Ameritas FlexMark Select Annuity – Market Growth, Lifetime Income, and Customizable Retirement Protection

Ameritas FlexMark Select: Key Product Features at a Glance

About Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. and the Legacy Marketing Group Partnership

Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. traces its roots to 1887, when it was founded in Lincoln, Nebraska as the Old Line Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska — making it the first insurance company in the state and one of the oldest continuously operating life insurance companies in the country. The company rebranded to Ameritas Life in 1988 and operates today as a subsidiary of Ameritas Mutual Holding Company, a mutual holding company structure that means the organization is owned by its policyholders rather than by shareholders. This ownership model has meaningful implications for how the company operates: without the pressure of quarterly earnings reports or stock price management, a mutual holding company can prioritize long-term financial stability and policyholder benefit over short-term shareholder returns. In 2024, Ameritas distributed $4.2 billion in policyholder benefits — a reflection of what the payout side of this ownership model looks like in practice.

Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. holds an AM Best A (Excellent) financial strength rating — most recently affirmed June 4, 2026 — and an S&P A+ (Strong) rating. The Comdex composite score of 82 out of 100 places Ameritas in the above-average tier across all rated U.S. annuity carriers, though one notch below the A+ tier that includes carriers such as Midland National, North American Company, Allianz Life, and Athene. With over $25.8 billion in total assets and more than 6.2 million customers, Ameritas is a mid-large regional carrier with particular strength in group disability insurance, dental and vision benefits, and retirement plans — disciplines that provide revenue diversification beyond the annuity market. This diversification means Ameritas’s financial stability is not solely dependent on annuity market conditions, which provides a form of earnings resilience that pure-play annuity carriers do not have. For a full evaluation of the carrier, our dedicated resource on whether Ameritas is a good insurance company is already linked above.

The FlexMark Select product line is a proprietary design — created jointly by Ameritas and Legacy Marketing Group and marketed exclusively through agents contracted with Legacy. This distribution model is worth understanding for buyers who are researching the product independently: FlexMark Select will not appear through standard carrier channels because it is a Legacy-exclusive product. Legacy Marketing Group, headquartered in Petaluma, California, is one of the larger independent marketing organizations (IMOs) in the annuity market and has a long history of designing and marketing proprietary FIA products in partnership with rated insurance carriers. The product’s marketing name and income rider names (FlexMark Select and MyFit Income Rider) are registered service marks of Legacy Marketing Group, while the underlying insurance product is issued and guaranteed by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.

How the FlexMark Select Credits Interest and Why the Fee vs. No-Fee Framework Matters

Understanding how a fixed indexed annuity credits interest is essential before evaluating any specific contract, and the FlexMark Select has a crediting structure that is more nuanced than most comparable products because it introduces an explicit fee-versus-no-fee choice at the index strategy level. In most FIAs, all of the carrier’s economic cost for providing upside participation is embedded invisibly in the crediting limits — lower cap rates or lower participation rates reflect the cost of the options strategy used to back the indexed crediting, but that cost is never stated as a separate line item. The FlexMark Select instead offers buyers a choice: they can use standard no-fee index strategies with crediting terms that reflect standard economics, or they can elect fee-based index strategies where a stated annual charge (1% on 1-year fee strategies, 2% on 2-year fee strategies) is deducted at the beginning of each index period in exchange for access to higher participation rates or higher cap rates.

This explicit fee trade-off creates a transparency that is uncommon in the FIA market. A buyer can see exactly what they are paying for the enhanced crediting rate and evaluate whether the expected improvement in credited interest justifies the stated fee. If an S&P 500 1-year point-to-point strategy with a cap is available in both a no-fee version and a fee version, and the fee version charges 1% annually but provides a meaningfully higher cap, the buyer can model under various market scenarios whether the additional credits from the higher cap — net of the 1% fee — produce better or worse accumulation outcomes than the no-fee strategy. This modeling is something we do explicitly during the illustration review process, because the answer depends on the actual cap rate differential and the assumed market environment.

The available index strategies include the S&P 500 (with 1-year and 2-year point-to-point crediting options using participation rates and cap rates), the Russell 2000 small-cap equity index (1-year point-to-point with a cap), a Goldman Sachs index strategy, and the BNP Paribas Momentum Multi-Asset 5 Index. The BNP Paribas Momentum Multi-Asset 5 Index is a volatility-managed strategy that targets 5% annualized volatility through a dynamic allocation framework, providing exposure to a diversified multi-asset approach while dampening the volatility that would otherwise affect crediting outcomes. The Russell 2000 strategy provides exposure to smaller-cap domestic equities — a different return profile than the S&P 500 large-cap strategy, which can be useful for buyers who want some degree of diversification across market segments within the annuity. A fixed interest account with a guaranteed minimum interest rate of 2.50% is also available and provides a predictable baseline for any portion of the premium that a buyer prefers to keep out of index risk entirely.

