Post-Effective Amendment to Registration Statement by Investment Company (Form 485BPOS)

Registration No. 033-19540

The Designated Office for various Policy transactions is as follows:

*Corporate owners that use a payroll deduction billing arrangement to collect amounts due from an insured under the Policy (commonly referred to as list statement billing), should send Premium and Loan Payments to New England Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 38090, Philadelphia, PA 19101-8090.

You may request an account transfer or reallocation of future premiums by written request (which may be telecopied) to our Designated Office, by telephoning us, or over the Internet (subject to our restrictions on frequent transfers). To request a transfer or reallocation by telephone, you should contact your financial representative or contact us. To request a transfer or reallocation over the Internet, you may log on to our website at www.brighthousefinancial.com. We use reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone, facsimile or Internet are genuine. Any telephone, facsimile or Internet instructions that we reasonably believe to be genuine will be your responsibility, including losses arising from any errors in the communication of instructions. However, because telephone and Internet transactions may be available to anyone who provides certain information about you and your Policy, you should protect that information. We may not be able to verify that you are the person providing telephone or Internet instructions, or that you have authorized any such person to act for you.

Telephone, facsimile, and computer systems (including the Internet) may not always be available. Any telephone, facsimile, or computer system, whether it is yours, your service provider's, your financial representative's, or ours, can experience outages or slowdowns for a variety of reasons. These outages or slowdowns may delay or prevent our processing of your request. Although we have taken precautions to help our systems handle heavy use, we cannot promise complete reliability under all circumstances. If you are experiencing problems, you should make your request by writing to our Designated Office.

If you send your premiums or transaction requests to an address other than the one we have designated for receipt of such premiums or requests, we may return the premium to you, or there may be a delay in applying the premium or transaction to your Policy.

Cybersecurity and Certain Business Continuity Risks

Our variable product business is largely conducted through complex information technology and communications systems operated by us and our service providers and business partners (e.g., the Eligible Funds and the firms involved in the distribution and sale of our variable products ). Our operations rely on the secure processing, storage and transmission of data and confidential and other information in our systems and the systems of third-party service providers. We have established administrative and technical controls and business continuity and resilience plans to protect our operations against attempts by unauthorized third parties to improperly access, modify, disrupt the operation of, or prevent access to critical networks or systems or data within them (a "cyber-attack"). Despite these protocols, the techniques used to attack systems and networks change frequently, are becoming more sophisticated, and can originate from a wide variety of sources including internal actors (through malicious or accidental acts), terrorists, nation states, financially or politically motivated actors, or other third parties, such as external service providers. Furthermore, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies may intensify our cybersecurity risks, including the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies by malicious third parties and threat actors that may increase in sophistication and effectiveness in the future. There may be an increased risk of cyber-attacks that may adversely disrupt or degrade our operations and compromise our data during periods of geo-political or military conflict. There is also a chance that certain risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected which limits our ability, as well as that of our service providers and business partners, to plan for or respond to, an attack.

A failure of our computer systems could cause significant interruptions in our operations, compromise the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data, and otherwise adversely affect our business and ability to administer the Policies. Unanticipated problems with, or failures of, our disaster recovery systems and business continuity plans could also have a material, negative impact on our ability to conduct business and on our financial condition and operations, as well as on individual Owners and their Policies. Our operations also could be negatively impacted by a cyber-attack or system failure affecting a third party, such as a service provider, business partner, another participant in the financial markets, or a governmental or regulatory authority. Disruptions or failures to our operations, systems and networks can originate from a wide variety of sources including, but not limited to, natural catastrophe, epidemic or pandemic crisis, military or terrorist actions, cyber-attack, and unanticipated problems with our or our service providers' disaster recovery systems (and the disaster recovery systems of such vendors' suppliers, vendors or subcontractors). Such disasters and events may adversely affect our ability to conduct business or administer the Policies.

Cyber-attacks and disruptions or failures to our systems and business operations could result in regulatory fines or sanctions, litigation, penalties or financial losses, reputational harm, loss of customers, and/or otherwise adversely affect our business. Such event could also interfere with our processing of Policy transactions, including the processing of transfer orders from our website or with the Eligible Funds; impact our ability to calculate Policy values; cause the release and/or possible loss, misappropriation or corruption of data or confidential Owner or business information; or impede order processing or cause other operational issues. Cyber-attacks, disruptions or failures may also impact the issuers of securities in which the Eligible Funds invest, and it is possible the Eligible Funds underlying your Policy could lose value.

We cannot control the cybersecurity plans and systems implemented by third parties, including service providers or issuers of securities in which the Eligible Funds invest. Although we continually make efforts to identify and reduce our exposure to cybersecurity risks and operations failures, there can be no assurance that we or our third-party service providers or the Eligible Funds will be able to detect, manage, prevent or avoid cyber-attacks, disruptions or failures affecting your Policy in the future.

