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

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

SPECIAL TERMS USED IN THIS PROSPECTUS	1
OVERVIEW OF THE CONTRACT	3
IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ABOUT THE CONTRACT	4
EXPENSE TABLES	8
Transaction Expenses	8
Annual Contract Expenses	8
Annual Portfolio Company Expenses	9
Expense Examples	9
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE CONTRACT	11
THE GUARDIAN INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY, INC.	12
BUYING A CONTRACT	13
The Purchase Process	13
Payments	13
Tax-Free "Section 1035" Exchanges	13
THE ACCUMULATION PERIOD	14
How We Allocate your Premium Payments	14
Automated Purchase Payments	14
The Separate Account	14
Variable Investment Options	15
Selection of Funds	16
Addition, Deletion, or Substitution of Funds	17
Fixed-Rate Option	17
Transfers	17
Frequent Transfers Among the Variable Investment Options	18
Surrenders and Withdrawals	20
Assigning Contract Interests	21
Inactive Contracts	22
Payments	22
Forms and Reports	22
THE ANNUITY PERIOD	24
When Annuity Payments Begin	24
How Your Annuity Payments Are Calculated	24
Annuity Payout Options	25
Variable Annuity Payout Options	25
Fixed-Rate Annuity Payout Options	28
OTHER CONTRACT FEATURES	32
Benefits Under the Contract	32
Managing Your Annuity	33
Portfolio Rebalancing	35
Payments	35
Death Benefits	35
Multiple Beneficiaries	36
Spousal Continuation	37
Enhanced Death Benefits	38
Earnings Benefit Rider	39
Living Benefit Rider (Referred To As "Decade")	41
FINANCIAL INFORMATION	43
How We Calculate Accumulation Unit Values	43
Contract Costs and Expenses	43
Federal Tax Matters	46

SPECIAL TERMS USED IN THIS PROSPECTUS

Accumulation Period: The period between the issue date of the contract and the Annuity Commencement Date.

Accumulation Unit: A measure used to determine the value of a contract owner's interest in each variable investment option under the contract before Annuity Payments begin. Each variable investment option will have its own Accumulation Units.

Accumulation Value: The value of all the accumulation units in the variable investment options and/or the fixed-rate option credited to a contract.

Annuitant: The person on whose life the annuity payments are based and on whose death, prior to the annuity commencement date, benefits under the contract are paid.

Annuity Commencement Date: The date on which Annuity Payments under the contract begin.

Annuity Payments: Periodic payments, either variable or fixed in nature, made by GIAC to the Contract Owner at monthly or other periodic intervals after the Annuity Commencement Date.

Annuity Unit: A measure used to determine the amount of any variable annuity payment.

Business Day: Each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and GIAC is open for business.

Beneficiary: The person(s) designated to receive any benefits under a contract upon the death of an owner.

Contract Anniversary Date: The annual anniversary measured from the issue date of the contract.

Contract Owner: You (or your); the person(s) or entity designated as the owner in the contract.

Customer Service Office: Contact Center For telephonic communications: Customer Service Office Contact Center 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time 1-800-830-4147.

Funds: The open-end management investment companies, each corresponding to a Variable Investment Option.

Good Order: Notice from any party authorized to initiate a transaction under this contract, received in a format satisfactory to GIAC at its Mailing Address, that contains all information required by GIAC to process that transaction. For telephone transfer instructions, good order also means that the telephone call must be received on a business day and completed no later than the close of the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. New York City time, on that day in order to receive that day's unit values.

Mailing Address:
For private express mail with tracking number:
Talcott Resolution - Annuity Service Operations
Administrator for your Guardian Annuity Contract
c/o Cognizant, sub-administrator
6716 Grade Ln., Building 9, Suite 910
Louisville, KY 40213.

For standard mail delivery without tracking number:
Talcott Resolution - Annuity Service Operations
Administrator for your Guardian Annuity Contract
c/o Cognizant, sub-administrator
P.O. Box 14293
Louisville, KY 40512-4293.

Valuation Period: The time period from the determination of one Accumulation Unit and Annuity Unit value to the next.

Variable Investment Options: The Funds underlying the contract are the Variable Investment Options - as distinguished from the fixed-rate option - available for allocations of Net Premium payments and allocation values.

OVERVIEW OF THE CONTRACT

Purpose. The contract is a variable annuity contract. It allows you to accumulate tax-deferred savings in our Variable Investment Options and the fixed-rate option. The contract is intended for retirement savings or other long-term investment purposes. The contract has various optional features and benefits that may be appropriate for you based on your financial situation and objectives. The contract also offers certain death benefit features, which can be used to transfer assets to your beneficiaries. The contract is not intended for people who may need to make early or frequent withdrawals, and may not be appropriate for you if you do not have a long-term investment horizon. The contract is no longer available for new sales.

Phases of the Contract. The contract has two phases, the Accumulation Period and the annuity period. During the Accumulation Period, earnings accumulate on a tax-deferred basis and are taxed as income when you make a withdrawal. This contract allows you to allocate your Net Premium payments and Accumulation Value to Variable Investment Options, each of which has its own investment strategies and risks; investment adviser(s); expense ratio; and performance history; and the fixed-rate option, which guarantees a fixed rate of interest. Additional information about each investment option is provided in Appendix A: Investment Options Available Under the Contract to this Prospectus.

On an agreed date, you will start receiving regular payments based on the Accumulation Value of your contract. This is the annuity period. The amount of the Annuity Payments will depend on earnings during the Accumulation Period, and afterward if you select a variable annuity option. Once your contract is annuitized your withdrawal rights, death benefits and living benefits under the Accumulation Period terminate.

Contract Features. Below is a brief summary of the contract's primary features and options.

Accessing your Money. Before the annuity period, you can withdraw money from your contract at any time. If you take a withdrawal, you may have to pay a surrender charge and/or income taxes, including a tax penalty if you are younger than age 59 1∕2.

Tax Treatment. You can transfer money among investment options without tax implications, and earnings (if any) on your investments are generally tax-deferred. You are only subject to tax upon: (1) making a withdrawal; (2) receiving a payment from us; or (3) payment of a death benefit.

Death Benefits. If the Annuitant should die before Annuity Payments begin, then we pay a death benefit first to any surviving Beneficiaries (in the order you have designated). You also have the option of purchasing an enhanced death benefit rider that may provide a greater death benefit.

Optional Living Benefits. For additional charge, optional living benefit riders provide that your Accumulation Value on the tenth Contract Anniversary Date is at least equal to your initial premium payment (adjusted for any partial withdrawals and excluding investment credits). e optional benefit riders are no longer available for new sales.

Additional Services.

Fixed Dollar Cost Averaging Programs. This program allows you to systematically transfer a set amount from the fixed dollar cost averaging account over a three month period to the Variable Investment Options.

Portfolio Rebalancing. This program directs us to automatically transfer amounts among your Variable Investment Options to return them to the designated percentages when any percentage exceeds or is less than your chosen percentages by at least 5%.

Systematic Withdrawals. This program allows you to receive regular automatic withdrawals from your Contract either monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ABOUT THE CONTRACT

An investment in the contract is subject to fees, risks, and other important considerations, some of which are briefly summarized in the following table. You should review the prospectus for additional information about these topics. 

Fees and Expenses		Location in Prospectus
Are There Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals?	Yes. If you withdraw money during the first 7 years following your last premium payment, you may be assessed a surrender charge of up to 7% of the premium withdrawn, declining to 0% over that time period. Surrender charges will reduce the value of your contract if you withdraw money during that time. For example, if you make an early withdrawal, you could pay a surrender charge of up to $7,000 on a $100,000 investment. This loss will be greater if there are taxes or tax penalties.	Financial Information - Contract Costs and Expenses

 

Are There Transaction Charges?

Yes. In addition to surrender charges, you also may be charged for the following transactions: transfers of cash value between investment.

Financial Information - Contract Costs and Expenses Expense tables - Transaction expenses

 

Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses (annual charges)?	The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay each year, depending on the options you choose. Please refer to your contract specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year other options you have elected.				Financial Information - Contract Costs and Expenses
	Annual Fee		Minimum	Maximum
	Base Contract (Varies by Contract Class)1		1.25%	1.25%
	Investment Fund options (portfolio company fees and expenses)2		0.50%	1.41%
	Optional benefits available for an additional benefits charge (for a single optional benefit if elected)3		0.20%	0.25%
	1 As a percentage of value in the Separate Account. 2 As a percentage of Fund net assets. 3 The fee shown is calculated as a percentage of the value in the Separate Account. Because your contract is customizable, the choices you make affect how much you will pay. To help you understand the cost of owning your contract, the following table shows the lowest and highest cost you could pay each year, based on current charges. This estimate assumes that you do not take withdrawals from the contract, which could add surrender charges that substantially increase costs.

 

	Lowest Annual Cost $2,154	Highest Annual Cost $3,847
	Assumes: ●Investment of $100,000 ●5% annual appreciation ●Least expensive combination of contract class, and fund fees and expenses ●No optional benefits ●No sales charges ●No additional purchase payments, transfers, or withdrawals	Assumes: ●Investment of $100,000 ●5% annual appreciation ●Most expensive combination of contract class, optional benefits and fund fees and expenses ●No sales charges ●No additional purchase payments, transfers, or withdrawals

 

Risks		Location in Prospectus
Is There a Risk of Loss from Poor Performance?	Yes. You can lose money by investing in this contract including loss of principal.	Principal Risks
Is this a Short-Term Investment?	No. This contract is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. Amounts withdrawn from the contract may result in surrender charges, taxes and tax penalties. Surrender charges may apply for the first 7 years following your last premium payment. Surrender charges will reduce the value of your contract if you withdraw money during that time. The benefits of tax deferral and living benefit protection also mean the contract is more beneficial to investors with a long time horizon.	Principal Risks
What Are the Risks Associated with the Investment Options?	●An investment in this contract is subject to the risk of poor investment performance and can vary based on the investment options available under the contract. ●Each investment option, including the fixed-rate option, has its own unique risks. ●You should review the prospectuses for the available funds before making an investment decision.	Principal Risks Appendix A: Investment Options Available Under the Contract
What Are the Risks Related to the Insurance Company?	An investment in the contract is subject to the risks related to us, as the Insurance Company. Any obligations (including under the fixed-rate option), guarantees, and benefits of the contract are subject to our claims-paying ability. If we experience financial distress, we may not be able to meet our obligations to you. More information about GIAC, including our financial strength ratings, is available by contacting us at 1-800-830-4147.	Principal Risks

 

Restrictions		Location in Prospectus
Are There Restrictions on the	Yes. ●We reserve the right to impose a charge for transfers among investment options in excess of 12 per contract year.	The Accumulation Period

Restrictions		Location in Prospectus
Investment Options?	●We reserve the right to limit the frequency of transfers to not more than once every 30 days. ●We may limit transfers based on frequent trading activity. ●We reserve the right to remove or substitute the Variable Investment Options that are available as investment options under the contract. ●We reserve the right to discontinue the fixed-rate option at any time. ●The fixed-rate option may not be available in your state. ●There are limitations on the number and amount of transfers into and out of the fixed-rate option. ●We reserve the right to suspend, discontinue or otherwise restrict the availability of the fixed-rate option for additional premium payments and/or transfers. ●You may choose to invest in a maximum of 20 of the 32 Variable Investment Options or 19 of the Variable Investment Options and the fixed-rate option, if available, at any time. ●During the annuity period, if you have a variable annuity payout option your transfers among the Variable Investment Options are limited to once each month. ●The availability of investment options, contract benefits, or other contract features described in this prospectus may vary depending on the broker-dealer through which the contract is sold.	- Transfers - Variable investment options - Fixed-rate option Other Information - Distribution of Contract
Are There any Restrictions on Contract Benefits?	Yes. ●Certain optional benefits limit or restrict the investment options that you may select under the contract. We may change these restrictions in the future. ●Certain optional benefits generally limit subsequent purchase payments. ●Withdrawals may reduce the value of a benefit by an amount greater than the value withdrawn, which could significantly reduce the value or even terminate the benefit. ●Optional benefits are no longer available for new sales. ●The availability of investment options, contract benefits, or other contract features described in this prospectus may vary depending on the broker-dealer through which the contract is sold.	Other Contract Features - Benefits Under the Contract - Distributions on death - Enhanced death benefit riders - Earnings benefit rider Other Information - Distribution of Contract

 

Taxes		Location in Prospectus
What Are the Contract's Tax Implications?	●You should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under this contract. ●If you purchase the contract through a tax-qualified plan or individual	Financial Information - Federal tax matters

Taxes		Location in Prospectus
	retirement account, you do not get any additional tax deferral. ●You will generally not be taxed on increases in the value of the contract until they are withdrawn. Withdrawals will be subject to ordinary income tax, and may be subject to tax penalties if you take a withdrawal before age 59 1∕2.

 

Conflicts of Interest		Location in Prospectus
How Are Investment Professionals Compensated?	Your investment professional may receive compensation for selling this contract to you, in the form of commissions, additional cash benefits (e.g., bonuses), and non-cash compensation. This conflict of interest may influence your investment professional to recommend this contract over another investment for which the investment professional is not compensated or compensated less.	Your rights and responsibilities - Distribution of the contract
Should I Exchange My Contract?	If you already own an insurance contract, some investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you a new contract in place of the one you own. You should only exchange a contract you already own if you determine, after comparing the features, fees, and risks of both contracts, and any fees or penalties to terminate your existing contract, that it is better for you to purchase the new contract rather than continue to own your existing contract.	Buying a contract - Tax Free "Section 1035" Exchanges

EXPENSE TABLES

The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making partial withdrawals from the contract. The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time that you buy the contract, surrender the contract, make partial withdrawals from the contract or transfer cash value among investment options. State annuity taxes may also be deducted.*

Transaction Expenses 

Sales Load Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of purchase payments):	None
Deferred Sales Load (or Surrender Charge) (as a percentage of purchase payments or amount surrendered, as applicable):	7% of total premiums paid declining annually1

Number of contract years completed from date of the premium payment	Contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) percentage
0	7%
1	6%
2	5%
3	4%
4	3%
5	2%
6	1%
7+	0% and thereafter
Transfer Fee:	Maximum: $25 Current: $0
Withdrawal Fee: $252

The next table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay each year during the time that you own the contract, not including the fees and expenses of the underlying Funds associated with the Variable Investment Options.

Annual Contract Expenses 

Administrative Expenses:
	$35.00*

Base Contract Expenses:

(as a percentage of daily net asset value) 

Base Contract

1.25%

Optional Benefit Expenses:

Optional Death Benefit Expenses

(as a percentage of daily net asset value) 

7 Year Enhanced Death Benefit (7yrEDB)	0.20%
Earnings Benefit (EB)	0.25%
Contract Anniversary Enhanced Death Benefit	0.25%
OPTIONAL LIVING BENEFIT RIDER EXPENSE	0.25%

The next item shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the Funds that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the contract. A complete list of Funds available under the contract, including their annual expenses, may be found in Appendix A at the back of this Prospectus.

Annual Portfolio Company Expenses

(expenses that are deducted from Portfolio Company assets, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses) 

	Minimum	Maximum
	0.50%	1.41%

Expense Examples

These Examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the contract with the cost of investing in other variable annuity contracts. These costs include the Contract Owner transaction expenses, contract fees, separate account annual expenses and underlying mutual fund fees and expenses.

The Examples assume you invested $100,000 in the contract for the time period indicated. The Examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and assume: a) 1.41% maximum and (b) 0.41% minimum fees and expenses of any of the underlying mutual funds. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on those assumptions, your cost would be:

Chart 1. Chart 1 below assumes you select the Basic Contract with the Contract Anniversary Enhanced Death Benefit, Living Benefit and Earnings Benefit Riders, which is the most expensive way to purchase the contract. In this example, you surrender your contract at the end of the applicable time period.

Time Periods 

1 Year	3 Year	5 Year	10 Year
$10,616	$8,715	$6,818	$4,088
$9,660	$7,784	$5,915	$3,268

Chart 2. Chart 2 below assumes you select the Basic Contract with the Contract Anniversary Enhanced Death Benefit, Living Benefit and Earnings Benefit Riders, which is the most expensive way to purchase the contract. In this example, you annuitize your contract or you do not surrender your contract at the end of the applicable time period:

Time Periods 

1 Year	3 Year	5 Year	10 Year
$3,616	$3,715	$3,818	$4,088
$2,660	$2,784	$2,915	$3,268

Chart 3. Chart 3 below assumes you select the Basic Contract without any Riders, which is the least expensive way to purchase the contract. In this example, you surrender your contract at the end of the applicable time period:

Time Periods 

1 Year	3 Year	5 Year	10 Year
$9,828	$7,951	$6,079	$3,425
$8,873	$6,989	$5,114	$2,460

Chart 4. Chart 4 assumes you select the Basic Contract without any Riders, which is the least expensive way to purchase the contract. In this example, you annuitize your contract or you do not surrender your contract at the end of the applicable time period:

Time Periods 

1 Year	3 Year	5 Year	10 Year
$2,828	$2,951	$3,079	$3,425
$1,873	$1,989	$2,114	$2,460

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE CONTRACT

Unsuitable as Short-Term Savings Vehicle. The contract is intended for retirement savings or other long-term investment purposes. It is not suitable as a short-term savings vehicle. This means if you plan to withdraw money or surrender the contract for short-term needs, it may not be the right contract for you. A charge may be assessed on withdrawals and surrenders, and it could be substantial. Withdrawals may reduce the value of a benefit by an amount greater than the value withdrawn, which could significantly reduce the value or even terminate the benefit. Please discuss your insurance needs and financial objectives with your registered representative.

