National Life Group RetireMax Secure – Fixed Annuity with Flexibility and Predictable Growth

The RetireMax Secure is a straightforward product: one premium, one rate, one term, no complexity. The guaranteed rate is set at contract issuance and does not change for the full 3- or 5-year guarantee period — regardless of what interest rates or markets do during that time. After the guarantee period ends, the contract does not automatically renew. Instead, it enters a 30-day window during which the full accumulated value is completely accessible without any surrender charges or Market Value Adjustment — a feature that distinguishes the RetireMax Secure from MYGAs that automatically roll into a new term unless the owner actively cancels. The RetireMax Secure’s non-auto-renewal at maturity means the 30-day window creates a clean, predictable decision point at which the contract owner can withdraw the full value, transfer to another annuity or financial account, or continue with a new rate offered by National Life. The RetireMax Secure is available in two versions — an MVA version (which includes a Market Value Adjustment that can affect surrender value when early excess withdrawals are taken) and a non-MVA version (which does not apply an MVA but typically offers a lower interest rate in exchange for the simplified surrender mechanics). Our resource on annuity surrender charges and MVA covers how the Market Value Adjustment works in practice.

Several structural features distinguish the RetireMax Secure within the MYGA category. The product is available for issue up to age 90 — an unusually high maximum issue age that makes it accessible to a broader range of retirees than most MYGA products. It includes built-in Nursing Home, Terminal Illness, and Annuitization waivers at no additional cost — providing meaningful liquidity protection in qualifying health events. It applies two interest rate bands based on premium size ($25,000–$99,999 and $100,000 and above), with the higher band earning the more competitive rate. It accepts qualified retirement account funds (IRA, 401(k) rollovers, 403(b), 457(b)) in addition to non-qualified personal savings — and uniquely offers loan provisions for 403(b) and 457(b) employer-sponsored plan participants who use the annuity as collateral. There are no fees or maintenance charges of any kind — the only potential cost elements are the surrender charge schedule during the guarantee period for excess withdrawals and, in the MVA version, the Market Value Adjustment that may apply to those same excess withdrawals. Our resource on understanding multi-year guaranteed annuities covers the MYGA category mechanics, and our resource on fixed annuities vs. CDs covers the comparison that drives most RetireMax Secure purchase decisions.

RetireMax Secure — Term Options at a Glance

The RetireMax Secure is available in two term lengths and two version types. The term determines the rate guarantee period and the surrender charge schedule. The version type (MVA vs. non-MVA) determines whether a Market Value Adjustment applies to excess early withdrawals and affects the guaranteed interest rate offered.

Interest rates for both terms and both versions (MVA and non-MVA) change continuously and are not shown — verify current competitive rates via the rate pages linked on this page or by requesting a formal illustration. Product availability, features, maximum premiums, and rate bands may vary by state. Not available in all states. Issued by Life Insurance Company of the Southwest (LSW) in most states; issued by National Life Insurance Company in New York. The RetireMax Secure name applies to the product family; verify the specific version (3-year or 5-year, MVA or non-MVA) in any illustration received before commitment.

How the RetireMax Secure Works — MYGA Mechanics

The RetireMax Secure operates on the simplest structure available in the fixed annuity category: a single premium deposit at issuance earns a guaranteed fixed interest rate that compounds annually for the full guarantee period. Nothing else drives the accumulation — no index, no market exposure, no crediting strategy complexity. The rate credited each year is the same guaranteed rate throughout the term, and that rate cannot be lowered by the carrier after issuance. Principal is protected — the account value cannot decline from any external market event. The only mechanism by which the account value could decline during the term is an excess withdrawal during the surrender period, which might trigger surrender charges and (in the MVA version) an MVA adjustment that reduces the payout on that specific withdrawal. Interest compounds daily in many MYGA products, and the annual credited amount increases the accumulation base for the following year — producing true compounding without annual tax erosion for non-qualified funds.

