25 pts
Cost & Fee Load
Mortality & expense (M&E) charges, administrative fees, rider fees, and sub-account or index-spread costs — measured against the live market for comparable contracts today.
Methodology
Two scores. One standard.
AnnuityScore runs two deterministic models. If you already own an annuity, the Annuity Position Score reviews the contract you hold. If you are considering buying one, the Annuity Fit Score assesses whether an annuity fits your situation at all. Both are 0–100, both are educational, and neither is a recommendation to buy, sell, surrender, or replace anything.
For owners · The Annuity Position Score
A 100-point diagnostic across five independent pillars. Every option carries an explicit point value — the score is deterministic, not AI-generated. Scoring is built on the standards regulators use: NAIC Suitability (Model #275), state insurance departments, DOL best-interest, FINRA Rule 2330, IRC §1035, and SEC disclosure regimes.
The five scoring pillars
20 pts
Surrender Status
Years remaining on the surrender schedule and current surrender charge percentage. A steep surrender charge is protective: it pulls the score toward KEEP because moving early can cost more than it saves.
20 pts
Riders & Guarantees
Value of any GLWB, GMIB, or death-benefit rider in force, including whether the guaranteed income base is meaningfully higher than the contract value. A valuable rider is protective: it pulls the score toward KEEP.
20 pts
Rate & Crediting
Credited rate, cap, participation rate, or crediting method compared to today's MYGA and FIA benchmarks — and how recently your terms were reset.
15 pts
Suitability & Fit
Income timing, qualified vs. non-qualified status, RMD posture, and near-term liquidity needs against the shape of the contract you own.
Total: 100 points. Two of the five pillars — Surrender Status and Riders & Guarantees — are protective. A valuable living-benefit rider or a steep surrender charge can, and often should, keep your score high. The Annuity Position Score is a diagnostic, not a switch machine.
The four bands
Score
80 – 100
Well-Positioned
Keep it. Your contract is competitive and your guarantees appear valuable.
Score
60 – 79
Generally Sound
A specialist review can confirm whether adjustments are worth exploring — not an automatic change.
Score
40 – 59
Review Warranted
Several pillars flag areas worth a licensed review, with full surrender-charge and rider disclosure.
Score
0 – 39
Significant Gaps
Multiple pillars fall below current market — a specialist review is strongly indicated.
For shoppers · The Annuity Fit Score
Should an annuity be part of your plan at all?
The Fit Score answers the question a first-time buyer actually has: not "which annuity," but "an annuity at all?" It is 9 tap-to-answer questions, plus 2 optional follow-ups after your report opens. The same 0–100 scale, the same five-pillar structure, a different set of pillars — because a person considering a purchase has a different problem than a person reviewing a contract.
The five fit pillars
25 pts
Income Need & Timing
When you would need income to start, and how close you are to retirement. An annuity bought too early costs flexibility; one matched to a dated need does its job.
20 pts
Liquidity & Access
How much access to this money you would need, and whether you have emergency savings outside it. Annuities limit large withdrawals for a set number of years by design.
20 pts
Risk Fit
How you actually react to market ups and downs with this money — not how you think you should. The answer decides whether paying for protection is worth it to you.
20 pts
Tax & Funding Structure
Where the money would come from — IRA rollover, savings, a maturing CD, an existing annuity — because the funding source decides the tax treatment of every dollar that comes out.
15 pts
Plan Integration
What guaranteed income you already have — Social Security, a pension, or neither. An annuity should fill a measured gap in essential spending, not duplicate a floor you already own.
0
"Not sure" is never penalized
Every question offers "Not sure," and it always scores a middle value — never zero. Guessing helps no one; an honest "I don't know yet" should never cost you points.
The four fit bands
Score
80 – 100
Strong Fit
The need, the timing, the funding source, and your temperament all line up. An annuity is worth a serious, specific conversation.
Score
60 – 79
Possible Fit — details matter
The broad shape fits, but one or two pillars need scrutiny before any product conversation — usually liquidity or the size of the commitment.
Score
40 – 59
Mixed Fit — proceed carefully
Parts fit and parts don't. The report names which pillars are holding the score back, and whether the obstacle is the product or the timing.
Score
0 – 39
Weak Fit — an annuity may not be your answer
On what you told us, an annuity is probably not your answer right now. That is a real result, not a sales opportunity.
Guardrail caps — when points don't matter
Certain answers cap the score no matter how many points the other pillars earn. This is deliberate. In real suitability, some situations are disqualifying — no amount of income need or tax efficiency makes it sound to commit money you have no reserve behind, or money you will need back soon. The caps are what make "sometimes an annuity isn't your fit" true in the math, not just in the copy.
Caps the score at 59
No emergency reserve
You told us there is no separate emergency savings outside this money. Committing it would leave nothing accessible for the unexpected, so the score is capped no matter how well everything else fits.
Caps the score at 59
Needs full access
You need full access to this money at any time. Annuities limit large withdrawals for a set number of years by design, so the score is capped regardless of the other pillars.
Caps the score at 59
Short access horizon
You would want the money back within two to three years. Most annuities limit large withdrawals for five years or longer, so the score is capped until the access horizon and the contract term line up.
Caps the score at 39
Growth-seeker who needs access
Wanting market growth and wanting the money back within a few years is the one combination an annuity cannot accommodate — you would pay for protection you do not want and give up access you do. This is the lowest cap in the model.
Caps the score at 59
The timing note
Income is far enough out that the decision can wait. This is a timing note, not a disqualification — nothing says an annuity is wrong for you, only that committing now would cost flexibility you will probably want back.
Important
The Annuity Position Score is an educational tool. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell, surrender, or replace any annuity. If a change is worth considering, a licensed annuity professional performs the actual review and provides any advice — with full surrender-charge and rider disclosure. Do not surrender or stop payments on any annuity based on this platform without first consulting a licensed professional in your state.