Investment Risk. You bear the risk of any decline in the Accumulation Value of your contract resulting from the performance of the Variable Investment Options you have chosen. The Accumulation Value could decline very significantly, and there is a risk of loss of the entire amount invested. This risk varies with each Variable Investment Option. This risk could have a significant negative impact on certain benefits and guarantees under the contract. The investment risks are described in the prospectuses for the Variable Investment Option.

Investment Restrictions - Opportunity Risks. Generally, the living benefit riders impose restrictions and limitations on your choices of Variable Investment Options. These restrictions and requirements are intended to protect us and reduce the likelihood that we will have to pay guaranteed benefits under the riders out of our own assets. The restrictions and requirements could result in your missing out on some or all positive investment performance by certain of the portfolio companies - this means your opportunity for investment gains may be limited.

Insurance Company Insolvency. Our obligations under the contract are subject to our financial strength and claims-paying ability. It is possible that we could experience financial difficulty in the future and even become insolvent, and therefore unable to provide all of the guarantees and benefits that we promise.

Tax Consequences. Withdrawals are generally taxable (to the extent of any earnings in the contract), and prior to age 59 1∕2 a tax penalty may apply. In addition, even if the contract is held for years before any withdrawal is made, the withdrawals are taxable as ordinary income rather than capital gains.

Contract Changes. We may make certain changes to your contract in the future. We reserve the right to remove or substitute the Variable Investment Options that are available as investment options under the contract. We also reserve the right to discontinue the fixed-rate option at any time, or to suspend, discontinue or otherwise restrict the availability of the fixed-rate option for additional premium payments and/or transfers. We may limit the frequency of transfers to not more than once every 30 days, and we reserve the right to impose a charge for transfers among investment options in excess of 12 per contract year. We may also discontinue any of the annuity payout options or make additional options available. We may change the investment restrictions under the optional benefits.

Business Continuity. Our variable product business is highly dependent upon our employees and the employees of our service providers and business partners being able to perform their job responsibilities, so our business is potentially susceptible to risks that impact employees and could adversely affect our ability to continue to conduct business. These risks include among other things, natural and man-made disasters and catastrophes, such as (but not limited to) storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, public health crises, malicious acts, and terrorist acts. A natural or man-made disaster or catastrophe, including a pandemic (such as COVID-19), could affect the ability or willingness of employees to perform their job responsibilities. Even if our employees and the employees of our service providers are able to work remotely, those working arrangements could result in our business operations being less efficient than under normal circumstances and could lead to delays in our processing of contract-related transactions. Such catastrophic events may also negatively affect the computer and other systems we rely upon, impact our ability to calculate accumulation unit values, or have other possible negative impacts. There can be no assurance that we or our service providers will be able to successfully avoid negative impacts associated with natural and man-made disasters and catastrophes.

Cyber-Security. Our variable product business is highly dependent upon our computer systems and those of our business partners, so our business is potentially susceptible to risks resulting from a cyber-attack. These risks include, among other things, the theft, misuse, corruption and destruction of data maintained online or digitally,

operational disruption, and unauthorized release of confidential customer information. A cyber-attack may adversely affect us and your contract value by, for example, interfering with our processing of contract transactions or our ability to calculate unit values, or causing the release and possible destruction of confidential customer or business information. Cyber security risks may also impact the issuers of securities in which the underlying Funds invest, which may cause the Funds underlying your contract to lose value. While we will continue to take steps to keep our systems safe, there can be no assurance that we or the underlying Funds or our service providers will avoid losses due to cyberattacks or information security breaches.

THE GUARDIAN INSURANCE & ANNUITY COMPANY, INC.

The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC) is a stock life insurance company incorporated in the state of Delaware in 1970. GIAC, which issues the contracts offered by this prospectus, is licensed to conduct an insurance business in all 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia. The company had total admitted assets (Statutory basis) of over $10.9 billion as of December 31, 2025. The financial statements of GIAC, as well as those for the Separate Account, appear in the Statement of Additional Information.

GIAC's executive office is located at 10 Hudson Yards, New York, New York 10001.

GIAC is wholly owned by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian Life), a mutual life insurance company organized in the State of New York in 1860. As of December 31, 2025, Guardian Life had total admitted assets (Statutory basis) in excess of $93.7 billion. Guardian Life does not issue the contracts offered by this prospectus and does not guarantee the benefits they provide. GIAC is obligated to pay all amounts under the contracts, subject to its financial strength and claims-paying ability.

BUYING A CONTRACT

The Purchase Process

If you would like to buy a contract, you must complete and sign the application form. You or your agent then must send it, along with your initial premium payment, by regular U.S. mail to the following address:

For private express mail with tracking number:

Talcott Resolution - Annuity Service Operations
Administrator for your Guardian Annuity Contract
c/o Cognizant, sub-administrator
6716 Grade Ln., Building 9, Suite 910
Louisville, KY 40213

For standard mail delivery without tracking number:

Talcott Resolution - Annuity Service Operations
Administrator for your Guardian Annuity Contract
c/o Cognizant, sub-administrator
P.O. Box 14293
Louisville, KY 40512-4293

Our decision to accept or reject your application is based on administrative rules such as whether you have completed the form completely and accurately. We have the right to reject any application or initial premium payment for any reason.

If we accept your application as received, we will credit your Net Premium payment to your new contract within two Business Days. If your application is not complete within five Business Days of our receiving it, we will return it to you along with your payment.

If you are considering purchasing a contract with the proceeds of another annuity or life insurance contract, it may not be advantageous to replace the existing contract by purchasing this contract. A variable annuity is not a short-term investment.

Payments

We require a minimum initial premium payment of $500. Thereafter, the minimum additional payment is $100. However, if you purchase a contract through an employer payroll deduction plan, we will accept purchase payments below $100. We will not accept an initial premium payment greater than $2,000,000 without prior permission from an authorized officer of GIAC. Without our written consent, total flexible premium payments made in any contract year after the first may not exceed $1,000,000.

Pursuant to tax regulations, the contract is not available for purchase under a 403(b) plan and we do not accept additional premiums or transfers to existing 403(b) contracts.

Tax-Free "Section 1035" Exchanges

You can generally exchange one annuity contract for another in a "tax-free exchange" under Section 1035 of the Internal Revenue Code. Before making an exchange, you should compare both contracts carefully. Remember that if you exchange a contract you already own for another, you might have to pay a surrender charge and taxes, including a possible penalty tax, on your old contract, and there will be a new surrender charge period for the new contract and other charges may be higher (or lower), and the benefits may be different. You should not exchange your contract for a new contract unless you determine, after knowing all the facts, that the exchange is in your best interest and not just better for the person trying to sell you the new contract (that person may earn a commission if you buy the new contract through an exchange or otherwise).

THE ACCUMULATION PERIOD

How We Allocate your Premium Payments

After we receive your initial premium payment and issue a contract to you, we will credit subsequent Net Premium payments to your contract on the same day we receive them, provided we receive them in Good Order at our Mailing Address before the close of a regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. (i.e., on a Valuation Date).

If the New York Stock Exchange closes before its regular closing time, we will credit a premium payment received after that close on the next Valuation Date. If required in your state or municipality, annuity taxes are deducted from your payment before we credit it to your contract. We call the amount remaining after this deduction the Net Premium payment.

If you cancel a premium payment or your premium payment is returned for insufficient funds, we reserve the right to reverse the transaction. You may also be responsible for any losses or fees imposed by your bank and losses that may be incurred as a result of any decline in the value of the investment options you had chosen.

We use your Net Premium payments to purchase Accumulation Units in the Variable Investment Options you have chosen or in the fixed-rate option, according to your instructions in the application or as later changed. The prices of Accumulation Units are set daily because they change along with the share values of the underlying Funds and also includes the daily portion of Separate Account Level Expenses applicable to your contract and any riders chosen. See the Separate Account Level Annual Expenses table under the Expense Tables section. The amount you pay for each unit will be the price calculated on the Valuation Date that we receive and accept your payment.

The value of Accumulation Units will vary as you earn interest in the fixed- rate option or as the value of investments rises and falls in the Variable Investment Options, as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange.

You can change your investment option selections or your allocation percentages by notifying us in writing. We will apply your new instructions to subsequent Net Premium payments after we receive and accept them at our Mailing Address. Please remember that you cannot invest in more than 25 Variable Investment Options, or 24 Variable Investment Options and the fixed-rate option, at any given time.

Automated Purchase Payments

You may elect to participate in our automated payment program by authorizing your bank to deduct money from your checking account or savings account to make monthly purchase payments. We will debit your account on the 15th of each month or the next business day if the 15th is not a business day (or another day of the month that we choose after we notify you). You tell us the amount of the monthly purchase payment and specify the effective date on our authorization form. You may request to participate, change the amount of your purchase payments, change bank accounts or terminate the program at any time prior to the first of the month for your requested transaction to be processed for that month. For IRAs, the maximum monthly purchase payment is 1/12th of your allowable annual contribution. We may modify or terminate the automated payment program at any time, at our sole discretion.

The Separate Account

GIAC has established a Separate Account, known as Separate Account E, to receive and invest your premium payments in the Variable Investment Options. The Separate Account has several investment divisions, 34 of which correspond to the 34 Funds available to you. The performance of each division is based on the Fund in which it invests.

The Separate Account was established by GIAC on September 26, 1996. It is registered as a unit investment trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) and meets the definition of a separate account under federal securities laws. We own all of the assets of the Separate Account. State insurance law provides that the

assets of the Separate Account equal to its reserves and other liabilities are not chargeable with GIAC's obligations except those under annuity contracts issued through the Separate Account. Income, gains and losses of the Separate Account are kept separate from other income, gains or losses of GIAC and other separate accounts.

Each investment division is administered and accounted for as part of the general business of GIAC. Under Delaware law, the income and capital gains or capital losses of each investment division, whether realized or unrealized, are credited to or charged against the assets held in that division according to the terms of each contract, without regard to other income, capital gains or capital losses of the other investment divisions or of GIAC. Contract guarantees, such as Annuity Payments, death benefits and payments made under the guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit rider, are guaranteed solely by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of GIAC. According to Delaware insurance law, the assets of the Separate Account are not chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business GIAC may conduct. Please see Financial information: Federal tax matters.

We have the right to make changes to the Separate Account, to the investment divisions within it, and to the Fund shares they hold. We may make these changes for some or all contracts. These changes must be made in a manner that is consistent with laws and regulations, and when required by law, we will obtain your approval and/or the approval of any appropriate state or federal regulatory authority. We will use this right to serve your best interests and to carry out the purposes of the contract. Possible changes to the Separate Account and the investment divisions include:

In addition, a Fund in which an investment division invests may terminate its agreement with us and discontinue offering its shares to that investment division.

Variable Investment Options

You may choose to invest in a maximum of 20 of the 32 Variable Investment Options or 19 of the Variable Investment Options and the fixed-rate option, if available, at any time. However, if you elect the Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Rider, you must invest all of your premium payments and the contract Accumulation Value in one of the specified asset allocation models.

The Accumulation Value allocated to a Variable Investment Option will vary based on the investment experience of the corresponding Fund in which the Variable Investment Option invests. The Accumulation Value could decline very significantly, and there is a risk of loss of the entire amount invested.

Each underlying Fund is an open-end management investment company, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1940 Act. The Funds have different investment objectives which influence their risk and return. Information regarding each Variable Investment Option, including its name, its type (e.g., money market fund, bond fund, balanced fund, etc.) or a brief statement concerning its investment

objective, its investment adviser and any sub-adviser, current expenses and performance is available in Appendix A: Investment Options Available Under the Contract. More information about the Funds is available in the prospectuses for the Funds, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at https://Guardianlife.onlineprospectus.net/Guardianlife/ram/?ctype=product_prospectus. You can also request this information at no cost by calling the Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147.

Some of these Funds are available under other separate accounts supporting variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies of GIAC and other companies. We do not anticipate any inherent conflicts with these arrangements. However, it is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the use of the same Funds under both variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts, or under variable contracts that are issued by different companies. While the Board of Directors of each Fund monitors activities in an effort to avoid or correct any material irreconcilable conflicts of interest arising out of this arrangement, we may also take actions to protect the interests of our Contract Owners. See the accompanying Fund prospectuses for more information about possible conflicts of interest.

Currently all investment advisors (or their affiliates) pay us compensation every year for administration or other expenses. This compensation ranges from 0.05% to 0.40% of the average daily net assets that are invested in the Variable Investment Options available through the Separate Account. We also receive 12b-1 fees from all Funds, except Guardian Short Duration Bond VIP Fund and Guardian Core Fixed Income VIP Fund. Currently, the amount of 12b-1 fees are 0.25%. These payments may be derived, in whole or in part, from the advisory fee or 12b-1 fee deducted from Fund assets. Contract Owners, through their indirect investment in the Funds, bear the costs of these administration and 12b-1 fees. The amount of these payments may be substantial. We may use these payments for any corporate purpose, including payment of expenses that we and/or our affiliates incur in promoting, marketing, and administering the contracts, and that we incur, in our role as an intermediary, in promoting, marketing and administering the Funds. We may profit from these payments.

For information about the compensation we pay for sales of the contracts, see Distribution of the contract.

Selection of Funds

You may choose to invest in a maximum of 20 of the 32 Variable Investment Options or 19 of the Variable Investment Options and the fixed-rate option, if available, at any time. However, if you elect the Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Rider, you must invest all of your premium payments and the contract Accumulation Value in one of the specified asset allocation models.

The Accumulation Value allocated to a Variable Investment Option will vary based on the investment experience of the corresponding Fund in which the Variable Investment Option invests. The Accumulation Value could decline very significantly, and there is a risk of loss of the entire amount invested.

Each underlying Fund is an open-end management investment company, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1940 Act. The Funds have different investment objectives which influence their risk and return. Information regarding each Variable Investment Option, including its name, its type (e.g., money market fund, bond fund, balanced fund, etc.) or a brief statement concerning its investment objective, its investment adviser and any sub-adviser, current expenses and performance is available in Appendix A: Investment Options Available Under the Contract. More information about the Funds is available in the prospectuses for the Funds, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at https://Guardianlife.onlineprospectus.net/Guardianlife/ram/?ctype=product_prospectus. You can also request this information at no cost by calling the Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147.

Some of these Funds are available under other separate accounts supporting variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies of GIAC and other companies. We do not anticipate any inherent conflicts with these arrangements. However, it is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the use of the same Funds under both variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts, or under variable contracts that are issued by different companies. While the Board of Directors of each Fund monitors activities in an effort to avoid or correct any material irreconcilable conflicts of interest arising out of this arrangement, we may also take actions to protect the interests of our Contract Owners. See the accompanying Fund prospectuses for more information about possible conflicts of interest.

Currently all investment advisors (or their affiliates) pay us compensation every year for administration or other expenses. This compensation ranges from 0.05% to 0.40% of the average daily net assets that are invested in the Variable Investment Options available through the Separate Account. We also receive 12b-1 fees from all Funds, except Guardian Short Duration Bond VIP Fund and Guardian Core Fixed Income VIP Fund. Currently, the amount of 12b-1 fees are 0.25%. These payments may be derived, in whole or in part, from the advisory fee or 12b-1 fee deducted from Fund assets. Contract Owners, through their indirect investment in the Funds, bear the costs of these administration and 12b-1 fees. The amount of these payments may be substantial. We may use these payments for any corporate purpose, including payment of expenses that we and/or our affiliates incur in promoting, marketing, and administering the contracts, and that we incur, in our role as an intermediary, in promoting, marketing and administering the Funds. We may profit from these payments.

Addition, Deletion, or Substitution of Funds

We do not guarantee that each Fund will always be available for investment through a contract. We reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, to add new Funds or Fund classes, close existing Funds or Fund classes, or substitute Fund shares that are held by any investment division of the Separate Account for shares of a different Fund. New or substitute Funds may have different fees and expenses and their availability may be limited to certain classes of purchasers. We will not add, delete or substitute any shares attributable to your interest in a division of the Separate Account without notice to you and prior approval of the SEC, to the extent required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. We may also decide to purchase for the Separate Account securities from other Funds. We reserve the right to transfer Separate Account assets to another separate account that we determine to be associated with the class of contracts to which this contract belongs.

