SEC Company Response from Equitable Financial Life Insurance Co (RILA) (CIK 0002039145) — Jun 11, 2025
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Co (RILA) (CIK 0002039145)
Date: June 11, 2025 · CIK: 0002039145 · Accession: 0001193125-25-138913
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File numbers found in text: 333-285624, 333-285625
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CORRESP 1 filename1.htm SEC Response Letter Darin Smith Associate General Counsel (319) 573-2676 June 11, 2025 VIA EDGAR Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, NE Washington, DC 20549-8629 Re: Structured Capital Strategies® Premier Initial N-4 Filing filed on Form N-4 on March 7, 2025 Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company File No. 333-285624 Structured Capital Strategies® Premier Initial N-4 Filing filed on Form N-4 on March 7, 2025 Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America File No. 333-285625 Dear Mr. Oh: The purpose of this letter is to provide a response to oral comments you provided with respect to the above-referenced filings. As discussed, we have made the revisions as requested. Please note: • We have removed the Annual Lock Segment Type from this offering. • We have removed the online Performance Lock service (both Auto and Manual) from this offering. I trust that the revisions address your comments adequately. If you have any questions regarding the revisions, please contact the undersigned at (319) 573-2676. Thank you very much for your assistance with this filing. Best regards, /s/ Darin Smith Darin Smith Structured Capital Strategies® Premier An index-linked individual and group flexible premium deferred annuity contract Prospectus dated , 2025 Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company Please read and keep this Prospectus for future reference. It contains important information that you should know before purchasing or taking any other action under your contract. What is Structured Capital Strategies® Premier? Structured Capital Strategies® Premier is an index-linked individual and group flexible premium deferred annuity contract issued by the Company. The contract is offered in various classes, called Series B and Select. The contract provides for the accumulation of retirement savings. The contract also offers several payout options and an optional death benefit. You invest to accumulate value on a tax-deferred basis in the following investment options: (1) the guaranteed interest option (“GIO”), (2) the Segments of the Structured Investment Option (“SIO”), or (3) the Dollar Cap Averaging Programs. Additional information about the investment options can be found in Appendix: “Investment Options available under the contract.” We reserve the right to offer any or all Segments more or less frequently or to stop offering any of them or to suspend offering any or all of them temporarily for some or all contracts. If we stop offering these options, you will be limited to investing in the GIO, which is not tied to the performance of an index. The contract is a complex investment that involves risks, including potential loss of principal and previously credited interest. You should speak with a financial professional about the features, benefits, risks, and fees and whether the contract is appropriate for you based on your financial situation and objectives. The SIO permits you to invest in one or more Segments, each of which gives you the opportunity to earn interest that we will credit based, in part, on the performance of an external index from the Segment Start Date to the Segment Maturity Date, although you could also experience a negative return and a significant loss of principal and previously credited interest. The SIO provides a return at Segment maturity designed to provide a combination of protection against certain decreases in the Index through the use of a Segment Buffer and a limitation on participation in certain increases in the Index through the use of Performance Cap Rates. The extent of the downside protection at Segment maturity, also referred to as the Segment Buffer, varies by Segment, ranging from the first 10% to 40% of loss. There is a risk of a substantial loss of your principal and previously credited interest because you agree to absorb all losses to the extent they exceed the Segment Buffer at Segment maturity. You could lose as much as 60% (for Segments with a -40% Segment Buffer) to 90% (for Segments with a -10% Segment Buffer) of your principal and previously credited interest due to negative index performance at Segment maturity, depending on the Segment Buffer applicable to the Segment in which you invest. We may change the Indices and/or Segment Options in the future, but we will always offer a Segment Option with a Segment Buffer that protects the first 10% of loss. If we only offer one Segment Option, you will be limited to investing in only one Segment Option with terms that may not be acceptable to you and other investment options where performance is not based on the performance of an index. In the future, we may offer other Segment Options that do not provide any downside protection. If you are not happy with the limited investment options and choose to surrender the contract you will