SEC Company Response from MASSMUTUAL ASCEND LIFE INSURANCE CO (CIK 0000723258) — Apr 26, 2021
MASSMUTUAL ASCEND LIFE INSURANCE CO (CIK 0000723258)
Date: April 26, 2021 · CIK: 0000723258 · Accession: 0001193125-21-131419
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File numbers found in text: 333-252915
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CORRESP 1 filename1.htm CORRESP April 26, 2021 VIA EDGAR Commissioners U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, NE Washington, DC 20549 Re: Great American Life Insurance Company Registration Statement on Form S-1 File No. 333-252915 Commissioners: We are transmitting for filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, a letter responding to comments with respect to the above-referenced Form S-1 Registration Statement (the “Response Letter”) for certain deferred annuity contracts (the “Contracts”). The Response Letter addresses comments provided by the staff (the “Staff”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) in a telephone call on April 21, 2021. For the Staff’s convenience, each comment is set forth in full below, followed by the Company’s response. Enclosed with the Response Letter are copies of the pages changed as described in the responses below. GENERAL 1. Where a comment is made with regard to disclosure in one location of the Registration Statement, it is applicable to all similar disclosure appearing elsewhere in the Registration Statement. Unless otherwise indicated, comments reference disclosure in the Index Frontier 7 Pro Annuity prospectus. Please make corresponding changes to the Index Frontier 5 Pro Annuity prospectus as applicable. RESPONSE: The Company confirms that applicable corresponding changes to the Index Frontier 5 Pro Annuity prospectus were made. INDEX FRONTIER® 7 PRO ANNUITY PROSPECTUS Examples - Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized 2. In the sentence directly before the Examples – Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized section, please revise the section reference to match the name of the section. Commissioners April 26, 2021 Page 2 of 3 RESPONSE: The Company made the requested revision. 3. In Examples B, C, D, and F in the Examples - Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized section, please explain in the narrative following the table why the “Amounts Withdrawn” are different between the two strategies. RESPONSE: The Company added the following explanation to the beginning of the narrative following the table in Example B: “*Note: The withdrawal is taken proportionally from each Indexed Strategy, based on the ratio of that Strategy’s value to the total value of all Indexed Strategies immediately before the withdrawal. In this example, the total value of all Indexed Strategies immediately before the withdrawal was $90,634 ($44,819 + $45,815). The S&P 500 Growth Strategy value was 49.45% of that total value ($44,819 / $90,634 = 49.45%), so 49.45% of the $10,000 withdrawal ($4,945) was taken from it. The S&P 500 Buffer Strategy value was 50.55% of that total value ($45,815 / $90,634 = 50.55%), so 50.55% of the $10,000 withdrawal ($5,055) was taken from it.” The Company added similar explanations to the beginning of the narrative following the tables in Examples C, D, and F. 4. In the last paragraph of the discussion section after Example B in the Examples - Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized section, please change the phrase “more of the withdrawal being taken from the Buffer Strategy” to “more of the withdrawal being taken from the Buffer Strategy’s value” Please also make similar changes in the discussion sections after Examples C, D, and F. RESPONSE: The Company made the requested revisions. 