Fixed-Rate OptionThe fixed-rate option is not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and is therefore not subject to the provisions or restrictions of these Acts. However, the following disclosure about the fixed-rate option may be subject to certain generally applicable provisions of the federal securities laws regarding the accuracy and completeness of statements not in prospectuses. The fixed-rate option may not be available for allocation in all states in which the contracts are available. We reserve the right to suspend, discontinue or otherwise restrict the availability of the fixed-rate option for payments under new or existing contracts. In the fixed-rate option, we guarantee that the Net Premium payments you invest will earn daily interest at a minimum annual rate of 3%. You can allocate all of your Net Premium payments to this option, or you may choose it as one of your investment selections. The value of your Net Premiums invested in the fixed-rate option does not vary with the investment experience of any Fund. The money that you put into your fixed-rate option becomes part of GIAC's general assets. At certain times we may choose to pay interest at a rate higher than 3%, but we aren't obliged to do so. Higher interest rates are determined at our discretion, and we can change them prospectively without notice. We don't use a specific formula to determine interest rates; rather we consider such factors as general economic trends, current rates of return on our general account investments, regulatory and tax requirements, and competitive factors. The rate of interest we pay hasn't been limited by our Board of Directors. Here are some of the important conditions that apply when we pay interest on your investments in the fixed-rate option: • The initial interest rate that we credit to your premiums or transfers will be whatever rate is in effect on the date the amounts are allocated to the fixed-rate option. • This interest rate will continue until the next Contract Anniversary date (unless you have elected Dollar Cost Averaging from the fixed-rate option over a shorter period of time). • At that time, all payments and transfers allocated to the fixed-rate option during the previous year, together with interest earned, will be credited with the rate of interest in effect on the renewal date, known as the renewal rate. • The renewal rate will be guaranteed until the next Contract Anniversary date. If your state's insurance department permits, your contract may have what's known as a bailout rate. If the renewal rate set on any Contract Anniversary date is less than the bailout rate, you can withdraw all or part of the money you have invested for at least one year in the fixed-rate option from the contract without incurring a deferred sales charge. We must receive your written request in Good Order for such a withdrawal at our Mailing Address within 60 days after the Contract Anniversary.

Transfers

You generally can transfer money among Variable Investment Options or change your future allocations to options both before and after the date Annuity Payments begin. You can also transfer to and from the fixed-rate option, but only before the date Annuity Payments begin. Transfers are subject to certain conditions, which are described below.

If you are considering a transfer or change in your allocations, be sure to look into each option carefully and make sure your decisions will help you to achieve your long-term investment goals.

During the Accumulation Period and up to 30 days before the date Annuity Payments are scheduled to begin, you can transfer all or part of your Accumulation Value among the contract options. These transfers are subject to the following rules:

Each transfer involving the Variable Investment Options will be based on the Accumulation Unit value that is next calculated after we have received proper transfer instructions from you.

We will implement a transfer or changes to your allocations upon receiving your written, telephone or electronic instructions in Good Order. If we receive your transfer request on a business day before the close of the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive that day's unit value. Your telephone transfer instructions will be considered received before 4:00 p.m. if the telephone call is completed no later than 4:00 p.m.

After the date Annuity Payments begin, if you have a variable annuity option you can transfer all or part of the value of your annuity among the Variable Investment Options only once each month. No fixed-rate option transfers are permitted.

Personal security

When you call us, we will require identification of your contract as well as your personal security code. We may accept transfer instructions or changes to future allocation instructions from anyone who can provide us with this information. Neither GIAC, Park Avenue Securities LLC, nor the Funds will be liable for any loss, damage, cost or expense resulting from a telephonic or electronic request that we reasonably believe to be genuine. As a result, you assume the risk of unauthorized or fraudulent telephonic or electronic transactions. We may record telephone conversations without disclosure to the caller. See Telephonic and electronic services.

Frequent Transfers Among the Variable Investment Options

Frequent or unusually large transfers may dilute the value of the underlying Fund shares if the trading takes advantage of any lag between a change in the value of an underlying Fund's portfolio securities and the reflection of that change in the underlying Fund's share price. This strategy, sometimes referred to as "market timing," involves an attempt to buy shares of an underlying Fund at a price that does not reflect the current market value of the portfolio securities of the underlying Fund, and then to realize a profit when the shares are sold the next business day or thereafter. In addition, frequent transfers may increase brokerage and administrative costs of the underlying Funds, and may disrupt an underlying Fund's portfolio management strategy, requiring it to maintain a relatively higher cash position and possibly resulting in lost opportunity costs and forced liquidations of securities held by the Fund.

GIAC endeavors to protect long-term Contract Owners by maintaining policies and procedures to discourage frequent transfers among investment options under the contracts, and has no arrangements in place to permit any Contract Owner to engage in frequent transfer activity. If you wish to engage in such strategies, do not purchase this contract.

If we determine that you are engaging in frequent transfer activity among investment options, we may, without prior notice, limit your right to make transfers or allocation changes. We monitor for frequent transfer activity among the Variable Investment Options based upon established parameters that are applied consistently to all

Contract Owners. Such parameters may include, without limitation, the length of the holding period between transfers, the number of transfers in a specified period, the dollar amount of transfers, and/or any combination of the foregoing. We do not apply our policies and procedures to discourage frequent transfers to dollar cost averaging programs or any asset rebalancing programs.

If transfer activity violates our established parameters, we will apply restrictions that we reasonably believe will prevent any harm to other Contract Owners and persons with material rights under a contract. This may include applying the restrictions to any contracts that we believe are related (e.g., two contracts with the same owner or owned by spouses or by different partnerships or corporations that are under common control). The restriction that we currently apply is to limit the number of transfers to not more than once every 30 days. We may change this restriction at any time and without prior notice. We will not grant waivers or make exceptions to, or enter into special arrangements with, any Contract Owners who violate these parameters. If we impose any restrictions on your transfer activity, we will notify you in writing. Restrictions that we may impose, subject to certain contract provisions that are required and approved by state insurance departments, include, without limitation:

We currently do not impose redemption fees on transfers or expressly limit the number or frequency of transfers. Redemption fees, transfer limits, and other procedures may be more or less successful than ours in deterring or preventing harmful transfer activity. In the future, some underlying Funds may begin imposing redemption fees on short-term trading (i.e., redemptions of mutual fund shares within a certain number of business days after purchase). We reserve the right to administer and collect any such redemption fees on behalf of the Funds.

Please note that the limits and restrictions described here are subject to GIAC's ability to monitor transfer activity. Our ability to detect harmful transfer activity may be limited by operational and technological systems, as well as by our ability to predict strategies employed by Contract Owners (or those acting on their behalf) to avoid detection. As a result, despite our efforts to prevent frequent transfers, there is no assurance that we will be able to detect and/or to deter frequent transfers.

We may revise our policies and procedures in our sole discretion, at any time and without prior notice, as we deem necessary or appropriate to better detect and deter harmful trading activity, or to comply with state or federal regulatory requirements, or to impose additional or alternative restrictions on Contract Owners engaging in frequent transfers. In addition, our orders to purchase shares of the Funds are generally subject to acceptance by the Fund, and in some cases a Fund may reject or reverse our purchase order. Therefore, we reserve the right to reject any Contract Owners' transfer request if our order to purchase shares of the Fund is not accepted by, or is reversed by, an applicable Fund.

The underlying Funds may have adopted their own policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of their respective shares. The prospectuses for the underlying Funds should describe any such policies and procedures. The frequent trading policies and procedures of an underlying Fund may be different, and more or less restrictive, than the frequent trading policies and procedures of other underlying Funds and the policies and procedures we have adopted to discourage frequent transfers. For instance, an underlying Fund may impose a redemption fee.

You should be aware that, upon request by a Fund or its agent, we are required to provide them with information about you and your trading activities in and out of the Fund(s). In addition, a Fund may require us to restrict or prohibit your purchases and exchanges of Fund shares if the Fund identifies you as having violated the frequent trading policies of that Fund.

Contract Owners should be aware that we may not have the contractual obligation or the operational capacity to monitor Contract Owners' transfer requests and apply the frequent trading policies and procedures of the respective underlying Funds that would be affected by the transfers. For example, underlying Funds may implement policies and procedures for monitoring frequent trading activity that are unique to a particular Fund. Because of the number of underlying Funds that we offer under our variable annuity contracts, it may not be possible for us to implement these disparate policies and procedures. Accordingly, you should assume that the sole protection you may have against potential harm from frequent transfers is the protection, if any, provided by the policies and procedures we have adopted at the contract level to discourage frequent transfers.

You should note that other insurance companies and retirement plans also invest in the underlying Funds and that those companies or plans may or may not have their own policies and procedures on frequent transfers. You should also know that the purchase and redemption orders received by the underlying Funds generally are "omnibus" orders from intermediaries such as retirement plans or separate accounts funding variable insurance contracts. The omnibus orders reflect the aggregation and netting of multiple orders from individual retirement plan participants and/or individual Owners of variable insurance and/or annuity contracts. The omnibus nature of these orders may limit the underlying Funds' ability to apply their respective frequent trading policies and procedures. We cannot guarantee that the underlying Funds will not be harmed by transfer activity relating to the retirement plans and/or other insurance companies that invest in the underlying Funds. If the policies and procedures of other insurance companies or retirement plans fail to successfully discourage frequent transfer activity, it may affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, if an underlying Fund believes that an omnibus order we submit may reflect one or more transfer requests from Contract Owners engaged in frequent transfer activity, the underlying Fund may reject the entire omnibus order and thereby interfere with GIAC's ability to satisfy your request even if you have not made frequent transfers. For transfers into more than one investment option, we may reject or reverse the entire transfer request if any part of it is not accepted by or is reversed by an underlying Fund.

Surrenders and Withdrawals

During the Accumulation Period and while all Contract Owners are living, you can redeem your contract in whole. This is known as surrendering the contract. If you redeem part of the contract, it's called a withdrawal. During the annuity period, unless you selected annuity payout Option V-4, F-4 or F- 5, we will not accept requests for surrenders or withdrawals after the date Annuity Payments begin. See The annuity period: Variable annuity payout options.

Your requests for surrenders and withdrawals must be received in Good Order at our Mailing Address. If you wish to surrender your contract, you must send us the contract or we will not process the request. If you have lost the contract, we will require an acceptable affidavit of loss.

To process a withdrawal, we will redeem enough Accumulation Units to equal the dollar value of your request. When you surrender your contract, we redeem all the units. For both transactions we use the unit value next calculated after we receive a proper request from you at our Mailing Address. We will deduct any applicable contract charges, contingent deferred sales charges (surrender charges) and annuity taxes from the proceeds of a surrender. In the case of a withdrawal, we will cash additional units to cover these charges unless you instruct us to do otherwise. See Financial information: Contract costs and expenses: Contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge). To effect your request, we will cash Accumulation Units in the following order:

For contracts without a GLWB rider, a withdrawal will only be permitted if immediately after the withdrawal the contract surrender value is greater than zero. If the Accumulation Value is less than $2,000 after the withdrawal, then GIAC reserves the right to terminate the contract, subject to any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) for a surrender.

Surrenders and withdrawals are subject to tax, and may be subject to penalty taxes and mandatory federal income tax withholding. Withdrawals reduce your Accumulation Value and your death benefit, and may reduce the value of any guarantees provided by optional benefit riders. Your ability to withdraw or surrender may be limited by the terms of a qualified plan.

Calculating the Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (surrender charge) for a Withdrawal. For the purpose of calculating the contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) and to minimize the applicable contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge), we assume that any amount withdrawn during a contract year will be withdrawn in the following order:

Calculating the Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (surrender charge) for a Surrender. If you surrender the contract, the contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) is equal to the contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) percentage applicable to each Chargeable Premium multiplied by that Chargeable Premium.

Please note:

Systematic Withdrawals. You may request a schedule of systematic withdrawals. Under such a program, you may elect to receive withdrawal proceeds on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. Redemptions from the contract will be effective the date selected. If the effective date falls on a non-business day, the withdrawal will process the following business day. Withdrawals under this program are not the same as Annuity Payments you would receive from a payout option. Your contract value will be reduced by the amount of any withdrawals, applicable contract charges, contingent deferred sales charges (surrender charges) and annuity taxes. Such systematic withdrawals may be used to satisfy special tax rules related to substantially equal periodic payments or other needs you may have. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the calculations for distributed amounts or compliance with tax provisions. Please see Financial information: Federal tax matters.

If we receive your surrender or withdrawal request in Good Order at our Mailing Address before the end of a Valuation Date, then we will process your request based on Accumulation Unit values determined at the end of that Valuation Date. If we receive your surrender or withdrawal request in Good Order at our Mailing Address at or after the end of a Valuation Date or on a day that is not a Valuation Date, then we will process your request based on Accumulation Unit values determined at the end of the next Valuation Date. We will send you your payment within seven days of receiving a request from you in Good Order at our Mailing Address. Please see Managing your annuity: Payments

If you have a question about surrenders or withdrawals, please call us toll free at our Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147.

Assigning Contract Interests

If the contract is a qualified contract, the Contract Owner's interest in the contract cannot be assigned. Assigned contract interests may be treated as a taxable distribution to the Contract Owner. See Financial information: Federal tax matters for more information.

Inactive Contracts

We may cancel the contract and pay the Owner the Accumulation Value in one sum, if, before the Annuity Commencement Date:

The proceeds paid to an Owner may be subject to any applicable contract charges, contingent deferred sales charges (surrender charges) and annuity taxes. Please see Financial information: Federal tax matters.

Every state has "escheatment" or unclaimed property laws which generally declare contracts to be abandoned after a period of inactivity of three to five years from the contract's Annuity Commencement Date or the date the death benefit is due and payable. Such contracts will be surrendered and paid to the abandoned property division or unclaimed property office of the applicable state. States are obligated to pay such assets (without interest) to claimants with proper documentation. You can prevent "escheatment" by keeping your address and the name(s) and address(es) of your designated Beneficiary(ies) current.

Payments

For all transactions, we can delay payment if the contract is being contested. We can also delay payment until a premium payment check has cleared the payee's bank. When permitted by law, we reserve the right to defer the payment of amounts withdrawn from the fixed-rate option for a period of no longer than six months from the date we receive the request for such withdrawal in Good Order at our Mailing Address. We may postpone the date of any calculation or payment from the Variable Investment Options if:

Forms and Reports

In order to complete certain transactions under this annuity you may need to complete additional forms.

We will send you confirmations regarding financial transactions, including premium payments and transfers, and contract changes that you make. These confirmations will provide you with financial information for the current transaction and important disclosures.

We will also send you quarterly, annual and anniversary statements that will provide you with much of the information described above, as well as current contract values for contract benefits.

At least twice each year, we send a shareholder report to each Contract Owner that contains financial information about the underlying Funds you are allocated, in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. If several members of the same household each own a contract, we may send only one such report to that address, unless you instruct us otherwise. Similarly, if several members of the same household each own a contract, we will send only one contract prospectus each year. In addition, at least once each year, we send a statement to each Contract Owner that reports the number of Accumulation Units and their value under the contract.

The shareholder reports for Funds available under your contract will also be made available on a website at https://Guardianlife.onlineprospectus.net/Guardianlife/ram/?ctype=product_prospectus. You may request additional copies by calling our Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147 or writing to our Mailing Address.

Special restrictions

There are special restrictions on withdrawals from contracts issued in connection with Section 403(b) and other qualified plans. Please see Financial information: Federal tax matters for details about how withdrawals can be made from these contracts.

Transfers

You generally can transfer money among Variable Investment Options both before and after the date Annuity Payments begin. You can also transfer to and from the fixed-rate option, but only before the date Annuity Payments are scheduled to begin.

THE ANNUITY PERIOD

When Annuity Payments Begin

You choose the Annuity Commencement Date when your contract is converted to a stream of Annuity Payments. The date you choose cannot be earlier than the first Contract Anniversary (without GIAC's prior consent) or later than the Contract Anniversary immediately following the Annuitant's 100th birthday. Please note that this date may be determined by the retirement plan under which your annuity contract was issued. If your Annuity Commencement Date is on the 29th, 30th or 31st of the month, your Annuity Payments will be processed on the first business day of the following month. Once Annuity Payments begin, you may not change: the Annuitant; the payout option; any guaranteed period under the chosen payout option; or the survivor percentage in either the fixed or variable joint and survivor annuity payment options. See Options V-3 and F-3 below.

How Your Annuity Payments Are Calculated

You can choose an annuitization option and select either variable or fixed payments or a combination of variable and fixed payments, if available under that option. We use the following information to determine the annuity purchase rate when applying your Accumulation Value to an annuity payout option:

Certain guaranteed annuity purchase rates appear in a table in your contract. Currently, we are using annuity purchase rates that are more favorable to you than those in your contract. We may change these rates from time to time but the rate will never be less favorable to you than those guaranteed in your contract. The appropriate annuity purchase rate is then used to calculate the number of annuity units attributable to your selected investment options. You will be credited with these annuity units based on the amount applied to the payout option (your Accumulation Value less any applicable annuity taxes) on the processing date for your first annuity payment. The number of annuity units credited to you is fixed for the duration of the annuity period unless you reallocate among the investment options, take a partial withdrawal from Option V-4, F-4 or F-5 or switch from Option V-4 to Option V-1 or Option F-4 to Option F-1. Each of your variable Annuity Payments is determined by multiplying the number of annuity units for each investment option by the annuity unit value for the appropriate investment option on the payment processing date. Your annuity payment will be the sum of these amounts.

The number and amount of your Annuity Payments won't be affected by the longevity of Annuitants as a group. Nor will they be affected by an increase in our expenses over the amount we have charged in your contract.

We will make Annuity Payments once a month, except as follows:

The assumed investment return is a critical assumption for calculating variable Annuity Payments. For Options V-1, V-2 and V-3, the first variable payment will be based on the assumed investment return of 4%. For Option V-4, you may choose an assumed investment return of 0%, 31/2%, or 5%, if allowed by applicable law or regulation, before we start making payments to you. If no choice is made under Option V-4, 31/2% will be used as the assumed investment return.

The greater the assumed investment return selected, the greater your initial annuity payment will be. A higher assumed investment return may result in a smaller potential growth in Annuity Payments. Conversely, a lower assumed investment return results in a lower initial annuity payment, but future Annuity Payments have the potential to be greater. The first variable payment will be based on the assumed investment return. Subsequent variable payments will fluctuate based on the performance of the Variable Investment Options you have chosen as compared to the assumed investment return. For each such subsequent variable payment:

The interest rate used to compute the present value of any remaining unpaid payments will be the assumed investment return.