be subject to the Segment Interim Value adjustment, federal and state taxes, and penalties, purchasing a new contract with a new surrender charge period, different investment options, benefits, fees, and risks. The Performance Cap Rates we set will limit the amount you can earn on a Segment. Our minimum Performance Cap Rate for 6 year Segment Types is 12% (2% for 1 year Segments). We will not open a Segment with a Performance Cap Rate below the applicable minimum Performance Cap Rate. If you are a new investor in the contract, you may cancel your contract within 10 days of receiving it without paying fees or penalties, although the Segment Interim Value will apply. In some states, this cancellation period may be longer. Upon cancellation, you will receive either a full refund of the amount you paid with your application or your account value. You should review this prospectus, or consult with your financial professional, for additional information about the specific cancellation terms that apply. The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this Prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The contracts are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency. They are not deposits or other obligations of any bank and are not bank guaranteed. They are subject to investment risks and possible loss of principal and previously credited interest. SCS Premier #73435 The total amount earned on an investment in a Segment of the SIO is only applied at Segment maturity. If any amount leaves a Segment on any date prior to the Segment Maturity Date, we calculate the interim value of the Segment as described in “Charges, Expenses, and Adjustments.” This amount may be less than the amount invested and less than the amount you would receive had you held the investment until the Segment Maturity Date. The contract is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. Withdrawals could result in withdrawal charges, negative contract adjustments, taxes, and tax penalties. This contract permits ongoing withdrawals (including systematic withdrawals, required minimum distributions, and deductions to pay the optional death benefit fee) from the Segments prior to the end of the term. These ongoing deductions could have adverse effects of values under the contract and if an investor intends to elect such ongoing withdrawals, they should consult with their financial professional about the appropriateness of the contract for them. Withdrawals, because of the Segment Interim Value calculation could significantly reduce contract values and by substantially more than the actual amount of the deduction. Because the end-of-term downside protection provided by a Segment Buffer does not apply to the Segment Interim Value, it is theoretically possible that you could lose up to 100% of your investment and previously credited interest in certain extreme scenarios as a result of withdrawals. Any transaction that causes account value to leave a Segment between the Segment Start Date and the Segment Maturity Date will result in a Segment Interim Value calculation. Such transactions include (1) taking a withdrawal (including a systematic withdrawal or required minimum distribution); (2) transferring account value to a different investment option; (3) deducting account value to pay optional death benefit fees; (4) surrendering or annuitizing your contract; (5) payment of a death claim; and (6) canceling your contract and return it to us for a refund within your state’s “free look” period. All guarantees are subject to the Company’s financial strength and claims paying ability. You can purchase this contract in one of two ways: (i) as a Series B contract, which has a maximum withdrawal charge of 8% and an annual Contract Fee of 1.25% or (ii) as a Select contract, which has no withdrawal charges but has a higher annual Contract Fee of 1.50%. In addition to the liquidity differences, each contract series may have different Performance Cap Rates with Series B Performance Cap Rates generally being higher than Select Performance Cap Rates. Performance Cap Rates are announced online (www.equitable.com/scspremier) for each contract series at least one week before the Segment Start Date. The Contract Fee will reduce your Segment Rate of Return and a negative return will be more negative. We apply the Contract Fee after applying the Performance Cap Rate, Participation Rate, and Segment Buffer. This Prospectus is a disclosure document and describes the contract’s material features, benefits, rights and obligations, as well as other information. The description of the contract’s material provisions in this Prospectus is current as of the date of this Prospectus. If certain material provisions under the contract are changed after the date of this Prospectus in accordance with the contract, those changes will be described in a supplement to this Prospectus. You should carefully read this Prospectus in conjunction with any applicable supplements. The contract should also be read carefully. Types of contracts. We offer the contracts for use as: • A nonqualified annuity (“NQ”) for after-tax contributions only. • An individual retirement annuity (“IRA”), either traditional IRA or Roth IRA. • An employer-funded traditional IRA for a simplified