Symetra Life Insurance Company
Protector IUL
Preserve what you have, protect who you love
Planning is key to future success, but flexibility matters too. Indexed universal life (IUL) insurance can provide a flexible plan of protection for your family or business.
Protector IUL guarantees death benefit protection for the duration of your choice—up to your lifetime. And with its competitive cash value growth potential and optional living benefits, Protector IUL can do so much more.

Why Protector IUL?
Lapse protection
The policy’s death benefit is guaranteed for a duration of your choice—up to lifetime.1
Index strategies
Index strategies lock in any interest earned and protect against losses in negative markets.
Living benefits
Be prepared for the unexpected with included and optional living benefit riders for chronic or terminal illness or cancer.
What's an index?
A statistical composite—such as the S&P 500® Index—that measures changes in the value of the securities of which it is comprised. An index only measures market performance. It is not possible to invest in an index.
Explore your flexible options
Your permanent life insurance coverage can be customized through optional features.
Benefits that can help you today—not just when you’re gone
Our array of living benefit riders can help you live confidently today by knowing you're more prepared for tomorrow should the unexpected occur.
Explore our living benefits guide (PDF) to learn more.

An industry first:
Cancer Care CompassSM
Symetra wants to support your preventive health and well-being. That’s why we offer the optional Cancer Care CompassSM rider package. Benefits and services include:
- Multi-cancer early detection test
- Health advocacy services
- Nutrition intervention, guidance and support
- Cash benefit
A charitable legacy for your favorite cause
Is philanthropy a priority for you? Our Charitable Giving Benefit is available at application with Symetra permanent life insurance policies at no additional cost. It pays a benefit of 1% of your policy’s death benefit at issue, up to $100,000, to the charity of your choice.
Learn how your generosity can live on in our Charitable Giving Benefit Guide (PDF).

Fact sheet
Key advantages
- A Lapse Protection Benefit included at no additional cost.1
- Index strategies that lock in any interest earned and protect policy values from market downturns.
- Riders that can provide protection against the cost of care for a cancer diagnosis or a chronic or terminal illness.
- Flexible premium and adjustable life insurance amounts.
Product basics
Issue ages: 20 to 85 years old
Minimum policy size: $100,000
Rate classes
- Super Preferred Non-Nicotine
- Preferred Non-Nicotine
- Standard Plus Non-Nicotine
- Standard Non-Nicotine
- Preferred Nicotine
- Standard Nicotine
Our GoodLife Rewards Program (available to issue ages 20 to 70) may apply underwriting credits for good health and lifestyle, which can potentially lower the overall cost of insurance.2 Talk to your financial professional about this and other underwriting programs that can help you get the best possible offer.
Death benefit options:
- Option A: Level Specified Amount
- Option B: Specified Amount plus Policy Value
- Option C: Specified Amount plus Return of Premium
Coverage period: Insured’s lifetime (with premiums payable to age 120)
Cash value accumulation
Symetra Protector IUL provides opportunities for your cash value to grow through several index strategies and a fixed account. You’ll choose what’s right for you based on your personal outlook for the future. Any growth within the index strategies is linked to the performance of an underlying market index. Your policy can benefit from the potential growth of these external indexes, but it’s also protected from market losses. You can change your index strategies and future premium allocations at specified intervals.
Symetra Protector IUL also offers an eight-year lookback guarantee, which guarantees minimum cash value growth. Refer to the policy for details.
Loans and withdrawals
Symetra Protector IUL provides access to your policy cash value through withdrawals or loans if you need it.3
Features and benefits*
Included:
- Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminal Illness Rider: Provides access to a portion of the policy’s death benefit to help cover the cost of medical bills, end-of-life care—or whatever is needed most—if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness.
- Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness Rider: Allows you to access a portion of the policy’s death benefit to help provide financial support after being diagnosed with a chronic illness. If the optional Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Care Advantage Rider is selected, the Accelerated Death Benefit Rider for Chronic Illness Rider is not available.
