424B3 1 compassg424.htm compassg424.htm

APRIL 29, 2011

COMPASS G PROSPECTUS
Combination Fixed/Variable Group Annuity

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.) and Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Variable Account D offer the master group flexible payment deferred annuity contracts described in this Prospectus to groups for use in connection with employer, association and other group retirement plans.

Contract owners may choose among a range of variable investment options and fixed options. The variable options are Sub-Accounts in the Variable Account. Each Sub-Account invests in one of the following mutual funds (the “Mutual Funds”) advised by our affiliate Massachusetts Financial Services Company (“MFS®”), or one of the following fund options of the MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II (the “Trust”), which also are advised by MFS®:

Mutual Funds
Portfolios of the Trust
MFS® Bond Fund, Class A
MFS® Money Market Portfolio, Initial Class
MFS® Total Return Fund, Class A
MFS® High Yield Portfolio, Initial Class
Massachusetts Investors Trust, Class A
MFS® Government Securities Portfolio, Initial Class
Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Fund, Class A
MFS® Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio,
 
Initial Class

If a Contract is not tax-qualified or is not held by a trustee or custodian on behalf of the group or entity, the Contract owner may only choose among the Sub-Accounts that invest in the Trust.

The fixed account options are available for time periods of 1, 3, 5, or 7 years, called Guarantee Periods, and pay interest at a guaranteed rate for each period. The Guarantee Periods are available for all Contracts.

This Prospectus must be accompanied by a current prospectus for the Trust. For tax qualified Contracts held by a trustee or custodian, this Prospectus also must be accompanied by a current prospectus for each of the Mutual Funds. Please read this Prospectus, the Trust prospectus, and, if applicable, the Mutual Fund prospectuses carefully before investing and keep them for future reference. They contain important information about the Contract, the Trust and the Mutual Funds.

We have filed a Statement of Additional Information dated April 29, 2011 (the “SAI”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which is incorporated by reference in this Prospectus. The table of contents for the SAI is on page 36 of this Prospectus. You may obtain a copy without charge by writing to us at the address shown below  or by telephoning (800) 752-7216. In addition, you can inspect and copy all of our filings at the SEC's public reference facilities at: 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102, telephone (202) 551-8090. The SEC will provide copies by mail for a fee. The SEC also has a website (www.sec.gov) that contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding companies that file with the SEC.

The Contracts are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency.

The SEC has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Any reference in this Prospectus to receipt by us means receipt at the following address:

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.)
P.O. Box 9133
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts 02481


 
 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPECIAL TERMS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
FEES AND EXPENSES [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
THE ANNUITY CONTRACT [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
COMMUNICATING TO US ABOUT THE CONTRACT [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Electronic Account Information [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
SUN LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA (U.S.) [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
THE VARIABLE ACCOUNT [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
VARIABLE ACCOUNT OPTIONS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
The MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
The Mutual Funds [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
THE FIXED ACCOUNT [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
THE FIXED ACCOUNT OPTIONS: THE GUARANTEE PERIODS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
THE ACCUMULATION PHASE [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Issuing Your Certificate [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Amount and Frequency of Purchase Payments [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Allocation of Net Purchase Payments [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Your Account [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Your Account Value [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Variable Account Value [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Fixed Account Value [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Transfer Privilege [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
WITHDRAWALS, WITHDRAWAL CHARGES, MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT, AND LOAN PROVISION [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Cash Withdrawals [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Withdrawal Charge [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Market Value Adjustment [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Loans (Qualified Contracts Only but not an Individual Retirement Annuity) [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
CONTRACT CHARGES [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Premium Taxes [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Mutual Fund and Trust Expenses [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Modification of Charges [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
DEATH BENEFIT [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Amount of Death Benefit [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Method of Paying Death Benefit [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Non-Qualified Contracts [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Selection and Change of Beneficiary [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Payment of Death Benefit [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Due Proof of Death [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
THE INCOME PHASE -- ANNUITY PROVISIONS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Selection of the Annuity Commencement Date [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Annuity Options [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Selection of Annuity Option [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Amount of Annuity Payments [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Transfer of Variable Annuity Units [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Annuity Payment Rates [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Annuity Options as Method of Payment for Death Benefit [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
OTHER CONTRACT PROVISIONS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Exercise of Contract Rights [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Change of Ownership [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Voting of Mutual Fund and Trust Shares [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Reports to Owners [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Substitution of Securities [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Change in Operation of Variable Account [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Splitting Units [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Modification [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Discontinuance of New Participants [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Right to Return (IRAs Only) [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
TAX CONSIDERATIONS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
Puerto Rico Tax Provisions [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONTRACTS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
AVAILABLE INFORMATION [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
STATE REGULATION [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
APPENDIX A - GLOSSARY [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
APPENDIX B - WITHDRAWALS, WITHDRAWAL CHARGES, AND THE MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]
APPENDIX C - CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]


 
 

 

SPECIAL TERMS

The Contract is a legal document that uses a number of specially defined terms. We explain most of the capitalized terms that we use in this Prospectus in the context where they arise, and some are self-explanatory. In addition, for convenient reference, we have compiled a list of these capitalized terms in the Glossary included at the back of this Prospectus as Appendix A. If, while you are reading this Prospectus, you come across a capitalized term that you do not understand, please refer to the Glossary for an explanation.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

The headings in this section correspond to headings in the Prospectus under which we discuss these topics in more detail.

The Annuity Contract

Compass G is a master group flexible payment deferred annuity contract (“Contract”), designed for use with retirement and deferred compensation plans. We issued the Contract to the employer or other group that establishes the plan, which we call the “Owner.” We issue a “Certificate” to you as a participant under the Contract. During the Accumulation Phase, you make Payments under the Certificate, which are allocated to one or more Variable Account or Fixed Account options. During the Income Phase, we make annuity payments to you or someone else based on the amount you have accumulated. The Certificate provides tax-deferral so that you do not pay taxes on your earnings until you withdraw them. When purchased in connection with a tax-qualified plan, the Contract provides no additional tax-deferral benefits because tax-qualified plans confer their own tax-deferral. The Certificate also provides a death benefit if you die during the Accumulation Phase.

The Accumulation Phase

The amount of Purchase Payments under a Certificate may vary. However, each Purchase Payment must be at least $25, and we will not accept Purchase Payments that, on an annualized basis, are less than $300 in the first year of the Certificate. We will not normally accept a Purchase Payment if your Account Value is over $1 million or, if the Purchase Payment would cause your Account Value to exceed $1 million.

Variable Account Options:  The Funds

The Owner (or you, if permitted under your plan) can allocate the Purchase Payments among Sub-Accounts investing in a number of Fund options. Each Fund is either a mutual fund registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or a separate securities portfolio of shares of such a mutual fund. The investment returns on the Funds are not guaranteed. You can make or lose money. During the Accumulation Phase, the Owner can transfer all or a portion of a Participant’s Account among the Funds and the Fixed Account Options.

The Fixed Account Options:  The Guarantee Periods

The Owner (or you, if permitted under your plan) can allocate the Purchase Payments to the Fixed Account and elect to invest in one or more of the Guarantee Periods that are made available. Each Guarantee Period earns interest at a Guaranteed Interest Rate that we publish. We may change the Guaranteed Interest Rate from time to time, but no Guaranteed Interest Rate will ever be less than the minimum guaranteed interest rate permitted by law. Once we have accepted your allocation to a particular Guarantee Period, we promise that the Guaranteed Interest Rate applicable to that allocation will not change for the duration of the Guarantee Period. We may offer Guarantee Periods of different durations or stop offering some Guarantee Periods. Once we stop offering a Guarantee Period of a particular duration, future allocations, or transfers into that Guarantee Period will not be permitted.

Fees and Expenses

The Contract has insurance features and investment features, and there are costs related to each.

On each Account Anniversary, we deduct an annual Account Fee on your Account that ranges from $12 to $25, depending on the total amount of Purchase Payments made to all Certificates under the Contract. We deduct insurance charges, the amount depending on the total amount of Purchase Payments made to all Certificates under the Contract.

If you take more than a specified amount of money out of your Contract, we assess a withdrawal charge against each Purchase Payment withdrawn. The withdrawal charge (also known as a “contingent deferred sales charge”) starts at 6% in the first Payment year and declines to 0% after seven full years.

In addition to the charges we impose under the Contract, there are also charges (which include management fees and operating expenses) imposed by the Funds. The charges vary depending upon the Fund(s) selected.

The Income Phase:  Annuity Provisions

The Owner (or you, if permitted under your plan) can select one of several Annuity Options. The Owner (or you, if permitted under your plan) can choose to receive annuity payments from the Fixed Account, from the available Variable Account options, or from a combination of both. If any part of your annuity payments come from the Variable Account, the dollar amount of the payments may fluctuate with the performance of the Funds. Subject to the maximum Annuity Commencement Date, The Owner (or you, if permitted under your plan) decide when your Income Phase will begin but, once it begins, you can not change your choice of annuity payment options.

Death Benefit

If you die before the Certificate reaches the Income Phase, the Beneficiary will receive a death benefit.  To calculate the death benefit, we use a “Death Benefit Date,” which is the earliest date we have both due proof of death and a written request specifying the manner of payment. The death benefit is equal to the greater of (1) the value of your Account on the Death Benefit Date and (2) the total of the Purchase Payments made to your Account, minus all withdrawals and loans.  The death benefit will also be reduced by any unpaid net loan interest.

Withdrawals, Withdrawal Charges, and Market Value Adjustment

You can withdraw money from your Certificate during the Accumulation Phase.  You may withdraw a portion of your Account Value each year without the imposition of a withdrawal charge. For any Account Year, this “free withdrawal amount” equals 10% of all Purchase Payments made during the last seven Account Years (including the current Account Year), plus all Purchase Payments we have held for at least seven Account Years. We do not apply any withdrawal charge to withdrawals made from a Certificate that has been established for at least 12 years, regardless of the amount or when any Purchase Payments were made. Withdrawals made from the Fixed Account may also be subject to a Market Value Adjustment. (See “Market Value Adjustment.”) You may also have to pay income taxes and tax penalties on money you withdraw.

Tax Considerations

Your earnings are not taxed until you take them out. If you withdraw money during the Accumulation Phase, earnings come out first and are taxed as income. If you are younger than 59½ when you take money out, you may be charged a 10% federal tax penalty.
————————

NOTE ABOUT OTHER ANNUITY CONTRACTS THAT WE OFFER: In addition to the Contract, we currently offer many other forms of annuity contracts with a wide variety of features, benefits and charges. Depending on your circumstances and needs, some of these other contracts may be at lower cost to you. Not all of the annuity contracts that we offer are available in all jurisdictions or through all of the selling agents who offer the contracts. You should consider with your selling agent what annuity contract or financial product is most consistent with your needs and preferences.

If you have any questions about your Contract or need more information, please contact us at:

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.)
P. O. Box 9133
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts  02481
Toll Free (800) 752-7216
www.sunlife.com/us


 
 

 

FEES AND EXPENSES

The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering the Contract.



The table below describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time that you buy the Contract, surrender the Contract, or transfer cash value between investment options.

Contract Owner Transaction Expenses

 
Maximum Withdrawal Charge (as a percentage of Purchase Payments withdrawn):
 
6%1

Number of Complete Account Years Since
Purchase Payment has been in the Account
0-2
3
4
5
6
7
8
               
Withdrawal Charge
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%

 
Maximum Fee Per Transfer:
 
$02
       
 
Premium Taxes (as a percentage of Certificate Value or total Purchase Payments):
 
0% - 3.5%3



The tables below describe the fees and expenses that you will pay periodically during the time that you own the Contract, not including Fund fees and expenses.

 
Annual Account Fee
$ 254

Variable Account Annual Expenses
(as a percentage of average daily net Variable Account assets)

 
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge:
1.30%4
 
Administrative Expense Charge:
0.00%
     
Total Variable Account Annual Expenses:
1.30%



The table below shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the Mutual Funds and Series (collectively, the “Funds”) that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the Contract.

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses5
Minimum
Maximum
 
(expenses as a percentage of average daily Fund net assets that are
deducted from Fund assets, including management fees, distribution
and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses)
0.59%
0.95%

The expenses shown, which include any acquired fund fees and expenses, are those incurred for the year ended December 31, 2010, and were provided by the Funds. We have not independently verified the accuracy of the Fund expense information. Current or future expenses may be greater or less than those shown. For more information about Fund expenses, including a description of any applicable fee waiver or expense reimbursement arrangement, see the Fund prospectuses.



1
A portion of the Participant's Account may be withdrawn each year without imposition of any withdrawal charge and, after a Purchase Payment held by the Company for seven complete Account Years, it may be withdrawn free of the withdrawal charge. (See “Withdrawal Charges.”) We do not apply any withdrawal charge to withdrawals made from a Certificate that has been established for at least 12 years, regardless of the amount or when any Purchase Payments were made.
   
2
We do impose certain restrictions upon the number and frequency of transfers. (See “Transfer Privilege”.)
   
3
The premium tax rate and base vary by your state of residence and the type of Certificate you own. Currently, we deduct premium taxes from Certificate Value upon full surrender (including a surrender for the death benefit) or annuitization. (See “Premium Taxes.”)
   

4
The Annual Contract Fee (“Account Fee”) and Mortality and Expense Risks Charges (“Asset Charge”) decline based on total Purchase Payments credited to all Participants' Accounts under a Contract in accordance with the following schedule:
   
 
Purchase Payments
Account Fee
Asset Charge
 
 
Up to $250,000
$25
1.30%
 
 
$250,000 to $1,499,999
$18
1.25%
 
 
$1,500,000 to $4,999,999
$15
1.10%
 
 
$5,000,000 and over
$12
0.95%
 

EXAMPLE

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Contract with the cost of investing in other variable annuity contracts. These costs include Contract Owner transaction expenses, contract fees, variable account annual expenses, and Fund fees and expenses.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Contract for the time periods indicated and that your Contract includes the maximum fees and expenses of any of the Funds. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and assumes the maximum fees and expenses of any of the Funds. For purpose of converting the Annual Account Fee to a percentage, the Example assumes an average Contract size of $8,333. In addition, this Example assumes no transfers were made and no premium taxes were deducted. If these arrangements were considered, the expenses shown would be higher.

Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

(1)
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period:

 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
         
 
$798
$1,243
$1,625
$2,885

(2)
If you annuitize your Contract at the end of the applicable time period:

 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
         
 
$258
$793
$1,355
$2,885

(3)
If you do not surrender your Contract:

 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
         
 
$258
$793
$1,355
$2,885

The fee table and Example should not be considered a representation of past or future expenses and charges of the Sub-Accounts. Your actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. The Example does not include the deduction of state premium taxes, which may be assessed upon full surrender, death or annuitization, or any taxes and penalties you may be required to pay if you surrender the Contract. This Example also does not take into consideration any fee waiver or expense reimbursement arrangement of the Funds. If these arrangements were taken into consideration, the expenses shown would be lower. Similarly, the 5% annual rate of return assumed in the Example is not intended to be representative of past or future investment performance. For more information about Fund expenses, including a description of any applicable fee waiver or expense reimbursement arrangement, see the prospectuses for the Funds.

For information concerning compensation paid for the sale of the Contracts, see “Distribution of the Contract.”

CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Ten-year historical information about the value of the units we use to measure the variable portion of Contracts (“Variable Accumulation Units”) is included in the back of this Prospectus as Appendix C.

THE ANNUITY CONTRACT

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.) and Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Variable Account D (the “Variable Account”) offer the Compass G Combination Fixed/ Variable Group Annuity to employers, associations and other groups for use in connection with their retirement plans. We issue the Contract to the Owner. The Contract covers all individuals participating under the Contract. Each individual receives a Certificate that evidences his or her participation under the Contract.

In this Prospectus, unless we state otherwise, we refer to the employer, association or other group establishing the Contract as the “Owner” even though the legal owner of the Contract may be a trustee or custodian. We refer to participating individuals under Contracts as “Participants” and we refer to Participants as “you.” For the purpose of determining benefits under a Contract, we establish an Account for each Participant, which we will refer to as “your” Account or a “Participant Account.” We will only accept instructions and elections regarding Participant Accounts from the Owner. However, under the terms of your particular plan, you may be entitled to make certain decisions and elections which the Owner will communicate to us on your behalf.

The Contract provides a number of important benefits for your retirement planning. It has an Accumulation Phase, during which payments are made under the Contract and allocated to one or more Variable Account or Fixed Account options, and an Income Phase, during which we make payments based on the amount accumulated. The Contract provides tax deferral, so that you do not pay taxes on your earnings under the Contract until they are withdrawn. However, if you purchase your Contract in connection with a tax-qualified plan, your purchase should be made for reasons other than tax-deferral. Tax-qualified plans provide tax-deferral without the need for purchasing an annuity contract.

Your Contract also provides a death benefit if you die during the Accumulation Phase. Finally, if the Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) so elects, during the Income Phase we will make payments to you for life or for another period that the Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) chooses.

The Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) chooses these benefits on a variable or fixed basis or a combination of both. When a variable investment option or a Variable Annuity option is chosen, your Account Value will change in response to changes in the return available from the different types of investments you select under your Contract. With these options, you assume all investment risk under the Contract. When a Guarantee Period in our Fixed Account or a Fixed Annuity option is chosen, we assume the investment risk, except in the case of early withdrawals, where you bear the risk of unfavorable interest rate changes. You also bear the risk that the interest rates we will offer in the future and the rates we will use in determining your Fixed Annuity may not exceed our minimum guaranteed rate, which is 4% per year, compounded annually.