One of the most strategically useful features of the FlexMark Select crediting framework is that buyers can split their premium across multiple strategies simultaneously — including a combination of fee and no-fee strategies — and can reallocate among available options on each anniversary date. This means a buyer is not locked into a single crediting choice for the entire 10-year surrender period. If market conditions change or personal preferences evolve, reallocation at each anniversary provides flexibility to adjust the crediting mix without triggering surrender charges. If you want to understand the broader landscape of how crediting strategies differ across FIA carriers, our overview of index annuity crediting methods covers caps, participation rates, spreads, and volatility-controlled index mechanics in depth.

The rate banding system deserves careful attention from any buyer approaching the product. Ameritas divides FlexMark Select contracts into two bands: the Standard Band for accumulation values below $200,000, and the Preferred Band for accumulation values at $200,000 or above. The Preferred Band provides access to higher crediting rates across all available strategies — meaning a buyer who funds the contract at $200,000 or more will receive materially better crediting terms than a buyer who funds at $150,000, even if all other contract terms are identical. For buyers who are assembling assets from multiple sources and have flexibility in total contract size, the $200,000 threshold is a meaningful planning lever. Buyers who are near the threshold should model both scenarios explicitly before choosing their funding amount, because the long-term compounding impact of higher crediting rates over a 10-year accumulation period can significantly outweigh small differences in initial premium. To see how the broader FIA market positions competing accumulation strategies against the FlexMark Select design, it can be useful to review fixed indexed annuity myths — because many assumptions buyers bring to the evaluation process do not accurately reflect how these products actually work.

The Bonus vs. No-Bonus Decision: FlexMark Select vs. FlexMark Select Plus

The FlexMark Select product series offers two versions — the standard FlexMark Select without a premium bonus and the FlexMark Select Plus with a premium bonus — and this choice is one of the first decisions buyers need to make when evaluating the product. The surface appeal of a bonus is easy to understand: if the FlexMark Select Plus adds a percentage to the contract value at issue, the buyer starts the accumulation period with a larger base from which all subsequent credited interest compounds. That head-start advantage can be meaningful over a 10-year period, especially when the bonus is large enough to offset any crediting trade-offs that accompany it. The minimum guaranteed participation rate on the FlexMark Select Plus (15%) is higher than on the standard FlexMark Select (10%), which is an additional structural difference beyond the bonus itself.

However, the decision is not simply “bonus is better.” There are several counterbalancing factors that must be modeled explicitly. First, the maximum premium at ages 75 and above drops from $2,000,000 on the standard FlexMark Select to $1,000,000 on the FlexMark Select Plus — a meaningful restriction for higher-asset buyers in that age range. Second, the crediting terms (cap rates, actual participation rates, fee structure) may differ between the two versions in ways that affect long-term accumulation even after accounting for the bonus. Third, the income rider economics — if a buyer is planning to activate a GLWB — may be structured differently between the bonus and no-bonus versions, and the product that produces the higher income amount is not always the one with the larger bonus. We run both scenarios during every illustration review so buyers can make this comparison on actual projected numbers rather than on a headline percentage. You can also compare the FlexMark Select Plus’s bonus positioning against competing bonus FIAs — including the Aspida Synergy Choice Bonus (up to 15% on the 10-year) and the Delaware Life PrimeStart Bonus 10 (14%) — to understand how Ameritas’s bonus positioning compares to the broader market on both the bonus size and the crediting term trade-offs.

The GLWB Rider Architecture: Three Tiers, One Planning Framework

The income rider structure of the FlexMark Select is one of the most distinctive aspects of the product and is worth understanding in detail before selecting which tier is appropriate. The product offers three different rider options — a no-cost Basic GLWB, the upgraded MyFit Income Rider, and the MyFit Income Rider With Booster — each representing an increasing level of income guarantee and, for the two upgraded versions, an increasing annual charge. This tiered architecture is designed to give buyers genuine choice between a free baseline income guarantee and a more robust paid-for income structure, rather than presenting only one option at a fixed price.