Annuity Payout Options

You can choose to have Annuity Payments made under any one or a combination of the variable or fixed-rate annuity payout options that are available under the contract; we will make Annuity Payments to you if the Annuitant is living and the contract is in force on the Annuity Commencement Date. You can make your choice of annuity payout option at any time before your Annuity Payments begin. At any time, we may discontinue any of these options or make additional options available.

Before the Annuity Commencement Date, the Owner(s) may elect to restrict certain rights any Beneficiary may have under the contract in the event that the Contract Owner and/or Annuitant dies while there are guaranteed Annuity Payments still outstanding. If you choose this election, the Beneficiary may not:

We must receive written notice that you elect to apply the above restrictions. Such notice must be received at our Mailing Address, in Good Order and in a form satisfactory to us, before the Annuity Commencement Date. Once elected, only the Contract Owner on record as of the Annuity Commencement Date can revoke this election, and once it is revoked, it cannot be reinstated. Any existing elections will be canceled in the event of a change of ownership or the addition of a new Owner of a contract.

Variable Annuity Payout Options

All variable annuity payout options are designated with the letter "V." After the first payment, the amount of variable Annuity Payments will increase or decrease to reflect the value of your variable annuity units. The value of the units will reflect the performance of the Variable Investment Options chosen. This is why the amount of each payment can vary.

We make a variety of payout options available for you to choose from. If you do not make a choice, we will automatically select Option V-2 with a 120-month guarantee period for payments based on amounts in the Variable Investment Options. (Payments based on amounts in any fixed-rate option that may be attached to your contract will be made monthly under Fixed-Rate Annuity Payout Option F-2, with a guaranteed period of 10 years. See Fixed-rate annuity payout options, below.) You may change to another option if you wish, by submitting a new annuity election form at our Mailing Address before we begin processing your first annuity payment. You may not change your annuity option after we begin processing your first annuity payment.

If you choose a variable annuity payment, or a combination of variable and fixed payments, you may choose an assumed investment return on the variable Annuity Payments of 0%, 3.5% or 5%, if allowed by applicable law or regulation, before we start making payments to you. Once an assumed investment return is chosen, and payments begin, it cannot be changed. If no choice is made, an effective annual interest rate of 3.5% will be used as the assumed investment return. (In New York, the 5% assumed investment return is not available.)

The assumed investment return is a critical assumption for calculating variable Annuity Payments. The greater the assumed investment return selected, the greater your initial annuity payment will be. A higher assumed investment return may result in a smaller potential growth in Annuity Payments. Conversely, a lower assumed investment return results in a lower initial annuity payment, but future Annuity Payments have the potential to be greater. The first variable payment will be based on the assumed investment return. Subsequent variable payments will fluctuate based on the performance of the Variable Investment Options you have chosen as compared to the assumed investment return. For each such subsequent variable payment:

The interest rate used to compute the present value of any remaining unpaid payments will be the assumed investment return.

OPTION V-1 - Life Annuity without Guaranteed Period

We make payments during the Annuitant's lifetime, ending with the payment preceding the Annuitant's death. This option allows for the maximum variable payment because there is neither a guaranteed minimum number of payments nor a provision for a death benefit for Beneficiaries. Payments stop when the Annuitant dies. Therefore, if the Annuitant dies before the date of the second payment, then it is possible that we may make only one payment under this option.

OPTION V-2 - Life Annuity with Guaranteed Period

We make payments during the Annuitant's lifetime, but if the Annuitant dies before the end of the guaranteed period selected by you, the remaining payments will be made to the Beneficiary. Payments are guaranteed for any number of full years between 1 and 30 full years. The length of any guaranteed period must be elected before the Annuity Commencement Date, and cannot exceed the life expectancy of the Annuitant. Upon the Annuitant's death, we will pay the balance of the Annuity Payments for the remainder of the guaranteed period, or the Owner or joint Owner (if living) or the Beneficiary (if any Owner is not living) can choose to take all or part of the remaining payments in a lump sum at the present value of the current dollar amount of the remaining payments. If this payee dies while receiving the payments, the present value of the remaining number of variable Annuity Payments will be paid in one lump sum to the payee's estate.

OPTION V-3 - Joint and Survivor Annuity

We make payments during the joint lifetimes of the Annuitant and a designated second person, the joint Annuitant; if either one dies, payments will continue during the survivor's lifetime. There are two versions available. After the death of the Annuitant or joint Annuitant, payments will continue during the survivor's lifetime based on a percentage (chosen by you) of the number of Annuity Units in the variable payout option while both Annuitants were living. Under one version of this annuity payout option, it is possible that only one annuity payment will be made if both the Annuitant and joint Annuitant die before the date of the second payment. Under a second version, payments are guaranteed for any number of full years between 1 and 30; the length of any guaranteed period must be elected before the Annuity Commencement Date, and cannot exceed the life expectancy of either Annuitant.

OPTION V-4 - Variable Annuity Payments to Age 100

We make payments that are guaranteed for a whole number of years. The number of years will equal 100 minus the Annuitant's age on the birthday nearest the Annuity Commencement Date when Annuity Payments begin. If the Annuitant dies before age 100, we will pay the balance of the payments to the payee for the remainder of that period. Unless the Owner indicates otherwise in a signed written notice received at our Mailing Address in Good Order, the payee can: (i) elect to be paid the present value of the remaining Annuity Payments in a lump sum; or apply the present value of any remaining unpaid Annuity Payments to the Life Annuity without Guaranteed Period annuity payout option and receive variable Annuity Payments under that annuity payout option.

Under Option V-4, the payee has the right to withdraw all or a portion of the present value of the remaining payments (unless the Owner indicates otherwise in a signed written notice received in Good Order at our Mailing Address). If a withdrawal is requested, then we will liquidate Annuity Units in the amount necessary to meet the amount of the request. As a result, there will be fewer remaining Annuity Units, which (in turn) will lower the amount of money you receive in future income payments, and the value of your remaining future payments will decrease. The following conditions apply to withdrawals.

If a withdrawal request does not meet the third condition above, we will promptly attempt to contact the Owner for additional instructions. If we do not receive (in Good Order at our Mailing Address) revised instructions that comply with the third condition within five business days of the original request, then we will pay you the present value of the remaining payments and cancel your contract. This withdrawal is subject to any applicable contract charges and contingent deferred sales charges (surrender charges), and may have tax consequences.

A withdrawal of all or a portion of the present value of the remaining payments may have tax consequences and may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) and annuity taxes, if the amount withdrawn includes Chargeable Premiums. To determine whether Chargeable Premiums are included in a withdrawal, we first determine whether the Accumulation Value (less any applicable annuity taxes) that was applied to the Payments for a Period Certain payout option on the Annuity Commencement Date included any Chargeable Premiums. If so, the withdrawal of those Chargeable Premiums after Annuity Payments have begun may be reduced by a contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge). The contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) for each Chargeable Premium withdrawn will be: 

(a)	×	(	b	)	×	(d)
			c

where:

The interest rate used to compute the present value of any remaining unpaid payments will be the assumed investment return.

Please note:

Contact your tax adviser for more information about the possible tax consequences of electing this annuity payout option.

Fixed-Rate Annuity Payout Options

All Fixed-Rate Annuity Payout Options are designated by the letter "F." For fixed-rate annuity payment options, each $1,000 of Accumulation Value is multiplied by the greater of: (i) the current fixed annuity rate in effect on the Annuity Commencement Date applicable to the payout option elected; or (i) the guaranteed fixed annuity rate for the payout option elected.

OPTION F-1 - Life Annuity without Guaranteed Period

We make fixed payments during the Annuitant's lifetime, ending with the payment preceding the Annuitant's death. This option offers the maximum fixed payment because there is neither a guaranteed minimum number of fixed payments nor a provision for a death benefit for Beneficiaries. Payments stop when the Annuitant dies. Therefore, if the Annuitant dies before the date of the second payment, then it is possible that we may make only one payment under this option.

OPTION F-2 - Life Annuity with Guaranteed Period

We make fixed payments during the Annuitant's lifetime, but if the Annuitant dies before the end of the guaranteed period selected by you, the remaining payments will be made to the Beneficiary. Payments are guaranteed for any number of full years between 1 and 30 full years. The length of any guaranteed period must be elected before the Annuity Commencement Date, and cannot exceed the life expectancy of the Annuitant. Upon the Annuitant's death, we will pay the balance of the Annuity Payments for the remainder of the guaranteed period, or the Owner or joint Owner (if living) or the Beneficiary (if any Owner is not living) can choose to take all or part of the remaining payments in a lump sum at the present value of the current dollar amount of the remaining payments. If this payee dies while receiving the payments, the present value of the remaining number of variable Annuity Payments will be paid in one lump sum to the payee's estate.

OPTION F-3 - Joint and Survivor Annuity

We make fixed payments during the joint lifetimes of the Annuitant and a designated second person, the joint Annuitant; if either one dies, payments will continue during the survivor's lifetime. There are two versions available. After the death of the Annuitant or joint Annuitant, payments will continue during the survivor's lifetime based on a percentage (chosen by you) of the payment in effect while both Annuitants were living. Under one version of this annuity payout option, it is possible that only one annuity payment will be made if

both the Annuitant and joint Annuitant die before the date of the second payment. Under a second version, payments are guaranteed for any number of full years between 1 and 30; the length of any guaranteed period must be elected before the Annuity Commencement Date, and cannot exceed the life expectancy of either Annuitant.

OPTION F-4 - Fixed Annuity Payments to Age 100

We make payments that are guaranteed for a whole number of years. The number of years will equal 100 minus the Annuitant's age on the birthday nearest the Annuity Commencement Date when Annuity Payments begin. Payments will never be less than the guaranteed amounts shown in your contract. If you choose this option, it will earn interest at the then current interest rate set by us. We declare a new interest rate for this option on January 1st of each year, which will remain in effect for the whole calendar year. Annuity payment amounts will increase if the rate we credit is greater than the guaranteed interest rate of 1.5%.

If the Annuitant dies before age 100, we will pay the balance of the payments to the payee for the remainder of that period. Unless the Owner indicates otherwise in a signed written notice received at our Mailing Address and in Good Order, the payee can: (i) elect to be paid the present value of the remaining Annuity Payments in a lump sum; or (ii) apply the present value of any remaining unpaid Annuity Payments to the Life Annuity without Guaranteed Period annuity payout option and receive fixed Annuity Payments under that annuity payout option.

Please note that Option F-4 may have special tax consequences, including the following:

Contact your tax adviser for more information about the possible tax consequences of electing this annuity payout option.

OPTION F-5 - Payments for a Period Certain

We make fixed monthly payments for 15 to 30 years, depending on the whole number of years you select. Payments will never be less than the guaranteed amounts shown in your contract. If you choose this option, it will earn interest at the then current interest rate set by us, which we guarantee will not be less than 1.5%. We declare a new interest rate for this option on January 1st of each year, which will remain in effect for the whole calendar year.

If the Annuitant dies during the payment period, we will pay the balance of the payments to the payee for the remainder of that period. Unless the Owner indicates otherwise in a signed written notice received in Good Order at our Mailing Address, the payee may elect to be paid the present value of the remaining Annuity Payments in a lump sum. The interest rate used to compute the present value of any remaining payments will be the same rate that was used to determine the first monthly annuity payment. If the payee dies while receiving such payments, we will pay the present value of the remaining payments to the payee's estate.

Please note that Option F-5 may have special tax consequences, including the following:

Contact your tax adviser for more information about the tax consequences of electing this annuity payout option.

Please note:

The IRS has concluded that a withdrawal on or after the Annuity Commencement Date is ordinary income subject to tax up to an amount equal to any excess of the cash value (determined without surrender charges) immediately before the withdrawal over the Owner's investment in the contract at the time (i.e., on an income first basis). In prior rulings, the IRS had concluded that the entire amount received as a withdrawal on or after the Annuity Commencement Date from a non-qualified contract was to be taxed as ordinary income (i.e., on an all taxable basis). GIAC currently intends to report amounts received as withdrawals pursuant to the income first basis as set forth in the IRS's most recent ruling. Given the uncertainty in this area, you should consult a tax adviser regarding the tax consequences to you of a withdrawal under Option F-4 or F-5. Other rules may apply to withdrawals from qualified contracts that elect Option F-4 or F-5.

The interest rate used to compute the present value of any remaining unpaid payments will be the guaranteed interest rate of 3% or 1.5%, depending on what rate is required in your state.

Withdrawals under Options F-4 and F-5

Unless the Owner indicates otherwise in a signed written notice received in Good Order at our Mailing Address, under Options F-4 and F-5, the payee has the right to withdraw all or a portion of the present value of the remaining payments. This will result in a reduction in any future payments. A surrender would terminate the Basic Contract. The following conditions apply to withdrawals.

If a withdrawal request does not meet the third condition above, we will promptly attempt to contact the Owner for additional instructions. If we do not receive (in Good Order at our Mailing Address) revised instructions that comply with the third condition within five business days of the original request, then we will pay you (or the Beneficiary in the event that you are no longer living) the present value of the remaining payments and cancel your contract. This withdrawal is subject to any applicable contract charges and contingent deferred sales charges (surrender charges), and may have tax consequences.

A withdrawal of all or a portion of the present value of the remaining payments under Option F-4 or F-5 may have tax consequences and may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) and annuity taxes, if the amount withdrawn includes Chargeable Premiums. To determine whether Chargeable Premiums are included in a withdrawal, we first determine whether the Accumulation Value (less any applicable annuity taxes) that was applied to the Payments for a Period Certain payout option on the Annuity Commencement Date included any Chargeable Premiums. If so, the withdrawal of those Chargeable Premiums after Annuity Payments have begun may be reduced by a contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge). The contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) for each Chargeable Premium withdrawn will be: 

(a)	×	(	b	)	×	(d)
			c

where:

The interest rate used to compute the present value of any remaining unpaid payments will be the guaranteed interest rate of 3%.

OPTION F-6 - 10-Year Guaranteed Period

We make fixed monthly payments to you for a period of ten years. If the Annuitant dies during the ten year payment period, the remaining payments will be made to the Beneficiary or the Beneficiary can choose to take the remaining payments in a lump sum at the present value of the remaining payments. If the Beneficiary dies while receiving the payments, the balance will be paid in one sum at the present value of the remaining payments to the Beneficiary's estate.

Please note that Option F-6 may have special tax consequences, including the following:

Contact your tax adviser for more information.

OTHER CONTRACT FEATURES

Benefits Under the Contract

The following table summarized information about the benefits available under the contract. Please note that this table does not fully describe the terms and conditions of each benefit. You should refer to the applicable sections of this prospectus for additional information. The availability of contract benefits may depend on the broker-dealer through which the contract is sold. See Distribution of the Contract - Broker-Dealer Contract Variations 

Name of Benefit	Purpose	Standard or Optional	Maximum Annual Fee	Brief Description of Restrictions / Limitations
Dollar Cost Averaging from the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio	Allows you to systematically transfer a set amount each month from Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio to other available Variable Investment Options over a 12, 24 or 36-month period	Standard	No Charge	●Must have an Accumulation ●Value of at least $10,000 ●Transfers must be at least $100 ●Available for initial Net Premium and any subsequent Net Premiums received at any time.
Dollar Cost Averaging from the Fixed-Rate Option	Allows you to systematically transfer amounts from the fixed-rate option to any available Variable Investment Options you select, over a three month period	Standard	No Charge	●Must have an Accumulation ●Value of at least $20,000 ●Transfers must be at least $100 ●Available for initial Net Premium and any subsequent Net Premiums received at any time.
Portfolio Rebalancing	Allows us to automatically rebalance your Accumulation Value to return to your original percentage allocations	Standard	No Charge	●Must have Accumulation Value of at least $10,000 ●Transactions processed quarterly
Systematic Withdrawals	Allows you to receive withdrawal proceeds on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis	Standard	No Charge	●Reduces your contract value by the amount of any withdrawals, (contract charges, surrender charges, and annuity taxes may be applicable)
Death Benefit	If Annuitant is age 75 or younger at contract issue, pays a death benefit equal to the greater of (1) Accumulation Value, less annuity taxes; or (2) total amount of premiums paid, less any adjustments for withdrawals, surrender charges, and annuity taxes. If Annuitant is age 76 or older at contact issue, the death benefit equals the Accumulation Value at the time of death.	Standard	No Charge	●Withdrawals will proportionately reduce the benefit, and such reductions could be significant
Contract Anniversary Enhanced Death	Pays an enhanced death benefit equal to the highest Accumulation	Optional	0.25% of net assets of Variable	●Can only be elected at contract issue

Name of Benefit	Purpose	Standard or Optional	Maximum Annual Fee	Brief Description of Restrictions / Limitations
Benefit Rider	Value on any Contract Anniversary Date before the Annuitant's 85th birthday plus any premiums paid less any partial withdrawals and contingent deferred sales charges		Investment Options	●Annuitants must be under age 75 ●Withdrawals will proportionately reduce the benefit, and such reductions could be significant
Earnings Benefit Rider	Pays an enhanced death benefit increased by an earnings benefit amount equal to a percentage of the excess, if any, of the Accumulation Value over the adjusted premiums	Optional	0.25% of net assets of Variable Investment Options	●Can only be elected at contract issue ●Annuitants must be under age 75 ●If there is any change to the owner or Annuitant after the purchase of the contract, no benefit will be paid ●Withdrawals will proportionately reduce the benefit, and such reductions could be significant
Seven Year Enhanced Death Benefit Rider	Provides an enhanced death benefit equal to the Accumulation Value at the end of the reset date immediately preceding the Annuitant's death plus any premiums paid less any partial withdrawals and contingent deferred sales charges after that reset date	Optional	0.20% of net assets of Variable Investment Options	●Can only be elected at contract issue ●Annuitants must be under age 75 ●First reset date is on the seventh Contract Anniversary Date and each seventh Contract Anniversary Date thereafter ●Withdrawals will proportionately reduce the benefit, and such reductions could be significant
Living Benefit Rider (referred to as "Decade")	Provides for a living benefit to be credited to the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio if, on the tenth Contract Anniversary Date, the contract Accumulation Value on that date is less than the initial premium payment adjusted for partial withdrawals made before that date	Optional	0.25% of net assets of Variable Investment Options	●Can only be elected at contract issue ●Annuitant must be age 74 or younger ●Withdrawals will proportionately reduce the benefit, and such reductions could be significant ●Must allocate Net Premiums in accordance with investment allocation requirements ●Additional premium payments are not accepted

Managing Your Annuity

You may wish to take advantage of one of the programs we offer to help you build a stronger annuity. These include dollar cost averaging and portfolio rebalancing.

