Guardian Separate Account R
05/01/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/01/2026 13:27
Notice Document by Insurance Company (Form N-VP)
Table of Contents
ANNUAL NOTICE
May 1, 2026
THE GUARDIAN INVESTOR ASSET BUILDER
Issued by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc.
Separate Account R
This Annual Notice for the Guardian Investor Asset Builder, an individual flexible premium deferred variable annuity contract offered by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC, we, us, our), provides you with an update of changes to your contract that have occurred since April 25, 2025. In addition, this Annual Notice provides key information about your contract that you should review, including a current list of Funds available under your contract. Please read this Annual Notice carefully and retain it with your contract prospectus for future reference.
The most recent prospectus for the Guardian Investor Asset Builder dated May 1, 2018, contains more information about the contract, including its features, benefits, and risks. You can find the prospectuses for the underlying mutual funds, the most recent audited financial statements of Separate Account R, and other information about the contract online at: https://Guardianlife.onlineprospectus.net/Guardianlife/giab/?ctype=great_wested_notice. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling 1-800-830-4147.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable annuities, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission's staff and is available at Investor.gov.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved the contract or passed upon the adequacy of this Annual Notice. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Special Terms Used in This Annual Notice |
1 | |||
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Updated Information About Your Contract |
1 | |||
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Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract |
2 | |||
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Appendix A - Investment Options Available Under the Contract |
5 | |||
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Appendix B - Investment Option Restrictions |
9 | |||
Table of Contents
Special Terms Used in This Annual Notice
Accumulation Period
The period between the issue date of the contract and the Annuity Commencement Date.
Accumulation Value
The value of all the accumulation units in the Variable Investment Options and the fixed-rate option that are credited to a 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.
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
Lexington, KY 40512-4293
Net Premium
A premium paid by the owner to us in accordance with the provisions of the contract, less any applicable annuity taxes.
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.
Updated Information About Your Contract
The information in this Annual Notice is a summary of certain contract features that have changed since April 25, 2025. This may not reflect all of the changes that have occurred since you entered into your contract.
There have been changes to the underlying Funds' information in the Fees, Expenses and Adjustments table and Appendix A that are contained in this Annual Notice.
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Table of Contents
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.
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Fees, Expenses and Adjustments |
Location in Prospectus |
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Are There Charges or Adjustments for Early Withdrawals? |
Yes. If you withdraw money from the contract during the first 7 years following your last premium payment, you may be assessed a surrender charge of up to 8% of the premium withdrawn, declining to 0% over that time period. For example, if you make an early withdrawal, you could pay a surrender charge of up to $8,000 on a $100,000 investment. This loss will be greater if there are taxes or tax penalties. |
Financial Information - Contract Costs and Expenses Expense Tables - Transaction Expenses |
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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 options. |
Financial Information - Contract Costs and Expenses Expense Tables - Transaction Expenses |
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Are There Ongoing Fees and Expenses? |
Yes. The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay each year, depending on the investment options and optional benefits you choose. Please refer to your contract specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected. |
Financial Information - Contract Costs and Expenses Expense Tables - annual contract expenses |
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| Annual Fee | Minimum | Maximum | ||||||
| Base Contract 1 | 1.45% | 1.45% | ||||||
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Investment Options (Fund fees and expenses) 2 |
0.50% |
1.41% |
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| Optional benefits available for an additional benefits charge (for a single optional benefit if elected) 3 | 0.25% | 2.10% | ||||||
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1 As a percentage of value in the Separate Account. 2 As a percentage of Fund net assets. 3 The minimum fee shown is calculated as a percentage of the value in the Separate Account; the maximum fee shown is calculated as a percentage of the adjusted guaranteed withdrawal balance which is a value used to calculate your benefit. |
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| 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 partial withdrawals from the contract, which could add surrender charges that substantially increase costs. | ||||||||
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Table of Contents
|
Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments |
Location in Prospectus |
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Lowest Annual Cost: $2,374 |
Highest Annual Cost: $7,793 |
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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 partial 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 partial withdrawals |
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| Risks |
Location in Prospectus |
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Is There a Risk of Loss from Poor Performance? |
Yes. You can lose money by investing in this contract, including loss of principal. |
Variable Investment Options | ||||||
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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. |
Buying a Contract - The Purchase Process Financial Information - Contract Costs and Expenses |
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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. |
Variable Investment Options Appendix A: Investment Options Available Under the Contract |
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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. | The Accumulation Period - The Separate Account | ||||||
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Table of Contents
| Restrictions |
Location in Prospectus |
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Are There Restrictions on the Investment Options? |
Yes. We reserve the right to impose a charge for transfers among investment options in excess of 12 per contract year. 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 29 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 you transfers among the Variable Investment Options are limited to once each month. |
The Accumulation Period Transfers Variable Investment Options Fixed-rate option |
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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 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. |
Other Contract Features Benefits Under the Contract Distributions on death Enhanced death benefit riders Earnings benefit rider Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB) Rider |
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| Taxes |
Location in Prospectus |
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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 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. |
Financial Information - Federal Tax Matters | ||||||
| Conflicts of Interest |
Location in Prospectus |
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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 continued investment in this contract over another investment for which the investment professional is not compensated or compensated less. | Your Rights and Responsibilities - Distribution of the Contract | ||||||
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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 |
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Table of Contents
Appendix A: Investment Options Available Under the Contract
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/giab/?ctype=great_wested_notice. You can also request this information at no cost by calling the Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-800-830-4147. Depending on the optional benefits you choose, you may not be able to invest in certain Funds.