5. In the table in Example C in the Examples - Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized section, please revise the amount of Daily Charges through Day 146 for the S&P 500 Buffer Strategy to “$201”. RESPONSE: The Company made the requested revision. INDEX FRONTIER® 5 PRO ANNUITY PROSPECTUS Examples - Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized 6. In the table in Example A in the Examples - Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized section, please change the amount of Daily Charges through Day 146 for each Indexed Strategy from “$100” to “$201”, and revise any subsequent calculations affected by this change. Commissioners April 26, 2021 Page 3 of 3 RESPONSE: The Company notes that the Daily Charge amount in the table in Example A can be calculated using the following formula: Investment Base on the Term Start Date (or on most recent withdrawal date) – (Investment Base on the Term Start Date (or most recent withdrawal date) x (1 – Daily Fee Rate) ^ number of days elapsed since Term Start Date (or most recent withdrawal). On Day 146 in Example A, that formula produces the following result: $50,000 - ($50,000 x (1 - 0.0000137329) ^ 146) = $100. As a result, the Company respectfully declined to make the requested revision. The Company believes that the Response Letter addresses in full the Staff comments. If you have any questions regarding the Company responses, please contact the undersigned at 513.412.1401 or at jdomaschko@gaig.com. Sincerely, /s/ John V. Domaschko John V. Domaschko Divisional Assistant Vice President Great American Life Insurance Company cc: John V. Domaschko, Great American Life Insurance Company John P. Gruber, Great American Life Insurance Company Dodie Kent, Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP -14% -10 % -12 % -10 % -10 % -10 % -8 % -10 % -6 % -10 % -4 % -16% -10 % -14 % -10 % -12 % -10 % -10 % -10 % -8 % -10 % -6 % -18% -10 % -16 % -10 % -14 % -10 % -12 % -10 % -10 % -10 % -8 % -20% -10 % -18 % -10 % -16 % -10 % -14 % -10 % -12 % -10 % -10 % -22% -10 % -20 % -10 % -18 % -10 % -16 % -10 % -14 % -10 % -12 % In general, Growth Strategies are designed to protect against larger negative Index Changes, while Buffer Strategies are designed to protect against smaller negative Index Changes. When identical investments are made in a Growth Strategy and a Buffer Strategy using the same Index over the same Term, a negative change in the Index produces the following results: • a negative Index Change between 0% and -10%, measured on any day, would have a greater negative impact on the Growth Strategy • a negative Index Change between -10% and -20% could have a greater negative impact on either strategy, depending on the Index Change and the size of the Buffer on the day the Index Change is measured • a negative Index Change below -20%, measured on any day, would have a greater negative impact on the Buffer Strategy See Examples - Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized Indexed Strategy Values section below for examples that illustrate these concepts. Examples - Impact of Withdrawals on Contract Values and Amounts Realized These examples are intended to show you how a withdrawal from an Indexed Strategy before the end of the Term affects the Indexed Strategy values, Vested Gains and Losses, and amounts realized at the end of the Term. These examples assume that you allocate a $50,000 Purchase Payment to the S&P 500 Growth/-10% Floor Strategy and a $50,000 Purchase Payment to the S&P 500 10% Buffer Strategy. The examples assume that the withdrawals are covered by the Free Withdrawal Allowance and therefore no Early Withdrawal Charges apply. If Early Withdrawal Charges did apply, the amounts realized at the end of the Term would be reduced by both the withdrawal and the amount of the Early Withdrawal Charge. Example A: Withdrawal When Index Rising Steadily Impact of $10,000 Withdrawal on Day 146 of Term S&P 500 Growth Strategy S&P 500 Buffer Strategy Investment Base at Term Start $50,000 $50,000 Index Value at Term Start 1000 1000 Daily Charges through Day 146 $201 $201 Remaining