose particular investments for a Contract must be limited.
The Annuity Commencement Date must not occur near the end of the Annuitant's life expectancy.
Contracts Not Owned By An Individual
If a Contract is owned by an entity (rather than an individual) the Code generally does not treat it as an annuity contract for Federal income tax purposes. This means that the entity owning the Contract pays tax currently on the excess of the Contract Value over the investment in the Contract. Examples of contracts where the owner pays current tax on the Contract's earnings, if applicable, are contracts issued to a corporation or a trust. Some exceptions to the rule are:
Contracts in which the named owner is a trust or other entity that holds the Contract as an agent for an individual; however, this exception does not apply in the case of any employer that owns a contract to provide deferred compensation for its employees;
Immediate annuity contracts, purchased with a single premium, when the annuity starting date is no later than a year from purchase and substantially equal periodic payments are made, not less frequently than annually, during the Annuity Payout period;
Contracts acquired by an estate of a decedent;
Certain qualified contracts;
Contracts purchased by employers upon the termination of certain qualified plans; and
Certain contracts used in connection with structured settlement agreements.
Investments In The VAA Must Be Diversified
For a Contract to be treated as an annuity for Federal income tax purposes, the investments of the VAA must be "adequately diversified." Treasury regulations define standards for determining whether the investments of the VAA are adequately diversified. If the VAA fails to comply with these diversification standards, you could be required to pay tax currently on the excess of the Contract Value over the investment in the Contract. Although we do not control the investments of the underlying investment options, we expect that the underlying investment options will comply with the Treasury regulations so that the VAA will be considered "adequately diversified."
Restrictions
The Code limits your right to choose particular investments for the Contract. Because the IRS has issued little guidance specifying those limits, the limits are uncertain and your right to allocate Contract Values among the Subaccounts may exceed those limits. If so, you would be treated as the owner of the assets of the VAA and thus subject to current taxation on the income and gains, if applicable, from those assets. We do not know what limits may be set by the IRS in any guidance that it may issue and whether any such limits will apply to existing contracts. We reserve the right to modify the Contract without your consent in an attempt to prevent you from being considered as the owner of the assets of the VAA for purposes of the Code.
Loss Of Interest Deduction
After June 8, 1997, if a Contract is issued to a taxpayer that is not an individual, or if a Contract is held for the benefit of an entity, the entity may lose a portion of its deduction for otherwise deductible interest expenses. However, this rule does not apply to a Contract owned by an entity engaged in a trade or business that covers the life of one individual who is either (i) a 20% Owner of the entity, or (ii) an officer, director, or employee of the trade or business, at the time first covered by the Contract. This rule also does not apply to a Contract owned by an entity engaged in a trade or business that covers the joint lives of the 20% Owner or the entity and the Owner's spouse at the time first covered by the Contract.
Age At Which Annuity Payouts Begin
The Code does not expressly identify a particular age by which Annuity Payouts must begin. However, those rules do require that an annuity contract provide for amortization, through Annuity Payouts, of the Contract's Purchase Payments and earnings. As long as annuity payments begin or are scheduled to begin on a date on which the Annuitant's remaining life expectancy is enough to allow for a sufficient Annuity Payout period, the Contract should be treated as an annuity. If the annuity contract is not treated as an annuity, you would be currently taxed on the excess of the Contract Value over the investment in the Contract.
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Tax Treatment Of Payments
We make no guarantees regarding the tax treatment of any Contract or of any transaction involving a Contract. However, the rest of this discussion assumes that your Contract will be treated as an annuity under the Code and that any increase in your Contract Value will not be taxed until there is a distribution from your Contract.
Taxation Of Withdrawals And Surrenders
You will pay tax on withdrawals to the extent your Contract Value exceeds your investment in the Contract. This income (and all other income from your Contract) is considered ordinary income (and does not receive capital gains treatment and is not qualified dividend income). You will pay tax on a surrender to the extent the amount you receive exceeds your investment in the Contract. In certain circumstances, your Purchase Payments and investment in the Contract are reduced by amounts received from your Contract that were not included in income. Surrender and reinstatement of your Contract will generally be taxed as a withdrawal. If your Contract has a Living Benefit Rider, and if the guaranteed amount under that rider immediately before a withdrawal exceeds your Contract Value, the Code may require that you include those additional amounts in your income. Please consult your tax advisor.
Taxation Of Annuity Payouts, including Regular Income Payments
The Code imposes tax on a portion of each Annuity Payout (at ordinary income tax rates) and treats a portion as a nontaxable return of your investment in the Contract. We will notify you annually of the taxable amount of your Annuity Payout. Once you have recovered the total amount of the investment in the Contract, you will pay tax on the full amount of your Annuity Payouts. If Annuity Payouts end because of the Annuitant's death and before the total amount in the Contract has been distributed, the amount not received will generally be deductible. If withdrawals, other than Regular Income Payments, are taken from i4LIFE® Advantage during the Access Period, they are taxed subject to an exclusion ratio that is determined based on the amount of the payment.
Taxation Of Death Benefits
We may distribute amounts from your Contract because of the death of a Contractowner or an Annuitant. The tax treatment of these amounts depends on whether the Contractowner or the Annuitant dies before or after the Annuity Commencement Date.
Death prior to the Annuity Commencement Date:
If the Beneficiary receives Death Benefits under an Annuity Payout option, they are taxed in the same manner as Annuity Payouts.
If the Beneficiary does not receive Death Benefits under an Annuity Payout option, they are taxed in the same manner as a withdrawal.
Death after the Annuity Commencement Date:
If Death Benefits are received in accordance with the existing Annuity Payout option following the death of a Contractowner who is not the Annuitant, they are excludible from income in the same manner as the Annuity Payout prior to the death of the Contractowner.
If Death Benefits are received in accordance with the existing Annuity Payout option following the death of the Annuitant (whether or not the Annuitant is also the Contractowner), the Death Benefits are excludible from income if they do not exceed the investment in the Contract not yet distributed from the Contract. All Annuity Payouts in excess of the investment in the Contract not previously received are includible in income.
If Death Benefits are received in a lump sum, the Code imposes tax on the amount of Death Benefits which exceeds the amount of Purchase Payments not previously received.
Additional Taxes Payable On Withdrawals, Surrenders, Or Annuity Payouts
The Code may impose a 10% additional tax on any distribution from your Contract which you must include in your gross income. The 10% additional tax does not apply if one of several exceptions exists. These exceptions include withdrawals, surrenders, or Annuity Payouts that:
you receive on or after you reach 59½,
you receive because you became disabled (as defined in the Code),
you receive from an immediate annuity,
a Beneficiary receives on or after your death, or
you receive as a series of substantially equal periodic payments based on your life or life expectancy (non-natural owners holding as agent for an individual do not qualify).
Unearned Income Medicare Contribution
Congress enacted the "Unearned Income Medicare Contribution" as a part of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. This tax, which affects individuals whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds, is a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (i) the individual's "unearned income," or (ii) the dollar amount by which the individual's modified adjusted gross income
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exceeds the applicable threshold. Unearned income includes the taxable portion of distributions that you take from your annuity contract. If you take a distribution from your Contract that may be subject to the tax, we will include a Distribution Code "D" in Box 7 of the Form 1099-R issued to report the distribution. Please consult your tax advisor to determine whether your annuity distributions are subject to this tax.
Special Rules If You Own More Than One Annuity Contract
In certain circumstances, you must combine some or all of the nonqualified annuity contracts you own in order to determine the amount of an Annuity Payout, a surrender, or a withdrawal that you must include in income. For example, if you purchase two or more deferred annuity contracts from the same life insurance company (or its affiliates) during any calendar year, the Code treats all such contracts as one contract. Treating two or more contracts as one contract could affect the amount of a surrender, a withdrawal or an Annuity Payout that you must include in income and the amount that might be subject to the additional tax described previously.
Loans and Assignments
Except for certain qualified contracts, the Code treats any amount received as a loan under your Contract, and any assignment or pledge (or agreement to assign or pledge) of any portion of your Contract Value, as a withdrawal of such amount or portion.
Gifting A Contract
If you transfer ownership of your Contract to a person other than to your spouse (or to your former spouse incident to divorce), and receive a payment less than your Contract's value, you will pay tax on your Contract Value to the extent it exceeds your investment in the Contract not previously received. The new owner's investment in the Contract would then be increased to reflect the amount included in income.
Charges for Additional Benefits
Your Contract automatically includes a basic Death Benefit and may include other optional riders. Certain enhancements to the basic Death Benefit may also be available to you. The cost of the basic Death Benefit and any additional benefit are deducted from your Contract. It is possible that the tax law may treat all or a portion of the Death Benefit and other optional rider charges, if any, as a contract withdrawal.
Special Considerations for Same-Sex Spouses
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court held that same-sex spouses who are married under state law are treated as spouses for purposes of federal law. You are strongly encouraged to consult a tax advisor before electing spousal rights under the Contract.
Qualified Retirement Plans
We have designed the contracts for use in connection with certain types of retirement plans that receive favorable treatment under the Code. Contracts issued to or in connection with a qualified retirement plan are called "qualified contracts." We issue contracts for use with various types of qualified retirement plans. The Federal income tax rules applicable to those plans are complex and varied. As a result, this prospectus does not attempt to provide more than general information about the use of the Contract with the various types of qualified retirement plans. Persons planning to use the Contract in connection with a qualified retirement plan should obtain advice from a competent tax advisor.
Types of Qualified Contracts and Terms of Contracts
Qualified retirement plans may include the following:
Individual Retirement Accounts and Annuities ("Traditional IRAs")
Roth IRAs
Traditional IRA that is part of a Simplified Employee Pension Plan ("SEP")
SIMPLE 401(k) plans (Savings Incentive Matched Plan for Employees)
401(a) / (k) plans (qualified corporate employee pension and profit-sharing plans)
403(a) plans (qualified annuity plans)
403(b) plans (public school system and tax-exempt organization annuity plans)
H.R. 10 or Keogh Plans (self-employed individual plans)
457(b) plans (deferred compensation plans for state and local governments and tax-exempt organizations)
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act (the "SECURE Act") was enacted on December 20, 2019. The SECURE Act made a number of significant changes to the rules that apply to qualified retirement plans and IRA's, including the following:
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Eliminated the age 70½ limit for making contributions to an IRA. Beginning in 2020, an IRA owner can make contributions to his or her IRA at any age.
Changed the required minimum distribution rules that apply after the death of a participant or IRA owner.
Created the "Qualified Birth or Adoption" exception to the 10% additional tax on early distributions.
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement 2.0 (SECURE 2.0)
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE 2.0) Act (the "SECURE 2.0 Act") was enacted on December 29, 2022. The SECURE 2.0 Act made specific changes to retirement plans and IRA's, including:
Increased the required beginning date measuring age from age 72 to 73 for any participant or IRA owner who did not attain age 72 prior to January 1, 2023. As a result, required minimum distributions are generally required to begin by April 1 of the year following the year in which the participant or IRA owner reaches age 73.
Further increased the required beginning date measuring age to 75 by 2033.
Created exception to the 10% additional tax for distributions for domestic violence and emergencies.
Added provisions that permit rollover of 529 plan amounts to a Roth IRA for the beneficiary, within certain limits.
Tax Treatment of Qualified Contracts
The Federal income tax rules applicable to qualified retirement plans and qualified contracts vary with the type of plan and contract. For example:
Federal tax rules limit the amount of Purchase Payments or contributions that can be made, and the tax deduction or exclusion that may be allowed for the contributions. These limits vary depending on the type of qualified retirement plan and the participant's specific circumstances (e.g., the participant's compensation).
Minimum annual distributions are required under some qualified retirement plans once you reach age 73 or retire, if later as described below.
Loans are allowed under certain types of qualified retirement plans, but Federal income tax rules prohibit loans under other types of qualified retirement plans. For example, Federal income tax rules permit loans under some section 403(b) plans, but prohibit loans under Traditional and Roth IRAs. If allowed, loans are subject to a variety of limitations, including restrictions as to the loan amount, the loan's duration, the rate of interest, and the manner of repayment. Your Contract or plan may not permit loans.
Please note that qualified retirement plans such as 403(b) plans, 401(k) plans and IRAs generally defer taxation of contributions and earnings until distribution. As such, an annuity does not provide any additional tax deferral benefit beyond the qualified retirement plan itself.
Tax Treatment of Payments
The Federal income tax rules generally include distributions from a qualified contract in the participant's income as ordinary income. These taxable distributions will include contributions that were deductible or excludible from income. Thus, under many qualified contracts, the total amount received is included in income since a deduction or exclusion from income was taken for contributions to the contract. There are exceptions. For example, you do not include amounts received from a Roth IRA in income if certain conditions are satisfied.
Required Minimum Distributions
Under most qualified plans, you must begin receiving payments from the Contract in certain minimum amounts by your "required beginning date". Prior to the SECURE 2.0 Act, the required beginning date was April 1 of the year following the year you attain age 72 or retired. If you did not attain age 72 prior to January 1, 2023, then your required beginning date will be April 1 of the year following the year in which you attain age 73 or retire. If you own a traditional IRA, your required beginning date under prior law was April 1 of the year following the year in which you attained age 72. If you did not attain age 72 prior to January 1, 2023, then your required beginning date will be April 1 of the year following the year in which you attain age 73. If you own a Roth IRA, you are not required to receive minimum distributions from your Roth IRA during your life.
Failure to comply with the minimum distribution rules applicable to certain qualified plans, such as Traditional IRAs, will result in the imposition of an excise tax. This excise tax equals 50% of the amount by which a required minimum distribution exceeds the actual distribution from the qualified plan.
Treasury regulations applicable to required minimum distributions include a rule that may impact the distribution method you have chosen and the amount of your distributions. Under these regulations, the presence of an enhanced Death Benefit, or other benefit which could provide additional value to your Contract, may require you to take additional distributions. An enhanced Death Benefit is any Death Benefit that has the potential to pay more than the Contract Value or a return of investment in the Contract. Annuity contracts inside Custodial or Trusteed IRAs will also be subject to these regulations. Please contact your tax advisor regarding any tax ramifications.
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Additional Tax on Early Distributions from Qualified Retirement Plans
The Code may impose a 10% additional tax on an early distribution from a qualified contract that must be included in income. The Code does not impose the additional tax if one of several exceptions applies. The exceptions vary depending on the type of qualified contract you purchase. For example, in the case of an IRA, the 10% additional tax will not apply to any of the following withdrawals, surrenders, or Annuity Payouts:
Distribution received on or after the Annuitant reaches 59½,
Distribution received on or after the Annuitant's death or because of the Annuitant's disability (as defined in the Code),
Distribution received as a series of substantially equal periodic payments based on the Annuitant's life (or life expectancy),
Distribution received as reimbursement for certain amounts paid for medical care, or
Distribution received for a "qualified birth or adoption" event.
These exceptions, as well as certain others not described here, generally apply to taxable distributions from other qualified retirement plans. However, the specific requirements of the exception may vary.
Unearned Income Medicare Contribution
Congress enacted the "Unearned Income Medicare Contribution" as a part of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. This tax affects individuals whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds, is a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (i) the individual's "unearned income," or (ii) the dollar amount by which the individual's modified adjusted gross income exceeds the applicable threshold. Distributions that you take from your Contract are not included in the calculation of unearned income because your Contract is a qualified plan contract. However, the amount of any such distribution is included in determining whether you exceed the modified adjusted gross income threshold. Please consult your tax advisor to determine whether your annuity distributions are subject to this tax.
Transfers and Direct Rollovers
As a result of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA), you may be able to move funds between different types of qualified plans, such as 403(b) and 457(b) governmental plans, by means of a rollover or transfer. You may be able to rollover or transfer amounts between qualified plans and traditional IRAs. These rules do not apply to Roth IRAs and 457(b) non-governmental tax-exempt plans. There are special rules that apply to rollovers, direct rollovers and transfers (including rollovers or transfers of after-tax amounts). If the applicable rules are not followed, you may incur adverse Federal income tax consequences, including paying taxes which you might not otherwise have had to pay. Before we send a rollover distribution, we will provide a notice explaining tax withholding requirements (see Federal Income Tax Withholding). We are not required to send you such notice for your IRA. You should always consult your tax advisor before you move or attempt to move any funds.
The IRS issued Announcement 2014-32 confirming its intent to apply the one-rollover-per-year limitation of 408(d)(3)(B) on an aggregate basis to all IRAs that an individual owns. This means that an individual cannot make a tax-free IRA-to-IRA rollover if he or she has made such a rollover involving any of the individual's IRAs in the current tax year. If an intended rollover does not qualify for tax-free rollover treatment, contributions to your IRA may constitute excess contributions that may exceed contribution limits. This one-rollover-per-year limitation does not apply to direct trustee-to-trustee transfers.
Direct Conversions and Recharacterizations
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) permits direct conversions from certain qualified, retirement, 403(b) or 457(b) plans to Roth IRAs (effective for distributions after 2007). You are also permitted to recharacterize your traditional IRA contribution as a Roth IRA contribution, and to recharacterize your Roth IRA contribution as a traditional IRA contribution. The deadline for the recharacterization is the due date (including extensions) for your individual income tax return for the year in which the contribution was made. Upon recharacterization, you are treated as having made the contribution originally to the second IRA account. The recharacterization does not count toward the one-rollover-per-year limitation described above.
Effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, pursuant to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Pub. L. No. 115-97), recharacterizations are no longer allowed in the case of a conversion from a non-Roth account or annuity to a Roth IRA. This limitation applies to conversions made from pre-tax accounts under an IRA, qualified retirement plan, 403(b) plan, or 457(b) plan. Roth IRA conversions made in 2017 may be recharacterized as a contribution to a traditional IRA if the recharacterization is completed by October 15, 2018.
There are special rules that apply to conversions and recharacterizations, and if they are not followed, you may incur adverse Federal income tax consequences. You should consult your tax advisor before completing a conversion or recharacterization.
Death Benefit and IRAs
Pursuant to Treasury regulations, IRAs may not invest in life insurance contracts. We do not believe that these regulations prohibit the Death Benefit from being provided under the Contract when we issue the Contract as a Traditional or Roth IRA. However, the law is
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unclear and it is possible that the presence of the Death Benefit under a Contract issued as a Traditional or Roth IRA could result in increased taxes to you. Certain Death Benefit options may not be available for all of our products.
Federal Income Tax Withholding
We will withhold and remit to the IRS a part of the taxable portion of each distribution made under a Contract unless you notify us in writing prior to the distribution that tax is not to be withheld. In certain circumstances, Federal income tax rules may require us to withhold tax. At the time a withdrawal, surrender, or Annuity Payout is requested, we will give you an explanation of the withholding requirements.
Certain payments from your Contract may be considered eligible rollover distributions (even if such payments are not being rolled over). Such distributions may be subject to special tax withholding requirements. The Federal income tax withholding rules require that we withhold 20% of the eligible rollover distribution from the payment amount, unless you elect to have the amount directly transferred to certain qualified plans or contracts. The IRS requires that tax be withheld, even if you have requested otherwise. Such tax withholding requirements are generally applicable to 401(a), 403(a) or (b), HR 10, and 457(b) governmental plans and contracts used in connection with these types of plans.
Our Tax Status
Under the Code, we are not required to pay tax on investment income and realized capital gains of the VAA. We do not expect that we will incur any Federal income tax liability on the income and gains earned by the VAA. However, the Company does expect, to the extent permitted under the Code, to claim the benefit of the foreign tax credit as the owner of the assets of the VAA. Therefore, we do not impose a charge for Federal income taxes. If there are any changes in the Code that require us to pay tax on some or all of the income and gains earned by the VAA, we may impose a charge against the VAA to pay the taxes.
Changes in the Law
The above discussion is based on the Code, related regulations, and interpretations existing on the date of this prospectus. However, Congress, the IRS, and the courts may modify these authorities, sometimes retroactively.
Additional Information
Voting Rights
As required by law, we will vote the fund shares held in the VAA at meetings of the shareholders of the funds. The voting will be done according to the instructions of Contractowners who have interests in any Subaccounts which invest in classes of the funds. If the 1940 Act or any regulation under it should be amended or if present interpretations should change, and if as a result we determine that we are permitted to vote the fund shares in our own right, we may elect to do so.
The number of votes which you have the right to cast will be determined by applying your percentage interest in a Subaccount to the total number of votes attributable to the Subaccount. In determining the number of votes, fractional shares will be recognized.
Each underlying fund is subject to the laws of the state in which it is organized concerning, among other things, the matters which are subject to a shareholder vote, the number of shares which must be present in person or by proxy at a meeting of shareholders (a "quorum"), and the percentage of such shares present in person or by proxy which must vote in favor of matters presented. Because shares of the underlying fund held in the VAA are owned by us, and because under the 1940 Act we will vote all such shares in the same proportion as the voting instructions which we receive, it is important that each Contractowner provide their voting instructions to us. For funds un-affiliated with Lincoln, even though Contractowners may choose not to provide voting instruction, the shares of a fund to which such Contractowners would have been entitled to provide voting instruction will be voted by us in the same proportion as the voting instruction which we actually receive. For funds affiliated with Lincoln, shares of a fund to which such Contractowners would have been entitled to provide voting instruction will, once we receive a sufficient number of instructions we deem appropriate to ensure a fair representation of Contractowners eligible to vote, be voted by us in the same proportion as the voting instruction which we actually receive. As a result, the instruction of a small number of Contractowners could determine the outcome of matters subject to shareholder vote. All shares voted by us will be counted when the underlying fund determines whether any requirement for a minimum number of shares be present at such a meeting to satisfy a quorum requirement has been met. Voting instructions to abstain on any item to be voted on will be applied proportionately to reduce the number of votes eligible to be cast.
Whenever a shareholders meeting is called, we will provide or make available to each person having a voting interest in a Subaccount proxy voting material, reports and other materials relating to the funds. Since the funds engage in shared funding, other persons or entities besides Lincoln Life may vote fund shares. See Investments of the Variable Annuity Account.
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Return Privilege
Within the free-look period after you receive the Contract, you may cancel it for any reason by sending us a letter of instruction, indicating your intent to exercise the free-look provision. A Contract canceled under this provision will be void. With respect to the fixed side of a contract, we will return Purchase Payments. With respect to the VAA, except as explained in the following paragraph, we will return the Contract Value as of the Valuation Date on which we receive the cancellation request, plus any account charge and any premium taxes which had been deducted. No surrender charge will apply. There are no additional Investment Requirements during the free-look period other than as required under an elected optional benefit, but a purchaser who participates in the VAA is subject to the risk of a market loss during the free-look period.
For contracts written in those states whose laws require that we assume this market risk during the free-look period, a Contract may be canceled, in the manner specified above, except that we will return only the Purchase Payment(s). IRA purchasers will receive Purchase Payments only.
State Regulation
As a life insurance company organized and operated under Indiana law, we are subject to provisions governing life insurers and to regulation by the Indiana Commissioner of Insurance. Our books and accounts are subject to review and examination by the Indiana Department of Insurance at all times. A full examination of our operations is conducted by that Department at least every five years.
Records and Reports
As presently required by the 1940 Act and applicable regulations, we are responsible for maintaining all records and accounts relating to the VAA. We have entered into an agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company, c/o WeWork, 1100 Main Street, Suite 400, Kansas City, MO 64105, to provide accounting services to the VAA. We will mail to you, at your last known address of record at the Home Office, at least semi-annually after the first Contract Year, reports containing information required by that Act or any other applicable law or regulation.
A written confirmation of each transaction will be mailed to you on the next Valuation Date, except for the following transactions, which are mailed quarterly:
deduction of any account fee or rider charges;
crediting of persistency credits, if applicable;
any rebalancing event under Investment Requirements or the portfolio rebalancing service;
payroll deduction Purchase Payments;
any transfer or withdrawal under any applicable additional service: dollar cost averaging, AWS, or the cross-reinvestment service; and
Regular Income Payments from i4LIFE®Advantage.