CHARGES AND EXPENSES

Annual Eligible Fund Operating Expenses

The table below titled "Minimum and Maximum Total Annual Eligible Fund Operating Expenses" describes the Eligible Fund fees and expenses that a Policy Owner may pay periodically during the time that he or she owns the Policy. This table shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the Eligible Funds for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 , before any fee waivers and expense reimbursements. Expenses of the Eligible Funds may be higher or lower in the future.

More detail concerning each Eligible Fund's fees and expenses is contained in the prospectus for each Eligible Fund and in the table below titled "Eligible Fund Fees and Expenses". This table describes the annual operating expenses for each Eligible Fund for the year ended December 31, 2025 before and after any applicable fee waivers and expense reimbursements. Certain Eligible Funds may impose a redemption fee in the future.

Mortality and Expense Risk Charge. We deduct a charge for the mortality and expense risks that we assume. We are currently waiving 0.08% of the Mortality and Expense Risk Charge for the Sub-Account investing in the Brighthouse/Wellington Large Cap Research Portfolio, an amount equal to the Eligible Fund expenses that are in excess of 0.88% for the Sub-Account investing in the MFS ® Research International Portfolio and 0.62% for the Sub-Account investing in the Invesco Global Equity Portfolio.

Charges Deducted from the Eligible Funds. The following charges are deducted from the Eligible Fund assets:

-Daily charges against the Eligible Funds for investment advisory services and fund operating expenses.

Minimum and Maximum Total Annual Eligible Fund Operating Expenses

Eligible Fund Fees and Expenses as of December 31, 2025

(as a percentage of average daily net assets)

The following table is a summary. For more complete information on Eligible Fund fees and expenses, please refer to the prospectus for each Eligible Fund.

The information shown in the table above was provided by the Eligible Funds. Certain Eligible Funds and their investment adviser have entered into expense reimbursement and/or fee waiver arrangements that will continue at least until April 28, 2027 . These arrangements can be terminated with respect to these Eligible Funds only with the approval of the Eligible Fund's board of directors or trustees. Please see the Eligible Funds' prospectuses for additional information regarding these arrangements.

Certain Eligible Funds that have "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are "funds of funds." A fund of funds invests substantially all of its assets in other underlying funds. Because the Eligible Fund invests in other funds, it will bear its pro rata portion of the operating expenses of those underlying funds, including the management fee.

Fidelity ® Variable Insurance Products and the American Funds Insurance Series ® are not affiliated with NELICO.

THE VARIABLE ACCOUNT

The Company

On November 6, 2025, Brighthouse Financial ("BHF") and Aquarian Capital LLC ("Aquarian") announced that they had entered into a definitive agreement under which an affiliate of Aquarian will acquire BHF. This transaction is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Subject to such approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions, the transaction is expected to be consummated in 2026.

Upon the consummation of the transaction, Aquarian will become the ultimate parent of BHF and NELICO will remain an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BHF. Although Aquarian will replace BHF as NELICO's ultimate parent, NELICO will continue in its present role as the issuer of your Policy. All of your rights and benefits under your Policy and NELICO's obligations under the Policy will remain unchanged.

Founded in 2017, Aquarian Capital is a diversified global holding company with a strategic portfolio of insurance and asset management solutions. Aquarian is headquartered in New York, NY.

Investments of the Variable Account

Each Sub-Account of the Variable Account invests in a corresponding Eligible Fund. Each Eligible Fund is part of an open-end management investment company, more commonly known as a mutual fund, that serves as an investment vehicle for variable life insurance and variable annuity separate accounts of various insurance companies. The mutual funds that offer the Eligible Funds are the American Funds Insurance Series, Brighthouse Funds Trust I, Brighthouse Funds Trust II and the Variable Insurance Products Fund. Each of these mutual funds has an investment adviser responsible for overall management of the fund. Some investment advisers have contracted with sub-advisers to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Eligible Funds.

The adviser, sub-adviser and investment objective of each Eligible Fund are as follows:

Changes Affecting the Eligible Funds

Certain Eligible Funds were subject to a name change. The chart below identifies the former name and the new name of each of these Eligible Funds .

Eligible Fund Name Changes

*The effective date of this name change is May 1, 2026.

For more information regarding the Eligible Funds and their investment advisers and sub-advisers, see the Eligible Fund prospectuses and their Statements of Additional Information, which you can obtain by calling (833) 208-3017.

The Eligible Funds' investment objectives may not be met. The investment objectives and policies of certain Eligible Funds are similar to the investment objectives and policies of other funds that may be managed by the same investment adviser or sub-adviser. The investment results of the Eligible Funds may be higher or lower than the results of these funds. There is no assurance, and no representation is made, that the investment results of any of the Eligible Funds will be comparable to the investment results of any other fund.

