STATS: TOP-PERFORMING VARIABLE PRODUCTS, BY INVESTMENT STYLE

AGGRESSIVE GROWTH

TOP 10

PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name

Alliance Gallery ActANY Alliance Prem Growth 37.41 31.66 American Int’l Life of NY

Evergreen Ultra Evergreen 35.24 N/A Nationwide Life & Annuity

Value Advantage + Alliance Prem Growth 33.26 N/A Fortis Benefits

Alliance Gallery ActI Alliance Prem Growth 32.00 31.74 AIG Life

Alliance Capital Alliance Prem Growth 31.99 31.58 American Skandia Life

Members Var Univ Life Cap Apprec 30.41 26.70 Century Life of America

Members Var Annuity Cap Apprec 29.77 26.06 Century Life of America

Flexible Var Annuity Aggressive Growth 29.16 32.46 Principal Mutual Life

Ensemble 2 Capital Growth 28.22 28.60 Chubb Life

Vintage Life Van Kampen Am Cap Entrpse 26.96 N/A Travelers

BOTTOM 5

Wallstreet 500 Aggressive Growth 0.24 N/A Fortis Benefits

Wallstreet 220 Aggressive Growth 0.24 N/A Fortis Benefits

Masters Var Annuity Aggressive Growth 0.06 10.83 Fortis Benefits

Oppenheimer Var Annuity Aggressive Growth 0.06 10.83 Fortis Benefits

Wallstreet Survivor Aggressive Growth 0.06 N/A Fortis Benefits

Mean 15.20 20.47

Alliance Premier Growth lived up to its first-place name, with four of the first five spots. Each, interestingly, had a different manager. Fortis-run offerings brought up the rear.

INTERNATIONAL STOCK

TOP 10

PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name

Best of Am Flex Prem Var Univ Life Am Cent Int’l 18.63 N/A Nationwide Life

Best of Am Modified SPrm VarLife Am Cent Int’l 18.63 N/A Nationwide Life

JanusRtrmAdvt Janus Aspen Int’l Growth 17.74 24.32 Western Reserve Life

Best of Am Flex Prem Var Univ Life Am Cent Int’l 17.69 14.12 Nationwide Life

Advisers Select Am Sk Trust Putnam Int’l Eq 17.24 11.55 American Skandia Life

Advisers Choice Am Sk Trust Putnam Int’l Eq2 17.24 11.55 American Skandia Life

Advisers Design Am Sk Trust Putnam Int’l Eq2 17.24 11.55 American Skandia Life

Commonwealth V
irginia JA Int’l Growth 17.14 N/A Life of Virginia

Best of Am Special Value Am Cent Int’l 17.10 13.55 Nationwide Life

Best of Am IV Am Cent Int’l 17.09 13.54 Nationwide Life

BOTTOM 5

Valuemark III Templeton Pacific Growth -36.84 -9.67 Allianz Life

DeanWitter Var Annuity Pacific Growth -38.32 -12.74 Northbrook Life

DeanWitter Var Annuity 2 Stnd Pacific Growth -38.54 -13.05 Northbrook Life

DeanWitter Var Annuity 2 Enhncd Pacific Gro -38.62 N/A Northbrook Life

GT Global New Pacific -41.93 -9.62 General American Life

Mean -3.06 7.09

Nationwide was on your side here if you were one of the winners, managing half of the top 10. American Skandia took fourth, fifth and sixth places. General American was in the coal bin.

CORPORATE BOND DIVERSIFIED

TOP 10

PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name

Pacific Corinthian VA Bond & Inc 14.93 14.15 Pacific Corinthian Life

Pacific Select Bond & Inc 14.88 N/A Pacific Mutual Life

Separate Account A Bond & Inc 14.71 N/A Pacific Mutual Life

Aetna Plus Aetna Legacy Var 13.08 N/A Aetna Life

Marathon Plus Aetna Legacy Var 12.90 N/A Aetna Life

VA C Federal Hi Inc 12.72 N/A Great American Reserve

Safeco Spinnaker Plus Hi Inc 12.41 N/A Safeco Life

Flexible Annuity In Advantage 12.29 N/A IDS Life

Trillium VA Inc 12.27 10.97 Canada Life of America

Safeco Spinnaker Hi Inc 12.26 N/A Safeco Life

BOTTOM 5

Sep Acct 2 Short Term 4.72 4.91 American Life of NY

Sep Acct No. 2 Short Term 4.72 4.91 Mutual of America Life

Sierra Advantage Short Term Hi Quality 4.32 4.70 American General Life

Equi-Select Advantage 4.26 5.49 Equitable Life of Iowa

ICAP 2 Target 98 3.73 6.23 Anchor National Life

Mean 8.53 9.56

Anchor National sank to the bottom with its ICAP 2 Target, a full 53 basis points behind the next finisher. Sector leader Pacific Corinthian was 6.4 percentage points above the mean.