The Contracts are designed for use in connection with retirement and deferred compensation plans, some of which qualify for favorable federal income tax treatment under Sections 401, 403, 408(c), 408(k) or 408(p) of the Internal Revenue Code. After May 1, 1990 we will not issue Contracts for use with deferred compensation plans established under Section 457 of the Code. The Contracts are also designed so that they may be used in connection with certain non-tax-qualified retirement plans, such as payroll savings plans and such other groups (trusteed or nontrusteed) as may be eligible under applicable law. We refer to Contracts used with plans that receive favorable tax treatment as “Qualified Contracts,” and all others as “Non-Qualified Contracts.” A qualified retirement plan generally provides tax deferral regardless of whether the plan invests in an annuity contract. A decision to purchase an annuity contract should not be based on the assumption that the purchase of an annuity contract is necessary to obtain tax-deferral benefits under a qualified retirement plan.

COMMUNICATING TO US ABOUT THE CONTRACT

You may submit transaction requests or otherwise communicate with us in writing or by telephone. All materials mailed to us, including Purchase Payments, must be sent to our mailing address as set forth on the first page of this Prospectus. For all telephone communications, you must call (800) 752-7216.

Unless this Prospectus states differently, we will consider all materials sent to us and all telephone communications to be received on the date we actually receive them at our mailing address or at (800) 752-7216. However, we will consider Purchase Payments, withdrawal requests and transfer instructions to be received on the next Business Day if we receive them (1) on a day that is not a Business Day or (2) after 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. In some cases, receipt of financial transactions by the broker-dealer of record will be deemed to be constructive receipt by us. This would include only cases where we have a specific agreement with the broker-dealer that provides for this treatment and the broker-dealer electronically forwards to us the request promptly after the end of the Business Day on which it receives the request in good order. In such cases, financial transactions received by us in good order will be priced that Business Day, provided the broker-dealer received the request before the earlier of (a) 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on a Business Day, or (b) the close of the New York Stock Exchange on days that the Stock Exchange closes before 4:00 p.m. For information about whether we have this type of arrangement with your broker-dealer, you may call us at the above number.

Certain methods of contacting us, such as by telephone, may be unavailable or delayed. Any telephone system (including yours, ours, and your registered representative’s) can experience delays or outages that may delay or prevent us from processing your request. While we have taken reasonable precautions to allow our systems to accommodate heavy usage, we do not guarantee access or reliability under all circumstances. If you experience delays or an outage, you may submit your request to us in writing to our mailing address, as set forth at the beginning of this Prospectus.

When we specify that notice to us must be in writing, we reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to accept notice in another form.

Electronic Account Information

Contract Owners may elect to receive prospectuses, transaction confirmations, reports and other communications in electronic format, instead of receiving paper copies of these documents. To enroll in this optional electronic delivery service Contract Owners must register and log on to our Internet customer website at https://customerlink.sunlife-usa.com. First-time users of this website can enroll in this electronic delivery service by selecting “eDeliver Documents” when registering to use the website. If you are already a registered user of this website, you can enroll in the electronic delivery service by logging on to your account and selecting “eDeliver Documents” on the “Update Profile” page. The electronic delivery service is subject to various terms and conditions, including a requirement that you promptly notify us of any change in your e-mail address, in order to avoid any disruption of deliveries to you. You may obtain more information and assistance at the above-mentioned internet location or by writing us at our mailing address or by telephone at (800) 752-7216.

SUN LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA (U.S.)

We are a stock life insurance company incorporated under the laws of Delaware on January 12, 1970. We do business in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and we have an insurance company subsidiary that does business in New York. The address for our Executive Office is One Sun Life Executive Park, Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts 02481.

We are ultimately controlled by Sun Life Financial Inc. (“Sun Life Financial”). Sun Life Financial, a corporation organized in Canada, is a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with common shares listed on the Toronto, New York, and Philippine stock exchanges.

THE VARIABLE ACCOUNT

We established the Variable Account as a separate account on August 20, 1985, pursuant to a resolution of our Board of Directors. Under Delaware insurance law and the Contract, the income, gains or losses of the Variable Account are credited to or charged against the assets of the Variable Account without regard to the other income, gains, or losses of the Company. These assets are held in relation to the Contracts described in this Prospectus that provide benefits that vary in accordance with the investment performance of the Variable Account. Although the assets maintained in the Variable Account will not be charged with any liabilities arising out of any other business we conduct, all obligations arising under the Contracts, including the promise to make annuity payments, are general corporate obligations of the Company.

The assets of the Variable Account are divided into Sub-Accounts. Each Sub-Account invests exclusively in (1) shares of one of the four Series of the MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the “Trust”) that we offer for the Contracts and (2) for Qualified Contracts held by a trustee or custodian on behalf of the entity or group, Class A shares of one of the Mutual Funds. All amounts allocated by the Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) to a Sub-Account will be used to purchase Mutual Fund or Trust shares at their net asset value. Any and all distributions made by the Mutual Funds or Trust with respect to the shares held by the Variable Account will be reinvested to purchase additional shares at their net asset value. Deductions from the Variable Account for cash withdrawals, loans, annuity payments, death benefits, Account Fees, contract charges against the assets of the Variable Account for the assumption of mortality and expense risks, administrative expenses and any applicable taxes will, in effect, be made by redeeming the number of Mutual Fund or Trust shares at their net asset value equal in total value to the amount to be deducted. The Variable Account will be fully invested in the Trust and Mutual Fund shares at all times.

VARIABLE ACCOUNT OPTIONS

The MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II

The MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Our affiliate Massachusetts Financial Services Company (“MFS®”) serves as the investment adviser to the Trust.

The Trust is composed of a number of independent portfolios of securities, each of which has separate investment objectives and policies. Shares of the Trust are issued in a number of Series, each corresponding to one of the portfolios. The Contracts allow investment by the Sub-Accounts in shares of the four Series of the Trust described below. Additional portfolios may be added to the Trust which may or may not be available for investment by the Variable Account.

MFS® Government Securities Portfolio: The fund’s investment objective is to seek total return with an emphasis on current income, but also considering capital appreciation. The fund’s objective may be changed without shareholder approval.

MFS® High Yield Portfolio: The fund’s investment objective is to seek total return with an emphasis on high current income, but also considering capital appreciation. The fund’s objective may be changed without shareholder approval.

MFS® Money Market Portfolio: The fund’s investment objective is to seek a high level of current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. The fund’s objective may be changed without shareholder approval.

MFS® Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio: The fund’s investment objective is to seek capital appreciation. The fund’s objective may be changed without shareholder approval.

A more detailed description of the Trust, its management, its investment objectives, policies and restrictions and its expenses may be found in the accompanying current prospectus of the Trust, and in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information, which is available by calling us at (800) 752-7216.

The Trust also offers its shares to other separate accounts established by the Company and our New York subsidiary in connection with variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. Although we do not anticipate any disadvantages to this arrangement, there is a possibility that a material conflict may arise between the interests of the Variable Account and one or more of the other separate accounts investing in the Trust. A conflict may occur due to differences in tax laws affecting the operations of variable life and variable annuity separate accounts, or some other reason. We and the Trust’s Board of Trustees will monitor events for such conflicts, and, in the event of a conflict, we will take steps necessary to remedy the conflict, including withdrawal of the Variable Account from participation in the Series which is involved in the conflict or substitution of shares of other Series or other mutual funds.

For Non-Qualified Contracts used for deferred compensation and payroll savings plans and Qualified Contracts that are not held by trustees or custodians, the portfolios of the Trust described above are the only variable investment options available.

The Mutual Funds

For Qualified Contracts that are held by a trustee or custodian on behalf of the entity or group, the following Mutual Funds also are available as variable investment options:

MFS® Bond Fund (“MFB”): The fund’s investment objective is to seek total return with an emphasis on current income, but also considering capital appreciation. The fund’s objective may be changed without shareholder approval.

MFS® Total Return Fund (“MTR”): The fund’s investment objective is to seek total return. The fund’s objective may be changed without shareholder approval.

Massachusetts Investors Trust (“MIT”): The fund’s investment objective is to seek capital appreciation. The fund’s objective may be changed without shareholder approval.

Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Fund (“MIG”): The fund’s investment objective is to seek capital appreciation. The fund’s objective may be changed without shareholder approval.

A more detailed description of each Mutual Fund, its management, its investment objectives, policies and restrictions and its expenses may be found in the accompanying current prospectus of that Mutual Fund, and in that Mutual Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, which are available by calling us at (800) 752-7216.

MFS®

Each of the Mutual Funds and the portfolios of the Trust pay fees to MFS® for its services pursuant to investment advisory agreements. MFS® also serves as investment adviser to the other funds in the MFS Family of Funds®, and to certain other investment companies established by MFS® and/or us. MFS® Institutional Advisors, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS®, provides investment advice to substantial private clients. MFS® and its predecessor organizations have a history of money management dating from 1924. MFS® operates as an autonomous organization and the obligation of performance with respect to the investment advisory agreements is solely that of MFS®. We undertake no obligation in this regard.

THE FIXED ACCOUNT

The Fixed Account is made up of all the general assets of the Company other than those allocated to any separate account. Amounts allocated to Guarantee Periods become part of the Fixed Account, and are available to fund the claims of all classes of our customers, including claims for benefits under the Contracts.

We will invest the assets of the Fixed Account in those assets we choose that are allowed by applicable state insurance laws. In general, these laws permit investments, within specified limits and subject to certain qualifications, in federal, state and municipal obligations, corporate bonds, preferred and common stocks, real estate mortgages, real estate and certain other investments. We intend to invest primarily in investment-grade fixed income securities (i.e., rated by a nationally recognized rating service within the four highest grades) or instruments we believe are of comparable quality.

We are not obligated to invest amounts allocated to the Fixed Account according to any particular strategy, except as may be required by applicable state insurance laws. You will not have a direct or indirect interest in the Fixed Account investments.

THE FIXED ACCOUNT OPTIONS: THE GUARANTEE PERIODS

The Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) may elect one or more of the 1, 3, 5 or 7 year Guarantee Periods we make available for the Contracts. We publish Guaranteed Interest Rates for each Initial Guarantee Period and Subsequent Guarantee Period offered. We may change the Guaranteed Interest Rates we offer from time to time, but no Guaranteed Interest Rate will ever be less than 4% per year, compounded annually. Also, once we have accepted an allocation to a particular Guarantee Period, we promise that the Guaranteed Interest Rate applicable to that allocation will not change for the duration of the Guarantee Period. We determine Guaranteed Interest Rates at our discretion. We do not have a specific formula for establishing the rates for different Guarantee Periods. Our determination will be influenced by the interest rates on fixed income investments in which we may invest with amounts allocated to the Guarantee Periods. We will also consider other factors in determining these rates, including regulatory and tax requirements, sales commissions and administrative expenses borne by us, general economic trends and competitive factors. We cannot predict the level of future interest rates.

Early withdrawals from allocations to a 3, 5 or 7 year Initial Guarantee Period or Subsequent Guarantee Period, including cash withdrawals, transfers, loans and commencement of an annuity with a payout period of less than five years, may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment, which could decrease or increase the value of your Account. (See “Withdrawals, Withdrawal Charges, Market Value Adjustment, and Loan Provision.”)

THE ACCUMULATION PHASE

During the Accumulation Phase, Payments are made into your Account, and your earnings accumulate on a tax-deferred basis. The Accumulation Phase begins with our acceptance of your first Purchase Payment and ends the Business Day before your Annuity Commencement Date. The Accumulation Phase will end sooner if the Contract is surrendered, your Account is withdrawn in full or you die before the Annuity Commencement Date.

Issuing Your Certificate

To purchase a Compass G Annuity, a completed Participant Enrollment Form and your initial Purchase Payment are sent to us for acceptance. We issue a Certificate to you as a Participant under a Contract when we accept your Participant Enrollment Form.

We will credit your initial Purchase Payment to your Account within two business days of receiving your completed Participant Enrollment Form. If your Participant Enrollment Form is not complete, we will notify you. If we do not have the necessary information to complete the Participant Enrollment Form within five business days, we will send your money back to you or ask your permission to retain your Purchase Payment until the Participant Enrollment Form is made complete. Then we will apply the Purchase Payment within two business days of when the Participant Enrollment Form is complete.

Amount and Frequency of Purchase Payments

The amount of Purchase Payments may vary; however, we will not accept Purchase Payments that, on an annualized basis, are less than $300 for the first Account Year, and each Purchase Payment must be at least $25. In addition, we will not accept a Purchase Payment if your Account Value is over $1 million, or if the Purchase Payment would cause your Account Value to exceed $1 million, unless we have approved the Payment in advance. Within these limits, you may make Purchase Payments at any time during the Accumulation Phase.

Allocation of Net Purchase Payments

Each Purchase Payment may be allocated among the different Sub-Accounts and Initial Guarantee Periods we offer. In your Participant Enrollment Form, you specify the percentage of each Purchase Payment to be allocated to each Sub-Account or Guarantee Period. These percentages are called your allocation factors. The Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) may change the allocation factors for future Payments by sending us written notice of the change. We will use the new allocation factors for the first Purchase Payment we receive with or after we have received notice of the change, and for all future Purchase Payments, until we receive another change notice.

Although it is currently not our practice, we may deduct applicable premium taxes or similar taxes from Purchase Payments. (See “Premium Taxes.”) In that case, we will credit the Net Purchase Payment, which is the Purchase Payment minus the amount of those taxes.

Your Account

When we accept your first Purchase Payment, we establish an Account for you, which we maintain throughout the Accumulation Phase of your Certificate.

Your Account Value

Your Account Value is the sum of the value of the two components of your Certificate: the Variable Account portion of your Certificate (“Variable Account Value”) and the Fixed Account portion of your Certificate (“Fixed Account Value”). These two components are calculated separately, as described under “Variable Account Value” and “Fixed Account Value”.

Variable Account Value

Variable Accumulation Units

In order to calculate your Variable Account Value, we use a measure called a Variable Accumulation Unit for each Sub-Account. Your Variable Account Value is the sum of your Account Value in each Sub-Account, which is the number of your Variable Accumulation Units for that Sub-Account times the value of each Unit.

Variable Accumulation Unit Value

The value of each Variable Accumulation Unit in a Sub-Account reflects the net investment performance of that Sub-Account. We determine that value once on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, at the close of trading, which is generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. We also may determine the value of Variable Accumulation Units of a Sub-Account on days the Exchange is closed if there is enough trading in securities held by that Sub-Account to materially affect the value of the Variable Accumulation Units. Each day we make a valuation is called a “Business Day.” The period that begins at the time Variable Accumulation Units are valued on a Business Day and ends at that time on the next Business Day is called a Valuation Period. On days other than Business Days, the value of a Variable Accumulation Unit does not change.

To measure these values, we use a factor, which we call the “Net Investment Factor”, which represents the net return on the Sub-Account’s assets. At the end of any Valuation Period, the value of a Variable Accumulation Unit for a Sub-Account is equal to the value of that Sub-Account’s Variable Accumulation Units at the end of the previous Valuation Period, multiplied by the Net Investment Factor. The Net Investment Factor for any Sub-Account for any Valuation Period is determined by dividing (a) by (b) and then subtracting (c) from the result, where:

(a)
is the net result of:
   
(1)
the net asset value of a Mutual Fund share or Series share held in the Sub-Account determined as of the end of the Valuation Period, plus
   
(2)
the per share amount of any dividend or other distribution declared by the Mutual Fund or Series issuing the shares held in the Sub-Account if the “ex-dividend” date occurs during the Valuation Period, plus or minus
   
(3)
a per share credit or charge with respect to any taxes paid, or reserved for by us during the Valuation Period which are determined to be attributable to the operation of the Sub-Account (no federal income taxes are applicable under present law);
   
(b)
is the net asset value of a Mutual Fund share or Series share held in the Sub-Account determined as of the end of the preceding Valuation Period; and
   
(c)
is the risk charge factor determined by us for the Valuation Period to reflect the charge for assuming the mortality and expense risks.

For a hypothetical example of how we calculate the value of a Variable Accumulation Unit, see the Statement of Additional Information.

Crediting and Canceling Variable Accumulation Units

When we receive an allocation to a Sub-Account, either from a Net Purchase Payment or a transfer of Account Value, we credit that amount to your Account in Variable Accumulation Units. Similarly, we cancel Variable Accumulation Units when amounts are transferred, withdrawn or borrowed from a Sub-Account, or when we deduct certain charges under the Contract. We determine the number of Units credited or canceled by dividing the dollar amount by the Variable Accumulation Unit value for that Sub-Account at the end of the Valuation Period during which the transaction or charge is effective.

Fixed Account Value

Initial and Subsequent Guarantee Periods

Net Purchase Payments may be allocated to any Initial Guarantee Period we offer. Unless, within the 30 day period before the Expiration Date of an Initial Guarantee Period, we receive written notice from the Owner electing a different Subsequent Guarantee Period from among those we then offer, a Subsequent Guarantee Period of the same duration as the Initial Guarantee Period will begin automatically for the amount then allocated to the Initial Guarantee Period on the first day following the Expiration Date of the Initial Guarantee Period. Each Subsequent Guarantee Period also will automatically renew for another Subsequent Guarantee Period of the same length unless the Owner elects a different Subsequent Guarantee Period within the 30 day period prior to the Expiration Date of the current Subsequent Guarantee Period.

