SecureFore 5-Year review

Yes, for buyers in approved states with the right time horizon. If you are comparing this to a 5-year CD or a Treasury ladder and you want the interest to grow tax-deferred, SecureFore 5 is a reasonable choice. If you need the flexibility to access principal without penalty, are in one of the many states where this product is not available, or want index-linked growth potential, it is not the right fit.

The rational case here is simple: lock a competitive rate for five years with no management fees and no index complexity. Someone who has already maxed out their IRA and wants to defer more investment income, or a pre-retiree who wants to eliminate rate reinvestment risk for five years and does not want equity exposure, is the natural buyer. The RMD-friendly treatment also makes this a sensible choice for IRA money where required distributions will hit before the end of the surrender period — excess RMDs above the 10% free-withdrawal amount do not trigger surrender charges.

I think SecureFore 5 is best for a buyer in their mid-50s to mid-70s who has a defined 5-year hold window — perhaps money they plan to use at a specific retirement milestone — and who wants absolute certainty about the rate rather than the variability of an FIA or the market risk of a RILA. Non-qualified money looking for tax deferral is a good fit, and so is IRA money where the owner wants simplified management without worrying about index caps or participation rates. It is less appealing for anyone under 50 who might need the funds earlier, anyone in a state where the product is not approved, and anyone whose primary goal is maximizing long-term growth rather than predictable accumulation.

A MYGA is one of the simpler insurance products available: you hand over a premium, the insurer credits a declared fixed interest rate for the full surrender period, the interest compounds tax-deferred, and at the end of the term you can take the money, roll it over, or annuitize. There are no subaccounts, no index strategies, no crediting caps to decode, and no rider fees reducing your balance. What you are actually buying is the insurer's promise to pay a specific rate for five years, backed by Forethought Life's general account and its A-rated parent. The Minimum Guaranteed Surrender Value of 87.5% at a minimum interest rate provides a floor — that floor exists as a regulatory backstop, not as the expected outcome, since the declared rate should well exceed it.

The declared rate on SecureFore 5 is fixed at contract issue and guaranteed for the full 5-year surrender period. As of the Wink report used for this review, the rate was 4.90% for premiums under $100,000 and 5.10% at $100,000 or more. Both rates are credited daily and compound for five years. After the initial period, renewal rates are declared annually at the start of each new contract year — the renewal rate is not pre-disclosed and can be different from the initial rate, which is standard for MYGAs. If the renewal rate is unsatisfactory at the end of the 5-year term, you can typically take a full surrender without penalty (the surrender charge drops to 0% in year 6), roll to a new contract, or annuitize. The two-tier rate structure is also standard — crossing $100,000 earns 20 extra basis points, which is modest but worth noting if you are close to that threshold.

The absence of an MVA is the secondary feature worth paying attention to. Many MYGAs apply a Market Value Adjustment to surrenders above the free-withdrawal amount during the surrender period, which means your actual penalty can be larger or smaller than the published surrender charge depending on interest rate movements. SecureFore 5 does not apply an MVA. That makes the withdrawal cost more predictable — if you need to surrender early, you pay the published schedule and nothing more. In a rising-rate environment where MVA adjustments can swing negative, this is a meaningful structural advantage over MVA-bearing MYGAs in the same peer group.

The free-withdrawal provision allows 10% of the beginning-of-year contract value each year (10% of the original Annuity Deposit in the first contract year) without surrender charges. Amounts above that are subject to the published schedule below. Because there is no MVA, the surrender charge is the only penalty — no hidden rate-driven adjustment.

RMD treatment is notable: required minimum distributions attributable to this contract are permitted above the 10% free-withdrawal limit without incurring surrender charges. That is not universal among MYGAs and makes this product materially more usable for IRA money where RMDs will begin before the contract matures. Inherited and Beneficiary IRA versions have a maximum issue age of 75 and the RMD waiver does not apply to them.

Two waivers also apply: a Terminal Illness Waiver (after the first contract anniversary) and a Nursing Home Waiver (90 consecutive days of confinement in an approved nursing facility; 60 days in certain states, and not available until after the first anniversary in CA, DE, FL, and ND). These provide meaningful liquidity relief in hardship scenarios.

There are no base contract fees, no annual maintenance charges, and no rider fees. One hundred percent of the premium goes into the contract value at issue. This is a genuine zero-fee structure — the insurer earns its spread on the general account assets backing the contract, not through explicit charges deducted from your account.

The meaningful tradeoffs are structural. First, the 5-year commitment: if interest rates rise significantly after issue, you are locked into a lower rate with a surrender cost to exit. Second, the rate tier requires $100,000 to reach the best yield — at smaller premium amounts the rate is competitive but 20 basis points lower. Third, and most significantly for any shopper reading this: state availability. As of April 6, 2026, this product was not approved in most U.S. states. The exclusion list covers major states including California (notably not on the exclusion list), Florida, Texas, New York, and many others — check with your agent to confirm availability in your specific state before spending any time on this product.

Legal Entity: Forethought Life Insurance Company

Parent: Global Atlantic Financial Group

A.M. Best Rating: A