Market Protection
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Market protection · For retirement savers

Keep the upside. Skip the downturn.

Indexed strategies follow the market up and credit zero when it falls. See how much of your retirement savings you could shield, in 60 seconds, then talk it through with a licensed agent.

  • Floored at 0% in a down year
  • Gains lock in every year
  • Free, no obligation, no pressure

What Is Your Current Age?

Age sets how long your money has to recover, and which strategies are open to you.

No cost, no obligation. Your answers are used only to build your number.

See the difference

Same crash. Two statements.

Flip the switch. Unprotected, the balance takes the full hit and spends years climbing back. Protected, the down year credits zero and the balance holds, so next year's gains start from the top, not the bottom.

  • A 30% loss needs a 43% gain just to get back to even.
  • Withdrawals during the climb back are losses you never recover.
  • With an annual reset, each year's credited gain becomes the new floor.
2000200820162024−40%−38%0% floor · 443Index · 406$100 in 2000, price return, illustrative
Retirement statementMonth 2

Account balance

$237,500

−5%

Starting balance

$250,000

Lost in the correction

−$12,500

Years to get back to even

~5.3 at 7%

Withdrawals during the dip

Lock in the loss

30% correction

Every withdrawal during the climb back is money that never recovers.

Why Market Protection

Growth when the market grows. Nothing when it doesn't.

Protective investing, for the rest of us

Institutions have hedged their downside for decades. This is the everyday version.

An indexed annuity or indexed life policy links your interest to an index like the S&P 500 without putting your money in the market.

  1. 01

    Index goes up

    You're credited a share of the gain, up to a cap. The money itself stays in the insurance company's general account.

  2. 02

    Index goes down

    The credit is zero. No market loss touches your principal or the gains already credited.

  3. 03

    Every year, it resets

    The starting point moves to the new balance. Gains lock in; losses never accumulate.

The math of a crash

Falling is fast. Recovering isn't.

S&P 500 price return in 20081
−38%
for the S&P 500 to get back to its 2007 high1
5½ yrs
peak-to-trough fall in the dot-com crash, 2000 to 20021
−49%
gain needed just to recover from a 30% loss2
43%

Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

Two ways to hold it

The trade is upside for downside. Here it is in one table.

Neither column is free. Which one fits depends on your timeline, and that's what the agent works out with you.

Many people hold both: growth money in the market, and the part they can't afford to lose behind a floor.

How it works

Three steps, everything in writing

  1. 01

    Answer six questions

    Age, savings, where it's held, what worries you, when you'll draw on it, and how much to shield. About a minute.

  2. 02

    A licensed agent reaches out

    By text or call. They're licensed in your state and compare strategies from multiple carriers.

  3. 03

    See an illustration, then decide

    Caps, floors, and any surrender schedule are on paper before anything moves. No fee, no obligation.

Who this is for

If a bad year would change your plans, this is for you

A retired couple in their kitchen, one reading the paper, one rinsing radishes.
Three generations sharing dinner in the backyard at dusk.
Common questions

Asked all the time, answered straight

What is market protection?

Our name for indexed insurance strategies: fixed indexed annuities and indexed universal life. Your interest is linked to a market index, credited in up years up to a cap, and floored at zero in down years. Your money is held by an insurance company, not invested in the market.

Is this an investment?

No. These are insurance contracts, not securities. They don't buy stocks and they aren't FDIC insured; the guarantees rest on the issuing carrier's ability to pay claims. That's why the agents we work with compare carrier financial-strength ratings.

What's the catch?

Three things, all in writing before you sign. A cap or participation rate limits how much of an up year you're credited. Surrender charges apply if you pull money out early, usually in the first several years. And some income or death-benefit riders carry a fee.

Can I move my 401(k) or IRA into one?

Often, yes. Money from a former employer's plan or an IRA can usually roll into an indexed annuity as a direct transfer without triggering tax. The agent walks through the rules for your specific account.

Will I be locked in?

Most contracts allow a free withdrawal of a set percentage each year, commonly 10%, and full access after the surrender period. Lifetime-income options, if you choose one, pay for as long as you live.

Is Market Protection an insurance company?

No. We're an independent insurance marketing service. We connect you with licensed agents who compare indexed strategies from multiple carriers. We don't issue contracts, set rates, or give investment advice.

What happens after I submit?

A licensed agent reviews your request and reaches out by text or call. There's no fee and you're never obligated to buy. You can stop contact at any time by replying STOP.

See how much you could shield

Six questions. Sixty seconds. No cost, no obligation.

Start now