Other Information
You may elect to receive your prospectus, prospectus supplements, quarterly statements, and annual and semiannual reports electronically over the Internet, if you have an e-mail account and access to an Internet browser. Once you select eDelivery, via the Internet Service Center, all documents available in electronic format will no longer be sent to you in hard copy. You will receive an e-mail notification when the documents become available online. It is your responsibility to provide us with your current e-mail address. You can resume paper mailings at any time without cost, by updating your profile at the Internet Service Center, or contacting us. To learn more about this service, please log on to www.LincolnFinancial.com, select service centers and continue on through the Internet Service Center.
Legal Proceedings
In the ordinary course of its business and otherwise, the Company and its subsidiaries or its separate accounts and Principal Underwriter may become or are involved in various pending or threatened regulatory or legal proceedings, including purported class actions, arising from the conduct of its business. In some instances, the proceedings include claims for unspecified or substantial punitive damages and similar types of relief in addition to amounts for alleged contractual liability or requests for equitable relief.
After consultation with legal counsel and a review of available facts, it is management's opinion that the proceedings, after consideration of any reserves and rights to indemnification, ultimately will be resolved without any material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries, or the financial position of its separate accounts or Principal Underwriter. However, given the large and indeterminate amounts sought in certain of these proceedings and the inherent difficulty in predicting the outcome of such proceedings, it is reasonably possible that an adverse outcome in certain matters could be material to the Company's operating results for any particular reporting period.
Please refer to the Statement of Additional Information for possible additional information regarding legal proceedings.
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Appendix A - Funds Available Under The Contract
The following is a list of funds currently available under the Contract. Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain funds. Current performance of the Subaccounts can be found at www.lfg.com/VAprospectus. More information about the funds is available in the prospectuses for the Funds, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at www.lfg.com/VAprospectus. You can also request this information and current fund performance at no cost by calling 1-800-454-6265 or by sending an email request to [email protected].
The current expenses and performance information below reflects fees and expenses of the Fund, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your Contract may charge. Expenses would be higher and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. Each fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.
Investment Objective
Fund and
Adviser/Sub-adviser1
Current Expenses
Average Annual Total
Returns (as of 12/31/2023)
1 year
5 year
10 year
Long-term growth of capital.
AB VPS Sustainable Global Thematic
Portfolio - Class B
advised by AllianceBernstein L.P.
1.17%2
15.70%
13.27%
9.33%
Long-term growth of capital.
American Funds Global Growth Fund -
Class 2
0.66%2
22.60%
13.65%
9.58%
Growth of capital.
American Funds Growth Fund - Class 2
0.59%
38.49%
18.68%
14.36%
Long-term growth of capital and income.
American Funds Growth-Income Fund -
Class 2
0.53%
26.14%
13.36%
10.91%
Long-term growth of capital.
American Funds International Fund -
Class 2
0.78%
15.84%
4.83%
3.41%
Capital Appreciation. A fund of funds.
DWS Alternative Asset Allocation VIP
Portfolio - Class A
advised by DWS Investment
Management Americas, Inc.
0.83%
6.19%
6.09%
2.96%
Long-term capital appreciation.
Fidelity®VIP Contrafund®Portfolio -
Service Class
0.66%
33.34%
16.54%
11.50%
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2020 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.57%
12.34%
7.38%
5.63%
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2025 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.59%
13.48%
8.14%
6.09%
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2030 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.62%
14.56%
9.17%
6.75%
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2035 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.67%
16.71%
10.74%
7.56%
A-1
Investment Objective
Fund and
Adviser/Sub-adviser1
Current Expenses
Average Annual Total
Returns (as of 12/31/2023)
1 year
5 year
10 year
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2040 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.71%
18.82%
11.81%
8.04%
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2045 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.72%
19.33%
11.92%
8.08%
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2050 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.72%
19.30%
11.91%
8.07%
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2055 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.72%
19.40%
N/A
N/A
High total return with a secondary
objective of principal preservation as the
fund approaches its target date and
beyond. A fund of funds.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2060 PortfolioSM
- Service Class
0.72%
19.30%
N/A
N/A
To achieve capital appreciation.
Fidelity®VIP Growth Portfolio - Service
Class
0.68%
36.09%
19.52%
14.68%
Capital Appreciation.
LVIP Baron Growth Opportunities Fund -
Service Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
1.15%2
17.81%
13.66%
9.35%
Reasonable income.
LVIP BlackRock Dividend Value
Managed Volatility Fund - Standard
Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.66%2
9.39%
9.55%
6.43%
High total investment return.
LVIP BlackRock Global Allocation Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.73%2
13.62%
N/A
N/A
To maximize real return, consistent with
preservation of real capital and prudent
investment management.
LVIP BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond
Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.63%
5.07%
3.16%
2.19%
Total return through a combination of
current income and long-term capital
appreciation.
LVIP BlackRock Real Estate Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.82%2
13.06%
4.76%
3.85%
Long-term growth of capital in a manner
consistent with the preservation of
capital.
LVIP Blended Large Cap Growth
Managed Volatility Fund - Standard
Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.67%2
34.15%
13.82%
9.28%
A-2
Investment Objective
Fund and
Adviser/Sub-adviser1
Current Expenses
Average Annual Total
Returns (as of 12/31/2023)
1 year
5 year
10 year
Capital Appreciation.
LVIP Blended Mid Cap Managed
Volatility Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.73%2
17.75%
10.22%
6.41%
Long-term capital appreciation.
LVIP Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 1
Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.40%2
22.78%
14.99%
11.07%
Long-term capital growth.
LVIP Franklin Templeton Global Equity
Managed Volatility Fund - Standard
Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.73%2
17.24%
8.98%
4.58%
To maximize long-term capital
appreciation.
LVIP Franklin Templeton Multi-Factor
Emerging Markets Equity Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.50%2
10.04%
3.12%
1.60%
A high level of current income with
some consideration given to growth of
capital. A fund of funds.
LVIP Global Conservative Allocation
Managed Risk Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.77%2
9.72%
4.23%
3.52%
A balance between a high level of
current income and growth of capital,
with a greater emphasis on growth of
capital. A fund of funds.
LVIP Global Growth Allocation Managed
Risk Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.76%2
13.33%
4.97%
3.72%
A balance between a high level of
current income and growth of capital,
with an emphasis on growth of capital. A
fund of funds.
LVIP Global Moderate Allocation
Managed Risk Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.75%2
11.84%
4.56%
3.56%
Current income while (i)maintaining a
stable value of your shares (providing
stability of net asset value) and (ii)
preserving the value of your initial
investment (preservation of capital).
LVIP Government Money Market Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.39%2
4.75%
1.61%
0.99%
Current income and some capital
appreciation. A fund of funds.
LVIP JPMorgan Retirement Income Fund
- Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.68%2
11.60%
5.02%
3.94%
Long-term capital appreciation.
LVIP JPMorgan Select Mid Cap Value
Managed Volatility Fund - Standard
Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.78%2
12.08%
9.25%
5.62%
A-3
Investment Objective
Fund and
Adviser/Sub-adviser1
Current Expenses
Average Annual Total
Returns (as of 12/31/2023)
1 year
5 year
10 year
Maximum current income (yield)
consistent with a prudent investment
strategy.
LVIP Macquarie Bond Fund - Standard
Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware Bond Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.37%
5.93%
1.50%
1.99%
Total return.
LVIP Macquarie Diversified Floating Rate
Fund - Service Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware Diversified
Floating Rate Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.88%2
5.31%
2.13%
1.43%
Maximum long-term total return
consistent with reasonable risk.
LVIP Macquarie Diversified Income Fund
- Standard Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware Diversified
Income Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.54%2
6.24%
2.07%
2.09%
Total return and, as a secondary
objective, high current income.
LVIP Macquarie High Yield Fund -
Standard Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware High Yield
Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.74%2
12.67%
5.51%
3.53%
To maximize long-term capital
appreciation.
LVIP Macquarie Mid Cap Value Fund -
Standard Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware Mid Cap Value
Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.43%
11.24%
11.88%
8.62%
Long-term capital appreciation.
LVIP Macquarie SMID Cap Core Fund -
Standard Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware SMID Cap Core
Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.80%2
16.45%
12.25%
8.36%
To maximize long-term capital
appreciation.
LVIP Macquarie Social Awareness Fund -
Standard Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware Social
Awareness Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.45%
30.17%
15.86%
11.32%
Maximum long-term total return, with
capital appreciation as a secondary
objective.
LVIP Macquarie U.S. REIT Fund -
Standard Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware U.S. REIT
Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.83%2
12.58%
6.45%
6.23%
Long-term capital appreciation.
LVIP Macquarie Value Fund - Standard
Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware Value Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.68%
3.49%
8.10%
7.84%
A-4
Investment Objective
Fund and
Adviser/Sub-adviser1
Current Expenses
Average Annual Total
Returns (as of 12/31/2023)
1 year
5 year
10 year
To provide a responsible level of income
and the potential for capital appreciation.
LVIP Macquarie Wealth Builder Fund -
Standard Class3
(formerly LVIP Delaware Wealth Builder
Fund)
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.71%2
9.91%
5.95%
4.45%
Current income consistent with the
preservation of capital.
LVIP Mondrian Global Income Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.65%2
4.02%
-0.92%
0.26%
Long-term capital appreciation as
measured by the change in the value of
fund shares over a period of three years
or longer.
LVIP Mondrian International Value Fund
- Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.75%2
20.11%
6.03%
3.45%
To match as closely as practicable,
before fees and expenses, the
performance of the Bloomberg U.S.
Aggregate Index.
LVIP SSGA Bond Index Fund - Standard
Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.37%2
5.30%
0.78%
1.49%
Long-term growth of capital. A fund of
funds.
LVIP SSGA Global Tactical Allocation
Managed Volatility Fund - Standard
Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.59%2
13.51%
6.28%
3.91%
To approximate as closely as practicable,
before fees and expenses, the
performance of a broad market index of
non-U.S. foreign securities.
LVIP SSGA International Index Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.39%2
17.57%
7.96%
4.02%
Capital Appreciation. A fund of funds.
LVIP SSGA International Managed
Volatility Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.63%2
17.44%
4.94%
N/A
To approximate as closely as practicable,
before fees and expenses, the total rate
of return of common stocks publicly
traded in the United States, as
represented by the S&P 500 Index.
LVIP SSGA S&P 500 Index Fund -
Standard Class4
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.23%
26.01%
15.41%
11.77%
To approximate as closely as practicable,
before fees and expenses, the
performance of the Russell 2000®
Index, which emphasizes stocks of small
U.S. companies.
LVIP SSGA Small-Cap Index Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.38%2
16.50%
9.52%
6.74%
The highest total return over time
consistent with an emphasis on both
capital growth and income. A fund of
funds.
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2020 Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.66%2
13.54%
7.41%
4.90%
A-5
Investment Objective
Fund and
Adviser/Sub-adviser1
Current Expenses
Average Annual Total
Returns (as of 12/31/2023)
1 year
5 year
10 year
The highest total return over time
consistent with an emphasis on both
capital growth and income. A fund of
funds.
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2030 Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.68%2
16.14%
9.08%
5.46%
The highest total return over time
consistent with an emphasis on both
capital growth and income. A fund of
funds.
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2040 Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.70%2
19.19%
10.72%
6.11%
The highest total return over time
consistent with an emphasis on both
capital growth and income. A fund of
funds.
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2050 Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.72%2
20.30%
11.25%
6.57%
The highest total return over time
consistent with an emphasis on both
capital growth and income. A fund of
funds.
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2060 Fund -
Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.72%2
20.31%
N/A
N/A
To maximize capital appreciation.
LVIP T. Rowe Price Structured Mid-Cap
Growth Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.72%2
21.17%
13.50%
10.81%
Long-term capital appreciation. A fund
of funds.
LVIP Vanguard Domestic Equity ETF
Fund - Service Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.57%2
24.91%
14.55%
10.81%
Long-term capital appreciation. A fund
of funds.
LVIP Vanguard International Equity ETF
Fund - Service Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.59%2
15.07%
6.84%
3.74%
Capital Appreciation.
Macquarie VIP Small Cap Value Series -
Service Class3
(formerly Delaware VIP®Small Cap
Value Series)
advised by Delaware Management
Company
1.08%
9.10%
9.87%
6.77%
Total return.
MFS®VIT Utilities Series - Initial Class
advised by Massachusetts Financial
Services Company
0.79%2
-2.11%
8.31%
6.39%
Maximum total return, consistent with
preservation of capital and prudent
investment management.
PIMCO VIT Total Return Portfolio -
Administrative Class
advised by Pacific Investment
Management Company, LLC
0.75%
5.93%
1.08%
1.71%
1
The name of the adviser or sub-adviser is not listed if the name is incorporated into the name of the fund or the fund company.
2
This fund is subject to an expense reimbursement or fee waiver arrangement. As a result, this fund's annual expenses reflect temporary expense reductions. See the fund prospectus for additional information.
3
Investments in Macquarie VIP Series, Delaware Funds, Ivy Funds, LVIP Macquarie Funds or Lincoln Life accounts managed by Macquarie Investment Management Advisers, a series of Macquarie Investments Management Business Trust, are not and will not be deposits with or liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46008 583 542 and its holding companies, including their subsidiaries or related companies, and are subject to investment risk, including possible delays in prepayment and loss of income and capital invested. No Macquarie Group company guarantees or will guarantee the performance of the series or funds or accounts, the repayment of capital from the series or funds or account, or any particular rate of return.
4
The Index to which this fund is managed to is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (SPDJI) and has been licensed for use by one or more of the portfolio's service providers (licensee). Standard & Poor's®, S&P®, S&P GSCI®and S&P 500®are registered trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates (S&P) and Dow Jones®is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (Dow Jones). The trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and
A-6
sublicensed for certain purposes by the licensee. The licensee's products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, their respective affiliates, or their third party licensors, and none of these parties or their respective affiliates or third party licensors make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products, nor do they have liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the Index.
5
Standard & Poor's®," "S&P®," "Standard & Poor's Equal Weight Index," "S&P EWI," "S&P 500®," "Standard & Poor's 500" and "500" are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and have been licensed for use by the Invesco V.I. Equally-Weighted S&P 500 Fund. The fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P, and S&P makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the fund.
6
Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"). The trademark has been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and has been sublicensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors L.P. The product is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor's and Standard & Poor's makes no representation regarding the advisability of purchasing the product.
A-7
Appendix B - Investment Requirements
If you purchase a Living Benefit Rider (except i4LIFE®Advantage without the Guaranteed Income Benefit), you will be subject to Investment Requirements. This requirement means you will be limited in your choice of Subaccount investments and in how much you can invest in certain Subaccounts. This also means you will not be able to allocate Contract Value to all of the Subaccounts that are available to Contractowners who have not elected a Living Benefit Rider. We impose Investment Requirements to reduce the risk of investment losses that may require us to use our own assets to make guaranteed payments under a Living Benefit Rider.
If you elect a Living Benefit Rider, Investment Requirements apply whether you purchase the rider at contract issue or add it to an existing Contract. The Living Benefit Rider you purchase and the date of purchase will determine which Investment Requirements Option will apply to your Contract. See Option 1, Option 2, and Option 3 below. Currently, if you purchase i4LIFE®Advantage without the Guaranteed Income Benefit, you will not be subject to any Investment Requirements, although we reserve the right to impose Investment Requirements for this rider in the future. If we do exercise our right to do so, you will have to reallocate your Contract Value subject to such requirements.
Certain of the underlying funds that are included in the Investment Requirements, including funds managed by an adviser affiliated with us, employ risk management strategies that are intended to control the funds' overall volatility, and for some funds, to also reduce the downside exposure of the funds during significant market downturns.
These funds are included under Investment Requirements in part because the reduction in volatility helps us, to reduce the risk of investment losses that may require us to use our own assets to make guaranteed payments under a Living Benefit Rider. At the same time, risk management strategies in periods of high market volatility or other market conditions, could limit your participation in market gains. This may conflict with your investment objectives by limiting your ability to maximize potential growth of your Contract Value and, in turn, the value of any guaranteed benefit that is tied to investment performance. You should consult with your registered representative to determine whether these funds align with your investment objectives. For more information about the funds and the investment strategies they employ, please refer to the funds' current prospectuses. Fund prospectuses are available by contacting us.
Under each option, we have divided the Subaccounts of your Contract into groups and have specified the minimum or maximum percentages of Contract Value that must be in each group at the time you purchase the rider (or when the rider Investment Requirements are enforced, if later). In addition, depending on when you purchased your Contract, you may allocate your Contract Value and Purchase Payments in accordance with certain asset allocation models. If you terminate an asset allocation model, you must follow the Investment Requirements applicable to your rider. Some investment options are not available to you if you purchase certain riders. The Investment Requirements may not be consistent with an aggressive investment strategy. You should consult with your registered representative to determine if the Investment Requirements are consistent with your investment objectives.
The chart below is provided to help you determine which option of Investment Requirements, if any, applies to the Living Benefit Rider you purchase. If you do not elect a Living Benefit Rider, the Investment Requirements will not apply to your Contract. Different Investment Requirements may apply if you terminate one rider and elect another rider.
If you elect...
and the date of election is...
you will be subject to
Investment Requirements
i4LIFE®Advantage (Qualified Contracts only)
After May 4, 2007
Option 1
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0
On or After November 15, 2010
Option 3
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage
Between February 19, 2008 and January 20, 2009
On or after January 20, 2009
Option 2
Option 3
Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage
Prior to April 10, 2006
April 10, 2006 through January 19, 2009
On or after January 20, 2009
N/A
Option 1
Option 3
4LATER®Advantage
April 10, 2006 through January 19, 2009
On or after January 20, 2009
Option 1
Option 3
i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit (v.1)
(for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
Prior to April 10, 2006
On or after April 10, 2006
N/A
Option 1
i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit (v.2)
(for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
April 10, 2006 through January 19, 2009
On or after January 20, 2009
Option 1
Option 3
i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit (v.3)
(for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
Between October 6, 2008 and January 20, 2009
On or after January 20, 2009
Option 2
Option 3
B-1
If you elect...
and the date of election is...
you will be subject to
Investment Requirements
i4LIFE® Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit (v.4)
(for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
On or after November 15, 2010
Option 3
Investment Requirements - Option 1
No more than 35% of your Contract Value (includes Account Value if i4LIFE®Advantage is in effect) can be invested in the following Subaccounts ("Limited Subaccounts") (Note: not all Subaccounts are available with all contracts):
AB VPS Sustainable Global Thematic Growth Portfolio
American Funds Global Growth Fund
American Funds International Fund
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2040 PortfolioSM
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2045 PortfolioSM
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2050 PortfolioSM
LVIP BlackRock Real Estate Fund
LVIP Blended Mid Cap Managed Volatility Fund
LVIP Franklin Templeton Global Equity Managed Volatility Fund
LVIP Franklin Templeton Multi-Factor Emerging Markets Equity Fund
LVIP JPMorgan Select Mid Cap Value Managed Volatility Fund
LVIP Macquarie High Yield Fund
LVIP Macquarie Mid Cap Value Fund
LVIP Macquarie SMID Cap Core Fund
LVIP Macquarie U.S. REIT Fund
LVIP Macquarie Wealth Builder Fund
LVIP Mondrian International Value Fund
LVIP SSGA Global Tactical Managed Volatility Allocation
LVIP SSGA International Index Fund
LVIP SSGA International Managed Volatility Fund
LVIP SSGA Small-Cap Index Fund
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2040 Fund
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2050 Fund
LVIP T. Rowe Price Structured Mid-Cap Growth Fund
LVIP Vanguard International Equity ETF Fund
Macquarie VIP Small Cap Value Series
MFS®VIT Utilities Series
All other Subaccounts will be referred to as "Non-Limited Subaccounts" except the DWS Alternative Asset Allocation VIP Portfolio, which is unavailable to any contract holder with a Living Benefit Rider.
You can select the percentages of Contract Value, if any, allocated to the Limited Subaccounts, but the cumulative total investment in all the Limited Subaccounts cannot exceed 35% of the total Contract Value. On each quarterly anniversary of the effective date of the rider, if the Contract Value in the Limited Subaccounts exceeds 35%, Lincoln will rebalance your Contract Value so that the Contract Value in the Limited Subaccounts is 30%. If you are enrolled in portfolio rebalancing, the cumulative total investment in all the Limited Subaccounts cannot exceed 35% of total Contract Value. If your current portfolio rebalancing does not adhere to this requirement, your portfolio rebalancing program will be terminated.
If rebalancing is required, the Contract Value in excess of 30% will be removed from the Limited Subaccounts on a pro rata basis and invested in the remaining Non-Limited Subaccounts on a pro rata basis according to the Contract Value percentages in the Non-Limited Subaccounts at the time of the reallocation. If there is no Contract Value in the Non-Limited Subaccounts at that time, portfolio rebalancing will be paused until updated allocation instructions are received from you. We will provide you with notice of such change. Confirmation of the rebalancing will appear on your quarterly statement.
We may move Subaccounts on or off the Limited or Non-Limited Subaccount list, exclude Subaccounts from being available for investment, change the number of Limited Subaccount groups, change the percentages of Contract Value allowed in the Limited or Non-Limited Subaccounts or change the frequency of the Contract Value rebalancing, at any time, in our sole discretion. We will not make changes more than once per calendar year. You will be notified at least 30 days prior to the date of any change. We may make such modifications at any time when we believe the modifications are necessary to protect our ability to provide the guarantees under these riders. Our decision to make modifications will be based on several factors including the general market conditions and the style and investment objectives of the Subaccount investments.
At the time you receive notice of a change or when you are notified that we will begin enforcing the Investment Requirements, you may:
1.
submit your own reallocation instructions for the Contract Value in excess of 35% in the Limited Subaccounts; or
2.
take no action and be subject to the quarterly rebalancing as described above; or
3.
terminate the applicable rider immediately, without waiting for a termination event if you do not wish to be subject to these Investment Requirements.
B-2
Investment Requirements - Option 2
You can select the percentages of Contract Value (includes Account Value if i4LIFE®Advantage is in effect) to allocate to individual Subaccounts within each group, but the total investment for all Subaccounts in a group must comply with the specified minimum or maximum percentages for that group.
In accordance with these Investment Requirements, you agree to be automatically enrolled in the portfolio rebalancing option under your Contract and thereby authorize us to automatically rebalance your Contract Value on a periodic basis. On each quarterly anniversary of the effective date of the rider, we will rebalance your Contract Value, proportionately, based on your allocation instructions in effect at the time of the rebalancing. Any reallocation of Contract Value among the Subaccounts made by you prior to a rebalancing date will become your allocation instructions for rebalancing purposes. Confirmation of the rebalancing will appear on your quarterly statement and you will not receive an individual confirmation after each reallocation. We reserve the right to change the rebalancing frequency, at any time, in our sole discretion. We will not make changes more than once per calendar year. You will be notified at least 30 days prior to the date of any change in frequency. If we rebalance Contract Value from the Subaccounts and your allocation instructions do not comply with the Investment Requirements, portfolio rebalancing will be paused, and any subsequent transfer requests will be considered not in Good Order until updated allocation instructions are received. These investments will become your allocation instructions until you tell us otherwise.
We may change the list of Subaccounts in a group, change the number of groups, change the minimum or maximum percentages of Contract Value allowed in a group or change the investment options that are or are not available to you, at any time, in our sole discretion. We will not make changes more than once per calendar year. You will be notified at least 30 days prior to the date of any change. We may make such modifications at any time when we believe the modifications are necessary to protect our ability to provide the guarantees under these riders. Our decision to make modifications will be based on several factors including the general market conditions and the style and investment objectives of the Subaccount investments.
At the time you receive notice of a change to the Investment Requirements, you may:
1.
submit your own reallocation instructions for the Contract Value, before the effective date specified in the notice, so that the Investment Requirements are satisfied;
2.
if you take no action, such changes will apply only to additional Purchase Payments or to future transfers of Contract Value. You will not be required to change allocations to existing Subaccounts, but you will not be allowed to add money, by either an additional Purchase Payment or a contract transfer, in excess of the new percentage applicable to a Subaccount or Subaccount group. This does not apply to Subaccounts added to Investment Requirements on or after June 30, 2009. For Subaccounts added to Investment Requirements on or after June 30, 2009, you may be subject to rebalancing as described above. If this results in a change to your allocation instructions, then these will be your new allocation instructions until you tell us otherwise; or
3.
terminate the applicable rider immediately, without waiting for a termination event if you do not wish to be subject to the new terms of the Investment Requirements.
