Annexus and North American Expand Partnership With the Launch of Secure Horizon Indexed Universal Life Insurance
May 30, 2025 by Annexus
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Annexus, a leading retirement product design company, has announced its continued collaboration with North American Company for Life and Health Insurance®, one of the largest issuers of life insurance and annuity products in the United States. The two companies launched Secure HorizonSM Indexed Universal Life Insurance (Secure Horizon IUL), a breakthrough life insurance product designed to provide death benefit protection alongside a suite of supplemental retirement benefits and strong accumulation potential.
“The launch of Secure Horizon IUL represents the next evolution of our partnership with Annexus and our shared commitment to innovation,” said Jerry Blair, president of Sammons Life Insurance Group. “Together with Annexus, we are reimagining the untapped possibilities in life insurance product design.”
Secure Horizon IUL features strong death benefit protection and accumulation potential through index options including the S&P PRISM® Index, the best-performing live smart beta index in the IUL industry since 2018,1 and the Research Affiliates® Global Multi-Asset Index, which provides diversified exposure to global stocks, bonds and commodities while using a proprietary risk management process to manage volatility. Both indices are available in 1-, 2- and 3-year strategy terms with participation rates as high as 410%. In addition, Secure Horizon IUL will feature an S&P 500® Index Trigger strategy and a Dual Trigger Strategy that provides the opportunity to credit interest in up, flat and even some down markets.
“We are excited to launch Secure Horizon IUL, a new product that includes some truly innovative benefits designed to help protect against major risks in retirement,” said Ron Shurts, co-founder and CEO of Annexus. “This is the first time an IUL will offer a Longevity Benefit Base that can be used to provide guaranteed lifetime income, a benefit if social security is reduced, and an enhanced death benefit that could be greater than the policy’s death benefit.”
The SecureStage Supplemental Benefits EndorsementSM (SecureStage) is automatically included on all Secure Horizon IUL policies. SecureStage is powered by an industry-first Longevity Benefit Base that grows by 150% of the net credited interest.2 The Longevity Benefit Base can be used for any of the following three benefits:
- LifePay Income Benefit: provides a stream of guaranteed lifetime income clients cannot outlive
- PlanGap® Benefit: the first solution within an IUL designed to help offset a potential future reduction in social security benefits3
- Enhanced Death Benefit: a legacy benefit that may be greater than the death benefit offered under the policy payable over five years
Secure Horizon IUL also offers living benefits through the Accelerated Death Benefit Endorsement, which enables policyowners to use a portion of the death benefit if diagnosed with a qualifying critical, chronic or terminal illness.4, 5 Together these supplemental benefits can help address six of the major risks clients face in retirement.
Advisors, Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs), and insurance professionals seeking access to this product should contact their Annexus-affiliated Independent Distribution Company. If you are a consumer interested in learning about Secure Horizon IUL, ask your financial professional for more information.
About Annexus
For nearly two decades, Annexus has developed market-leading fixed indexed annuities, registered indexed-linked annuities, and indexed universal life insurance products that help Americans grow and protect their retirement savings. The company has built strategic relationships with the industry’s top insurance carriers and some of the world’s largest investment banks. For more information, visit Annexus.
About North American Company for Life and Health Insurance
North American Company for Life and Health Insurance® is a member of Sammons® Financial Group, Inc. They offer a comprehensive portfolio of term and indexed universal life insurance products, as well as a wide variety of traditional fixed and fixed index annuities. Learn more about North American.
1 Based on all 5% volatility control smart beta live performance indices in the Indexed Universal Life market as of 4/15/25. Index performance from 12/31/2017 – 12/31/2024.
2 Net credited interest is any index credit and interest credit minus Index Credit and interest credit attributed to interest bonus on fixed interest participating loans.
3 The PlanGap® Benefit is known as the Income Gap Benefit in the contract. The PlanGap® Benefit is not a replacement for Social Security benefits but provides a benefit designed to mitigate a reduction. For purposes of this Endorsement, reduction means a reduction in Social Security benefits due to a change implemented by the Social Security Administration or other federal law or regulation. It does not include reductions in your Social Security benefits based upon your actions (including any elections under Social Security or changes to your Social Security elections) or change in circumstances. PlanGap® is a registered trademark of PlanGap, LLC and is used pursuant to a license. The Benefit can be elected if the Income Gap Benefit Index is reduced by more than 3%. Limited to the insured’s policy age being between age 62 and 85 and waiting period of 10 years for issue ages 0-59, and 5 years for issue ages 60+.
North American Company for Life and Health Insurance® is not affiliated with PlanGap® or the Social Security Administration. North American’s product(s) are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by the Social Security Administration, and they make no representation regarding the advisability of purchasing of the product(s).
4 Payment of accelerated death benefits paid under the endorsement is intended for favorable tax treatment under Section 101(g) of the Internal Revenue Code.
