GOLDEN AMERICAN GUARANTEED DEATH BENEFIT
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY AND TRANSFER ENDORSEMENT
Golden American is a stock company domiciled in Delaware.
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On the Endorsement Effective Date, the provisions of the Contract to which this
endorsement is attached are amended as follows. If no Endorsement Effective Date
is shown, the Endorsement Effective Date is the same as the Contract Date. Where
used in this Endorsement, the term Contract shall include any Certificate to
which this Endorsement is attached. Where the provisions of this Endorsement
conflict with the provisions of the Contract as of the Endorsement Effective
Date, the provisions of this Endorsement will control.
DEATH BENEFIT
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The Death Benefit is the greatest of (i), (ii) and (iii) below, where:
(i) is the Accumulation Value less any Credits applied within [12] months of
the date of death;
(ii) is the Guaranteed Death Benefit less any Credits applied within [12]
months of the date of death;
(iii) is the Cash Surrender Value.
GUARANTEED DEATH BENEFIT
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The Guaranteed Death Benefit for the Contact is equal to the sum of I and II
below.
I. The Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for non-Special Funds
II. The Accumulation Value allocated to Special Funds
On the Contract Date, the Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for non-Special Funds is
the initial premium plus any Credit, if applicable, allocated to non-Special
Funds. On subsequent Valuation Dates, the Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for
non-Special Funds is calculated as follows:
(1) Start with the Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for non-Special Funds
from the prior Valuation Date.
(2) Add any additional premiums paid and any Credits allocated to
non-Special Funds during the current Valuation Period to (1).
(3) Adjust (2) for any transfers to or from Special Funds during the
current Valuation Period.
(4) Subtract from (3) any Prorata Partial Withdrawal Adjustments for any
Partial Withdrawal made from non-Special Funds during the current
Valuation Period.
The Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for Special Funds has a corresponding
definition, but with respect to amounts allocated to Special Funds.
Transfers from Special Funds to non-Special Funds will reduce the Guaranteed
Death Benefit Base for Special Funds on a prorata basis. The resulting increase
in the Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for non-Special Funds will equal the lesser
of the reduction in the Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for Special Funds and the
net Accumulation Value transferred.
Transfers from non-Special Funds to Special Funds will reduce the Guaranteed
Death Benefit Base for non-Special Funds on a prorata basis. The resulting
increase in the Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for Special Funds will equal the
reduction in Guaranteed Death Benefit Base for non-Special Funds.
SPECIAL FUNDS
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Where used in this Endorsement, Special Funds are [the Liquid Asset Division,
the Limited Maturity Bond Division, the Fixed Allocations and the Guaranteed
Interest Division]. We may add newly available divisions as Special Funds. We
may also reclassify an existing division as a Special Fund or remove such
designation upon 30 days notice to you. Such reclassification will apply to
amounts transferred or otherwise added to such division after the date of
change. We may reduce the Mortality and Expense Risk Charge (if applicable) for
that portion of the Contract invested in a Special Fund.
SPECIAL AND PRORATA PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL ADJUSTMENTS
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For any partial withdrawal, the Death Benefit components will be reduced by
Prorata Partial Withdrawal Adjustments. The Prorata Partial Withdrawal
Adjustment to a Death Benefit component for a partial withdrawal is equal to (1)
divided by (2) multiplied by (3), where: (1) is the Accumulation Value
withdrawn; (2) is the Accumulation Value immediately prior to withdrawal; and
(3) is the amount of the applicable Death Benefit component immediately prior to
the withdrawal. Separate adjustments will apply to the amounts in the Special
and non-Special Funds.
CHANGE OF OWNER
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A change of Owner will result in recalculation of the Death Benefit and the
Guaranteed Death Benefit. If the Owner's or the oldest of multiple Owners'
attained age at the time of the change is less than [85], the Guaranteed Death
Benefit in effect prior to the change will remain in effect and the Death
Benefit provision shall apply.
If any owner's or oldest multiple owners attained age is [86] or greater at the
time of the change, the Guaranteed Death Benefit will be zero, and the Death
Benefit will then be the Cash Surrender Value.
SPOUSAL CONTINUATION UPON DEATH OF OWNER
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If at the Owner's death, the surviving spouse of the deceased Owner is the
Beneficiary and such surviving spouse elects to continue the Contract as their
own pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 72(s) or the equivalent provisions
of U.S. Treasury Department rules for qualified plans, the following will apply:
(a) If the Guaranteed Death Benefit as of the date we receive due proof of
death of the Owner, minus the Accumulation Value, also as of that
date, is greater than zero, we will add such difference to the
Accumulation Value. Such addition will be allocated to the divisions
of the Separate Account in the same proportion as the Accumulation
Value in each division bears to the Accumulation Value in the Separate
Account. If there is no Accumulation Value in the Separate Account,
the addition will be allocated to the Liquid Asset division, or its
successor.