Share Classes of the Eligible Funds

The Eligible Funds offer various classes of shares, each of which has a different level of expenses. The prospectuses for the Eligible Funds may provide information for share classes that are not available through the Policy. When you consult the prospectus for any Eligible Fund, you should be careful to refer to only the information regarding the class of shares that is

available through the Policy. For the American Funds Insurance Series, we offer Class 2 shares only; for Brighthouse Funds Trust I and Brighthouse Funds Trust II, we offer Class A shares only; and for Fidelity Variable Insurance Products, we offer Initial Class shares only.

Certain Payments We Receive with Regard to the Eligible Funds

An investment adviser (other than our affiliate Brighthouse Investment Advisers, LLC) or subadviser of an Eligible Fund, or its affiliates, may make payments to us and/or certain of our affiliates. These payments may be used for a variety of purposes, including payment of expenses for certain administrative, marketing, and support services with respect to the Policies and, in the Company's role as an intermediary, with respect to the Eligible Funds. The Company and its affiliates may profit from these payments. These payments may be derived, in whole or in part, from the advisory fee deducted from Eligible Fund assets. Policy Owners, through their indirect investment in the Eligible Funds, bear the costs of these advisory fees (see the Eligible Funds' prospectuses for more information). The amount of the payments we receive is based on a percentage of assets of the Eligible Funds attributable to the Policies and certain other variable insurance products that we and our affiliates issue. These percentages differ and some advisers or subadvisers (or other affiliates) may pay us more than others. These percentages currently range up to 0.50%.

Additionally, an investment adviser (other than our affiliate Brighthouse Investment Advisers, LLC) or subadviser of an Eligible Fund or its affiliates may provide us with wholesaling services that assist in the distribution of the Policies and may pay us and/or certain of our affiliates amounts to participate in sales meetings. These amounts may be significant and may provide the adviser or subadviser (or their affiliates) with increased access to persons involved in the distribution of the Policies.

We and/or certain of our affiliated insurance companies have joint ownership interests in our affiliated investment adviser Brighthouse Investment Advisers, LLC, which is formed as a "limited liability company." Our ownership interests in Brighthouse Investment Advisers, LLC entitle us to profit distributions if the adviser makes a profit with respect to the advisory fees it receives from the Eligible Funds. We will benefit accordingly from assets allocated to the Eligible Funds to the extent they result in profits to the adviser. (See "Fee Table-Eligible Funds Fees and Expenses" for information on the management fees paid by the Eligible Funds and the Statement of Additional Information for the Eligible Funds for information on the management fees paid by the adviser to the subadvisers.)

Certain Eligible Funds have adopted a Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. An Eligible Fund's 12b-1 Plan, if any, is described in more detail in the Eligible Fund's prospectus. (See "Fee Table-Eligible Fund Fees and Expenses" and "Distribution of the Policies.") Any payments we receive pursuant to those 12b-1 Plans are paid to us or our distributor. Payments under an Eligible Fund's 12b-1 Plan decrease the Eligible Fund's investment return.

OTHER POLICY FEATURES

Transfer Option

Restrictions on Frequent Transfers. Frequent requests from Policy Owners to transfer cash value may dilute the value of an Eligible Fund's shares if the frequent trading involves an attempt to take advantage of pricing inefficiencies created by a lag between a change in the value of the securities held by the Eligible Fund and the reflection of that change in the Eligible Fund's share price ("arbitrage trading"). Frequent transfers involving arbitrage trading may adversely affect the long-term performance of the Eligible Funds, which may in turn adversely affect Policy Owners and other persons who may have an interest in the Policies (e.g., beneficiaries).

We have policies and procedures that attempt to detect and deter frequent transfers in situations where we determine there is a potential for arbitrage trading. Currently, we believe that such situations may be presented in the international, small-cap, and high-yield Eligible Funds that are listed below (the "Monitored Portfolios"), and we monitor transfer activity in those Monitored Portfolios. In addition, as described below, we treat all other American Funds Insurance Series portfolios ("American Funds portfolios") as Monitored Portfolios.