- Lapse Protection Benefit: Built-in protection that is included at no additional cost. Guarantees your policy will be in-force for as long as you’d like, provided premiums are paid exactly as illustrated and no changes are made varying from your illustration.1
- Overloan Lapse Protection Rider: Protects policies from lapsing due to excessive indebtedness.
Optional (no additional cost):
- Charitable Giving Benefit Rider: This no-cost rider provides an additional 1% of the policy’s death benefit (up to $100,000) to a qualified charity of your choosing.
Optional (additional cost):
- Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Care Advantage Rider: Allows you to access either 50% or 100% of the death benefit with a monthly payout of either 2% or 4%, depending on the acceleration and payout percentages you select, if the insured becomes chronically ill. Proceeds can be used to help cover medical costs, long-term care costs, or whatever else you need, should the insured experience a qualifying event. If you select this optional rider, the Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness Rider is not available.
- Cancer Care CompassSM rider package: Provides a lump-sum cash benefit with a qualifying cancer diagnosis. Additional value-added services include a multi-cancer early detection test that can detect a cancer signal across more than 50 types of cancer, health care advocacy services and nutrition intervention, guidance and support.
- Surrender Value Enhancement Rider: Replaces the policy’s surrender charges with an alternate schedule, which increases the net surrender value potential of your policy.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Additional resources
Download additional product information.
Let a pro help guide you
We want you to buy insurance coverage that meets your needs, so we sell our products through financial professionals. Talk to one to see if Protector IUL is right for you.
Symetra Protector IUL is a flexible-premium adjustable life insurance policy with index-linked interest options issued by Symetra Life Insurance Company, located at 777 108th Ave NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue, WA 98004-5135. This policy is not available in all U.S. states or any U.S. territory; however, where available, it is usually issued under policy form number ICC18_LC2.
Policy riders and endorsements are not available in all U.S. states or any U.S. territory, and terms and conditions may vary by state in which they are available. Where available, they are usually issued under the following rider and endorsement form numbers: Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness Rider form number ICC16_LE6, Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminal Illness Rider form number ICC16_LE5, Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Care Advantage Rider form number ICC23_LE1, Overloan Lapse Protection Rider form number ICC17_LE5, Charitable Giving Benefit Rider form number ICC16_LE8, Surrender Value Enhancement Rider form number ICC17_LE4 and Supplemental Protection Rider form number ICC17_LE6.
A rider is a provision of the policy that may have additional costs, limitations, potential benefits and features that should never be confused with the base policy itself. Before evaluating the benefits of a rider, carefully examine the policy to which it is attached.
Life insurance policies contain exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits and terms for keeping them in-force. Please contact your insurance professional for complete details.
Guarantees and benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of Symetra Life Insurance Company.
Certain benefits or riders may have tax implications. You should consult with your legal or tax professional prior to purchasing.
The Overloan Lapse Protection Rider (OLPR) will prevent your policy from lapsing when, on any monthly anniversary, the outstanding indebtedness on the policy exceeds the policy's specified amount and is approaching the policy value. Exercise of this rider will result in a “paid-up” status. In order to be eligible to exercise this rider, the insured must be at least 75 years old, the policy must have been in-force for at least 15 years, the Death Benefit Option must be Option A Level, the policy must be in corridor, and the outstanding loan balance must be the smaller of 93% of the policy value after monthly deductions or (100% minus the OLPR charge percentage) of the policy value after monthly deductions. After deduction of the one-time rider charge, all policy value will be transferred to the fixed account. No additional policy transactions or policy changes will be allowed and no further monthly deductions will be taken. Your total net death benefit will now equal the larger of the total specified amount less any indebtedness, the policy value multiplied by the appropriate attained age Guideline Premium Test corridor factor less any indebtedness, and $5,000.
The Overloan Lapse Protection Rider is available on guideline premium test policies only. Neither the IRS nor the courts have ruled on the tax consequences of exercising the Overloan Lapse Protection Rider. It is possible that the IRS or a court could assert that the policy has been effectively terminated and the outstanding loan balance should be treated as a distribution, all or a portion of which could be taxable when the rider is exercised. The Overloan Lapse Protection Rider also may not be appropriate for your particular circumstances. Consult with a tax professional regarding the risks associated with exercising this rider, and for further details.
The Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness and Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminal Illness Riders are only available for insureds issue ages 20-85, and are not available on rated policies. For the Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness Rider, the amount of death benefit that's accelerated, plus any accrued interest, will be secured by a lien against the base policy death benefit. Upon the death of the insured, the death benefit will be reduced by the amount of the lien, and the remaining death benefit will be paid. Exercising the Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness Rider will prohibit the policyowner from exercising the Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminal Illness Rider, and exercising the Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminal Illness Rider will prohibit the policyowner from exercising the Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness Rider. If the optional Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Care Advantage Rider is selected, the Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness Rider is not available.
The Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Care Advantage Rider is offered at application for an additional cost. The acceleration and payout percentages cannot change once the rider is issued. This rider is only available for insureds issue ages 20-80, and if elected, additional underwriting will be required, and if the insured qualifies, the rider rate class will be the same as on the base policy. It's possible that the insured is approved for the base policy but declined for this rider based on the rider underwriting results. This rider is not available on policies with ratings worse than Table 4, with annual flat extras exceeding $5 per $1,000, or with both flat extras and table rates. Exercising this rider will prohibit the policyowner from exercising the Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminal Illness Rider. If the optional Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Care Advantage Rider is selected, the Accelerated Death Benefit for Chronic Illness Rider is not available.
Receipt of an accelerated death benefit may be taxable, especially if the insured does not have a prescribed plan of care. Consult with your personal tax or legal professional before applying for this benefit. You may also lose your right to receive certain public funds such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and possibly others. The accelerated death benefit is intended to qualify under section 101(g) (26 U.S.C. 101(g)) of the Internal Revenue Code. The death benefit, policy value and loan value will be reduced if an accelerated death benefit is paid. For policies with a lapse protection benefit, the lapse protection value will also be reduced. There is no restriction on the use of proceeds of these accelerated death benefits.
The Charitable Giving Benefit Rider is an optional rider offered at no additional charge. It is only available on policies with specified amounts of $100,000 or more. Payment is 1% of the original base policy specified amount, to a maximum of $100,000, regardless of whether or not the policy specified amount has been increased. If the policy specified amount has been decreased, 1% of the remaining base policy specified amount is paid. The charity must be designated at time of issue and qualify under federal tax code sections 170(c) and 501(c). If the charity is not operating at the time of the insured's death, we may allow the estate to direct proceeds to another qualified charity.
Cancer Care Compass is a rider package comprised of the Cancer Insurance and Value Added Services riders.
The Cancer Insurance Rider is offered at application for an additional cost and is usually issued under rider form number L-10351. The rider is only available for insureds issue ages 20-80, and if elected, additional underwriting will be required. It's possible that the insured is approved for the base policy but declined for the rider based on the rider underwriting results. The rider is not available on policies with ratings worse than Table 4, with annual flat extras exceeding $5 per $1,000, or with both flat extras and table rates. The maximum cash benefit amount is selected at application and cannot be increased once the rider is issued. If the Cancer Insurance Rider is declined, the Value Added Services Rider is not available.
If the insured is certified as having been diagnosed with a Category One or Two cancer after the benefit waiting period, the policyowner will be eligible to receive a lump sum cash benefit. The claim must be submitted to Symetra with a board-certified physician's statement and proof of the insured's qualifying cancer diagnosis as soon as reasonably possible. The initial benefit amount may be lower than the maximum benefit amount elected (Category One) if the diagnosis is first certified as a Category Two cancer. If the insured is subsequently diagnosed and certified with a Category One cancer, any remaining benefit will be paid out in a lump sum. When the total maximum benefit amount is paid, the rider will terminate and the monthly rider charges will stop. In no case will the total benefit amount be higher than the maximum benefit amount. The payout of the rider's benefit amount will have no effect on the policy's death benefit, accelerated death benefit rider benefits, policy value or loan value. For policies with a lapse protection benefit, the lapse protection value will be reduced by rider charges.