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 |
10 Year Average Annual Total Return |
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| 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 income and capital growth consistent with reasonable risk. |
Fidelity VIP Balanced Portfolio (Service Class 2) Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited |
0.66% | 14.96% | 9.24% | 10.84% | |||||
| 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% | |||||
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Table of Contents
| 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 |
10 Year Average Annual Total Return |
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| Seeks as high a level of current income as is consistent with the preservation of capital. |
Fidelity VIP Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (Service Class 2) Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited |
0.62% | 6.93% | -0.21% | 2.45% | |||||
| 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 | |||||
| The Fund seeks to provide capital appreciation and moderate current income while seeking to manage volatility. |
Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.91% | 12.92% | N/A | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income and capital appreciation without undue risk to principal. |
Guardian Core Fixed Income VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC FIAM LLC |
0.52% | 6.61% | N/A | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks income and capital appreciation to produce a high total return. |
Guardian Core Plus Fixed Income VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC |
0.82% | 7.07% | -0.12% | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks capital appreciation. |
Guardian Diversified Research VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Putnam Investment Management, LLC |
0.95% | 18.06% | 14.36% | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks a high level of current income consistent with growth of capital. |
Guardian Equity Income VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.55% | 14.76% | N/A | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital. |
Guardian Growth & Income VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC AllianceBernstein L.P. |
0.97% | 10.13% | 10.63% | N/A | |||||
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Table of Contents
| 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 |
10 Year Average Annual Total Return |
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| The Fund seeks to maximize long-term growth. |
Guardian Large Cap Disciplined Growth VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.87% | 16.99% | 12.01% | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital. |
Guardian Large Cap Fundamental Growth VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC FIAM LLC |
0.98% | 15.32% | 12.14% | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. |
Guardian Mid Cap Relative Value VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Allspring Global Investments, LLC |
1.09% | 5.61% | 9.55% | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks long term growth of capital. |
Guardian Select Mid Cap Core VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC FIAM LLC |
0.96% | 10.34% | N/A | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks to preserve principal and meet liquidity needs while maximizing total return. |
Guardian Short Duration Bond VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Allspring Global Investments, LLC |
0.45% | 5.35% | N/A | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks capital appreciation. |
Guardian Small Cap Value Diversified VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. |
1.05% | 6.66% | 4.56% | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks capital appreciation. |
Guardian Small-Mid Cap Core VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC FIAM LLC |
1.02% | 1.56% | N/A | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks capital appreciation. |
Guardian Strategic Large Cap Core VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC AllianceBernstein L.P. |
0.92% | 11.76% | N/A | N/A | |||||
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Table of Contents
| 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 |
10 Year Average Annual Total Return |
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| The Fund seeks total return with an emphasis on high current income as well as capital appreciation. |
Guardian Total Return Bond VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Massachusetts Financial Services Company |
0.81% | 6.87% | -0.82% | N/A | |||||
| The Fund seeks total return with an emphasis on current income as well as capital appreciation. |
Guardian U.S. Government/Credit VIP Fund Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC |
0.74% | 6.72% | 0.21% | N/A | |||||
| Seeks long-term capital growth. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of companies located anywhere in the world, including developing markets. |
Templeton Growth VIP (Class 2 Shares) Templeton Global Advisors Limited |
1.12% | 23.83% | 7.95% | 7.04% | |||||
| 1 | There is no assurance that this Fund will be able to maintain a stable net asset value per share. In addition, during extended periods of low interest rates, and partly as a result of asset-based separate account charges, the yield on this investment account may become low and possibly negative. |
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.
| Name | Term | Minimum Guaranteed Interest Rate | ||
| Fixed-rate option | 1 year | 3% |
The fixed-rate option is not available while the Earnings Benefit Rider is in effect.