There is no fee for dollar cost averaging or portfolio rebalancing, but we have the right to introduce one. We also have the right to modify or discontinue either program. We'll give you written notice if we do so. Transfers under either program do not count against any free transfers permitted under the contract.

You may terminate either program at anytime. However, money in the fixed-rate option will be subject to transfer restrictions which apply to the fixed-rate option. See Transfers for limitations on such transfers.

Assigning contract interests

If the contract is part of a corporate retirement plan or an individual plan under sections 401(a), 403(b) or 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Contract Owner's interest in the contract cannot be assigned, unless the Contract Owner is not the Annuitant or the Annuitant's employer. Assigned contract interests may be treated as a taxable distribution to the Contract Owner. See Federal tax matters for more information.

Dollar Cost Averaging

You may wish to take advantage of one of the programs we offer to help you build a stronger annuity, such as dollar cost averaging.

There is no fee for dollar cost averaging, but we have the right to introduce one. We also have the right to modify or discontinue this program. We'll give you written notice if we do so. Transfers under this program do not count against any free transfer permitted under the contract. You may terminate the program at any time. However, money in the fixed-rate option will be subject to transfer restrictions which apply to the fixed-rate options. See Transfers for limitations on such transfers.

You can transfer specific amounts of money from one investment option to another on a monthly basis, as opposed to investing the total amount at one time. This approach may help lower your average dollar cost of investing over time. However, there is no guarantee that dollar cost averaging will result in profits or prevent losses.

If you wish to take advantage of this program, you must designate a dollar amount to be transferred automatically out of the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio investment division. The money can go into one or more of the other Variable Investment Options or the fixed-rate option. The rule still applies that you can invest in a maximum of only twenty options at one time (this includers the dollar cost averaging programs do not count against any free transfers permitted under your contract. We offer two dollar cost averaging programs required Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio option).

You can begin dollar cost averaging when you buy your contract or at any time afterwards, until Annuity Payments begin, by completing the dollar cost averaging election form and returning it to us. We must receive it in Good Order at least three business days before the monthly anniversary date of when you wish the transfers to begin.

You may select dollar cost averaging from the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio investment division for periods of 12, 24 or 36 months. Your total Accumulation Value at the time must be at least $10,000 for transfers over a 12 month period, and $20,000 for transfers over a 24 to 36 month period. Transfers will be made in the amounts you designate and must be at least $100 per receiving investment option.

Reports

At least twice each year, we send a report to each Contract Owner that contains financial information about the underlying Funds, according to applicable laws, rules and regulations. In addition, at least once each year, we send a statement to each Contract Owner that reports the number of accumulation units and their value under the contract.

If several members of the same household each own a contract, we may send only one such report or prospectus to that address, unless you instruct us otherwise.

You may receive additional copies by calling our Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147 or writing our Mailing Address.

Portfolio Rebalancing

Over time, you may find that the investment performance of certain Funds results in a shift in your holdings from the percentage you originally allocated. If this occurs, you may wish to use our portfolio rebalancing program to maintain a desired asset allocation mix. If you choose, we will automatically transfer amounts among your Variable Investment Options to return them to the designated percentages when any percentage exceeds or is less than your chosen percentages by at least 5%. We will process these transfers quarterly. To participate in this program you must have an Accumulation Value of at least $10,000.

Payments

For all transactions, we can delay payment if the contract is being contested. We can also delay payment until a premium payment check has cleared the payee's bank. When permitted by law, we reserve the right to defer the payment of amounts withdrawn from the fixed-rate option for a period of no longer than six months from the date we receive the request for such withdrawal in Good Order at our Mailing Address. We may postpone the date of any calculation or payment from the Variable Investment Options if:

Federal laws designed to counter terrorism and prevent money laundering by criminals might in certain circumstances require us to reject a premium payment and/or "freeze" a Contract Owner's account. If these laws apply in a particular situation, we would not be allowed to accept premium payments or to process any request for a surrender, withdrawal, or transfer, or pay death benefits or make Annuity Payments. The contract will remain frozen until we receive instructions from the appropriate federal regulator. These laws may also require us to provide information about you and your contract to government agencies and departments.

Death Benefits

If the Annuitant you have named dies before the date Annuity Payments begin, we pay a death benefit. In addition, you have the option of buying an enhanced death benefit rider which may provide a higher death benefit.

The regular death benefit is the greatest of:

For annuitants aged 75 or older on the contract's issue date, the death benefit will be the Accumulation Value at the end of the Valuation Period during which we receive proof of death.

Generally, your Beneficiaries will be taxed on the gain in your annuity contract. For qualified contracts, your beneficiary designation may be impacted by the 10-year distribution rule under the SECURE Act. Consult your tax adviser about the estate tax and income tax consequences of your particular situation.

We normally pay the death benefit within seven days of receiving in Good Order proof of death. However, we have the right to defer the payment of other contract benefits under certain circumstances. These are described under Surrenders and partial withdrawals.

If the Annuitant is not the Contract Owner and dies on or before the date that Annuity Payments begin, we will pay the death benefits to the Beneficiary. If the Beneficiary has also died, we will pay the benefits to the Contingent Beneficiary. If a Contingent Beneficiary has not been named, then we will pay the benefits to you, the Contract Owner. However, if you are no longer living, we will pay the benefits to your estate.

If you are both the Annuitant and the owner of the contract, and you die before the date Annuity Payments begin, we will pay the death benefit to your Beneficiary, as described above. However, we must distribute your interest according to the Special requirements outlined below. In this situation, your Beneficiary will become the new Contract Owner.

We will pay the death benefit in a lump sum unless:

If the death benefit proceeds will not be paid in one lump sum and the death benefit proceeds exceed the Accumulation Value of the contract as of the end of the Valuation Period during which we received proof of death in Good Order, GIAC will credit to the contract an amount equal to the difference between the death benefit proceeds and the Accumulation Value of the contract. Such amount will be credited to the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio investment option.

If you are a Contract Owner but not the Annuitant, and you die before the date Annuity Payments begin, then any joint Contract Owner will become the new Contract Owner. You may only name your spouse as a joint Contract Owner. If you have not named your spouse as joint Contract Owner, then your Beneficiary will become the new Contract Owner. In the event of any Contract Owner's death, we must distribute all of the Owner's interest in the contract according to the Special requirements outlined below.

Primary Annuitant

Please note that the primary Annuitant is determined in accordance with Section 72(s) of the Internal Revenue Code, which states that he or she is the person the events in the life of whom are of primary importance in affecting the timing or amount of the payout under the contract.

Multiple Beneficiaries

If there is more than one Beneficiary, each Beneficiary's portion of the death benefit proceeds will be distributed upon receipt of settlement instructions in Good Order from that Beneficiary. Proceeds for those Beneficiaries who have not provided settlement instructions in Good Order will remain in the contract and the value of such proceeds will fluctuate with the performance of the contract's current investment allocation until we receive such instructions. Therefore, each Beneficiary may receive a different amount, even when all Beneficiaries have been designated to share the proceeds equally.

Death of an Owner or Annuitant on or after the Annuity Commencement Date

If any Owner dies on or after the Annuity Commencement Date, and before the entire interest in the contract has been distributed, then any remaining portion of such interest will be distributed to the Beneficiary at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death.

If you die on or after the Annuity Commencement Date, and before the entire interest in the contract has been distributed, then any remaining portion of such interest will be distributed to the Beneficiary pursuant to the new RMD rules under the SECURE Act. A Beneficiary that is an eligible designated beneficiary may continue annuity payments under the method of distribution being used as of the date of death, provided that annuity payments do not extend beyond the Beneficiary's life expectancy. A Beneficiary that is not an eligible designated beneficiary must distribute any remaining interest in the contract by the end of the calendar year of the 10th anniversary of your death.

If an owner of the contract is not an individual, then the primary Annuitant will be treated as the owner of the contract. In this situation, any change in the Annuitant will be treated as the death of the Contract Owner.

As a result of the enactment of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act on December 20, 2019, your contract is subject to new required minimum distribution (RMD) rules for certain beneficiaries. If your beneficiary is not an eligible designated beneficiary at the time of your death, your beneficiary is required to distribute any remaining interest in the contract by the end of the calendar year of the 10th anniversary of your death. An eligible designated beneficiary is an individual who at the time of your death is 1) your surviving spouse, 2) your minor child, 3) disabled, 4) chronically ill, or 5) any other individual who is not more than 10 years younger than you. Your minor child will no longer be considered an eligible designated beneficiary as of the date they reach majority. After your death and upon reaching the age of majority, such a beneficiary will have 10 years from that date to receive any remaining interest in the contract.

The RMD rules will be satisfied if any portion of the deceased Contract Owner's interest:

Under the above conditions, distributions must begin by December 31st of the year following the year of your death.

If the Beneficiary (or sole surviving joint Contract Owner) is your spouse, he or she can continue the contract, assuming the role of Contract Owner. If a Beneficiary is not a natural person, the Beneficiary must elect that the entire death benefit be distributed within five years of the date of death.

Spousal Continuation

Your contract may be continued under spousal continuation if:

If the sole Beneficiary is legally recognized as the decedent's spouse for federal tax purposes, he or she may elect to continue the annuity contract. If the Beneficiary elects this option, the Beneficiary may become the owner and Annuitant of the contract and must designate a new Beneficiary. This will give the Beneficiary access to all of the rights and privileges of the contract. Prior to selecting this option, the Beneficiary may want to review the annuity contract to determine if the option best suits his or her needs.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that same-sex marriages must be permitted under state law and marriages recognized under state law will be recognized for federal law purposes.

We must receive notice of due proof of death (of the owner) in Good Order at our Mailing Address. The surviving spouse may provide notice of election of spousal continuation by the 90th day in Good Order at our Mailing Address. Spousal continuation will not satisfy minimum required distribution rules for qualified contracts other than IRAs.

Upon spousal continuation, if the death benefit proceeds that would have been paid upon the Owner's death exceed the Accumulation Value on the date used to calculate the death benefit, then we will credit the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio variable investment option with an amount equal to the difference between the death benefit proceeds and the Accumulation Value. If applicable, the surviving spouse will replace the deceased owner as Annuitant or Contingent Annuitant. The death benefit payable under the continued contract is the Accumulation Value at the end of the Valuation Period during which we receive proof of death of the surviving spouse, minus any annuity taxes.

All premium payments made prior to spousal continuation will not be subject to a deferred sales charge. All provisions of the contract with respect to deferred sales charges will apply to the partial withdrawal or surrender of any premium payments made after spousal continuation.

Enhanced Death Benefits

When you buy your contract, you can choose to buy an enhanced death benefit rider. The enhanced death benefit riders are only available if the Annuitants are under age 75. If a death benefit is payable and one of these options is in force, the Beneficiary will receive either the death benefit described above or the enhanced death benefit, whichever is greater. You should consult your tax adviser prior to selecting any rider.

Two riders are offered:

We may offer these riders to existing Contract Owners in the future. These riders may not be available in your state or the terms and conditions may vary from state to state. You should contact your registered representative for information about the availability of any of the riders under your contract.

7 Year Enhanced Death Benefit Rider

The enhanced death benefit under this rider is calculated as follows:

The first reset date is on the seventh Contract Anniversary date. After this, each reset date will be each seventh Contract Anniversary date after that (i.e., the 14th, 21st and 28th contract anniversaries, and so on).

Contract Anniversary Enhanced Death Benefit Rider

The enhanced death benefit under this rider is calculated as follows:

Owners who select this rider at the time their contract is issued may be eligible for waivers of deferred sales charges. See Contract costs and expenses - Contingent deferred sales charge.

We will terminate either enhanced death benefit rider on the earliest of the following dates:

Earnings Benefit Rider

When you buy your contract, you can choose to buy an earnings benefit rider. You will pay a daily charge for this rider based on an annual rate of 0.25% of the net assets of your Variable Investment Options.

The earnings benefit rider may in certain circumstances increase the death benefit payable, based on a percentage of your contract earnings up to a specified maximum limit of your adjusted premium payments. How we determine both earnings and adjusted premiums are described below.

You should evaluate the following when considering this rider:

We are seeking regulatory approval for this feature and will offer it in those jurisdictions where we have received such approval. Terms and conditions may differ between jurisdictions when the feature is approved. The earnings benefit rider is not available to current Contract Owners.

If the Annuitant is 69 or younger when we issue the contract, the earnings benefit will be 40% of earnings at the time of the Annuitant's death (the Accumulation Value minus the adjusted premiums) with a maximum payment of 40% of adjusted premiums.

If the Annuitant is between the age of 70 and 79 when we issue the contract, the earnings benefit will be 25% of earnings upon the Annuitant's death (the Accumulation Value minus the adjusted premiums), with a maximum payment of 25% of adjusted premiums.

Your spouse may continue a contract with the earnings benefit rider upon your death only if you are the Annuitant and sole owner and your spouse is the sole Beneficiary when the contract is issued. Any later changes in the Annuitant or owner will prevent your spouse from continuing the rider. If your spouse is 80 or older upon your death, your spouse may not continue this rider.

If your spouse elects to continue this rider upon your death, we will credit the contract an amount equal to the amount by which the death benefit then payable under the contract (including the enhanced death benefit, if applicable) plus any earnings benefit payable exceeds the Accumulation Value of the contract on the date of death. This amount will be credited to the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio variable investment option. Your spouse will be subject to the same fees, charges and expenses that were applicable to you, except that your spouse may not continue any riders (other than the earnings benefit rider) that had been elected for the contract, and charges will not be deducted for other rider benefits after your death.

Upon the death of your surviving spouse before the Annuity Commencement Date, the earnings benefit proceeds must be distributed to the Beneficiaries named by your spouse or allocated to the contract if the Beneficiaries continue the contract. However, the Beneficiaries may not continue the rider. To determine the amount of any earnings benefit on the date of your spouse's death, we begin by calculating two different numbers:

If your spouse is age 69 or younger upon your death, the Beneficiaries will receive 40% of the lesser of these amounts.

If your spouse is between ages 70 and 79 upon your death, the Beneficiaries will receive 25% of the lesser of these two amounts.

In summary, upon your surviving spouse's death, we calculate whether a second earnings benefit is payable based on a percentage of earnings from the time of your death until your spouse's death (the second number indicated above). However, such amount payable may not be more than the specified percentage of the adjusted premiums (as explained in the first number indicated above).

As mentioned above, for purposes of calculating the earnings benefit, the amount of the premiums is adjusted for any partial withdrawals and any applicable deferred sales charges and annuity taxes. Each time you make a partial withdrawal, we will adjust premium amounts by multiplying the premium payment amount (or, if the amount has been previously adjusted, the adjusted premium payment amount) by: 

your partial withdrawal amount, (including any deferred sales charges and annuity taxes)

the Accumulation Value of your contract prior to withdrawal.

We will terminate the earnings benefit rider on the earliest of the following dates:

Once the rider is terminated, it cannot be reinstated, and no further charges will be deducted for this benefit.

Living Benefit Rider (Referred To As "Decade")

When you buy your contract, you can choose to buy a living benefit rider. In order to purchase this rider, the Annuitant must be 74 years old or younger at the time we issue your contract. You will pay a daily charge for this rider based on an annual rate of 0.25% of the net assets of your Variable Investment Options.

This rider provides for a living benefit on the tenth Contract Anniversary if the Accumulation Value of your contract on that date is less than your initial premium payment, adjusted as described below for any partial withdrawals you've made before that date. The living benefit amount you may receive is equal to the amount by which the adjusted initial premium payment exceeds your Accumulation Value on the tenth Contract Anniversary.

If you elect the living benefit rider, you will be subject to a number of special rules while the rider is in force:

If you are eligible to receive the living benefit at the tenth Contract Anniversary, the living benefit amount will be credited to the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio variable investment option. As mentioned above, for the purposes of calculating the living benefit, the amount of the initial premium is adjusted for any partial withdrawals (including any applicable deferred sales charges) and annuity taxes. Each time you make a partial withdrawal, we will adjust the initial premium payment amount by multiplying the initial premium payment amount (or, if the amount has been previously adjusted, the adjusted initial premium payment amount) by: 

your withdrawal amount

the Accumulation value of your contract

We will terminate the living benefit rider on the earliest of the following dates:

If the contract is jointly owned by you and your spouse, your spouse may continue the contract and the rider after your death, provided the Annuitant is still living.