Investment Base on Day 146 $50,000 - $201 = $49,799 $50,000 - $201 = $49,799 Index Value at Date of Withdrawal 1040 1040 Positive Index Change (1040 – 1000) / 1000 = 4% (1040 – 1000) / 1000 = 4% Maximum Gain Gain of 12% Gain of 14% Positive Index Change Limited by Maximum Gain 4% 4% Vesting Factor on Day 146 25% 25% Vested Gain as a Percentage 4% x 25% = 1% Vested Gain 4% x 25% = 1% Vested Gain Vested Gain in Dollars $49,799 x 1% = $498 Vested Gain $49,799 x 1% = $498 Vested Gain Strategy Value before Withdrawal $49,799 + $498 = $50,297 $49,799 + $498 = $50,297 Amount Withdrawn $5,000 $5,000 Percentage Reduction in Strategy Value $5,000 / $50,297 = 9.94% $5,000 / $50,297 = 9.94% Proportional Reduction in Investment Base $49,799 x 0.0994 = $4,950 $49,799 x 0.0994 = $4,950 Remaining Investment Base after Withdrawal $49,799 - $4,950 = $44,849 $49,799 - $4,950 = $44,849 Value at End of Term S&P 500 Growth Strategy S&P 500 Buffer Strategy Remaining Investment Base after Withdrawal $44,849 $44,849 Daily Charges from Day 147 to Term End $270 $270 Remaining Investment Base at Term End $44,849 - $270 = $44,579 $44,849 - $270 = $44,579 1 Buffer on Day 146 of Term N/A 10% x (365-219)/365 = 4% Buffer Negative Index Change Absorbed by Buffer N/A -4% Negative Index Change after Buffer N/A -12% — 4% = -8% Vested Loss as a Percentage -10% x 100% = 10% Vested Loss -8% x 100% = 8% Vested Loss Vested Loss in Dollars $49,799 x 10% = $4,980 Vested Loss $49,799 x 8% = $3,984 Vested Loss Strategy Value before Withdrawal $49,799 - $4,980 = $44,819 $49,799 - $3,984 = $45,815 Amount Withdrawn* $4,945 $5,055 Percentage Reduction in Strategy Value $4,945 / $44,819 = 11.03% $5,055 / $45,815 = 11.03% Proportional Reduction in Investment Base $49,799 x 0.1103 = $5,493 $49,799 x 0.1103 = $5,493 Remaining Investment Base after Withdrawal $49,799 - $5,493 = $44,306 $49,799 - $5,493 = $44,306 Value at End of Term S&P 500 Growth Strategy S&P 500 Buffer Strategy Remaining Investment Base after Withdrawal $44,306 $44,306 Daily Charges from Day 147 to Term End $267 $267 Remaining Investment Base at Term End $44,306 - $267 = $44,039 $44,306 - $267 = $44,039 Index Value at Term Start 1000 1000 Index Value at Term End 1130 1130 Positive Index Change (1130 - 1000) / 1000 = 13% (1130 - 1000) / 1000 = 13% Maximum Gain Gain of 12% Gain of 14% Positive Index Change Limited by Maximum Gain 12% 13% Vesting Factor at Term End 100% 100% Vested Gain as a Percentage 12% x 100% = 12% Vested Gain 13% x 100% = 13% Vested Gain Vested Gain in Dollars $44,039 x 12% = $5,285 Vested Gain $44,039 x 13% = $5,725 Vested Gain Strategy Value at Term End $44,039 + $5,285 = $49,324 $44,039 + $5,725 = $49,764 *Note: The withdrawal is taken proportionally from each Indexed Strategy, based on the ratio of that Strategy’s value to the total value of all Indexed Strategies immediately before the withdrawal. In this example, the total value of all Indexed Strategies immediately before the withdrawal was $90,634 ($44,819 + $45,815). The S&P 500 Growth Strategy value was 49.45% of that total value ($44,819 / $90,634 = 49.45%), so 49.45% of the $10,000 withdrawal ($4,945) was taken from it. The S&P 500 Buffer Strategy value was 50.55% of that total value ($45,815 / $90,634 = 50.55%), so 50.55% of the $10,000 withdrawal ($5,055) was taken from it. S&P 500 Growth Strategy In this example, the amount you realized on your $50,000 investment in the S&P 500 Growth Strategy at the end of the Term is $54,269 ($4,945 withdrawal plus the $49,324 Strategy value at the end of the Term). Had no withdrawal occurred, your S&P 500 Growth Strategy value at the end of the Term would have been $55,440 ($50,000 original Investment Base minus total Daily Charges of $500 and plus $5,940 gain ($49,500 x 12%)). This hypothetical Strategy value of $55,440 exceeds the amount realized of $54,269 because: • the loss at the time of the withdrawal caused the reduction in the Investment