Goldstein Scorecard: OptiBlend 7 B-, New Heights Select 8 B- (dated October 4, 2026). See how it is graded.
Lincoln OptiBlend 7 vs Nationwide New Heights Select 8: Verified FIA Comparison (October 2026)
Written & reviewed by Hans Goldstein, EA, Independent Licensed Insurance Producer · CA license 4273294 · NPN 20602398Admitted to practice before the IRS
Facts verified against Lincoln’s OptiBlend 7 fact sheet, Nationwide’s New Heights Select 8 rate sheet (10/01/2026) and AM Best on October 4, 2026 · Updated
Lincoln OptiBlend 7 and Nationwide New Heights Select 8 are fixed indexed annuities with a $10,000 minimum and no annual product charge. OptiBlend 7 is issued by The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (AM Best A, affirmed March 13, 2026) with a 7-year surrender schedule and 10% free withdrawals.
New Heights Select 8 is issued by Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company (AM Best A+, affirmed November 7, 2025) with 8 years and 7%. Nationwide posts dated rates publicly; Lincoln’s product page does not.
Correction (October 4, 2026): An earlier version of this page rated Lincoln A+ with AM Best and compared OptiBlend 7 with a “New Heights 7.” AM Best affirmed The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company at A (Excellent) on March 13, 2026, and Nationwide’s current lineup lists New Heights Select 8, 9, 10 and 12, not a 7-year version.
We also removed unverified cap and participation estimates, renewal-history claims, income rider fee estimates, index names no longer on the New Heights Select rate sheet, Weiss, KBRA and COMDEX figures, and competitor recommendations we could not verify today.
CD vs MYGA, after tax
What $100,000 earns in 5 years: CD vs MYGA, after tax
Rates used: CD 5.00%, the top nationally available 5-year CD (Bankrate, October 14, 2026); change it to the rate you are offered. MYGA 5.95%, the best A-rated rate we track as of October 13, 2026: Delaware Life Pinnacle Plus 5-year (AM Best A-, negative outlook, 7/31/2026), $100,000 and up, effective October 6, 2026 (Delaware Life rate sheet).
| CD, interest taxed every year | $121,081 |
|---|---|
| MYGA, tax-deferred, before tax | $133,507 |
| MYGA after paying tax on all the interest at withdrawal | $126,136 |
| Tax deferral alone adds about | $674 |
| MYGA ahead of the CD, after tax | $5,055 |
Assumes 22% federal and 0% state income tax, no withdrawals, rates held for the whole term. MYGA interest is taxed as ordinary income when you withdraw it, not as capital gains. Gains taken before age 59 1/2 can owe a 10% IRS penalty, and cashing out early can cost a surrender charge.
In an IRA both grow tax-deferred, so the edge there is the rate alone. Bank and credit union deposits are FDIC or NCUA insured up to the limits; a MYGA is backed by the issuing insurer's claims-paying ability and your state's guaranty association up to its limits, not the FDIC. General education, not tax, legal or financial advice.
Head-to-head: verified contract terms
| Feature | Lincoln OptiBlend 7 | Nationwide New Heights Select 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, IN | Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company, Columbus, OH |
| AM Best FSR | A (Excellent), affirmed March 13, 2026 (AM Best) | A+ (Superior), affirmed November 7, 2025 (AM Best) |
| Surrender schedule | 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3% (California 9.25% to 3.15%) | 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, then 0% |
| Free withdrawal | 10% of account value each contract year, starting in year 1 | 7% of contract value a year after the first contract anniversary |
| MVA | Yes, on surrenders above the free amount during the surrender period | Yes, on withdrawals above the free amount, if applicable in your state |
| Minimum premium | $10,000 (maximum $2,000,000 without home office approval) | $10,000 single purchase payment |
| Additional premium | Up to $25,000 a year, $100,000 cumulative | Not allowed (single purchase payment) |
