New Momentum 6-Year review

It depends on what you need. For a buyer who wants a guaranteed fixed rate, doesn't need an income rider, and can accept a seven-year exit window, this is a reasonable product from a strong carrier. The low minimum is genuinely useful. I think it's less compelling for someone shopping specifically for the highest available fixed rate — better yields can be found in the open market — but the combination of carrier quality, waiver depth, and accessible minimum gives it a legitimate place in the category.

The rational case for New Momentum 6-Year is simplicity and security. You put money in, earn a guaranteed fixed rate for six years, and know exactly what you'll have at maturity. Western & Southern's A+ A.M. Best rating adds credibility. The hardship waivers — covering nursing home confinement, terminal illness, and unemployment — provide more exit flexibility than many competing fixed annuities offer, which matters to buyers who value optionality even if they expect not to need it. The $2,000 minimum also means this product is accessible to buyers who don't qualify for the $10,000–$25,000 minimums common elsewhere.

I think New Momentum 6-Year is best for conservative buyers in the 50–75 age range who want a fixed rate rather than index-linked growth, have money they can set aside for six to seven years, and appreciate knowing a waiver is in place if health or employment circumstances change. It works well inside a traditional IRA or non-qualified account. It is less suited to buyers whose primary objective is income — there is no GLWB rider here — or to anyone who prioritizes maximizing yield and is willing to shop the broader fixed annuity and CD market for the best rate.

You are buying a guarantee. The contract credits a fixed rate set at issue — 3.60% as of April 2026 rate disclosures, plus a 0.75% first-year rate enhancement applied only in year one — and that rate holds for six years regardless of what interest rates do in the broader market. There are no caps, no participation rates, no index strategies, and no market risk. The tradeoff for that certainty is that if rates rise sharply after you lock in, you are stuck at the original rate until the guarantee period ends or until you pay surrender charges to exit.

The Guaranteed Rate Option, or GRO, is the product's core crediting method. At issue, you select a GRO period — available in 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, or 10 years — and earn the corresponding guaranteed rate for that duration. For the 6-year GRO, the current rate is 3.60%, with a 0.75% first-year enhancement applied only in the first contract year. A Quarterly Interest Option (QIO) is also available for buyers who want to receive interest credits on a quarterly basis rather than letting them compound inside the account.

The rate is guaranteed for the GRO term. At the end of the term, the contract either renews under new rates or you can take other action without incurring surrender charges — though note the surrender schedule itself runs seven years, so exiting in year seven still carries a 2% charge unless the GRO matures and the contract has reached its charge-free window.

The hardship waiver package is the most underappreciated secondary feature here. The contract waives surrender charges for nursing home confinement, terminal illness, and unemployment — three events that do not follow anyone's financial plan. Most fixed annuities include a nursing home or terminal illness waiver, but the unemployment waiver is less common and meaningfully expands the safety valve for buyers who are still working or have household income risk. That said, several states exclude some waivers: the unemployment waiver is not available in Indiana, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Texas, and hardship waivers generally are not available in Massachusetts or South Dakota.

New Momentum 6-Year allows free withdrawals of 10% of account value annually, available immediately from the date of issue — not after the first contract year, which is a meaningful distinction. That means a $50,000 contract could return up to $5,000 in the first year without surrender charges.

Amounts above the free withdrawal allowance are subject to the following schedule:

An MVA — Market Value Adjustment — also applies to surrenders above the free amount during the charge period. The MVA can move in either direction depending on prevailing interest rates at the time of withdrawal, adding a layer of exit risk that fixed-rate buyers should understand before committing. The contract includes a floor guarantee: the MVA will not reduce the return below the contribution amount to the GRO less transfers, withdrawals, and associated charges plus the minimum guaranteed interest rate (1% in most states). RMDs attributable to the contract also qualify for the free-withdrawal provision.

There is no base contract fee and no rider fee because no rider is included. The cost of ownership is entirely structural: the spread between what the carrier earns on your premium and the rate it credits you. That is standard for fixed annuities and is not unique to this product.

The primary tradeoff is rate risk. You lock in 3.60% for six years. If fixed annuity rates move materially higher, you will underperform the open market until the guarantee period ends. The secondary tradeoff is the mismatch between the "6-Year" product name and the seven-year surrender schedule — year seven carries a 2% charge, and the MVA can compound that if rates have risen.

Legal Entity: Integrity Life Insurance Company

Parent: Western & Southern Financial Group

A.M. Best Rating: A+