At this time, the Subaccount groups are as follows:
Group 1
Investments must be at least 25% of Contract
Value or Account Value
Group 2
Investments cannot exceed 75% of Contract
Value or Account Value
Group 3
Investments cannot exceed 10% of Contract
Value or Account Value
LVIP BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Fund
LVIP Macquarie Bond Fund
LVIP Macquarie Diversified Floating Rate Fund
LVIP Macquarie Diversified Income Fund
LVIP Macquarie High Yield Fund
LVIP Mondrian Global Income Fund
LVIP SSGA Bond Index Fund
PIMCO VIT Total Return Portfolio
All other investment options except those in
Group 3.
DWS Alternative Asset Allocation VIP Portfolio
LVIP Franklin Templeton Multi-Factor Emerging
Markets Equity Fund
The fixed account is only available for dollar cost averaging.
To satisfy the Investment Requirements, you may allocate 100% of your Contract Value or i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value to or among the funds listed below. If you allocate less than 100% of Contract Value among these funds, then the funds listed below that are also listed in Group 1 will be subject to Group 1 restrictions. Any remaining funds listed below that are not listed will fall into Group 2 and will be subject to Group 2 restrictions. These funds will be considered as part of Group 1 or 2 above, as applicable, and you will be subject to the Group 1 or 2 restrictions.
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2020 PortfolioSM
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2025 PortfolioSM
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2030 PortfolioSM
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2040 PortfolioSM
LVIP BlackRock Advantage Allocation Fund
LVIP BlackRock Advantage Global Allocation Fund
LVIP BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Fund
LVIP Global Conservative Allocation Managed Risk Fund
B-3
LVIP Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund
LVIP Global Moderate Allocation Managed Risk Fund
LVIP JPMorgan Retirement Income Fund
LVIP Macquarie Bond Fund
LVIP Macquarie Diversified Income Fund
LVIP Macquarie High Yield Fund
LVIP Mondrian Global Income Fund
LVIP SSGA Bond Index Fund
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2020 Fund
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2030 Fund
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2040 Fund
As discussed in the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus section, if you purchased the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus rider before January 20, 2009, your only investment options until the seventh Benefit Year anniversary are to allocate 100% of your Contract Value to the LVIP Global Moderate Allocation Managed Risk Fund, the LVIP Global Conservative Allocation Managed Risk Fund or the LVIP JPMorgan Retirement Income Fund.
Investment Requirements - Option 3
You can select the percentages of Contract Value (includes Account Value if i4LIFE® Advantage is in effect) to allocate to individual Subaccounts within each group, but the total investment for all Subaccounts within the group must comply with the specified minimum or maximum percentages for that group.
In accordance with these Investment Requirements, you agree to be automatically enrolled in the portfolio rebalancing option under your Contract and thereby authorize us to automatically rebalance your Contract Value on a periodic basis. On each quarterly anniversary of the effective date of the rider, we will rebalance your Contract Value, proportionately, based on your allocation instructions in effect at the time of the rebalancing. Any reallocation of Contract Value among the Subaccounts made by you prior to a rebalancing date will become your allocation instructions for rebalancing purposes. Confirmation of the rebalancing will appear on your quarterly statement and you will not receive an individual confirmation after each reallocation. If we rebalance Contract Value from the Subaccounts and your allocation instructions do not comply with the Investment Requirements, portfolio rebalancing will be paused, and any subsequent transfer requests will be considered not in Good Order until updated allocation instructions are received. These investments will become your allocation instructions until you tell us otherwise.
We may change the list of Subaccounts in a group, change the number of groups, change the minimum or maximum percentages of Contract Value allowed in a group or change the investment options that are or are not available to you, at any time in our sole discretion. You will be notified at least 30 days prior to the date of any change. We may make such modifications at any time when we believe the modifications are necessary to protect our ability to provide the guarantees under these riders. Our decision to make modifications will be based on several factors including the general market conditions and the style and investment objectives of the Subaccount investments.
At the time you receive notice of a change or when you are notified that we will begin enforcing the Investment Requirements, you may:
1.
submit your own reallocation instructions for the Contract Value, before the effective date specified in the notice, so that the Investment Requirements are satisfied;
2.
take no action and be subject to the quarterly rebalancing as described above. If this results in a change to your allocation instructions, then these will become your new allocation instructions until you tell us otherwise; or
3.
terminate the applicable rider immediately, without waiting for a termination event if you do not wish to be subject to these Investment Requirements.
At this time, the Subaccount groups are as follows:
Group 1
Investments must be at least 30% of Contract
Value or Account Value
Group 2
Investments cannot exceed 70% of Contract
Value or Account Value
Group 3
Investments cannot exceed 10% of Contract
Value or Account Value
LVIP BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Fund
LVIP Macquarie Bond Fund
LVIP Macquarie Diversified Floating Rate Fund
LVIP Macquarie Diversified Income Fund
LVIP Mondrian Global Income Fund
LVIP SSGA Bond Index Fund
PIMCO VIT Total Return Portfolio
All other funds except those in Group 3 and as
discussed below.
AB VPS Sustainable Global Thematic Portfolio
DWS Alternative Asset Allocation VIP Portfolio
LVIP BlackRock Real Estate Fund
LVIP Franklin Templeton Multi-Factor Emerging
Markets Equity Fund
LVIP Macquarie U.S. REIT Fund
MFS®VIT Utilities Series
The fixed accounts are not available with these riders.
To satisfy these Investment Requirements, you may allocate 100% of your Contract Value or i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value among the funds on the following list; however, if you allocate less than 100% of Contract Value to or among these funds, then the funds
B-4
listed below that are in Group 1 will be subject to Group 1 restrictions. Any remaining funds listed below will fall into Group 2 and will be subject to Group 2 restrictions.
BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund
Fidelity®VIP Freedom 2020 PortfolioSM
LVIP BlackRock Global Allocation Fund
LVIP BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Fund
LVIP Global Conservative Allocation Managed Risk Fund
LVIP Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund
LVIP Global Moderate Allocation Managed Risk Fund
LVIP JPMorgan Retirement Income Fund
LVIP Macquarie Bond Fund
LVIP Macquarie Diversified Income Fund
LVIP Mondrian Global Income Fund
LVIP SSGA Bond Index Fund
LVIP T. Rowe Price 2020 Fund
If you purchased the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus rider on or after January 20, 2009, your only investment options until the seventh Benefit Year anniversary are to allocate 100% of your Contract Value to the LVIP JPMorgan Retirement Income Fund and the LVIP Global Conservative Allocation Managed Risk Fund.
B-5
Appendix C - Discontinued Living Benefit Riders
The Living Benefit Riders described in this Appendix are unavailable for purchase. This Appendix contains important information for Contractowners who purchased their contract and one of the following Living Benefit Riders. The riders described below, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus, Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage, and 4LATER®Advantage offer either a minimum withdrawal benefit (Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage and Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage) or a minimum Annuity Payout (4LATER®Advantage). You may not own more than one Living Benefit Rider at a time. If you own a Living Benefit Rider, you will be subject to Investment Requirements (see Investment Requirements in the prospectus). Since these Living Benefit Riders are no longer available for purchase, you should carefully consider whether the termination of a rider is the best decision for you. Terms and conditions may change after the Contract is purchased pursuant to the terms of your Contract.
i4LIFE®Advantage and the Guaranteed Income Benefit are described in detail in the prospectus (see Living Benefit Riders).
Charges, Fees and Deductions for Discontinued Living Benefit Riders
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 Fees. If you have elected a Living Benefit Rider, there is a fee associated with that rider for as long as the rider is in effect.
The protected lifetime income fee rates for the rider listed above are:
Current Annual Fee Rate
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Fee Rate
Single
Life
Joint
Life
Single
Life
Joint
Life
Lincoln Lifetime
IncomeSM Advantage
2.0*
1.25%
(0.3125% quarterly)
1.25%
(0.3125% quarterly)
2.00%
2.00%
*Beginning February 22, 2021, the current annual fee rate for the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM2.0 Advantage rider increased from 1.05% to 1.25% (single life option); 1.25% to 1.50% (joint life option) upon the earlier of (a) the next Account Value Step-up of the Protected Income Base or (b) the next Benefit Year anniversary if cumulative Purchase Payments received after the first Benefit Year anniversary equal or exceed $100,000 or (c) if the Protected Income Base increases as a result of an Enhancement after the 10thBenefit Year anniversary. This fee increase will also occur upon a step-up of the Guaranteed Income Benefit following a transition to the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit.
The protected lifetime income fee:
is based on the Protected Income Base (initial Purchase Payment if purchased at contract issue, or Contract Value at the time of election) as increased for subsequent Purchase Payments, Account Value Step-ups, Enhancements, and as decreased for Excess Withdrawals; and
may increase every Benefit Year upon an Account Value Step-up or an Enhancement. (You may opt out of this increase - see details below.)
The fee will be deducted from the Contract Value on a quarterly basis. The first deduction of the fee will occur on the Valuation Date on or next following the three-month anniversary of the rider's effective date. This deduction will be made in proportion to the value in each Subaccount and fixed account, if any, of the Contract on the Valuation Date the protected lifetime income fee is assessed. The amount we deduct will increase or decrease as the Protected Income Base increases or decreases, because the fee is based on the Protected Income Base. Refer to Living Benefit Riders for a discussion and example of the impact of the changes to the Protected Income Base.
Opting Out of Fee Rate Increases Resulting from an Account Value Step-up
The fee rate can change each time there is an Account Value Step-up. Since the Account Value Step-up could increase your Protected Income Base every Benefit Year (if all conditions are met), the fee rate could also increase every Benefit Year, but the rate will never exceed the stated guaranteed maximum annual fee rate. See Fee Tables. If your fee rate is increased, you may opt out of the Account Value Step-up by giving us notice within 30 days after the Benefit Year anniversary if you do not want your rate to change. If you opt out of the step-up, the fee rate and the Protected Income Base will be lowered to the value they were immediately prior to the step-up, adjusted for any additional Purchase Payments or Excess Withdrawals. This opt out will only apply for this single Account Value Step-up, and not to any subsequent Account Value Step-ups. You will need to notify us each time thereafter (if an Account Value Step-up would cause your fee rate to increase) if you do not want the Account Value Step-up.
The annual protected lifetime income fee rate will increase to the then current rate not to exceed the guaranteed maximum annual fee rate, if after the first Benefit Year anniversary cumulative Purchase Payments added to the Contract equal or exceed $100,000. You may not opt out of this protected lifetime income fee rate increase.See Living Benefit Riders.
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The fee will be discontinued upon termination of the rider. However, a portion of the protected lifetime income fee, based on the number of days the rider was in effect that quarter, will be deducted upon termination of the rider (except for death), surrender of the Contract, or the election of an Annuity Payout option, including i4LIFE®Advantage. If the Contract Value is reduced to zero, no further fee will be deducted.
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit Charge for Contractowners who transition from a Prior Rider (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only). If you have elected Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 (a "Prior Rider"), you may carry over certain features of that Prior Rider to transition to the applicable version of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. If you make this transition, your current charge rate of the Prior Rider will be the initial charge rate for your i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit rider.
This section applies to all of the transitions listed in the following chart. The charges and calculations described earlier in the i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit Charge section will not apply.
If your Prior Rider is...
you will transition to...
and the current initial
charge rate for your
Guaranteed Income Ben-
efit rider is…
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit
(version 4)
1.05% (0.2625% quarterly)
single life option
1.25% (0.3125% quarterly)
joint life option
The initial charge is a percentage of the greater of the Income Base carried over from the Prior Rider or the Account Value. The charge for i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit is deducted quarterly, starting with the first three-month anniversary of the effective date of i4LIFE®Advantage and every three months thereafter. The total Base Contract Expense charge for the Death Benefit you have elected on your base contract also applies: 1.302% for the EGMDB and 1.002% for the Account Value Death Benefit. Contractowners are guaranteed that in the future the guaranteed maximum charge rate for i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit will be the guaranteed maximum charge rate that was in effect at the time they purchased the Prior Rider.
The charge will not change unless there is an automatic step-up of the Guaranteed Income Benefit (described in the i4LIFE®Advantage section of this prospectus). At such time, the dollar amount of the charge will increase by a two part formula: 1) the charge will increase by the same percentage that the Guaranteed Income Benefit payment increased and 2) the charge will also increase by the percentage of any increase to the Prior Rider current charge rate. (The Prior Rider charge rate continues to be used as a factor in determining the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit charge.) This means that the charge may change annually. The charge may also be reduced if a withdrawal above the Regular Income Payment is taken. The dollar amount of the rider charge will be reduced in the same proportion that the withdrawal reduced the Account Value. The annual dollar amount is divided by four (4) to determine the quarterly charge.
The following example shows how the initial charge for i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) for purchasers of Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 is calculated as well as adjustments due to increases to the Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) and the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 charge. The example is a nonqualified contract and assumes the Contractowner is a 65-year old male on the effective date of electing i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4). Pursuant to the provisions of the Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) the initial Guaranteed Income Benefit is set at 4% of the Income Base based upon the Contractowner's age (see Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) for a more detailed description). The example also assumes that the current charge for Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 is 1.05% (single life option). The first example demonstrates how the initial charge is determined for an existing contract with an Account Value and Income Base.
1/1/14 Initial i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value $100,000
1/1/14 Income Base as of the last Valuation Date under Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 $125,000
1/1/14 Initial Annual Charge fori4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) ($125,000 x 1.05%) the current charge for Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 is assessed against the Income Base since it is larger than the Account Value $1,312.50
1/2/14 Amount of initial i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment (an example of how the Regular Income Payment is calculated is shown in the SAI) $5,173
1/2/14 Initial Guaranteed Income Benefit (4% x $125,000 Income Base) $5,000
The next example shows how the charge will increase if the Guaranteed Income Benefit is stepped up to 75% of the Regular Income Payment.
1/2/15 Recalculated Regular Income Payment (due to market gain in Account Value) $6,900
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1/2/15 New Guaranteed Income Benefit (75% x $6,900 Regular Income Payment) $5,175
1/2/15 Annual Charge for i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) ($1,312.50 x ($5,175/$5,000)) Prior charge x [ratio of increased Guaranteed Income Benefit to prior Guaranteed Income Benefit] $1,358.44
If the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 charge has also increased, subject to a maximum charge of 2.00%, the i4LIFE® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) charge will increase upon a step-up. (The Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 charge continues to be used in the calculation of the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) charge.)
Continuing the above example:
1/2/15 Annual Charge for i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) $1,358.44
1/2/16 Recalculated Regular Income Payment (due to Account Value increase) $7,400
1/2/16 New Guaranteed Income Benefit (75% x $7,400 Regular Income Payment) $5,550
Assume the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 charge increases from 1.05% to 1.15%.
1/2/16 Annual Charge for i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) ($1,358.44 x ($5,550/$5,175) x (1.15%/1.05%)) $1,595.63
The new annual charge for i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) is $1,595.63 which is equal to the current annual charge of $1,358.44 multiplied by the percentage increase of the Guaranteed Income Benefit ($5,550/$5,175) and then multiplied by the percentage increase to the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 current charge (1.15%/1.05%).
If the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 percentage charge is increased, we will notify you in writing. You may contact us in writing or at the telephone number listed on the first page of this prospectus to reverse the step-up within 30 days after the date on which the step-up occurred. If we receive this notice, we will decrease the percentage charge, on a going forward basis, to the percentage charge in effect before the step-up occurred. Any increased charges paid between the time of the step-up and the date we receive your notice to reverse the step-up will not be reimbursed. If the Guaranteed Income Benefit increased due to the step-up we would decrease the Guaranteed Income Benefit to the Guaranteed Income Benefit in effect before the step-up occurred, reduced by any additional withdrawals. Future step-ups as described in the rider would continue.
After the Periodic Income Commencement Date, if the Guaranteed Income Benefit is terminated, i4LIFE®Advantage will also be terminated and the i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit charge will cease.
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage Fee (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only). There is a fee associated with this rider as long as the rider is in effect. The current annual fee rate for both single and joint life options are listed in the following table.
Current Fee
Beginning January 11, 2021
1.25%
January 20, 2009 through January 10, 2021
0.90%
Prior to January 20, 2009
0.75%
The fee for your rider is based on the latest date of (a) the last Account Value Step-up of the Protected Income Base or (b) the Benefit Year anniversary following any deposit where cumulative Purchase Payments received after the first Benefit Year anniversary equal or exceed $100,000. If the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus was purchased, an additional 0.15% is added to your rider fee. See Appendix C - Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage - Protected Income Base for a description of the calculation of the Protected Income Base.
The fee is based on the Protected Income Base as increased for subsequent Purchase Payments, Account Value Step-ups, 5% Enhancements, and the 200% step-up and decreased for withdrawals. The 200% step-up is not available for riders purchased on and after October 5, 2009. We will deduct the cost of this rider from the Contract Value on a quarterly basis, with the first deduction occurring on the Valuation Date on or next following the three-month anniversary of the effective date of the rider. This deduction will be made in proportion to the value in each Subaccount of the Contract on the Valuation Date the protected lifetime income fee is assessed. The amount we deduct will increase or decrease as the Protected Income Base increases or decreases, because the fee is based on the Protected Income Base. Refer to Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage - Protected Income Base for a discussion and example of the impact of the changes to the Protected Income Base.
Since the Account Value Step-up could increase your Protected Income Base every Benefit Year (if all conditions are met), the fee rate could also increase every Benefit Year, but the rate will never exceed the guaranteed maximum annual fee rate of 1.50%. If your fee rate is increased, you may opt out of the Account Value Step-up by giving us notice within 30 days after the Benefit Year anniversary if you do not want your rate to change. If you opt out of the step-up, the fee rate and the Protected Income Base will return to the value they were immediately prior to the step-up, adjusted for additional Purchase Payments or Excess Withdrawals, if any. This opt-out will
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only apply for this particular Account Value Step-up and is not available if additional Purchase Payments would cause your fee to increase. You will need to notify us each time the fee rate increases if you want to opt out of subsequent Account Value Step-ups.
An increase in the Protected Income Base as a result of the 5% Enhancement or 200% step-up will not cause an increase in the annual protected lifetime income fee rate but will increase the dollar amount of the fee.
Once cumulative additional Purchase Payments into your annuity contract after the first Benefit Year equal or exceed $100,000, any additional Purchase Payment will cause the fee rate for your rider to change to the current fee rate in effect on the next Benefit Year anniversary, but the fee rate will never exceed the guaranteed maximum annual fee rate. The new fee rate will become effective on the Benefit Year anniversary. You cannot opt out of this fee rate increase.
The protected lifetime income fee will be discontinued upon termination of the rider. A portion of the protected lifetime income fee, based on the number of days the rider was in effect that quarter, will be deducted upon termination of the rider (except for death) or surrender of the Contract.
If the Protected Income Base is reduced to zero while the Contractowner is receiving a lifetime Maximum Annual Withdrawal, no protected lifetime income fee will be deducted.
If you purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus Option, an additional 0.15% of the Guaranteed Amount will be added to the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage charge. This total charge rate (which may change as discussed above) is in effect until the seventh Benefit Year anniversary. If you exercise your Plus Option, this entire rider and its charge will terminate. If you do not exercise the Plus Option, after the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, the 0.15% charge for the Plus Option will be removed and the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage rider and charge will continue. If you make a withdrawal prior to the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, you will not be able to exercise the Plus Option, but the additional 0.15% charge will remain on your Contract until the seventh Benefit Year anniversary.
Guaranteed Income Benefit Charge for Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage purchasers (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only).For purchasers of Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage who terminate their rider and purchase the Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2 or 3) which is purchased with i4LIFE®Advantage is subject to the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage charge rate that was in effect immediately prior to your transition to i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. This fee is added to your base contract expense and the i4LIFE®Advantage charge rate to comprise the total mortality and expense risk charge, which is based on Account Value (See Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Fee).
Purchasers of Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage are guaranteed that in the future the guaranteed maximum charge for the Guaranteed Income Benefit will be the guaranteed maximum charge then in effect at the time that they purchase Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage.
The Guaranteed Income Benefit charge rate will not change unless you elect an additional step-up period during which the Guaranteed Income Benefit is stepped-up to 75% of the current Regular Income Payment (described later). At the time you elect a new step-up period, the charge rate will change to the current charge rate in effect at that time (if the current charge rate has changed) up to the guaranteed maximum annual charge rate of 1.50% of the Account Value. If we automatically administer the step-up period election for you and your charge rate is increased, you may ask us to reverse the step-up period election by giving us notice within 30 days after the date on which the step-up period election occurred. If we receive this notice, we will decrease the charge rate, on a going forward basis, to the charge rate in effect before the step-up period election occurred. Any increased charges paid between the time of the step-up and the date we receive your notice to reverse the step-up will not be reimbursed. You will have no more step-ups unless you notify us that you wish to start a new step-up period (described in the i4LIFE® Advantage section of this prospectus).
After the Periodic Income Commencement Date, if the Guaranteed Income Benefit is terminated, the Guaranteed Income Benefit annual charge will also terminate but the i4LIFE®Advantage charge will continue.
Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage Charge (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only) (This rider is no longer available). While this rider is in effect, there is a charge for Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage. The current annual charge rate is:
1.
0.85% of the Guaranteed Amount (0.2125% quarterly) for Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option (the current annual charge rate will increase to 0.85% upon the next election of a step-up of the Guaranteed Amount); or
2.
0.85% of the Guaranteed Amount (0.2125% quarterly) for Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up, single life option (and also the prior version of Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up) (for riders purchased prior to May 20, 2013, the current annual charge rate will increase from 0.65% to 0.85% at the end of the 10-year annual step-up period if a new 10-year period is elected); or
3.
1.00% of the Guaranteed Amount (0.25% quarterly) for Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up, joint life option (for riders purchased prior to May 20, 2013, the current annual charge rate will increase from 0.80% to 1.00% at the end of the 10-year annual step-up period if a new 10-year period is elected). See Appendix C - Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - Guaranteed Amount for a description of the calculation of the Guaranteed Amount.
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The charge is based on the Guaranteed Amount (initial Purchase Payment if purchased at contract issue, or Contract Value at the time of election) as increased for subsequent Purchase Payments and step-ups and decreased for withdrawals. We will deduct the cost of this rider from the Contract Value on a quarterly basis, with the first deduction occurring on the Valuation Date on or next following the three-month anniversary of the effective date of the rider. This deduction will be made in proportion to the value in each Subaccount and any fixed account of the Contract on the Valuation Date the rider charge is assessed. In Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option and the prior version of the Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up (without the single or joint life option), the charge may be deducted in proportion to the value in the fixed account as well. The amount we deduct will increase or decrease as the Guaranteed Amount increases or decreases, because the charge is based on the Guaranteed Amount. Refer to Appendix C - Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - Guaranteed Amount for a discussion and example of the impact of changes to the Guaranteed Amount.
Under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option, the Guaranteed Amount will automatically step-up to the Contract Value on each Benefit Year anniversary up to and including the 10thBenefit Year if conditions are met as described in the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage section. Additional 10-year periods of step-ups may be elected. The annual rider charge rate will not change upon each automatic step-up of the Guaranteed Amount within the 10-year period.
If you elect to step-up the Guaranteed Amount for another 10-year step-up period (including if we administer the step-up election for you or if you make a change from a joint life to a single life option after a death or divorce), a portion of the rider charge, based on the number of days prior to the step-up, will be deducted on the Valuation Date of the step-up based on the Guaranteed Amount immediately prior to the step-up. This deduction covers the cost of the rider from the time of the previous deduction to the date of the step-up. After a Contractowner's step-up, we will deduct the rider charge for the stepped-up Guaranteed Amount on a quarterly basis, beginning on the Valuation Date on or next following the three-month anniversary of the step-up. At the time of the elected step-up, the rider charge rate will change to the current charge in effect at that time (if the current charge has changed), but it will never exceed the guaranteed maximum annual charge rate of 0.95% of the Guaranteed Amount for the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option or 1.50% of the Guaranteed Amount for the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option. If you never elect to step-up your Guaranteed Amount, your rider charge rate will never change, although the amount we deduct will change as the Guaranteed Amount changes. The rider charge will be discontinued upon the earlier of the Annuity Commencement Date, election of i4LIFE®Advantage or termination of the rider. A portion of the rider charge, based on the number of days the rider was in effect that quarter, will be deducted upon termination of the rider (except upon death) or surrender of the Contract.
