Is the Delaware Life Momentum Growth a Good Annuity?
The Delaware Life Momentum Growth is a 10-year fixed index annuity issued by Delaware Life, designed for safe accumulation with a mid-year gain lock. If you want lifetime income instead, Delaware Life sells the separate Momentum Income; also see our Delaware Life Retirement Stages Select review. The verdict: VersaGain is genuinely useful, but both illustrated indexes are short-history and backtested.
- Best for: savers 60 to 72 with income covered elsewhere who won’t touch the money for 10 years.
- Not for: anyone who may need more than 10% a year, or who wants a plain S&P 500 cap to benchmark against.
Delaware Life Momentum Growth at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Safe accumulation (no bonus, no income rider) |
| Carrier | Delaware Life Insurance Company (AM Best A-) |
| Surrender schedule | 10 years: 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1% (9 years in CA) |
| Market value adjustment | Yes in most states, not at death; none in CA (how an MVA works) |
| Premium | $25,000 minimum, $1,000,000 maximum without approval; $500 add-ons in year 1 |
| Free withdrawal | 10% of premium in year 1, then the greater of 10% of account value or your RMD |
| Waivers | Nursing home and terminal illness on most contracts (confirm waiting period) |
| Death benefit | Greater of account value or cash surrender value, no MVA |
| Guaranteed minimum value | 87.5% of premium at the minimum rate ($89,600 in year 1 on $100,000) |
| Special feature | VersaGain: lock 0%, 50% or 100% of gains, and lock any index gain mid-year |
| Illustration basis | April 30, 2026; $100,000; 50% BlackRock Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12%, 50% S&P 500 Dynamic Intraday TCA |
What Does the Delaware Life Momentum Growth Pay?
| Strategy (1-year point-to-point) | Participation | Index launched |
|---|---|---|
| BlackRock U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12% | 55% | June 30, 2025 |
| S&P 500 Dynamic Intraday TCA (VersaGain flexible) | 65% | August 14, 2023 |
Rates as of the April 30, 2026 illustration.
- Both indexes are volatility-controlled: they move in and out of cash, so higher participation buys smaller swings.
- VersaGain mid-year lock: lock a gain any time, but that account earns nothing more until the anniversary.
- No plain S&P 500 cap illustrated: ask for its current cap so you have a benchmark you can check.
- Benchmark it: compare these with current fixed index annuity rates from other carriers.
Hypothetical Historical Rate of Return
Our illustration split $100,000 evenly between the two indexes above, using 100% Protected VersaGain.
| Scenario | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Headline: 2016 to 2025 repeated three times (30 years, $2,136,848) | 10.63% |
| BlackRock index, high / low 10-year window | 11.89% / 10.90% |
| S&P 500 Dynamic Intraday TCA, high / low window | 9.69% / 8.82% |
- Backtest caveat: the “low” windows come from a backtest starting in 2014, with no real bear market inside it.
- Repeated decade: the 30-year figure loops one of the best stock decades on record three times.
- Our planning range: plan on 4% to 7% a year from this allocation, not 9% to 11%.
- MYGA benchmark: At today's top 10-year rate of 6.30% (compound), $100,000 grows to about $184,218 over 10 years, a gain of $84,218. See current MYGA rates.
Hypothetical vs. guaranteed
Use our fixed annuity calculator to compare this hypothetical value to the guaranteed growth you would earn in a fixed annuity.
Get your Momentum Growth illustration for your age and state
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Delaware Life Momentum Growth Strengths and Red Flags
What it does well
- VersaGain mid-year lock: few FIAs let you capture a gain before the anniversary.
- No bonus to claw back: pricing goes into participation rates instead of a headline bonus.
- Year-one add-ons: $500 follow-up premiums help if you’re still consolidating accounts.
Red flags
- Backtest-driven indexes: the BlackRock Bitcoin index launched June 30, 2025; the S&P variant in August 2023.
- Misleading headline: the 10.63% figure repeats 2016 to 2025 three times.
- 10-year lock-up, no bonus: a 10% year-one charge plus an MVA, with 7-year alternatives available.
- A- carrier: solid, but below the A+ and A++ carriers we place.
Final verdict: the Delaware Life Momentum Growth is built for safe accumulation with a useful mid-year lock. It earns our 3.5 rating for patient savers who will use VersaGain. Ask for the plain S&P 500 cap before you buy the Delaware Life Momentum Growth.
Compare live rates on 137 fixed index annuities or visit our annuity review database.
This review is for educational purposes only and is not a recommendation or an offer to sell any annuity. Product features, index options, and rates can and do vary by state, and this product is not available for sale in every state. Always request a carrier illustration and work with a licensed annuity agent before you buy.
Other Delaware Life Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
What is VersaGain on Delaware Life Momentum Growth?
VersaGain lets you choose how much of each year's gain is locked in (0%, 50% or 100%) and lock an index gain mid-year. A mid-year lock ends that account's term until the next anniversary.
What is the surrender period on Momentum Growth?
Ten years in most states, starting at 10% and falling 1% a year. California uses a 9-year schedule with no MVA.
Does Momentum Growth have an income rider?
No. It is built for accumulation. Delaware Life's income product is the separate Momentum Income annuity.
What is the minimum premium?
$25,000 for qualified or non-qualified money. You can add $500 or more before the first anniversary, up to $1,000,000 without home-office approval.