Base to be greater than the actual amount withdrawn ($4,945 - $5,493 = -$548); and • the subsequent gain at the term end was calculated on a smaller Investment Base, which caused that gain to be smaller than the hypothetical gain ($5,285 - $5,940 = -$655); and • the Daily Charges from Day 147 to Term End are lower than they would have been without the withdrawal by $32 because they are being applied to a decreased Investment Base. The result for the S&P 500 Growth Strategy (-$548 + -$655 + $32 = -$1,171) is equal to the difference between the hypothetical Strategy value and the amount realized ($55,440 - $1,171 = $54,269). 2 S&P 500 Buffer Strategy The amount you realized on your $50,000 investment in the S&P 500 Buffer Strategy at the end of the Term is $54,819 ($5,055 withdrawal plus the $49,764 Strategy value at the end of the Term). Had no withdrawal occurred, your S&P 500 Buffer Strategy value at the end of the Term would have been $55,935 ($50,000 original Investment Base minus total Daily Charges of $500 and plus $6,435 gain ($49,500 x 13%)). This hypothetical Strategy value exceeds the amount realized for the same reasons described above for the S&P 500 Growth Strategy. Your investment in the S&P 500 Buffer Strategy outperformed the S&P 500 Growth Strategy by $550 in this example. The amount you realized under the Buffer Strategy ($54,819) exceeds the amount you realized under the Growth Strategy ($54,269) for two reasons: (1) at the time of the withdrawal, the Buffer absorbed more of the negative Index Change (4 percentage points of the -12% change) than the Maximum Loss absorbed (2 percentage points of the -12% change), thus resulting in more of the withdrawal being taken from the Buffer Strategy’s value even though the Investment Base of both strategies was reduced by the same amount, and (2) the Index Change at the end of the Term exceeded the Growth Strategy’s lower Maximum Gain, thus increasing the Buffer Strategy’s value by more than the increase in the Growth Strategy’s value. Example C: Withdrawal When Index Falling Steadily Impact of $10,000 Withdrawal on Day 146 of Term S&P 500 Growth Strategy S&P 500 Buffer Strategy Investment Base at Term Start $50,000 $50,000 Daily Charges through Day 146 $201 $100201 Remaining Investment Base on Day 146 $50,000 - $201 = $49,799 $50,000 - $201 = $49,799 Index Value at Term Start 1000 1000 Index Value at Date of Withdrawal 980 980 Negative Index Change (980 - 1000) / 1000 = -2% (980 - 1000) / 1000 = -2% Maximum Loss Loss of 10% N/A Negative Index Change Limited by Maximum Loss -2% N/A Buffer on Day 146 of Term N/A 10% x (365-219)/365 = 4% Buffer Negative Index Change Absorbed by Buffer N/A Entire -2% Index Change Negative Index Change after Buffer N/A 0% Vested Loss as a Percentage -2% x 100% = 2% Vested Loss 0% Vested Loss Vested Loss in Dollars $49,799 x 2% = $996 Vested Loss $0 Vested Loss Strategy Value before Withdrawal $49,799 - $996 = $48,803 $49,799 - $0 = $49,799 Amount Withdrawn* $4,949 $5,051 Percentage Reduction in Strategy Value $4,949 / $48,803 = 10.14% $5,051 / $49,799 = 10.14% Proportional Reduction in Investment Base $49,799 x 0.1014 = $5,050 $49,799 x .0.1014 = $5,050 Remaining Investment Base after Withdrawal $49,799 - $5,050 = $44,749 $49,799 - $5,050 = $44,749 Value at End of Term S&P 500 Growth Strategy S&P 500 Buffer Strategy Remaining Investment Base after Withdrawal $44,749 $44,749 Daily Charges from Day 147 to Term End $269 $269 Remaining Investment Base at Term End $44,749 - $269 = $44,480 $44,749 - $269 = $44,480 Index Value at Term Start 1000 1000 Index Value at Term End 860 860 Negative Index Change (860 - 1000) / 1000 = -14% (860 - 1000) / 1000 = -14% Maximum Loss Loss of 10% N/A Negative Index Change Limited by Maximum Loss -10% N/A Buffer at End of Term N/A 10% Buffer Negative Index Change Absorbed by Buffer N/A -10% Negative Index Change after Buffer N/A -14% — 10% = -4% Vested Loss as a Perc