Monthly rider charges, when deducted from the policy value, are treated as withdrawals and are subject to the same income tax rules that apply to any other withdrawals. The purchase of this rider and/or receipt of a Cancer Benefit Amount payment may have other income tax consequences. Consult with your personal tax or legal professional before applying for this benefit.
Cancer Care Compass includes the Value Added Services Rider for an additional cost and is usually issued under form number L-10358. The value-added services are provided by third-party providers that are independent of Symetra Life Insurance Company. Registering to use or using these services is optional.
The Galleri® multi-cancer early detection screening test is administered by GRAIL, LLC, and is available one time to insureds ages 50-89 under the rider after the benefit waiting period. The test is available through an independent telemedicine healthcare provider. The test results are provided to the insured. Access to the rider's nutrition or health advocacy services are available after the benefit waiting period and will remain available to the policyowner and their eligible family members through the insured's age 90 or at no additional cost for two years following the payment of the rider maximum cash benefit amount.
Products and services offered under the Value Added Services Rider are not insurance and are subject to change. For more information, please contact Symetra at www.symetra.com or by telephone at 1-800-796-3872. There are additional requirements associated with participation in the value-added services. Terms and conditions may vary and may not be available in all U.S. states or any U.S. territory. If any service is discontinued or if we elect to cease to offer a service, we may substitute a reasonably comparable service. If no reasonably comparable service is available, we may discontinue the specific service and cease charging for that service.
Withdrawals and loans may not be allowed in certain situations. Amounts withdrawn will decrease the policy death benefit and may be subject to a withdrawal processing fee. Loans may have a permanent effect on the policy, even if repaid.
Withdrawals or loans on modified endowment contracts (MECs) may be subject to federal income tax and an additional 10% tax on amounts taken prior to age 59 1/2.
Symetra Protector IUL has fixed and indexed accounts. Interest credited to the indexed accounts is affected by the value of outside indexes. Values based on the performance of any index are not guaranteed. The policy does not directly participate in any outside investment or index.
Allocations to the fixed account or index strategies are based on the allocation instructions provided at time of application, and may be subsequently changed in writing by the policyowner. When allocations occur, an index segment for each respective index strategy is created. Each index segment has its own index crediting method, index value, index cap, index floor, index participation rate, index segment term, and index start and maturity date. The index caps, floors and participation rates after the initial index segment term may be higher or lower than the initial rates, but will never be less than the guaranteed minimums shown in the policy.
An index segment represents the portion of the index account that credits interest based on a change in the indexes applicable to that index segment. Index credits are calculated and credited (if applicable) on the respective index segment’s maturity date. Amounts withdrawn from the index account before the index segment’s maturity date will not receive an index credit, if applicable, for that term.
Symetra reserves the right to add, modify or remove any index strategy or crediting method. If any index is discontinued or if the calculation of any index is changed substantially, Symetra reserves the right to substitute a comparable index.
An index may not include the payment or reinvestment of dividends in the calculation of its performance. It is not possible to invest in an index.
As of Aug. 30, 2024, Cancer Care Compass is not available in the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, IN, MA, MD, MO, ND, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, or VA.
This is not a complete description of the Symetra Protector IUL policy. For a more complete description, please ask your insurance professional.
Cancer Care CompassSM is a service mark of Symetra Life Insurance Company.
1 The Lapse Protection Benefit prevents the policy from entering the Grace Period when the policy is in the Lapse Protection Benefit Period. Coverage will remain in effect as long as the Lapse Protection Benefit is greater than or equal to zero and the surrender value of the policy is greater than the sum of all outstanding policy loans and loan interest. Loans, withdrawals, or late or delayed premium payments may affect the duration of the Lapse Protection Benefit.
2 Restrictions may apply to the Symetra GoodLife Rewards Program and it is subject to change without notice.
3 Withdrawals and loans may reduce or eliminate the death benefit payable to your beneficiaries. In general, policy loans are charged interest; they are usually not taxable. If a policy lapses or is surrendered, the loan becomes immediately taxable to the extent of the gain in your policy. Withdrawals are taxable only when you take more money out of the policy than you’ve paid in premiums. If your policy becomes a modified endowment contract (MEC), less advantageous tax provisions apply.
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