Nationwide, MassMutual Ascend Partner to Distribute Advisory Annuities

Columbus, OH – Nationwide, the top wholesale distributor of Advisory variable annuities¹, and MassMutual Ascend, the top provider of Advisory fixed-indexed annuities¹, are teaming up to help registered investment advisors (RIAs) tap into more fee-based solutions to protect their clients from the risks posed by today’s economic environment.

Nationwide will begin distributing three of MassMutual Ascend’s advisory fixed-indexed annuity solutions, broadening the company’s diverse portfolio with a new product category. As a top provider of advisory annuity solutions to RIAs and their clients since 2005, Nationwide will expand MassMutual Ascend’s advisor network.

The advisory fixed-indexed annuity solution additions include:

• Index Protector 4: Offers multiple indexed strategies, diversification for fee-based portfolios and early withdrawal charges that end after four years.
• Index Protector 5: Offers multiple indexed strategies, diversification for fee-based portfolios and market value adjustments that end after five years.
• Index Protector 7: Offers multiple indexed strategies, diversification for fee-based portfolios, a return of premium guarantee, an optional income rider and early withdrawal charges that end after seven years.

“This partnership with MassMutual Ascend demonstrates our commitment to offering a broader suite of solutions that enable advisors and financial professionals to provide more options to meet the specific needs of their clients,” said Rona Guymon, senior vice president of Nationwide Annuity Distribution. “MassMutual Ascend’s strong operating performance, ratings and focus on customer experience make this a great partnership that adds industry leading products to our portfolio.”

MassMutual Ascend is a subsidiary of MassMutual and a leading provider of annuity solutions. With more than five decades of experience, excellent financial strength ratings and more than $10 billion in guaranteed income benefits paid to valued contract owners since 2000, they are committed to serving the unique needs of customers in today’s economy.

The biggest challenges for growth in the fee-based annuity industry are education and exposure. Investment advisors have not had access to these types of solutions in the past,” said Tony Compton, divisional vice president of MassMutual Ascend Broker-Dealer and RIA sales. “With Nationwide and MassMutual Ascend working together, we expect to tackle those issues head on and bring these valuable annuity benefits to more financial professionals and ultimately, the American consumers.”

Eric Fry, Nationwide Advisory product development associate vice president, added, “As the number one wholesale distributor of advisory variable annuities, we’re thrilled to add an advisory fixed-indexed solution to our portfolio, further diversifying our offerings for financial advisors helping their clients prepare for retirement.”

Financial professionals interested in MassMutual Ascend’s Index Protector series can visit www.MMAscendRIA.com or call Nationwide’s Advisory Support Desk at 866-667-0564.

¹ Wink’s Sales & Market Report 1^st Quarter, 2023 and Q1 2023 LIMRA LOMA US Individual Annuity Industry Sales Report