Rider Charge Waiver.For the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option, after the later of the fifth anniversary of the effective date of the rider or the fifth anniversary of the most recent step-up of the Guaranteed Amount, the rider charge may be waived. For the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option, no rider charge waiver is available with the single life and joint life options. The earlier version of the Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option has a waiver charge provision which may occur after the fifth Benefit Year anniversary following the last automatic step-up opportunity.
Whenever the above conditions are met, on each valuation date the rider charge is to be deducted, if the total withdrawals from the Contract have been less than or equal to 10% of the sum of: (1) the Guaranteed Amount on the effective date of this rider or on the most recent step-up date; and (2) Purchase Payments made after the step-up, then the quarterly rider charge will be waived. If the withdrawals have been more than 10%, then the rider charge will not be waived.
4LATER®Advantage Fee (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only). There is a fee associated with this rider as long as the rider is in effect. The current annual fee rate is listed in the following table.
Current Fee
Beginning January 11, 2021
0.90%
January 20, 2009 through January 10, 2021
0.65%
Prior to January 20, 2009
0.50%
The fee for your rider is based on the latest date of the last automatic or elected reset of the Protected Income Base. The Protected Income Base (an amount equal to the initial Purchase Payment if purchased at contract issue, or Contract Value at the time of election if elected after the contract effective date), as adjusted, is a value that will be used to calculate the 4LATER® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. The Protected Income Base is increased for subsequent Purchase Payments, automatic 15% enhancements and resets, and decreased for withdrawals. An amount equal to the quarterly 4LATER®Advantage protected lifetime income fee rate multiplied by the Protected Income Base will be deducted from the Subaccounts on every three-month anniversary of the later of the 4LATER® Advantage rider effective date or the most recent reset of the Protected Income Base. This deduction will be made in proportion to the value in each Subaccount on the Valuation Date the 4LATER®Advantage protected lifetime income fee is assessed. The amount we deduct will increase as the Protected Income Base increases, because the fee is based on the Protected Income Base. As described in more detail below, the only time the Protected Income Base will change is when there are additional Purchase Payments, withdrawals, automatic enhancements at the end of the 3-year waiting periods or in the event of a reset to the current Account Value.
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Upon a reset of the Protected Income Base, a portion of the protected lifetime income fee, based on the number of days prior to the reset, will be deducted on the Valuation Date of the reset based on the Protected Income Base immediately prior to the reset. This deduction covers the cost of the 4LATER® Advantage rider from the time of the previous deduction to the date of the reset. After the reset, we will deduct the 4LATER®Advantage protected lifetime income fee for the reset Protected Income Base on a quarterly basis, beginning on the Valuation Date on or next following the three-month anniversary of the reset. At the time of the reset, the annual fee rate will be the current fee rate in effect at the time of reset. At the time of each reset (whether you elect the reset or we administer the reset for you), the annual fee rate will change to the current fee rate in effect at the time of the reset, not to exceed the guaranteed maximum charge rate of 1.50% of the Protected Income Base. At the time of reset, a new Waiting Period will begin. Subsequent resets may be elected at the end of each new Waiting Period. The reset will be effective on the next Valuation Date after notice of the reset is approved by us. If you never elect to reset your Protected Income Base, your 4LATER®Advantage protected lifetime income fee rate will never change, although the amount we deduct will change as your Protected Income Base changes.
Prior to the Periodic Income Commencement Date, a portion of the 4LATER® Advantage protected lifetime income fee, based on the number of days the rider was in effect that quarter, will be deducted upon termination of the 4LATER® Advantage rider for any reason other than death. On the Periodic Income Commencement Date, a portion of the 4LATER®Advantage protected lifetime income fee, based on the number of days the rider was in effect that quarter, will be made to cover the cost of 4LATER®Advantage since the previous deduction.
i4LIFE®Advantage with 4LATER®Guaranteed Income Benefit Charge for Contractowners who transition from 4LATER®Advantage (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only).The 4LATER®Guaranteed Income Benefit which is purchased i4LIFE® Advantage is subject to an annual charge rate of 4LATER®Advantage that was in effective immediately prior to your transition to i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. This fee is added to your base contract expense and the i4LIFE®Advantage charge to comprise the total mortality and expense risk charge, which is based on Account Value (See 4LATER®Advantage Fee).
On and after the Periodic Income Commencement Date, the 4LATER®Guaranteed Income Benefit charge will be added to the i4LIFE® Advantage charge rate as a daily percentage of average Account Value. This is a change to the calculation of the 4LATER® charge because after the Periodic Income Commencement Date, when the 4LATER®Guaranteed Income Benefit is established, the Income Base is no longer applicable. The 4LATER® charge rate is the same immediately before and after the Periodic Income Commencement Date; however, the charge is multiplied by the Protected Income Base (on a quarterly basis) prior to the Periodic Income Commencement Date and then multiplied by the average daily Account Value after the Periodic Income Commencement Date.
After the Periodic Income Commencement Date, the 4LATER® Guaranteed Income Benefit charge rate will not change unless the Contractowner elects additional 15-year step-up periods during which the 4LATER®Guaranteed Income Benefit is stepped-up to 75% of the current Regular Income Payment. At the time of a reset of the 15-year step-up period, the 4LATER® Guaranteed Income Benefit charge rate will change to the current charge rate in effect at that time (if the current charge rate has changed) up to the guaranteed maximum annual charge rate of 1.50% of Account Value. After we administer this election, you have 30 days to notify us if you wish to reverse the election (because you do not wish to incur the additional cost). If we receive this notice, we will decrease the charge rate, on a going forward basis, to the charge rate in effect before the step-up occurred.
After the Periodic Income Commencement Date, if the 4LATER®Guaranteed Income Benefit is terminated, the 4LATER®Guaranteed Income Benefit annual charge will also terminate but the i4LIFE®Advantage charge will continue.
Discontinued Living Benefit Riders
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 is a Living Benefit Rider that provides:
Guaranteed lifetime periodic withdrawals for you (and your spouse if the joint life option is selected) up to the Protected Annual Income amount which is based upon a Protected Income Base;
A 5% Enhancement to the Protected Income Base if certain criteria are met, as set forth below;
Account Value Step-ups of the Protected Income Base to the Contract Value if the Contract Value is equal to or greater than the Protected Income Base after the 5% Enhancement; and
Age-based increases to the Protected Annual Income amount (after reaching a higher age-band and after an Account Value Step-up).
Protected Annual Income payments are available after the younger of you or your spouse (joint life option) reach age 55 and are based upon specified percentages of the Protected Income Base. The specified withdrawal percentages of the Protected Income Base are age based and may increase over time. You may receive Protected Annual Income payments for your lifetime or for the lifetimes of you and your spouse if the joint life option is chosen.
Please note any withdrawals made prior to age 55 or that exceed the Protected Annual Income amount are considered Excess Withdrawals. In most states, amounts that are payable to any assignee or assignee's bank account are also considered Excess
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Withdrawals. Excess Withdrawals may significantly reduce your Protected Income Base as well as your Protected Annual Income amount by an amount greater than the dollar amount of the Excess Withdrawal and will terminate the rider if the Protected Income Base is reduced to zero. Withdrawals will also negatively impact the availability of the 5% Enhancement.
The Contractowner, Annuitant or Secondary Life may not be changed while this rider is in effect (except if the Secondary Life assumes ownership of the Contract upon death of the Contractowner), including any sale or assignment of the Contract as collateral.
Benefit Year.The Benefit Year is the 12-month period starting with the effective date of the rider and starting with each anniversary of the rider effective date after that. If your Benefit Year anniversary falls on a day that the New York Stock Exchange is closed, any benefit calculations scheduled to occur on that anniversary will occur on the next Valuation Date.
Protected Income Base.The Protected Income Base is a value used to calculate your Protected Annual Income amount. The Protected Income Base is not available to you as a lump sum withdrawal or a Death Benefit. The initial Protected Income Base varies based on when you elect the rider. If you elect the rider at the time you purchase the Contract, the initial Protected Income Base will equal your initial Purchase Payment . If you elect the rider after we issue the Contract, the initial Protected Income Base will equal the Contract Value on the effective date of the rider. The Protected Income Base is increased by subsequent Purchase Payments, 5% Enhancements, and Account Value Step-ups, and decreased by Excess Withdrawals in accordance with the provisions set forth below. The maximum Protected Income Base is $10 million, which includes the total guaranteed amounts under the Living Benefit Riders of all Lincoln Life Contracts (or Contracts issued by our affiliates) in which you (and/or spouse if joint life option) are the covered lives.
Additional Purchase Payments automatically increase the Protected Income Base by the amount of the Purchase Payment (not to exceed the maximum Protected Income Base). For example, a $10,000 additional Purchase Payment will increase the Protected Income Base by $10,000. Any Purchase Payment made after the initial Purchase Payment will be added immediately to the Protected Income Base and will result in an increased Protected Annual Income amount but must be invested in the Contract at least one Benefit Year before it will be used in calculating the 5% Enhancement. Any Purchase Payments made within the first 90 days after the effective date of the rider will be included in the Protected Income Base for purposes of calculating the 5% Enhancement on the first Benefit Year anniversary.
After the first anniversary of the rider effective date, once cumulative additional Purchase Payments exceed $100,000, additional Purchase Payments will be limited to $50,000 per Benefit Year without Home Office approval. If after the first Benefit Year cumulative additional Purchase Payments equal or exceed $100,000, the rider charge will change to the then current charge in effect on the next Benefit Year anniversary. Additional Purchase Payments will not be allowed if the Contract Value decreases to zero for any reason including market loss. No additional Purchase Payments are allowed if the Contract Value decreases to zero for any reason. No additional Purchase Payments are allowed after the Nursing Home Enhancement is requested and approved by us (as described later in this prospectus).
Excess Withdrawals reduce the Protected Income Base as discussed below. Withdrawals less than or equal to the Protected Annual Income amount will not reduce the Protected Income Base.
Since the charge for the rider is based on the Protected Income Base, the cost of the rider increases when additional Purchase Payments, Account Value Step-ups and 5% Enhancements are made, and the cost decreases as Excess Withdrawals are made because these transactions all adjust the Protected Income Base. In addition, the charge rate may change when Account Value Step-ups or 5% Enhancements occur as discussed below or additional Purchase Payments occur. See Charges and Other Deductions - Rider Charges.
5% Enhancement.You are eligible for a 5% Enhancement for at least 10 years from the effective date of the rider. On each Benefit Year anniversary during an Enhancement Period, the Protected Income Base, minus Purchase Payments received in the preceding Benefit Year, will be increased by 5% if:
a. the Contractowner/Annuitant (as well as the spouse if the joint life option is in effect) is under age 86;
b. there were no withdrawals in that preceding Benefit Year; and
c. the rider is within the Enhancement Period described below.
The original Enhancement Period is up to a 10-year period that begins on the effective date of the rider. A new Enhancement Period begins immediately following an Account Value Step-up. If during any Enhancement Period there are no Account Value Step-ups, the 5% Enhancements will stop at the end of the Enhancement Period and will not restart until the next Benefit Year anniversary following the Benefit Year anniversary upon which an Account Value Step-up occurs.
If you decline an Account Value Step-up during the Enhancement Period, you will continue to be eligible for the 5% Enhancements as long as you meet the conditions listed above. You may not opt out of the Account Value Step-up if an additional Purchase Payment made during that Benefit Year caused the charge for the rider to increase to the current charge.
Note: The 5% Enhancement is not available on any Benefit Year anniversary where there has been a withdrawal of Contract Value (including a Protected Annual Income payment) in that preceding Benefit Year. If you are eligible (as defined above) for the 5% Enhancement in the next Benefit Year, the enhancement will not occur until the Benefit Year anniversary of that year.
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Initial Purchase Payment = $100,000; Protected Income Base = $100,000
Additional Purchase Payment on day 30 = $15,000; Protected Income Base = $115,000
On the first Benefit Year anniversary, because the additional Purchase Payment is within the first 90 days after the effective date of the rider, the Protected Income Base will not be less than $120,750 (= $115,000 x 1.05).
Consider a further additional Purchase Payment on day 95 = $10,000; Protected Income Base = $125,000
This additional Purchase Payment is not eligible for the enhancement on the first Benefit year anniversary because it was received after the first 90 days after the effective date of the rider. It will not be eligible for the 5% Enhancement until the second Benefit Year anniversary. Therefore, on the first Benefit Year anniversary, the Protected Income Base will not be less than $130,750 (= $115,000 x 1.05 + $10,000).
As explained below, the 5% Enhancement and Account Value Step-up will not occur in the same year. If the Account Value Step-up provides an increase equal or greater than what the 5% Enhancement provides, you will not receive the 5% Enhancement. It is possible that this could happen each Benefit Year (because the Account Value Step-up provided a larger increase each year), and therefore the Enhancement would not apply. The 5% Enhancement or the Account Value Step-up cannot increase the Protected Income Base above the maximum Protected Income Base of $10 million.
An example of the impact of a withdrawal on the 5% Enhancement is included in the Withdrawal Amount section below.
Account Value Step-ups. The Protected Income Base will automatically step-up to the Contract Value on each Benefit Year anniversary if:
a.
the Contractowner/Annuitant (single life option), or the Contractowner/Annuitant and spouse (joint life option) are under age 86; and
b.
the Contract Value on that Benefit Year anniversary, after the deduction of any withdrawals (including surrender charges, the rider charge and account fee), plus any Purchase Payments made on that date is equal to or greater than the Protected Income Base after the 5% Enhancement (if any).
Each time the Protected Income Base is stepped up to the current Contract Value as described above, your charge rate for the rider will be the current charge rate for the rider, not to exceed the guaranteed maximum charge rate. Therefore, your charge rate for this rider could increase every Benefit Year anniversary. See Charges and Other Deductions - Rider Charges.
Each time the Account Value Step-up occurs a new Enhancement Period starts. The Account Value Step-up is available even in those years when a withdrawal has occurred.
If you decline an Account Value Step-up during the first ten Benefit Years, you will continue to be eligible for the 5% Enhancements through the end of the original Enhancement Period. You may not opt out of the Account Value Step-up if an additional Purchase Payment made during that Benefit Year caused the charge for the rider to increase to the current charge.
Following is an example of how the Account Value Step-ups and the 5% Enhancement impact the Protected Income Base and the potential for the charge to increase or decrease (assuming no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments):
Contract
Value
Protected Income Base with
5% Enhancement
Protected Income Base
Potential
for Charge
to Change
Initial Purchase Payment
$50,000
$50,000
N/A
$50,000
N/A
1stBenefit Year
anniversary
$54,000
$52,500
$54,000
Yes
2ndBenefit Year
anniversary
$53,900
$56,700
$56,700
No
3rdBenefit Year
anniversary
$56,000
$59,535
$59,535
No
4thBenefit Year
anniversary
$64,000
$62,512
$64,000
Yes
On the first Benefit Year anniversary, the Account Value Step-up increased the Protected Income Base to the Contract Value of $54,000 since the increase in the Contract Value is greater than the 5% Enhancement amount of $2,500 (5% of $50,000). On the second Benefit Year anniversary, the 5% Enhancement provided a larger increase (5% of $54,000 = $2,700). On the third Benefit Year anniversary, the 5% Enhancement provided a larger increase (5% of $56,700 = $2,835). On the fourth Benefit Year anniversary, the Account Value Step-up to the Contract Value was greater than the 5% Enhancement amount of $2,977 (5% of $59,535). An Account Value Step-up cannot increase the Protected Income Base beyond the maximum Protected Income Base of $10 million.
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Withdrawal Amount.You may make periodic withdrawals up to the Guaranteed Annual Income amount each Benefit Year for your (Contractowner) lifetime (single life option) or the lifetimes of you and your spouse (joint life option) as long as your Guaranteed Annual Income amount is greater than zero. You may start taking Guaranteed Annual Income withdrawals when you (single life option) or the younger of you and your spouse (joint life option) turns age 55.
The initial Protected Annual Income amount is calculated when you purchase the rider. If you (or younger of you and your spouse if the joint life option is elected) are under age 55 at the time the rider is elected the initial Protected Annual Income amount will be zero. If you (or the younger of you and your spouse if the joint life option is elected) are age 55 or older at the time the rider is elected the initial Protected Annual Income amount will be equal to a specified percentage of the Protected Income Base. Upon your first withdrawal the Protected Annual Income percentage is based on your age (single life option) or the younger of you and your spouse's age (joint life option) at the time of the withdrawal. For example, if you purchase Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 at age 58 (single life option), your Protected Annual Income percentage is 4.25% (see the table below). If you waited until you were age 65 (single life option) to make your first withdrawal your Protected Annual Income percentage would be 5.25%. During the first Benefit Year, the Protected Annual Income amount is calculated using the Protected Income Base as of the effective date of the rider (including any Purchase Payments made within the first 90 days after the effective date of the rider). After the first Benefit Year anniversary we will use the Protected Income Base calculated on the most recent Benefit Year anniversary for calculating the Protected Annual Income amount. After your first withdrawal the Protected Annual Income rate will only increase on a Benefit Year anniversary on or after you have reached an applicable higher age band and after there has also been an Account Value Step-up. If you have reached an applicable age band and there has not also been a subsequent Account Value Step-up, then the Protected Annual Income rate will not increase until the next Account Value Step-up occurs. If you do not withdraw the entire Protected Annual Income amount during a Benefit Year, there is no carryover of the remaining amount into the next Benefit Year.
Guaranteed Annual Income Percentages by Ages:
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0
Single Life Option
Joint Life Option
Age
Guaranteed Annual Income
amount percentage
Age
(younger of you and
your spouse's age)
Guaranteed Annual Income
amount percentage
55 - 58
4.00%
55 - 64
4.00%
59 +
5.00%
65 +
5.00%
If your Contract Value is reduced to zero for any reason other than for an Excess Withdrawal, withdrawals equal to the Protected Annual Income amount will continue automatically for your life (and your spouse's life if applicable) under the Protected Annual Income Amount Annuity Payout Option. You may not withdraw the remaining Protected Income Base in a lump sum. You will not be entitled to the Protected Annual Income amount if the Protected Income Base is reduced to zero as a result of an Excess Withdrawal. If either the Contract Value or the Protected Income Base is reduced to zero due to an Excess Withdrawal the rider will terminate.
Withdrawals equal to or less than the Protected Annual Income amount will not reduce the Protected Income Base. All withdrawals will decrease the Contract Value. Surrender charges are waived on cumulative withdrawals less than or equal to the Protected Annual Income amount.
The following example shows the calculation of the Protected Annual Income amount and how withdrawals less than or equal to the Protected Annual Income amount affect the Protected Income Base and the Contract Value. The example assumes a 4.50% Protected Annual Income rate and a Contract Value of $200,000:
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Contract Value on the rider's effective date
$200,000
Protected Income Base on the rider's effective date
$200,000
Initial Protected Annual Income amount on the rider's effective
date ($200,000 x 4.50%)
$9,000
Contract Value six months after rider's effective date
$210,000
Protected Income Base six months after rider's effective date
$200,000
Withdrawal six months after rider's effective date
$9,000
Contract Value after withdrawal ($210,000 - $9,000)
$201,000
Protected Income Base after withdrawal ($200,000 - $0)
$200,000
Contract Value on first Benefit Year anniversary
$205,000
Protected Income Base on first Benefit Year anniversary
$205,000
Protected Annual Income amount on first Benefit Year anniversary
($205,000 x 4.50%)
$8,713
Since there was a withdrawal during the first year, the 5% Enhancement is not available, but the Automatic Annual Step-up was available and increased the Protected Income Base to the Contract Value of $205,000. On the first anniversary of the rider's effective date, the Protected Annual Income amount is $8,713 (4.25% x $205,000).
Purchase Payments added to the Contract subsequent to the initial Purchase Payment will increase the Protected Annual Income amount by an amount equal to the applicable Protected Annual Income rate multiplied by the amount of the subsequent Purchase Payment. For example, assuming a Contractowner has a Protected Annual Income amount of $2,125 (4.25% of $50,000 Protected Income Base), an additional Purchase Payment of $10,000 increases the Protected Annual Income amount that Benefit Year to $2,700 ($2,250 + 4.50% of $10,000). The Protected Annual Income payment amount will be recalculated immediately after a Purchase Payment is added to the Contract.
5% Enhancements and Automatic Annual Step-ups will increase the Protected Income Base and thus the Protected Annual Income amount. The Protected Annual Income amount after the Protected Income Base is adjusted either by a 5% Enhancement or an Automatic Annual Step-up will be equal to the adjusted Protected Income Base multiplied by the applicable Protected Annual Income rate.
Nursing Home Enhancement.(The Nursing Home Enhancement is not available in certain states. Please check with your registered representative.) The Protected Annual Income rate will be increased to 10%, called the Nursing Home Enhancement, during a Benefit Year when the Contractowner/Annuitant is age 65 or older or the youngest of the Contractowner and spouse is 65 or older (joint life option), and once is admitted into an accredited nursing home or equivalent health care facility. The Nursing Home Enhancement applies if the admittance into such facility occurs 60 months or more after the effective date of the rider, the individual was not in the nursing home in the year prior to the effective date of the rider, and upon entering the nursing home, the person has been then confined for at least 90 consecutive dates. For the joint life option if both spouses qualify, the Nursing Home Enhancement is available for either spouse, but not both spouses. If no withdrawal had been taken since the rider's effective date, the Nursing Home Enhancement will be available when the Contractowner/Annuitant is age 65 or the youngest of the Contractowner and spouse is age 65 (joint life option). If a withdrawal has been taken since the rider's effective date, the Nursing Home Enhancement will be available on the next Benefit Year anniversary after the Contractowner/Annuitant is age 65 or the youngest of the Contractowner and spouse is age 65 (joint life option).
You may request the Nursing Home Enhancement by filling out a request form provided by us. Proof of nursing home confinement will be required each year. If you leave the nursing home, your Protected Annual Income amount will be reduced to the amount you would otherwise be eligible to receive starting after the next Benefit Year anniversary. Any withdrawals made prior to the entrance into a nursing home and during the Benefit Year that Nursing Home Enhancement commences, will reduce the amount available that year for the Nursing Home Enhancement. Purchase Payments may not be made into the Contract after a request for the Nursing Home Enhancement is approved by us and any Purchase Payments made either in the 12 months prior to entering the nursing home or while you are residing in a nursing home will not be included in the calculation of the Nursing Home Enhancement.
The requirements of an accredited nursing home or equivalent health care facility are set forth in the Nursing Home Enhancement Claim Form. The criteria for the facility include, but are not limited to: providing 24 hour a day nursing services; an available physician; an employed nurse on duty or call at all times; maintains daily clinical records; and able to dispense medications. This does not include an assisted living or similar facility. The admittance to a nursing home must be pursuant to a plan of care provided by a licensed health care practitioner, and the nursing home must be located in the United States.
The remaining references to the Protected Annual Income amount also include the Nursing Home Enhancement amount.
Excess Withdrawals.Excess Withdrawals are:
1.
the cumulative amounts withdrawn from the Contract during the Benefit Year (including the current withdrawal) that exceed the Protected Annual Income amount at the time of the withdrawal;
2.
withdrawals made prior to age 55 (younger of you or your spouse for joint life); or
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3.
withdrawals that are payable to any assignee or assignee's bank account.
When an Excess Withdrawal occurs:
1.
The Protected Income Base is reduced by the same proportion that the Excess Withdrawal reduces the Contract Value. This means that the reduction in the Protected Income Base could be more than the dollar amount of the withdrawal; and
2.
The Protected Annual Income amount will be recalculated to equal the applicable Protected Annual Income rate multiplied by the new (reduced) Protected Income Base (after the proportionate reduction for the Excess Withdrawal).