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Table of Contents
APPENDIX B: INVESTMENT OPTION RESTRICTIONS
FUNDS AVAILABLE UNDER THE GLWB RIDER
For contracts issued in conjunction with application dated during the periods below, the chart lists the models available to contracts with the GLWB Rider. During the entire time this rider is in effect, you must invest all of your premium payments and the contract Accumulation Value in one of the allocation models listed under the applicable period for your contract.
|
2025
Growth II 80/201 |
2025 Aggressive 80/202 |
2025 Moderate 60/403 |
2025 Conservative 40/603 |
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| Fidelity VIP Investment Grade Bond Portfolio | 7% | 20% | 25% | |||||
| Guardian All Cap Core VIP Fund | 15% | 20% | 10% | 6% | ||||
| Guardian Core Fixed Income VIP Fund | 20% | 10% | 15% | 25% | ||||
| Guardian Core Plus Fixed Income VIP Fund | 3% | 5% | 10% | |||||
| Guardian Diversified Research VIP Fund | 20% | 15% | 10% | 9% | ||||
| Guardian Equity Income VIP Fund | 20% | 10% | 7% | 5% | ||||
| Guardian Large Cap Disciplined Growth VIP Fund | 25% | 10% | 10% | 9% | ||||
| Guardian Select Mid Cap Core VIP Fund | 15% | 15% | 7% | |||||
| Guardian Small Cap Value Diversified VIP Fund | 5% | |||||||
| Guardian Small-Mid Cap Core VIP Fund | 5% | 8% | 4% |
| 1 | Available immediately as of the date of this supplement. |
| 2 | Available on or about February 16, 2026. |
| 3 | Available on or about November 13, 2025. |
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Table of Contents
FUNDS AVAILABLE UNDER THE LIVING BENEFIT RIDER ("DECADE")
If you elect the living benefit rider, you must allocate your net premiums at the time your contract is issued among the following groupings of allocation options. Each grouping is designated as an Asset Allocation Class. Within each Asset Allocation Class, we will make shifts pro rata among the allocation options you have chosen for that class at the time of the rebalancing.
| 10% | 40% | 40% | 10% | |||
|
Fidelity VIP Government Money Market Portfolio Guardian Short Duration Bond VIP Fund The Fixed-Rate Option |
Fidelity VIP Investment Grade Bond Portfolio Guardian Core Fixed Income VIP Fund Guardian Core Plus Fixed Income VIP Fund Guardian U.S. Government /Credit VIP Fund The Fixed-Rate Option |
Davis Real Estate Portfolio Fidelity VIP Balanced Portfolio Guardian All Cap Core VIP Fund Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund Guardian Diversified Research VIP Fund Guardian Equity Income VIP Fund Guardian Growth & Income VIP Fund Guardian Large Cap Disciplined Growth VIP Fund Guardian Large Cap Fundamental Growth VIP Fund Guardian Strategic Large Cap Core VIP Fund Guardian Total Return Bond VIP Fund |
AB VPS Sustainable Global Thematic Growth Portfolio Davis Financial Portfolio Guardian Diversified Research VIP Fund Guardian Equity Income VIP Fund Guardian Large Cap Disciplined Growth VIP Fund Guardian Large Cap Fundamental Growth VIP Fund Guardian Mid Cap Relative Value VIP Fund Guardian Select Mid Cap Core VIP Fund Guardian Small Cap Value Diversified VIP Fund Guardian Small-Mid Cap Core VIP Fund Templeton Growth VIP Fund |
Please retain this Annual Notice for future reference. The last prospectus and statement of additional information for the contract, dated May 1, 2018, contains more information about the contract. You may contact us to request this additional information free of charge. Instructions for contacting us are included on the front cover page of this notice.
EDGAR Contract ID: C000023936
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Guardian Separate Account R published this content on May 01, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via EDGAR on May 01, 2026 at 19:28 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]