Aggressive growth
Top 10
PRODUCT 1 YEAR % 3 YEAR % UNDERWRITER
Perspective JNL Aggressive Growth 24.92 19.49 Jackson National Life
WRL Freedom VA Aggressive Growth 24.33 16.85 Western Reserve Life Assur/Ohio
Maxiflex Ind Flx Janus Aggressive Growth 23.61 14.99 Great American Reserve
CVA/Janus Aggressive Growth 23.42 14.81 Life of Virginia
Americus Janus A.S. Aggressive Growth 23.32 N/A Annuity Investors Life
Kemper Adv III Janus Aggressive Growth Q 23.25 N/A Kemper Investors Life
Lincoln Benefit Janus Aggressive Growth 23.12 14.53 Lincoln Benefit Life
Marathon Plus Janus Aggressive Growth 23.11 14.52 Aetna
Principal FVA Aggressive Growth Division 18.51 26.64 Principal Life
IDS Life Flex Port PCM New Opportunity 17.06 19.14 IDS Life
BOTTOM 5
Venture Vision Warburg Emerg Growth -1.46 N/A Manufacturers Life of North Am.
Venture NY Emerging Growth -1.22 N/A Manufacturers Life of New York
Equi-VestIRA/QP IRA no OR Aggressive Growth -1.08 12.58 Equitable Life
Manulife Acct 2 Ann Emer Growth Eq -0.82 6.51 Manufacturers Life of America
BOA Amer Vision Strong Discovery -0.06 5.63 Nationwide Life
AVERAGE 8.69 14.06
Janus Aggressive Growth's strategy snagged most of the spots in the top 10, though its one-year return lagged seemingly plain vanilla domestic growth products, some also from Janus.
Corporate bond high yield
Top 10
PRODUCT 1 YEAR % 3 YEAR % UNDERWRITER
Income Manager 97 Alliance High Yield 12.22 16.07 Equitable Life
Navigator
Invesco VIF High Yield 11.83 N/A Annuity Investors Life
Exchequer
Invesco VIF-High Yield 11.69 14.12 Security Life of Denver
Canada Life/NY Seligman High Yield Bond 11.00 12.26 Canada Life of New York
Equi-Vest SEP/SAR MD/OR/WA High Yield 10.75 16.03 Equitable Life
Anchor Nat'l Polaris High Yield Bond 10.54 11.88 Anchor National Life
Travelers Univ Annuity High Yield Bond Q 10.33 12.63 Travelers Life
Fidelity Reserves/VIP High Income 10.16 13.05 Fidelity Investment Life
PML Div II T Rowe High Yield Bond Flex 10.07 12.18 Penn Mutual Life
BOA Amer Future Fidelity VIP High Income 9.94 12.93 Nationwide Life Ins Co
BOTTOM 5
Touchstone Income Opportunity 0.39 15.40 Western-Southern Life
Fortis Masters Ann High Yield 2.47 6.62 Fortis Benefit
Pacific Select VA High Yield Bond 4.37 8.75 Pacific Mutual Life
Cova Custom Sel Opp High Income 4.88 3.42 Cova Financial Services Life
Nauticus ML VSF High Current Income 5.27 N/A Annuity Investors Life
AVERAGE 8.79 11.75
Bottom-ranked Touchstone seems to have missed all the income opportunities in the past year. At least they didn't call it "high yield." Income Manager 97 is No. 1 in both columns.
investment-grade bond
Top 10
PRODUCT 1 YEAR % 3 YEAR % UNDERWRITER
Mainstay Plus Convertible 10.70 N/A New York Life Ins & Annuity
Maxiflex Ind Flx Conseco Corp Bond 9.98 8.88 Great American Reserve
MONY MONYMaster Long Term Bond 8.78 8.60 Mutual of New York
MONY Amer MONYMaster Long Term Bond 8.78 8.60 MONY of America
Security Ben VA4 Q High Grade Bond 7.41 7.43 Security Benefit Life
MetLife Pref Plus Income 7.22 7.16 Metropolitan Life
Travelers Vintage TLAC/TBC Managed 7.06 6.53 Travelers Life
NYLIAC Mainstay VP II Bond 6.93 6.36 New York Life Ins & Annuity
Farm Bureau High Grade Bond 6.82 6.95 Farm Bureau
Hancock MarketPlace Sovereign Bond 6.69 7.52 John Hancock Mutual Life
BOTTOM 5
Lincoln Benefit IAI Reserve 3.06 3.24 Lincoln Benefit Life
Kemper Passport Global Income Q 3.33 N/A Kemper Investors Life
CNA MFS Limited Maturity Series 3.59 N/A CNA/Valley Forge
Century Members Bond 3.83 N/A CUNA Mutual Life
Discovery Preferred Diversified Bond 4.05 N/A Prudential
AVERAGE 5.81 6.54
Consistency characterizes investment-grade-bond accounts, with barely more than a percentage point separating most one- and three-year returns, and 7.64 points from top to bottom.
