Flexible retirement income with growth potential

Planning for retirement can be daunting. But with Equitable’s Retirement Cornerstone® variable annuity, you have a powerful tool to help you grow your wealth and confidence in your future.

Retirement Cornerstone® provides a retirement strategy that can adapt to your needs, offering flexibility, growth potential and a reliable retirement income stream to help you navigate your financial future with confidence.

Features and benefits

Equitable’s Retirement Cornerstone® variable annuity gives you the flexibility to invest and potentially grow your wealth while meeting your individual retirement goals and helping to perserve your hard-earned savings when it's time to start taking withdrawals. With over 100 investment options, you can tailor your portfolio to match your financial objectives and risk tolerance. And with ways to increase your income even in retirement, you can navigate market fluctuations while you seek to steadily grow your retirement savings, all while enjoying the advantages of tax-deferred growth. Adding guaranteed retirement income to your financial planning strategy can help build a future tailored to your individual needs so you can retire confidently.

Elderly couple smiling
Flexibility in retirement income
Flexible ways to protect, grow and take income designed to adapt to your changing needs.  
Older couple looking at laptop
Grow your wealth
Multiple avenues for growth with 100+ investment options and tax-deferred benefits to help you adapt to changing market conditions.
Happy older couple smiling
Protect your retirement income
Ensure reliable income and control over your financial future.  
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Plan for your loved ones
2-for-1 income and Death Benefit Riders, which can provide spousal continuation and support legacy planning.  

Frequently asked questions about Retirement Cornerstone® variable annuity

At Equitable, we’re committed to helping you achieve your retirement goals with confidence. Our Retirement Cornerstone® variable annuity offers the flexibility, protection and growth potential you need to build a well-thought-out financial future. Let us be your trusted guide on your journey to a fulfilling retirement.

  • What is a variable annuity with guaranteed income?
    A variable annuity is a type of investment product that allows you to invest in a variety of options to provide a retirement income stream down the road. The value of your annuity can fluctuate based on the performance of the investments you choose.  
  • How does the Protected Benefit Account work? 
    The Protected Benefit Account is designed to protect your savings when you begin taking withdrawals. It offers a guaranteed income stream, ensuring that you have a reliable source of income throughout your retirement regardless of market conditions.
  • What investment options are available?
    Retirement Cornerstone offers over 100 investment options, allowing you to diversify your portfolio and tailor your investment strategy to your individual financial goals and risk tolerance. 
  • How does the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB) feature work?
    The GMIB feature guarantees a minimum income stream even if your investments perform poorly and the account value drops to zero. Additionally, any income you choose not to take can be banked and applied to your benefit base, providing growth and flexibility in your retirement planning. 

Let’s take the next step

Speak to your financial professional to determine how Retirement Cornerstone® can help with your financial goals. 

Prepare for a conversation with your financial professional

  1. Watch this video to learn about Retirement Cornerstone®.
  2. Download this Retirement Cornerstone® brochure to help your conversation.
  3. Review the prospectus and supplements.
  4. Ask if Equitable's Retirement Cornerstone® variable annuity fits your specific needs.  

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Important information

Equitable believes that education is a key step toward addressing your financial goals, and we've designed this material to serve simply as an informational and educational resource. Accordingly, the information on this website does not offer or constitute investment advice and makes no direct or indirect recommendation of any particular product or of the appropriateness of any particular investment-related option. Your needs, goals and circumstances are unique, and they require the individualized attention of your financial professional.

As a reminder, this information is not intended as, and does not constitute, investment advice. Your needs, goals, circumstances and tolerance for investment risk are unique to you, and you should work with your financial professional and consider these together before deciding whether any of the annuity product discussed here or any other particular financial product or service is right for you.

A deferred variable annuity, such as Retirement Cornerstone®, is a long-term financial product designed for retirement purposes. It is a contractual agreement in which payment(s) are made to an insurance company, which agrees to pay out an income or a lump sum amount at a later date. Variable annuity contracts offer tax-deferred growth potential and optional features such as living and death benefits. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing company.

Withdrawals from an annuity contract are taxable as ordinary income and, if made prior to age 59½, may be subject to an additional 10% federal tax. Withdrawals may also be subject to withdrawal charges. Amounts invested in an annuity’s portfolios are subject to fluctuation in value and market risk, including loss of principal. There are fees and charges associated with a variable annuity contract, which include, but are not limited to, operations charges, sales and withdrawal charges, administrative fees, and additional charges for optional benefits. See the prospectus for complete details.

If you are purchasing an annuity contract to fund an Individual Retirement Annuity (IRA) or employer-sponsored retirement plan, you should be aware that such annuities do not provide tax-deferral benefits beyond those already provided by the Internal Revenue Code. Before purchasing one of these annuities, you should consider whether its features and benefits beyond tax deferral meet your needs and goals. You may also want to consider the relative features, benefits and costs of these annuities with any other investment that you may use in connection with your retirement plan or arrangement.

The contingent withdrawal charge declines from 7% over a seven-year period for the Series B product. Please see the prospectus for the withdrawal charge scale for other annuities in the Retirement Cornerstone® Series. This content is not a complete description of all material provisions of the variable annuity contract. The prospectus contains more complete information, including investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, limitations and restrictions. Please read the prospectus and any applicable supplements, and consider this information carefully before purchasing a contract.

There are certain contract limitations and restrictions associated with the Retirement Cornerstone® contract, which include, but are not limited to, a contract fee and additional charges for optional benefits. In addition, the underlying investment portfolios charge management fees and have other expenses. Certain types of contracts, features and benefits may not be available in all jurisdictions. Equitable offers other variable annuity contracts with different fees, charges and features. Not every contract is available through the same selling broker/dealer. Equitable may discontinue contributions and transfers among investment options or make other changes in contribution and transfer requirements and limitations. If we discontinue contributions and transfers into the Protected Benefit Account, you will no longer be able to fund your guaranteed benefits.

When distributed outside of New York state by Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) (Equitable Financial Advisors in MI and TN) through Equitable Advisors Financial Professionals who do not have an office in New York state, Retirement Cornerstone® 19 is issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Equitable America), an AZ stock company with an administrative office located in Charlotte, NC.

When offered by Equitable Advisors Financial Professionals who do have an office in New York state or when distributed by Equitable Distributors, LLC through financial professionals of unaffiliated broker-dealers, Retirement Cornerstone® 19 is issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (Equitable Financial) (NY, NY).The obligations of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company and Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America are backed solely by their own claims-paying abilities.

Equitable is the brand name of the retirement and protection subsidiaries of Equitable Holdings, Inc. including Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (NY, NY); Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America, an AZ stock company with an administrative office located in Charlotte, NC; and Equitable Distributors, LLC. Equitable Advisors is the brand name of Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) (Equitable Financial Advisors in MI & TN). Contract form #s: ICC12BASE4 and ICC12BASE3 and any state variations.

GE-6914656.1 (08/2024) (Exp. 08/2026)