Fixed Accumulation Units

In order to calculate your Fixed Account Value, we use a measure called a Fixed Accumulation Unit for each Guarantee Period. Your Fixed Account Value is the sum of the values of all Fixed Accumulation Units credited to your Account.

We determine the number of Fixed Accumulation Units credited to your Account by dividing the dollar amount of a Net Purchase Payment allocated to an Initial Guarantee Period by the value of the Fixed Accumulation Unit related to that Guarantee Period for the Valuation Period during which we receive the Purchase Payment.

Fixed Accumulation Unit Value

We establish the value of each type of Fixed Accumulation Unit at $10.00 for the first Valuation Period of the calendar month in which a Purchase Payment is credited to your Account. The value of the Fixed Accumulation Unit increases for each successive Valuation Period as interest is accrued at the applicable Guaranteed Interest Rate. At the end of any Initial Guarantee Period we will exchange the Fixed Accumulation Units credited to your Account for a second type of Fixed Accumulation Unit with an equal aggregate value. The value of this second type of Fixed Accumulation Unit will increase for each Valuation Period during each Subsequent Guarantee Period to which your Account is allocated as interest is accrued at the applicable Guaranteed Interest Rate.

Early Withdrawals

If, before its Expiration Date, an allocation to a 3, 5 or 7 year Guarantee Period is withdrawn, transferred, borrowed or annuitized over a payout period of less than five years, we will apply a Market Value Adjustment to the transaction. This could result in an increase or decrease of your Account Value, depending on interest rates at the time. You bear the risk that you will receive less than your principal if the Market Value Adjustment applies. (See “Withdrawals, Withdrawal Charges, Market Value Adjustment, and Loan Provision.”)


 
 

 

Transfer Privilege

Permitted Transfers

During the Accumulation Phase, the Owner may transfer all or part of a Participant’s Account Value to one or more Sub-Accounts or Guarantee Periods then available, subject to the following restrictions:

l
no more than 12 transfers may be made in any Account Year; and
   
l
transfers to or from Sub-Accounts are subject to terms and conditions that may be imposed by the Trust or the applicable Mutual Fund.

There is no charge for transfers; however, transfers out of a 3, 5 or 7 year Guarantee Period will be subject to the Market Value Adjustment. Under current law there is no tax liability for transfers.

Requests for Transfers

Owners may request transfers in writing. If we receive a written transfer request before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on a Business Day, it will be effective that day. Otherwise, it will be effective the next Business Day.

Short-Term Trading

The Contracts are not designed for short-term trading. If you wish to employ such strategies, do not purchase a Contract. Transfer limits and other restrictions, described below, are subject to our ability to monitor transfer activity. Some Contract Owners and their third party intermediaries engaging in short-term trading may employ a variety of strategies to avoid detection. Despite our efforts to prevent short-term trading, there is no assurance that we will be able to identify such Contract Owners or intermediaries or curtail their trading. A failure to detect and curtail short-term trading could result in adverse consequences to the Contract Owners. Short-term trading can increase costs for all Contract Owners as a result of excessive portfolio transaction fees. In addition, short-term trading can adversely affect a Fund's performance. If large amounts of money are suddenly transferred out of a Fund, the Fund's investment adviser cannot effectively invest in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives and policies.

The Company has policies and procedures to discourage frequent transfers of contract value. As described above under “Transfer Privilege,” such policies include limiting the number and timing of certain transfers, subject to exceptions described in that section and exceptions designed to protect the interests of individual Contract Owners. The Company also reserves the right to charge a fee for transfers.

Short-term trading activities whether by the Contract Owner or a third party authorized to initiate transfer requests on behalf of Contract Owner(s) may be subject to other restrictions as well. For example, we reserve the right to take actions against short-term trading which restrict your transfer privileges more narrowly than the policies described under “Transfer Privilege,” such as requiring transfer requests to be submitted in writing through regular first-class U.S. mail (e.g., no overnight, priority or courier delivery allowed), and refusing any and all transfer instructions.

If we determine that a third party acting on your behalf is engaging (alone or in combination with transfers effected by you directly) in a pattern of short-term trading, we may refuse to process certain transfers requested by such a third party. In particular, we will treat as short-term trading activity any transfer that is requested by an authorized third party within six days of a previous transfer (whether the earlier transfer was requested by you or a third party acting on your behalf). We may also impose special restrictions on third parties that engage in reallocations of contract values by limiting the frequency of the transfer, requiring advance notice of the transfer pursuant to in-force service agreements, and reallocating or exchanging 100% of the values in the redeeming sub-accounts.

We will provide you written notification of any restrictions imposed.

We reserve the right to waive short-term trading restrictions, where permitted by law and not adverse to the interests of the relevant underlying Fund, in the following instances:

l
when a new broker of record is designated for the Contract;
   
l
when the Participant changes;
   
l
when control of the Contract passes to the designated beneficiary upon the death of the Participant or Annuitant;
   
l
when necessary in our view to avoid hardship to a Participant; or
   
l
when underlying Funds are dissolved or merged or substituted.

If short-term trading results as a consequence of waiving the restrictions against short-term trading, it could expose Contract Owners to certain risks. The short-term trading could increase costs for all Contract Owners as a result of excessive portfolio transaction fees. In addition, the short-term trading could adversely affect a Fund's performance. If large amounts of money are suddenly transferred out of a Fund, the Fund's investment adviser cannot effectively invest in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives and policies. Unless the short-term trading policy and the permitted waivers of that policy are applied uniformly, some Contract Owners may experience a different application of the policy and therefore may experience some of the risks. We uniformly apply the short-term trading policy and the permitted waivers of that policy to all Contracts. If we did not do so, some Contract Owners could experience a different application of the policy and therefore may be treated unfairly. Too much discretion on our part in allowing the waivers of short-term trading policy could result in an unequal treatment of short-term traders by permitting some short-term traders to engage in short-term trading while prohibiting others from doing the same.

Funds' Shareholder Trading Policies

In addition to the restrictions that we impose (as described under “Permitted Transfers” and “Short-Term Trading”), most of the Funds have adopted restrictions or other policies about transfers or other purchases and sales of the Fund's shares. These policies (the “Funds' Shareholder Trading Policies”) are intended to protect the Fund from short-term trading or other trading practices that are potentially harmful to the Fund. The Funds' Shareholder Trading Policies may be more restrictive in some respects than the restrictions that we otherwise would impose, and the Funds may modify their Shareholder Trading Policies from time to time.

We are legally obligated to provide (at the Funds' request) information about each amount you cause to be deposited into a Fund (including by way of Purchase Payments and transfers under your Contract) or removed from the Fund (including by way of withdrawals and transfers under your Contract). If a Fund identifies you as having violated the Fund's Shareholder Trading Policies, we are obligated, if the Fund requests, to restrict or prohibit any further deposits or exchanges by you (or a third party acting on your behalf) in respect of that Fund. Any such restriction or prohibition may remain in place indefinitely.

Accordingly, if you do not comply with any Fund's Shareholder Trading Policies, you (or a third party acting on your behalf) may be prohibited from directing any additional amounts into that Fund or directing any transfers or other exchanges involving that Fund. You should review and comply with each Fund's Shareholder Trading Policies, which are disclosed in the Funds' current prospectuses.

Funds may differ significantly as to such matters as: (a) the amount, format, and frequency of information that the Funds request from us about transactions that our customers make; and (b) the extent and nature of any limits or restrictions that the Funds request us to impose upon such transactions. As a result of these differences, the costs borne by us and (directly or indirectly) by our customers may be significantly increased. Any such additional costs may outweigh any additional protection that would be provided to our customers, particularly in view of the protections already afforded by the trading restrictions that we impose as described under “Permitted Transfers” and under “ Short-Term Trading.” Also, if a Fund imposes more strict trading restrictions than are reasonably necessary under the circumstances, you could be deprived of potentially valuable flexibility to make transactions with respect to that Fund. For these and other reasons, we may disagree with the timing or substance of a Fund's requests for information from us or with any transaction limits or restrictions that the Fund requests us to impose upon our customers. If any such disagreement with respect to a Fund cannot be satisfactorily resolved, the Fund might be restricted or, subject to obtaining any required regulatory approval, replaced as a variable investment option.

WITHDRAWALS, WITHDRAWAL CHARGES, MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT, AND LOAN PROVISION

Cash Withdrawals

Requesting a Withdrawal

At any time during the Accumulation Phase the Owner may withdraw in cash all or any portion of a Participant’s Account Value. To make a withdrawal, the Owner must send us a written request at our mailing address. We may require a signature guarantee for withdrawals of more than $5000. In some cases, such as withdrawals by a corporation, partnership, agent or fiduciary, we will require additional documentation.

A request must specify whether the Owner wants to withdraw the entire amount of a Participant Account or, if less, the amount the Owner wishes to withdraw. Upon request we will notify the Owner of the amount we would pay in the event of a full or partial withdrawal.

All withdrawals may be subject to a withdrawal charge. (See “Withdrawal Charge.”) Withdrawals from a Participant’s Fixed Account Value also may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment. (See “Market Value Adjustment.”) Withdrawals also may have adverse federal income tax consequences, including a 10% penalty tax. (See “Tax Considerations.”) You should carefully consider these tax consequences before requesting a cash withdrawal.

Full Withdrawals

If the Owner requests a full withdrawal, we calculate the amount we will pay as follows. We start with the Participant Account Value at the end of the Valuation Period during which we receive the withdrawal request; we deduct the Account Fee for the Account Year in which the withdrawal is made; we deduct any applicable withdrawal charge; we deduct the amount, if any, of unpaid Net Loan Interest; and finally, we add or subtract the amount of any Market Value Adjustment applicable to withdrawn Fixed Account Value.

A full withdrawal results in the surrender of the Participant’s Certificate, and cancellation of all of the Participant’s rights and privileges under the Contract.

Partial Withdrawals

If the Owner requests a partial withdrawal from a Participant Account, we calculate the amount we will pay as follows. We start with the amount specified in the request; we deduct any applicable withdrawal charge; we deduct the amount, if any, of unpaid Net Loan Interest; and finally, we add or subtract the amount of any Market Value Adjustment applicable to amounts withdrawn from the Fixed Account. We reduce the value of the Participant Account by deducting the amount specified in the request. Partial withdrawals may be limited by the maximum loan limitation.

The Owner may specify the amount to be withdrawn from each Sub-Account and Guarantee Period to which the Participant Account is allocated. If the Owner does not so specify, we will deduct the total amount requested pro rata, based on allocations at the end of the Valuation Period during which we receive the withdrawal request.

If the Owner requests a partial withdrawal that would result in the Participant’s Account Value being reduced to an amount less than the Account Fee for the Account Year in which the withdrawal is made, we reserve the right to treat it as a request for a full withdrawal.

Time of Payment

We will pay the applicable amount of any full or partial withdrawal within 7 days after we receive the withdrawal request, except in cases where we are permitted to defer payment under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and applicable state insurance law. Currently, we may defer payment of amounts withdrawn from the Variable Account only for following periods:

l
when the New York Stock Exchange is closed except weekends and holidays or when the SEC determines trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted;
   
l
when the SEC determines that an emergency exists and that it is not reasonably practical (i) to dispose of securities held in the Variable Account or (ii) to determine the value of the net assets of the Variable Account; and
   
l
when an SEC order permits us to defer payment for the protection of Participants.

If, pursuant to SEC rules, the Money Market Fund suspends payment of redemption proceeds in connection with a liquidation of the Fund, we will delay payment of any transfer, partial withdrawal, surrender, loan, or death benefit from the Money Market Sub-Account until the Fund is liquidated. We also may defer payment of amounts withdrawn from the Fixed Account for up to six months from the date we receive a withdrawal request. We do not pay interest on the amount of any payments we defer.

Withdrawal Restrictions for Qualified Plans

If you participate under a Qualified Contract, you should carefully check the terms of the plan for limitations and restrictions on cash withdrawals.

Special restrictions apply to withdrawals from Contracts used for Section 403(b) annuities. (See “Tax Considerations -- Tax-Sheltered Annuities.”)

Withdrawal Charge

We do not deduct any sales charge from Purchase Payments when they are made. However, we may impose a withdrawal charge (known as a “contingent deferred sales charge”) on certain amounts withdrawn from a Participant Account. We impose this charge primarily to defray some of our expenses related to the sale of the Contracts, such as commissions we pay to agents, the cost of sales literature, and other promotional costs and transaction expenses.

Order of Withdrawal

We consider all amounts withdrawn from a Participant Account to be withdrawn first from Purchase Payments that have not previously been withdrawn, starting with the earliest Payment and continuing until all Payments have been withdrawn. Once all Purchase Payments have been withdrawn, we attribute additional amounts withdrawn to “accumulated value”; that is, the portion of a Participant’s Account Value that exceeds the total of all Purchase Payments made to the Account.

For convenience, in this Prospectus we refer to Purchase Payments made during the last seven Account Years (including the current Account Year) as “New Payments,” and all Purchase Payments made before the last seven Account Years as “Old Payments.”

Free Withdrawal Amount

In each Account Year the Owner may withdraw the following amounts from a Participant’s Account Value before incurring the withdrawal charge: (1) all Old Payments not previously withdrawn, plus (2) a “free withdrawal amount” equal to 10% of the amount of all New Payments. We will apply the free withdrawal amount to reduce the amount of New Payments withdrawn that is subject to the withdrawal charge, starting with the earliest New Payment. All New Payments withdrawn in excess of the free withdrawal amount will be subject to the withdrawal charge.

Accumulated value may be withdrawn without the imposition of the withdrawal charge. In addition, we do not apply any withdrawal charge to withdrawals made from a Participant Account that has been established for at least 12 years, regardless of the amount or when any Purchase Payments were made.

Calculation of Withdrawal Charge

We calculate the amount of the withdrawal charge by multiplying the portion of any New Payments withdrawn, less any applicable free withdrawal amount, by a percentage. The percentage varies according to the number of Account Years the New Payment has been held in the Participant Account, including the Account Year in which the Payment was made but not the Account Year in which it was withdrawn (Payments made and withdrawn in the same year are considered to be held for 0 years). The withdrawal charge scale is as follows:

Number of Account Years Purchase Payment
Has Been In Your Account
 
Percentage
0-2
 
6%
3
 
5%
4
 
4%
5
 
3%
6
 
2%
7
 
1%
8
 
0%

The withdrawal charge will never be greater than 6% of the aggregate amount of Purchase Payments made to the Participant’s Account.

We may modify the withdrawal charges and limits, upon notice to the Owner. However, any modification will only apply to Accounts established after the date of the modification.

Example of Withdrawal Charge Calculation

Assume the Owner wishes to make a $25,000 withdrawal from a Participant Account in Account Year 10. An initial Purchase Payment of $10,000 was made in Account Year 1, an additional Purchase Payment of $8,000 was made in Account Year 8, and no previous withdrawals have been made. The Participant’s Account Value in Account Year 10 is $35,000.

We attribute the withdrawal first to the oldest Purchase Payment made, the $10,000 Payment made in Account Year 1. Because that Payment has been held in the Participant Account for more than seven Account Years, it is an Old Payment and is not subject to the withdrawal charge.

We attribute the next $8,000 of the withdrawal to the Purchase Payment made in Account Year 8, which is a New Payment. The free withdrawal amount in Account Year 10 is $800 (10% of the $8000 Payment made in Account Year 8, the only New Payment). We apply the free withdrawal amount to reduce the amount of the New Payment withdrawn, so only $7,200 of the $8000 New Payment is subject to the withdrawal charge. Because the New Payment has been held in the Participant Account for only two Account Years, the withdrawal charge will be 5% of $7,200, or $360.

The remaining $7,000 of the withdrawal is attributed to accumulated value and is not subject to the withdrawal charge.

For additional examples of how we calculate withdrawal charges, please see Appendix B.

We do not impose the withdrawal charge on amounts applied to provide an annuity with a payout period of at least five years, amounts we pay as a death benefit, or amounts transferred among the Sub-Accounts, between the Sub-Accounts and the Fixed Account, or within the Fixed Account.

Market Value Adjustment

We will apply a Market Value Adjustment if the Owner withdraws, borrows or transfers amounts from Guarantee Periods of 3, 5 or 7 years. For this purpose, using Fixed Account Value to provide an annuity with a payout period of less than five years is considered a withdrawal, and the Market Value Adjustment will apply. We apply the Market Value Adjustment to each separate allocation made to a Guarantee Period together with interest credited on that allocation.

A Market Value Adjustment may decrease, increase or have no effect on your Account Value. This will depend on changes in interest rates since the last allocation to the Guarantee Period and the length of time remaining in the Guarantee Period. In general, if the Guaranteed Interest Rate we currently declare for Guarantee Periods equal to the balance of your Guarantee Period (or your entire Guarantee Period for Guarantee Periods of less than one year) is higher than your Guaranteed Interest Rate, the Market Value Adjustment is likely to decrease your Account Value. If our current Guaranteed Interest Rate is lower, the Market Value Adjustment is likely to increase your Account Value.

We determine the amount of the Market Value Adjustment by multiplying the amount that is subject to the adjustment by the following formula:

0.75 (A - B) x (C ÷ 12)

where:

A
is the Guaranteed Interest Rate applicable to the amount withdrawn, borrowed, transferred or annuitized;
   
B
is the Current Rate we declare at the time of the withdrawal, loan, transfer or annuitization for the Guarantee Period equal to the length of time of your Guarantee Period; and
   
C
is the number of complete months remaining in your Guarantee Period.