5 Accelerated death benefits subject to eligibility requirements. An administrative fee may be required at the time of election. The death benefit will be reduced by the amount of the death benefit accelerated. Since benefits are paid prior to death, a discount will be applied to the death benefit accelerated. As a result, the actual amount received will be less than the amount of the death benefit accelerated.
The “S&P 500®” and “S&P PRISM” (“the Indices”) are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (“SPDJI”) and have been licensed for use by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance® (“the Company”). S&P®, S&P 500®, US 500, The 500, iBoxx®, iTraxx® and CDX® are trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). It is not possible to invest directly in an index. The Company’s Product is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Company’s Product or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Company’s Product particularly or the ability of the Indices to track general market performance. Past performance of an index is not an indication or guarantee of future results. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to the Company with respect to the Indices is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. The Indices are determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to the Company or the Company’s Product. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation to take the needs of the Company or the owners of the Company’s Product into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Company’s Product. There is no assurance that investment products based on the Indices will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment adviser, commodity trading advisory, commodity pool operator, broker dealer, fiduciary, “promoter” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), “expert” as enumerated within 15 U.S.C. § 77k(a) or tax advisor. Inclusion of a security, commodity, crypto currency or other asset within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, commodity, crypto currency or other asset, nor is it considered to be investment advice or commodity trading advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE COMPANY, OWNERS OF THE COMPANY’S PRODUCT, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDICES OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. S&P DOW JONES INDICES HAS NOT REVIEWED, PREPARED AND/OR CERTIFIED ANY PORTION OF, NOR DOES S&P DOW JONES INDICES HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER, THE COMPANY’S PRODUCT REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROSPECTUS OR OTHER OFFERING MATERIALS. THERE ARE NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND THE COMPANY, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOWJONES INDICES.
The Research Affiliates® Global Multi-Asset Index (the “Index”) is a service mark of RAFI Indices, LLC or its affiliates (collectively, “RAFI”) and has been licensed for certain use by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance® (“the Company”). The intellectual and other property rights to the Index are owned by or licensed to RAFI. Use and distribution of the Index or any included data and RAFI’s service marks requires RAFI’s written permission. This IUL (the “Product”) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by RAFI or any of its third-party service providers or suppliers including data licensors and index calculators (“RAFI and its suppliers”).
The Index is an excess return index and does not allocate to any interest-bearing cash rate allocations. Because of this, an excess return version of an index will have lower performance than a total return version of the same index would, especially in high interest rate environments.
Past performance of an index is not an indicator of or a guarantee of future results. Hypothetical and simulated examples have inherent limitations and are generally prepared with the benefit of hindsight. There are often differences between simulated results and the actual results. There are numerous factors related to the markets in general or the implementation of any specific investment strategy, which cannot be fully accounted for in the preparation of simulated results and all of which can adversely affect actual results. RAFI and its suppliers make no representations or warranties regarding the advisability of investing in the Product or the ability of the Index to provide any particular market performance. RAFI is not acting as an investment adviser to you and has no fiduciary duties to you in connection with the Index or the Product. RAFI and its suppliers are not responsible for and have not participated in the (i) development, marketing, issuance or management of the Product, (ii) the determination of the timing of, prices, at or quantities of the Product to be issued, or (iii) calculation of the equation by which the Product is redeemable.
RAFI and its suppliers have no obligation or liability to the owners of the Product and any decision to purchase or invest in the Product is at your own risk. RAFI and its suppliers obtain information from sources they consider reliable but do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or completeness of the Index or any data included therein, all of which are provided on an “as is” basis.
RAFI and its suppliers make no warranty as to the results that may be obtained by the Company, the Company’s customers and counterparties, owners of the Product or anyone else from the use of the Index or included data as licensed or for any other use. RAFI and its suppliers disclaim all warranties and representations, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use, with respect to the Index or any included data. In no event will RAFI or its suppliers be liable for any damages, including direct, indirect, special, punitive and consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
The term financial professional is not intended to imply engagement in an advisory business in which compensation is not related to sales. Financial professionals that are insurance licensed will be paid a commission on the sale of an insurance product.
Secure Horizon IUL is issued on form P100/ICC22P100 (policy), E100/ICC22E100, E101/ICC22E101, E103/ICC22E103, E104/ICC22E104, E105/ICC22E105, E109/ICC22E109, E110/ICC22E110, E111/ICC22E111, E115/ICC24E115, E117, R100/ICC23R100, R101/ICC23R101, R102/ICC23R102, R103/ICC23R103, R106/ICC22R106, (riders/endorsements) or appropriate state variation by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance®, West Des Moines, IA. Products, features, endorsements, riders or issue ages may not be available in all states. Limitations or restrictions may apply.
Sammons Financial® is the marketing name for Sammons® Financial Group, Inc.’s member companies, including North American Company for Life and Health Insurance®. Annuities and life insurance are issued by, and product guarantees are solely the responsibility of, North American Company for Life and Health Insurance.