EQuity INCOME

TOP 10

PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* %
manager name

Overture Applause! Alger Am Inc & Growth 35.08 28.95 Ameritas Var Life

Overture SP Var Univ Life Alger Am Inc & Gro 34.67 28.56 Ameritas Var Life

Overture 2 Alger Am Inc & Growth 34.61 28.50 Ameritas Var Life

Overture 3 Alger Am Inc & Growth 34.61 28.50 Ameritas Var Life

Overture 3 + Alger Am Inc& Growth 34.40 N/A Ameritas Var Life

Marathon + Alger Am Inc & Growth 34.38 N/A Aetna Life & Annuity

Vanguard Eq Inc 33.78 29.70 Providian Life & Health

PioneerVision-NY Eq Inc 33.38 N/A First Allmerica Fin Life

Low-Load Var Univ Life Vanguard Eq Inc 33.38 N/A Ameritas Var Life

PioneerVision Eq Inc 33.37 N/A Allmerica Financial

BOTTOM 5

USA Plan (Q) Northstar Inc & Growth 14.30 N/A ReliaStar Bankers Sec Life

USA Plan (NQ) NS Inc & Growth 14.30 N/A ReliaStar Bankers Sec Life

Select Ann 3 Northstar Inc & Growth 14.02 N/A Northwestern National Life

Am Century Life Inv Annuity Domestic Inc 10.45 11.67 Nationwide Life

Variety Plus Am Capital Domestic Inc 10.20 11.41 American General Life

Mean 25.76 23.97

Although the top 10 are closely bunched, Ameritas Variable Life dominates. Its Overture line called the tune in the first five spots, with Applause! (!) getting the plaudits as No. 1.

U.S. EQUITY GROWTH

TOP 10

PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name

Compass G Growth Stock 46.41 31.03 Sun Life of Canada

Compass 1(US) Growth Stock 46.34 30.96 Sun Life of Canada

Compass I NY Growth Stock 46.33 30.96 Sun Life & Annuity

Value Adv + Safeco Growth 44.19 N/A Fortis Benefits

Enhanced Accumulator Growth 43.26 N/A Safeco Life

Resource Variable AcctB Growth 42.85 37.40 Safeco Life

Resource Acct A Growth 42.85 37.40 Safeco Life

Safeco Spinnaker + Growth 42.85 37.40 Safeco Life

Safeco Spinnaker Growth 42.64 37.18 Safeco Life

Safeco MainSail Growth 42.64 N/A Safeco Life

BOTTOM 5

Best of Am IV AmCent Cap Apprec -4.52 5.27 Nationwide Life

Options Fidelity AmCent Cap Apprec -4.60 N/A Provident Mutual Life

Best of Am Am’s Vision An AmCent Cap Apprec -4.61 5.16 Nationwide Life

Maxim Am Cent Cap Apprec -4.62 5.15 Great West Life

Carillon Am Cent Cap Apprec -4.66 N/A Union Central Life

Mean 22.51 23.55

Safeco policies were solid performers, ranking fourth through tenth, but Compass pointed the way in the top three spots. No matter the manager, American Century was last.

CORPORATE BOND HIGH YIELD

TOP 10

PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name

Best of Am F lPrem Var Univ Life Fidel Hi Inc 17.67 N/A Nationwide Life

Best of Am ModSing PremVar Life Fidel Hi Inc 17.67 N/A Nationwide Life

Select Life 2 Fidelity Hi Inc 17.67 17.38 Northwestern National Life

Select Life 3 Fidelity Hi Inc 17.67 17.38 Northwestern National Life

Group VEL Plus Fidelity Hi Inc 17.67 N/A Allmerica Financial

Market Life Fidelity Hi Inc 16.96 16.68 Travelers

Zenith Life+2 Fidelity Hi Inc 16.96 16.68 New England Mutual Life

Zenith Life + Fidelity Hi Inc 16.96 16.68 New England Mutual Life

Zenith Flex Life Fidelity Hi Inc 16.79 N/A New England Mutual Life

VEL – NY Fidelity Hi Inc 16.73 16.29 First Allmerica Financial Life

BOTTOM 5

Oppenheimer Var Ann Hi Yield 8.29 9.49 Fortis Benefits

Wallstreet Survivor Hi Yield 8.29 N/A Fortis Benefits

Pacific Corinthian Var Annuity Hi Yield 8.13 N/A Pacific Corinthian Life

Pacific Select Hi Yield 8.08 11.73 Pacific Mutual Life

Separate Account A Hi Yield 7.92 N/A Pacific Mutual Life

Mean 12.81 13.76

Zenith didn’t quite reach the peak, but didn’t do badly in the junk department with New England Mutual. Best of America lived up to its name, and Pacific Mutual was in the drink.

Source: Standard & Poor’s Micropal

Notes: * 1-year rank is 12/31/96 through 12/31/97; 3-year rank is 12/31/94 through 12/31/97. N/A: Not available.