We will apply the Market Value Adjustment to the amount being withdrawn after deduction of any applicable Account Fee, withdrawal charge and unpaid Net Loan Interest.

For examples of how we calculate the Market Value Adjustment, see Appendix B.

Loans (Qualified Contracts Only but not an Individual Retirement Annuity)

At any time during the Accumulation Phase, the Owner of a Qualified Contract may request a loan from a Participant Account. The maximum amount that may be borrowed is the lesser of $50,000 and 50% of the Account Value less any loans outstanding and interest on those loans. The minimum amount is $1,000. All loans under a particular Contract are secured by a security interest we take in the Contract.

Loans are subject to restrictions in the Internal Revenue Code and may be subject to additional restrictions in a particular retirement plan. You should also carefully consider the tax consequences of a loan. (See “Tax Considerations.”)

The Owner requests a loan by sending us a written request in the form we specify. For loan requests of over $5,000, the Owner’s signature must be guaranteed. In some cases, such as loan requests by a corporation, partnership, agent or fiduciary, we may require additional documentation.

When we make a loan, we deduct from the Participant Account an amount equal to the loan amount requested plus or minus any Market Value Adjustment. We will deduct the total amount requested pro rata, based on allocations at the end of the Valuation Period during which we receive the loan request. We deposit an amount equal to the loan proceeds into a special loan account, which is part of the Fixed Account. We credit interest to the amount in the loan account at a rate we specify at the time of the loan that is lower than the interest rate we charge on the loan itself.

Interest on the loan accrues daily at the rate we set at the time of the loan. Interest is payable on each anniversary of the date the loan is made and whenever a loan principal payment is made. If interest is not paid when due, we will deduct the amount of the interest from the Participant Account and add it to the principal amount of the loan. The difference between the interest on the loan payable to us and the interest we credit on the amount in the loan account is called “Net Loan Interest.”

The principal of the loan may be repaid in whole or in part at any time during the Accumulation Phase. We will treat any amounts repaid as Purchase Payments to the Participant Account that will be allocated to Guarantee Periods and/or Sub-Accounts in accordance with the allocation factors for the Account in effect at the time.

A loan must be repaid within five years of the date it is made, unless the loan is used to buy, construct, reconstruct or substantially rehabilitate a dwelling that is used as the principal residence of the Participant or a member of the Participant’s immediate family. In that case, the loan must be repaid within ten years.

CONTRACT CHARGES

Account Fee

During the Accumulation Phase of your Account, we will deduct from your Account an annual Account Fee to help cover the administrative expenses we incur related to the issuance of Contracts and the maintenance of Accounts. We deduct the Account Fee on each Account Anniversary, which is the anniversary of the first day of the month after we issue your Contract. We deduct the Account Fee pro rata from each Sub-Account and each Guarantee Period, based on the allocation of your Account Value on your Account Anniversary. The deduction of the Account Fee from amounts allocated to the Fixed Account will never cause your Fixed Account Value (adjusted for withdrawals and loans) to increase by less than 4% per year.

If your Account is withdrawn in full, we will deduct the full amount of the Account Fee at the time of the withdrawal. In addition, on the Annuity Commencement Date we will deduct a pro rata portion of the Account Fee to reflect the time elapsed between the last Account Anniversary and the day before the Annuity Commencement Date. After the Annuity Commencement Date, we will deduct the Account Fee in equal amounts from each annuity payment we make during the year.

The Account Fee deducted from your Account is based on the total Purchase Payments credited to all Participant Accounts under the Contract, as follows:

Total Purchase Payments
 
Account Fee
up to $250,000
 
$25
$250,000 to $1,499,999
 
$18
$1,500,000 to $4,999,999
 
$15
$5,000,000 and over
 
$12

We review the total Purchase Payments made under a Contract and semi-annually determine the applicable Account Fee for the next six months. Once total Purchase Payments under a Contract reach an amount that produces a lower Account Fee, the Account Fee for existing Accounts will not be increased even if subsequent withdrawals reduce the amount of total Purchase Payments.

Mortality and Expense Risk Charge

We deduct a mortality and expense charge from the assets of the Variable Account during both the Accumulation Phase and the Income Phase. We assume numerous mortality and expense risks under the Contracts. These risks include, but are not limited to, (1) the risk that arises from our contractual obligation to continue to make annuity payments to each Annuitant, regardless of how long the Annuitant lives and regardless of how long all Annuitants as a group live; and (2) the risk that the Account Fee we assess under the Contracts may be insufficient to cover the actual total administrative expenses we incur. If the amount of the charge is insufficient to cover our costs from these and other mortality and expense risks, we will bear the loss. If, as we expect, the amount of the charge is more than sufficient to cover such costs, we will make a profit on the charge. We may use this profit for any proper corporate purpose, including the payment of marketing and distribution expenses for the Contracts. In setting the rate of this charge, we not only consider our expected mortality and expense risks, but also our objective to earn a profit from the Contracts, after all of the costs, expenses, credits, and benefits we expect to pay in connection with the Contracts.

The mortality and expense risk charge is based on the total Purchase Payments credited to all Participant Accounts under the Contract, and is deducted from the assets of the Variable Account at the following effective annual rate:

Total Purchase Payments
 
Annual Rate of Charge
up to $250,000
 
1.30%
$250,000 to $1,499,999
 
1.25%
$1,500,000 to $4,999,999
 
1.10%
$5,000,000 and over
 
0.95%

We review the total Purchase Payments made under a Contract and semi-annually determine the applicable mortality and expense risk charge for the next six months. Once total Purchase Payments under a Contract reach an amount that produces a lower charge, the charge for existing Accounts will not be increased even if subsequent withdrawals reduce the amount of total Purchase Payments.

Premium Taxes

Some states and local jurisdictions impose a premium tax on us that is equal to a specified percentage of the Purchase Payments made under the Contract. In many states there is no premium tax. We believe that the amounts of applicable premium taxes currently range from 0% to 3.5%. You should consult a qualified tax professional to find out if your state imposes a premium tax and the amount of any tax.

In order to reimburse us for the premium tax we may pay on Purchase Payments, our policy is to deduct the amount of such taxes from the amount applied to provide an annuity at the time of annuitization. However, we reserve the right to deduct the amount of any applicable tax from your Account at any time, including at the time a Purchase Payment or full or partial withdrawal is made. We do not make any profit on the deductions we make to reimburse premium taxes.

Mutual Fund and Trust Expenses

There are fees and expenses deducted from each Mutual Fund and each portfolio of the Trust. These fees and expenses are described in the Mutual Funds and Trust prospectuses and related Statements of Additional Information.

Modification of Charges

We may modify the Account Fee and the mortality and expense risk charge upon notice to Owners. However, such modification will apply only with respect to Participant Accounts established after the effective date of the modification.

DEATH BENEFIT

If you die during the Accumulation Phase, we will pay a death benefit to the designated Beneficiary(ies), using the payment method elected (a single cash payment or one of our Annuity Options). If the Beneficiary is not living on the date of death, we will pay the death benefit in one sum to your estate. We do not pay a death benefit if you die during the Income Phase. However, the Beneficiary will receive any payments provided under an Annuity Option that is in effect.

Amount of Death Benefit

To calculate the amount of the death benefit, we use a “Death Benefit Date.” If the Owner has elected a death benefit payment method before your death and it remains effective, the Death Benefit Date is the date we receive proof of your death in an acceptable form (“Due Proof of Death”) (unless the Beneficiary is not living on the date of death, in which case the Death Benefit Date is the date we receive Due Proof of Death of both you and your Beneficiary). Otherwise, the Death Benefit Date is the later of the date we receive Due Proof of Death and any required consent or release or the date we receive the Beneficiary’s election of either payment method. If we do not receive the Beneficiary’s election within 60 days after we receive Due Proof of Death, the Death Benefit Date will be the last day of the 60-day period.

The amount of the death benefit is determined as of the Death Benefit Date. It is equal to greater of:

(1)
your Account Value or
   
(2)
the total Purchase Payments made to your Account less the sum of all withdrawals, loans and unpaid Net Loan Interest.

Method of Paying Death Benefit

The death benefit may be paid in a single cash payment or as an annuity (either fixed, variable or a combination) under one or more of our Annuity Options. We describe the Annuity Options in this Prospectus under “Income Phase -- Annuity Provisions.”

During the Accumulation Phase, the Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) may elect the method of payment for the death benefit. These elections are made by sending us at our mailing address an election form, which we will provide. If no such election is in effect on the date of your death, the Beneficiary may elect either a single cash payment or an annuity. If we do not receive the Beneficiary’s election within 60 days after we receive Due Proof of Death, we will pay the death benefit in a single cash payment.

If we pay the death benefit in the form of an Annuity Option, the Beneficiary becomes the Annuitant under the terms of that Annuity Option.

Non-Qualified Contracts

If you participate under a Non-Qualified Contract, special distribution rules apply to the payment of the death benefit. The amount of the death benefit must be distributed either (1) as a lump sum within five years after your death or (2) if in the form of an annuity, over a period not greater than the life or expected life of the “designated beneficiary” within the meaning of Section 72(s) of the Internal Revenue Code, with payments beginning no later than one year after your death.

The person you have named as Beneficiary under your Certificate, if any, will be the “designated beneficiary.” If the named Beneficiary is not living and no contingent beneficiary has been named, the surviving Participant, if any, or the estate of the deceased Participant automatically becomes the designated beneficiary.

If the designated beneficiary is your surviving spouse, your spouse may continue the Certificate in his or her own name as Participant. To make this election, your spouse must give us written notification within 60 days after we receive Due Proof of Death. In that case, we will not pay a death benefit and the Account Value will remain unchanged. The special distribution rules will then apply on the death of your spouse.

During the Income Phase, if the Annuitant dies, the remaining value of the Annuity Option in place must be distributed at least as rapidly as the method of distribution under that option.

Payments made in contravention of these special rules would adversely affect the treatment of the Contracts as annuity contracts under the Internal Revenue Code. Neither you nor the Beneficiary may exercise rights that would have that effect.

Selection and Change of Beneficiary

You select your Beneficiary in your Participant Enrollment Form. The Owner may change your Beneficiary at any time during the Accumulation Phase by sending us written notice, unless an irrevocable Beneficiary designation previously has been made. A new Beneficiary designation is not effective until we record the change.

Payment of Death Benefit

Payment of the death benefit in cash will be made within seven days of the Death Benefit Date, except if we are permitted to defer payment in accordance with the Investment Company Act of 1940. If an Annuity Option is elected, the Annuity Commencement Date will be the first day of the second calendar month following the Death Benefit Date, and your Account will remain in effect until the Annuity Commencement Date.

Due Proof of Death

We accept any of the following as proof of any person’s death:

l
an original certified copy of an official death certificate;
   
l
an original certified copy of a decree of a court of competent jurisdiction as to the finding of death; or
   
l
any other proof we find satisfactory.


 
 

 

THE INCOME PHASE -- ANNUITY PROVISIONS

During the Income Phase, we make regular monthly payments to the Annuitant. If you are alive on the Annuity Commencement Date, you will be the Annuitant. When an Annuity Option has been selected as the method of paying the death benefit, the Beneficiary is the Annuitant.

The Income Phase of your Certificate begins with the Annuity Commencement Date. On that date, we apply your Account Value, adjusted as described, under the Annuity Option or Options selected, and we make the first payment.

Once the Income Phase begins, no lump sum settlement option or cash withdrawals are permitted, and the Annuity Option selected cannot be changed. The Owner may request a full withdrawal before the Annuity Commencement Date, which will be subject to all charges applicable on withdrawals. (See “Withdrawals, Withdrawal Charges, Market Value Adjustment, and Loan Provision.”)

Selection of the Annuity Commencement Date

The Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) selects the Annuity Commencement Date at the time your Account is established. The Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) may change the Annuity Commencement Date by sending us written notice, with the following limitations:

l
The Annuity Commencement Date must always be the first day of a calendar month.
   
l
We must receive the notice, in good order, at least 30 days before the current Annuity Commencement Date.
   
l
The new Annuity Commencement Date must be at least 30 days after we receive the notice.
   
l
The latest possible Annuity Commencement Date (“maximum Annuity Commencement Date”) is the first day of the month following your 95th birthday.

There may be other restrictions on the selection of the Annuity Commencement Date imposed by your retirement plan or applicable law. For example, in most situations, current law requires that the Annuity Commencement Date for a Qualified Contract must be no later than April 1 following the year the Annuitant reaches age 70½ (or, for Qualified Contracts other than IRAs, no later than April 1 following the year the Annuitant retires, if later than the year the Annuitant reaches age 70½).

Annuity Options

We offer the following Annuity Options for payments during the Income Phase. Annuity Options A, B, and C may be selected for either a Variable Annuity, a Fixed Annuity, or a combination of both. Annuity Options D and E may be selected only to provide a Fixed Annuity. We may also agree to other settlement options, at our discretion.

Annuity Option A - Life Annuity

We provide monthly payments during the lifetime of the Annuitant. Annuity payments stop when the Annuitant dies. There is no provision for continuation of any payments to a Beneficiary.

Annuity Option B - Life Annuity With 60, 120, 180 or 240 Monthly Payments Certain

We make monthly payments during the lifetime of the Annuitant. In addition, we guarantee that the Beneficiary will receive monthly payments for the remainder of the period certain, if the Annuitant dies during that period. The election of a longer period results in smaller monthly payments. If no Beneficiary is designated, we pay the discounted value of the remaining payments in one sum to the Annuitant’s estate. The Beneficiary may also elect to receive the discounted value of the remaining payments in one sum. The discount rate for Variable Annuity payments will be 4%; the discount rate for a Fixed Annuity will be based on the interest rate we used to determine the amount of each payment.

Annuity Option C - Joint and Survivor Annuity

We make monthly payments during the lifetime of the Annuitant and another designated person and during the lifetime of the survivor of the two. We stop making payments when the survivor dies. There is no provision for continuance of any payments to a Beneficiary.


 
 

 

Annuity Option D - Fixed Monthly Payments for a Specified Period Certain

We make monthly payments for a specified period of time from 5 years to 30 years for Non-Qualified Contracts and 3 years to 30 years for Qualified Contracts, as elected. The longer the period elected, the smaller the monthly payments will be. In addition, we guarantee that the Beneficiary will receive monthly payments for the remainder of the period certain, if the Annuitant dies during that period. If no Beneficiary is designated, we pay some or all of the discounted value of the remaining payments to the Annuitant’s estate. The Beneficiary may also elect to receive some or all of the discounted value of the remaining payments. The discount rate for this purpose will be based on the interest rate we used to determine the amount of each payment. The election of this Annuity Option may result in the imposition of a penalty tax.

Annuity Option E - Fixed Payments

We will hold the amount applied to provide fixed payments in accordance with this option at interest. We will make fixed payments in such amounts and at such times (at least over a period of five years for Non-Qualified Contracts) as we have agreed upon and will continue until the amount we hold with interest is exhausted. We will credit interest yearly on the amount remaining unpaid at a rate which we will determine from time to time but which will not be less than 4% per year compounded annually. We may change the rate so determined at any time; however, the rate may not be reduced more frequently than once during each calendar year. In addition, we guarantee that the Beneficiary will receive any remaining payments if the Annuitant dies before the amount we hold is exhausted. If no Beneficiary is designated, we pay the amount remaining unpaid in one sum to the Annuitant’s estate. The Beneficiary may also elect to receive the amount remaining unpaid in one sum. The election of this Annuity Option may result in the imposition of a penalty tax.

Selection of Annuity Option

The Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) selects one or more of the Annuity Options, which the Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) may change from time to time during the Accumulation Phase, as long as we receive the selection or change in writing at least 30 days before the Annuity Commencement Date. If we have not received a written selection on the 30th day before the Annuity Commencement Date, you will receive Annuity Option B, for a life annuity with 120 monthly payments certain.

The Owner (or you, if permitted by your plan) may specify the proportion of your Adjusted Account Value that will provide a Variable Annuity or a Fixed Annuity. Under a Variable Annuity, the dollar amount of payments will vary, while under a Fixed Annuity, the dollar amount of payments will remain the same. If a Variable Annuity or a Fixed Annuity is not specified, your Adjusted Account Value will be divided between Variable Annuities and Fixed Annuities in the same proportions as your Account Value was divided between the Variable and Fixed Accounts on the Annuity Commencement Date. Your Adjusted Account Value applied to a Variable Annuity may be allocated among the Sub-Accounts, or we will use the existing allocations.

There may be additional limitations on the options that may be elected under your particular retirement plan or applicable law.

Remember that the Annuity Options may not be changed once annuity payments begin.

Amount of Annuity Payments

Adjusted Account Value

The Adjusted Account Value is the amount we apply to provide a Variable Annuity and/or a Fixed Annuity. We calculate Adjusted Account Value by taking your Account Value on the Business Day just before the Annuity Commencement Date and making the following adjustments:

l
we deduct a proportional amount of the Account Fee, based on the fraction of the current Account Year that has elapsed;
   
l
if applicable, we deduct the withdrawal charge and any unpaid Net Loan Interest;
   
l
if applicable, we apply the Market Value Adjustment to your Account Value in the Fixed Account, which may result in a deduction, an addition, or no change; and
   
l
we deduct any applicable premium tax or similar tax if not previously deducted.


 
 

 

Variable Annuity Payments

Variable Annuity payments may vary each month. We determine the dollar amount of the first payment using the portion of your Adjusted Account Value applied to a Variable Annuity and the Annuity Payment Rates in your Contract, which are based on an assumed interest rate of 4% per year, compounded annually. See “Annuity Payment Rates.”

