Why it earned this rating
Our assessment
The Synergy Choice MYGA 2-Year is a stripped-down base contract with modest rates and no standard emergency access provisions. It earns a Mixed but Competitive rating — it has legitimate uses in specific contexts but buyers must understand exactly what they are and are not getting.
The short version
The Synergy Choice MYGA 2-Year works for buyers who can commit 2 years without needing the capital and who do not require the emergency access provisions that competing products include. For buyers who want waiver coverage or standard free withdrawal provisions, the WealthLock MYGA or Advisory MYGA series are better fits.
Key facts
The full review
Is Aspida Synergy Choice MYGA 2-Year a Good Annuity?
For the right buyer in the right context, yes. A buyer who genuinely does not need access to capital during the 2-year period, understands the base contract structure, and is working with a Market Synergy Group agent may find this a functional option. Buyers who want standard emergency access provisions should look elsewhere.
Why Someone Would Buy This Annuity
Tax-deferred principal protection at a short guaranteed duration through an independent agent relationship. The death benefit pays full contract value to beneficiaries without surrender charges — this is a structural benefit for estate planning purposes. Buyers who want to defer taxes on non-qualified assets for a defined 2-year period may find this useful.
Who This Annuity Is Best For
An independent agent buyer who has genuinely committed 2-year capital, does not require emergency access provisions, understands the optional rider structure, and is working within the Market Synergy Group distribution relationship. Less appropriate for buyers who want the waiver provisions that Aspida's other MYGA series include, or buyers who are comparing broadly and not restricted to the Market Synergy Group channel.
What You're Really Buying Here
A 2-year guaranteed rate with daily compounding, tax deferral, and principal protection. The death benefit passes full contract value outside probate. There are no standard free withdrawal or emergency access provisions on the base contract.
How the Core Feature Works
The rate of 3.85% (at or above $100K) or 3.70% (below $100K) is locked for 2 full years. After 2 years, the rate resets but never falls below 3.00%. If the optional 10% free withdrawal rider is added at issue, the credited rate is reduced by 0.10% for the duration of the contract.
Why the Secondary Feature Matters
Principal protection is the primary structural benefit here. Unlike a bond fund, the principal does not fluctuate with interest rate changes during the 2-year period. Tax deferral on non-qualified accounts reduces the immediate tax drag compared to a taxable savings alternative. The death benefit structure provides clean beneficiary transfer.
Liquidity and Surrender Schedule
Base contract: no free withdrawal provision. Excess withdrawals are subject to: 9% in year one, 8% in year two, then 0%, plus an MVA. Optional riders at issue: (1) 10% Free Withdrawal rider (available after the first anniversary, reduces credited rate by 0.10%); (2) Free Interest Withdrawal rider (systematic interest-only withdrawals after 30 days, available instead of the 10% rider, reduces credited rate by 0.05%). These riders are mutually exclusive and must be selected at contract issue.
Fees and Tradeoffs
No annual contract fee. No rider charges — optional riders reduce the credited rate rather than charging separately. The main structural tradeoff is the absence of nursing home and terminal illness waivers. Competing Aspida MYGAs (WealthLock, Advisory) include these waivers as standard features. The Synergy Choice MYGA does not. For a 2-year duration, this limitation is particularly visible since health events are possible within a 2-year window.
Product snapshot
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Product type | Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity (MYGA) |
| Guarantee period | 2 years |
| Issue ages | 18–90 |
| Minimum premium | $25,000 |
| Maximum premium | $2,000,000 |
| Current rate (base) | 3.70% / 3.85% (under / at or above $100K) |
| Minimum guaranteed rate | 3.00% |
| Free withdrawal (base) | None |
| Optional 10% withdrawal rider | Yes, at issue; reduces rate by 0.10% |
| Optional interest withdrawal | Yes, at issue; reduces rate by 0.05% |
| Surrender schedule | 9% / 8% / 0% |
| MVA | Yes, on excess withdrawals |
| Death benefit | Full contract value (no surrender charges or MVA) |
| Nursing home waiver | None |
| Terminal illness waiver | None |
| Plan types | NQ, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, 403(b), 457(b), Traditional IRA |
| Distribution | Independent agents via Market Synergy Group |
| State note | Not available in CT, NC, or NY |
Carrier snapshot
Aspida Life Insurance Company: A- from AM Best, A- from KBRA. Backed by Ares Management with approximately $546 billion AUM. Founded 2020, Durham, NC.
Final take
The Synergy Choice MYGA 2-Year is a structurally minimal product — clean rates, tax deferral, principal protection, and estate planning utility — but without the waiver provisions that Aspida's competing MYGA series include. For buyers who understand and accept that tradeoff and are working within the Market Synergy Group channel, it is a functional if unremarkable 2-year option.