Your quarterly statements will include the Protected Annual Income amount (as adjusted for Protected Annual Income amount payments in a Benefit Year, Excess Withdrawals and additional Purchase Payments) available to you for the Benefit Year, if applicable, in order for you to determine whether a withdrawal may be an Excess Withdrawal. We encourage you to either consult with your registered representative or call us at the number provided in this prospectus if you have questions about Excess Withdrawals.
The following example demonstrates the impact of an Excess Withdrawal on the Protected Income Base, the Protected Annual Income amount and the Contract Value. The example assumes that the Contractowner makes a $12,000 withdrawal, which causes a $12,643 reduction in the Protected Income Base.
Prior to Excess Withdrawal:
Contract Value = $60,000
Protected Income Base = $85,000
Protected Annual Income amount = $3,613 (4.25% of the Protected Income Base of $85,000)
After a $12,000 Withdrawal ($3,613 is within the Protected Annual Income amount, $8,387 is the Excess Withdrawal):
The Contract Value is reduced by the amount of the Protected Annual Income amount of $3,613 and the Protected Income Base is not reduced:
Contract Value = $56,387 ($60,000 - $3,613)
Protected Income Base = $85,000
The Contract Value is also reduced by the $8,387 Excess Withdrawal and the Protected Income Base is reduced by 14.875%, the same proportion by which the Excess Withdrawal reduced the $56,387 Contract Value ($8,387 ÷ $56,387)
Contract Value = $48,000 ($56,387 - $8,387)
Protected Income Base = $72,357 ($85,000 x 14.875% = $12,644; $85,000 - $12,644 = $72,356)
Protected Annual Income amount = $3,075 (4.25% of $72,356 Protected Income Base)
On the following Benefit Year anniversary the Contract Value has been reduced due to a declining market, but the Protected Income Base is unchanged:
Contract Value = $43,000
Protected Income Base = $72,356
Protected Annual Income amount = $3,075 (4.25% x $72,356)
In a declining market, Excess Withdrawals may significantly reduce your Protected Income Base as well as your Protected Annual Income amount. This is because the reduction in the benefit may be more than the dollar amount withdrawn from the Contract Value. If either the Contract Value or the Protected Income Base is reduced to zero due to an Excess Withdrawal the rider will terminate.
Surrender charges are waived on cumulative withdrawals less than or equal to the Protected Annual Income amount. Excess Withdrawals will be subject to surrender charges unless one of the waivers of surrender charge provisions set forth in this prospectus is applicable. Continuing with the prior example of the $12,000 withdrawal: the $3,825 Protected Annual Income amount is not subject to surrender charges; the $8,175 Excess Withdrawal may be subject to surrender charges according to the surrender charge schedule in this prospectus. See Charges and Other Deductions - Surrender Charge.
Withdrawals from IRA contracts will not be considered Excess Withdrawals (even if they exceed the Protected Annual Income amount) only if the withdrawals are taken as systematic installments of the amount needed to satisfy the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a)(9). In addition, in order for this exception for RMDs to apply, the following must occur:
1.
Lincoln's automatic withdrawal service is used to calculate and pay the RMD;
2.
The RMD calculation must be based only on the value in this Contract;
3.
No withdrawals other than RMDs are made within the Benefit Year (except as described in the next paragraph); and
4. This Contract is not a beneficiary IRA.
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If your RMD withdrawals during a Benefit Year are less than the Protected Annual Income amount, an additional amount up to the Protected Annual Income amount may be withdrawn and will not be subject to surrender charges. If a withdrawal, other than an RMD is made during the Benefit Year, then all amounts withdrawn in excess of the Protected Annual Income amount, including amounts attributable to RMDs, will be treated as Excess Withdrawals.
Distributions from qualified contracts are generally taxed as ordinary income. Distributions from nonqualified contracts that are includable in gross income are also generally taxed as ordinary income. See Federal Tax Matters for information on determining what amounts are includable in gross income.
Protected Annual Income Payout Option.The Protected Annual Income Payout Option ("PAIPO") is an Annuity Payout option under which the Contractowner (and joint life if applicable) will receive annuity payments equal to the Protected Annual Income amount for life. This option is different from other Annuity Payout options, including i4LIFE®Advantage, which are based on your Contract Value. If you are required to take annuity payments because you have reached the Annuity Commencement Date, you have the option of electing the PAIPO. If the Contract Value is reduced to zero and you have a remaining Protected Income Base, you will receive the PAIPO.
Contractowners may decide to choose the Protected Annual Income Payout Option over i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit if they feel this may provide a higher final payment over time and they may place more importance on this payment over access to the Account Value. Payment frequencies other than annual may be available. You will have no other contract features other than the right to receive annuity payments equal to the Protected Annual Income amount for your life or the life of you and your spouse for the joint life option.
If you are receiving the PAIPO, the Beneficiary may be eligible to receive final payment upon death of the single life or surviving joint life. If the Account Value Death Benefit option was in effect immediately prior to electing the PAIPO, the Beneficiary will not be eligible to receive the final payment. The final payment is a one-time lump-sum payment. If the effective date of the rider is the same as the effective date of the Contract, the final payment will be equal to the sum of all Purchase Payments, decreased by withdrawals. If the effective date of the rider is after the effective date of the Contract, the final payment will be equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the rider, increased for Purchase Payments received after the rider effective date and decreased by withdrawals. Excess Withdrawals reduce the final payment in the same proportion as the withdrawals reduce the Contract Value; withdrawals less than or equal to the Protected Annual Income amount and payments under the PAIPO will reduce the final payment dollar for dollar.
Death Prior to the Annuity Commencement Date. Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 has no provision for a payout of the Protected Income Base or any other Death Benefit upon death of the Contractowners or Annuitant. At the time of death, if the Contract Value equals zero, no Death Benefit options (as described earlier in this prospectus) will be in effect. Election of Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 does not impact the Death Benefit options available for purchase with your annuity contract. All Death Benefit payments must be made in compliance with Internal Revenue Code Sections 72(s) or 401(a)(9) as applicable as amended from time to time. See The Contracts - Death Benefit.
Upon the death of the single life, this rider will end and no further Protected Annual Income amounts are available (even if there was a Protected Income Base in effect at the time of the death). If the Beneficiary elects to continue the Contract after the death of the single life (through a separate provision of the Contract), the Beneficiary may purchase a new Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 rider, if available, under the terms and charge in effect at the time of the new purchase. There is no carryover of the Protected Income Base.
Upon the first death under the joint life option, withdrawals up to the Protected Annual Income amount continue to be available for the life of the surviving spouse. The 5% Enhancement and Automatic Annual Step-up will continue if applicable as discussed above. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 will end and no further Protected Annual Income amounts are available (even if there was a Protected Income Base in effect at the time of the death).
As an alternative, after the first death, the surviving spouse, if under age 86, may choose to terminate the joint life option and purchase a new single life option, if available, under the terms and charge in effect at the time for a new purchase. In deciding whether to make this change, the surviving spouse should consider whether the change will cause the Protected Income Base and the Protected Annual Income amount to decrease.
Termination.After the fifth anniversary of the effective date of the rider, the Contractowner may terminate the rider by notifying us in writing of the request to terminate or by failing to adhere to Investment Requirements. Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 will automatically terminate:
on the Annuity Commencement Date (except payments under the Protected Annual Income Payout Option will continue if applicable);
if the Contractowner or Annuitant is changed (except if the surviving spouse assumes ownership of the Contract upon death of the Contractowner) including any sale or assignment of the Contract or any pledge of the Contract as collateral;
upon the death under the single life option or the death of the surviving spouse under the joint life option;
when the Protected Annual Income amount or Contract Value is reduced to zero due to an Excess Withdrawal;
on the date the Contractowner is changed due to an enforceable divorce agreement or decree; or
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upon surrender or termination of the underlying annuity contract.
The termination will not result in any increase in Contract Value equal to the Protected Income Base. Upon effective termination of this rider, the benefits and charges within this rider will terminate. If you terminate the rider, you must wait one year before you can elect any Living Benefit Rider available for purchase at that time.
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit option.Contractowners who previously elected Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 may decide later to transition to the applicable version of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. This transition must be made prior to the Annuity Commencement Date. You cannot have both i4LIFE®Advantage and another Living Benefit Rider in effect on your Contract at the same time. See Living Benefit Riders - Guaranteed Income Benefit Provisions for a discussion of this transition.
You should consider that not all i4LIFE® Advantage Death Benefit options will be available to you. Refer to the Expense Table: i4LIFE® Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit for Contractowners who previously purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage 2.0 for available Death Benefit options.
You should consider that the i4LIFE®Advantage Guarantee of Principal Death Benefit is not available with this product. You should consider that not all i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefit options will be available to you. Refer to the Expense Table: i4LIFE®Advantage with Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) for purchasers who previously purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage 2.0 for available Death Benefit options.
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
The Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage rider provides minimum, guaranteed, periodic withdrawals for your life as Contractowner/Annuitant (single life option) or for the lives of you as Contractowner/Annuitant and your spouse as joint owner or primary Beneficiary (joint life option) regardless of the investment performance of the Contract, provided that certain conditions are met. A minimum Protected Income Base is used to calculate the periodic withdrawals from your Contract, but is not available as a separate benefit upon death or surrender. The Guaranteed Amount is equal to the initial Purchase Payment (or Contract Value if elected after contract issue) increased by subsequent purchase payments, Account Value Step-ups, 5% Enhancements and the Step-up to 200% (if applicable to your Contract) of the initial Protected Income Base and decreased by withdrawals in accordance with the provisions set forth below. After the first anniversary of the rider effective date, once cumulative additional Purchase Payments exceed $100,000, additional Purchase Payments will be limited to $50,000 per Benefit Year without Home Office approval. No additional Purchase Payments are allowed if the Contract Value decreases to zero for any reason.
This rider provides annual withdrawals of 5% of the initial Protected Income Base called Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts. With the single life option, you may receive Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts for your lifetime. If you purchase the joint life option, Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts for the lifetimes of you and your spouse will be available. Withdrawals in excess of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount and any withdrawals prior to age 59 (for the single life option) or age 65 (for the joint life option) may significantly reduce your Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. Withdrawals will also negatively impact the availability of the 5% Enhancement, the 200% Step-up (if applicable to your Contract) and the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus. These options are discussed below in detail.
An additional option, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus provides that on the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, provided you have not made any withdrawals, you may choose to cancel your Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage rider and receive an increase in your Contract Value of an amount equal to the excess of your initial Protected Income Base (and Purchase Payments made within 90 days of rider election) over your Contract Value. Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus is discussed in detail below.
If you purchased this rider, you will be limited in how you can invest in the Subaccounts in your Contract. In addition, the fixed account is not available except for use with dollar cost averaging. See Appendix B - Investment Requirements - Option 3 if you purchased the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage on or after January 20, 2009. See Appendix B - Investment Requirements - Option 2 if you purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage prior to January 20, 2009.
We have designed the rider to protect you from outliving your Contract Value. If the rider terminates or you (or your spouse, if applicable) die before your Contract Value is reduced to zero, neither you nor your estate will receive any lifetime withdrawals from us under the rider. We limit your withdrawals to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount and impose Investment Requirements in order to minimizethe risk that your Contract Value will be reduced to zero before your (or your spouse's) death.
If the rider was elected at contract issue, then the rider was effective on the Contract's effective date. If the rider was elected after the Contract is issued (by sending a written request to our Home Office), the rider was effective on the next Valuation Date following approval by us. You may not simultaneously elect Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage with any other Living Benefit Rider.
Benefit Year.The Benefit Year is the 12-month period starting with the effective date of the rider and starting with each anniversary of the rider effective date after that. If your Benefit Year anniversary falls on a day that the New York Stock Exchange is closed, any benefit calculation scheduled to occur on that anniversary will occur on the next Valuation Date.
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Protected Income Base.The Protected Income Base is a value used to calculate your withdrawal benefit under this rider. The Protected Income Base is not available to you as a lump sum withdrawal or a Death Benefit. The initial Protected Income Base varies based on when you elect the rider. If you elected the rider at the time you purchased the Contract, the initial Protected Income Base equaled your initial Purchase Payment. If you elected the rider after we issued the Contract, the initial Protected Income Base equaled the Contract Value on the effective date of the rider. The maximum Protected Income Base is $10 million. This maximum takes into consideration the total Protected Income Bases from all Lincoln Life contracts (or contracts issued by our affiliates) in which you (or spouse if joint life option) are the covered lives under either the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage or Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage.
Additional Purchase Payments automatically increase the Protected Income Base by the amount of the Purchase Payment (not to exceed the maximum Protected Income Base); for example, a $10,000 additional Purchase Payment will increase the Protected Income Base by $10,000. After the first anniversary of the rider effective date, once cumulative additional Purchase Payments exceed $100,000, additional Purchase Payments will be limited to $50,000 per Benefit Year without Home Office approval. If after the first Benefit Year cumulative additional Purchase Payments equal or exceed $100,000, the charge for Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage will change to the then current charge in effect on the next Benefit Year anniversary. The charge will never exceed the guaranteed maximum annual charge. Additional Purchase Payments will not be allowed if the Contract Value decreases to zero for any reason including market loss.
The following example demonstrates the impact of additional Purchase Payments on the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage charge:
Initial Purchase Payment
$100,000
Additional Purchase Payment in Year 2
$95,000
No change to charge
Additional Purchase Payment in Year 3
$75,000
Charge will be the current charge
Additional Purchase Payment in Year 4
$25,000
Charge will be the current charge
Each withdrawal reduces the Protected Income Base as discussed below.
Since the charge for the rider is based on the Protected Income Base, the cost of the rider increases when additional Purchase Payments, Account Value Step-ups, 5% Enhancements and the 200% Step-up are made, and the cost decreases as withdrawals are made because these transactions all adjust the Protected Income Base. In addition, the percentage charge may change when cumulative Purchase Payments exceed $100,000 and also when Account Value Step-ups occur as discussed below.
5% Enhancement to the Protected Income Base.On each Benefit Year anniversary, the Protected Income Base, minus Purchase Payments received in the preceding Benefit Year, will be increased by 5% if the Contractowner/Annuitant (as well as the spouse if the joint life option is in effect) are under age 86 and the rider is within the 10 year period described below. Additional Purchase Payments must be invested in the Contract at least one Benefit Year before the 5% Enhancement will be made on the portion of the Protected Income Base equal to that Purchase Payment. Any Purchase Payments made within the first 90 days after the effective date of the rider will be included in the Protected Income Base for purposes of receiving the 5% Enhancement on the first Benefit Year anniversary.
Note: The 5% Enhancement is not available in any Benefit Year there is a withdrawal from Contract Value including a Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. A 5% Enhancement will occur in subsequent years after a withdrawal only under certain conditions. If you are eligible (as defined below) for the 5% Enhancement in the next year, the Enhancement will not occur until the Benefit Year anniversary of that year.
The following is an example of the impact of the 5% Enhancement on the Protected Income Base:
Initial Purchase Payment = $100,000; Protected Income Base = $100,000
Additional Purchase Payment on day 30 = $15,000; Protected Income Base = $115,000
Additional Purchase Payment on day 95 = $10,000; Protected Income Base = $125,000
On the first Benefit Year anniversary, the Protected Income Base is $130,750 ($115,000 times 1.05%=$120,750 plus $10,000). The $10,000 Purchase Payment on day 95 is not eligible for the 5% Enhancement until the second Benefit Year anniversary.
The 5% Enhancement will be in effect for 10 years from the effective date of the rider. The 5% Enhancement will cease upon the death of the Contractowner/Annuitant or upon the death of the survivor of the Contractowner or spouse (if joint life option is in effect) or when the oldest of these individuals reaches age 86. A new 10-year period will begin each time an Account Value Step-up to the Contract Value occurs as described below. As explained below, the 5% Enhancement and Account Value Step-up will not occur in the same year. If the Account Value Step-up provides a greater increase to the Protected Income Base, you will not receive the 5% Enhancement. The 5% Enhancement cannot increase the Protected Income Base above the maximum Protected Income Base of $10 million. For contracts purchased prior to January 20, 2009, the 5% Enhancement will be in effect for 15 years from the effective date of the rider, and a new 15-year period will begin following each Account Value Step-up.
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Any withdrawal from the Contract Value limits the 5% Enhancement as follows:
a.
The 5% Enhancement will not occur on any Benefit Year anniversary in which there is a withdrawal, including a Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, from the Contract during that Benefit Year. The 5% Enhancement will occur on the following Benefit Year anniversary if no other withdrawals are made from the Contract and the rider is within the 10-year period as long as the Contractowner/ Annuitant (single life option) is 59 or older or the Contractowner and spouse (joint life option) are age 65 or older.
b.
If the Contractowner/Annuitant (single life option) is under age 59 or the Contractowner or spouse (joint life option) is under age 65, and a withdrawal is made from the Contract, the 5% Enhancement will not occur again until an Account Value Step-up to the Contract Value (as described below) occurs.
An example of the impact of a withdrawal on the 5% Enhancement is included in the Withdrawals section below.
If your Protected Income Base is increased by the 5% Enhancement on the Benefit Year anniversary, your charge rate for the rider will not change. However, the amount you pay for the rider will increase since the charge for the rider is based on the Protected Income Base.
Account Value Step-ups of the Protected Income Base.The Protected Income Base will automatically step-up to the Contract Value on each Benefit Year anniversary if:
a.
the Contractowner/Annuitant (single life option), or the Contractowner and spouse (joint life option) are both still living and under age 86; and
b.
the Contract Value on that Benefit Year anniversary, after the deduction of any withdrawals (including surrender charges, the protected lifetime income fee and account fee), plus any Purchase Payments made on that date is greater than the Protected Income Base after the 5% Enhancement (if any) or 200% Step-up (if any, as described below).
Each time the Protected Income Base is stepped up to the current Contract Value as described above, your percentage charge for the rider will be the current charge for the rider, not to exceed the guaranteed maximum charge. Therefore, your percentage charge for this rider could increase every Benefit Year anniversary.
If your percentage rider charge is increased upon an Account Value Step-up, you may opt out of the Account Value Step-up by giving us notice within 30 days after the Benefit Year anniversary if you do not want your percentage charge for the rider to change. This opt out will only apply for this particular Account Value Step-up. You will need to notify us each time the percentage charge increases if you do not want the Step-up. If you decline the Account Value Step-up, you will receive the 200% Step-up (if you are eligible as described below) or the 5% Enhancement (if you are eligible as specified above); however, a new 10-year period for 5% Enhancements will not begin. You may not decline the Account Value Step-up, if applicable, if your additional Purchase Payments would cause your charge to increase. See the earlier Protected Income Base section.
Following is an example of how the Account Value Step-ups and the 5% Enhancement will work (assuming no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments and issue age above 59 (single life) or 65 (joint life):
Contract
Value
Guaranteed
Amount
Potential for
Charge to
Change
Length of 5%
Enhancement
Period
Initial Purchase Payment $50,000
$50,000
$50,000
No
10
1stBenefit Year anniversary
$54,000
$54,000
Yes
10
2ndBenefit Year anniversary
$53,900
$56,700
No
9
3rdBenefit Year anniversary
$57,000
$59,535
No
8
4thBenefit Year anniversary
$64,000
$64,000
Yes
10
On the first Benefit Year anniversary, the Account Value Step-up increased the Protected Income Base to the Contract Value of $54,000 since the increase in the Contract Value is greater than the 5% Enhancement amount of $2,500 (5% of $50,000). On the second Benefit Year anniversary, the 5% Enhancement provided a larger increase (5% of $54,000 = $2,700). On the third Benefit Year anniversary, the 5% Enhancement provided a larger increase (5% of $56,700=$2,835). On the fourth Benefit Year anniversary, the Account Value Step-up to the Contract Value was greater than the 5% Enhancement amount of $2,977 (5% of $59,535).
An Account Value Step-up cannot increase the Protected Income Base beyond the maximum Protected Income Base of $10 million.
Step-up to 200% of the initial Protected Income Base.If you purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage on or after October 5, 2009, the 200% Step-up will not be available. For Contractowners who purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage on or after January 20, 2009, but before October 5, 2009, on the Benefit Year anniversary after you (single life) or the younger of you and your spouse (joint life) reach age 65, or the rider has been in effect for 10 years, whichever event is later, we will step-up your Protected Income Base to 200% of your initial Protected Income Base (plus any Purchase Payments made within 90 days of rider election), less any withdrawals, if this would increase your Protected Income Base to an amount higher than that provided by the 5% Enhancement
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or the Account Value Step-up for that year, if applicable. (You will not also receive the 5% Enhancement or Account Value Step-up if the 200% Step-up applies.) This Step-up will not occur if:
1)
any withdrawal was made prior to age 59 (single life) or age 65 (joint life);
2)
an Excess Withdrawal (defined below) has occurred; or
3)
cumulative withdrawals totaling more than 10% of the initial Protected Income Base (plus Purchase Payments within 90 days of rider election) have been made (even if these withdrawals were within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount).
For example, assume the initial Protected Income Base is $200,000. A $10,000 Maximum Annual Withdrawal was made at age 65 and at age 66. If one more $10,000 Maximum Annual Withdrawal was made at age 67, the Step-up would not be available since withdrawals cannot exceed $20,000 (10% of $200,000).
If you purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage prior to January 20, 2009, you will not be eligible to receive the 200% Step-up of the Protected Income Base until the Benefit Year anniversary after you (single life) or the younger of you and your spouse (joint life) reach age 70, or the rider has been in effect for 10 years, whichever event is later.
This Step-up is only available one time and it will not occur if, on the applicable Benefit Year anniversary, your Protected Income Base exceeds 200% of your initial Protected Income Base (plus Purchase Payments within 90 days of rider election). Required minimum distributions (RMDs) from qualified contracts may adversely impact this benefit because you may have to withdraw more than 10% of your initial Protected Income Base. See the terms governing RMDs in the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amounts section below.
The following example demonstrates the impact of this Step-up on the Protected Income Base:
Initial Purchase Payment at age 55 = $200,000; Protected Income Base = $200,000; Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount = $10,000.
After 10 years, at age 65, the Protected Income Base is $272,339 (after applicable 5% Enhancements and two $10,000 Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amounts) and the Contract Value is $250,000. Since the Protected Income Base is less than $360,000 ($200,000 initial Protected Income Base reduced by the two $10,000 withdrawals times 200%), the Protected Income Base is increased to $360,000.
The 200% Step-up (if applicable to your Contract) cannot increase the Protected Income Base beyond the Maximum Protected Income Base of $10 million.
Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount.You may make periodic withdrawals up to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount each Benefit Year for your (Contractowner) lifetime (single life option) or the lifetimes of you and your spouse (joint life option) as long as you are at least age 59 (single life option) or you and your spouse are both at least age 65 (joint life option) and your Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is greater than zero.
On the effective date of the rider, the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is equal to 5% of the initial Protected Income Base. If you do not withdraw the entire Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount during a Benefit Year, there is no carryover of the extra amount into the next Benefit Year.
If your Contract Value is reduced to zero because of market performance, withdrawals equal to the remaining Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount for that Benefit Year will be paid in a lump sum. On the next rider anniversary, the scheduled amount will resume and continue automatically for your life (and your spouse if applicable) under the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payment Option (discussed later). You may not withdraw the remaining Protected Income Base in a lump sum.
Note: if any withdrawal is made, the 5% Enhancement is not available during that Benefit Year and the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage Plus is not available (see below). Withdrawals may also negatively impact the 200% Step-up (see above).
The tax consequences of withdrawals are discussed in Federal Tax Matters section of this prospectus.
All withdrawals you make, whether or not within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, will decrease your Contract Value. Surrender charges are waived on cumulative withdrawals less than or equal to the Protected Annual Income amount.
The Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will be doubled, called the Nursing Home Enhancement, during a Benefit Year when the Contractowner/Annuitant is age 59 or older or the Contractowner and spouse (joint life option), are both age 65 or older, and one is admitted into an accredited nursing home or equivalent health care facility. The Nursing Home Enhancement applies if the admittance into such facility occurs 60 months or more after the effective date of the rider (36 months or more for Contractowners who purchased this rider prior to January 20, 2009), the individual was not in the nursing home in the year prior to the effective date of the rider, and upon entering the nursing home, the person has been then confined for at least 90 consecutive days. Proof of nursing home confinement will be required each year. If you leave the nursing home, your Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will be reduced by 50% starting after the next Benefit Year anniversary.