The tax-deferral advantage over bank CDs is the primary financial argument for MYGA purchases with non-qualified (after-tax) funds. A CD requires the holder to pay ordinary income tax on the interest credited each year, even if no withdrawal is taken — the IRS issues a 1099-INT annually for the credited interest. A MYGA accumulates that same interest on a tax-deferred basis, meaning no income tax is owed on the credited interest until a withdrawal is actually taken. For a buyer in a meaningful tax bracket who is investing a substantial sum in a fixed-rate instrument, this annual tax deferral creates a compounding advantage over the CD over the full guarantee period that can meaningfully exceed what the net after-tax CD return would produce. Our resource on what is a fixed annuity covers the fixed annuity structure, and our resource on fixed annuities vs. CDs covers the tax deferral comparison in full detail. Note that if the funds are already inside a qualified IRA or 401(k), the tax deferral already exists — placing a MYGA inside a qualified account provides no additional tax deferral beyond what the account itself provides, though the MYGA’s guaranteed rate and principal protection still have merit as a conservative allocation within the qualified account.

The Two Rate Bands — Why Your Premium Amount Affects Your Rate

The RetireMax Secure applies two guaranteed interest rate bands based on the size of the initial premium. Deposits of $100,000 or more earn the higher competitive rate, while deposits between $25,000 and $99,999 earn a lower rate for the same term. Both bands guarantee their respective rates for the full term, and both represent the same product structure with identical features — the rate difference simply reflects the carrier’s pricing economics at different premium levels. For buyers near the $100,000 threshold, confirming which band applies to their specific deposit amount — and whether adding additional funds to reach the higher band makes economic sense — is worth explicitly evaluating when comparing the RetireMax Secure against alternatives. When benchmarking against other carriers in a multi-carrier comparison, always compare the same band (below or above $100,000) to ensure the rate comparison is apples-to-apples. Our best MYGA annuity rates resource provides the current market context for evaluating where the RetireMax Secure’s rates sit relative to competitive A-rated and A+-rated alternatives at specific premium levels.

Free Withdrawals, Waivers, and Liquidity Features

The RetireMax Secure provides penalty-free access to up to 10% of the account value per contract year starting in year two. This annual free-withdrawal provision allows contract owners to address unexpected liquidity needs — medical expenses, home repairs, or other financial requirements — without triggering surrender charges or the MVA. Withdrawals within the 10% limit per year are genuinely penalty-free; withdrawals beyond that amount during the surrender period are subject to surrender charges and, in the MVA version, the Market Value Adjustment. In addition to the standard free-withdrawal provision, the RetireMax Secure includes three built-in waivers at no additional cost. The Nursing Home Waiver allows access to the contract value beyond the standard free-withdrawal limit without surrender charges when the contract owner has been confined to a qualifying nursing home facility for a defined period. The Terminal Illness Waiver allows similar access when the contract owner is diagnosed with a qualifying terminal illness with a defined prognosis period. The Annuitization Waiver allows penalty-free conversion of the contract value into a qualifying income stream. These waivers are genuine liquidity provisions that address the most significant uncertainty for conservative annuity buyers — the concern that a health event could trap funds behind a surrender charge schedule when they are most urgently needed. Specific qualifying conditions for each waiver are defined in the contract language and should be verified before relying on them for planning purposes.