To calculate the remaining payments, we convert the amount of the first payment into Annuity Units for each Sub-Account; we determine the number of those Annuity Units by dividing the portion of the first payment attributable to the Sub-Account by the Annuity Unit Value of that Sub-Account for the Valuation Period ending just before the Annuity Commencement Date. This number of Annuity Units for each Sub-Account will remain constant (unless the Annuitant requests an exchange of Annuity Units). However, the dollar amount of the next Variable Annuity payment, which is the sum of the number of Annuity Units for each Sub-Account times its Annuity Unit Value for the Valuation Period ending just before the date of the payment, will increase, decrease, or remain the same, depending on the net investment return of the Sub-Accounts.

If the net investment return of the Sub-Accounts selected is the same as the assumed interest rate of 4%, compounded annually, the payments will remain level. If the net investment return exceeds the assumed interest rate, payments will increase and, conversely, if it is less than the assumed interest rate, payments will decrease.

Please refer to the Statement of Additional Information for more information about calculating Variable Annuity Units and Variable Annuity payments, including examples of these calculations.

Fixed Annuity Payments

Fixed Annuity payments are the same each month. We determine the dollar amount of each Fixed Annuity payment using the fixed portion of your Adjusted Account Value and the applicable Annuity Payment Rates. These will be either (1) the rates in your Contract, which are based on a minimum guaranteed interest rate of 4% per year, compounded annually, or (2) new rates we have published and are using on the Annuity Commencement Date, if they are more favorable. See “Annuity Payment Rates.”

Transfer of Variable Annuity Units

During the Income Phase, the Annuitant may transfer Annuity Units from one Sub-Account to another, up to 12 times each Account Year. To make a transfer, the Annuitant sends us, at our mailing address, a written request stating the number of Annuity Units in the Sub-Account he or she wishes to transfer and the new Sub-Account for which Annuity Units are requested. The number of new Annuity Units will be calculated so the dollar amount of an annuity payment on the date of the transfer would not be affected. To calculate this number, we use Annuity Unit values for the Valuation Period during which we receive the transfer request.

We permit only transfers among Sub-Accounts. No transfers to or from a Fixed Annuity are permitted.

Account Fee

During the Income Phase, we deduct the applicable Account Fee in equal amounts from each annuity payment.

Annuity Payment Rates

The Contract contains Annuity Payment Rates for each Annuity Option described in this Prospectus. The rates show, for each $1,000 applied, the dollar amount of: (a) the first monthly Variable Annuity payment based on the assumed interest rate specified in the applicable Contract (at least 4% per year, compounded annually); and (b) the monthly Fixed Annuity payment, when this payment is based on the minimum guaranteed interest rate specified in the Contract (at least 4% per year, compounded annually). We may change these rates for Accounts established after the effective date of such change (See “Other Contract Provisions -- Modification”).

The Annuity Payment Rates may vary according to the Annuity Option elected and the adjusted age of the Annuitant. The Contract also describes the method of determining the adjusted age of the Annuitant. The mortality table used in determining the Annuity Payment Rates for Options A, B and C is the 1971 Individual Annuitant Mortality Table with ages reduced by one year for Annuity Commencement Dates occurring during the 1980s, two years for Annuity Commencement Dates occurring during the 1990s, and so on.

Annuity Options as Method of Payment for Death Benefit

The Owner or your Beneficiary may also select one or more Annuity Options to be used in the event of your death before the Income Phase, as described under the “Death Benefit” section of this Prospectus. In that case, your Beneficiary will be the Annuitant. The Annuity Commencement Date will be the first day of the second month beginning after the Death Benefit Date.

OTHER CONTRACT PROVISIONS

Exercise of Contract Rights

The Contract belongs to the Owner. All Contract rights and privileges can be exercised by the Owner without the consent of the Participant, the Beneficiary or any other person, except as the Owner may provide under the plan or other applicable documents. Such rights and privileges may be exercised, with respect to a particular Participant, only during the lifetime of the Participant before the Annuity Commencement Date, except as the Contract otherwise provides.

The Annuitant becomes the Payee on and after the Annuity Commencement Date. The Beneficiary becomes the Payee on the death of the Participant prior to the Annuity Commencement Date, or on the death of the Annuitant after the Annuity Commencement Date. Such Payee may thereafter exercise such rights and privileges, if any, of ownership which continue.

Change of Ownership

Ownership of a Qualified Contract may not be transferred except to: (1) the Participant or Beneficiary; (2) a trustee or successor trustee of a pension or profit sharing trust which is qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code; (3) the employer of the Annuitant, provided that the Qualified Contract after transfer is maintained under the terms of a retirement plan qualified under Section 403(a) of the Internal Revenue Code for the benefit of the Annuitant; (4) the trustee of an individual retirement account plan qualified under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code for the benefit of the participants under a group contract; or (5) as otherwise permitted from time to time by laws and regulations governing the retirement or deferred compensation plans for which a Qualified Contract may be issued. Subject to the foregoing, a Qualified Contract may not be sold, assigned, transferred, discounted or pledged as collateral for a loan or as security for the performance of an obligation or for any other purpose to any person other than the Company.

The Owner of a Non-Qualified Contract may change the ownership of the Contract during the lifetime of any Participant and prior to the last remaining Participant’s Annuity Commencement Date. A change of ownership will not be binding on us until we receive written notification. When we receive such notification, the change will be effective as of the date on which the request for change was signed by the Owner or Participant, as appropriate, but the change will be without prejudice to us on account of any payment we make or any action we take before receiving the change.

Voting of Mutual Fund and Trust Shares

We will vote Mutual Fund and Trust shares held by the Sub-Accounts at meetings of shareholders of the Mutual Funds and Trust or in connection with similar solicitations, but will follow voting instructions received from persons having the right to give voting instructions. During the Accumulation Phase, the Owner will have the right to give voting instructions. During the Income Phase, the Payee (that is the Annuitant or Beneficiary entitled to receive benefits) is the person having such voting rights. We will vote any shares attributable to us and Mutual Fund and Trust shares for which no timely voting instructions are received in the same proportion as the shares for which we receive instructions from Owners and Payees, as applicable.

Owners of Qualified Contracts may be subject to other voting provisions of the particular plan and under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Employees who contribute to plans that are funded by the Contracts may be entitled to instruct the Owners as to how to instruct us to vote the Mutual Fund and Trust shares attributable to their contributions. Such plans may also provide the additional extent, if any, to which the Owners shall follow voting instructions of persons with rights under the plans. If no voting instructions are received from any such person with respect to a particular Participant Account, the Owner may instruct the Company as to how to vote the number of Trust shares for which instructions may be given.

Neither the Variable Account nor the Company is under any duty to provide information concerning the voting instruction rights to persons who may have such rights under plans, other than rights afforded under the Investment Company Act of 1940, or any duty to inquire as to the instructions received by Owners, Participants or others, or the authority of any such persons, to instruct the voting of Mutual Fund or Trust shares. Except as the Variable Account or the Company has actual knowledge to the contrary, the instructions given by Owners and Payees will be valid as they affect the Variable Account, the Company and any others having voting instruction rights with respect to the Variable Account.

All Mutual Fund and Trust proxy material, together with an appropriate form to be used to give voting instructions, will be provided to each person having the right to give voting instructions at least 10 days prior to each meeting of the shareholders of the particular Mutual Fund or Trust portfolio. We will determine the number of Mutual Fund or Trust shares as to which each such person is entitled to give instructions as of a record not more than 90 days prior to each such meeting. Prior to the Annuity Commencement Date, the number of Mutual Fund or Trust shares as to which voting instructions may be given to the Company is determined by dividing the value of all of the Variable Accumulation Units of the particular Sub-Account credited to the Participant Account by the net asset value of one of the shares of the applicable Mutual Fund or Trust portfolio as of the same date. On or after the Annuity Commencement Date, the number of Mutual Fund or Trust shares as to which such instructions may be given by a Payee is determined by dividing the reserve held by the Company in the Sub-Account with respect to the particular Payee by the net asset value of one of the shares of the applicable Mutual Fund or Trust portfolio as of the same date. After the Annuity Commencement Date, the number of Mutual Fund or Trust shares as to which a Payee is entitled to give voting instructions will generally decrease due to the decrease in the reserve.

Reports to Owners

We will send you, by regular U.S. mail, confirmation of all Purchase Payments (including any interest credited), withdrawals, (including any withdrawal charges, negative market value adjustments, and federal taxes on withdrawals), minimum distributions, death benefit payments, and transfers (excluding dollar-cost averaging transfers). Such confirmations will be sent within two business days after the transaction occurs.

In addition, within five business days after each calendar quarter, we will send you a statement showing your current Account Value, death benefit value, and investment allocation by asset class. Each quarterly statement will detail transactions that occurred during the last calendar quarter including Purchase Payments, annuity payments, transfers (including dollar-cost averaging transfers), partial withdrawals, systematic withdrawals, minimum distributions, portfolio rebalancing, asset reallocations, interest credited on fixed accounts, and annual contract fees assessed.

We will also send you annual and semi-annual reports of the funds in which you are invested, including a list of investments held by each portfolio as of the current date of the report.

It is your obligation to review each such statement carefully and to report to us, at the address or telephone number provided on the statement, any errors or discrepancies in the information presented therein within 60 days of the date of such statement. Unless we receive notice of any such error or discrepancy from you within such period, we may not be responsible for correcting the error or discrepancy.

Substitution of Securities

Shares of any or all portfolios of the Trust or any particular Mutual Fund may not always be available for investment under the Contract. We may add or delete Mutual Funds or portfolios of the Trust or other investment companies as variable investment options under the Contracts. We may also substitute for the shares held in any Sub-Account shares of another Mutual Fund or portfolios of the Trust or shares of another registered open-end investment company or unit investment trust, provided that the substitution has been approved, if required, by the SEC. In the event of any substitution pursuant to this provision, we may make appropriate endorsement to the Contract to reflect the substitution.

Change in Operation of Variable Account

At our election and subject to any necessary vote by persons having the right to give instructions with respect to the voting of Mutual Fund and Trust shares held by the Sub-Accounts, the Variable Account may be operated as a management company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or it may be deregistered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 in the event registration is no longer required. Deregistration of the Variable Account requires an order by the SEC. In the event of any change in the operation of the Variable Account pursuant to this provision, we may make appropriate endorsement to the Contract to reflect the change and take such other action as may be necessary and appropriate to effect the change.

Splitting Units

We reserve the right to split or combine the value of Variable Accumulation Units, Annuity Units or any of them. In effecting any such change of unit values, strict equity will be preserved and no change will have a material effect on the benefits or other provisions of the Contract.

Modification

Upon notice to the Owner (or the Payee(s) during the Income Phase), we may modify the Contract if such modification: (1) is necessary to make the Contract or the Variable Account comply with any law or regulation issued by a governmental agency to which the Company or the Variable Account is subject; (2) is necessary to assure continued qualification of the Contract under the Internal Revenue Code or other federal or state laws relating to retirement annuities or annuity contracts; ( 3) is necessary to reflect a change in the operation of the Variable Account or the Sub-Account(s) (see “Change in Operation of Variable Account”); (4) provides additional Variable Account and/or fixed accumulation options or (5) as may otherwise be in the best interests of Owners, Participants, or Payees, as applicable. In the event of any such modification, we may make appropriate endorsement in the Contract to reflect such modification.

In addition, upon notice to the Owner, we may modify a Contract to change the withdrawal charges, Account Fees, mortality and expense risk charges, the tables used in determining the amount of the first monthly Variable Annuity and Fixed Annuity payments and the formula used to calculate the Market Value Adjustment, provided that such modification applies only to Participant Accounts established after the effective date of such modification. In order to exercise our modification rights in these particular instances, we must notify the Owner of such modification in writing. The notice shall specify the effective date of such modification which must be at least 60 days following the date we mail notice of modification. All of the charges and the annuity tables which are provided in the Contract prior to any such modification will remain in effect permanently, unless improved by the Company, with respect to Participant Accounts established prior to the effective date of such modification.

Discontinuance of New Participants

We may limit or discontinue the acceptance of new Participant Enrollment Forms and the issuance of new Certificates under a Contract by giving 30 days prior written notice to the Owner. This will not affect rights or benefits with respect to any Participant Accounts established under such Contract prior to the effective date of such limitation or discontinuance.

Right to Return (IRAs Only)

If the Owner is establishing an Individual Retirement Annuity (“IRA”), the Internal Revenue Code requires that we give the Owner a disclosure statement containing certain information about the Contract and applicable legal requirements. We must give the Owner this statement on or before the date the IRA is established. If we give the Owner the disclosure statement before the seventh day preceding the date the IRA is established, the Owner will not have any right of revocation under the Code. If we give the Owner the disclosure statement at a later date, then the Owner may give us a notice of revocation at any time within 7 days after the date the IRA is established. Upon such revocation, we will refund all Purchase Payments made to the Contract.

TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The Contracts described in this Prospectus are designed for use by employer, association and other group retirement plans under the provisions of Sections 401 (including Section 401(k), 403, 408(c), 408(k) and 408(p)) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), as well as certain non-qualified retirement plans, such as payroll savings plans. The ultimate effect of federal income taxes on the Contract’s Accumulation Account and the Participant Account, on an annuity payments and on the economic benefit to the Owner, the Participant, the Annuitant, the Payee or the Beneficiary may depend upon the type of Plan for which the Contract is purchased and a number of different factors. The discussion contained herein is general in nature, is based upon the Company’s understanding of current federal income tax laws, is not intended as tax advice, and makes no attempt to consider any applicable federal estate, federal gift, state or other tax laws.

When you invest in an annuity contract, you usually do not pay taxes on your investment gains until you withdraw the money – generally for retirement purposes. If you invest in a variable annuity as part of an individual retirement plan, pension plan or employer-sponsored retirement program, your Contract is called a “Qualified Contract.” If your annuity is independent of any formal retirement or pension plan, it is termed a “Non-Qualified Contract.” The tax rules applicable to Qualified Contracts vary according to the type of retirement plan and the terms and conditions of the plan.

Legislation affecting the tax treatment of annuity contracts could be enacted in the future and could apply retroactively to Contracts purchased before the date of enactment. A person contemplating the purchase of a Contract or the execution of a Contract transaction (such as a rollover, distribution, withdrawal or payment) should consult a qualified tax professional. The Company does not make any guarantee regarding the federal, state or local tax status of any Contract or any transaction involving the Contracts.

U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

The following discussion applies only to those Contracts issued in the United States. For a discussion of tax considerations affecting Contracts issued in Puerto Rico, see “Puerto Rico Tax Considerations.”

Taxation of Non-Qualified Contracts

Deductibility of Purchase Payments. For federal income tax purposes, contributions made under Non-Qualified Contracts are not deductible. Under certain circumstances, contributions made under Qualified Contracts may be excludible or deductible from taxable income. Any such amounts will also be excluded from a Qualified Contract’s cost basis for purposes of determining the taxable portion of any distributions from a Qualified Contract. As a general rule, regardless of whether you own a Qualified or a Non-Qualified Contract, the amount of your tax liability on earnings and distributions will depend upon the specific tax rules applicable to your Contract and your particular circumstances.

Pre-Distribution Taxation of Contracts. Generally, no taxes are imposed on the increases in the value of a Contract until a distribution occurs, either as annuity payments under the Annuity Option elected or in the form of cash withdrawals or lump-sum payments prior to the Annuity Commencement Date.

Corporate Owners and other Owners that are non-natural persons (other than the estate of a decedent Owner) are subject to current taxation on the annual increase in the value of a Non-Qualified Contract’s Accumulation Account. This rule does not apply where a non-natural person holds the Contract as agent for a natural person (such as where a bank holds a Contract as trustee under a trust agreement). This provision does not apply to earnings accumulated where the Annuity Commencement Date occurs within one year of the Date of Coverage. This provision applies to earnings on Purchase Payments made after February 28, 1986.

Distributions and Withdrawals from Non-Qualified Contracts. The following discussion of annuity taxation applies only to contributions (and attributable earnings) made to Non-Qualified Contracts after August 13, 1982. If an Owner has made contributions before August 14, 1982 to another annuity contract and exchanges that contract for the Contract offered by this Prospectus, then different tax treatment will apply to the contributions (and attributable earnings) made before August 14, 1982. For example, non-taxable principal may be withdrawn before taxable earnings and the ten percent (10%) penalty tax for early withdrawal is not applicable.

The Code is unclear in its application to a group annuity contract where the Owner is distinct from the individuals with respect to whom the Contract benefits are accumulated (the Participants). The following discussion is the Company’s best understanding of the operation of the Code in the context of group contracts. However, Owners and Participants should consult a qualified tax professional.

For Non-Qualified Contracts offered by this Prospectus (other than Contracts issued in exchange for contracts issued prior to August 14, 1982, as described above), a partial cash withdrawal (that is, a withdrawal of less than the entire value of the Participant’s Account) must be treated first as a withdrawal from the increase in the Participant’s Account’s value over the Contract’s cost basis. The amount of the withdrawal so allocable will be includable in the Participant’s income. Similarly, if a Participant receives a loan under a Contract or if part or all of a Participant’s Account is assigned or pledged as collateral for a loan, the amount of the loan or the amount assigned or pledged must be treated as if withdrawn from the Contract. For Non-Qualified Contracts entered into after October 21, 1988 (or any annuity contract entered into on or before such date that is exchanged for a Non-Qualified Contract issued after such date), any withdrawal or loan amount that is includable in the Participant’s income will increase the Contract’s cost basis. Repayment of a loan or payment of interest on a loan will not affect the Contract’s cost basis. For these purposes the Participant’s Account value will not be reduced by the amount of any loan, assignment or pledge of the Contract. In addition, all non-qualified deferred annuity certificates or other non-qualified deferred annuity contracts that are issued by the Company to the same Participant during any calendar year will be treated as a single annuity contract. Therefore, the proceeds of a withdrawal from, or assignment or pledge of, one or more such contracts or certificates will be fully includable in the Participant’s income to the extent of the aggregate excess of the accumulation account values over the cost bases of all such contracts or certificates entered into during the calendar year.