American Funds Growth Fund

American Funds Growth -Income Fund

American Funds SMALLCAP World Fund ®

American Funds The Bond Fund of America

Baillie Gifford International Stock Portfolio

CBRE Global Real Estate Portfolio

Harris Oakmark International Portfolio

Invesco Global Equity Portfolio

Invesco Small Cap Growth Portfolio

Loomis Sayles Small Cap Core Portfolio

Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Portfolio

MetLife MSCI EAFE ® Index Portfolio

MetLife Russell 2000 ® Index Portfolio

MFS ® Research International Portfolio

Neuberger Berman Genesis Portfolio

T. Rowe Price Small Cap Growth Portfolio

Western Asset Management Strategic Bond Opportunities Portfolio

We employ various means to monitor transfer activity, such as examining the frequency and size of transfers into and out of the Monitored Portfolios within given periods of time. For example, we currently monitor transfer activity to determine if, for each category of international, small-cap, and high-yield Eligible Funds, in a 12-month period there were: (1) six or more transfers involving the given category; (2) cumulative gross transfers involving the given category that exceed the current Cash Value; and (3) two or more "round-trips" involving any portfolio in the given category. A round-trip generally is defined as a transfer in followed by a transfer out within seven calendar days or a transfer out followed by a transfer in within seven calendar days, in either case subject to certain other criteria. We do not believe that other Eligible Funds present a significant opportunity to engage in arbitrage trading and therefore do not monitor transfer activity in those Eligible Funds. We may change the Monitored Portfolios at any time without notice in our sole discretion.

As a condition to making their portfolios available in our products, American Funds requires us to treat all American Funds portfolios as Monitored Portfolios under our current frequent transfer policies and procedures. Further, American Funds requires us to impose additional specified monitoring criteria for all American Funds portfolios available under the Policy, regardless of the potential for arbitrage trading. We are required to monitor transfer activity in American Funds portfolios to determine if there were two or more transfers in followed by transfers out, in each case of a certain dollar amount or greater, in any 30-day period. A first violation of the American Funds monitoring policy will result in a written notice of violation; each additional violation will result in the imposition of a six-month restriction, during which period we will require all transfer requests to or from an American Funds portfolio to be submitted with an original signature. Further, as Monitored Portfolios, all American Funds portfolios also will be subject to our current frequent transfer policies, procedures and restrictions (described below), and transfer restrictions may be imposed upon a violation of either monitoring policy.

Our policies and procedures may result in transfer restrictions being applied to deter frequent transfers. Currently, when we detect transfer activity in the Monitored Portfolios that exceeds our current transfer limits, we will impose transfer restrictions on the entire Policy and will require future transfer requests to or from any Eligible Fund under that Policy to be submitted either (i) in writing with an original signature or (ii) by telephone prior to 10:00 a.m. A first occurrence will result in a warning letter; a second occurrence will result in the imposition of the restriction for a six-month period; a third occurrence will result in the permanent imposition of the restriction. Transfers made under a Dollar Cost Averaging Program, and, if applicable, any rebalancing program described in this prospectus are not treated as transfers when we monitor the frequency of transfers.

The detection and deterrence of harmful transfer activity involves judgments that are inherently subjective, such as the decision to monitor only those Eligible Funds that we believe are susceptible to arbitrage trading or the determination of the transfer limits. Our ability to detect and/or restrict such transfer activity may be limited by operational and technological systems, as well as our ability to predict strategies employed by Policy Owners to avoid such detection. Our ability to restrict such transfer activity also may be limited by provisions of the Policy. Accordingly, there is no assurance that we will prevent all transfer activity that may adversely affect Policy Owners and other persons with interests in the Policies. We do not accommodate frequent transfers in any Eligible Fund and there are no arrangements in place to permit any Policy Owner to engage in frequent transfers; we apply our policies and procedures without exception, waiver, or special arrangement.

The Eligible Funds may have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to frequent transfers in their respective shares and we reserve the right to enforce these policies and procedures. For example, Eligible Funds may assess a redemption fee (which we reserve the right to collect) on shares held for a relatively short period. The prospectuses for the Eligible Funds describe any such policies and procedures, which may be more or less restrictive than the policies and procedures we have adopted. Although we may not have the contractual authority or the operational capacity to apply the frequent transfer policies and procedures of the Eligible Funds, we have entered into a written agreement, as required by SEC regulation, with each Eligible Fund or its principal underwriter that obligates us to provide to the Eligible Fund promptly upon request certain information about the trading activity of individual Policy Owners, and to execute instructions from the Eligible Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases or transfers by specific Policy Owners who violate the frequent transfer policies established by the Eligible Fund.

In addition, Policy Owners and other persons with interests in the Policies should be aware that the purchase and redemption orders received by the Eligible Funds generally are "omnibus" orders from intermediaries, such as retirement plans or separate accounts funding variable insurance products. The omnibus orders reflect the aggregation and netting of multiple orders from individual owners of variable insurance products and/or individual retirement plan participants. The omnibus nature of these orders may limit the Eligible Funds in their ability to apply their frequent transfer policies and procedures. In addition, the other insurance companies and/or retirement plans may have different policies and procedures or may not have any such policies and procedures because of contractual limitations. For these reasons, we cannot guarantee that the Eligible Funds (and thus Policy Owners) will not be harmed by transfer activity relating to other insurance companies and/or retirement plans that may invest in the Eligible Funds. If an Eligible Fund believes that an omnibus order reflects one or more transfer requests from Policy Owners engaged in frequent trading, the Eligible Fund may reject the entire omnibus order.