| Issue ages | 0 to 85 | Annuitant up to 80; owner any age |
| Annual product charge | No ongoing product charges | No annual contract or administration fees |
| Crediting style | Fixed account plus cap, participation and trigger accounts, including 7-year lock accounts | Uncapped index allocation less a strategy spread, 1-year and 2-year terms, eight index options |
| Current S&P 500 1-year terms | Not publicly disclosed on Lincoln’s product page | Strategy A: 45% index allocation, 1.95% spread; Strategy B: 30%, 0% spread (10/01/2026) |
| Published contractual minimums | Fixed 1.65% during surrender period (0.10% after); S&P 500 cap 1.00%; participation 5.00%; trigger 1.00% | Not publicly disclosed in the rate sheet or guide |
| Optional lifetime income rider | None listed on the fact sheet; income via annuitization (no charge or MVA after year 5) | High Point 365 Select Lifetime Income riders, at additional cost |
| Not available in | New York | CA, GU, NY, PR, VI |
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New Heights Select 8 current rates (October 1, 2026)
| New Heights Select 8, 1-year strategies (10/01/2026) | Strategy A: index allocation / spread | Strategy B: index allocation (0% spread) |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500® Index | 45% / 1.95% | 30% |
| Goldman Sachs New Horizons Index | 125% / 0.75% | 110% |
| SG Macro Compass Index | 100% / 0.75% | 90% |
| Loomis Sayles Discovery Index | 65% / 0.95% | 55% |
| S&P 500® Distance Stabilizer TCA Index | 50% / 0.95% | 40% |
| GS American Funds GFA 15% Index | 50% / 0.95% | 40% |
| Nasdaq-100 Volatility Control 10% PR Index | 50% / 1.95% | 30% |
| American Funds The Growth Fund of America (Class F-3) | 30% / 1.95% | 25% |
Lincoln OptiBlend 7 current rates
Lincoln does not post current OptiBlend 7 rates on its public product page; the fact sheet lists the accounts (fixed, 1-year S&P 500 cap, participation, performance triggered and dual trigger, S&P 500 10% Daily Risk Control trigger, Capital Group Dividend Value ETF and Nasdaq Priva participation, and 7-year lock accounts) and their contractual minimums. Current rates are not publicly disclosed; ask for the dated rate sheet in writing.
Lincoln OptiBlend 10: the 10-year version
OptiBlend also comes as a 10-year contract with the same account menu and the same published minimums as OptiBlend 7 (1.00% minimum caps and trigger rates, 5.00% minimum participation, 1.65% fixed minimum during the surrender period, then not less than 0.10%). Per Lincoln's OptiBlend 10 fact sheet FA-OB10-FST001 and OptiBlend client guide FA-OB-PDC001 (checked October 4, 2026), what differs:
| Contract year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OptiBlend 10 | 9% | 9% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
| OptiBlend 10, California (no MVA) | 9.25% | 8.25% | 7.25% | 6.25% | 5.20% | 4.20% | 3.15% | 2.10% | 1.05% | 0% | 0% |
- Issue ages: 0 to 80 (OptiBlend 7: 0 to 85). Markets: nonqualified, IRA and Roth IRA. Not available in New York.
- Premium: $10,000 minimum, $2,000,000 without Home Office approval; additions up to $25,000 a year ($100,000 cumulative), credited to the Fixed Account.
- Access: 10% of account value free each year from year 1, with no MVA on it. Nursing home and terminal illness waivers after the first contract year (nursing home not in Massachusetts). The full value can be annuitized after year 5 (year 1 in Florida) without surrender charge or MVA.
- Costs and income: no ongoing product charges and no income rider listed. Reallocation happens in a 25-day window after each contract anniversary.
The trade: OptiBlend 10 adds three years of surrender charges for the same published floors, and Lincoln does not post whether its caps are higher. Hypothetical: on $100,000, surrendering in year 8 costs 3% on the amount above the 10% free withdrawal, about $2,700 before any MVA, where OptiBlend 7 would charge nothing. Get both rate sheets from the same date before choosing the longer term.