The Basic GLWB Income Rider is included at no additional charge with every FlexMark Select policy. During the accumulation phase, the rider grows a Premium Accumulation Value (PAV) — a separate calculation value that is not the same as the contract’s accumulation value, cannot be surrendered or withdrawn as cash, and is not payable as a death benefit. The PAV exists solely as the calculation basis for determining the Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Amount when the withdrawal phase begins. When the buyer elects to start income withdrawals, the withdrawal phase activates and a defined percentage of the PAV is paid as income each year — income that continues for life even if the accumulation value eventually reaches zero. If the accumulation value reaches zero as a result of withdrawals, the contract enters the guaranteed phase, where income payments continue at the defined amount for as long as the covered person lives, funded by Ameritas’s contractual obligation rather than by the remaining account value. For buyers who are primarily interested in having the door open to lifetime income without paying for it during years when they may not need it, the Basic GLWB provides that option at zero additional cost — a genuine structural advantage over competing FIAs where all income riders carry a fee regardless of whether income is ever activated.

The MyFit Income Rider adds a 1.15% annual charge in exchange for a stronger roll-up rate on the income base during the deferral period and a more flexible payout structure. The key additions at this tier are the choice between a level payout option (fixed income amount for life) and a lifestyle payout option (a higher initial income amount that reflects a different actuarial design, allowing for more income in early retirement years). For buyers who have a specific income start date in mind and want to maximize the lifetime withdrawal amount at that date, the MyFit Income Rider’s stronger roll-up rate can produce meaningfully more income than the Basic rider — and the question of whether the improvement in income output justifies the 1.15% annual charge is answered by modeling both options at the buyer’s specific age, premium, and deferral timeline. We do this comparison explicitly during every quote review. For context on how this income rider approach fits into the broader landscape of retirement planning for people building their own pension structure, our guide on annuity options for retirees without pensions covers the range of strategies available and how to evaluate income rider designs against other income vehicles.

The MyFit Income Rider With Booster, at a 1.25% annual charge, adds the Income Booster feature — and this is the element that makes the FlexMark Select most distinctive in a market comparison. The Booster doubles the Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Amount if the covered person becomes unable to perform at least 2 of the 6 activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, continence, and eating. The critical distinction from most competing FIA income doublers is that the Booster does not require confinement to a care facility. Virtually every competing income booster or enhanced income feature on the market ties the benefit to a confinement trigger — the buyer must be in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or similar institution for a defined number of consecutive days before the benefit activates. The FlexMark Select Booster triggers on ADL impairment alone, regardless of whether the buyer is receiving care at home, in a facility, or in any other setting. A buyer who is managing a chronic illness at home with the help of family members or home health aides, who is clearly impaired in at least 2 of 6 ADLs but has not been confined to a facility, can still activate the income doubler under the FlexMark Select design. This is a meaningful planning distinction for the majority of people who age in place — not in nursing facilities — and who face the same income disruption from health decline without triggering a confinement-based benefit.

To put that in concrete terms: for a buyer with a $150,000 Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Amount at the time of income activation, the Booster doubles that to $300,000 in annual income capacity if the ADL trigger is met. For buyers who are specifically concerned about how a health decline would affect their retirement income — and who want a contractual lever that addresses that concern at the annuity level rather than through a separate long-term care policy — the MyFit Income Rider With Booster provides a targeted answer within a single product structure. It is not a replacement for traditional or hybrid long-term care insurance, and we always evaluate whether the ADL income booster in the annuity overlaps appropriately with any other coverage the buyer has in place. For buyers who want to compare the hybrid LTC planning approach to the annuity-based approach, our guide on hybrid long-term care strategies provides the framework for that comparison.

Three Separate Health Event Waivers: Why the Distinction Matters

The FlexMark Select includes three distinct health event waivers, each with different triggering criteria, different waiting periods, and different qualifying definitions — and understanding the differences between them matters for planning purposes because they address fundamentally different scenarios. Most competing FIAs include only two health event provisions: a confinement waiver and a terminal illness waiver. FlexMark Select adds a third: the Home Health Care Waiver, which is separate from and operates independently of the confinement waiver.

The Confinement Waiver is the most broadly accessible of the three. It activates when the contract owner is confined for at least 30 consecutive days to a qualified institution — including a hospital, nursing home, convalescent care facility, or similar setting. It is available at any time after policy issue, with one pre-condition: the buyer must not have been confined within the one-year period prior to the policy date. The 30-consecutive-day threshold is relatively low compared to many competing products that require 60 or 90 consecutive days of confinement before the waiver activates. This lower threshold makes the confinement waiver more accessible for buyers who experience a shorter but serious health event.

The Terminal Illness Waiver activates when the contract owner is diagnosed with a terminal illness expected to result in death within 12 months. It is available at any time after policy issue with no pre-existing condition restriction on the trigger itself. This provision is standard across most FIA products and ensures that a terminally ill buyer is not penalized by surrender charges for accessing funds to address end-of-life financial needs.