In accordance with applicable law, we reserve the right to modify or terminate the transfer privilege at any time. We also reserve the right to defer or restrict the transfer privilege at any time that we are unable to purchase or redeem shares of any of the Eligible Funds, including any refusal or restriction on purchases or redemptions of their shares as a result of their own policies and procedures on frequent transfers (even if an entire omnibus order is rejected due to the frequent transfers of a single Policy Owner). You should read the Eligible Fund prospectuses for more details.

Restrictions on Large Transfers

Large transfers may increase brokerage and administrative costs of the underlying Eligible Funds and may disrupt portfolio management strategy, requiring an Eligible Fund to maintain a high cash position and possibly resulting in lost investment opportunities and forced liquidations. We do not monitor for large transfers to or from Eligible Funds except where the portfolio manager of a particular underlying Eligible Fund has brought large transfer activity to our attention for investigation on a case-by-case basis. For example, some portfolio managers have asked us to monitor for "block transfers" where transfer requests have been submitted on behalf of multiple Policy Owners by a third party such as an investment adviser. When we detect such large trades, we may impose restrictions similar to those described above where future transfer requests from that third party must be submitted either (i) in writing with an original signature or (ii) by telephone prior to 10:00 a.m. A first occurrence will result in a warning letter; a second occurrence will result in the imposition of the restriction for a six-month period; a third occurrence will result in the permanent imposition of the restriction.

TAX CONSIDERATIONS

Introduction

The following summary provides a general description of the Federal income tax considerations associated with the Policy and does not purport to be complete or to cover all tax situations. The summary does not address state, local or foreign tax issues related to the Policy. This discussion is not intended as tax advice. Counsel or other competent tax advisers should be consulted for more complete information. This discussion is based upon our understanding of the present Federal income tax laws. No representation is made as to the likelihood of continuation of the present Federal income tax laws or as to how they may be interpreted by the Internal Revenue Service. It should be further understood that the following discussion is not exhaustive and that special rules not described herein may be applicable in certain situations.

Tax Status of the Policy

In order to qualify as a life insurance contract for Federal income tax purposes and to receive the tax treatment normally accorded life insurance contracts under Federal tax law, a Policy must satisfy certain requirements which are set forth in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). Guidance as to how these requirements are to be applied is limited. Nevertheless, we anticipate that the Policies will satisfy the applicable requirements. There is additional uncertainty however, with respect to Policies issued on a substandard risk or automatic issue basis and Policies with term riders added, and it is not clear whether such Policies will in all cases satisfy the applicable requirements. We may take appropriate steps to bring the Policy into compliance with applicable requirements, and we reserve the right to restrict Policy transactions in order to do so. The insurance proceeds payable on the death of the insured will never be less than the minimum amount required for the Policy to be treated as life insurance under section 7702 of the Code, as in effect on the date the Policy was issued.

In some circumstances, owners of variable contracts who retain excessive control over the investment of the underlying separate account assets may be treated as the owners of those assets. Although published guidance in this area does not address certain aspects of the Policies, we believe that the Owner of a Policy should not be treated as the owner of the Variable Account assets. We reserve the right to modify the Policies to bring them into conformity with applicable standards should such modification be necessary to prevent Owners of the Policies from being treated as the owners of the underlying Variable Account assets.

In addition, the Code requires that the investments of the Variable Account be "adequately diversified" in order for the Policies to be treated as life insurance contracts for Federal income tax purposes. It is intended that the Variable Account, through the Eligible Funds, will satisfy these diversification requirements. If Eligible Fund shares are sold directly to either non-qualified plans or to tax-qualified retirement plans that later lose their tax-qualified status, there may be adverse consequences under the diversification rules.

The following discussion assumes that the Policy will qualify as a life insurance contract for Federal income tax purposes.

Tax Treatment of Policy Benefits

In General-Death Benefits . The death benefit under a Policy should generally be excludible from the gross income of the beneficiary for Federal income tax purposes.

In the case of employer-owned life insurance as defined in section 101(j) of the Code, the amount excludable from gross income is limited to premiums paid unless the Policy falls within certain specified exceptions and a notice and consent requirement is satisfied before the Policy is issued. Certain specified exceptions are based on the status of an employee as highly compensated, a director or recently employed. There are also exceptions for Policy proceeds paid to an employee's heirs. These exceptions only apply if proper notice is given to the insured employee and consent is received from the insured employee before the issuance of the Policy. These rules apply to Policies issued August 18, 2006 and later and also apply to policies issued before August 18, 2006 after a material increase in the death benefit or other material change. An IRS reporting requirement applies to employer-owned life insurance subject to these rules. Because these rules are complex and will affect the tax treatment of death benefits, it is advisable to consult tax counsel.

