Secure Growth 3-Year with ROP review

It depends on what you're optimizing for. If the goal is the highest 3-year MYGA rate on the market, this probably is not it. If the goal is a clean, safe 3-year fixed annuity from a carrier with a top A.M. Best rating — with an automatic ROP guarantee and no MVA risk — this is a reasonable choice. The product is honest about what it is and does not try to do more than that.

The main reason to buy this annuity is carrier quality and principal certainty. Nationwide's A+ A.M. Best rating puts it among the most financially secure insurers in the country. The automatic Return of Premium guarantee is the standout structural feature: you cannot leave this contract worse than you entered it, even if you surrender before the end of the term. For someone moving money out of a savings account or CD and concerned about safety above all, that combination has real appeal. The secondary reason is simplicity — there are no riders, no allocation decisions, no complexity.

I think this annuity is best for a conservative buyer, likely 55 and older, who is moving near-term money into a short-duration safe harbor. The immediate free-withdrawal provision makes it more flexible than some competitors for someone who might need partial access along the way. The $10,000 minimum makes it accessible. It is less suited for someone shopping aggressively for the best MYGA yield available, or for anyone with a longer time horizon who would benefit from a higher-rate 5-year product instead.

You are buying a simple, guaranteed-rate insurance contract. Nationwide agrees to pay you a fixed interest rate on your deposit for three years. At the end of that period, you can renew, take the money, or move it into another product. The ROP feature adds one important wrinkle: even if you surrender early and owe the 7% surrender charge, Nationwide guarantees your payout will not fall below what you originally deposited. That is not standard in most MYGAs — it's a meaningful structural protection built into this version of the product.

Secure Growth 3-Year with ROP uses a simple fixed-rate crediting structure. There is one rate applied to your entire contract value, compounding for three years. The rate is banded by premium size: contracts below $100,000 received 3.35% guaranteed for three years, and contracts at $100,000 or more received 3.85%, based on the December 2025 rate sheet. These rates are locked in at issue and do not change during the surrender period, which is the core appeal of any MYGA. Current rates will differ from the brochure figures — always confirm the current rate before purchasing.

The Return of Premium guarantee is the most important secondary feature. In most fixed annuities, if you surrender in year one or two, your net payout could be reduced below your original deposit once the surrender charge is applied. With ROP included automatically, Nationwide guarantees your surrender value will not fall below your original premium. For someone depositing, say, $50,000, that guarantee means the worst-case outcome is getting $50,000 back — not $46,500 after a 7% charge. That certainty matters more in the first year than it does later, but it provides a real floor throughout the contract.

Free withdrawals of 10% of account value per year are available immediately from day one — you do not need to wait until year two. That is more accessible than most MYGAs, which typically delay free withdrawal access until after the first contract year. Amounts above the free-withdrawal allowance are subject to the surrender charge schedule below.

There is no market value adjustment on this product, which means your surrender penalty is the flat surrender charge and nothing more. In a rising-rate environment, MVA can compound an early exit penalty significantly; the absence of MVA here is a clean advantage.

Nursing home confinement and terminal illness waivers are available, waiving surrender charges in those circumstances. Nationwide also notes variations approved in California and New York, so terms may differ in those states.

There are no base contract fees and no rider fees. The entire cost structure here is the opportunity cost of the surrender period and whatever yield difference exists between this product and alternatives at purchase time.

The honest tradeoff is rate competitiveness. A flat 7% surrender charge across all three years is on the higher end for a short-duration MYGA — many 3-year products step the charge down in years two and three. Combined with rates that sit modestly below the competitive median for the 3-year band at this brochure date, buyers are paying a slight rate premium for the carrier quality and ROP protection. That is a legitimate exchange for some buyers and not for others.

Legal Entity: Nationwide Life Insurance Company

Parent: Nationwide Financial

A.M. Best Rating: A+

Nationwide is one of the largest and most financially stable insurance carriers in the country. The A+ A.M. Best rating reflects strong claims-paying ability and balance sheet depth. For a short-term fixed annuity, carrier quality is not as critical as it is for a 20-year income contract — but it does matter, and Nationwide's standing here is a legitimate selling point.