Prudential MyRock Advisor Variable Annuity review

For RIA clients with $100,000 or more in assets, yes — as an accumulation vehicle it is a clean product. The no-surrender structure, thin base expense, and institutional-quality fund lineup (including Dimensional and Vanguard) are genuinely appealing. I think the optional Dynamic Income Benefit is worth understanding but also worth scrutinizing: it is not a traditional guaranteed-income contract, and advisors should set expectations clearly about income variability before electing it.

The main reason to buy MyRock Advisor is the combination of advisor-channel structure with genuine investment flexibility. Because there is no surrender period and no commission, the advisor can manage the portfolio actively — rebalancing, responding to client circumstances — without locking the client into a years-long exit penalty. The fund lineup includes Dimensional and Vanguard index options with expense ratios as low as 0.09%, which keeps the all-in cost competitive against taxable brokerage accounts for high-income earners who benefit from tax deferral. The secondary reason to buy it is access to the Dynamic Income Benefit, which for market-oriented retirees willing to accept income variability can provide longevity protection at a lower total cost than traditional GLWBs.

I think MyRock Advisor is best suited for RIA clients in pre-retirement accumulation phase — typically ages 50-70 — who want tax deferral, broad fund access, and the option to add a longevity backstop without committing upfront. It is a particularly good fit for clients who already have other predictable income sources (Social Security, pension, MYGA ladder) and can tolerate an income layer that fluctuates with their portfolio. It is a weaker fit for clients who need a stable, predictable monthly check from their annuity, or for anyone who will be bothered by income going down in a bad market year.

The base product is a tax-deferred wrapper around institutional subaccounts, managed by the client's RIA. It functions similarly to a tax-deferred managed account — but with the insurance company's longevity backstop available as an optional add-on. Without the rider, it is pure accumulation. With the Dynamic Income Benefit, it becomes a performance-linked income contract: the income base tracks actual account performance rather than a fixed deferral credit, income withdrawals do not reduce the income base (only excess withdrawals do), and guaranteed payments continue for life even if the account value reaches zero.

MyRock Advisor's investment structure is standard variable annuity mechanics: premiums go into subaccounts, the account value rises and falls with subaccount performance, and all gains accumulate tax-deferred. The advisor can allocate and reallocate across 89 subaccounts with up to 20 free transfers per year. Certain fund families (American Funds, Dimensional, Vanguard) carry an additional 0.35% Fund Facilitation Fee — advisors should factor this into total cost modeling. The base M&E of 0.25% is among the lower end for advisor-channel VAs, and it drops to 0.10% on the portion above $1 million.

The Dynamic Income Benefit III works differently from any traditional GLWB. Most income riders set a benefit base that grows at a guaranteed rate (a rollup) during deferral, then pay a fixed percentage of that base as guaranteed income. Dynamic Income Benefit does neither: there is no rollup during deferral, and the income amount each year is the product of the income percentage (set by age at issue — for example, 4.40% for a single 65-year-old) applied to the income base, which itself tracks actual account performance. The practical consequence is that annual income can increase meaningfully in good markets but can also fall in down years. This is the structural bet of the product: lower cost than a traditional GLWB (0.40% vs. 0.80-1.50% for most peers), more upside, but no guaranteed stable floor. One genuinely protective feature: annual income withdrawals do not reduce the income base — only excess withdrawals do. That means the income base can recover from bad years if the portfolio performs. If the account value reaches zero from investment losses (not excess withdrawals), guaranteed payments equal to the last-calculated annual income amount continue for life.

There is no surrender charge schedule on MyRock Advisor. This is its most structurally distinctive feature versus commission-channel VAs. Clients can surrender in full or take withdrawals at any time without exit penalties from the insurance company. Advisory fees of up to 1.50% annually are not counted against the Guaranteed Withdrawal Payment and do not reduce the income base after income commencement. One important nuance: if the Dynamic Income Benefit is elected, the rider cannot be cancelled in the first year; after the first anniversary, the client can request termination. If the insurer raises the rider charge after the third policy anniversary, the client can decline the increase, but the income percentage will be reduced by 5% on the next anniversary as a consequence.

The base product costs 0.40% annually (M&E 0.25% plus administration 0.15%) for accounts under $1 million. Above $1 million, the M&E drops to 0.10% and total base cost falls to 0.25%. The optional Dynamic Income Benefit III adds 0.40%, bringing total insurance cost to 0.80% for most clients (rising to 0.25% + 0.40% = 0.65% for accounts over $1 million). The optional Return of Adjusted Purchase Payments death benefit adds 0.10%. Subaccount expenses range from 0.09% (Vanguard Total International) to 0.89% (MFS International, ClearBridge). The 0.35% Fund Facilitation Fee applies to 31 funds in the American Funds, Dimensional, and Vanguard lineups — advisors using those funds should add it to the subaccount expense when modeling all-in costs.

| Feature | Details |

| --- | --- |

| Product type | Variable annuity (I-share / advisor channel) |

| Issuer | Pruco Life Insurance Company |

| Surrender period | None |

| Issue ages | 0-85 |

| Minimum premium | $10,000 |

| Subsequent premiums | $100 minimum ($50/month EFT) |

| Annual contract fee | $50 (waived at $100,000 AV; max 2% of AV) |

| Base M&E + admin | 0.40% (<$1M) / 0.25% ($1M+) |

| Subaccounts | 89 variable options |

| Subaccount fee range | 0.09% - 0.89% |

| Free transfers | 20 per year; $10 per transfer above 20 |

| Default death benefit | Full account value |

| Optional death benefit | Return of Adjusted Purchase Payments at +0.10% |

| Optional GLWB | Prudential Dynamic Income Benefit III at 0.40% (max 1.00%) |

| GLWB issue ages | 45-85 |

| Income % at 65 (single/joint) | 4.40% / 4.05% |

| Rollup | None |

| MGSV | N/A |

| State availability | Most states; not available in NY |

Pruco Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, one of the largest U.S. financial services firms. Prudential Insurance Company of America holds an AM Best rating of A+ and an S&P rating of AA-. Prudential has been a major presence in variable annuity distribution for decades, and the Pruco Life subsidiary is the primary issuing entity for Prudential's annuity products outside of New York. The carrier's size and financial strength ratings support confidence in its claims-paying ability for long-duration retirement income contracts.