The death benefit will also be taxable in the case of a transfer-for-value unless certain exceptions apply.

Federal, state and local transfer, and other tax consequences of ownership or receipt of ownership or receipt of Policy proceeds depend on the circumstances of each Policy Owner or beneficiary. A tax adviser should be consulted on these circumstances.

Generally, the Policy Owner will not be deemed to be in constructive receipt of the Policy Cash Value until there is a distribution or a deemed distribution. When distributions from a Policy occur, or when loans are taken out from or secured by a Policy, the tax consequences depend on whether the Policy is classified as a Modified Endowment Contract ("MEC").

Modified Endowment Contracts. Under the Code, certain life insurance contracts are classified as MECs with less favorable income tax treatment than other life insurance contracts. Due to the Policy's flexibility with respect to premium payments and benefits, each Policy's circumstances will determine whether the Policy is a MEC. In general a Policy will be classified as a MEC if the amount of premiums paid into the Policy causes the Policy to fail the "7-pay test". A Policy will fail

the 7-pay test if at any time in the first seven Policy years, or seven years after a material change, the amount paid into the Policy exceeds the sum of the level premiums that would have been paid at that point under a Policy that provided for paid-up future benefits after the payment of seven level annual payments.

If there is a reduction in the benefits under the Policy during a 7-pay testing period, for example, as a result of a partial surrender, the 7-pay test will have to be reapplied as if the Policy had originally been issued at the reduced face amount. If there is a "material change" in the Policy's benefits or other terms, even after the first seven Policy years, the Policy may have to be retested as if it were a newly issued Policy. A material change can occur, for example, when there is an increase in the death benefit or the receipt of an unnecessary premium. Unnecessary premiums are premiums paid into the Policy which are not needed in order to provide a death benefit equal to the lowest death benefit that was payable in the most recent 7-pay testing period. To prevent your Policy from becoming a MEC, it may be necessary to limit premium payments or to limit reductions in benefits. A current or prospective Policy Owner should consult a tax adviser to determine whether a Policy transaction will cause the Policy to be classified as a MEC.

Distributions Other Than Death Benefits from Modified Endowment Contracts. Policies classified as MECs are subject to the following tax rules:

(1) All distributions other than death benefits, including distributions upon surrender and withdrawals, from a MEC will be treated first as distributions of gain taxable as ordinary income and as tax-free recovery of the Policy Owner's investment in the Policy only after all gain has been distributed.

(2) Loans taken from or secured by a Policy classified as a MEC are treated as distributions and taxed accordingly.

(3) A 10 percent additional income tax is imposed on the amount subject to tax except where the distribution or loan is made when the Policy Owner has attained age 59 1 ∕ 2 or is disabled, or where the distribution is part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments for the life (or life expectancy) of the Policy Owner or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the Policy Owner and the Policy Owner's beneficiary. The foregoing exceptions generally do not apply to a Policy Owner which is a non-natural person, such as a corporation.

If a Policy becomes a MEC, distributions that occur during the contract year will be taxed as distributions from a MEC. In addition, distributions from a Policy within two years before it becomes a MEC will be taxed in this manner. This means that a distribution made from a Policy that is not a MEC could later become taxable as a distribution from a MEC.

Distributions Other Than Death Benefits from Policies that are not Modified Endowment Contracts.
Distributions other than death benefits from a Policy that is not classified as a MEC are generally treated first as a non-taxable recovery of the Policy Owner's investment in the Policy and only after the recovery of all investment in the Policy as gain taxable as ordinary income. However, distributions during the first 15 Policy years accompanied by a reduction in Policy benefits, including distributions which must be made in order to enable the Policy to continue to qualify as a life insurance contract for Federal income tax purposes, are subject to different tax rules and may be treated in whole or in part as taxable income.

Loans from or secured by a Policy that is not a MEC are generally not treated as distributions. However, the tax consequences are less clear and a tax adviser should be consulted when the interest rate charged for a Policy loan equals the interest rate credited on the amount we hold as collateral for the loan.

Finally, neither distributions from nor loans from or secured by a Policy that is not a MEC are subject to the 10 percent additional income tax.

Investment in the Policy. Your investment in the Policy is generally your aggregate premiums. When a distribution is taken from the Policy, your investment in the Policy is reduced by the amount of the distribution that is tax-free.

Policy Loans. In general, interest on a Policy loan will not be deductible. If a Policy loan is outstanding when a Policy is canceled or lapses, the amount of the outstanding indebtedness will be added to the amount distributed and will be taxed accordingly. A loan may also be taxed when a Policy is exchanged. Before taking out a Policy loan, you should consult a tax adviser as to the tax consequences.

Multiple Policies. All MECs that are issued by NELICO (or its affiliates) to the same Policy Owner during any calendar year are treated as one MEC for purposes of determining the amount includible in the Policy Owner's income when a taxable distribution occurs.