The Home Health Care Waiver is the most distinctive of the three and the one that most directly addresses the realities of aging in place. It becomes available at least two years after the policy date — there is a two-year waiting period before this waiver can be accessed. After that waiting period, if the buyer needs home health care services from a licensed home health care service agency due to impairment in at least 2 of 6 activities of daily living, surrender charges are waived on withdrawals. The activities of daily living covered are bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, continence, and eating — the same 6 ADL standard used broadly in long-term care insurance. The critical word in this waiver is “home” — it specifically addresses care received at home rather than in a facility, which the confinement waiver does not cover. For buyers who anticipate that a future health decline is more likely to result in home health care than in institutional confinement — which describes the majority of people who eventually require care assistance — the Home Health Care Waiver provides a meaningful safety valve that most competing FIAs do not include in the base contract. Because health event waivers vary significantly across carriers and products, buyers who are comparing the FlexMark Select against other products should verify not just whether a waiver exists but what the specific qualifying criteria, waiting periods, and dollar limits are for each waiver on each product they are evaluating.

Liquidity Beyond the Standard 10% Withdrawal

The FlexMark Select’s liquidity framework is more generous than many competing 10-year FIAs in one specific way: the one-time emergency access provision. After the first policy year, in addition to the standard 10% annual free withdrawal, FlexMark Select allows a one-time withdrawal of up to an additional 10% of the accumulation value without incurring surrender charges or a market value adjustment, if the buyer experiences a qualifying emergency event. This means that in the year an emergency occurs, a buyer who would otherwise be limited to 10% penalty-free access can access up to 20% of the accumulation value without incurring surrender charges — 10% from the standard annual provision and an additional 10% from the emergency provision. This one-time emergency access is spent when used and is not renewable, but it provides a meaningful buffer for buyers who experience a significant unplanned financial need during the surrender period. The minimum withdrawal amount of $250 applies to all free withdrawals. Standard systematic withdrawals within the 10% threshold are permitted and are treated as part of the free withdrawal allowance. GLWB rider income payments are also treated as penalty-free withdrawals within the contract’s liquidity framework, so activating the income rider does not conflict with the buyer’s withdrawal rights. For buyers who want a deeper understanding of how free withdrawal provisions interact with surrender schedules across the FIA market, our overview of how surrender charges work explains the mechanics in detail.

Tax Deferral, Legacy Planning, and Who This Product Fits Best

Like all deferred annuities, the FlexMark Select grows on a tax-deferred basis — credited interest compounds without annual taxation until withdrawal. For buyers using after-tax (non-qualified) funds, withdrawals follow last-in-first-out tax treatment, meaning earnings are distributed first and taxed as ordinary income. For buyers funding through qualified accounts (IRA rollover, 401(k) rollover, SEP IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, 457 Plan, TSP), distributions follow existing retirement account tax rules. The combination of tax-deferred compounding and index-linked growth potential is what differentiates the FlexMark Select from taxable alternatives for buyers in higher income brackets during the accumulation phase. At death, beneficiaries receive the contract’s accumulation value — the Enhanced Death Benefit provision applies an additional interest credit to funds in an index option if death occurs at a time other than the formal index term end date, capturing in-progress gains that have not yet been formally credited. Surrender charges and MVA do not apply to death benefit payments. The contract typically transfers via beneficiary designation outside of probate, creating a clean and expedient estate transfer. If evaluating whether annuities fit the broader objectives of your retirement strategy, our analysis of whether annuities are a good investment in retirement provides balanced context across the range of contract types and planning objectives.

The FlexMark Select is most appropriate for buyers who want a 10-year accumulation and income planning vehicle from an A-rated mutual carrier with policyholder-ownership governance, who value the flexibility to split premium across fee and no-fee index strategies, and who want to keep their income options open through the tiered GLWB structure without being forced to commit to a paid rider before they know whether they will need one. It is particularly well-suited for buyers who are concerned about health-driven income disruption and want the MyFit Income Rider With Booster’s ADL-based income doubler — especially those who anticipate aging in place and want a benefit that does not require facility confinement to activate. The product is available in approximately 28 states plus DC — buyers should confirm state availability with their agent at time of application. Buyers who require A+ carrier financial strength (Midland National, North American, Athene, Allianz Life carry AM Best A+), broader geographic availability (the FlexMark Select’s 28-state footprint is narrower than most competing FIAs), or prefer a product not tied to an exclusive IMO distribution arrangement should evaluate competing products alongside the FlexMark Select.