The taxable portion of a cash withdrawal or a lump-sum payment prior to the Annuity Commencement Date is subject to tax at ordinary income rates. In the case of payments after the Annuity Commencement Date under the Annuity Option elected, a portion of each payment generally is taxable at ordinary income rates. The nontaxable portion is determined by applying to each payment an “exclusion ratio” which is the ratio that the Participant’s cost basis in the Contract bears to the Payee’s expected return under the Contract. The remainder of the payment is taxable.

The total amount that a Payee may exclude from income through application of the “exclusion ratio” is limited to the cost basis in the Contract. If the Payee survives for his or her full life expectancy, and thereby recovers the entire basis in the Contract, any subsequent annuity payment after basis recovery will be fully taxable as income. Conversely, if the Payee dies prior to recovering the entire basis, he or she will be allowed a deduction on his or her final income tax return for the amount of the unrecovered basis. This limitation applies to distributions made under a Contract with an Annuity Commencement Date after December 31, 1986.

Penalty Tax on Certain Withdrawals. In the case of Non-Qualified Contracts, taxable cash withdrawals and lump-sum payments will be subject to a ten percent (10%) penalty, except in the circumstances described below. This ten percent (10%) penalty also affects certain annuity payments. In a situation where this penalty applies, the recipient’s tax for the tax year in which the amount is received shall be increased by an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the portion of the amount which is includible in the recipient’s gross income. The circumstances in which this penalty will not apply are distributions which are: (a) made upon the death of the Participant; or (b) allocable to Purchase Payments made before August 14, 1982. Further, in the case of Contracts issued prior to January 18, 1985, the ten percent (10%) penalty on taxable cash withdrawals and lump-sum distributions will not apply if the amount withdrawn is allocable to a Purchase Payment made prior to the preceding ten (10) year period. For this purpose, a “first in, first out” rule is used, so that the earliest Purchase Payment with respect to which amounts have not been previously fully allocated will be deemed to be the source of the amount.

Taxation of Death Benefit Proceeds. In the case of the Non-Qualified Contracts, if the Participant dies before the Annuity Commencement Date the entire value of the Participant’s account must be either (1) distributed within five years after the date of death of the Participant, or (2) distributed over some period not greater than the life expectancy of the designated Beneficiary, with annuity payments beginning within one year after the date of death of the Participant. If a Payee dies on or after the Annuity Commencement Date and before the entire Participant’s Account has been distributed, the remaining portion of such accumulation, if any, must be distributed at least as rapidly as the method of distribution then in effect. These distribution requirements will not apply where the Beneficiary is the spouse of the Participant; rather, in such a case, the Contract may be continued in the name of the spouse as Participant or Payee. In the case of the Contracts issued prior to January 18, 1985, these rules regarding distributions upon the death of the Participant or the Annuitant will not apply. In the case of Contracts issued after April 22, 1987, a change in the Participant would be treated as the death of the Participant. Distributions required due to the death of the Participant will not be subject to the ten percent (10%) penalty on premature distributions. A purchaser of a Qualified Contract should refer to the terms of the applicable retirement plan and contact a qualified tax professional regarding distribution requirements upon the death of the Participant.

Transfers, Assignments or Exchanges of a Contract. A transfer or assignment of ownership of a Contract, the designation of an Annuitant other than the Owner, the selection of certain maturity dates, or the exchange of a Contract may result in certain tax consequences to you that are not discussed herein. An Owner contemplating any such transfer, assignment or exchange should consult a qualified tax professional as to the tax consequences.

Withholding. Annuity distributions are generally subject to withholding for the recipient’s federal income tax liability.  Recipients can generally elect, however, not to have tax withheld from distributions.

Multiple Contracts. All non-qualified deferred annuity contracts that are issued by us (or our affiliates) to the same owner during any calendar year are treated as one annuity contract for purposes of determining the amount includible in such owner’s income when a taxable distribution occurs.

Partial Annuitization. Under a new tax provision enacted in 2010, if part of an annuity contract’s value is applied to an annuity option that provides payments for one or more lives and for a period of at least ten years, those payments may be taxed as annuity payments instead of withdrawals. None of the payment options under the Contract is intended to qualify for this “partial annuitization” treatment.

Taxation of Qualified Contracts

“Qualified Contracts” are Contracts used with plans that receive tax-deferral treatment pursuant to specific provisions of the Code. Annuity contracts also receive tax-deferral treatment. It is not necessary that you purchase an annuity contract to receive the tax- deferral treatment available through a Qualified Contract. If you purchase this annuity Contract as a Qualified Contract, you do not receive additional tax-deferral. Therefore, if you purchase this annuity Contract as a Qualified Contract, you should do so for reasons other than obtaining tax deferral.

You may use Qualified Contracts with several types of qualified retirement plans. Because tax consequences will vary with the type of qualified retirement plan and the plan’s specific terms and conditions, we provide below only brief, general descriptions of the consequences that follow from using Qualified Contracts in connection with various types of qualified retirement plans. We stress that the rights of any person to any benefits under these plans may be subject to the terms and conditions of the plans themselves, regardless of the terms of the Qualified Contracts that you are using. These terms and conditions may include restrictions on, among other things, ownership, transferability, assignability, contributions and distributions.  Adverse tax consequences may result if you do not ensure that contributions, distributions and other transactions with respect to the Contract comply with the law.

Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans. Sections 401(a), 401(k) and 403(a) of the Code permit business employers and certain associations to establish various types of retirement plans for employees. The Code requirements are similar for qualified retirement plans of corporations and those of self-employed individuals. The Contract may be purchased by those who would have been covered under the rules governing old H.R. 10 (Keogh) Plans, as well as by corporate plans. Such retirement plans may permit the purchase of the Qualified Contracts to provide benefits under the plans. Employers intending to use the Qualified Contracts in connection with such plans should seek qualified advice in connection therewith.

Tax-Sheltered Annuities. Section 403(b) of the Code permits public school employees and employees of certain types of charitable, educational and scientific organizations specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code to purchase annuity contracts and, subject to certain limitations, exclude the amount of purchase payments from gross income for tax purposes. The Code imposes restrictions on cash withdrawals from Section 403(b) annuities (“TSA”).

Effective October 1, 2008, we stopped issuing any new TSAs, including Texas Optional Retirement Program annuities. We no longer accept any additional Purchase Payments to any previously issued TSAs.

The Internal Revenue Service’s (“IRS”) comprehensive TSA regulations are generally effective January 1, 2009, and these regulations, subsequent IRS guidance, and/or the terms of an employer’s TSA plan impose new restrictions on TSAs, including restrictions on (1) the availability of hardship distributions and loans, (2) TSA exchanges within the same employer’s TSA plan, and (3) TSA transfers to another employer’s TSA plan. You should consult with a qualified tax professional about how the regulations affect you and your TSA.

If TSAs are to receive tax deferred treatment, cash withdrawals of amounts attributable to salary reduction contributions (other than withdrawals of accumulation account value as of December 31, 1988) may be made only when you attain age 59½, have a severance from employment with the employer, die or become disabled (within the meaning of Section 72(m)(7) of the Code). These restrictions apply to (i) any post-1988 salary reduction contributions, (ii) any growth or interest on post-1988 salary reduction contributions, and (iii) any growth or interest on pre-1989 salary reduction contributions that occurs on or after January 1, 1989, and (iv) any pre-1989 salary reduction contributions since we do not maintain records that separately account for such contributions. It is permissible, however, to withdraw post-1988 salary reduction contributions (but not the earnings attributable to such contributions) in cases of financial hardship. Financial hardship withdrawals (as well as certain other premature withdrawals) are fully taxable and will be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty, in addition to any applicable Contract withdrawal charge. Under certain circumstances the 10% federal income tax penalty will not apply if the withdrawal is for medical expenses. A financial hardship withdrawal may not be repaid once it is taken.

The IRS’s TSA regulations provide that TSA financial hardship withdrawals will be subject to the IRS rules applicable to hardship distributions from 401(k) plans. Specifically, if you have not terminated your employment or reached age 59½, you may be able to withdraw a limited amount of monies if you have an immediate and heavy financial need and the withdrawal amount is necessary to satisfy such financial need. An immediate and heavy financial need may arise only from:

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deductible medical expenses incurred by you, your spouse, or your dependents;
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payments of tuition and related educational fees for the next 12 months of post-secondary education for you, your spouse, or your dependents;
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costs related to the purchase of your principal residence (not including mortgage payments);
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payment necessary to prevent eviction from your principal residence or foreclosure of the mortgage on your principal residence;
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payments for burial or funeral expenses for your parent, spouse, children, or dependents; or
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expenses for the repair of damage to your principal residence that would qualify for the federal income tax casualty deduction.

You will be required to represent in writing to us (1) that your specified immediate and heavy financial need cannot reasonably be relieved through insurance or otherwise, by liquidation of your assets, by ending any contributions you are making under your TSA plan, by other distributions and nontaxable loans under any of your qualified plans, or by borrowing from commercial sources and (2) that your requested withdrawal amount complies with applicable law, including the federal tax law limit. And, unless your TSA was issued prior to September 25, 2007 and the only payments you made to such TSA were TSA funds you transferred directly to us from another TSA carrier (a “90-24 Transfer TSA”), your TSA employer also may need to agree in writing to your hardship request.

If your TSA contains a provision that permits loans, you may request a loan but you will be required to represent in writing to us that your requested loan amount complies with applicable law, including the federal tax law limit. And, unless your TSA is a 90-24 Transfer TSA, your TSA employer also may need to agree in writing to your loan request.

TSAs, like IRAs, are subject to required minimum distributions under the Code. TSAs are unique, however, in that any account balance accruing before January 1, 1987 (the “pre-1987 balance”) needs to comply with only the minimum distribution incidental benefit (MDIB) rule and not also with the minimum distribution rules set forth in Section 401(a)(9) of the Code. This special treatment for any pre-1987 balance is, however, conditioned upon the issuer identifying the pre-1987 balance and maintaining accurate records of changes to the balance. Since we do not maintain such records, your pre-1987 balance, if any, will not be eligible for special distribution treatment.

Under the terms of a particular TSA plan, you may be entitled to transfer or exchange all or a portion of your TSA to one or more alternative funding options within the same or different TSA plan. You should consult the documents governing your TSA plan and your plan administrator for information as to such investment alternatives. If you wish to transfer/exchange your TSA, you will be able to do so only if the issuer of the new TSA certifies to us that the transfer/exchange is permissible under the TSA regulations and the applicable TSA plan. Your TSA employer also may need to agree in writing to your transfer/exchange request.

Individual Retirement Arrangements. Sections 219 and 408 of the Code permit eligible individuals to contribute to a so-called “traditional” individual retirement program, including Individual Retirement Accounts and Annuities, and Simplified Employee Pension Plans. Such IRAs are subject to limitations on contribution levels, the persons who may be eligible, and on the time when distributions may commence. In addition, certain distributions from some other types of retirement plans may be placed in an IRA on a tax-deferred basis. The Internal Revenue Service imposes special information requirements with respect to IRAs and we will provide purchasers of the Contracts as Individual Retirement Annuities with any necessary information. You will have the right to revoke a Contract issued as an Individual Retirement Annuity under certain circumstances, as described in the section of this Prospectus entitled “Right to Return.” If your Contract is issued in connection with an Individual Retirement Account, we have no information about the Account and you should contact the Account’s trustee or custodian.

Required Minimum Distribution Requirements for Tax-Sheltered Annuities and Traditional Individual Retirement Annuities. If your Contract is a traditional Individual Retirement Annuity or a 403(b) TSA annuity, it is subject to certain required minimum distribution (RMD) requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code and IRS regulations. Under the RMD rules, distributions must begin no later than April 1 of the calendar year following the year in which you attain age 70½ or, for non-IRAs, the date of retirement instead of age 70½ if it is later. The RMD amount for a distribution calendar year is generally calculated by dividing the account balance as of 12/31 of the prior calendar year by the applicable distribution factor set forth in a Uniform Lifetime Table in the IRS regulations. For Contracts issued in connection with traditional Individual Retirement Accounts, you should contact the Account’s trustee or custodian about RMD requirements since we only provide the trustee or custodian with the Contract's value so that it can be used in the Account’s RMD calculations.

Effective with the 2006 distribution calendar year, IRS regulations require that the actuarial present value of any additional benefits (such as death benefits) is to be added to the 12/31 account balance in order to calculate the RMD amount. There are two exceptions to this requirement and one of these exceptions is applicable to the Contracts. Since the only additional benefit provided under a Contract is a return of premium death benefit (i.e., a benefit under which the final payment does not exceed the amount of purchase payments made less prior distributions), then the additional benefit is disregarded and the RMD calculation uses only the 12/31 account balance.

Distributions and Withdrawals from Qualified Contracts. In the case of Qualified Contracts, distributions made prior to age 59½ generally are subject to a ten percent (10%) penalty tax, although this tax will not apply in certain circumstances. Certain distributions, known as “eligible rollover distributions,” if rolled over to certain other qualified retirement plans (either directly or after being distributed to the Participant or Payee), are not taxable until distributed from the plan to which they are rolled over. In general, an eligible rollover distribution is any taxable distribution other than a distribution that is part of a series of payments made for life or for a specified period of ten years or more. Owners, Participants, Annuitants, Payees and Beneficiaries should seek qualified advice about the tax consequences of distributions, withdrawals, rollovers and payments under the retirement plans in connection with which the Contracts are purchased.

Withholding. The Company will withhold and remit to the U.S. Government a part of the taxable portion of each distribution made under a Non-Qualified Contract or under a Qualified Contract issued for use with an individual retirement account unless the Participant or Payee provides his or her taxpayer identification number to the Company and notifies the Company (in the manner prescribed) before the time of the distribution that the Participant or Payee chooses not to have any amounts withheld.

In the case of distributions from a Qualified Contract (other than distributions from a Contract issued for use with an individual retirement account), the Company or the plan administrator must withhold and remit to the U.S. Government 20% of each distribution that is an eligible rollover distribution (as defined above) unless the Participant or Payee elects to make a direct rollover of the distribution to another qualified retirement plan that is eligible to receive the rollover. If a distribution from a Qualified Contract is not an eligible rollover distribution, then the Participant or Payee can choose not to have amounts withheld as described above for Non-Qualified Contracts and Qualified Contracts issued for use with individual retirement accounts. Amounts withheld from any distribution may be credited against the Participant’s or Payee’s federal income tax liability for the year of the distribution.

Investment Diversification and Control

The Treasury Department has issued regulations that prescribe investment diversification requirements for the mutual fund series underlying nonqualified variable contracts. All Non-Qualified Contracts must comply with these regulations to qualify as annuities for federal income tax purposes. The owner of a Non-Qualified Contract that does not meet these guidelines will be subject to current taxation on annual increases in value of the Contract. The Company believes that each Series of the Trust available as an investment option under the Contract complies with these regulations.

In certain circumstances, owners of variable annuity contracts have been considered for Federal income tax purposes to be the owners of the assets of the separate account supporting their contracts due to their ability to exercise investment control over those assets. When this is the case, the contract owners have been currently taxed on income and gains attributable to the variable account assets. There is limited guidance in this area, and some features of our Contracts, such as the flexibility of an owner to allocate premium payments and transfer amounts among the investment divisions of the separate account, have not been explicitly addressed in published rulings. While we believe that the Contracts do not give Owners investment control over separate account assets, we reserve the right to modify the Contracts as necessary to prevent an Owner from being treated as the Owner of the separate account assets supporting the Contract. Nevertheless, you should consult with a qualified tax professional on the potential impact of the investor control rules of the IRS as they relate to the investment decisions and activities you may undertake with respect to the Contract. In addition, the IRS and/or the Treasury Department may issue new rulings, interpretations or regulations on this subject in the future. Accordingly, we therefore reserve the right to modify the Contracts as necessary to attempt to prevent you from being considered the owner, for tax purposes, of the underlying assets. We also reserve the right to notify you if we determine that it is no longer practicable to maintain the Contract in a manner that was designed to prevent you from being considered the owner of the assets of the Variable Account. You bear the risk that you may be treated as the owner of Variable Account assets and taxed accordingly.

Tax Treatment of the Company and the Variable Account

As a life insurance company under the Code, we will record and report operations of the Variable Account separately from other operations. The Variable Account will not, however, constitute a regulated investment company or any other type of taxable entity distinct from our other operations. Under present law, we will not incur tax on the income of the Variable Account (consisting primarily of interest, dividends, and net capital gains) if we use this income to increase reserves under Contracts participating in the Variable Account.


Federal Estate Taxes

While no attempt is being made to discuss the Federal estate tax implications of the Contract, a purchaser should keep in mind that the value of an annuity contract owned by a decedent and payable to a beneficiary by virtue of an annuity contract owned by a decedent and payable to a beneficiary by virtue of surviving the decedent is included in the decedent’s gross estate. Depending on the terms of the annuity contract, the value of the annuity included in the gross estate may be the value of the lump sum payment payable to the designated beneficiary or the actuarial value of the payments to be received by the beneficiary. Consult an estate planning advisor for more information.