employee pension plan (“SEP”) sponsored by the contract owner’s employer. • An annuity that is an investment vehicle for a qualified plan (“QP”) (whether defined contribution or defined benefit; transfer contributions only). The following contracts are intended for specified post-death payments to beneficiaries, with continuing access to the contract’s account balance: • Traditional and Roth Inherited IRA beneficiary continuation contract (“Inherited IRA”) (direct transfer and specified direct rollover contributions only). • An inherited NQ beneficiary payout contract (a specific form of NQ contract that we refer to as “Inherited NQ”) (contributions from specified Section 1035 exchanges only). See Appendix “Rules regarding contributions to your contract” for more information. The contract may not currently be available in all states. In addition, certain features described in this Prospectus may vary in your state. Not all Indices are available in all states. For a state-by-state description of all material variations to this contract, see Appendix “State contract availability and/or variations of certain features and benefits” later in this Prospectus. We reserve the right to stop accepting any application or contribution from you at any time, including after you purchase the contract. No subsequent contributions are allowed once a withdrawal is made under the contract, including a systematic withdrawal or a required minimum distribution. We reserve the right to discontinue the acceptance of, and/or place additional limitations on, contributions into certain investment options, including any of the Segments of the SIO. If we exercise this right, you will not be able to increase your account value and, consequently, increase your death benefit, and will be limited to investing in the GIO. Additional information about certain investment products, including index-linked annuities, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at Investor.gov. Contents of this Prospectus Definitions of key terms 5 Overview of the contract 8 Important information you should consider about the contract 10 Fee table 14 The Company 16 How to reach us 17 1. Purchasing the contract 19 How you can purchase and contribute to your contract 19 Owner and annuitant requirements 19 How you can make your contributions 20 What are your investment options under the contract? 21 Structured Investment Option 21 Allocating your contributions 32 Your right to cancel within a certain number of days 33 2. Benefits available under the contract 34 Summary of Benefits 34 Death Benefits 34 Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefits 35 Other Benefits 39 Dollar Cap Averaging Programs 39 3. Principal Risk of investing in the contract 41 Risks Associated with the Structured Investment Option 41 Risks Associated with Withdrawals and Surrenders 44 Risks Associated with the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefits 45 Change of Owner/Divorce 45 Contract Changes Risk 45 Insurance Company Risk 45 Possible adverse tax consequences 46 Not a Short-Term Investment 46 Risk of Loss 46 Business Disruption and Cybersecurity risks 46 4. Determining your contract’s value 47 Your account value and cash value 47 Your contract’s value in the Structured Investment Option 47 When we address the reader of this Prospectus with words such as “you“ and “your,“ we mean the person who has the right or responsibility that the Prospectus is discussing at that point. This is usually the contract owner. When we use the word “contract“ it also includes certificates that are issued under group contracts in some states. 3 5. Transferring your money among investment options 48 Transferring your account value 48 Disruptive transfer activity 48 6. Accessing your money 49 Withdrawing your account value 49 How withdrawals are taken from your account value 51 Surrendering your contract to receive its cash value 51 Withdrawals treated as surrenders 51 When to expect payments 51 Signature Guarantee 52 Your annuity payout options 52 7. Charges, Expenses, and Adjustments 55 Charges that the Company deducts 55 Charges under the contracts 55 Adjustments 58 Group or sponsored arrangements 58 Other distribution arrangements 58 8. Tax information 59 Overview 59 CARES Act 59 Buying a contract to fund a retirement arrangement 59 Transfers among investment options 59 Taxation of nonqualified annuities 59 Individual retirement arrangements (“IRAs”) 61 Traditional individual retirement annuities (“traditional IRAs”) 62 Simplified Employee Pensions (SEPs) 68 Roth individual retirement annuities (“Roth IRAs”) 68 Tax withholding and information reporting 71 Impact of taxes to the Company 72 9. More information 73 The Non-Utilized Separate Account 73 About the general account 73 About other methods of payment 73 Dates and prices at which contract events occur 74 About your voting rights Statutory compliance 74 About legal proceedings 74 Financial statements 74 Transfers of ownership, collateral assignments, loans, and borrowing 74 About Custodial IRAs 75 Distribution of the contracts 75 Appendices Investment Options available under the contract 78 Rules regarding contributions to your contract 80 State contract availability and/or variations of certain features and benefits 83 Se