Indexing Methods for Fixed Index Annuities

What Are Indexing Methods?

Fixed index annuities, also known as indexed annuities, accumulate growth according to the performance of a market index. However, the growth of an indexed annuity does not directly reflect index performance. Instead, annuity providers use different indexing methods, sometimes called crediting methods, to measure the index’s growth so they can credit interest to the contract. 

As Elle Switzer, director of Annuity Product Management at TruStage, told Annuity.org, indexing methods typically have two components. 

“The first component of the interest crediting method is the time performance [it] is measured over,” said Switzer. “For example, in the one-year point-to-point method, you would compare the index value at the end of the one-year period to the index value at the start of the one-year period to determine the index return.”

The other factor that goes into interest calculations is what Switzer called “the upside potential parameter.” Fixed index annuities typically come with measures to limit how much growth from the index is credited to the contract, such as a participation rate, rate cap or rate spread. Insurers use these provisions to mitigate the risk they take on when issuing an indexed annuity contract. 

Choosing the right crediting method for your particular goals is very important for your satisfaction with the annuity contract you choose. Under the same market environment, different crediting strategies may yield wildly different results. Misunderstanding how this choice impacts return is the most common mistake I see people make with fixed index annuities. Take care to review the options and sketch out how performance would be reflected in your annuity under different circumstances with each available strategy.

Stephen Kates, CFP®Principal Financial Analyst for Annuity.org

Stephen Kates, CFP® is a personal finance expert specializing in financial planning and education. He serves as the Principal Financial Analyst for Annuity.org, where he delves into industry trends to support consumers and financial advisors on wealth management, annuities, retirement planning, and investing.

Types of Indexing Methods

Insurers may offer a variety of crediting options for a fixed index annuity contract, but generally, they fall into three categories: annual reset, point-to-point and high-water mark.

Each of these indexing methods can benefit an indexed annuity owner by protecting the annuity’s value from market volatility while participating in the growth of an index. Together, these features make fixed index annuities a potentially advantageous resource for maintaining your retirement lifestyle.

Indexing Methods

Annual Reset Method

The annual reset method measures the performance of the underlying index each year. On the contract’s anniversary date, the insurer compares the index’s current value to its value on the previous anniversary date.

Point-to-Point

Point-to-point crediting involves taking the annuity index’s value on the contract’s anniversary date and subtracting the original index value.  The percentage difference between these values is the amount of growth credited to your annuity. When viewed over multiple years, this type of crediting method will protect investors from declining index values while still protecting the growth already accrued.

High Water Mark

The high-water mark design is similar to the point-to-point method. However, instead of comparing the beginning and ending index values, the high-water mark method subtracts the beginning index value from the index’s highest value on an anniversary date over the contract’s term. By using the highest anniversary value, the high-water mark design eliminates the risk of a late-term downturn wiping out previous index gains.

Comparing Indexing Methods

To better understand how an annuity’s indexing method affects its returns, let’s look at a scenario that compares the three most popular designs. The following table shows the hypothetical performance of the S&P 500, assuming a 100.00 starting point.

The chart shows how an annuity tied to the S&P 500 would credit interest based on the three contract design types. For simplicity, this chart assumes that the contracts all have a 100% participation rate, no cap rate and no averaging.

Indexing Method Comparison

As this data shows, each contract design results in a different amount of interest credited to the annuity, despite having the same index performance throughout the contract’s term.

• The annual reset method accumulates a total of 62.8% growth as it compounds throughout the contract term.
• The point-to-point contract ends up with no gains at all because the index’s value at the end of year five is lower than the starting value. In this case, the indexed annuity will likely only receive the minimum guaranteed rate, which typically comes out to 3% interest on 90% of the initial premium amount.
• The total gain on the high-water mark contract comes out to 16.11%. The insurer got this return by subtracting the starting value of 100.00 from the highest anniversary value of 116.11 in year two. 

The chart above represents just one hypothetical outcome of these contract designs and does not account for a variety of factors. The returns on each contract could be quite different in a different five-year term with a different term length or if a different index was chosen.

In short, one indexing method is not necessarily better than the others. When choosing an indexed annuity, it’s important to consider not only how index gains are measured, but also what other clauses the insurer places in the contract that could impact the annuity’s gains. Also consider your risk tolerance, as some indexing methods are more exposed to market downturns than others.