Data Last reviewed: 2026-10-03 Part of Indexed universal life

IUL Guaranteed Minimum Caps (2026 Data)

Written and reviewed by Hans Goldstein, licensed insurance producer, NPN 20602398 · CA Insurance License #4273294
Last reviewed October 3, 2026 · Published October 3, 2026

Key finding: of 33 indexed universal life products we checked, only 8 publish a guaranteed minimum cap in a public document. Where it is public, it ranges from 0.25% (Allianz Life Accumulator IUL) to 4% (Nationwide IUL Accumulator II 2020), with a median of 2%. For the other 25, the number that sets the worst case for your cap is disclosed only to agents, in the policy form, or not at all. Data as of October 4, 2026.

Key findings

25 of 33 products (76%) do not publish a guaranteed minimum cap in any public document we could find. Some disclose it to agents only.
Where it is public, the guaranteed minimum cap runs from 0.25% to 4% (median 2%). Today's caps on the same products are often 10% to 13%.
A floor (the minimum annual index credit, usually 0% to 1%) is not a minimum cap. Marketing that shows a floor of 0.25% is telling you something different from a 0.25% minimum cap.
Minimums usually differ by account inside the same policy, so the "lowest account" column shows the worst case.

Cite this

APA: Goldstein, H. (2026, October 4). IUL guaranteed minimum caps: 8 of 33 products publish one. hansgoldstein.com. https://hansgoldstein.com/life-insurance/iul/iul-guaranteed-minimum-caps/

MLA: Goldstein, Hans. "IUL Guaranteed Minimum Caps." hansgoldstein.com, 4 Oct. 2026, https://hansgoldstein.com/life-insurance/iul/iul-guaranteed-minimum-caps/.

HTML: <a href="https://hansgoldstein.com/life-insurance/iul/iul-guaranteed-minimum-caps/">IUL guaranteed minimum caps (Hans Goldstein, 2026)</a>

Download the data (CSV) · Public-source rows only. Free to use with attribution.

The data

Click a column heading to sort. "Not publicly disclosed" means we found no public carrier or carrier-authored document stating the number; ask the insurer for the policy form or the illustration's guaranteed assumptions.

Product	Insurer	Guaranteed min cap (lowest account)	Account	Guaranteed min participation	Floor	Source
Allianz Life Accumulator IUL	Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America	0.25%	Standard S&P 500 annual PTP cap	5%	0.00%	Carrier, 2026-09-01
Instant Decision IUL	Americo Financial Life and Annuity	Not publicly disclosed				Carrier, 2024-02
Growth IUL II	Ameritas	Not publicly disclosed			n/a	Secondary (BGA-hosted), 2026-10-01
QoL Max Accumulator+ III IUL	Corebridge	Not publicly disclosed			n/a	Carrier, 2026-06
QoL Value+ Protector III IUL	Corebridge	Not publicly disclosed			n/a	Carrier, 2026-07
BrightLife Grow (Series 159)	Equitable	Not publicly disclosed			n/a	Carrier, 2026
F&G Pathsetter	Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Co.	Not publicly disclosed			0.25%	Carrier, 2025-12
John Hancock Accumulation IUL (AIUL 26)	John Hancock Life Insurance Co.	Not publicly disclosed			n/a	Carrier, 2026-01
Compass Elite IUL / EquiFlex IUL	Kansas City Life	Not publicly disclosed		100%	0%	Carrier, 2026-09-21
WealthBuilder IUL	Lincoln Financial	2%	S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 10% VCI 1-yr	25%	0%	Carrier, 2026-05
Lincoln WealthAccumulate 2 IUL (2020)	Lincoln National Life Insurance Co.	1%	S&P 500 Fixed Bonus Indexed Account (1-yr PTP cap + AVE)	25%	0.00%	Secondary (BGA-hosted), 2023-04
Lincoln WealthProtector IUL	Lincoln National Life Insurance Co.	2%	1-Year S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 10% VCI (cap+par)	25%	0.00%	Carrier, 2026-02-17
Strategic Accumulator IUL 3	Midland National	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Strategic Protector IUL 2	Midland National	Not publicly disclosed				None public
IUL Express	Mutual of Omaha	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Income Advantage IUL	Mutual of Omaha	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Life Protection Advantage IUL	Mutual of Omaha	Not publicly disclosed				None public
FlexLife IUL	National Life Group	3%	S&P 500 1-yr PTP Participation Focus	100%	0.00%	Carrier, 2026-01
Nationwide IUL Accumulator II 2020	Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Co.	4%	1-Year High-Cap Multi-Index Monthly Average cap	65%	0.00%	Carrier, 2026-03-15
Builder Plus IUL 4	North American	Not publicly disclosed				Secondary (BGA-hosted), 2025-10
Smart Builder IUL 3	North American	Not publicly disclosed				Secondary (BGA-hosted), 2025-10
Pacific Horizon IUL 2	Pacific Life Insurance Co.	1%	1-Year Invesco QQQ Indexed Account (cap)	5%	0.00%	Carrier, 2024-11
Accumulation Builder Flex IUL	Penn Mutual	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Accumulation Builder Select IUL	Penn Mutual	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Accumulation IUL (successor to Accumulation Builder)	Penn Mutual	Not publicly disclosed		100%	0.00%	Carrier, 2026-01
Indexed Universal Life Accumulation II	Principal	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Indexed Universal Life Flex II	Principal	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Indexed Choice UL	Protective Life	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Momentum IUL	Prudential	Not publicly disclosed			n/a	Secondary (BGA-hosted), 2025-10-15
Eclipse Accumulator II IUL	Securian	Not publicly disclosed		100%	0.00%	Carrier, 2025-07
Orion IUL	Securian	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Accumulator Ascent IUL	Symetra	Not publicly disclosed				None public
Financial Foundation IUL II (FFIUL II)	Transamerica	2%	Basic S&P 500 Index Account (no IAMC) 1-yr cap		0.75%	Secondary (BGA-hosted), 2026-04

