Lincoln Financial Group Launches New Investment-Focused, Tax-Efficient Variable Annuity

RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Lincoln Financial Group LNC today introduced its Lincoln Investor Advantage^SM variable annuity designed to help advisors grow and protect clients' wealth, while providing access to a proven strategy for lifetime income. Featuring an extensive fund lineup of traditional and alternative asset classes, Lincoln Investor Advantage offers a tax-efficient investment platform.

The introduction of Lincoln Investor Advantage comes at a time when clients are looking for advice on how to better manage their taxes, explains John Kennedy, head of Retirement Solutions Distribution for Lincoln Financial Distributors. According to a recent survey released by Lincoln, “2013 – Expense Challenges of Age 62-75 Retirees,” retirees significantly underestimated the impact taxes would have on them during retirement. With funds held in a tax-deferred account such as Lincoln Investor Advantage, clients using non-qualified money can keep more assets invested over time to help capture potential gains.

“Planning for the challenges that advisors and their clients are facing today and into the future – such as taxes and the need for lifetime income – is something we think about at Lincoln every day,” said Kennedy. “Lincoln Investor Advantage can help advisors minimize the impact of taxes on their clients' assets, offering wealth protection and potential growth for the client and delivering added value from the advisor.”

Lincoln Investor Advantage is the only investment-focused annuity available with i4LIFE® Advantage, Lincoln's patented lifetime income distribution method. i4LIFE, which is an optional feature for an additional cost, can help investors reduce the impact of taxes and keep more of what they earned, with the potential for increasing payments. It also allows clients to retain access to their money and investment options, and provides the opportunity to set up wealth transfer strategies for future generations.

“Lincoln Investor Advantage delivers what advisors need – access to solutions that can help manage the growth and protection of client assets leading up to and through retirement,” said Brian Kroll, senior vice president, Annuity Solutions, Lincoln Financial Group. “Lincoln Investor Advantage provides access to a diverse set of investment options for the pursuit of growth, with the opportunity to turn savings into a steady income stream for life, which is often overlooked in retirement planning. Topping it all off, Lincoln Investor Advantage offers tax efficiencies during both the accumulation and income phases of a retirement plan.”

With Lincoln Investor Advantage, clients have access to 125 investment options from well-known investment managers, including new partners such as Ivy Funds Distributor, Inc., AQR Funds, First Trust Portfolios LP, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Lincoln Investor Advantage^SM offers clients three ways to invest: 1) build your own portfolio, which gives clients the option to select from among the 125 individual investment options; 2) asset allocation funds, which offer a one-step approach to portfolio diversification; and 3) asset class guidance through a relationship with Wilshire Associates, a global advisory company. Asset class guidance is designed to help build a portfolio that seeks to balance risk tolerance against the need for return, and offers thematic-based asset class strategies, focusing on such themes as rising rates, income, and inflation protection.

Lincoln partnered with Morningstar to develop a web-based portfolio construction tool— the Lincoln Investor Advantage Visualizer—to help financial advisors create and compare sample portfolios for the new annuity, and then print detailed reports to share with their prospective clients. This tool will support advisors as they work with clients to identify their goals and the challenges clients face as they work to grow and protect their wealth.

Lincoln Investor Advantage is now available to Lincoln's national network of distribution partners. For more information, visit www.InvestorAdvantage.com.

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help empower Americans to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 12 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, as well as to guard against long-term care expenses.

Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation LNC and its affiliates. The company had $209 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2014. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com.

Disclosure

Lincoln Financial Group® affiliates, their distributors, and their respective employees, representatives, and/or insurance agents do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. Any tax statements contained herein were not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding U.S. federal, state, or local tax penalties. Please consult your own independent advisor as to any tax, accounting, or legal statements made herein.

Variable annuities are long-term investment products designed for retirement purposes and are subject to market fluctuation, investment risk, and possible loss of principal. Variable annuities contain both investment and insurance components and have fees and charges, including mortality and expense, administrative, and advisory fees. Optional features are available for an additional charge. The annuity's value fluctuates with the market value of the underlying investment options, and all assets accumulate tax-deferred. Withdrawals of earnings are taxable as ordinary income and, if taken prior to age 59½, may be subject to an additional 10% federal tax. Withdrawals will reduce the death benefit and cash surrender value.

Investors are advised to consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the variable annuity and its underlying investment options carefully before investing. The applicable variable annuity prospectus contains this and other important information about the variable annuity and its underlying investment options. Please call 888-868-2583 for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before investing or sending money. Products and features are subject to state availability.

Lincoln Investor Advantage^SM variable annuities (contract form 30070-A, 30070-B, and state variations) are issued by The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, IN, distributed by Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc., a broker-dealer. The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company does not solicit business in the state of New York, nor is it authorized to do so.

Contracts sold in New York (contract forms 30070-A-NY and 30070-B-NY) are issued by Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York, Syracuse, NY, and distributed by Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc., a broker-dealer.

All contract and rider guarantees, including those for optional benefits, fixed subaccount crediting rates, or annuity payout rates, are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. They are not backed by the broker-dealer or insurance agency from which this annuity is purchased, or any affiliates of those entities other than the issuing company affiliates, and none makes any representations or guarantees regarding the claims-paying ability of the issuer.

All features may not be available in all states.

Some distributors require that, at the annuitant's age 95, the contract must annuitize. At annuitization, the contract owner will receive benefit payments under the base contract, and all such payments will be treated as annuity payments. Please contact Lincoln prior to the annuity date/contract maturity date to discuss options, including changing the annuitant.

There is no additional tax-deferral benefit for an annuity contract purchased in an IRA or other tax-qualified plan.

Wilshire Funds Management is a business unit of Wilshire Associates Incorporated (“Wilshire®”). Wilshire is not affiliated with Lincoln Financial Group or its affiliates and Wilshire does not have any discretionary authority or control with respect to purchasing or selling securities or making investments for investors. Wilshire® is a registered service mark of Wilshire Associates Incorporated, Santa Monica, CA. All other trade names, trademarks and/or service marks are the property of their respective holders. Wilshire makes no warranties, expressed or implied, as to results to be obtained from the information provided to it, and neither Wilshire nor its affiliates endorse, sell or promote this product or make any recommendations as to the advisability of investing in it.

The Morningstar name and trademarks are used under license from Morningstar Associates, LLC, which is a registered investment advisor and wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar is not an affiliate of Lincoln Financial Group.

LCN: 947675-061614