The requirements of an accredited nursing home or equivalent health care facility are set forth in the Nursing Home Enhancement Claim Form. The criteria for the facility include, but are not limited to: providing 24 hour a day nursing services; an available physician; an employed nurse on duty or call at all times; maintains daily clinical records; and able to dispense medications. This does not
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include an assisted living or similar facility. For riders purchased on or after January 20, 2009, the admittance to a nursing home must be pursuant to a plan of care provided by a licensed health care practitioner, and the nursing home must be located in the United States.
The remaining references to the 5% Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount also include the Nursing Home Enhancement Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount.
The Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is increased by 5% of any additional Purchase Payments. For example, if the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount of $2,500 (5% of $50,000 Protected Income Base) is in effect and an additional Purchase Payment of $10,000 is made, the new Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is $3,000 ($2,500 + 5% of $10,000).
5% Enhancements, Account Value Step-ups and the 200% Step-up (if applicable to your Contract) will cause a recalculation of the eligible Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount to the greater of:
a.
the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount immediately prior to the 5% Enhancement, Account Value Step-up or 200% Step-up; or
b.
5% of the Protected Income Base on the Benefit Year anniversary.
See the chart below for examples of the recalculation.
The Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount from both Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage and Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage under all Lincoln Life Contracts (or Contracts issued by our affiliates) applicable to you (or your spouse if joint life option) can never exceed 5% of the maximum Protected Income Base.
Withdrawals after age 59 (single life option) or age 65 (joint life option). If the cumulative amounts withdrawn from the Contract during the Benefit Year (including the current withdrawal) after age 59 (single life) or age 65 (joint life) are within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, then:
1.
the withdrawal will reduce the Protected Income Base by the amount of the withdrawal on a dollar-for-dollar basis, and
2.
the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will remain the same.
The impact of withdrawals prior to age 59 or age 65 will be discussed later in this section. The following example illustrates the impact of Maximum Annual Withdrawals on the Protected Income Base and the recalculation of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount (assuming no additional Purchase Payments and the Contractowner (single life) is older than 59 and the Contractowner and spouse (joint life) are both older than 65):
Contract
Value
Guaranteed
Amount
Maximum Annual
Withdrawal Amount
Initial Purchase Payment $50,000
$50,000
$50,000
$2,500
1stBenefit Year anniversary
$54,000
$54,000
$2,700
2ndBenefit Year anniversary
$51,000
$51,300
$2,700
3rdBenefit Year anniversary
$57,000
$57,000
$2,850
4thBenefit Year anniversary
$64,000
$64,000
$3,200
The initial Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is equal to 5% of the Protected Income Base. Since withdrawals occurred each year (even withdrawals within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount), the 5% Enhancement of the Protected Income Base was not available. However, each year the Account Value Step-up occurred (1st, 3rdand 4thBenefit Year anniversaries), the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount was recalculated to 5% of the current Protected Income Base.
Withdrawals within the Protected Annual Income amount are not subject to surrender charges. Withdrawals from Individual Retirement Annuity contracts will be treated as within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount (even if they exceed the 5% Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount) only if the withdrawals are taken in systematic monthly or quarterly installments of the amount needed to satisfy the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a)(9). In addition, in order for this exception for RMDs to apply, the following must occur:
1.
Lincoln's monthly or quarterly automatic withdrawal service is used to calculate and pay the RMD;
2.
The RMD calculation must be based only on the value in this Contract;
3.
No withdrawals other than RMDs are made within that Benefit Year (except as described in next paragraph); and
4. No withdrawals are made before age 55 (the younger of you or your spouse).
If your RMD withdrawals during a Benefit Year are less than the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, an additional amount up to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount may be withdrawn and will not be subject to surrender charges. If a withdrawal, other than an RMD is made during the Benefit Year, then all amounts withdrawn in excess of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, including amounts attributed to RMDs, will be treated as Excess Withdrawals (see below).
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Distributions from qualified contracts are generally taxed as ordinary income. Distributions from nonqualified contracts that are includable in gross income are also generally taxed as ordinary income. See Federal Tax Matters for information on determining what amounts are includable in gross income.
Excess Withdrawals. Excess Withdrawals are the cumulative amounts withdrawn from the Contract during the Benefit Year (including the current withdrawal) that exceed the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. When Excess Withdrawals occur:
1.
The Protected Income Base is reduced by the same proportion that the Excess Withdrawal reduces the Contract Value. This means that the reduction in the Protected Income Base could be more than a dollar-for-dollar reduction.
2.
The Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will be immediately recalculated to 5% of the new (reduced) Protected Income Base (after the proportionate reduction for the Excess Withdrawal); and
3.
The 200% Step-up will never occur.
The following example demonstrates the impact of an Excess Withdrawal on the Protected Income Base and the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. A $12,000 withdrawal caused a $15,182 reduction in the Protected Income Base.
Prior to Excess Withdrawal:
Contract Value = $60,000
Protected Income Base = $85,000
Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount = $5,000 (5% of the initial Protected Income Base of $100,000)
After a $12,000 Withdrawal ($5,000 is within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, $7,000 is the Excess Withdrawal):
The Contract Value and Protected Income Base are reduced dollar for dollar for the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount of $5,000:
Contract Value = $55,000
Protected Income Base = $80,000
The Contract Value is reduced by the $7,000 Excess Withdrawal and the Protected Income Base is reduced by 12.73%, the same proportion that the Excess Withdrawal reduced the $55,000 Contract Value ($7,000 ÷ $55,000)
Contract Value = $48,000
Protected Income Base = $69,818 ($80,000 X 12.73% = $10,182; $80,000 - $10,182 = $69,818)
Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount = $3,491 (5% of $69,818)
In a declining market, withdrawals that exceed the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount may substantially deplete or eliminate your Protected Income Base and reduce or deplete your Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount.
Excess Withdrawals will be subject to surrender charges unless one of the waiver of surrender charge provisions set forth in your prospectus is applicable. Continuing with the prior example of the $12,000 withdrawal: the $5,000 Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is not subject to surrender charges; the $7,000 Excess Withdrawal may be subject to surrender charges. See Charges and Other Deductions - Surrender Charge.
Withdrawals before age 59/65. If any withdrawal is made prior to the time the Contractowner, is age 59 (single life) or the Contractowner and spouse (joint life) are both age 65, including withdrawals equal to Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts, the following will occur:
1.
The Protected Income Base will be reduced in the same proportion that the entire withdrawal reduced the Contract Value (this means that the reduction in the Protected Income Base could be more than a dollar-for-dollar reduction);
2.
The Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will be immediately recalculated to 5% of the new (reduced) Protected Income Base;
3.
The 5% Enhancement to the Protected Income Base is not available until after an Account Value Step-up to the Contract Value occurs. This Account Value Step-up will not occur until the Contract Value exceeds the Protected Income Base on a Benefit Year anniversary. (see the 5% Enhancement section above); and
4.
The 200% Step-up will never occur.
The following is an example of the impact of a withdrawal prior to age 59 for single or age 65 for joint:
$100,000 Purchase Payment
$100,000 Protected Income Base
A 10% market decline results in a Contract Value of $90,000
$5,000 Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount
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If a $5,000 withdrawal is made before age 59, the Protected Income Base will be $94,444 ($100,000 reduced by 5.56% ($5,000 ÷ $90,000) and the new Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is $4,722 (5% x $94,444). Surrender charges will apply unless one of the waiver of surrender charge provisions is applicable. See Charges and Other Deductions - Surrender Charge.
In a declining market, withdrawals prior to age 59 (or 65 if joint life) may substantially deplete or eliminate your Protected Income Base and reduce or deplete your Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount.
Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage Plus. If you have purchased Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus ("Plus Option"), on the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, you may elect to receive an increase in your Contract Value equal to the excess of your initial Protected Income Base, (plus any Purchase Payments made within 90 days of the rider effective date) over your current Contract Value. Making this election will terminate the Plus Option as well as Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage and the total charge for this rider and you will have no further rights to Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts or any other benefits under this rider. You have 30 days after the seventh Benefit Year anniversary to make this election, but you will receive no more than the difference between the Contract Value and the initial Protected Income Base (plus any Purchase Payments within 90 days of the rider effective date) on the seventh Benefit Year anniversary. If you choose to surrender your Contract at this time, any applicable surrender charges will apply.
You may not elect to receive an increase in Contract Value if any withdrawal is made, including Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts or RMDs, prior to the seventh Benefit Year anniversary. If you make a withdrawal prior to the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, the charge for this Plus Option (in addition to the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage charge) will continue until the seventh Benefit Year anniversary. After the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, the 0.15% charge for the Plus Option will be removed from your Contract and the charge for your Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage will continue.
If you do not elect to exercise the Plus Option, after the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, your Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage and its charge will continue and the Plus Option 0.15% charge will be removed from your Contract.
The following example illustrates the Plus Option upon the seventh Benefit Year anniversary:
Initial Purchase Payment of $100,000; Initial Protected Income Base of $100,000.
On the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, if the current Contract Value is $90,000; the Contractowner may choose to have $10,000 placed in the Contract and the Plus Option (including the right to continue the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage) will terminate at that time.
If you purchased the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSM Advantage Plus option, you have limited investment options until the seventh Benefit Year anniversary as set forth in the Investment Requirements section of this prospectus. After the seventh Benefit Year anniversary, if your Contract continues, you may invest in other Subaccounts in your Contract, subject to the Investment Requirements applicable to your purchase date of Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage.
Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payout Option. If you are required to annuitize your Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, because you have reached the Annuity Commencement Date, the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payout Option is available.
The Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payout Option is a fixed annuitization in which the Contractowner (and spouse if applicable) will receive annual annuity payments equal to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount for life (this option is different from other annuity payment options discussed in your prospectus, including i4LIFE®Advantage, which are based on your Contract Value). Payment frequencies other than annual may be available. You will have no other contract features other than the right to receive annuity payments equal to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount (including the Nursing Home Enhancement if you qualify) for your life or the life of you and your spouse for the joint life option.
If the Contract Value is zero and you have a remaining Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, you will receive the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payment Option.
If you are receiving the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payout Option, your Beneficiary may be eligible for a final payment upon death of the single life or surviving joint life. To be eligible the Death Benefit option in effect immediately prior to the exercise of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payout Option must notbe the Account Value Death Benefit.
The final payment is equal to the sum of all Purchase Payments, decreased by withdrawals in the same proportion as the withdrawals reduce the Contract Value; withdrawals less than or equal to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount and payments under the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Annuity Payout Option will reduce the sum of the Purchase Payments dollar for dollar. If your Death Benefit option in effect immediately prior to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payout Option provided for deduction for withdrawals on a dollar for dollar basis, then any withdrawals that occurred prior to the election of Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage will reduce the sum of all Purchase Payments on a dollar for dollar basis.
Death Prior to the Annuity Commencement Date. Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage has no provision for a payout of the Protected Income Base upon death of the Contractowners or Annuitant. In addition, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage provides no increase in value to the Death Benefit over and above what the Death Benefit provides in the base contract. At the time of death, if the Contract Value equals zero, no Death Benefit options (as described in the Death Benefit section of this prospectus) will be in effect.
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Election of the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage does not impact the Death Benefit options available for purchase with your annuity contract. All Death Benefit payments must be made in compliance with Internal Revenue Code Sections 72(s) or 401(a)(9) as applicable as amended from time to time. See The Contracts - Death Benefit.
Upon the death of the single life, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage will end and no further Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts are available (even if there was a Protected Income Base in effect at the time of the death). Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus will also terminate, if in effect. If the Beneficiary elects to continue the Contract after the death of the single life (through a separate provision of the Contract), the Beneficiary may purchase a new Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage rider if available under the terms and charge in effect at the time of the new purchase. There is no carryover of the Protected Income Base.
Upon the first death under the joint life option, the lifetime payout of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will continue for the life of the surviving spouse. The 5% Enhancement, 200% Step-up, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus and Account Value Step-up will continue if applicable as discussed above. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage will end and no further Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts are available (even if there was a Protected Income Base in effect at the time of the death). Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus will also terminate, if in effect.
As an alternative, after the first death, the surviving spouse may choose to terminate the joint life option and purchase a new single life option, if available, under the terms and charge in effect at the time for a new purchase. The surviving spouse must be under age 65. In deciding whether to make this change, the surviving spouse should consider: 1) if the change will cause the Protected Income Base and the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount to decrease and 2) if the single life rider option for new issues will provide an earlier age (59) to receive Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts.
Impact of Divorce on Joint Life Option. In the event of a divorce, the Contractowner may terminate the joint life option and purchase a single life option, if available, (if the Contractowner is under age 65) at the current rider charge and the terms in effect for new sales of the single life option.
After a divorce, the Contractowner may keep the joint life option to have the opportunity to receive lifetime payouts for the lives of the Contractowner and a new spouse. This is only available if no withdrawals were made from the Contract after the effective date of the rider up to and including the date the new spouse is added to the rider.
Termination. After the seventh anniversary of the effective date of the rider, the Contractowner may terminate the rider by notifying us in writing. Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage will automatically terminate:
Upon exercise of the Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage Plus option to receive an increase in the Contract Value equal to the excess of your initial Protected Income Base over the Contract Value;
on the Annuity Commencement Date (except payments under the Maximum Annual Withdrawal Amount Annuity Payment Option will continue if applicable);
if the Contractowner or Annuitant is changed (except if the surviving spouse under the joint life option assumes ownership of the Contract upon death of the Contractowner) including any sale or assignment of the Contract or any pledge of the Contract as collateral;
upon the death under the single life option or the death of the surviving spouse under the joint life option;
when the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is reduced to zero; or
upon termination of the underlying annuity contract.
The termination will not result in any increase in Contract Value equal to the Protected Income Base. Upon effective termination of this rider, the benefits and charges within this rider will terminate.
If you terminate the rider, you must wait one year before you can elect any other Living Benefit Rider available for purchase at that time.
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit Option. Contractowners who previously elected Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage may decide to later carry over their Protected Income Base to the applicable version of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. This decision must be made prior to the Annuity Commencement Date. Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 3) is available for Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage riders purchased on or after October 6, 2008 and prior to October 31, 2010. Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 2) is available for Lincoln Lifetime IncomeSMAdvantage riders purchased prior to October 6, 2008. You cannot have both i4LIFE® Advantage and another Living Benefit Rider in effect on your Contract at the same time.
Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage provides a minimum guaranteed amount (Guaranteed Amount) that you will be able to withdraw, in installments, from your Contract. The Guaranteed Amount is equal to the initial Purchase Payment (or Contract Value if elected after contract issue) adjusted for subsequent Purchase Payments, step-ups and withdrawals in accordance with the provisions set forth below. There are two options that step-up the Guaranteed Amount to a higher level (the Contract Value at the time of the step-up):
Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up or
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Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up
Under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up, the Contractowner has the option to step-up the Guaranteed Amount after five years. With the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option, the Guaranteed Amount will automatically step up to the Contract Value, if higher, on each Benefit Year anniversary through the 10thanniversary. With the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up, the Contractowner can also initiate additional 10-year periods of automatic step-ups.
You may access this Guaranteed Amount through periodic withdrawals which are based on a percentage of the Guaranteed Amount. With the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up single life or joint life options, you also have the option to receive periodic withdrawals for your lifetime or for the lifetimes of you and your spouse. These options are discussed below in detail.
If you purchased this rider, you are limited in how much you can invest in certain Subaccounts. See Appendix B - Investment Requirements.
If the benefit was elected at contract issue, then the rider was effective on the Contract's effective date. If the benefit was elected after the Contract was issued, the rider was effective on the next Valuation Date following approval by us.
Benefit Year. The Benefit Year is the 12-month period starting with the effective date of the rider and starting with each anniversary of the rider effective date after that. If the Contractowner elects to step-up the Guaranteed Amount (this does not include Automatic Annual Step-ups within a 10-year period), the Benefit Year will begin on the effective date of the step-up and each anniversary of the effective date of the step-up after that. The step-up will be effective on the next Valuation Date after notice of the step-up is approved by us. If your Benefit Year anniversary falls on a day that the New York Stock Exchange is closed, any benefit calculations scheduled to occur on that anniversary will occur on the next Valuation Date.
Guaranteed Amount. The Guaranteed Amount is a value used to calculate your withdrawal benefit under this rider. The Guaranteed Amount is not available to you as a lump sum withdrawal or a Death Benefit. The initial Guaranteed Amount varies based on when and how you elect the benefit. If you elected the benefit at the time you purchased the Contract, the Guaranteed Amount equals your initial Purchase Payment . If you elected the benefit after we issued the Contract, the Guaranteed Amount equals the Contract Value on the effective date of the rider. The maximum Guaranteed Amount is $5,000,000 under Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option and $10 million for Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option. This maximum takes into consideration the combined guaranteed amounts under the Living Benefit riders of all Lincoln Life contracts (or contracts issued by our affiliates) in which you (and/or spouse if joint life option) are the covered lives.
Additional Purchase Payments automatically increase the Guaranteed Amount by the amount of the Purchase Payment (not to exceed the maximum); for example, a $10,000 additional Purchase Payment will increase the Guaranteed Amount by $10,000. After the first anniversary of the rider effective date, once cumulative additional Purchase Payments exceed $100,000, additional Purchase Payments will be limited to $50,000 per Benefit Year without Home Office approval. Additional Purchase Payments will not be allowed if the Contract Value is zero.
Each withdrawal reduces the Guaranteed Amount as discussed below.
Since the charge for the rider is based on the Guaranteed Amount, the cost of the rider increases when additional Purchase Payments and step-ups are made, and the cost decreases as withdrawals are made because these transactions all adjust the Guaranteed Amount.
Step-ups of the Guaranteed Amount. Under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option, the Guaranteed Amount will automatically step up to the Contract Value on each Benefit Year anniversary up to and including the 10thBenefit Year if:
a.
the Contractowner or joint owner is still living; and
b.
the Contract Value as of the Valuation Date, after the deduction of any withdrawals (including surrender charges and Interest Adjustments), the rider charge and account fee plus any Purchase Payments made on that date is greater than the Guaranteed Amount immediately preceding the Valuation Date.
After the tenth Benefit Year anniversary, you may initiate another 10-year period of automatic step-ups by electing (in writing) to step-up the Guaranteed Amount to the greater of the Contract Value or the current Guaranteed Amount if:
a.
each Contractowner and Annuitant is under age 81; and
b.
the Contractowner or joint owner is still living.
If you choose, we will administer this election for you automatically, so that a new 10-year period of step-ups will begin at the end of each prior 10-year step-up period.
Following is an example of how the step-ups work in the Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option, (assuming no withdrawals or additional Purchase Payments):
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Contract
Value
Guaranteed
Amount
Initial Purchase Payment $50,000
$50,000
$50,000
1stBenefit Year anniversary
$54,000
$54,000
2ndBenefit Year anniversary
$53,900
$54,000
3rdBenefit Year anniversary
$57,000
$57,000
Annual step-ups, if the conditions are met, will continue until (and including) the 10thBenefit Year anniversary. If you had elected to have the next 10-year period of step-ups begin automatically after the prior 10-year period, annual step-ups, if conditions are met, will continue beginning on the eleventh Benefit Year anniversary.
Under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option, after the fifth anniversary of the rider, you may elect (in writing) to step-up the Guaranteed Amount to an amount equal to the Contract Value on the effective date of the step-up. Additional step-ups are permitted, but you must wait at least 5 years between each step-up.
Under both the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up and the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up options, Contractowner elected step-ups (other than automatic step-ups) will be effective on the next Valuation Date after we receive your request and a new Benefit Year will begin. Purchase Payments and withdrawals made after a step-up adjust the Guaranteed Amount. In the future, we may limit your right to step-up the Guaranteed Amount to your Benefit Year anniversary dates. All step-ups are subject to the maximum Guaranteed Amount.
A Contractowner elected step-up (including Contractowner step-ups that we administer for you to begin a new 10-year step-up period) may cause a change in the charge rate for this benefit. There is no change in the charge rate when automatic, annual step-ups occur during a 10-year period. See Charges and Other Deductions - Rider Charges - Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage Charge.
Withdrawals.You will have access to your Guaranteed Amount through periodic withdrawals up to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount each Benefit Year until the Guaranteed Amount equals zero.
On the effective date of the rider, the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is:
7% of the Guaranteed Amount under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option; and
5% of the Guaranteed Amount under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option.
If you do not withdraw the entire Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount during a Benefit Year, there is no carryover of the extra amount into the next Benefit Year. The Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is increased by 7% or 5% (depending on your option) of any additional Purchase Payments. For example, if the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option with a Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount of $2,500 (5% of $50,000 Guaranteed Amount) is in effect and an additional Purchase Payment of $10,000 is made the new Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is $3,000 ($2,500 + 5% of $10,000). Step-ups of the Guaranteed Amount (both automatic step-ups and step-ups elected by you) will step-up the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount to the greater of:
a.
the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount immediately prior to the step-up; or
b.
7% or 5% (depending on your option) of the new (stepped up) Guaranteed Amount.
If the cumulative amounts withdrawn from the Contract during the Benefit Year (including the current withdrawal) are within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, then:
1.
the withdrawal will reduce the Guaranteed Amount by the amount of the withdrawal on a dollar-for-dollar basis, and
2.
the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will remain the same.
Withdrawals within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount are not subject to surrender charges or the Interest Adjustment on the amount withdrawn from the fixed account, if applicable. See The Contracts - Fixed Side of the Contract.
If the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option is in effect, withdrawals from IRA contracts will be treated as within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount (even if they exceed the 5% Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount) only if:
Lincoln's automatic withdrawal services is used to calculate the RMD;
The RMD calculation must be based only on the value in this Contract;
No withdrawals other than RMDs are made within the Benefit Year; and
This Contract is not a beneficiary IRA.
Distributions from qualified contracts are generally taxed as ordinary income. Distributions from nonqualified contracts that are includable in gross income are also generally taxed as ordinary income. See Federal Tax Matters for information on determining what amounts are includable in gross income.
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When cumulative amounts withdrawn from the Contract during the Benefit Year (including the current withdrawal) exceed the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount:
1.
The Guaranteed Amount is reduced to the lesser of:
the Contract Value immediately following the withdrawal; or
the Guaranteed Amount immediately prior to the withdrawal; less the amount of the withdrawal.
2.
The Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will be the lesser of:
the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount immediately prior to the withdrawal; or
the greater of:
7% or 5% (depending on your option) of the reduced Guaranteed Amount immediately following the withdrawal (as specified above when withdrawals exceed the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount); or
7% or 5% (depending on your option) of the Contract Value immediately following the withdrawal; or
the new Guaranteed Amount.
The following example of the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option demonstrates the impact of an Excess Withdrawal on the Guaranteed Amount and the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. A $7,000 Excess Withdrawal caused a $32,000 reduction in the Guaranteed Amount.
Prior to Excess Withdrawal:
Contract Value = $60,000
Guaranteed Amount = $85,000
Maximum Annual Withdrawal = $5,000 (5% of the initial Guaranteed Amount of $100,000)
After a $7,000 Withdrawal:
Contract Value = $53,000
Guaranteed Amount = $53,000
Maximum Annual Withdrawal = $2,650
The Guaranteed Amount was reduced to the lesser of the Contract Value immediately following the withdrawal ($53,000) or the Guaranteed Amount immediately prior to the withdrawal, less the amount of the withdrawal ($85,000 - $7,000 = $78,000).
The Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount was reduced to the lesser of:
1. Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount prior to the withdrawal ($5,000); or
2. The greater of 5% of the new Guaranteed Amount ($2,650) or 5% of the Contract Value following the withdrawal ($2,650); or
3. The new Guaranteed Amount ($53,000).
The lesser of these three items is $2,650.
In a declining market, Excess Withdrawals may substantially deplete or eliminate your Guaranteed Amount and reduce your Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount.