Goldstein Scorecard (dated October 4, 2026)
| Dimension | Grade | Basis (sourced fact) |
|---|---|---|
| Financial strength | OptiBlend 7: A- NHS 8: A | Lincoln National Life: AM Best A (Excellent), March 13, 2026. Nationwide Life and Annuity: A+ (Superior), November 7, 2025. |
| Rate or cap competitiveness | OptiBlend 7: Incomplete NHS 8: C | Lincoln does not post current OptiBlend rates on its product page. New Heights Select 8 S&P 500 1-year: 45% allocation less 1.95% spread (10/01/2026); neither declares a rate comparable to the 5.50% to 6.05% 5-year MYGA benchmark. |
| Guaranteed floor | OptiBlend 7: B NHS 8: Incomplete | Lincoln publishes a 1.65% minimum fixed rate during the surrender period and a 1.00% minimum S&P 500 cap. Nationwide’s minimums are not in the public documents I read. |
| Liquidity | OptiBlend 7: B NHS 8: C | 7 years and 10% free from year 1 versus 8 years and 7% free after the first anniversary; MVA on both. |
| Costs | OptiBlend 7: A NHS 8: B | No product charges on either; New Heights Select Strategy A spreads run 0.75% to 1.95% and its riders cost extra. |
| Transparency | OptiBlend 7: C NHS 8: A | Nationwide posts a dated rate sheet; Lincoln posts a fact sheet with minimums but no current rates. |
| Guaranteed minimum cap | OptiBlend 7: 1.00% · NHS: not public | OptiBlend 7: 1.00% on the 1-year S&P 500 cap accounts (OptiBlend 7 fact sheet FA-OB7-FST001 (September 2026)). Nationwide New Heights Select: not publicly disclosed (contract specifications page), checked October 4, 2026. |
| Minimum participation rate | OptiBlend 7: 5.00% | OptiBlend 7 fact sheet FA-OB7-FST001 (September 2026). Nationwide: not publicly disclosed. |
| Overall | OptiBlend 7: B- · NHS 8: B- | Weighted toward financial strength, guaranteed floor and liquidity for a buyer who wants a known result. |
How these contract minimums compare across products: guaranteed minimum caps across FIAs (October 2026).
Get the current numbers for your amountor call 213-414-2808
Pros and cons
Lincoln OptiBlend 7
- Pro: 10% free withdrawal from the first contract year and a 7-year schedule.
- Pro: contractual minimums are published, including a 1.65% fixed minimum during the surrender period.
- Pro: available in California, and accepts additional premiums up to $25,000 a year.
- Con: AM Best A (Excellent), one notch below Nationwide’s A+.
- Con: current rates are not on Lincoln’s public product page; you need a dated rate sheet from the agent.
Nationwide New Heights Select 8
- Pro: issuer rated A+ (Superior) by AM Best.
- Pro: dated public rate sheet (October 1, 2026) with uncapped strategies.
- Pro: optional lifetime income and enhanced death benefit riders.
- Con: 8-year surrender schedule and only 7% free withdrawals after the first anniversary.
- Con: most strategies are tied to custom indexes, and Strategy A subtracts a spread of 0.75% to 1.95%; not sold in California.
Who it’s for, and when to look elsewhere
OptiBlend 7 fits a buyer who wants a 7-year term, plain S&P 500 cap or trigger accounts with written minimums, and 10% access from year one, and who is comfortable with an A-rated (Excellent) issuer. New Heights Select 8 fits a buyer who wants the A+ (Superior) issuer, uncapped crediting on custom indexes, and possibly an income rider later, and who can live with an 8-year schedule.
Look elsewhere if: you mainly want a known rate. A MYGA locks a declared rate for the term instead of an index formula that resets.
For comparison, A-rated-or-better insurers were paying about 5.50% to 6.05% on 5-year MYGAs and the best nationally available 5-year CDs about 4.70% to 5.00% APY (MYGAs: public carrier rate sheets, October 14, 2026; CDs: Bankrate and Popular Direct, October 18, 2026). Current rates: MYGA rates.
For more on each product, see the Lincoln OptiBlend 10 section and the Nationwide New Heights review.
Questions to ask your agent
- Please give me the dated rate sheet for my state, and the guaranteed minimum cap, participation rate or maximum spread for each account you are recommending, in writing.
- What is the full surrender schedule by year for my state, how does the MVA work, and how much can I take free each year?
- For New Heights Select, which strategies carry a spread, and which indexes are custom or volatility-controlled? For OptiBlend, which accounts lock rates for seven years?
- If I add an income rider, what does it cost each year and on what value is it charged?
- How are you paid on each of these? Commission comes from the insurer and is built into pricing, not deducted from my premium. What is the percentage on each, and does the longer surrender term pay you more? (See how annuity commissions work.)
From my desk
When I compare these two, I start with access, not crediting. OptiBlend 7 lets you take 10% from year one; New Heights Select 8 allows 7% after the first anniversary, over an extra year of surrender charges. For many buyers that difference matters more than any index.