This rider is only available if it is approved in your state. Once the rider is terminated, it cannot be reinstated, and no further charges will be deducted for this benefit.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

How We Calculate Accumulation Unit Values

When you choose a Variable Investment Option, you accumulate variable Accumulation Units. To calculate the number of Accumulation Units you buy with each payment, we divide the amount you invest in a Variable Investment Option by the value of units in that Variable Investment Option. We use the unit value next calculated after we have received and accepted your payment. We calculate unit values at the close of business of the New York Stock Exchange, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the Exchange is open for trading.

To determine your Accumulation Value in the Variable Investment Options, we multiply the number of Accumulation Units in each Variable Investment Option by the current unit value for that option. The current unit value for each Variable Investment Option is determined by multiplying the unit value for the applicable Variable Investment Option for the prior Valuation Period by the net investment factor for the current Valuation Period.

The net investment factor is a measure of the investment experience of each Variable Investment Option. We determine the net investment factor for a given Valuation Period as follows:

Contract Costs and Expenses

We deduct the charges described below to cover costs and expenses, services provided, and risks assumed under the contracts. The amount of a charge may not strictly correspond to the costs of providing the services or benefits indicated by the name of the charge or related to a particular contract, and we may profit from charges. For example, the contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) may not fully cover all of the sales and distribution expenses actually incurred by GIAC, and proceeds from other charges, including the mortality and expense risk charge, may be used in part to cover these expenses.

No sales charges are deducted from your premium payments when you make them. However, the following charges do apply:

Expenses of the Funds

The Funds you choose through your Variable Investment Options have their own management fees, 12b-1 fees, redemption fees and general operating expenses. The deduction of these fees and expenses is reflected in the per- share value of the Funds. They are fully described in the Funds' prospectuses.

Mortality and expense risk charge

To cover our mortality and expense risk, you will pay a daily charge based on an annual rate of 1.05% of your Accumulation Value in the Variable Investment Options. Mortality risks arise from our promise to pay death benefits and make Annuity Payments to each Annuitant for life. Expense risks arise from the possibility that the amounts we deduct to cover sales and administrative expenses may not be sufficient. We expect a profit from this charge and we can use any such profit for any legitimate corporate purpose, including paying distribution expenses for the contracts.

Administrative expense

You will also pay a daily charge based on an annual rate of 0.20% of your Accumulation Value in the Variable Investment Options to compensate us for processing and administrative expenses incurred in connection with the contract and the Separate Account.

In addition, the following charges may apply:

Contract fee

We deduct a yearly fee of $35 on each anniversary date of your contract. To pay this charge, we will cancel the number of accumulation units that is equal in value to the fee. We cancel accumulation units in the same proportion as the percentage of the contract's Accumulation Value attributable to each variable investment option and the fixed-rate option. If you surrender your contract before the Contract Anniversary date, we will still deduct the contract fee for that year. We will waive the contract fee if the Accumulation Value is $100,000 or more on the anniversary date of your contract.

Contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge)

If you make a partial withdrawal from your Accumulation Valu e or surrender your contract, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge on any amount that has been in your contract for less than seven contract years. This charge compensates us for expenses related to the sale of contracts. These include commissions to registered representatives, as well as promotional expenses.

When we calculate the contingent deferred sales charge, all amounts taken out are assumed to come from the oldest premium. We do this to minimize the amount you owe. Contingent deferred sales charges are listed in the table.

The contingent deferred sales charge percentage is applied to the lesser of:

We don't impose contingent dferred sales charges on contracts bought by:

Contingent deferred sales charges (surrender charge) 

Number of contract years completed from the date of premium payment	Contingent deferred sales charge (%)
0	7
1	6
2	5
3	4
4	3
5	2
6	1
7+	0

Enhanced death benefit rider expense

If you choose one of the enhanced death benefit options and it is in effect, you will pay a daily charge based on an annual rate of 0.20% or 0.25% of the net assets of your Variable Investment Options, depending on the option chosen

Living benefit rider expense

If you choose the living benefit rider and it is in effect, you will pay a daily charge based on an annual rate of 0.25% of the net assets of your Variable Investment Options.

Earnings benefit rider expense

If you choose the earnings benefit rider and it is in effect, then you will pay a daily charge based on an annual rate of 0.25% of your Accumulation Value in the Variable Investment Options. This fee is charged even during periods when this rider would not pay any benefits because there are no earnings.

Partial withdrawal charge

During the annuity period, under Option V-4, F-4 or F-5 if you make more than one partial withdrawal in a calendar quarter, you will pay an administrative charge equal to the lesser of $25 or 2% of the amount of the partial withdrawal.

Annuity taxes

Some states and municipalities may charge annuity taxes when premium payments are made or when you begin to receive Annuity Payments. These taxes currently range from 0.50% up to 3.5% of the premium payments made.

In jurisdictions where the annuity tax is incurred when a premium payment is made, we will pay the annuity tax on your behalf and then deduct the same amount from the value of your contract when you surrender it, or on your death, or when your Accumulation Value is applied under a payout option, whichever happens first. We will do this only if permitted by applicable law.

Transfer charge

Currently, we do not charge for transfers. However, we reserve the right to charge up to $25 for each transfer. We will deduct this charge on a proportional basis from the options from which amounts are transferred.

Federal Tax Matters

The following summary provides a general description of the Federal income tax considerations associated with the contract. It is not intended to be complete, to cover all tax situations or address state taxation issues. This summary is not intended as tax advice. You should consult a tax adviser for more complete information. This summary is based on our understanding of the present Federal income tax laws. We make no representation as to the likelihood of continuation of the present Federal income tax laws or as to how they may be interpreted by the IRS.

We believe that our contracts will qualify as annuity contracts for Federal income tax purposes and the following summary assumes so. Tax law imposes several requirements that variable annuities must satisfy in order to receive the tax treatment normally accorded to annuity contracts.

When you invest in an annuity contract, you usually don't pay taxes on your investment gains until you withdraw the money - generally for retirement purposes. In this way, annuity contracts have been recognized by the tax authorities as a legitimate means of deferring tax on investment income.

We believe that if you are a natural person you won't be taxed on increases in the Accumulation Value of a contract until a distribution occurs or until Annuity Payments begin. For these purposes, the agreement to assign or pledge any portion of a contract's Accumulation Value and, in the case of a qualified contract (described below), any portion of an interest in the qualified plan generally will be treated as a distribution.

When Annuity Payments begin, you generally will be taxed only on the investment gains you have earned and not on the payments you made to purchase the contract. Generally, withdrawals from your annuity should only be made once you reach age 59 1∕2, die or are disabled; otherwise a 10% tax penalty may be applied against any amounts included in income. Additional exceptions may apply to distributions from a qualified contract. You should consult a tax adviser with regard to exceptions from the tax penalty.

If you invest in a variable annuity as part of an individual retirement plan, pension plan or employer-sponsored retirement program, your contract is called a qualified contract. If your annuity is independent of any formal retirement or pension plan, it is termed a non-qualified contract.

Diversification Requirements. The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code") requires that the investments of each investment division of the separate account underlying the contracts be "adequately diversified" in order for the contracts to be treated as annuity contracts for Federal income tax purposes. It is intended that each investment division, through the Fund in which it invests, will satisfy these diversification requirements.

Owner Control. 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 and may be subject to tax currently on income and gains produced by those assets. Although published guidance in this area does not address certain aspects of the contracts, such as the flexibility of an Owner to allocate premium payments and transfer amounts among the investment divisions of the separate account, we believe that the Owner of a contract should not be treated as the Owner of the separate account assets. We reserve the right to modify the contracts to bring them into conformity with applicable standards should such modification be necessary to prevent Owners of the contracts from being treated as the Owners of the underlying separate account assets.

Required Distributions. In order to be treated as an annuity contract for Federal income tax purposes, section 72(s) of the Code requires any non-qualified contract to contain certain provisions specifying how your interest in the contract will be distributed in the event of the death of a holder of the contract. Specifically, section 72(s) requires that (a) if any holder dies on or after the Annuity Commencement Date, but prior to the time the entire interest in the contract has been distributed, the entire interest in the contract will be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of such holder's death; and (b) if

any holder dies prior to the annuity starting date, the entire interest in the contract will be distributed within five years after the date of such holder's death. These requirements will be considered satisfied as to any portion of a holder's interest which is payable to or for the benefit of a designated Beneficiary and which is distributed over the life of such designated Beneficiary or over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of that Beneficiary, provided that such distributions begin within one year of the holder's death. The designated Beneficiary refers to a natural person designated by the holder as a Beneficiary and to whom ownership of the contract passes by reason of death. However, if the designated Beneficiary is the surviving spouse of the deceased holder, the contract may be continued with the surviving spouse as the new holder.

The non-qualified contracts contain provisions that are intended to comply with these Code requirements, although no regulations interpreting these requirements have yet been issued. We intend to review such provisions and modify them if necessary to assure that they comply with the applicable requirements when such requirements are clarified by regulation or otherwise. The right of a spouse to continue the contract, and all contract provisions relating to spousal continuation are available only to a person who meets the definition of "spouse" under federal law. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that same-sex marriages must be permitted under state law and that marriages under state law will be recognized for federal law purposes. Partners in a registered domestic partnership, civil union or similar formal relationship under state law that is not denominated as marriage under the laws of that state may not continue the contract, such partners will not be considered married for federal tax purposes. Therefore, the favorable tax treatment provided under federal law to surviving spouses is not available to such partners and spousal continuation in such cases may impact the contract's qualification as a tax deferral vehicle. Please consult with a tax advisor with questions regarding your tax situation.

Other rules may apply to qualified contracts.

When you invest in an annuity contract, you usually do not pay taxes on your investment gains until you withdraw the money - generally for retirement purposes. In this way, annuity contracts have been recognized by the tax authorities as a legitimate means of deferring tax on investment income.

We believe that if you are a natural person you will not be taxed on increases in the Accumulation Value of a contract until a distribution occurs or until Annuity Payments begin. For these purposes, the agreement to assign or pledge any portion of a contract's Accumulation Value and, in the case of a qualified contract (described below), any portion of an interest in the qualified plan generally will be treated as a distribution. If an Owner transfers a contract without adequate consideration to a person other than the Owner's spouse (or to a former spouse incident to divorce), the Owner will be taxed on the difference between the cash surrender value and the investment in the contract at the time of the transfer.

When Annuity Payments begin, you generally will be taxed only on the investment gains you have earned and not on the payments you made to purchase the contract. Generally, withdrawals from your annuity should only be made once you reach age 59 1∕2, die or are disabled; otherwise a 10% tax penalty may be applied against any amounts included in income. Additional exceptions may apply to distributions from a qualified contract. You should consult a tax adviser with regard to exceptions from the tax penalty. The Owner generally will be responsible for taxes owed on taxable distributions from the contract, but different results could apply in some cases if the Owner names someone other than the Owner as the payee under the contract.

If you invest in a variable annuity as part of an individual retirement plan, pension plan or employer-sponsored retirement program, your contract is called a qualified contract. If your annuity is independent of any formal retirement or pension plan, it is termed a non-qualified contract.

Taxation of non-qualified contracts

Non-natural person- If a non-natural person owns a non-qualified annuity contract, the Owner generally must include in income any increase in the excess of the Accumulation Value over the investment in the contract (generally, the premiums or other consideration paid for the contract) during the taxable year. There are some exceptions to this rule and a prospective Owner that is not a natural person should discuss these with a tax adviser.

This following summary generally applies to contracts owned by natural persons.

Withdrawals before the Annuity Commencement Date- When a withdrawal from a non-qualified contract occurs, the amount received will be treated as ordinary income subject to tax up to an amount equal to any excess of the Accumulation Value immediately before the distribution that exceeds the Owner's investment in the contract. Generally, the Owner's investment in the contract is the amount equal to the premiums or other consideration paid for the contract, reduced by any amounts previously distributed from the contract that were not subject to tax at that time. In the case of a surrender under a non-qualified contract, the amount received generally will be taxable only to the extent it exceeds the Owner's investment in the contract. In addition, if the Basic Contract is issued with a deferred income annuity (DIA) payout option rider, amounts allocated under the Basic Contract to the DIA payout option rider are not part of the Basic Contract's cash value for purposes of determining the taxable amount of any withdrawal from the Basic Contract prior to the DIA Commencement Date. When an allocation is made to the DIA payout option rider the partial annuitization rules will apply and a pro rata portion of the investment in the contract with respect to the Basic Contract will be apportioned between the Basic Contract and the DIA payout option rider. You should consult a tax adviser about the consequences of withdrawals from a contract with a DIA payout option rider.

Withdrawals after the Annuity Commencement Date- After Annuity Payments begin, under Options V-4, F-4 and F-5, the payee has the right to withdraw a portion of the present value of the remaining payments. The IRS has concluded that a withdrawal on or after the annuity starting date is ordinary income subject to tax up to an amount equal to any excess of the cash value (determined without surrender charges) immediately before the withdrawal over the Owner's investment in the contract at the time (i.e., on an income first basis). In prior rulings, the IRS had concluded that the entire amount received as a withdrawal on or after the annuity starting date from a non-qualified contract was to be taxed as ordinary income (i.e., on an all taxable basis). GIAC currently intends to report amounts received as withdrawals pursuant to the income first basis set forth in the IRS's ruling. Given the uncertainty in this area, you should consult a tax adviser regarding the tax consequences to you of a withdrawal under Options V-4, F-4 or F-5. Other rules may apply to withdrawals from qualified contracts that elect Options V-4, F-4 or F-5.

Tax Penalty on certain withdrawals- In the case of a distribution from a non- qualified contract, a federal tax penalty may be imposed equal to 10% of the amount treated as income. However, there is generally no penalty on distributions that are:

If you receive systematic payments that you intend to qualify for the substantially equal periodic payment exception, changes to your systematic payments before you reach age 59 1∕2 or within five years (whichever is later) after beginning your systematic payments will result in the retroactive imposition of the 10% tax penalty with interest. In addition, you should note that distributions made before you reach age 59 1∕2 under any option that provides for a period certain annuity in connection with a deferred annuity contract may fail to satisfy this exception and may be subject to the 10% penalty.

Other exceptions may apply under certain circumstances. Special rules may also apply to the exceptions noted above. You should consult a tax adviser with regard to exceptions from the tax penalty.

Annuity Payments- Although tax consequences may vary depending on the payout option elected under an annuity contract, a portion of each annuity payment is generally not taxed, and the remainder is taxed as ordinary income. The non-taxable portion of an annuity payment is generally determined so that you recover your investment in the contract ratably on a tax-free basis over the expected stream of Annuity Payments, as determined when Annuity Payments begin. However, once your investment in the contract has been fully recovered, the full amount of each annuity payment is subject to tax as ordinary income.

Partial Annuitization- If part of an annuity contract's value is applied to an annuity option that provides payments for one or more lives or for a period of at least ten years, those payments may be taxed as Annuity Payments instead of withdrawals. None of the payment options under the contract is intended to qualify for this "partial annuitization" treatment and, if you apply only part of the value of the contract to a payment option, we will treat those payments as withdrawals for tax purposes.

Taxation of death benefits- Amounts may be distributed from a contract because of your death or the death of the Annuitant. Generally, such amounts are included in the income of the recipient as follows:

If the contract was issued with a DIA payout option rider, there are some circumstances in which the death of the Annuitant would cause a death benefit under the rider to be credited to the cash value of the Basic Contract even though no death benefit is payable under the Basic Contract. GIAC currently intends to treat this as a non-event for tax purposes, but there is some uncertainty whether the amount credited from the rider to the Basic Contract would be currently taxable. You should consult your tax adviser.

Transfers, assignments and contract exchanges- Transferring or assigning ownership of a contract, designating an Annuitant other than the Owner, selecting certain maturity dates or exchanging a contract may result in certain tax consequences to you that are not outlined here. For example, such transactions may result in federal gift taxes for you and federal and state income taxes for the new Owner, Annuitant or payee. If you are considering any such transaction, you should consult a professional tax adviser.

Withholding tax- Annuity distributions are generally subject to withholding for the recipient's federal income tax liability. However, recipients can generally choose not to have tax withheld from distributions.

Separate account charges- It is possible that the IRS may take the position that fees deducted for certain optional benefits are deemed to be taxable distributions to you. In particular, the IRS may treat fees deducted for the optional benefits as taxable withdrawals, which might also be subject to a tax penalty if such withdrawals occur prior to age 59 1∕2. Although we do not believe that the fees associated with any optional benefit provided under the contract should be treated as taxable withdrawals, you should consult your tax adviser prior to selecting any optional benefit under the contract.

Multiple contracts- All non-qualified deferred annuity contracts issued by GIAC or its affiliates to the same Owner during any calendar year are treated as one annuity contract for purposes of determining the amount included in the Contract Owner's income when a taxable withdrawal occurs.

Taxation of qualified contracts

Qualified arrangements receive tax-deferred treatment as a formal retirement or pension plan through provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. There is no added tax-deferred benefit of funding such qualified arrangements with tax-deferred annuities. While the contract will not provide additional tax benefits, it does provide other features and benefits such as death benefit protection and the possibility for income guaranteed for life.

Your rights under a qualified contract may be subject to the terms of the retirement plan itself, regardless of the terms of the qualified contract. Adverse tax consequences may result if you do not ensure that contributions, distributions and other transactions with respect to the contract comply with the law.