Under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option for IRA contracts, the annual amount available for withdrawal within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount may not be sufficient to satisfy your required minimum distributions under the Internal Revenue Code. This is particularly true for individuals over age 84. Therefore, you may have to make withdrawals that exceed the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. Withdrawals over the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount may quickly and substantially decrease your Guaranteed Amount and Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, especially in a declining market. You should consult your tax advisor to determine if there are ways to limit the risks associated with these withdrawals. Such methods may involve the timing of withdrawals or foregoing step-ups of the Guaranteed Amount.
Excess Withdrawals will be subject to surrender charges (to the extent that total withdrawals exceed the free amount of withdrawals allowed during a Contract Year) and an Interest Adjustment on the amount withdrawn from the fixed account. Refer to the Statement of Additional Information for an example of the Interest Adjustment calculation.
Lifetime Withdrawals. (Available only with the Lincoln SmartSecurity® Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up single or joint life options and not the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option or the prior version of the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option).Payment of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will be guaranteed for your (Contractowner) lifetime (if you purchase the single life option) or for the lifetimes of you (Contractowner) and your spouse (if the joint life option is purchased), as long as:
1.
No withdrawals are made before you (and your spouse if a joint life) are age 65; and
2.
An Excess Withdrawal (described above) has not reduced the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount to zero.
If the lifetime withdrawal is not in effect, the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will last only until the Guaranteed Amount equals zero.
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If any withdrawal is made prior to the time you (or both spouses) are age 65, the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will not last for the lifetime(s), except in the two situations described below:
1.
If a step-up of the Guaranteed Amount after age 65 causes the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount to equal or increase from the immediately prior Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. This typically occurs if the Contract Value equals or exceeds the highest, prior Guaranteed Amount. If this happens, the new Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will automatically be available for the specified lifetime(s); or
2.
The Contractowner makes a one-time election to reset the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount to 5% of the current Guaranteed Amount. This reset will occur on the first Valuation Date following the Benefit Year anniversary and will be based on the Guaranteed Amount as of that Valuation Date. This will reduce your Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. A Contractowner would only choose this if the above situation did not occur. To reset the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, the following must occur:
a. the Contractowner (and spouse if applicable) is age 65;
b. the Contract is currently within a 10-year automatic step-up period described above (or else a Contractowner submits a step-up request to start a new 10-year automatic step-up period) (the Contractowner must be eligible to elect a step-up; i.e., all Contractowners and the Annuitant must be alive and under age 81); and
c. you have submitted this request to us in writing at least 30 days prior to the end of the Benefit Year.
As an example of these two situations, if you purchased the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up single life with $100,000, your initial Guaranteed Amount is $100,000 and your initial Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount is $5,000. If you make a $5,000 withdrawal at age 62, your Guaranteed Amount will decrease to $95,000. Since you did not satisfy the age 65 requirement, you do not have a lifetime Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. If a step-up of the Guaranteed Amount after age 65 (either automatic or Contractowner-elected) causes the Guaranteed Amount to equal or exceed $100,000, then the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount of $5,000 (or greater) will become a lifetime payout. This is the first situation described above. However, if the Guaranteed Amount has not been reset to equal or exceed the highest prior Guaranteed Amount, then you can choose the second situation described above if you are age 65 and the Contract is within a 10-year automatic step-up period. This will reset the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount to 5% of the current Guaranteed Amount; 5% of $95,000 is $4,750. This is your new Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount which can be paid for your lifetime unless Excess Withdrawals are made.
The tax consequences of withdrawals and annuity payments are discussed in Federal Tax Matters.
All withdrawals you make, whether or not within the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, will decrease your Contract Value. If the Contract is surrendered, the Contractowner will receive the Contract Value (less any applicable charges, fees, and taxes) and not the Guaranteed Amount.
If your Contract Value is reduced to zero because of market performance, withdrawals equal to the remaining Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount for that Benefit Year will be paid in a lump sum. On the next rider anniversary, the scheduled amount will resume and continue for the life of you (and your spouse if applicable) if the lifetime withdrawals are in effect. If not, the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will continue until the Guaranteed Amount equals zero. You may not withdraw the remaining Guaranteed Amount in a lump sum.
Guaranteed Amount Annuity Payment Option. If you desire to annuitize your Guaranteed Amount, the Guaranteed Amount Annuity Payment Option is available.
The Guaranteed Amount Annuity Payment Option is a fixed annuitization in which the Contractowner (and spouse if applicable) will receive the Guaranteed Amount in annual annuity payments equal to the current 7% or 5% (depending on your option) Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, including the lifetime Maximum Annual Withdrawals if in effect (this option is different from other annuity payment options discussed in this prospectus, including i4LIFE®Advantage, which are based on your Contract Value). Payment frequencies other than annual may be available. Payments will continue until the Guaranteed Amount equals zero and may continue until death if the lifetime Maximum Annual Withdrawal is in effect. This may result in a partial, final payment. You would consider this option only if your Contract Value is less than the Guaranteed Amount (and you don't believe the Contract Value will ever exceed the Guaranteed Amount) and you do not wish to keep your annuity contract in force other than to pay out the Guaranteed Amount. You will have no other contract features other than the right to receive annuity payments equal to the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount until the Guaranteed Amount equals zero.
If the Contract Value is zero and you have a remaining Guaranteed Amount, you may not withdraw the remaining Guaranteed Amount in a lump sum, but must elect the Guaranteed Amount Annuity Payment Option.
Death Prior to the Annuity Commencement Date.There is no provision for a lump sum payout of the Guaranteed Amount upon death of the Contractowners or Annuitant. In addition, Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage provides no increase in the Death Benefit value over and above what the Death Benefit provides in the base contract. At the time of death, if the Contract Value equals zero, no
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Death Benefit will be paid other than any applicable Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts. All Death Benefit payments must be made in compliance with Internal Revenue Code Sections 72(s) or 401(a)(9) as applicable as amended from time to time. See The Contracts - Death Benefit.
Upon the death of the single life under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up - single life option, the lifetime payout of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, if in effect, will end. If the Contract is continued as discussed below, the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will continue until the Guaranteed Amount, if any, is zero. In the alternative, the surviving spouse can choose to become the new single life, if the surviving spouse is under age 81. This will cause a reset of the Guaranteed Amount and the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. The new Guaranteed Amount will equal the Contract Value on the date of the reset and the new Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will be 5% of the new Guaranteed Amount. This also starts a new 10-year period of automatic step-ups. At this time, the charge for the rider will become the current charge in effect for the single life option. The surviving spouse will need to be 65 before taking withdrawals to qualify for a lifetime payout. In deciding whether to make this change, the surviving spouse should consider:
1.
the change a reset would cause to the Guaranteed Amount and the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount;
2.
whether it is important to have Maximum Annual Withdrawal amounts for life or only until the Guaranteed Amount is reduced to zero; and
3.
the cost of the single life option.
Upon the first death under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up - joint life option, the lifetime payout of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, if in effect, will continue for the life of the surviving spouse. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the lifetime payout of the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will end. However, if the spouse's Beneficiary elects to take the annuity Death Benefit in installments over life expectancy, the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will continue until the Guaranteed Amount, if any, is zero (see below for a non-spouse Beneficiary). As an alternative, after the first death, the surviving spouse may choose to change from the joint life option to the single life option, if the surviving spouse is under age 81. This will cause a reset of the Guaranteed Amount and the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount. The new Guaranteed Amount will equal the Contract Value on the date of the reset and the new Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will be 5% of the new Guaranteed Amount. This also starts a new 10-year period of automatic step-ups. At this time, the charge for the rider will become the current charge in effect for the single life option. In deciding whether to make this change, the surviving spouse should consider: 1) if the reset will cause the Guaranteed Amount and the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount to decrease and 2) if the cost of the single life option is less than the cost of the joint life option.
If the surviving spouse of the deceased Contractowner continues the Contract, the remaining automatic step-ups under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option, will apply to the spouse as the new Contractowner. Under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 5 Year Elective Step-up option, the new Contractowner is eligible to elect to step up the Guaranteed Amount prior to the next available step-up date; however, all other conditions for the step-up apply and any subsequent step-up by the new Contractowner must meet all conditions for a step-up.
If a non-spouse Beneficiary elects to receive the Death Benefit in installments over life expectancy (thereby keeping the Contract in force), the Beneficiary may continue the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage if desired. Automatic step-ups under the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage - 1 Year Automatic Step-up option will not continue and elective step-ups of the Guaranteed Amount under both options will not be permitted. In the event the Contract Value declines below the Guaranteed Amount (as adjusted for withdrawals of Death Benefit payments), the Beneficiary is assured of receiving payments equal to the Guaranteed Amount (as adjusted). Deductions for the rider charge will continue on a quarterly basis and will be charged against the remaining Guaranteed Amount. Note: there are instances where the required installments of the Death Benefit, in order to be in compliance with the Internal Revenue Code as noted above, may exceed the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount, thereby reducing the benefit of this rider. If there are multiple Beneficiaries, each Beneficiary will be entitled to continue a share of the Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage equal to his or her share of the Death Benefit.
Impact of Divorce on Joint Life Option.In the event of a divorce, the Contractowner may change from a joint life option to a single life option (if available) (if the Contractowner is under age 81) at the current rider charge of the single life option. At the time of the change, the Guaranteed Amount will be reset to the current Contract Value and the Maximum Annual Withdrawal amount will equal 5% of this new Guaranteed Amount.
After a divorce, the Contractowner may keep the joint life option to have the opportunity to receive lifetime payouts for the lives of the Contractowner and a new spouse. This is only available if no withdrawals were made from the Contract after the effective date of the rider up to and including the date the new spouse is added to the rider.
Termination.After the later of the fifth Benefit Year anniversary of the effective date of the rider or the fifth Benefit Year anniversary of the most recent Contractowner-elected step-up, including any step-up we administered for you, of the Guaranteed Amount, the Contractowner may terminate the rider by notifying us in writing. After this time, the rider will also terminate if the Contractowner fails to adhere to the Investment Requirements. Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage will automatically terminate:
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on the Annuity Commencement Date (except payments under the Guaranteed Amount Annuity Payment Option will continue if applicable);
upon the election of i4LIFE®Advantage;
if the Contractowner or Annuitant is changed (except if the surviving spouse assumes ownership of the Contract upon death of the Contractowner) including any sale or assignment of the Contract or any pledge of the Contract as collateral;
upon the last payment of the Guaranteed Amount unless the lifetime Maximum Annual Withdrawal is in effect;
when the Maximum Annual Withdrawal or Contract Value is reduced to zero due to an Excess Withdrawal; or
upon termination of the underlying annuity contract.
The termination will not result in any increase in Contract Value equal to the Guaranteed Amount. Upon effective termination of this rider, the benefits and charges within this rider will terminate.
If you terminate the rider, you must wait one year before you can purchase any Living Benefit Rider available for purchase at that time.
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit Option.Contractowners who previously elected Lincoln SmartSecurity®Advantage may decide to later carry over their Guaranteed Amount to i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4). The charge (see Expense Table C), Guaranteed Income Benefit percentages, Access Period requirements, and Investment Requirements will be those that currently apply to new elections of i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. This decision must be made prior to the Annuity Commencement date. You cannot have both i4LIFE®Advantage and another Living Benefit Rider in effect on your Contract at the same time.
4LATER®Advantage (for Nonqualified Contracts or IRAs only)
4LATER®Advantage (or "4LATER®") provides protection against market loss for your i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payments. 4LATER®Advantage includes the calculation of an Protected Income Base (described below), prior to the time Regular Income Payments begin, which is then used to establish a minimum payout floor for the Regular Income Payments. The minimum payout floor called the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit ensures that once you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, you will always receive a payout amount at least equal to the Guaranteed Income Benefit, regardless of market performance. Election of this rider may limit how much you can invest in certain Subaccounts. See Appendix B - Investment Requirements - Option 1. 4LATER®Advantage is available for nonqualified contracts and IRAs only.
4LATER®Advantage Prior to i4LIFE®Advantage
The following discussion covers the operation of 4LATER® Advantage during the accumulation phase of your annuity. This is prior to the time i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payments begin.
Protected Income Base.The Protected Income Base is a value established when you purchase 4LATER®Advantage and will only be used to calculate the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit at a later date. The Protected Income Base is not available for withdrawals or as a Death Benefit. If you elect 4LATER®Advantage at the time you purchase the Contract, the Protected Income Base initially equals the Purchase Payments. If you elect 4LATER®Advantage after we issue the Contract, the Protected Income Base will initially equal the Contract Value on the 4LATER®Advantage rider effective date. After the first anniversary of the rider effective date, once cumulative additional Purchase Payments exceed $100,000, additional Purchase Payments will be limited to $50,000 per Benefit Year without Home Office approval. Additional Purchase Payments automatically increase the Protected Income Base by the amount of the Purchase Payments. Each withdrawal reduces the Protected Income Base in the same proportion as the amount withdrawn reduces the Contract Value on the valuation date of the withdrawal.
As described below, during the accumulation period, the Protected Income Base will be automatically enhanced by 15% (adjusted for additional Purchase Payments and withdrawals as described in the Future Protected Income Base section below) at the end of each Waiting Period. In addition, after the Initial Waiting Period, you may elect to reset your Protected Income Base to the current Contract Value if your Contract Value has grown beyond the 15% enhancement. You may elect this reset on your own or you may choose to have Lincoln Life automatically reset the Protected Income Base for you at the end of each Waiting Period. These reset options are discussed below. Then, when you are ready to elect i4LIFE®Advantage and establish the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, the Protected Income Base is used in the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit calculation.
Waiting Period.The Waiting Period is each consecutive 3-year period which begins on the 4LATER® Advantage rider effective date, or on the date of any reset of the Protected Income Base to the Contract Value. At the end of each completed Waiting Period, the Protected Income Base is increased by 15% (as adjusted for Purchase Payments and withdrawals) to equal the Future Protected Income Base as discussed below. The Waiting Period is also the amount of time that must pass before the Protected Income Base can be reset to the current Contract Value. A new Waiting Period begins after each reset and must be completed before the next 15% enhancement or another reset occurs.
Future Protected Income Base. 4LATER®Advantage provides a 15% automatic enhancement to the Protected Income Base after a 3-year Waiting Period. This enhancement will continue every 3 years until i4LIFE®Advantage is elected, you terminate 4LATER® Advantage or you reach the Maximum Protected Income Base. See Maximum Protected Income Base. During the Waiting Period, the
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Future Protected Income Base is established to provide the value of this 15% enhancement on the Protected Income Base. After each 3-year Waiting Period is satisfied, the Protected Income Base is increased to equal the value of the future Protected Income Base. The 4LATER®Advantage charge will then be assessed on this newly adjusted Protected Income Base, but the charge rate will not change.
Any Purchase Payment made after the 4LATER®Advantage rider Effective Date, but within 90 days of the contract effective date, will increase the Future Protected Income Base by the amount of the Purchase Payment plus 15% of that Purchase Payment.
Example:
Initial Purchase Payment
$100,000
Purchase Payment 60 days later
$10,000
Protected Income Base
$110,000
Future Protected Income Base (during the 1stWaiting Period)
$126,500
($110,000 x 115%)
Protected Income Base (after 1stWaiting Period)
$126,500
New Future Protected Income Base (during 2ndWaiting Period)
$145,475
($126,500 x 115%)
Any Purchase Payments made after the 4LATER®Advantage rider Effective Date and more than 90 days after the contract effective date will increase the future Protected Income Base by the amount of the Purchase Payment plus 15% of that Purchase Payment proportionately for the number of full years remaining in the current Waiting Period.
Example:
Protected Income Base
$100,000
Purchase Payment in Year 2
$10,000
New Protected Income Base
$110,000
Future Protected Income Base (during 1stWaiting Period-Year 2)
$125,500
($100,000 x 115%) + ($10,000 x 100%) +
(10,000 x 15% x 1/3)
Protected Income Base (after 1stWaiting Period)
$125,500
New Future Protected Income Base (during 2ndWaiting Period)
$144,325
(125,500 x 115%)
Withdrawals reduce the future Protected Income Base in the same proportion as the amount withdrawn reduces the Contract Value on the Valuation Date of the withdrawal.
During any subsequent Waiting Periods, if you elect to reset the Protected Income Base to the Contract Value, the future Protected Income Base will equal 115% of the Contract Value on the date of the reset and a new Waiting Period will begin. See Resets of the Protected Income Base to the current Contract Value below.
In all situations, the Future Protected Income Base is subject to the Maximum Protected Income Base described below. The future Protected Income Base is never available to the Contractowner to establish a 4LATER® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, but is the value the Protected Income Base will become at the end of the Waiting Period.
Maximum Protected Income Base.The Maximum Protected Income Base is equal to 200% of the Protected Income Base on the 4LATER®Advantage rider effective date. The Maximum Protected Income Base will be increased by 200% of any additional Purchase Payments. In all circumstances, the Maximum Protected Income Base can never exceed $10 million.
After a reset to the current Contract Value, the Maximum Protected Income Base will equal 200% of the Contract Value on the Valuation Date of the reset not to exceed $10 million.
Each withdrawal will reduce the Maximum Protected Income Base in the same proportion as the amount withdrawn reduces the Contract Value on the Valuation Date of the withdrawal.
Example:
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Protected Income Base
$100,000
Maximum Protected Income Base
$200,000
Purchase Payment in Year 2
$10,000
Increase to Maximum Protected Income Base
$20,000
New Protected Income Base
$110,000
New Maximum Protected Income Base
$220,000
Future Protected Income Base after Purchase
Payment
$125,500
Maximum Protected Income Base
$220,000
Protected Income Base (after 1stWaiting
Period)
$125,500
Future Protected Income Base (during 2nd
Waiting Period)
$144,325
Maximum Protected Income Base
$220,000
Contract Value in Year 4
$112,000
Withdrawal of 10%
$11,200
After Withdrawal (10% adjustment)
Contract Value
$100,800
Protected Income Base
$112,950
Future Protected Income Base
$129,893
Maximum Protected Income Base
$198,000
Resets of the Protected Income Base to the current Contract Value ("Resets").You may elect to reset the Protected Income Base to the current Contract Value at any time after the initial Waiting Period following: (a) the 4LATER® Advantage rider effective date or (b) any prior reset of the Protected Income Base. Resets are subject to a maximum of $10 million and the Annuitant must be under age 81. You might consider resetting the Protected Income Base if your Contract Value has increased above the Protected Income Base (including the 15% automatic enhancements) and you want to lock-in this increased amount to use when setting the Guaranteed Income Benefit. If the Protected Income Base is reset to the Contract Value, the 15% automatic enhancement will not apply until the end of the next Waiting Period.
This reset may be elected by sending a written request to our Home Office or by specifying at the time of purchase that you would like us to administer this reset election for you. If you want us to administer this reset for you, at the end of each 3-year Waiting Period, if the Contract Value is higher than the Protected Income Base (after the Protected Income Base has been reset to the future Protected Income Base), we will implement this election and the Protected Income Base will be equal to the Contract Value on that date. We will notify you that a reset has occurred. This will continue until you elect i4LIFE®Advantage, the Annuitant reaches age 81, or you reach the Maximum Protected Income Base. If we administer this reset election for you, you have 30 days after the election to notify us if you wish to reverse this election and have your Protected Income Base increased to the future Protected Income Base instead. You may wish to reverse this election if you are not interested in the increased charge. If the Contract Value is less than the Protected Income Base on any reset date, we will not administer this reset. We will not attempt to administer another reset until the end of the next 3-year Waiting Period; however, you have the option to request a reset during this period by sending a written request to our Home Office.
At the time of reset, a new Waiting Period will begin. Subsequent resets may be elected at the end of each new Waiting Period. The reset will be effective on the next Valuation Date after notice of the reset is approved by us.
We reserve the right to restrict resets to Benefit Year anniversaries. The Benefit Year is the 12-month period starting with the 4LATER® Advantage rider effective date and starting with each anniversary of the 4LATER® Advantage rider effective date after that. If the Contractowner elects to reset the Protected Income Base, the Benefit Year will begin on the effective date of the reset and each anniversary of the effective date of the reset after that.
4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit
When you are ready to elect i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payments, the greater of the Protected Income Base accumulated under the 4LATER®Advantage or the Contract Value will be used to calculate the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. The 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit is a minimum payout floor for your i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payments.
The Guaranteed Income Benefit will be determined by dividing the greater of the Protected Income Base or Contract Value on the Periodic Income Commencement Date, by 1,000 and multiplying the result by the rate per $1,000 from the Guaranteed Income Benefit Table in your 4LATER® Advantage rider. If the Contract Value is used to establish the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, this rate provides a Guaranteed Income Benefit not less than 75% of the initial i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment (which is also based on the Contract Value). If the Protected Income Base is used to establish the Guaranteed Income Benefit (because it is larger than the Contract Value), the resulting Guaranteed Income Benefit will be more than 75% of the initial i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment.
If the amount of your i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment (which is based on your i4LIFE®Advantage Account Value) has fallen below the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, because of poor investment results, a payment equal to the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit is the minimum payment you will receive. If the 4LATER® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit is paid, it will be paid with the same frequency as your i4LIFE®Advantage Regular Income Payment. If your Regular Income Payment is less than the 4LATER® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, we will reduce your i4LIFE®Advantage Account
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Value by the Regular Income Payment plus an additional amount equal to the difference between your Regular Income Payment and the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. This withdrawal from your Account Value will be made from the Subaccounts and the fixed account proportionately according to your investment allocations.
The following example illustrates how poor investment performance, which results in a Guaranteed Income Benefit payment, affects the i4LIFE®Account Value:
4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit
$5,692
i4LIFE®Regular Income Payment
$5,280
i4LIFE®Account Value before payment
$80,000
Regular Income Payment
$(5,280
)
Additional payment for 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income
Benefit
$(412
)
i4LIFE®Account Value after payment
$74,308
If your Account Value reaches zero as a result of withdrawals to provide the 4LATER® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, we will continue to pay you an amount equal to the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit.
When your Account Value reaches zero, your i4LIFE®Advantage Access Period will end and the i4LIFE®Advantage Lifetime Income Period will begin. Additional amounts withdrawn from the Account Value to provide the 4LATER® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit may terminate your Access Period earlier than originally scheduled and will reduce your Death Benefit. See i4LIFE®Advantage Death Benefits. After the Access Period ends, we will continue to pay the 4LATER® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit for as long as the Annuitant (or for nonqualified contracts, the Secondary Life, if applicable) is living (i.e., the i4LIFE®Advantage Lifetime Income Period). If your Account Value equals zero, no Death Benefit will be paid.
If the market performance in your Contract is sufficient to provide Regular Income Payments at a level that exceeds the 4LATER® Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit, the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit will never come into effect.
The 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit will automatically step-up every three years to 75% of the then current Regular Income Payment, if that result is greater than the immediately prior 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit. The step-up will occur on every third Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary for 15 years. At the end of a 15-year step-up period, the Contractowner may elect a new 15-year step-up period by submitting a written request to the Home Office. If you prefer, when you start the Guaranteed Income Benefit, you can request that we administer this election for you.
Under 4LATER® Advantage, additional Purchase Payments cannot be made to your Contract after the Periodic Income Commencement Date. The 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit is reduced by withdrawals (other than Regular Income Payments) in the same proportion that the withdrawals reduce the Account Value. You may want to discuss the impact of additional withdrawals with your financial adviser.
Termination.After the later of the third anniversary of the 4LATER®Advantage rider Effective Date or the most recent reset, the 4LATER® Advantage rider may be terminated upon written notice to us. Prior to the Periodic Income Commencement Date, 4LATER® Advantage will automatically terminate upon any of the following events:
termination of the Contract to which this 4LATER®Advantage rider is attached;
the change of or the death of the Annuitant (except if the surviving spouse assumes ownership of the Contract and the role of the Annuitant upon death of the Contractowner); or
the change of Contractowner (except if the surviving spouse assumes ownership of the Contract and the role of Annuitant upon the death of the Contractowner); or
the last day that you can elect i4LIFE®Advantage (age 85 for qualified contracts and age 99 for nonqualified contracts).
After the Periodic Income Commencement Date, the 4LATER®Advantage rider will terminate due to any of the following events:
the death of the Annuitant (or the later of the death of the Annuitant or Secondary Life if a joint payout was elected); or
a Contractowner requested decrease in the Access Period or a change to the Regular Income Payment frequency.
