Secure Horizon Plus review

Yes, for the right buyer. Secure Horizon Plus is a good annuity for someone who wants to deploy long-term retirement money, capture a large premium boost at issue, and build toward future lifetime income. It is less attractive for someone who values near-term flexibility, wants a simple annuity without rider complexity, or is primarily focused on maximum accumulation rather than income.

The primary reason to buy Secure Horizon Plus is the combination of a 22% premium bonus and a built-in income rider that credits benefit base at 150% of earned interest before income activation. That structure means someone putting $100,000 into the contract starts with $122,000 credited to the benefit base calculation, and interest credits are amplified as the benefit base grows. The secondary reason is the ADL benefit — buyers who want some chronic illness or long-term care protection without buying a separate rider often find that feature useful.

I think this annuity is best for someone in their mid-50s to late 60s who wants to use a lump sum of long-term savings — IRA rollover money is a common use case — to generate future protected income and is comfortable deferring for several years before activating withdrawals. The issue age range of 40-79 is broad, but the 10-year surrender period naturally limits this to buyers with a genuine long horizon. It is less attractive for someone near 80, someone who may need access to principal in the near term, or someone whose main goal is accumulation rather than income planning.

You are not buying direct index exposure. You are buying a structured income framework where a premium bonus inflates your starting basis, a benefit base accrues using amplified crediting, and a rider converts that benefit base into a protected lifetime withdrawal stream at activation. The accumulation account earns interest linked to index performance, but that account's main job is to sustain the rider mechanics — not to outperform a portfolio. Buyers who go in expecting high growth numbers will be disappointed. Buyers who want a durable income baseline with a large starting boost are the actual audience.

The Retirement Benefits Rider is built into Secure Horizon Plus — buyers do not elect it separately. At contract issue, North American applies a **22% premium bonus** to the accumulation value. The rider then credits the benefit base at **150% of the interest credited** to the accumulation account each year, which means the benefit base can grow meaningfully even in years when index-linked interest is modest.

The rider fee runs between **1.20% and 1.45% annually**, deducted from the accumulation value. One caution in the spec: the brochure notes a benefit base bonus recapture provision in the first 10 years if the ADL or PlanGap benefit is elected, which means some of the bonus mechanics interact with those features. The exact recapture terms and payout percentages at activation were at medium confidence in the source materials — if you are shopping this product, ask for the current rider rate sheet so you can see the age-banded withdrawal percentages directly.

The most meaningful secondary feature is the **ADL (Activities of Daily Living) Benefit**, which allows for enhanced withdrawals if the owner cannot perform a defined number of activities of daily living. This benefit is included in the contract at no separate charge, which makes it more accessible than a standalone care rider. For buyers who are concerned about long-term care costs but do not want to pay a separate premium for care insurance, the ADL benefit adds a real layer of protection to an already income-oriented contract.

The **Enhanced Death Benefit** is also notable. Rather than simply returning the accumulation value, the contract credits the benefit base for a pro-rata period and compares that to the minimum guaranteed surrender value — meaning heirs may receive more than just the account balance. For buyers with a legacy component to their planning, this is a meaningful structural difference from many plain-FIA death benefits.

Secure Horizon Plus is designed as a long-term commitment, and the liquidity terms reflect that. Free withdrawals of up to **7% of the beginning-of-year accumulation value** are available starting in **year 2** — there are no penalty-free withdrawals in year 1. Amounts above that are subject to the 10-year surrender charge schedule below, and a **Market Value Adjustment (MVA)** may also apply, meaning the effective cost of early surrender can move higher or lower with interest rates at the time.

The contract is RMD-friendly — required minimum distributions attributable to the contract are generally available without triggering surrender charges, which makes this workable as a qualified-money vehicle. State availability varies; the Enhanced Payout Benefit is not available in Ohio, and the Nursing Home Waiver is not available in California.

The largest ongoing cost is the **Retirement Benefits Rider fee of 1.20%-1.45% annually**, deducted from the accumulation value. That is on the higher end of the income-rider range for FIAs. Additionally, certain index strategies carry a **Strategy Charge** that reduces net crediting — the exact amounts vary by strategy and were not fully disclosed in the source materials. Ask for the current rate sheet before choosing a crediting strategy so you understand the all-in cost.

The premium bonus also deserves a careful read. The 22% figure is large, but the first 10 years include a recapture provision if the ADL or PlanGap benefit is elected. The 2% component is described as a special bonus subject to modification or discontinuation. Neither of those features makes the bonus a bad deal, but they mean the bonus is not simply additive value without conditions.

Legal Entity: North American Company for Life and Health Insurance

Parent: Sammons Financial Group

A.M. Best Rating: A+