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)- As defined in Sections 219 and 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, individuals are allowed to make annual contributions to an IRA of up to the lesser of the specified annual amount or 100% of the compensation includable in their gross income. All or a portion of these contributions may be deductible, depending on the person's income.

Distributions from certain retirement plans may be rolled over into an IRA on a tax-deferred basis without regard to these limits. SIMPLE IRAs under Section 408(p) of the Internal Revenue Code and Roth IRAs under Section 408A, may also be used in connection with variable annuity contracts.

SIMPLE IRAs allow employees to defer a percentage of annual compensation up to a specified annual amount to a retirement plan, if the sponsoring employer makes matching or non-elective contributions that meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. The penalty for a premature distribution from a SIMPLE IRA that occurs within the first two years after the employee begins to participate in the plan is 25%, instead of the usual 10%.

Contributions to Roth IRAs are not tax-deductible and contributions must be made in cash or as a rollover or transfer from another Roth IRA or IRA. A rollover or conversion of an IRA to a Roth IRA may be subject to tax. You may wish to consult a tax adviser before combining any converted amounts with any other Roth IRA contributions, including any other conversion amounts from other tax years.

Distributions from Roth IRAs are generally not taxed. In addition to the income tax and 10% penalty which generally applies to distributions of earnings made before age 59 1∕2, income tax and a 10% penalty will be imposed for any distribution of earnings made from a Roth IRA during the five taxable years starting after you first contribute to any Roth IRA. A 10% penalty tax may apply to amounts attributable to a conversion from an IRA if they are distributed during the five taxable years beginning with the year in which the conversion was made.

Corporate pension and profit-sharing plans- Under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporate employers are allowed to establish various types of retirement plans for employees, and self-employed individuals are allowed to establish qualified plans for themselves and their employees.

Adverse tax consequences to the retirement plan, the participant or both may result if the contract is transferred to any individual as a means of providing benefit payments, unless the plan complies with all applicable requirements before transferring the contract.

Tax-sheltered annuities- Pursuant to new tax regulations, starting January 1, 2009 the contract is not available for purchase under a 403(b) plan and we do not accept additional premiums or transfers to existing 403(b) contracts. Under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, public schools and other eligible employers are allowed to purchase annuity contracts and mutual fund shares through custodial accounts on behalf of employees. Generally, these purchase payments are excluded for tax purposes from employee gross incomes. However, these payments may be subject to FICA (Social Security) taxes.

Distributions of salary reduction contributions and earnings (other than your salary reduction accumulation as of December 31, 1988) are not allowed before age 59 1⁄2, severance from employment, death or disability. Salary reduction contributions may also be distributed upon hardship, but would generally be subject to penalties. For contracts issued after 2008, amounts attributable to nonelective contributions may be subject to distribution restrictions specified in the employer's section 403(b) plan. Pursuant to tax regulations, we generally are required to confirm, with your 403(b) plan sponsor or otherwise, that surrenders, withdrawals or transfers you request comply with applicable tax requirements and to decline requests that are not in compliance. We will defer such payments you request until all information required under the tax law has been received. By requesting a surrender, withdrawal or transfer, you consent to the sharing of confidential information about you, the contract, and transactions under the contract and any other 403(b) contracts or accounts you have under the 403(b) plan among us, your employer or plan sponsor, any plan administrator or recordkeeper, and other product providers.

Tax penalty on certain withdrawals- Distributions from certain qualified contracts may be subject to ordinary income taxes and a 10% federal tax penalty on the amount treated as income. However, there is generally no penalty on distributions that are:

If you receive systematic payments that you intend to qualify for the substantially equal periodic payment exception, changes to your systematic payments before you reach age 59 1∕2 or within five years (whichever is later) after beginning your systematic payments will result in the retroactive imposition of the 10% tax penalty with interest. In addition, you should note that distributions made before you reach age 59 1∕2 under any option that provides for a period certain annuity may fail to satisfy this exception and may be subject to the 10% tax penalty.

Other exceptions may apply under certain circumstances and certain exemptions may not be applicable to certain types of plans. Special rules may also apply to the exceptions noted above. You should consult a tax adviser with regard to exceptions from the tax penalty.

Other tax issues - You should note that the annuity contract includes a death benefit that in some cases may exceed the greater of the purchase payments or the Accumulation value. The death benefit could be viewed as an incidental benefit, the amount of which is limited in any 401(a) plan. Because the death benefit may exceed this limitation, employers using the contract in connection with corporate pension and profit-sharing plans should consult their tax adviser. The IRS has not reviewed the contract for qualification as an IRA, and has not addressed in a ruling of general applicability whether a death benefit provision such as those available under this contract comport with IRA qualification requirements.

In the case of a withdrawal under a qualified contract; a ratable portion of the amount received is taxable, generally based on the ratio of the "investment in the contract" to the individual's total account balance or accrued benefit under the retirement plan. The "investment in the contract" generally equals the amount of any non-deductible purchase payments paid by or on behalf of any individual. In many cases, the "investment in the contract" under a qualified contract can be zero. If your contract contains a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit rider, the application of certain tax rules, particularly those rules relating to distributions from your contract, are not entirely clear. In view of this uncertainty, you should consult a tax adviser before purchasing a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit rider.

Qualified contracts have required minimum distribution (RMD) rules that govern the timing and amount of distributions. There is a 25% excise tax on any shortfall to taking the full RMD for a year, which is reduced to 10% if the shortfall is corrected within two years.

For IRAs, RMDs must begin by an individual's "applicable age." For most other Qualified Contracts, distributions generally must begin by the later of the individual's applicable age or retirement. For individuals who reached age 70 1∕2 before January 1, 2020, the applicable age is 70 1∕2. For individuals who reached age 72 before January 1, 2023, the applicable age is 72. For individuals who reached age 72 after December 31, 2022 and reach age 73 before 2033, the applicable age is 73. If an individual reaches age 73 after 2032, the applicable age is 75. For Roth IRAs or accounts, no RMDs are required during the individual's lifetime.

You should refer to your retirement plan, adoption agreement or consult a tax adviser for more information about RMD rules. If you are attempting to satisfy these rules through withdrawals before the Annuity Commencement Date, the value of any enhanced death benefit or other optional rider may need to be included in calculating the amount required to be distributed. In addition, if your qualified contract was issued with a DIA payout option rider, there is some uncertainty regarding how the minimum distribution rules apply after the DIA commencement date. Consult a tax adviser.

Pension and annuity distributions generally are subject to withholding for the recipient's federal income tax liability at rates that vary according to the type of distribution and the recipient's tax status. Recipients generally are provided the opportunity to elect not to have tax withheld from distributions. Taxable "eligible rollover distributions" from section 401(a) plans are subject to a mandatory federal income tax withholding of 20%. An eligible rollover distribution is any distribution to such a plan, except certain distributions such as distributions required by the Internal Revenue Code, hardship distributions or distributions in a specified annuity form. The 20% withholding does not apply, however, to nontaxable distributions or if (i) the employee (or employee's spouse or former spouse as Beneficiary or alternate payee) chooses a "direct rollover" from the plan to an eligible retirement plan as defined in the Internal Revenue Code; or (ii) a non-spouse Beneficiary chooses a "direct rollover" from the plan to an IRA established by the direct rollover.

Federal estate gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes

While no attempt is being made to discuss in detail the federal estate tax implications of the contract, a purchaser should keep in mind that the value of an annuity contract owned by a decedent and payable to a Beneficiary by virtue of surviving the decedent is included in the decedent's gross estate. Depending on the terms of the annuity contract, the value of the annuity included in the gross estate may be the value of the lump sum payment payable to the designated Beneficiary or the actuarial value of the payments to be received by the Beneficiary. Consult an estate planning advisor for more information.

Under certain circumstances, the Internal Revenue Code may impose a generation skipping transfer tax ("GST") when all or part of an annuity contract is transferred to, or a death benefit is paid to, an individual two or more generations younger than the Contract Owner. Regulations issued under the Internal Revenue Code may require us to deduct the tax from your contract, or from any applicable payment, and pay it directly to the IRS.

The potential application of these taxes underscores the importance of seeking guidance from a qualified adviser to help ensure that your estate plan adequately addresses your needs and that of your Beneficiaries under all possible scenarios.

Medicare tax

Distributions from non-qualified annuity policies will be considered "investment income" for purposes of the Medicare tax on investment income. Thus, in certain circumstances, a 3.8% tax may be applied to some or all of the taxable portion of distributions (e.g., earnings) to individuals whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts ($200,000 for filing single, $250,000 for married filing jointly and $125,000 for married filing separately.) Please consult a tax advisor for more information.

Annuity purchases by nonresident aliens and foreign corporations

The discussion above provides general information regarding U.S. federal income tax consequences to annuity contract purchasers that are U.S. citizens or residents. Purchasers that are not U.S. citizens or residents will generally be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax on taxable distributions from annuity contracts at a 30% rate, unless a lower treaty rate applies. In addition, if the payee is a foreign financial institution or a non-financial foreign entity within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code as amended by the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, distributions to the payee could be subject to 30% withholding irrespective of the status of any beneficial owner or the existence of a treaty. In addition, purchasers may be subject to state and/or municipal taxes and taxes that may be imposed by the purchasers country of citizenship or residence. Certain non-participating and non-compliant foreign entities may be subject to 30% withholding under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) unless the contract is considered grandfathered. Prospective purchasers are advised to consult with a qualified tax adviser regarding U.S. state and foreign taxation with respect to an annuity contract purchase.

Our income taxes

At the present time, we make no charge for any federal, state or local taxes - other than the charge for state and local premium taxes that we incur - that may be attributable to the investment divisions of the Separate Account or to the contracts. We do have the right in the future to make additional charges for any such tax or other economic burden resulting from the application of the tax laws that we determine are attributable to the investment divisions of the Separate Account or the contracts.

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.

The benefit of any foreign tax credits attributable to taxes paid by certain Variable Investment Options to foreign jurisdictions cannot be passed through to you and thus we may benefit from such credits to the extent permitted under federal tax law.

Possible tax law changes

Tax law is subject to change and may be subject to interpretation. There is always the possibility that the tax treatment of the contract could change by legislation, regulation, or otherwise. You should consult a tax adviser with respect to legislative or regulatory developments and their effect on the contract.

We have the right to modify the contract in response to legislative or regulatory changes that could otherwise diminish the favorable tax treatment annuity Contract Owners currently receive. We make no guarantee regarding the tax status of any contract and do not intend this summary as tax advice.

Gender-neutral and gender-distinct tables

As a result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, employer-related plans must use rate tables that are gender-neutral to calculate annuity purchase rates. We have revised our tables for employer-related plans and filed them in the states where we do business. We will continue to use our gender-distinct tables in all other contracts, unless it is prohibited by state law. In those cases our gender-neutral tables will be used.

Performance Results

From time to time, we may show performance information for the Separate Account's investment divisions in advertisements, sales literature or other materials provided to existing or prospective Contract Owners. We may also provide an existing or prospective Contract Owner with reports which use historical performance on a hypothetical basis to demonstrate how the choice of alternate underlying investment options would have affected the Accumulation Value, surrender value and death benefit during the accumulation phase and the amounts of Annuity Payments during the payout phase of the contract. These materials are based upon historical information and are not necessarily representative of future performance. When we show performance, we will always include SEC standard performance, which reflects all fees and charges from the date the investment option was first available in the contract. We may also show non-standard performance, reflecting all fees and charges from the inception of the investment option so long as it is accompanied by standard performance. We may also show non-standard performance without showing the effect of certain charges, such as contingent deferred sales charges (surrender charges), so long as it is accompanied by non-standard performance net of all charges.

Among the key performance measures we use are total returns and yields.

Total returns include: average annual total return, total return, and change in Accumulation Unit value - all of which reflect the change in the value of an investment in an investment division of the Separate Account over a specified period, assuming the reinvestment of all income dividends and capital gains distributions.

Yield figures may be quoted for investments in shares of the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio and other investment divisions. Current yield is a measure of the income earned on a hypothetical investment over a specified base period of seven days for the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio investment division, and 30 days (or one month) for other investment divisions. Effective yield is another measure which may be quoted by the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio investment division, which assumes that the net investment income earned during a base period will be earned and reinvested for a year. Yields are expressed as a percentage of the value of an Accumulation Unit at the beginning of the base period. Yields are annualized, which assumes that an investment division will generate the same level of net investment income over a one-year period. However, yields fluctuate daily.

Advertisements and sales literature for the investment divisions of the Separate Account may compare a Fund's performance to that of investments offered through the separate accounts of other insurance companies that have similar investment objectives or programs. Promotional material may also compare a Fund's performance to one or more indices of the types of securities that the Fund buys and sells for its portfolio. Performance comparisons may be illustrated by tables, graphs or charts. Additionally, promotional material may refer to:

In addition, advertisements and sales literature may refer to or reprint all or portions of articles, reports or independent rankings or ratings which relate specifically to the investment divisions or to other comparable investments. However, such material will not be used to indicate future performance.

Advertisements and sales literature about the variable annuity contract and the Separate Account may also refer to ratings given to GIAC by insurance company rating organizations such as:

These ratings relate only to GIAC's ability to meet its obligations under the contract's fixed-rate option and to pay death benefits and living benefits provided under the contract, not to the performance or safety of the Variable Investment Options.

Further information about the performance of each investment division is contained in their respective annual reports, which may be obtained free of charge by calling the Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Telephone and Electronic Services

We will process certain transactions by telephone if you have authorized us to do so. We currently take Fund transfer requests and changes in future allocations over the telephone. If you would like this privilege, please complete an authorization form, or complete the appropriate section of your application. Once we have your authorization on file, you can authorize permitted transactions over the telephone by calling our Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147 between 9:00 a.m. and the close of the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

In addition to telephone services, we offer you the ability to use your personal computer to receive documents electronically, review your account information and to perform other specified transactions. If you want to participate in any or all of our electronic programs, we ask that you visit our website www.GuardianLife.com for information and registration. If you choose to participate in the electronic document delivery program, you will receive financial reports, prospectuses, confirmations and other information via the Internet. You will not receive paper copies however, you have the right to request paper copies at any time.

Generally, you are automatically eligible to use these services when they are available. You must notify us if you do not want to participate in any or all of these programs. You may reinstate these services at any time. You bear the risk of possible loss if someone gives us unauthorized or fraudulent registration or instructions for your account so long as we believe the registration or instructions to be genuine and we have followed reasonable procedures to confirm that the registration or instructions communicated by telephone or electronically are genuine. If we do not follow reasonable procedures to confirm that the registration or instructions communicated by telephone or electronically are genuine, we may be liable for any losses. Please take precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account information and PIN private and immediately review your statements and confirmations. Contact us immediately about any transactions you believe to be unauthorized.

We may change, suspend or eliminate telephone or Internet privileges at any time, without prior notice. We reserve the right to refuse any transaction request that we believe would be disruptive to contract administration or is not in the best interests of the Contract Owners or the Separate Account. Telephone and Internet services may be interrupted or response times slow if we are experiencing physical or technical difficulties, or economic or market emergency conditions. While we are experiencing such difficulties we ask you to send your request by regular or express mail and we will process it using the Accumulation Unit value first calculated after we receive the request at our Mailing Address. We will not be responsible or liable for: any inaccuracy, error or delay in or omission of any information you transmit or deliver to us; any loss or damage you may incur because of such inaccuracy, error, delay, omission or non-performance; or any interruption resulting from emergency circumstances.

Voting Rights

We own the Fund's shares, but you may have voting rights in the various Funds. To the extent that we are required by law, we will cast our votes according to the instructions of those Contract Owners who have an interest in Variable Investment Options investing in Funds holding a shareholder vote, as of the shareholder meeting record date. Those votes for which we receive no instructions will be voted in the same proportion as those we have received instructions for. Because of this proportional voting, a small number of Contract Owners could control the outcome of the vote. We'll solicit instructions when the Funds hold shareholder votes. We have the right to restrict Contract Owner voting instructions if the laws change to allow us to do so.

The owner of the contract has voting rights until the date Annuity Payments begin. After that date, rights switch to the Annuitant. Voting rights diminish with the reduction of your contract value. The fixed-rate option has no voting rights.

Inactive Contracts

Every state has "escheatment" or unclaimed property laws which generally declare contracts to be abandoned after a period of inactivity of three to five years from the contract's Annuity Commencement Date or the date the death benefit is due and payable. Such contracts will be surrendered and paid to the abandoned property division

OTHER INFORMATION

Distribution of the Contract

The variable annuity contract is sold by insurance agents who are licensed by GIAC and who are either registered representatives of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS) or of broker-dealer firms which have entered into sales agreements with PAS and GIAC. PAS and such other broker-dealers are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The principal underwriter of the contracts is PAS, located at 10 Hudson Yards New York, New York 10001.

GIAC will generally pay commissions to these individuals or broker-dealer firms for the sale of contracts. When we compensate a firm, the representative responsible for the sale of the contract will receive a portion of the compensation based on the practice of the firm. Commissions may vary, but will not exceed the limits of applicable laws and regulations.

Currently, there are several compensation programs from which these individuals or firms may choose. One compensation program is based on a percentage of each contract premium payment up to a maximum of 7%. The other compensation programs provide a lower initial commission on each premium payment but allow for ongoing annual compensation based on a percentage of the contract value. Typically, the additional annual compensation begins only after the completion of a certain number of contract years. Also, additional annual compensation may be payable while certain contract riders are in effect or under variable payout options. The maximum annual compensation possible based on contract value is 1%.