Life Insurance Purchases by Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Corporations. Policy Owners that are not U.S. citizens or residents will generally be subject to U.S. Federal withholding tax on taxable distributions from life insurance policies at a 30% rate, unless a lower treaty rate applies. In addition, Policy Owners may be subject to state and/or municipal taxes and taxes that may be imposed by the Policy Owner's country of citizenship or residence.

Withholding. To the extent that Policy distributions are taxable, they are generally subject to withholding for the recipient's Federal income tax liability. Recipients can generally elect, however, not to have tax withheld from distributions. Recipients may be required to pay penalties under the estimated tax rules if withholding and estimated tax payments are insufficient.

Estate, Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes. The transfer of the Policy or the designation of a beneficiary may have Federal, state, and/or local transfer and inheritance tax consequences, including the imposition of gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. When the insured dies, the death proceeds will generally be includable in the Policy Owner's estate for purposes of the Federal estate tax if the Policy Owner was the insured, if the insured possessed incidents of ownership in the Policy at the time of death, or if the insured made a gift transfer of the Policy within three years of death. If the Policy Owner was not the insured, the fair market value of the Policy would be included in the Policy Owner's estate upon the Policy Owner's death.

Moreover, under certain circumstances, the Code may impose a "generation-skipping transfer tax" when all or part of a life insurance policy is transferred to, or a death benefit is paid to, an individual two or more generations younger than the Policy Owner. Regulations issued under the Code may require us to deduct the tax from your Policy, or from any applicable payment, and pay it directly to the IRS.

Qualified tax advisers should be consulted concerning the estate, gift and other tax consequences of Policy ownership and distributions under Federal, state and local law. The individual situation of each Policy Owner or beneficiary will determine the extent, if any, to which Federal, state, and local transfer and inheritance taxes may be imposed and how ownership or receipt of Policy proceeds will be treated for purposes of Federal, state and local estate, inheritance, generation-skipping and other taxes. In 2026 , federal tax law provides for a $ 15,000,000 gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax exemption, which will be indexed for inflation in subsequent years.

The complexity of the tax law, along with uncertainty as to how it might be modified in coming years, underscores the importance of seeking guidance from a qualified adviser to help ensure that your estate plan adequately addresses your needs and those of your beneficiaries under all possible scenarios.

Other Tax Considerations. The tax consequences of continuing the Policy beyond the insured's 100th year are unclear. You should consult a tax adviser if you intend to keep the Policy in force beyond the insured's 100th year.

Payments received under the Acceleration of Death Benefit Rider should be excludable from the gross income of the Policy Owner except in certain business contexts. However, you should consult a qualified tax adviser about the consequences of adding this rider to a Policy or requesting payment under this rider.

If a trustee under a pension or profit-sharing plan, or similar deferred compensation arrangement, owns a Policy, the Federal, state and estate tax consequences could differ. The amounts of life insurance that may be purchased on behalf of a participant in a pension or profit-sharing plan are limited. Providing excessive life insurance coverage in a retirement plan will have adverse tax consequences. The inclusion of riders, such as waiver of premium riders, may also have adverse tax consequences. Therefore, it is important to discuss with your tax adviser the suitability of the Policy, including the suitability of coverage amounts and Policy riders, before any purchase by a retirement plan. Any proposed distribution or sale of a Policy by a retirement plan will also need to be discussed with a tax adviser. The current cost of insurance for the net amount at risk is treated as a "current fringe benefit" and must be included annually in the plan participant's gross income. If the plan participant dies while covered by the plan and the Policy proceeds are paid to the participant's beneficiary, then the excess of the death benefit over the Cash Value is not income taxable. However, the Cash Value will generally be taxable to the extent it exceeds the participant's cost basis in the Policy. Policies owned under these types of plans may be subject to restrictions under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"). You should consult a qualified adviser regarding ERISA.

Department of Labor ("DOL") regulations impose requirements for participant loans under retirement plans covered by ERISA. Plan loans must also satisfy tax requirements to be treated as nontaxable. Plan loan requirements and provisions may

differ from the Policy loan provisions. Failure of plan loans to comply with the requirements and provisions of the DOL regulations and of tax law may result in adverse tax consequences and/or adverse consequences under ERISA. Plan fiduciaries and participants should consult a qualified adviser before requesting a loan under a Policy held in connection with a retirement plan.

Businesses can use the Policies in various arrangements, including nonqualified deferred compensation or salary continuance plans, split dollar insurance plans, executive bonus plans, tax exempt and nonexempt welfare benefit plans, retiree medical benefit plans and others. The tax consequences of such plans may vary depending on the particular facts and circumstances. In the case of a business owned Policy, the provisions of section 101(j) of the Code may limit the amount of the death benefit excludable from gross income unless a specified exception applies and the notice and consent requirement is satisfied, as discussed above. If you are contemplating a change to an existing Policy or purchasing the Policy for any arrangement the value of which depends in part on its tax consequences, you should consult a qualified tax adviser.