The number buyers most often misread is New Heights Select’s “125% index allocation.” It applies to a custom index, then a spread comes off. It is not 125% of the S&P 500. On OptiBlend, the number to watch is the renewal cap: the fact sheet lets the S&P 500 cap reset as low as 1.00% after the first term.
Against a MYGA, neither product declares a rate you can bank on for seven or eight years. If the goal is a known result, I show the buyer a MYGA quote next to both and let the trade-off speak for itself. You can model surrender costs with the annuity surrender charge calculator and growth with the annuity calculator.
Hans Goldstein, independent licensed insurance producer, CA license 4273294, NPN 20602398. Questions: 213-414-2808 or [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Which is rated higher, Lincoln or Nationwide?
Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company is rated A+ (Superior) by AM Best, affirmed November 7, 2025. The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company is rated A (Excellent), affirmed March 13, 2026.
What is the Lincoln OptiBlend 7 surrender schedule?
9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4% and 3% over seven contract years (California 9.25%, 8.25%, 7.25%, 6.25%, 5.20%, 4.20%, 3.15%), with 10% free withdrawals each year starting in year 1.
What is the New Heights Select 8 surrender schedule?
9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, then 0% after eight years, with 7% free withdrawals a year after the first contract anniversary.
What are the current OptiBlend 7 caps?
Lincoln does not publish current OptiBlend rates on its product page. The fact sheet states a contractual minimum S&P 500 cap of 1.00% and a minimum fixed rate of 1.65% during the surrender period. Ask for the dated rate sheet in writing.
Does Nationwide make a New Heights 7?
Nationwide’s current fixed indexed lineup lists New Heights Select 8, 9, 10 and 12. This page compares OptiBlend 7 with New Heights Select 8, the shortest New Heights Select term.
Are these annuities guaranteed?
Index losses are not credited to either contract, and contractual minimums are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer: The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company or Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company. Neither is FDIC insured.
Related reviews: Lincoln OptiBlend 10 · Nationwide New Heights · Nationwide Peak 10 · How annuity crediting actually works · FIA cap rates in 2026
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A fixed indexed annuity ties up your money for 7 to 15 years. Cap rates renew annually and can drop. Income riders have separate benefit bases that aren't cash. Get an independent review before you commit your retirement savings to a multi-year contract.
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Hans Goldstein · 213-414-2808 · NPN 20602398, independent licensed insurance producer appointed with multiple A-rated carriers
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Sources (checked October 4, 2026)
- Lincoln Financial: Lincoln OptiBlend 7 fact sheet (FA-OB7-FST001): LCN-8427115, read October 4, 2026
- Lincoln Financial: Lincoln OptiBlend fixed indexed annuity product page: read October 4, 2026
- AM Best: Affirms Credit Ratings of Lincoln National Corporation and Its Subsidiaries: March 13, 2026
- Nationwide: New Heights Select 8 current rates (FAM-1601AO.3): as of October 1, 2026
- Nationwide: New Heights Select fixed indexed annuity guide (FAM-1149AO-IM.1): dated 8/26
- Nationwide: New Heights Select 8 product page: read October 4, 2026
- AM Best: Affirms Credit Ratings of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Its Key Operating Subsidiaries: November 7, 2025
- public carrier rate sheets and DepositAccounts (MYGA and CD benchmark): September 24, 2026
Disclosure
This review is based on the carrier's public product materials and rates as of the date shown above. Annuity rates, caps, participation rates, payout factors, crediting methods, and long-term care benefit structures change often, sometimes monthly. Confirm current figures in the latest carrier disclosure and the contract before you buy. This is general education, not a personal recommendation or an offer of any product. Hans Goldstein is an independent licensed insurance producer (CA license 4273294, NPN 20602398) appointed with several A-rated carriers. His appointment with the carrier reviewed here may vary, and this review is not an endorsement. No carrier paid for this review. Always read the actual contract and consult a licensed advisor before purchasing any annuity or long-term care insurance product. Past index performance does not predict future credited interest. Annuities and hybrid life+LTC policies are long-term contracts with surrender charges; they are not suitable for funds you may need before the end of the surrender period. AM Best ratings and tax treatment are subject to change. Tax discussion of IRC §7702B, §1035, and the Pension Protection Act of 2006 reflects law as of 2026 and is subject to change.