Milestone MYGA 4-Year review

Depends on how much you're depositing and how soon you might need the money. If you're bringing $100,000 or more and are comfortable locking it away with zero access for a full year, the 4.75% rate is a defensible, if not chart-topping, four-year commitment from a solidly rated carrier. If you're depositing under $50,000, the 3.95% entry rate is hard to get excited about, and the lack of any first-year liquidity makes this a tougher sell than a comparable MYGA that allows withdrawals from day one.

The core appeal is simplicity and a guaranteed rate with no market exposure. Someone would buy this because they have a defined four-year time horizon, want a fixed, contractually guaranteed return instead of exposure to index crediting formulas, and are comfortable with the carrier's A- financial strength rating. The tiered rate structure also gives an incentive to consolidate savings into a single larger deposit rather than splitting across multiple smaller contracts, since the jump from the low band to the high band is worth 0.80 percentage points.

I think this product is best for someone depositing at least $100,000, in either a qualified or non-qualified account, who has already set aside a separate emergency fund and genuinely does not expect to need this money before the second contract year. It's a weaker fit for someone depositing under $50,000, since the 3.95% rate is not particularly competitive, and it's a poor fit for anyone who might need partial access to principal in the first twelve months — the contract simply doesn't allow it.

Strip away the brand name and this is a certificate-of-deposit-style insurance contract: you deposit a lump sum, the carrier guarantees a fixed interest rate for four years, and at the end of the term you can walk away, roll into a new rate, or keep going. The rate you get depends entirely on how much you deposit — Sagicor uses a banded structure rather than a single flat rate, so the same product pays three different yields depending on premium size. There's no index-linked upside and no income rider layered on top; this is a pure accumulation vehicle.

The rate is fixed and guaranteed for the full four-year term, set at issue based on which of three premium bands the deposit falls into: 3.95% for $15,000–$49,999, 4.50% for $50,000–$99,999, and 4.75% for $100,000 and above (maximum premium $750,000 without home office approval, per the Wink product profile dated 11/4/2025). Because the rate is set at issue and current declared rates change over time, the specific percentages here are a snapshot rather than a permanent quote — anyone shopping this product should confirm the current rate sheet directly through Sagicor's Current Crediting Strategies/Rates disclosure before applying. At the end of the four-year guarantee period, the contract automatically renews into a new four-year term at a newly declared rate unless the owner acts during the 30-day penalty-free window.

The built-in accelerated death benefit is worth noting even though it isn't a separately priced rider. In most approved states, the contract includes a contractual provision allowing early access to death benefit proceeds if the owner is diagnosed with a terminal condition or a qualifying chronic illness, without the buyer having to elect or pay for a separate rider. That's a meaningful piece of built-in flexibility for a product that otherwise has almost no living-benefit features, though it functions as an acceleration of the death benefit rather than a standalone withdrawal waiver, and exact triggering conditions vary by state.

This is where the product asks the most of a buyer. Unlike many MYGAs that allow a 10% free withdrawal starting in contract year one, Milestone MYGA 4-Year offers zero penalty-free access in the first year. Starting in year two, 10% of the prior anniversary's accumulation value can be withdrawn free of surrender charge annually, subject to a $500 minimum withdrawal. Withdrawals beyond that free amount, or a full surrender, trigger the surrender charge schedule below plus a market value adjustment (MVA), which can move the effective penalty up or down depending on where interest rates have moved since issue. A 30-day penalty-free window opens at the end of the initial four-year term (and again at year eight) for anyone who wants a clean exit or a full re-shop of the rate.

There's no explicit rider fee or base contract fee disclosed — this is a no-annual-fee MYGA structure, which is typical for the category. The real tradeoff isn't a line-item fee; it's opportunity cost. Sagicor also sells a related "Milestone Max MYGA 4-Year" product with the same four-year surrender schedule and MVA structure, but a $25,000 minimum premium (versus $15,000 here) and materially better guaranteed rates — 4.55% under $75,000 and 4.80% at $75,000 and above, compared to this product's 3.95%/4.50%/4.75% bands. The Max version also allows RMD withdrawals free of penalty starting in contract year one, which this base product does not appear to offer. The tradeoff runs the other direction on availability: this base Milestone MYGA is approved in more states (it's closed only in California, where Sagicor offers a separate California-specific contract form) than the Max version, which is currently unavailable in seven states including New York. In short, if you can meet the $25,000 minimum and live in an approved state, the Max version is the stronger rate for essentially the same commitment; this base product exists mainly for smaller deposits or buyers in states the Max version doesn't reach.

Legal Entity: Sagicor Life Insurance Company

A.M. Best Rating: A-