Why it earned this rating
Our assessment
Momentum Growth is Delaware Life's longest-duration accumulation FIA. The 10-year guarantee typically funds competitive crediting terms, and the strategy menu provides real allocation flexibility.
The short version
For the buyer who has a 10-year window, wants principal protection, and is willing to manage their VersaGain election annually, Momentum Growth is a solid choice with real upside potential. For someone who prefers a simple cap-based FIA where nothing needs active monitoring, the complexity here is unnecessary friction.
Key facts
The full review
Is Delaware Life Momentum Growth a Good Annuity?
Yes, for the right buyer. This is a good annuity for someone who wants principal protection, a 10-year accumulation horizon, and some active control over how aggressively they compound. It is less attractive for someone who wants a simple one-decision FIA, dislikes anything that requires annual review, or needs a shorter surrender commitment.
Why Someone Would Buy This Annuity
The main reason to buy Momentum Growth is accumulation with downside protection plus the ability to dial up growth potential by voluntarily putting prior-year gains at risk for a chance at higher crediting rates. The secondary reason is index diversification — buyers get five crediting strategies across equity, volatility-controlled, and even crypto-linked indices, plus a fixed account, so there is real menu depth here.
Who This Annuity Is Best For
I think Momentum Growth is best for a buyer in their late 50s or early 60s who has a 10-year horizon, genuinely wants to be involved in managing their accumulation strategy year to year, and understands that electing 0% protection on prior gains means those gains are fully at risk in a down market. It is also a reasonable fit for a buyer who wants a traditional FIA structure but wants access to indices beyond a plain S&P 500 cap — the Barclays Aries, Nasdaq-100 volatility-controlled, and BlackRock crypto-blended indices broaden the playbook. It is not a fit for someone who needs income features, a premium bonus, or a shorter surrender schedule.
What You're Really Buying Here
You are buying a 10-year insurance contract that protects your principal from index losses while giving you a choice each year about how aggressively to pursue growth. The VersaGain mechanism means you are not just a passive rider of index performance — you actively choose how much of last year's interest to lock in versus recycle into higher potential rates for the following year. That is a meaningful structural difference from most FIAs. You are not buying market participation, guaranteed income, or liquidity.
How the Core Feature Works
Momentum Growth uses a point-to-point crediting approach across all five index strategies. At the start of each term, you allocate premium across your chosen indices. Available Gain is calculated daily based on index performance versus the term start value. At each contract anniversary, you elect your Protected Auto-Credit Percentage: 100% (all interest locks into account value, traditional FIA behavior), 50% (half locks in, half goes into the VersaGain Value to boost next year's rates), or 0% (all prior-term interest goes into VersaGain Value for maximum rate enhancement next term).
The VersaGain Value functions as leverage on crediting rates: the more you put at risk, the higher your participation rates or caps for the following year. Current rates (as of April 1, 2026) illustrate the range — S&P 500 cap strategy sits at 7.50% with a 100% participation rate at the low band, while the Nasdaq-100 Volatility Control 12% Index and S&P 500 Dynamic Intraday TCA Index run 65% and 60% participation rates respectively at the low band. Higher VersaGain elections could raise these materially.
You can also use the Index Lock feature to lock in Available Gain at any point during the year — if you think the index has peaked mid-term, you freeze that gain and wait out the rest of the year protected. A new term starts on the following contract anniversary.
Why the Secondary Feature Matters
The index menu diversity is the secondary differentiator. Most FIAs offer one or two S&P 500 crediting options and maybe one specialty index. Momentum Growth offers five: the plain S&P 500 (annual cap), the Barclays Aries balanced equity-treasury strategy, the BlackRock US Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12% Index (50% equity, some crypto exposure within a volatility-controlled structure), the Nasdaq-100 Volatility Control 12% Index, and the S&P 500 Dynamic Intraday TCA Index with intraday volatility control and trend-following. That breadth means buyers are not stuck with a single market bet — they can blend strategies based on their outlook or simply diversify across the menu.
Liquidity and Surrender Schedule
The surrender period is 10 years: 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%. This is a long commitment and should be taken seriously. The free withdrawal allowance is 10% of total premiums paid during the first contract year, then the greater of 10% of the prior anniversary account value or the RMD amount in subsequent years. The MVA applies to withdrawals exceeding the free amount and can move in either direction depending on interest rate conditions. Waivers are available for nursing home confinement (after 90 days, contract must be issued before age 76) and terminal illness (after one year, contract must be issued before age 70). Annuitization is available with options including single life, single life with period certain, and joint and survivor.
Fees and Tradeoffs
There are no explicit product fees, administration charges, or mortality-and-expense charges on this contract. The VersaGain structure is the real cost — when you elect 0% or 50% protection, you are putting earned interest at risk in the next term. In a flat or down market year, that means you could lose some or all of what you chose not to lock in. The MVA on excess withdrawals is also a real cost in a rising interest rate environment. The base contract carries no rider fee since there is no income rider on this product.
Product snapshot
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Type | Fixed Index Annuity |
| Surrender Period | 10 years |
| Surrender Schedule | 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1% |
| Issue Ages | 18–80 |
| Minimum Premium | $25,000 (Q and NQ) |
| Subsequent Premiums | Yes, year 1 only; $500 minimum |
| Premium Bonus | None |
| Income Rider | Not available |
| Free Withdrawal | 10% of premiums (year 1); 10% of anniversary AV or RMD (years 2+) |
| MVA | Yes; waived at death |
| MGSV | 87.5% at 1–3% |
| Index Options | S&P 500 (cap), Barclays Aries, BlackRock US Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12%, Nasdaq-100 VC 12%, S&P 500 Dynamic Intraday TCA |
| Fixed Account Rate | 4.15% (under $100K) / 4.50% ($100K+) |
| VersaGain | Built-in; 0%, 50%, or 100% protection elected annually |
| Index Lock | Once per term, per index strategy |
| Death Benefit | Greater of account value or surrender value |
| Nursing Home Waiver | Yes (contract issued before age 76) |
| Terminal Illness Waiver | Yes (contract issued before age 70) |
| State Availability | All states except California and New York; also DC, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Policy Form | ICC24-DLIC-FIA-MSP |
Carrier snapshot
Delaware Life Insurance Company, headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana, holds the distinction of launching the first fixed index annuity in U.S. history — the Keyport Key Index, issued by its predecessor Keyport Life Insurance Company in February 1995. The company was rebranded as Delaware Life in 2013 and is now part of Group 1001. Financial strength ratings as of mid-2025: A.M. Best A- (Excellent, 4th of 16 ratings), S&P Global A- (7th of 21 ratings, Outlook: Stable), and Fitch A- (7th of 19 ratings). All three ratings sit in the A- tier, reflecting solid but not exceptional claims-paying capacity. The company is authorized in all states except New York, plus D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Final take
Momentum Growth is a thoughtfully engineered FIA that gives buyers something most competitors don't: a built-in annual lever to choose between safety and acceleration. VersaGain is not gimmicky — it is a real structural mechanism that can meaningfully increase crediting rates for buyers willing to put prior-year gains at risk. The tradeoff is real too: earnings at risk can drop to zero in a negative index year, and the whole thing requires annual attention to manage well.
If you are in your late 50s with genuine 10-year money and you want an accumulation FIA that rewards engagement, Momentum Growth deserves a close look. If you want a simple, passive FIA or you need income features, this is not the right product for you. The 10-year surrender schedule is the other gating factor — know what you are signing up for before committing.