Generation-skipping Transfer Tax

Under certain circumstances, the Code may impose a “generation-skipping transfer tax” when all or part of an annuity contract is transferred to, or a death benefit is paid to, an individual two or more generations younger than the Owner. Regulations issued under the Code may require us to deduct the tax from your Contract, or from any applicable payment, and pay it directly to the IRS.

Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the “2010 Act”) increases the federal estate tax exemption to $5,000,000 and reduces the federal estate tax rate to 35%; increases the Federal gift tax exemption to $5,000,000 and retains the federal gift tax rate at 35%; and increases the generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax exemption to $5,000,000 and reduces the GST tax rate to 35%. Commencing in 2012 , these exemption amounts will be indexed for inflation.

The estate, gift, and GST provisions of the 2010 Act are only effective until December 31, 2012, after which the provisions will sunset, and the federal estate, gift and GST taxes will return to their pre-2001 levels, resulting in significantly lower exemptions and significantly higher tax rates. Between now and the end of 2012, Congress may make these provisions of the 2010 Act permanent, or they may do nothing and allow these 2010 Act provisions to sunset, or they may alter the exemptions and/or applicable tax rates.

The uncertainty as to how the current law might be modified in coming years underscores the importance of seeking guidance from a qualified professional to help ensure that your estate plan adequately addresses your needs and that of your beneficiaries under all possible scenarios.

Medicare Tax

Beginning in 2013, distributions from non-qualified annuity policies will be considered “investment income” for purposes of the newly enacted Medicare tax on investment income. Thus, in certain circumstances, a 3.8% tax may be applied to some or all of the taxable portion of distributions (e.g. earnings) to individuals whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts ($200,000 for filing single, $250,000 for married filing jointly and $125,000 for married filing separately.) Please consult a tax advisor for more information.

Annuity Purchases by Residents of Puerto Rico

The Internal Revenue Service has announced that income received by residents of Puerto Rico under life insurance or annuity contracts issued by a Puerto Rico branch of a United States life insurance company is U.S.-source income that is generally subject to United States Federal income tax.”

Annuity Purchases by Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Corporations

The discussion above provides general information regarding U.S. federal income tax consequences to annuity purchasers that are U.S. citizens or residents. Purchasers that are not U.S. citizens or residents will generally be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax on taxable distributions from annuity contracts at a 30% rate, unless a lower treaty rate applies. In addition, purchasers may be subject to state and/or municipal taxes and taxes that may be imposed by the purchaser’s country of citizenship or residence. Prospective purchasers are advised to consult with a qualified tax professional regarding U.S. state, and foreign taxation with respect to an annuity contract purchase.

Possible Tax Law Changes

Although the likelihood of legislative changes is uncertain, there is always the possibility that the tax treatment of the Contract could change by legislation or otherwise. Consult a qualified tax professional with respect to legislative developments and their effect on the Contract.

We have the right to modify the Contract in response to legislative changes that could otherwise diminish the favorable tax treatment that annuity contract owners currently receive. We make no guarantee regarding the tax status of any contact and do not intend the above discussion as tax advice.

Puerto Rico Tax Provisions

The Contract offered by this Prospectus is considered a non-qualified annuity contract under Section 1022 of the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code of 1994, as amended and Section 1031.01 of the 2011 Internal Revenue Code for a New Puerto Rico, as amended (collectively the “Puerto Rico Code”). Under the current provisions of the Puerto Rico Code, no income tax is payable on increases in value of accumulation shares of annuity units credited to a variable annuity contract until payments are made to the annuitant or other payee under such contract.

When payments are made from your Contract in the form of an annuity, the annuitant or other payee will be required to include as gross income the lesser of the amount received during the taxable year or the portion of the amount received equal to 3% of the aggregate premiums or other consideration paid for the annuity. The amount, if any, in excess of the included amount is excluded from gross income as a return of premium. After an amount equal to the aggregate premiums or other consideration paid for the annuity has been excluded from gross income, all of the subsequent annuity payments are considered to be taxable income.

When a payment under a Contract is made in a lump sum, the amount of the payment would be included in the gross income of the Annuitant or other Payee to the extent it exceeds the Annuitant's aggregate premiums or other consideration paid.

The provisions of the Puerto Rico Code with respect to qualified retirement plans described in this Prospectus vary significantly from those under the Internal Revenue Code. We currently offer the Contract in Puerto Rico in connection with Individual Retirement Arrangements that qualify under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code but do not qualify under the Puerto Rico  Code. See the applicable text of this Prospectus under the heading “Federal Tax Status” dealing with such arrangements and their RMD requirements. We may make Contracts available for use with other retirement plans that similarly qualify under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code but do not qualify under the Puerto Rico  Code.

As a result of IRS Revenue Ruling 2004-75, as amplified by Revenue Ruling 2004-97, we will treat Contract distributions and withdrawals occurring on or after January 1, 2005 as U.S.-source income that is subject to U.S. income tax withholding and reporting. Under “TAX CONSIDERATIONS”, see “Pre-Distribution Taxation of Contracts”, “Distributions and Withdrawals from Non-Qualified Contracts” and “Withholding”. You should consult a qualified tax professional for advice regarding the effect of Revenue Ruling 2004-75 on your U.S. and Puerto Rico income tax situation.

For information regarding the income tax consequences of owning a Contract in Puerto Rico, you should consult a qualified tax professional.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONTRACTS

We perform certain administrative functions relating to the Contracts, Participant Accounts, and the Variable Account. These functions include, but are not limited to, maintaining the books and records of the Variable Account and the Sub-Accounts; maintaining records of the name, address, taxpayer identification number, Contract number, Participant Account number and type, the status of each Participant Account and other pertinent information necessary to the administration and operation of the Contracts; processing Contract applications, Participant Enrollment Forms, Purchase Payments, transfers and full and partial withdrawals; issuing Contracts and Certificates; administering annuity payments; furnishing accounting and valuation services; reconciling and depositing cash receipts; providing confirmations; providing toll-free customer service lines; and furnishing telephonic transfer services.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTS

Contracts are sold by licensed insurance agents (“the Selling Agents”) in those states where the Contract may be lawfully sold. Such Selling Agents will be registered representatives of affiliated and unaffiliated broker-dealer firms (“the Selling Broker-Dealers”) registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 who are members of the Financial Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and who have entered into selling agreements with the Company and the general distributor, Clarendon Insurance Agency, Inc. (“Clarendon”), One Sun Life Executive Park, Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts 02481. Clarendon is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as a broker-dealer and is a member of FINRA.

The Company (or its affiliate, for purposes of this section only, collectively, “the Company”), pays the Selling Broker-Dealers compensation for the promotion and sale of the Contract. The Selling Agents who solicit sales of the Contract typically receive a portion of the compensation paid by the Company to the Selling Broker-Dealers in the form of commissions or other compensation, depending on the agreement between the Selling Broker-Dealer and their Selling Agent. This compensation is not paid directly by the Contract Owner or the separate account. The Company intends to recoup this compensation through fees and charges imposed under the Contract, and from profits on payments received by the Company for providing administrative, marketing, and other support and services to the Funds.

The amount and timing of commissions the Company may pay to Selling Broker-Dealers may vary depending on the selling agreement but is not expected to be more than 4.00% of Purchase Payments, and 0% annually of the Participant's Account Value. The Company may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments in the form of cash or other compensation to the extent permitted by FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations, and this compensation may be significant in amount.

The Company also pays compensation to wholesaling broker-dealers or other firms or intermediaries, including payments to affiliates of the Company, in return for wholesaling services such as providing marketing and sales support, product training and administrative services to the Selling Agents of the Selling Broker-Dealers. This compensation may be significant in amount and may be based on a percentage of Purchase Payments and/or a percentage of Contract Value and/or may be a fixed dollar amount.

In addition to the compensation described above, the Company may make additional cash payments, in certain circumstances referred to as “override” compensations, or reimbursements to Selling Broker-Dealers in recognition of their marketing and distribution, transaction processing and/or administrative services support. These payments are not offered to all Selling Broker-Dealers, and the terms of any particular agreement governing the payments may vary among Selling Broker-Dealers depending on, among other things, the level and type of marketing and distribution support provided. Marketing and distribution support services may include, among other services, placement of the Company's products on the Selling Broker-Dealers' preferred or recommended list, access to the Selling Broker-Dealers' registered representatives for purposes of promoting sales of the Company's products, assistance in training and education of the Selling Agents, and opportunities for the Company to participate in sales conferences and educational seminars. The payments or reimbursements may be calculated as a percentage of the particular Selling Broker-Dealer's actual or expected aggregate sales of our variable contracts (including the Contract) or assets held within those contracts and/or may be a fixed dollar amount. Broker-dealers receiving these additional payments may pass on some or all of the payments to the Selling Agent. The prospect of receiving, or the receipt of additional compensation as described above may provide Selling Broker-Dealers with an incentive to favor sales of the Contracts over other variable annuity contracts (or other investments) with respect to which the Selling Broker-Dealer does not receive additional compensation, or lower levels of additional compensation. You should take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendation relating to the Contracts.

In addition to selling our variable contracts (including the Contract), some Selling Broker-Dealers or their affiliates may have other business relationships with the Company. Those other business relationships may include, for example, reinsurance agreements pursuant to which an affiliate of the Selling Broker-Dealer provides reinsurance to the Company relative to some or all of the Contracts or other variable policies issued by the Company or its affiliates. The potential profits for a Selling Broker-Dealer or its affiliates (including its registered representatives) associated with such reinsurance arrangements could be significant in amount and could indirectly provide incentives to the Selling Broker-Dealer and its Selling Agents to recommend products for which they provide reinsurance over similar products which do not result in potential reinsurance profits to the Selling Broker-Dealer or its affiliate. The operation of an individual contract is not impacted by whether the policy is subject to a reinsurance arrangement between the Company and an affiliate of the Selling Broker-Dealer.

As discussed in the preceding paragraphs, the Company makes numerous forms of payments and engages in a variety of other activities that, directly or indirectly, provide incentives to, and otherwise facilitate and encourage the offer and sale of the Contracts by Selling Broker-Dealers and their registered representatives. Such payments and other activities may be significantly greater or less in connection with the Contracts than in connection with other products offered and sold by the Company or by others. Accordingly, our payments and other activities described above may create a potential conflict of interest, as they may influence your Selling Broker-Dealer or registered representative to present a Contract to you instead of (or more favorably than) another product or products that might be preferable to you.

You should ask your Selling Agent for further information about what commissions or other compensation he or she, or the Selling Broker-Dealer for which he or she works, may receive in connection with your purchase of a Contract.

Commissions may be waived or reduced in connection with certain transactions described in this Prospectus. No commissions were paid to Clarendon in connection with the distribution of the Contracts in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

The Company and the Variable Account have filed with the SEC registration statements under the Securities Act of 1933 relating to the Contracts. This Prospectus does not contain all of the information contained in the registration statements and their exhibits. For further information regarding the Variable Account, the Company and the Contracts, please refer to the registration statements and their exhibits. In addition, the Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We file reports and other information with the SEC to meet these requirements.

You can inspect and copy this information and our registration statements at the SEC’s public reference facilities at the following location: 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102, telephone (202) 551-8090. The SEC’s public reference room will also provide copies by mail for a fee. You may also find these materials on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov).

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is incorporated herein by reference. All documents or reports we file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Supplement and prior to the termination of the offering, shall be deemed incorporated by reference into the Prospectus.

The Company will furnish, without charge, to each person to whom a copy of this Prospectus is delivered, upon the written or oral request of such person, a copy of the documents referred to above which have been incorporated by reference into this Prospectus, other than exhibits to such document (unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in this Prospectus). Requests for such document should be directed to the Secretary, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.), One Sun Life Executive Park, Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts 02481, telephone (800) 225-3950.

STATE REGULATION

The Company is subject to the laws of the State of Delaware governing life insurance companies and to regulation by the Commissioner of Insurance of Delaware. An annual statement is filed with the Commissioner of Insurance on or before March lst in each year relating to the operations of the Company for the preceding year and its financial condition on December 31st of such year. Its books and records are subject to review or examination by the Commissioner or his agents at any time and a full examination of its operations is conducted at periodic intervals.

The Company is also subject to the insurance laws and regulations of the other states and jurisdictions in which it is licensed to operate. The laws of the various jurisdictions establish supervisory agencies with broad administrative powers with respect to licensing to transact business, overseeing trade practices, licensing agents, approving policy forms, establishing reserve requirements, fixing maximum interest rates on life insurance policy loans and minimum rates for accumulation of surrender values, prescribing the form and content of required financial statements and regulating the type and amounts of investments permitted. Each insurance company is required to file detailed annual reports with supervisory agencies in each of the jurisdictions in which it does business and its operations and accounts are subject to examination by such agencies at regular intervals.

In addition, many states regulate affiliated groups of insurers, such as the Company, Sun Life (Canada) and its affiliates, under insurance holding company legislation. Under such laws, inter-company transfers of assets and dividend payments from insurance subsidiaries may be subject to prior notice or approval, depending on the size of such transfers and payments in relation to the financial positions of the companies involved. Under insurance guaranty fund laws in most states, insurers doing business therein can be assessed (up to prescribed limits) for policyholder losses incurred by insolvent companies. The amount of any future assessments of the Company under these laws cannot be reasonably estimated. However, most of these laws do provide that an assessment may be excused or deferred if it would threaten an insurer’s own financial strength and many permit the deduction of all or a portion of any such assessment from any future premium or similar taxes payable.

Although the federal government generally does not directly regulate the business of insurance, federal initiatives often have an impact on the business in a variety of ways. Current and proposed federal measures which may significantly affect the insurance business include employee benefit regulation, removal of barriers preventing banks from engaging in the insurance business, tax law changes affecting the taxation of insurance companies, the tax treatment of insurance products and its impact on the relative desirability of various personal investment vehicles.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

There are no pending legal proceedings affecting the Variable Account. We and our subsidiaries are engaged in various kinds of routine litigation which, in management’s judgment, is not of material importance to our respective total assets or material with respect to the Variable Account.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of the Company which are included in the Statement of Additional Information should be considered only as bearing on the ability of the Company to meet its obligations with respect to amounts allocated to the Fixed Account and with respect to the death benefit and the Company’s assumption of the mortality and expense risks. They should not be considered as bearing on the investment performance of the Fund shares held in the Sub-Accounts of the Variable Account.

The financial statements of the Variable Account for the year ended December 31, 2010 are also included in the Statement of Additional Information.

TABLE OF CONTENTS OF STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.)
2
Calculations
2
Example of Variable Accumulation Unit Value Calculation
2
Example of Variable Annuity Unit Calculation
2
Example of Variable Annuity Payment Calculation
2
Distribution of the Contracts
2
Custodian
2
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
2
Financial Statements
3


 
 

 

APPENDIX A -
GLOSSARY

The following terms as used in this Prospectus have the indicated meanings:

ACCOUNT or PARTICIPANT ACCOUNT: An account established for each Participant to which Net Purchase Payments are credited.

ACCOUNT VALUE: The Variable Accumulation Value, if any, plus the Fixed Accumulation Value, if any, of your Account for any Valuation Period.

ACCOUNT YEAR and ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY: Your first Account Year is the period of (a) 12 full calendar months plus (b) the part of the calendar month in which we issue your Certificate (if not on the first day of the month), beginning with the Contract Date. Your Account Anniversary is the first day immediately after the end of an Account Year. Each Account Year after the first is the 12 calendar month period that begins on your Account Anniversary. If, for example, the Contract Date is in March, the first Account Year will be determined from the Contract Date but will end on the last day of March in the following year; your Account Anniversary is April 1 and all Account Years after the first will be measured from April 1.

ACCUMULATION ACCOUNT: An account established for the Contract.

ACCUMULATION PHASE: The period before the Annuity Commencement Date and during the lifetime of the Annuitant during which you Purchase Payments are made under the Contract. This is called the “Accumulation Period” in the Contract.

*ANNUITANT: The Participant.

*ANNUITY COMMENCEMENT DATE: The date on which the first annuity payment under each Certificate is to be made.

*ANNUITY OPTION: The method chosen for making annuity payments.

ANNUITY UNIT: A unit of measure used in the calculation of the amount of the second and each subsequent variable annuity payment from the Variable Account.

APPLICATION: The document signed by the Owner or other evidence acceptable to us that serves as the Owner’s application for the Contract.

*BENEFICIARY: Prior to the Annuity Commencement Date, the person or entity having the right to receive the death benefit and, for Non-Qualified Contracts, who, in the event of the Participant’s death, is the “designated beneficiary” for purposes of Section 72(s) of the Internal Revenue Code. After the Annuity Commencement Date, the person or entity having the right to receive any payments due under the Annuity Option elected, if applicable, upon the death of the Payee.

BUSINESS DAY: Any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading or any other day on which there is enough trading in securities held by a Sub-Account to materially affect the value of the Variable Accumulation Units.

CERTIFICATE: The document for each Participant which evidences the coverage of the Participant under the Contract.

COMPANY (“WE,” “US,” “SUN LIFE (U.S.)”): Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.).

CONTRACT DATE: The date on which we issue your Certificate. This is called the “Date of Coverage” in the Contract.