A termination due to a decrease in the Access Period, a change in the Regular Income Payment frequency, or upon written notice from the Contractowner will be effective as of the Valuation Date on the next Periodic Income Commencement Date anniversary. Termination will be only for the 4LATER®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit and not the i4LIFE®Advantage election, unless otherwise specified.
If you terminate the rider, you must wait one year before you can purchase any other Living Benefit Rider we offer in the future. You may be able to elect an available version of the Guaranteed Income Benefit, if available, after one year. The Guaranteed Income Benefit will be based on the Account Value at the time of the election. The election of one of these benefits, if available, will be treated as a new purchase, subject to the terms and charges in effect at the time of election.
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Appendix D - Guaranteed Income Benefit Percentages for Previous Rider Elections
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) elections between May 21, 2012 and May 19, 2013.
Single & Joint Life Option*
Single & Joint Life Option*
Age
Percentage of Account
Value, Protected Income Base or
Guaranteed Amount
Under age 40
2.00%
40 - 54
2.50%
55 - 58
3.00%
59 - 64
3.50%
65 - 69
4.00%
70 - 74
4.50%
75+
5.00%
*
If joint life option is in effect, the younger of you and your spouse's age applies.
i4LIFE®Advantage Guaranteed Income Benefit (version 4) elections prior to May 21, 2012.
Single & Joint Life Option*
Single & Joint Life Option*
Age
Percentage of Account
Value, Protected Income Base or
Guaranteed Amount
Under age 40
2.50%
40 - 54
3.00%
55 - 58
3.50%
59 - 64
4.00%
65 - 69
4.50%
70 - 79
5.00%
80+
5.50%
*
If joint life option is in effect, the younger of you and your spouse's age applies.
D-1
The SAI includes additional information about the Contract, Lincoln Life, and the VAA, and is incorporated by reference in this prospectus. The SAI is dated the same date as this prospectus. We will provide the SAI without charge upon request. You may obtain a free copy of the SAI and submit inquiries by:
Mailing: The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, PO Box 2340, Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2340
Visiting: www.lfg.com/VAprospectus
Emailing: [email protected]
Calling: 1-800-454-6265
You may also obtain reports and other information about the VAA on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected]. The SEC file numbers and the Contract's contract identifier number are listed below.
SEC File Nos. 033-25990; 811-03214
EDGAR Contract Identifier C000007618
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI)
Dated May 1, 2024
Relating to Prospectus Dated May 1, 2024 for
Multi-Fund®
Lincoln National Variable Annuity Account C, Registrant
The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Depositor
The SAI provides you with additional information about Lincoln Life, the VAA, and your Contract. It is not a prospectus.
A copy of the product prospectus dated May 1, 2024, may be obtained without a charge by writing to the Servicing Office: Lincoln Life Customer Service, The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, PO Box 2340, Fort Wayne, IN 46801, by calling: 1-800-454-6265, or by emailing: [email protected] and requesting a copy of the Multi-Fund®product prospectus.
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE SAI
Contents
Page
Special Terms
B-2
General Information and History
B-2
The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company
B-2
Variable Annuity Account (VAA)
B-2
Capital Markets
B-3
Advertising & Ratings
B-3
Non-Principal Risks of Investing In The
Contract
B-4
Services
B-4
Contents
Page
Purchase of Securities Being Offered
B-5
Principal Underwriter
B-5
Contract Information
B-5
Additional Services
B-5
Determination of Accumulation and Annuity
Unit Value
B-6
Annuity Payments
B-6
Financial Statements
B-7
Special Terms
The special terms used in this SAI are the ones defined in the prospectus.
General Information and History
The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company
The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (Lincoln Life or Company), organized in 1905, is an Indiana-domiciled insurance company, engaged primarily in the direct issuance of life insurance contracts and annuities. Lincoln Life is wholly owned by Lincoln National Corporation (LNC), a publicly held insurance and financial services holding company incorporated in Indiana. Lincoln Life is obligated to pay all amounts promised to Contractowners under the contracts.
Our Financial Condition. Depending on when you purchased your Contract, you may be permitted to make allocations to the fixed account, which is part of our general account. See The Fixed Side of the Contract. In addition, any guarantees under the Contract that exceed your Contract Value, such as those associated with Death Benefit options and Living Benefit Riders are paid from our general account (not the VAA). Therefore, any amounts that we may pay under the Contract in excess of Contract Value are subject to our financial strength and claims-paying ability and our long-term ability to make such payments. We issue other types of insurance policies and financial products in addition to the Contract. We also pay our obligations under these products from our assets in the general account. Moreover, unlike assets held in the VAA, the assets of the general account are subject to the general liabilities of the Company and, therefore, to the Company's general creditors. In the event of an insolvency or receivership, payments we make from our general account to satisfy claims under the Contract would generally receive the same priority as our other Contractowner obligations.
The general account is subject to regulation and supervision by the Indiana Insurance Department as well as the insurance laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which the contracts are distributed. The laws and regulations applicable to us regulate the investments we can make with assets held in our general account. In general, those laws and regulations determine the amount and type of investments which we can make with general account assets.
In addition, state insurance regulations require that insurance companies calculate and establish on their financial statements, a specified amount of reserves in order to meet the contractual obligations to pay the claims of our Contractowners. In order to meet our claims-paying obligations, we regularly monitor our reserves to ensure we hold sufficient amounts to cover actual or expected contract and claims payments. However, it is important to note that there is no guarantee that we will always be able to meet our claims paying obligations, and that there are risks to purchasing any insurance product.
State insurance regulators also require insurance companies to maintain a minimum amount of capital in excess of liabilities, which acts as a cushion in the event that the insurer suffers a financial impairment, based on the inherent risks in the insurer's operations. These risks include those associated with losses that we may incur as the result of defaults on the payment of interest or principal on assets held in our general account, which include bonds, mortgages, general real estate investments, and stocks, as well as the loss in value of these investments resulting from a loss in their market value.
How to Obtain More Information. We encourage both existing and prospective Contractowners to read and understand our financial statements. We prepare our financial statements on both a statutory basis and according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Our audited GAAP financial statements, as well as the financial statements of the VAA, are located in the SAI. Instructions on how to obtain a free copy of the SAI, are provided on the last page of this prospectus. You may obtain our audited statutory financial statements and any unaudited statutory financial statements that may be available by visiting our website at www.LincolnFinancial.com.
You also will find on our website information on ratings assigned to us by one or more independent rating organizations. These ratings are opinions of an operating insurance company's financial capacity to meet the obligations of its insurance and annuity contracts based on its financial strength and/or claims-paying ability. Additional information about rating agencies is included in the SAI.
Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. Through its affiliates, Lincoln Financial Group offers annuities, life, group life and disability insurance, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services.
Variable Annuity Account (VAA)
On June 3, 1981, the VAA was established as an insurance company separate account under Indiana law. It is registered with the SEC as a unit investment trust under the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act). The VAA is a segregated investment account. Income, gains and losses credited to, or charged against, the VAA reflect the VAA's own investment experience and not the investment experience of Lincoln Life's other assets. The assets of the VAA may not be used to pay any liabilities of Lincoln Life
B-2
other than those arising from the contracts supported by the VAA. Lincoln Life is obligated to pay all amounts promised to Contractowners under the contracts.
Investment Results
At times, the VAA may compare its investment results to various unmanaged indices or other variable annuities in reports to shareholders, sales literature and advertisements. The results will be calculated on a total return basis for various periods, with or without surrender charges. Results calculated without surrender charges will be higher. Total returns include the reinvestment of all distributions, which are reflected in changes in unit value. The money market Subaccount's yield is based upon investment performance over a 7-day period, which is then annualized.
There can be no assurance that a money market fund will be able to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share. During periods of low interest rates, the yield of a money market fund may become extremely low and possibly negative. In addition, if the yield of a Subaccount investing in a money market fund becomes negative, due in part to contract fees and expenses, your Contract Value may decline. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The sponsor of a money market fund has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the fund at any time. If, under SEC rules, a money market fund suspends payments of redemption proceeds, we will delay payment of any transfer, withdrawal, or benefit from a Subaccount investing in the money market fund until the fund resumes payment. If, under SEC rules, a money market fund institutes a liquidity fee, we may assess the fee against your Contract Value if a payment is made to you from a Subaccount investing in the money market fund.
The money market yield figure and annual performance of the Subaccounts are based on past performance and do not indicate or represent future performance.
Keeper of Records
All accounts, books, records and other documents which are required to be maintained for the VAA are maintained by us or by third parties responsible to Lincoln Life. We have entered into an agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company, c/o WeWork, 1100 Main Street, Suite 400, Kansas City, MO 64105, to provide accounting services to the VAA. No separate charge against the assets of the VAA is made by us for this service.
Capital Markets
In any particular year, our capital may increase or decrease depending on a variety of factors - the amount of our statutory income or losses (which is sensitive to equity market and credit market conditions), the amount of additional capital we must hold to support business growth, changes in reserving requirements, our inability to secure capital market solutions to provide reserve relief, such as issuing letters of credit to support captive reinsurance structures, changes in equity market levels, the value of certain fixed-income and equity securities in our investment portfolio and changes in interest rates.
Advertising & Ratings
We may include in certain advertisements, endorsements in the form of a list of organizations, individuals or other parties which recommend Lincoln Life or the policies. Furthermore, we may occasionally include in advertisements comparisons of currently taxable and tax deferred investment programs, based on selected tax brackets, or discussions of alternative investment vehicles and general economic conditions.
Our financial strength is ranked and rated by nationally recognized independent rating agencies. The ratings do not imply approval of the product and do not refer to the performance of the product, or any separate account, including the underlying investment options. Ratings are not recommendations to buy our products. Each of the rating agencies reviews its ratings periodically. Accordingly, all ratings are subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the rating agencies, and therefore, no assurance can be given that these ratings will be maintained. Our insurer financial strength ratings are on outlook stable except for the ratings assigned by Fitch for all three insurance subsidiaries and the rating assigned by AM Best for First Penn Pacific Life Insurance Company, which are on outlook negative. Our financial strength ratings, which are intended to measure our ability to meet contract holder obligations, are an important factor affecting public confidence in most of our products and, as a result, our competitiveness. A downgrade of our financial strength rating could affect our competitive position in the insurance industry by making it more difficult for us to market our products as potential customers may select companies with higher financial strength ratings and by leading to increased withdrawals by current customers seeking companies with higher financial strength ratings. For more information on ratings, including outlooks, see https://www.lfg.com/public/aboutus/investorrelations/financialinformation/ratings.
About the S&P 500 Index. The S&P 500®Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates ("SPDJI"), and has been licensed for use by Lincoln Financial Investment Corporation ("LFI") on behalf of certain LVIP Funds (the "Funds"). S&P®, S&P 500®, US 500, The 500, iBoxx®, iTraxx®and CDS®are registered trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates ("S&P") and Dow Jones®is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"). The trademarks have been licensed to SPDJI and have been sublicensed for use for certain purposes by LFI on behalf of the Funds. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. The Funds
B-3
is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, any of their respective affiliates (collectively, "S&P Dow Jones Indices"). S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the S&P 500®Index to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices' only relationship to the Funds with respect to the Index is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. The S&P 500®Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to LFI or the Funds. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take the needs of LFI or the owners of the Funds into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P 500®Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds. There is no assurance that investment products based on the S&P 500®Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment adviser, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, broker dealer, fiduciary, promoter (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), "expert" as enumerated within 15 U.S.C. § 77k(a) or tax advisor. Inclusion of a security, commodity, crypto currency or other asset within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, commodity, crypto currency or other asset nor is it considered to be investment advice.
NEITHER S&P DOW JONES INDICES NOR A THIRD PARTY LICENSOR GUARANTEES THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P 500®INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE FUNDS, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. S&P DOW JONES INDICES HAS NOT REVIEWED, PREPARED AND/OR CERTIFIED ANY PORTION OF, NOR DOES S&P DOW JONES INDICES HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER, THE FUNDS REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROSPECTUS OR OTHER OFFERING MATERIALS. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND LFI ON BEHALF OF THE FUNDS, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.
Non-Principal Risks of Investing In The Contract
Opportunity Cost. Principal amounts committed to an annuity contract are only available to choose from investment options available on the Contract, potentially causing you an opportunity cost.
Dying early. If you die earlier than expected, your designated beneficiary may not receive the full benefit of the future payments.
Divorce. If you get divorced, you could forfeit some or all of the value of your annuity to your former spouse.
Affiliated Funds. We may have incentive to select affiliated funds because we receive more revenue from an affiliated fund than a non-affiliated fund.
Fund of Funds. In some fund of funds (or master-feeder) arrangements, you may pay fees and expenses at both fund levels, which can reduce your investment return.
Services
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, has audited a) the financial statements of each of the subaccounts listed in the appendix to the opinion that comprise Lincoln National Variable Annuity Account C, as of December 31, 2023, the related statements of operations and the statements of changes in net assets for each of the periods indicated in the appendix to the opinion; and b) the consolidated financial statements of The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023 as set forth in their reports, which are included in this SAI and Registration Statement. The aforementioned financial statements are included herein in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP's reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
B-4
Purchase of Securities Being Offered
The variable annuity contracts are offered to the public through licensed insurance agents who specialize in selling our products; through independent insurance brokers; and through certain securities brokers/dealers selected by us whose personnel are legally authorized to sell annuity products. There are no special purchase plans for any class of prospective buyers. However, under certain limited circumstances described in the prospectus under the section Charges and Other Deductions, any applicable account fee and/or surrender charge may be reduced or waived.
Both before and after the Annuity Commencement Date, there are exchange privileges between Subaccounts, and from the VAA to the general account (if available) subject to restrictions set out in the prospectus. See The Contracts, in the prospectus. No exchanges are permitted between the VAA and other separate accounts.
The offering of the contracts is continuous.
Principal Underwriter
Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc. ("LFD") is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lincoln National Corporation and an affiliate of Lincoln Life. LFD serves as the principal underwriter (the "Principal Underwriter") for the contracts, as described in the prospectus. The Principal Underwriter currently offers, and expects to continue offering, the contracts to the public on a continuous basis, but reserves the right to discontinue offering the contracts at any time. The Principal Underwriter offers the contracts through sales representatives, who are registered with either Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation ("LFA") or Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation ("LFS") (collectively, "LFN"), both of which are affiliates of LFD. The Principal Underwriter also may enter into selling agreements with other broker-dealers ("Selling Firms") for the sale of the contracts. Sales representatives who are registered with Selling Firms are appointed as our insurance agents. LFD, in its capacity as Principal Underwriter, paid to LFN and Selling Firms, sales compensation totaling $30,411,728, $25,930,823 and $24,387,933 in 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively, in connection with all of the contracts offered under the VAA. The Principal Underwriter retained no underwriting commissions for the sale of the contracts. LFD maintains its principal place of business at 130 North Radnor Chester Road, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087.
Contract Information
Additional Services
Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA)-You may systematically transfer, on a monthly basis or in accordance with other terms we make available, amounts from certain Subaccounts, or the fixed side (if available) of the contract into the Subaccounts or in accordance with other terms we make available. You may elect to participate in the DCA program at the time of application or at any time before the Annuity Commencement Date by completing an election form available from us. The minimum amount to be dollar cost averaged is $10,000 over any time period between 12 and 36 months. We may offer different time periods for new Purchase Payments and for transfers of Contract Value. State variations may exist. Once elected, the program will remain in effect until the earlier of:
the Annuity Commencement Date;
the value of the amount being DCA'd is depleted; or
you cancel the program by written request or by telephone if we have your telephone authorization on file.
We reserve the right to discontinue or restrict access to this program at any time.
A transfer made as part of this program is not considered a transfer for purposes of limiting the number of transfers that may be made, or assessing any charges which may apply to transfers. Upon receipt of an additional Purchase Payment allocated to the DCA fixed account, the existing program duration will be extended to reflect the end date of the new DCA program. However, the existing interest crediting rate will not be extended. The existing interest crediting rate will expire at its originally scheduled expiration date and the value remaining in the DCA account from the original amount as well as any additional Purchase Payments will be credited with interest at the standard DCA rate at the time. DCA does not assure a profit or protect against loss.
Automatic Withdrawal Service (AWS)-AWS provides an automatic, periodic withdrawal of Contract Value to you. AWS may take place on either a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis, as selected by the Contractowner. You may elect to participate in AWS at the time of application or at any time before the Annuity Commencement Date by sending a written request to us. The minimum Contract Value required to establish AWS is $5,000. You may cancel or make changes to your AWS program at any time by sending a written request to us. If telephone authorization has been elected, certain changes may be made by telephone. Notwithstanding the requirements of the program, any withdrawal must be permitted under Section 401(a)(9) of the IRC for qualified plans or permitted under Section 72 of the IRC for nonqualified contracts. To the extent that withdrawals under AWS do not qualify for an exemption from the contingent deferred sales charge, we will assess any applicable surrender charges on those withdrawals. See Surrender Charge.
B-5
Cross-Reinvestment Program/Earnings Sweep Program- Under this option, Account Value in a designated variable subaccount of the contract that exceeds a certain baseline amount is automatically transferred to another specific variable subaccount(s) of the contract at specific intervals. You may elect to participate in the cross-reinvestment program at the time of application or at any time before the Annuity Commencement Date by sending a written request to us or by telephone if we have your telephone authorization on file. You designate the holding account, the receiving account(s), and the baseline amount. Cross-reinvestment will continue until we receive authorization to terminate the program.
The minimum holding Account Value required to establish cross-reinvestment is $10,000. A transfer under this program is not considered a transfer for purposes of limiting the number of transfers that may be made. We reserve the right to discontinue this service at any time.
Portfolio Rebalancing- Portfolio rebalancing is an option, which, if elected by the Contractowner, restores to a pre-determined level the percentage of the Contract Value (or Account Value under i4LIFE®Advantage), allocated to each variable Subaccount. This pre-determined level will be the allocation initially selected when the Contract was purchased, unless subsequently changed. The portfolio rebalancing allocation may be changed at any time by submitting a written request to us. If portfolio rebalancing is elected, all Purchase Payments allocated to the variable Subaccounts must be subject to portfolio rebalancing. Portfolio rebalancing may take place on either a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis, as selected by the Contractowner. The Contractowner may terminate the portfolio rebalancing program or re-enroll at any time by sending a written request to us. If telephone authorization has been elected, the Contractowner may make these elections by phone. The portfolio rebalancing program is not available following the Annuity Commencement Date.
Please note that all of the services discussed in this section will stop once we become aware of a pending death claim.
Annuity Payout Illustrations. These will provide an initial benefit payment based in part on the Annuitant, the Contract Value and the fixed and/or variable Annuity Payout option elected. In addition, variable Annuity Payout illustrations may show the historical results of a variable payout in a Subaccount of the VAA.
SecureLine®Account - SecureLine®is an interest bearing draft account established from the proceeds payable on a Contract administered by us that helps you manage your surrender or death benefit proceeds. You are the owner of the account, and are the only one authorized to transfer proceeds from the account. You may choose to leave the proceeds in this account, or you may use the checkbook we previously provided and write checks against the account until the funds are depleted. The SecureLine® account is part of our general account. It is not a bank account and it is not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency. As part of our general account, it is subject to the claims of our creditors. We receive a benefit from all amounts left in the SecureLine® account.
Interest credited in the SecureLine® account is taxable as ordinary income in the year such interest is credited, and is not tax deferred. We recommend that you consult your tax advisor to determine the tax consequences associated with the payment of interest on amounts in the SecureLine® account. The balance in your SecureLine® account began earning interest the day your account was opened and will continue to earn interest until all funds are withdrawn. Interest is compounded daily and credited to your account on the last day of each month. The interest rate will be updated monthly and we may increase or decrease the rate at our discretion. The interest rate credited to your SecureLine® account may be more or less than the rate earned on funds held in our general account. The interest rate offered with a SecureLine® account is not necessarily that credited to the fixed account. There are no monthly fees. You may be charged a fee if you stop a payment or if you present a check for payment without sufficient funds.
Determination of Accumulation and Annuity Unit Value
A description of the days on which Accumulation and Annuity Units will be valued is given in the prospectus. The New York Stock Exchange's (NYSE) most recent announcement (which is subject to change) states that it will be closed on weekends and on these holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If any of these holidays occurs on a weekend day, the Exchange may also be closed on the business day occurring just before or just after the holiday. It may also be closed on other days.
Since the portfolios of some of the funds and series will consist of securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges or otherwise traded outside the United States, those securities may be traded (and the net asset value of those funds and series and of the variable account could therefore be significantly affected) on days when the investor has no access to those funds and series.
Annuity Payments
Variable Annuity Payouts
Variable Annuity Payouts will be determined on the basis of:
the dollar value of the Contract on the Annuity Commencement Date less any applicable premium tax;
the annuity tables contained in the Contract;
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the type of annuity option selected; and
the investment results of the fund(s) selected.
In order to determine the amount of variable Annuity Payouts, we make the following calculation:
first, we determine the dollar amount of the first payout;
second, we credit the Contract with a fixed number of Annuity Units based on the amount of the first payout; and
third, we calculate the value of the Annuity Units each period thereafter.
These steps are explained below.
The dollar amount of the first periodic variable Annuity Payout is determined by applying the total value of the Accumulation Units credited under the Contract valued as of the Annuity Commencement Date (less any premium taxes) to the annuity tables contained in the Contract. The first variable Annuity Payout will be paid 14 days after the Annuity Commencement Date. This day of the month will become the day on which all future Annuity Payouts will be paid. Amounts shown in the tables are based on the 1971 Individual Annuity Mortality Tables (modified) for the single premium, periodic premium and flexible premium Multi-Fund®2 and 3 annuity contracts and the 1983 Table "a" Individual Annuity Mortality Tables for flexible premium annuity contract Multi-Fund®4, modified, with an assumed investment return at the rate of 5% per annum, depending on the terms of your Contract. The first Annuity Payout is determined by multiplying the benefit per $1,000 of value shown in the contract tables by the number of thousands of dollars of value accumulated under the Contract. These annuity tables vary according to the form of annuity selected and the age of the Annuitant at the Annuity Commencement Date. The assumed interest rate is the measuring point for subsequent Annuity Payouts. If the actual net investment rate (annualized) exceeds the assumed interest rate, the payout will increase at a rate equal to the amount of such excess.
Conversely, if the actual rate is less than the assumed interest rate, Annuity Payouts will decrease. If the assumed rate of interest were to be increased, Annuity Payouts would start at a higher level but would decrease more rapidly or increase more slowly.
We may use sex-distinct annuity tables in contracts that are not associated with employer sponsored plans and where not prohibited by law.
At an Annuity Commencement Date, the Contract is credited with Annuity Units for each Subaccount on which variable Annuity Payouts are based. The number of Annuity Units to be credited is determined by dividing the amount of the first periodic payout by the value of an Annuity Unit in each Subaccount selected. Although the number of Annuity Units is fixed by this process, the value of such units will vary with the value of the underlying fund. The amount of the second and subsequent periodic payouts is determined by multiplying the Contractowner's fixed number of Annuity Units in each Subaccount by the appropriate Annuity Unit value for the Valuation Date ending 14 days prior to the date that payout is due.
The value of each Subaccount's Annuity Unit will be set initially at $1.00. The Annuity Unit value for each Subaccount at the end of any Valuation Date is determined by multiplying the Subaccount Annuity Unit value for the immediately preceding Valuation Date by the product of:
The net investment factor of the Subaccount for the Valuation Period for which the Annuity Unit value is being determined, and
A factor to neutralize the assumed investment return in the annuity table.
The value of the Annuity Units is determined as of a Valuation Date 14 days prior to the payment date in order to permit calculation of amounts of Annuity Payouts and mailing of checks in advance of their due dates. Such checks will normally be issued and mailed at least three days before the due date.
Financial Statements
The December 31, 2023 financial statements of the VAA and the December 31, 2023 consolidated financial statements of Lincoln Life are incorporated into this SAI by reference to the VAA's most recent Form N-VPFS ("Form N-VPFS") filed with the SEC.
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