We reserve the right to pay any compensation permissible under applicable state law and regulations, including for example, additional sales or service compensation while a contract is in force or additional amounts paid in connection with special promotional incentives. In addition, we may compensate certain individuals or firms for the sale of contracts in the form of commission overrides, expense allowances, bonuses, wholesaler fees and training allowances. Individuals may also qualify for non-cash compensation such as expense-paid trips and educational seminars.

If you return your contract under the right to cancel provisions, the representative may have to return some or all of any commissions we have paid.

The fees and charges imposed under the contract defray the costs of commissions and other sales expenses. You are not charged directly for commissions or other compensation paid for the sale of the contract, but those expenses are considered in setting the levels of the charges that you do pay.

Broker-Dealer Contract Variations. There may be variations in the availability of investment options, contract benefits, or other contract features described in this prospectus that we are unaware of, but which may apply depending on the broker-dealer through which the contract is sold. Although we are not currently aware of any such material variations, variations may be imposed by some broker-dealers without our knowledge. For example, your financial professional may not recommend a particular investment option or contract benefit to you. Taking into consideration the terms of our current agreements with our distribution partners and the limitations on administrative systems to track such information, we currently cannot obtain information about any such unknown financial intermediary variations without unreasonable effort or expense.

You should discuss with your financial professional any limitations, restrictions, or other variations related to the investment options, contract benefits or other contract features available to you through your financial professional.

Financial Statements

We encourage contract Owners to read and understand our financial statements and those of the Separate Account. Our audited statutory financial statements and the Separate Account's audited financial statements are incorporated by reference in the SAI. You can request a copy of the financial statements by contacting our Service Center.

Legal Proceedings

We, like other insurance companies, are involved in lawsuits and insurance department audits, inquiries, and market conduct examinations. Although the outcome of any of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that at the present time there are no pending or threatened actions that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse impact on the Separate Account, on the ability of PAS to perform under its principal underwriting agreement, or on GIAC's ability to meet its obligations under the contract.

Where to Get More Information

The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) contains additional information about the contract, us, and the Separate Account, including financial statements. The SAI is dated the same date as this prospectus and the SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You may request a free copy of the SAI or submit inquiries by calling 1-800-830-4147 or by visiting us online at https://Guardianlife.onlineprospectus.net/Guardianlife/ram/?ctype=product_sai.

The SAI contains the following information:

APPENDIX A: INVESTMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT

Variable Investment Options

The following is a list of Funds available under the contract. More information about the Funds is available in the prospectuses for the Funds, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at https://Guardianlife.onlineprospectus.net/Guardianlife/ram/?ctype=product_prospectus. You can also request this information at no cost by calling the Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147.

The availability of investment options may vary depending on the broker-dealer through which the contract is sold. See Distribution of the Contract - Broker-Dealer Contract Variations.

The current expenses and performance information below reflects fee and expenses of the Funds, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your contract may charge. Expenses would be higher and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. Each Fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance. 

			As of December 31, 2025
Type/Investment Objective	Portfolio Company And Adviser/SubAdviser	Current Expenses	1 Year Average Annual Total Return	5 Year Average Annual Total Return	10 Year Average Annual Total Return
Long-term growth of capital.	AB VPS Sustainable Global Thematic Portfolio (Class B) AllianceBernstein, L.P.	1.20%	6.03%	3.02%	9.80%
Long-term growth of capital.	Davis Financial Portfolio Davis Selected Advisers, LP Davis Selected Advisers- NY, Inc.	0.75%	29.12%	18.15%	12.94%
Total return through a combination of growth and income.	Davis Real Estate Portfolio Davis Selected Advisers, LP Davis Selected Advisers- NY, Inc.	1.00%	-5.71%	2.61%	4.04%
Seeks reasonable income. The fund will also consider the potential for capital appreciation. The fund's goal is to achieve a yield which exceeds the composite yield on the securities comprising the S&P 500.	Fidelity VIP Equity-Income Portfolio (Service Class) Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited	0.56%	18.92%	12.41%	11.49%
Seeks as high a level of current income as is consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity.	Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio (Service Class 2)1 Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited	0.50%	3.86%	2.90%	1.83%
Seeks to provide capital growth.	Fidelity VIP Growth Opportunities Portfolio (Service Class) Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited	0.66%	21.89%	11.20%	19.82%
Seeks long-term growth of capital.	Fidelity VIP Mid Cap Portfolio (Service Class) Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited	0.55%	11.75%	10.10%	10.59%
The fund seeks capital appreciation.	Guardian All Cap Core VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Massachusetts Financial Services Company	0.83%	12.25%	N/A	N/A

Fixed Investment Options

The following is a list of fixed options currently available under the contract. We may change the features of the fed options listed below, offer new fixed options, and terminate existing fixed options. We will provide you with written notice before doing so. See The accumulation period, fixed-rate option in the prospectus for more information. 

Name	Term	Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate
Fixed rate option	1 year	1%

The fixed-rate option is not available while the Earnings Benefit Rider is in effect.

APPENDIX B: ASSET ALLOCATION CLASSES AVAILABLE UNDER THE LIVING BENEFIT RIDER

For contracts issued with the Living Benefit Rider, the chart below lists the Funds available under each Asset Allocation Class. You must allocate your Net Premiums at the time your contract is issued among the following groupings of allocation options, which are designated as Asset Allocation Classes. 

Percentage of Asset Allocation Class	Allocation Options in Each Asset Allocation Class
10%	Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio, Guardian Short Duration Bond VIP Fund or The Fixed-Rate Option
40%	Guardian Core Fixed Income VIP Fund, Guardian Short Duration Bond VIP Fund, Guardian U.S. Government/Credit VIP Fund or The Fixed-Rate Option.
40%	Guardian All Cap Core VIP Fund, Guardian Balance Allocation VIP Fund, Invesco V.I. American Franchise Fund, Invesco V.I. Equity and Income Fund, Guardian Equity Income VIP Fund, Guardian Strategic Large Cap Core VIP Fund, Davis Real Estate Portfolio, Fidelity VIP Contrafund Portfolio, Fidelity VIP Equity-Income Portfolio, Fidelity VIP Growth Opportunities Portfolio, Janus Aspen Portfolio, MFS Investors Trust Series, MFS Total Return Series, MFS Research Series or Guardian Integrated Research VIP Fund.
10%	Guardian Large Cap Disciplined Growth VIP Fund, AB VPS Global Thematic Growth Portfolio, Davis Financial Portfolio, Fidelity VIP Mid Cap Portfolio, Janus Henderson Enterprise Portfolio, Janus Henderson Forty Portfolio, Janus Henderson Global Research Portfolio, MFS Growth Series, MFS New Discovery Series, or Templeton Growth VIP Fund.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Services to the Separate Account	1
Annuity Payments	1
Calculation of Yield Quotations for Fidelity Vip Government Money Market Portfolio Investment Division	2
Valuation of Assets of the Separate Account	2
Qualified Plan Transferability Restrictions	3
Experts	3
Financial Statements	3

Services to the Separate Account

GIAC issues variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies through several separate accounts all of which are registered as unit investment trusts under the 1940 Act ("Separate Accounts"). Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS), serves as principal underwriter for the Separate Accounts pursuant to a distribution and service agreement between GIAC and PAS. Prior to December 30, 2019 PAS was a wholly owned subsidiary of GIAC. Effective December 31, 2019, Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS), became a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. PAS serves as principal underwriter for the Separate Accounts pursuant to a distribution and service agreement between GIAC and PAS. The contracts are offered continuously and are sold by GIAC insurance agents who are registered representatives of either PAS or of other broker-dealers which have selling agreements with PAS and GIAC. GIAC paid an aggregate amount of commissions to PAS of $14,063,433 in 2023, $21,191,833 in 2024, and $24,608,091 in 2025. Of those aggregate amounts, PAS retained $2,963,941 in 2023, $3,773,196 in 2024, and $4,030,191 in 2025.

On November 1, 2022, GIAC entered into an Administrative Services Agreement with Talcott Resolution Life Insurance Company ("Talcott"), a Connecticut-domiciled life insurance company to provide administrative and other services with respect to the Separate Account. Talcott maintains the books and records of the Separate Account and acts as custodian of the assets of the Separate Account. Effective April 4, 2026, Talcott appointed Cognizant Technology Solutions Services, LLC as its Third-Party Administrator (TPA), who will perform administrative services, including customer support and claims processing, on its behalf.

Annuity Payments

The objective of the contracts is to provide benefit payments (known as Annuity Payments) which will increase at a rate sufficient to maintain purchasing power at a constant level. For this to occur, the actual net investment return must exceed the assumed investment return by an amount equal to the rate of inflation. Of course, no assurance can be made that this objective will be met. If the assumed interest return were to be increased, benefit payments would start at a higher level but would increase more slowly or decrease more rapidly. Likewise, a lower assumed interest return would provide a lower initial payment with greater increases or lesser decreases in subsequent Annuity Payments.

Value of an Annuity Unit: The value of an Annuity Unit is determined independently for each of the Variable Investment Options. For any Valuation Period, the value of an Annuity Unit is equal to the value for the immediately preceding Valuation Period multiplied by the annuity change factor for the current Valuation Period. The Annuity Unit value for a Valuation Period is the value determined as of the end of such period. The annuity change factor is equal to the net investment factor for the same Valuation Period adjusted to neutralize the assumed investment return used in determining the Annuity Payments. The net investment factor is reduced by (a) the mortality and expense risk charges, (b) administrative expenses and (c) if applicable, any optional benefit rider charge on an annual basis during the life of the contract. The dollar amount of any payment due after the first payment under a Variable Investment Option will be determined by multiplying the number of Annuity Units by the value of an Annuity Unit for the Valuation Period ending ten (10) days prior to the Valuation Period in which the payment is due.

Determination of the First Annuity Payment: At the time Annuity Payments begin, the value of the Contract Owner's account is determined by multiplying the appropriate variable or fixed Accumulation Unit value on the Valuation Period ten (10) days before the date the first variable or fixed annuity payment is due by the corresponding number of variable or fixed Accumulation Units credited to the Contract Owner's account as of the date the first annuity payment is due, less any applicable premium taxes not previously deducted.

The contracts contain tables reflecting the dollar amount of the first monthly payment which can be purchased with each $1,000 of value accumulated under the contract. The amounts depend on the variable or fixed annuity payout option selected, the mortality table used under the contract (the 1983 Individual Mortality Table projected using Scale G) and the nearest age of the Annuitant. The first annuity payment is determined by multiplying the benefit per $1,000 of value shown in the contract tables by the number of thousands of dollars of value accumulated under the contract. Currently, we are using annuity purchase rates we believe to be more favorable to you than those in your contract. We may change these rates from time to time, but the rate will never be less favorable to you than those guaranteed in your contract.

Determination of the Second and Subsequent Variable Annuity Payments: The amount of the second and subsequent variable Annuity Payments is determined by multiplying the number of Annuity Units by the appropriate Annuity Unit value as of the Valuation Period ten (10) days prior to the day such payment is due. The number of Annuity Units under a contract is determined by dividing the first variable annuity payment by the value of the appropriate Annuity Unit on the date of such payment. This number of Annuity Units remains fixed during the variable annuity payment period, provided no transfers among the Variable Investment Options are made. If a transfer among the Variable Investment Options is made, the number of Annuity Units will be adjusted accordingly.

The assumed investment return under the contract is the measuring point for subsequent variable Annuity Payments. If the actual net investment return (on an annual basis) remains equal to the assumed investment return, the variable Annuity Payments will remain constant in amount. If the actual net investment return exceeds the assumed investment return selected, the variable annuity payment will increase at a rate equal to the amount of such excess. Conversely, if the actual rate is less than the assumed investment return selected, variable Annuity Payments will decrease.

We may provide a Contract Owner with a personalized report to demonstrate how these calculations would have impacted the income stream had the Contract Owner annuitized the contract at some time in the past. This report is based on historical information and is not necessarily representative of future performance.

Calculation of Yield Quotations for Fidelity Vip Government Money Market Portfolio Investment Division

The yield of the investment division of the Separate Account investing in the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio represents the net change, exclusive of gains and losses realized by the investment division investing in the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio and unrealized appreciation and depreciation with respect to the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio's portfolio of securities, in the value of a hypothetical pre-existing contract that is credited with one Accumulation Unit at the beginning of the period for which yield is determined (the "base period"). The base period generally will be a seven-day period. The current yield for a base period is calculated by dividing (1) the net change in the value of the contract for the base period (see "The Accumulation Period" in the Prospectus) by (2) the value of the contract at the beginning of the base period and multiplying the result by 365/7. Deductions from purchase payments (for example, any applicable annuity taxes) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (surrender charge) assessed at the time of withdrawal or annuitization are not reflected in the computation of current yield of the Investment Division. The determination of net change in contract value reflects all deductions that are charged to a Contract Owner, in proportion to the length of the base period and the Investment Division's average contract size.

Yield also may be calculated on an effective or compound basis, which assumes continual reinvestment by the Investment Division throughout an entire year of net income earned by the Investment Division at the same rate as net income is earned in the base period. The effective or compound yield for a base period is calculated by (1) dividing (i) the net change in the value of the contract for the base period by (ii) the value of the contract as of the beginning of the base period, (2) adding 1 to the result, (3) raising the sum to a power equal to 365 divided by the number of days in the base period, and (4) subtracting 1 from the result.

The current and effective yields of the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio Division will vary depending on prevailing interest rates, the operating expenses and the quality, maturity and type of instruments held in the Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio's portfolio. Consequently, no yield quotation should be considered as representative of what the yield of the Investment Division may be for any specified period in the future. The yield is subject to fluctuation and is not guaranteed.

Valuation of Assets of the Separate Account

The value of Fund shares held in each Investment Division at the time of each valuation is the redemption value of such shares at such time. If the right to redeem shares of a Fund has been suspended, or payment of redemption value has been postponed for the sole purpose of computing Annuity Payments, the shares held in the Separate Account (and corresponding Annuity Units) may be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by GIAC's Board of Directors.

Qualified Plan Transferability Restrictions

Where a contract is owned in conjunction with a retirement plan qualified under the Code, a tax-sheltered annuity program or individual retirement account, and notwithstanding any other provisions of the contract, the Contract Owner may not change the ownership of the contract nor may the contract be sold, assigned or pledged as collateral for a loan or as security for the performance of an obligation or for any other purpose to any person other than GIAC unless the Contract Owner is the trustee of an employee trust qualified under the Code, the custodian of a custodial account treated as such, or the employer under a qualified non-trusteed pension plan.

Experts

The (i) financial statements of each of the investment options of The Guardian Separate Account E as of December 31, 2025 and for each of the periods indicated therein, and the (ii) statutory basis financial statements of The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025 incorporated in this Statement of Additional Information by reference to the filed Form N-VPFS have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting. The principal business address of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is 300 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

Financial Statements

Item 27.

Exhibits 

(1)

Incorporated by reference to the Registration Statement on Form N-4, (Reg. No. 333-21975), as initially filed on February 18, 1997.

(2)

Incorporated by reference to the Registration Statement on Form N-4, (Reg. No. 333-21975), as previously filed on August 1, 1997.

(3)

Incorporated by reference to Registration Statement on Form N-4 (Reg. No. 333-21975), as previously filed on August 27, 2001.

(4)

Incorporated by reference to Registration Statement on Form N-4 (Reg. No. 333-21975), as previously filed on April 29, 2015.

(5)

Not Applicable.

(6)

Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-6 filed by the Registrant on August 1, 2008 (File No. 333-151073; Accession No. 0001193125-08-163928)

(7)

Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form N-6 filed by the Registrant on August 26, 2008 (File No. 333-151073; Accession No. 0001193125-08-184460)

(8)

Incorporated by reference Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration statement on Form N-6 filed by the Registrant on April 24, 2015 (File No. 333-188304; Accession No. 0001193125-15-146150)

(9)

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registration statement on Form N-6 filed by the Registrant on April 25, 2017 (File No. 333-188304; Accession No. 0001193125-17-136515)

(10)

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-6 filed by the Registrant on April 26, 2019 (File No. 333-222952; Accession Number 0001193125-19-122119)

(11)

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registration statement on Form N-6 filed by the Registrant on April 26, 2019 (File No. 333-151073; Accession No. 0001193125-19-122124)

(12)

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 30 to the Registration statement on Form N-4 filed by the Registrant on April 27, 2021 (File No. 333-21975; Accession No. 0001193125-21-134463)

(13)

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 to the Registration statement on Form N-4 filed by the Registrant on April 27, 2022 (File No. 333-21975; Accession No. 0001193125-22-123604)

(14)

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 33 to the Registration statement on Form N-4 filed by the Registrant on April 26, 2023 (File No. 333-21975; Accession No. 0001193125-23-118524)

(15)

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 to the Registration statement on Form N-4 filed by the Registrant on April 25, 2025 (File No. 333-21975; Accession No. 0001193125-25-096116)

(16)

Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registration Statement on Form N-4 filed on August 27, 2025 (Reg. No. 333-272291 Accession Number 0001193125-25-189594)

(17)

Filed herewith

Item 28.

Directors and Officers of the Insurance Company

Item 29.

Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Insurance Company or the Registered Separate Account

Item 30.

Indemnification

Item 31.

Principal Underwriters

Item 32.

Location of Accounts and Records

Item 33.

Management Services

Item 34.

Fee Representation