Is the Delaware Life Retirement Stages Select a Good Annuity?
The Delaware Life Retirement Stages Select is a 7-year fixed index annuity issued by Delaware Life, designed for flexible-premium accumulation. If you want a mid-year gain lock over 10 years, see our Delaware Life Momentum Growth review. The verdict: a wide menu and a real bailout right, but an A- carrier and a backtested headline index.
- Best for: savers who want to add money over time, choose from many strategies and keep an exit right.
- Not for: anyone who wants built-in lifetime income or a top-rated carrier.
Delaware Life Retirement Stages Select at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Safe accumulation with flexible premiums |
| Carrier | Delaware Life Insurance Company (AM Best A-, S&P A-, Fitch A-) |
| Surrender schedule | 5 or 7 years, chosen at issue; schedule reviewed: 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4% |
| Market value adjustment | Yes, on excess withdrawals and surrender, not at death (how an MVA works) |
| Premium | $25,000 minimum; $500 add-ons until age 85; $1,000,000 maximum without approval |
| Issue ages | 18 to 85 |
| Free withdrawal | 10% of prior-anniversary value a year, or your full RMD if larger |
| Waivers | Nursing home (issued before 76) and terminal illness (issued before 70), after year 1 |
| Bailout provision | Leave free of charges and MVA if the S&P 500 cap renews below the bailout rate |
| Bonus and rider | None; annuitize for income at the end |
| Illustration basis | Age 63; $100,000 traditional IRA; 100% BlackRock Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12% at 65% participation |
What Does the Delaware Life Retirement Stages Select Pay?
| Strategy (1-year) | Crediting |
|---|---|
| Fixed rate | Declared at application |
| S&P 500 | Cap (about 8%), participation (about 65%) or performance trigger |
| S&P 500 Dynamic Intraday TCA | Participation |
| Nasdaq-100 Intraday Elite 15% (launched February 21, 2025) | Participation |
| Goldman Sachs Canopy | Participation |
| First Trust Capital Strength Barclays 10% | Participation with volatility limit |
| Franklin SG Select | Participation with boost and knockout |
| BlackRock U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12% (launched June 30, 2025) | Participation |
Rates are set at issue and can change each anniversary; ask for the current rate sheet.
- Performance trigger: pays a fixed rate if the S&P 500 ends the year flat or up, and 0% if down.
- Precision portfolios: Core and Edge presets spread money across strategies for you.
- Two young indexes: the Bitcoin and Nasdaq Elite indexes have short live histories.
- Benchmark it: compare these with current fixed index annuity rates from other carriers.
Hypothetical Historical Rate of Return
The illustration most buyers see puts 100% of a $100,000 IRA in the BlackRock Bitcoin index at 65% participation.
| Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
| Illustrated annual rate (backtested) | 13.59% |
| Every index credits 0% | Account stays at $100,000; guaranteed minimum value about $100,881 at year 7 |
- Backtest caveat: the BlackRock index launched June 30, 2025, so the 13.59% is almost entirely simulated.
- Anchor on established strategies: the S&P 500, Canopy and First Trust options are a sounder base.
- Our planning range: plan on 4% to 7% a year, not 13%.
- MYGA benchmark: At today's top 7-year rate of 7.10% (simple interest), $100,000 grows to about $149,700 over 7 years, a gain of $49,700. 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 Retirement Stages Select illustration for your age and state
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Delaware Life Retirement Stages Select Strengths and Red Flags
What it does well
- Bailout provision: a real exit right if the S&P 500 cap is cut below the stated floor.
- Flexible premium: add $500 or more at any time before age 85.
- Wide menu: ten strategies plus two preset portfolios, with a 5- or 7-year term.
Red flags
- Backtest-driven illustration: the 13.59% rests on a Bitcoin-linked index launched in 2025.
- A- carrier: a notch below the A+ and A++ carriers we place.
- MVA on early exits: on top of an 8% year-one charge.
- Waiver age limits: terminal illness only if issued before 70, nursing home before 76.
Final verdict: the Delaware Life Retirement Stages Select is built for flexible-premium accumulation. It earns our 3.5 rating for savers who value menu breadth and the bailout right. For a 10-year version with a mid-year lock, compare the Momentum Growth with the Delaware Life Retirement Stages Select.
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 the bailout provision?
If Delaware Life renews the S&P 500 cap below the stated bailout rate, you can withdraw your full account value with no surrender charge or MVA.
What is the performance trigger strategy?
It credits a fixed rate whenever the S&P 500 ends the year flat or positive, and 0% if it falls. It helps in flat years but misses big rallies.
Can I take RMDs from the Retirement Stages Select?
Yes. You can take 10% of the prior-anniversary value free each year, or your full RMD if it is larger.
Is Delaware Life a strong carrier?
Delaware Life is rated A- (Excellent) by AM Best, with matching A- ratings from S&P and Fitch. It has operated for more than 50 years.