EQUITY INCOME
Top 10
PRODUCT 1 YEAR % 3 YEAR % UNDERWRITER
PB Marquee Fidelity Equity Income 25.13 24.47 Peoples Benefit Life
IDS Life Symphony N.Y. Equity Income 18.06 15.03 IDS Life of N.Y.
DE Medallion III Devon 17.65 N/A Allmerica Financial Life
Pioneer Vision 2 Equity Income 16.81 21.60 Allmerica Financial Life
Vanguard Var Annuity Plan Equity Income 16.01 25.38 Peoples Benefit Life
Fortis Norwest Income Equity 15.49 N/A Fortis Benefit
Allegiance Fidelity VIP Equity-Income 14.09 20.70 Alexander Hamilton Life
Kemper Gateway Custom Contra Value 13.89 N/A Allmerica Financial Life
Kemper Passport Contrarian Value NQ 13.73 N/A Kemper Investors Life
DVA+ (Standard DB) Kayne Anderson Rising Div 13.16 23.13 Golden American Life
BOTTOM 5
CitiVariable NY CitiSelect VIP 400 1.17 N/A Citicorp Life
Conseco Advantage INVESCO Ind Income 5.24 15.79 Great American Reserve
Venture NY Equity 6.52 15.76 Manufacturers Life of New York
Venture New Gen Equity 6.52 15.76 Manufacturers Life of North Am.
Mainstay Plus TRP Equity Income 7.12 19.83 New York Life Ins & Annuity
AVERAGE 9.76 19.57
PB Marquee came out on top in the one-year column, posting a return that was close to its three-year annualized result, unlike the oldest four of the category's bottom five accounts.
Domestic growth
Top 10
PRODUCT 1 YEAR % 3 YEAR % UNDERWRITER
MSDW VA Stock Equity 48.33 25.34 Northbrook Life
Prudential Discovery Plus Pru Jennison 37.72 23.06 Prudential
WRL Freedom VA Growth 32.14 27.24 Western Reserve Life Assr/Ohio
Advisors Select JanCap Growth 32.05 32.34 American Skandia Life Assurance
Endeavor 98 WRL Growth 31.95 27.06 PFL Life
Endeavor NY (WRL) Janus Growth 31.95 27.06 AUSA Life
Pinnacle I JanCap Apprec 31.33 N/A Integrity Life Insurance
Pinnacle II(NILI) JanCap Apprec 31.33 N/A National Integrity Life
CVA/Janus Aspen Capital Apprec 31.33 N/A Life of Virginia
Conseco Advantage Dreyfus Stock Ind 30.10 30.57 Great American Reserve
BOTTOM 5
Farm Bureau Value Growth -16.63 4.19 Farm Bureau
Liberty Adv Stein Roe Special Venture -16.10 7.31 Keyport Life
Advisor's Edge Stein Roe Special Venture -15.48 N/A Peoples Benefit Life
BOA Amer Vision Amer Cent VP Cap Apprec -14.11 -4.56 Nationwide Life
Union Central ACI Growth -14.10 N/A Union Central Life
AVERAGE 13.45 20.29
MSDW VA Stock Equity shot ahead of its fellows in the domestic growth category when one-year returns were tallied up, and outshone every other offering on this page. Way to go.
International STOCK
Top 10
PRODUCT 1 YEAR % 3 YEAR % UNDERWRITER
GT Global Allocator NY Europe Fund 33.67 25.18 Security Equity Life Insurance
Gen Amer G.T. Europe Fund 33.67 25.18 General American Life
MSDW VA European Growth 30.46 24.86 Northbrook Life
Phoenix Big Edge Plus International 27.22 19.77 Phoenix Home Life Mutual
Phoenix Big Edge Choice International 27.07 19.64 PHL Variable
Advisors Select Janus Overseas Growth 22.23 N/A American Skandia Life Assurance
BOA Amer Future AC VP International 21.35 20.54 Nationwide Life
Great Am Res Uni AmCent VP International 21.33 20.58 Great American Reserve
SAFECO Spinnaker Plus ACI International 21.07 20.32 SAFECO Life
Income Mgr 97 MFS Emerging Growth 19.88 Equitable Life
BOTTOM 5
Overture III-Plus MS Asian Equity -61.27 N/A Ameritas Variable Life
Pinnacle I (NILI) MS Asian Equity -59.86 -24.47 National Integrity Life
Pinnacle II MS Asian Equity -59.86 -24.47 Integrity Life
VIP-Templeton Pacific Growth -57.02 -20.97 Allianz Life
Keyport Preferred Adv Newport Tiger -56.69 -19.90 Keyport Life
AVERAGE 1.29 9.82
Europe is the star and Asia is the goat, with nearly 95 percentage points separating the top from the bottom in the one-year column. No wonder the average one-year return is 1.29%.
[More: Top 25 providers of variable annuities, ranked by assets]