CURRENT RATE: As of a particular date, the interest rate for a Guarantee Period that would be credited on a compound annual basis on Payments allocated to the Fixed Account on that date. We determine the Current rate from time to time but it will never be less than 4%.

DEATH BENEFIT DATE: If the Owner has elected a death benefit payment option before your death that remains in effect, the date on which we receive Due Proof of Death. If the Beneficiary is not living on the date of your death, the date on which we receive Due Proof of Death of you and the Beneficiary. If your Beneficiary elects the death benefit payment option, the later of (a) the date on which we receive the Beneficiary’s election and (b) the date on which we receive Due Proof of Death. If we do not receive the Beneficiary’s election within 60 days after we receive Due Proof of Death, the Death Benefit Date will be the last day of the 60 day period and we will pay the death benefit in cash.

DUE PROOF OF DEATH: An original certified copy of an official death certificate, an original certified copy of a decree of a court of competent jurisdiction as to the finding of death, or any other proof satisfactory to the Company.

EXPIRATION DATE: The last day of any Guarantee Period.

FIXED ACCOUNT: The general account of the Company, consisting of all assets of the Company other than those allocated to a separate account of the Company.

FIXED ACCOUNT VALUE: The value of that portion of your Account allocated to the Fixed Account.

FIXED ACCUMULATION UNIT: A unit of measure used in the calculation of Fixed Account Value.

FIXED ANNUITY: An annuity with payments which do not vary as to dollar amount.

GUARANTEE PERIOD: The period for which a Guaranteed Interest Rate is credited, which may be 1, 3, 5 or 7 years. There are two types of Guarantee Periods: Initial Guarantee Periods and Subsequent Guarantee Periods.

GUARANTEED INTEREST RATE: The rate of interest we credit on a compound annual basis during any Initial or Subsequent Guarantee Period.

INCOME PHASE: The period on and after the Annuity Commencement Date and during the lifetime of the Annuitant during which we make annuity payments under the Contract.

NET LOAN INTEREST: Loan interest payable to us, less any interest credited by us on amounts in the loan account established for the loan.

NON-QUALIFIED CONTRACT: A Contract used in connection with a retirement plan that does not receive favorable federal income tax treatment under Sections 401, 403, or 408 of the Internal Revenue Code.

*OWNER: The employer, association or other group entitled to the ownership rights stated in the Contract and in whose name or names the Contract is issued. The Owner may designate a trustee or custodian of a retirement plan which meets the requirements of Section 401, Section 408(c), or Section 408(k) of the Internal Revenue Code to serve as legal owner of assets of a retirement plan, but the term “Owner,” as used herein, shall refer to the organization entering into the Contract.

PARTICIPANT: The person named in the Certificate who is entitled to benefits under the plan as determined and reported to the Company by the Owner.

PARTICIPANT ENROLLMENT FORM: The document signed by you that serves as your application for participation under the Contract.

PAYEE: A recipient of payments under a Contract. The term includes an Annuitant or a Beneficiary who becomes entitled to benefits upon the death of the Participant.

PURCHASE PAYMENT (PAYMENT): An amount paid to the Company as consideration for the benefits provided by a Contract.

QUALIFIED CONTRACT: A Contract used in connection with a retirement plan which may receive favorable federal income tax treatment under Sections 401, 403, 408(c), 408(k) or 408(p) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

SUB-ACCOUNT: That portion of the Variable Account which invests in shares of a specific Mutual Fund or a specific series of the Trust.

TRUST: MFS/Sun Life Variable Insurance Trust II.

VALUATION PERIOD: The period of time from one determination of Accumulation Unit or Annuity Unit values to the next subsequent determination of these values. Value determinations are made as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange on each day that the Exchange is open for trading.

VARIABLE ACCOUNT: Variable Account D of the Company, which is a separate account of the Company consisting of assets set aside by the Company, the investment performance of which is kept separate from that of the general assets of the Company.

VARIABLE ACCUMULATION UNIT: A unit of measure used in the calculation of Variable Account Value.

VARIABLE ACCOUNT VALUE: The value of that portion of your Account allocated to the Variable Account.

VARIABLE ANNUITY: An annuity with payments which vary as to dollar amount in relation to the investment performance of the Variable Account.

* These items are specified in the Participant Enrollment Form, and may be changed as we describe in this Prospectus.

 
 

 

APPENDIX B -
WITHDRAWALS, WITHDRAWAL CHARGES, AND THE MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT

A. Fixed Account 3, 5 and 7 Year Guarantee Periods:

For the purposes of this illustration, the following assumptions have been made:

1.
100% of Purchase Payments have been allocated to the Fixed Account and the Owner has elected Initial Guarantee Periods of five 5 years.
   
2.
The date of full surrender or partial withdrawal is the last day of the 12th month following the Date of Coverage.
   
3.
The Guarantee Rate being credited on Payments allocated to the five 5-year Guarantee Period on the date of full surrender or partial withdrawal is 4.40%.
   
4.
The Account Fee is $25.

Please refer to the Table below.
Table 1*

1
2
3
4
5
6
 
7
8
9
 
10
1
$ 100
4.25%
$ 104.25
--
$ 0.00
 
$ 104.25($79.25)
–0.45%
–$0.47( –$0.36)
 
$ 103.78($78.89)
2
100
4.25
103.90
6.00%
4.80
 
99.10 
–0.46
–0.46
 
98.64 
3
100
4.50
103.75
6.00
6.00
 
97.75 
  0.31
0.31
 
98.06 
4
100
4.50
103.38
6.00
6.00
 
97.38 
  0.32
0.31
 
97.69 
5
100
4.70
103.13
6.00
6.00
 
97.13 
  098
0.95
 
98.08 
6
100
4.70
102.74
6.00
6.00
 
96.74 
  0.99
0.96
 
97.70 
7
100
4.70
102.35
6.00
6.00
 
96.35 
  1.01
0.98
 
 97.33 
8
100
4.50
101.88
6.00
6.00
 
95.88 
  0.34
0.33
 
96.20 
9
100
4.50
101.50
6.00
6.00
 
95.50 
  0.35
0.33
 
95.83 
10
100
4.50
101.13
6.00
6.00
 
95.13 
  0.36
0.34
 
95.46 
11
100
4.50
100.75
6.00
6.00
 
94.75 
  0.36
 0.34
 
95.09 
12
100
4.40
100.37
6.00
6.00
 
94.37 
  0.00
0.00
 
94.37 
 
$1,200
 
$1,229.11
 
$64.80
 
$1,164.31
 
$3.92
 
$1,168.23
             
$1,139.31
 
$4.03
 
$1,143/34

*See “Explanation of Columns in Table 1.”

Explanation of Columns in Table 1.

Columns 1 and 2:
Represent Payments and Payment amounts, respectively. Each Payment of $100 was made on the first day of each month for one year (12 payments).

Column 3:
Represents the Initial Guaranteed Interest Rate being credited to each Payment.

Column 4:
Represents the value of each Payment on the date of full surrender or partial withdrawal before the imposition of any Withdrawal Charge and Market Value Adjustment.

Column 5:
Represents the Withdrawal Charge percentage that is applied to each Payment on the date of full surrender or partial withdrawal.

The percentage is 6% for Payments 2 through 12 because these Payments have been in the Account for less than one year. No Withdrawal Charge is imposed on Payment 1 because up to 10% of Payments credited to a Participant’s Account may be withdrawn each Account Year without imposition of this charge. In this example, 10% represents (10% x $1,200) = $120. The 10% amount is applied to the oldest previously unliquidated Payment, then the next oldest and so forth. This results in no Withdrawal Charge being imposed on Payment 1 and a Withdrawal Charge imposed on $80 of Payment 2.

Column 6:
Represents the amount of Withdrawal Charge imposed on each Payment. It is calculated by multiplying the Payment in Column 2 by the Withdrawal Charge percentage in Column 5.

For example, the Withdrawal Charge imposed on Payment 8 = $100 x 6% = $6.00.

The Withdrawal Charge imposed on Payment 2 = ($100 – $20) x 6% = $4.80. The $20 represents the portion of the Payment on which no Withdrawal Charge is imposed as described under the explanation of Column 5 above.

Column 7:
Represents the value of each Payment in Column 4 on the date of full surrender or partial withdrawal after the imposition of the Withdrawal Charge in Column 6.

In the case of a full surrender, the Account Fee is deducted from the oldest unliquidated payment. This deduction is reflected in the Table by the amount in parentheses beside Column 7, $79.25.

Column 8:
Represents the Market Value Adjustment (MVA) percentage applied to the value of each Payment on the date of full surrender or partial withdrawal after imposition of the Withdrawal Charge.

For example:

The MVA% applied to Payment 3 = 0.75 (A – B) x (C/12)

Where
A =
The Guarantee Rate of the Payment being surrendered (Column 3)
 
=
4.50%,
 
B =
The Guarantee Rate being credited to Payments allocated to the 5-year Guarantee Period on the date of full surrender or partial withdrawal,
 
=
4.40% and
 
C =
The number of months remaining in the Guarantee Period of the Payment being surrendered,
 
=
60 (5 years) 10,
 
=
50
 
MVA% =
0.75 (A B) x (C ÷ 12)
 
=
0.75 (4.50 4.40) x (50 ÷ 12)
 
=
0.75 (0.10) x (50 ÷ 12)
 
=
0.31%

Column 9:
Represents the dollar amount of the MVA. For each Payment, it is determined by multiplying the value in Column 7 by the MVA percentage in Column 8.

For example, the MVA for Payment 3

= Column 7
x
Column 9
= $97.75
x
.31%
= $0.31
   

Column 10:
Represents the values of Payments on the date of full surrender or partial withdrawal after deducting the Withdrawal Charge and either deducting or adding the MVA. For any Payment, the amount in Column 10 is determined by adding the amounts in Columns 7 and 9.

In each of Columns 9 and 10, the amounts in parentheses, $.36 and $78.89, respectively, reflect the deduction of the Account Fee, in the case of a full surrender.

Full Surrender:

The lower total of Column 10, $1,143.34, reflects the amount of a full surrender after imposition of Withdrawal Charges, Account Fee and Market Value Adjustments.

Partial Withdrawal:

The sum of amounts in Column 10 for as many payments as are liquidated reflects the amount of a partial withdrawal.

For example, if $1,000 of Payments were withdrawn, the amount of the withdrawal would be the sum of the amounts in Column 10 for Payments 1 through 10 which is $978.77.

 
 

 


B.
Variable Account and Fixed Account--1-Year Guarantee Period (No Market Value Adjustment Applicable):

For the purposes of this illustration, the following assumptions have been made:

1.
Purchase Payments have been allocated to either the Variable Account, the Fixed Account -- 1-Year Guarantee Period or to a combination of both.
   
2.
The date of full surrender or partial withdrawal is during the ninth (9th) Account Year.

Please refer to the Table below.
Table 2*
1
 
2
 
3
 
4
 
5
 
6
1
 
$  1,000
 
$1,000
 
$         0
 
0%
 
$         0
2
 
1,200
 
1,200
 
0
 
0
 
0
3
 
1,400
 
1,280
 
120
 
1
 
1.20
4
 
1,600
 
0
 
1,600
 
2
 
32.00
5
 
1,800
 
0
 
1,800
 
3
 
54.00
6
 
2,000
 
0
 
2,000
 
4
 
80.00
7
 
2,000
 
0
 
2,000
 
5
 
100.00
8
 
2,000
 
0
 
2,000
 
6
 
120.00
9
 
2,000
 
0
 
2,000
 
6
 
120.00
   
$15,000
 
$3,480
 
$11,520
     
$507.20

* See “Explanation of Columns in Table 2.”

Explanation of Columns in Table 2

Columns 1 and 2:
Represent Payments and amounts of Payments. Each Payment was made at the beginning of each Account Year.

Column 3:
Represents the amounts that may be withdrawn without the imposition of withdrawal charges, as follows:

a)
Payments 1 and 2 ($1,000 and $1,200, respectively) have been credited to the Participant’s Account for more than 7 years.
   
b)
$1,280 of Payment 3 represents 10% of Payments that have been credited to the Participant’s Account for less than 7 years. The 10% amount is applied to the oldest unliquidated Payment, then the next oldest and so forth.

Column 4:
Represents the amount of each Payment that is subject to a withdrawal charge. It is determined by subtracting the amount in Column 3 from the Payment in Column 2.

Column 5:
Represents the withdrawal charge percentages imposed on the amounts in Column 4.

Column 6:
Represents the withdrawal charge imposed on each Payment. It is determined by multiplying the amount in Column 4 by the percentage in Column 5.

For example, the withdrawal charge imposed on Payment 8

= Payment 8 Column 4 x Payment 8 Column 5
= $2,000 x 6%
= $120

Full Surrender:

The total of Column 6, $507.20, represents the total amount of withdrawal charges imposed on Payments in this illustration.

Partial Withdrawal:

The sum of amounts in Column 6 for as many Payments as are liquidated reflects the withdrawal charges imposed in the case of a partial withdrawal.

For example, if $7,000 of Payments (Payments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) were withdrawn, the amount of the withdrawal charges imposed would be the sum of amounts in Column 6 for Payments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 which is $87.20.


 
 

 

APPENDIX C -
CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The following information should be read in conjunction with the Variable Account's financial statements appearing in the Statement of Additional Information.

 
Accumulation
Accumulation
Number of
 
 
Unit Value
Unit Value
Accumulation
 
 
Beginning
End
Units End
 
Sub-Account
of Period
of Period
of Period
Year
         
Massachusetts Investors Trust
$51.1983
$56.3472
21,859
2010
 
40.5832
51.1983
22,861
2009
 
61.1349
40.5832
28,517
2008
 
55.9911
61.1349
41,357
2007
 
50.0786
55.9911
50,507
2006
 
47.2567
50.0786
66,879
2005
 
42.9105
47.2567
77,952
2004
 
35.5715
42.9105
85,961
2003
 
46.1603
35.5715
138,567
2002
 
55.8146
46.1603
215,963
2001
         
Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Fund
54.4121
61.3623
18,626
2010
 
39.2132
54.4121
23,550
2009
 
62.9800
39.2132
26,138
2008
 
57.1916
62.9800
28,965
2007
 
53.8764
57.1916
22,921
2006
 
52.5086
53.8764
30,206
2005
 
48.4963
52.5086
39,943
2004
 
40.0362
48.4963
54,321
2003
 
56.6487
40.0362
62,568
2002
 
76.2273
56.6487
85,450
2001
         
MFS® Total Return Fund
52.9080
57.4718
21,783
2010
 
45.3302
52.9080
24,098
2009
 
59.3254
45.3302
29,963
2008
 
57.2260
59.3254
46,226
2007
 
51.8365
57.2260
70,375
2006
 
50.8089
51.8365
86,159
2005
 
46.1883
50.8089
103,969
2004
 
40.0175
46.1883
112,672
2003
 
42.9160
40.0175
139,529
2002
 
43.7077
42.9160
230,775
2001
         
MFS® Bond Fund
35.2455
38.7286
4,914
2010
 
27.7845
35.2455
5,160
2009
 
31.2675
27.7845
5,078
2008
 
30.5751
31.2675
5,264
2007
 
29.4978
30.5751
6,179
2006
 
29.3615
29.4978
6,041
2005
 
28.0238
29.3615
7,125
2004
 
25.9154
28.0238
13,189
2003
 
24.1468
25.9154
13,191
2002
 
22.6703
24.1468
20,212
2001
         
MFS® Government Securities Portfolio
33.3896
34.5444
31,152
2010
 
32.3531
33.3896
36,162
2009
 
30.1794
32.3531
48,726
2008
 
28.5119
30.1794
58,143
2007
 
27.8413
28.5119
70,368
2006
 
27.5538
27.8413
91,479
2005
 
26.8879
27.5538
124,047
2004
 
26.6512
26.8879
136,149
2003
 
24.5752
26.6512
152,940
2002
 
23.1585
24.5752
177,020
2001
         
MFS® High Yield Portfolio
35.9796
41.0552
20,900
2010
 
24.2282
35.9796
25,479
2009
 
34.8781
24.2282
38,382
2008
 
34.6488
34.8781
42,957
2007
 
31.7782
34.6488
42,816
2006
 
31.4835
31.7782
51,143
2005
 
29.1005
31.4835
79,592
2004
 
24.2621
29.1005
82,554
2003
 
23.9194
24.2621
87,279
2002
 
23.8025
23.9194
91,516
2001
         
MFS® Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
10.3576
11.5753
410,634
2010
 
10.0000
10.3576
455,346
2009
         
MFS® Money Market Portfolio
19.4780
19.2375
21,742
2010
 
19.7213
19.4780
28,215
2009
 
19.5699
19.7213
44,761
2008
 
18.8993
19.5699
45,161
2007
 
18.2944
18.8993
47,626
2006
 
18.0320
18.2944
49,829
2005
 
18.1085
18.0320
63,548
2004
 
18.2201
18.1085
74,246
2003
 
18.2157
18.2201
90,586
2002
 
17.7723
18.2157
89,155
2001


 
 

 

This Prospectus sets forth information about the Contracts and the Variable Account that a prospective purchaser should know before investing. Additional information about the Contracts and the Variable Account has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in a Statement of Additional Information dated April 29, 2011 which is incorporated herein by reference. The Statement of Additional Information is available upon request and without charge from Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.). To receive a copy, return this request form to the address shown below or telephone or (800) 752-7216.

To:
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.)
 
P.O. Box 9133
 
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts 02481

Please send me a Statement of Additional Information for Compass G Group Annuity
Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Variable Account D.


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