Policy owners

What is your policy's guaranteed minimum cap?

Send your email and I'll send the request letter that gets it from your insurer, then read it with you within one business day.

Phone is optional: add it only if you’d like a text with your numbers, or a quick call with Hans to make sure you don’t miss anything. Leave it blank and I’ll only email you. Hans Goldstein · NPN 20602398.

Rather talk it through? Or book 15 minutes on Hans’s calendar.

Why the guaranteed minimum cap matters

An IUL's current cap is not guaranteed. The insurer can lower it at renewal, down to the guaranteed minimum written in the contract. Two policies showing the same 11% cap today can have very different worst cases: one can fall to 4%, another to 0.25%. That is why Hans asks for the guaranteed minimum cap and participation rate before anything else (the variables you do not control).

Methodology

Universe: 33 current or recently sold IUL products from major US insurers, compiled October 2026.
Sources: public carrier documents (rate sheets, consumer brochures, product guides on carrier websites) and carrier-authored documents hosted by brokerage general agencies (labeled "secondary").
Excluded: any figure that appears only in material marked for financial professionals or not for use with the public. Those products read "Not publicly disclosed".
What we report: the lowest guaranteed minimum cap across the product's capped accounts, the account it applies to, the lowest guaranteed participation rate shown, and the floor where stated.
Dating: each row carries the document's date. Minimums are contractual for policies issued under that form; new versions of a product can differ.
Corrections: email hans@hansgoldstein.com with a public source and we will update the row and the changelog.

Changelog

2026-10-04: first publication (33 products, 8 with a public minimum).

For fixed indexed annuities, see the companion data: FIA guaranteed minimum caps (most FIAs whose public documents state a minimum annual cap let the insurer cut it to 1.00% or less).

Want your policy's guaranteed minimums?

Send your policy or illustration. Within one business day you get the guaranteed minimum cap, participation and charges for your contract, in writing.

Rather talk it through? Or book 15 minutes on Hans’s calendar, or call 213-414-2808.

Hans Goldstein · 213-414-2808 · NPN 20602398, independent licensed insurance producer

Frequently asked questions

What is a guaranteed minimum cap on an IUL?

It is the lowest the insurer can ever set the cap on an indexed account, as written in the contract. The current cap can be lowered at renewal, but not below this minimum.

How many IULs publish their guaranteed minimum cap?

Of 33 IUL products we checked in October 2026, 8 publish it in a public document. The rest disclose it only to agents, in the policy form, or not at all.

Is the floor the same as the minimum cap?

No. The floor is the minimum index credit in a bad year, often 0% to 1%. The minimum cap is the lowest ceiling on your upside in a good year.

Can I use this data?

Yes, with attribution and a link. The CSV download includes public-source rows only, with each source and date.

Sources

Hans Goldstein, CA Insurance License #4273294 · NPN 20602398 · Goldstein & Co. LLC dba Goldstein Insurance Services, CA License #6016830

Contact: hans@hansgoldstein.com · 213-414-2808

General education, not tax or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on your facts and on current law, which can change. Talk to your CPA or estate attorney. Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Guarantees apply only to the contractual terms of the policy. Caps, participation rates, loan rates, charges and dividends are not guaranteed and can change. Hans is paid a commission by the insurer if you buy a policy through him. For life insurance, ask and he will tell you what he earns on your specific policy. Product and company names are trademarks of their owners. Goldstein Insurance Services is an independent agency, not affiliated with or endorsed by any insurer named here. Life insurance requires underwriting; not everyone qualifies. This page describes products in general terms; read the policy and the insurer's disclosures before you buy.