The 30-Day Maturity Window — Full Liquidity Without Auto-Renewal

One of the most buyer-favorable features of the RetireMax Secure is its end-of-term mechanics. Unlike many MYGAs that automatically renew for an additional term of the same length unless the owner actively cancels — which can trap assets in a new surrender period at a suboptimal renewal rate — the RetireMax Secure does not automatically renew into a new multi-year term. At maturity, the contract enters a 30-day window during which the full accumulated value is completely accessible at no cost. The company declares a one-year renewal rate, and the contract remains fully liquid during this window. The owner can: withdraw the full accumulated value without any surrender charges or MVA; transfer the accumulated value to another annuity or financial account via a 1035 exchange or direct transfer; or continue the contract at the new renewal rate while evaluating alternatives. The absence of an automatic renewal into a new surrender period eliminates one of the most common complaints about MYGA products — the surprise of finding that a renewal locks the contract into a new multi-year commitment without explicit action. The RetireMax Secure’s architecture puts the owner fully in control at every maturity date. Our annuity rescue plan resource covers the strategy for evaluating whether an existing annuity at maturity remains competitive or warrants repositioning, and our second-opinion annuity quote review provides the multi-carrier comparison that confirms whether a RetireMax Secure offer — at purchase or renewal — is competitive against the full market.

National Life Group — A+ Financial Strength and 175+ Year Track Record

The carrier profile behind the RetireMax Secure is among the strongest available in the MYGA market. National Life Group holds an AM Best Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) — the second-highest possible AM Best rating, indicating superior ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations — with an A+ from S&P Global and an A1 from Moody’s. The Comdex composite score of 90 reflects consistent top-tier ratings across all major rating agencies on a single 1–100 normalized scale. These ratings apply to the Life Insurance Company of the Southwest (LSW), the issuing entity for RetireMax Secure outside New York. National Life Insurance Company, which issues the product in New York, carries the same rating profile. The 175-year operating history — beginning with a Vermont charter in 1848 — provides a historical track record that no newer insurer can replicate, demonstrating multi-generational claims-paying performance through every significant economic cycle of the past century and a half including depressions, wars, and financial crises. For MYGA buyers making 3- to 5-year commitments with significant capital, the combination of the highest available AM Best tier and multi-century operating history represents the gold standard in carrier reliability. Our resource on is National Life Group a good insurance company covers the full carrier evaluation, and our resource on what an AM Best rating means covers the full rating scale context for comparing the A+ designation against other carriers in the MYGA market.

Who the RetireMax Secure Fits Best

The RetireMax Secure fits most naturally for conservative savers, pre-retirees, and retirees who want the strongest possible combination of carrier safety and guaranteed principal-protected accumulation for a defined 3- or 5-year period. The A+ AM Best rating makes it one of the safest MYGA options available in the independent distribution channel — for buyers who prioritize carrier strength above all else, the RetireMax Secure’s rating profile is one of the most compelling in its category. The no-fee structure eliminates a common concern about annuity costs for buyers transitioning from CD-centric portfolios. The non-auto-renewal maturity mechanics appeal to buyers who want guaranteed decision-point liquidity at every term end without active cancellation paperwork. The 403(b) and 457(b) loan provision makes it one of the few MYGAs available for employer-sponsored plan participants who need loan access alongside accumulation. The maximum issue age of 90 makes it accessible to older retirees who are excluded from many competitive MYGA products that cap at 75 or 80. For buyers comparing multiple MYGA options, our best 5-year annuity rates, short-term MYGA annuities, best 6-year annuity rates, best 8-year annuity rates, and best 10-year annuity rates cover the competitive landscape across the full MYGA term spectrum, and our current annuity rates page provides the broadest market context. Additional MYGA and fixed annuity product deep-dives for comparison: Symetra Select Max, Global Atlantic SecureFore 5, Knighthead Life Chartline Bonus FIA, RevolOne AccumRev FIA, and Liberty Bankers Heritage Elite. Our resource on is a fixed indexed annuity safe provides context for buyers comparing the MYGA’s simplicity against the FIA’s indexed growth potential, and our resource on can I transfer my CD into an annuity covers the transfer mechanics for buyers repositioning from bank products. Our resource on annuity beneficiary and death benefits covers the estate outcomes for beneficiaries of the RetireMax Secure, and our best fixed indexed annuities for income covers the income-generating category for buyers whose planning horizon includes income conversion after the MYGA term.