The account is managed by a third-party custodian and is, therefore, subject to lower management fees than those charged by the insurance company.

The account is held at a broker-dealer that is separate from the insurance company, thereby allowing tax-deferred investments in all types of securities products.

The account is held separately from the insurance company ' s general account and, therefore, is protected from the claims of general creditors of the insurance company.

The account represents the indebtedness of the insurance company that is subordinated to the claims of general creditors and, therefore, offers investors a higher rate of return.