(b) The Guaranteed Death Benefit will continue to apply, with all age
criteria using the surviving spouse's age as the determining age.
(c) At subsequent surrender, any surrender charge applicable to premiums
paid prior to the date we receive due proof of death of the Owner will
be waived. Any premiums paid later will be subject to any applicable
surrender charge.
This addition to Accumulation Value is available only to the spouse of the Owner
as of the date of death of the Owner if such spouse under the provisions if this
Contract elects to continue the Contract as their own.
DEDUCTIONS FROM THE DIVISIONS
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MORTALITY AND EXPENSE RISK CHARGE - We deduct a charge from the assets in each
Separate Account division on a daily basis of not more than [0.004002%]
(equivalent to an annual maximum rate of [1.45%]) for mortality and expense
risks. The charge is not deducted from the Fixed Account or General Account
accumulation values.
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Restricted Funds are subject to limits as to amounts which may be invested or
transferred into such divisions. The designation of a division as a Restricted
Fund may be changed upon 30 days notice to the Owner with regard to future
transfers and premium payments into such division. When a new division is made
available it may be designated as a Restricted Fund. If so designated, the rules
regarding its restrictions will be sent to the Owner. Also listed below are the
total Contract limits for Restricted Funds. Listed below are the total Contract
limits for Restricted Funds.
THRESHOLDS
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MAXIMUM
ALLOCATION % OF MAXIMUM
ACCUMULATION VALUE PREMIUM % DOLLAR CAP
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Contract Limits [30%] [99.999%] [$9,999,999]
THRESHOLDS
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Each Restricted Fund has one or more thresholds at which point no further
amounts may be allocated to that division. Compliance with a threshold is
verified whenever there is a transaction initiated which is subject to such
threshold (premium payments, transfers, withdrawals). A threshold is applied to
the total Accumulation Value of each Restricted Fund. Thresholds may be changed
by the Company for new premiums, transfers or withdrawals by Restricted Fund
upon 30 day notice.
DOLLAR CAP
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The Dollar Cap is the dollar amount at which no further Accumulation Value may
be added to Restricted Funds.
PREMIUM THRESHOLD
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The threshold for premium by Restricted Fund limits the amount of any premium
which may be allocated to that division. Should a request for allocation to a
Restricted Fund exceed the limit in effect for that division or for the
Contract, any excess over that amount shall be allocated prorata to any
non-Restricted Fund(s) in which the Contract is then invested. Should the
Contract not be invested in other non-Restricted Funds, the excess will be
invested in the Specially Designated Division unless we receive written
instructions to do otherwise. Premium allocations must also satisfy the
Allocation Threshold.
ALLOCATION THRESHOLD
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Allocations into a Restricted Fund are limited to that amount such that the
Accumulation Value in that Restricted Fund after such allocation does not exceed
the threshold for that division and does not cause the Contract's total limit on
allocation to Restricted Funds to be exceeded. If the amount of an allocation
would cause either limit to be exceeded, the allocation will only be executed to
the extent the lower limit would allow.
Allocations from a Restricted Fund will be allowed even if the amount remaining
in the Restricted Fund after an allocation exceeds the Allocation Threshold. If
a program of allocations over time is authorized by us, verification of the
threshold will be performed at the initiation of such program. If such program
is modified at a later date, a testing of thresholds will be done at that time.
THRESHOLDS - EFFECT ON WITHDRAWALS
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If a withdrawal is requested while any Accumulation Value is allocated to
Restricted Funds and the Allocation Threshold percentage is currently exceeded,
the percentage for funds invested in Restricted Funds for the total Contract,
after taking into account the withdrawal, may not be higher than prior to the
withdrawal. Should the calculated effect of a withdrawal result in the total
Contract threshold being exceeded, the excess portion of the withdrawal will be
processed prorata from all variable divisions.
Systematic withdrawals, while the Contract has investments in Restricted Funds,
if not withdrawn prorata from all divisions, shall be monitored annually to
assure threshold compliance. Should the effect of such withdrawals cause a
Restricted Fund to exceed its threshold, the divisions from which the
withdrawals are processed may be adjusted to assure that the percentage of
Accumulation Value in the Restricted Funds does not increase.
THRESHOLD PROCESSING
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For the purpose of calculating any thresholds, the values for the divisions will
be determined using the prior day's closing index of investment experience.
All other provisions of the Contract to which this Endorsement is attached
remain unchanged.
Signed: /s/ Barnett Chernow
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Barnett Chernow