Ownership of the Policy by a corporation, trust or other non-natural person could jeopardize some (or all) of such entity's interest deduction under Code section 264, even where such entity's indebtedness is in no way connected to the Policy. In addition, under section 264(f)(5), if a business (other than a sole proprietorship) is directly or indirectly a beneficiary of the Policy, the Policy could be treated as held by the business for purposes of the section 264(f) entity-holder rules. Therefore, it would be advisable to consult with a qualified tax adviser before any non-natural person is made an owner or holder of the Policy, or before a business (other than a sole proprietorship) is made a beneficiary of the Policy.

Transfer of Issued Life Insurance Policies to Third Parties. If you transfer the Policy to a third party, including the sale of the Policy to a life settlement company, such transfer may be taxable. As noted above, the death benefit will also be taxable in the case of a transfer for value unless certain exceptions apply. We may be required to report certain information to the IRS, as required under Code section 6050Y and applicable tax regulations. You should consult with a qualified tax adviser for additional information prior to transferring the Policy.

Guidance on Split Dollar Plans. The IRS has issued guidance on split dollar insurance plans. A tax adviser should be consulted with respect to this guidance if you have purchased or are considering the purchase of a Policy for a split dollar insurance plan. If your Policy is part of an equity split-dollar arrangement taxed under the economic benefit regime, there is a risk that some portion of the Policy Cash Value may be taxed prior to any Policy distribution. If your split-dollar plan provides deferred compensation, specific tax rules governing deferred compensation arrangements may apply. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in adverse tax consequences.

In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which was signed into law on July 30, 2002, prohibits, with limited exceptions, publicly-traded companies, including non-U.S. companies that have securities listed on U.S. exchanges, from extending, directly or indirectly or through a subsidiary, many types of personal loans to their directors or executive officers. It is possible that this prohibition may be interpreted to apply to split-dollar life insurance arrangements for directors and executive officers of such companies, since such arrangements can arguably be viewed as involving a loan from the employer for at least some purposes.

Any affected business contemplating the payment of a premium on an existing Policy or the purchase of a new Policy in connection with a split-dollar life insurance arrangement should consult legal counsel.

Life Insurance Purchases by Residents of Puerto Rico. In Rev. Rul. 2004-75, 2004-31 I.R.B. 109, the Internal Revenue Service announced that income received by residents of Puerto Rico under life insurance contracts issued by a Puerto Rico branch of a United States life insurance company is U.S. source income that is generally subject to United States Federal income tax.

Possible Tax Law Changes. Although the likelihood of legislative changes is uncertain, there is always the possibility that the tax treatment of the Policy could change by legislation or otherwise. Consult a tax adviser with respect to legislative developments and their effect on the Policy.

NELICO's Income Taxes

Tax Credits and Deductions. NELICO may be entitled to certain tax benefits related to the assets of the Variable Account. These tax benefits, which may include foreign tax credits and corporate dividend received deductions, are not passed back to the Variable Account or to Policy Owners since NELICO is the owner of the assets from which the tax benefits are derived.

Other Tax Considerations. Under current Federal income tax law, NELICO is not taxed on the Variable Account's operations. Thus, currently we do not deduct a charge from the Variable Account for Federal income taxes. We reserve the right to charge the Variable Account for any future Federal income taxes we may incur.

Under current laws in several states, we may incur state and local taxes (in addition to premium taxes). These taxes are not now significant and we are not currently charging for them. If they increase, we may deduct charges for such taxes.

RESTRICTIONS ON FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

Applicable laws designed to counter terrorism and prevent money laundering might, in certain circumstances, require us to reject a premium payment and/or block or "freeze" your Policy. If these laws apply in a particular situation, we would not be allowed to process any request for withdrawals, surrenders, loans or death benefits, make transfers, or continue making payments under your death benefit option until instructions are received from the appropriate regulator. We also may be required to provide additional information about you or your Policy to government regulators.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The financial statements comprising each of the Sub-Accounts of New England Variable Life Separate Account included in this Prospectus Supplement have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report. Such financial statements are included in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR

The statutory-basis financial statements of New England Life Insurance Company as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025 , included in this Prospectus Supplement, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent auditor, as stated in their report which expresses an unqualified opinion on the statutory-basis financial statements and an adverse opinion on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Such financial statements are included in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements comprising each of the Sub-Accounts of the Variable Account and the statutory-basis financial statements of NELICO are included herein.

The statutory-basis financial statements of NELICO should be considered only as bearing upon the ability of NELICO to meet its obligations under the Policy. They should not be considered as bearing on the investment performance of the assets held in the Variable Account.