Fixed Indexed Annuity

Index Protector 4

MassMutual Ascend Life Insurance Company

7.75%

Best Cap

10%

Free W/D

Jurisdictions

Product data status: May 29, 2026

Rates, state availability, rider terms, and contract language must be confirmed with a licensed financial advisor or insurance professional before purchase. Guarantees are backed by the issuing insurer.

Live product data

Rates as of May 29, 2026, based on the latest AdvisorWorld scan of CANNEX data.

S&P 500 annual cap rate

7.75% cap on S&P 500

A four-year, accumulation-only fixed indexed annuity from a dual-agency-rated US carrier, pairing a recognizable S&P 500 cap option with volatility-controlled and international named-ETF strategies inside a middle-ground FIA surrender window.

1-year termAdvisorWorld + CANNEX data

Best fit

Accumulation-focused buyers who want a recognizable S&P 500 cap inside an FIA chassis with a four-year commitment — longer than the three-year short-surrender siblings but shorter than the seven-year filings — and who do not need a contractually guaranteed lifetime income rider.

AM Best

A++ Superior

Surrender period

4 years

Free withdrawal

10%/yr

Availability

49 jurisdictions (excl. Hawaii, New York)

Featured crediting strategies

Caps, participation rates, and declared rates are shown separately.

Index / strategyRate mechanicsTermPremium

S&P 500

S&P 500 Index

7.75% cap rate

Rate varies by premium band.

1-year term

Up to $250,000

Fixed Account

4.65% declared rate

Rate varies by premium band.

1-year term

Up to $250,000

+ 4 volatility-controlled index options (S&P 500, iShares US, S&P U.S....)

Product analyst notes

How to think about this contract

Why it can stand out

Four-year surrender period sits between the short three-year AssuranceSelect 3 Plus and American Landmark 3 and the standard seven-year FIA window — a buyer who wants more than three years of crediting horizon but cannot commit to seven has a middle option.
A.M. Best Superior plus Standard & Poor's Strong — dual-agency financial-strength corroboration on the carrier, rather than a single-source rating.
Crediting menu pairs a recognizable S&P 500 annual point-to-point cap with volatility-controlled indexes (S&P 500 Average Daily Risk Control, S&P U.S. Retiree Spending) and named-ETF strategies (iShares MSCI EAFE international, iShares US Real Estate) — buyers can hold a like-for-like S&P comparison option alongside lower-volatility and international alternatives.
Free-withdrawal allowance, the full four-year surrender ladder, and the standard waivers (nursing-home and terminal-illness) are visible on this page rather than gated behind a sales brochure.

What to confirm

This is NOT a guaranteed-lifetime-withdrawal product. The live feed shows no income riders attached. The Index Protector 7 sibling carries an income-rider option (IncomeDefender); the four-year filing here does not.
The volatility-controlled indexes (S&P 500 Average Daily Risk Control, S&P U.S. Retiree Spending) target a controlled return profile that systematically caps the S&P 500's full upside in exchange for steadier participation — their caps look different from the standard S&P 500 cap but the underlying index is structurally different.
Caps and participation rates reset at the carrier's discretion at renewal under guaranteed-minimum floors well below current headline rates, so the published cap is a current-period figure, not a four-year guarantee.
State availability on this filing reads slightly below the full national footprint visible on most siblings — a buyer outside the covered jurisdictions cannot purchase Index Protector 4 at all, regardless of how the headline compares.

Not ideal for

Buyers who need a contractually guaranteed lifetime withdrawal rate from a GLWB rider, want a longer surrender lock to capture a higher first-year cap, or prefer a MYGA-style declared rate without index-linked variability — none of those are what this contract is built to deliver.

All crediting strategies

View rate listings (12 rows)

These are the current crediting strategy listings returned for this product. Use the filters to narrow by index, term, premium band, or rate type.

Par: 75% · 1-yr

S&P U.S. Retiree Spending Total Return Index

participation