Why it earned this rating
Our assessment
SecureGain 5 earns a strong rating because it pairs one of the top carrier ratings in the annuity industry (A++ AM Best) with a clean, five-year guaranteed rate, no contract fee, and no required rider. The built-in extended care and terminal illness waivers add real-world flexibility that many competing MYGAs don't include at no charge. What keeps it from a top-tier rating is the MVA pairing with the surrender charge — in a rising-rate environment, that combination can be meaningfully more expensive than a simple charge-only schedule.
The short version
This is a five-year guaranteed-rate annuity from a financially elite carrier. You deposit at least $25,000, lock in a rate for five years, and owe nothing beyond the minimum premium. There are no index strategies to track, no income rider decisions to make, and no annual contract fee. The tradeoff is that the money is genuinely committed for five years — the surrender charges start at 8%, an MVA can add cost on top of that, and the free withdrawal allowance caps your no-cost access. For someone who has true five-year money and wants guaranteed interest from a name with some of the strongest financial ratings in the industry, the structure is simple and the terms are clean.
Key facts
The full review
Is MassMutual Ascend SecureGain 5 (2025) a Good Annuity?
Yes, for the right buyer. If you have five-year money, want a guaranteed fixed rate, and value carrier financial strength above almost anything else, SecureGain 5 is a genuinely good choice. It is not a good fit if you are uncertain about your liquidity needs, want income-rider protection, or are looking for any upside beyond the declared rate.
Why Someone Would Buy This Annuity
The practical reason to buy SecureGain 5 is certainty. You lock in a rate that is guaranteed to stay in place for the full five years — there is no annual reset, no cap adjustment, no index strategy to monitor. The rate banding means depositing $100,000 or more gets you meaningfully better terms. Buyers who have CDs maturing and want a product in the same simplicity tier but with potential tax-deferral benefits and a stronger financial backstop often end up here. MassMutual Ascend's A++ AM Best rating is a genuine differentiator in this space, where many competing MYGA issuers carry lower financial strength grades.
Who This Annuity Is Best For
I think SecureGain 5 is best for conservative savers in or near retirement who have a defined pool of money they will not need for five years. That includes buyers rolling over CDs, 401(k) balances, or other fixed-rate vehicles. The wide issue age range — up to age 89 on qualified and non-qualified money — means it can serve older buyers who still want multi-year guarantees without being forced into shorter tenors. It is less suited for people with uncertain cash flow needs, buyers who want equity participation, or anyone shopping primarily for lifetime income.
What You're Really Buying Here
You are buying a multi-year guaranteed annuity: an insurance contract that functions like a long-dated CD with tax-deferral treatment and an insurance wrapper. Your declared rate is set at contract issue and guaranteed through the fifth anniversary. After that, MassMutual Ascend sets a renewal rate at its discretion — never below the minimum interest rate stated in the contract. That renewal dynamic is worth understanding before you sign. Most buyers roll out or exchange at the end of the term, but the guaranteed floor on the renewal rate is part of what the contract obligates the carrier to.
How the Core Feature Works
SecureGain 5 credits interest using a single declared fixed rate guaranteed for the full five-year term. There is no index, no cap, no participation rate — just a rate that does not change between issue and the fifth contract anniversary. The rate is banded: policies below $100,000 earn a lower rate; policies at $100,000 or more earn the higher rate. As of the brochure date (March 2026), those rates were 4.35% and 4.65% respectively, though rates are subject to change at new issue and should always be confirmed with a current rate sheet before purchase. Interest compounds tax-deferred during the accumulation phase.
Why the Secondary Feature Matters
The Extended Care Waiver Rider and Terminal Illness Waiver Rider are the most meaningful secondary features on this contract, and both come at no additional charge. The extended care waiver allows you to access funds above the normal free-withdrawal limit without surrender charges if you are confined to a qualified care facility. The terminal illness waiver provides similar relief in a terminal diagnosis scenario. For a product where the core trade is locking money up for five years, these waivers reduce the real-world commitment risk. The fact that they are included at no cost is not universal among MYGAs — some carriers charge extra for comparable features. Note: the extended care waiver is not available in Massachusetts, and California residents get a modified version.
Liquidity and Surrender Schedule
You are committing to five years. The free withdrawal provision gives you 10% of purchase payments in year one and 10% of account value on each subsequent anniversary — but unused amounts do not carry over. Anything beyond that is subject to the surrender charge schedule and a market value adjustment.
The MVA — Market Value Adjustment — means your effective penalty on excess withdrawals is not fixed. It moves with interest rates: if rates have risen since you purchased, the MVA is negative and increases your cost; if rates have fallen, the MVA is positive and may offset part of the surrender charge (though a positive MVA will never push your payout above account value). There is also a floor: the combined effect of surrender charge plus MVA will not reduce your account value by more than twice the stated surrender charge percentage in any year.
| Contract Year | Surrender Charge |
|---|---|
| 1 | 8% |
| 2 | 8% |
| 3 | 7% |
| 4 | 6% |
| 5 | 5% |
Fees and Tradeoffs
There is no base contract fee and no rider fee — this is a clean, no-cost fixed annuity. You are not paying an annual expense charge, a mortality and expense fee, or an income rider fee. That simplicity is one of the product's real strengths.
The tradeoffs are structural. You cannot earn more than the declared rate regardless of market conditions. The MVA adds rate risk to any unplanned large withdrawals. The free-withdrawal allowance is use-it-or-lose-it annually. And after the five-year term, the renewal rate is at the carrier's discretion — your contract specifies only a floor, not a competitive renewal commitment.
Product snapshot
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Type | Fixed Annuity |
| Surrender Period | 5 years |
| Issue Ages | 0-89 (qualified/non-qualified); 0-75 (inherited IRA/inherited non-qualified) |
| Minimum Premium | $25,000 |
| Crediting Methods | Declared fixed rate |
| Free Withdrawal | 10% of total purchase payments in contract year 1; 10% of account value on most recent contract anniversary in years 2+. Unused allowance does not carry over. Minimum $500 withdrawal; minimum $5,000 account value must remain after withdrawal. |
| MGSV | 87.5% of premiums at 1-3% |
| Death Benefit | Greater of account value or GMSV, paid directly to beneficiaries |
| Income Rider | Not available |
| Premium Bonus | None |
| Availability | Not available in New York. Extended care and terminal illness waiver riders not available in Massachusetts. In California, extended care waiver replaced with Waiver of Early Withdrawal Charges for Facility Care or Home Care or Community-Based Services Rider. |
Carrier snapshot
Legal Entity: MassMutual Ascend Life Insurance Company
Parent: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
AM Best Rating: A++
Final take
SecureGain 5 is a clean, no-fee MYGA from one of the most financially strong carriers in the annuity market. If you have five-year money, want a fully guaranteed interest rate from day one, and place carrier quality near the top of your criteria, this contract earns its place on the shortlist.
Where it is not a fit: if you might need meaningful access to funds in the next five years, the MVA on top of surrender charges is a genuine exposure. If you want upside beyond a declared rate or any form of lifetime income guarantee, this product does not provide that. And if Massachusetts or New York residency applies, read the state exclusions carefully.
For accumulation-focused buyers with a true five-year horizon, the simplicity and the carrier backing are the main arguments in its favor.