By Marc Gilman
Questions? Call (800) 927-9326 or email
Key Takeaways
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Both are single-premium fixed index annuities issued by Forethought Life Insurance Company (Global Atlantic’s annuity-issuing subsidiary), built around a Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB) — but they grow that guaranteed income differently.
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ForeIncome II makes you choose between two growth engines at issue: a fixed 10% annual rollup (Guaranteed Income Builder Benefit), or index-linked growth at 3x credited interest before you activate income (Income Multiplier Benefit).
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Income 150+ SE uses one fixed, front-loaded structure instead — an immediate boost to your Withdrawal Base at the time of purchase, reported by Global Atlantic as roughly 20% (turning a $100,000 premium into a $120,000 starting Withdrawal Base).
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The minimum premium is a real practical difference: ForeIncome II requires $25,000 to open; Income 150+ SE requires just $10,000.
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Both include a nursing care–related enhanced benefit and a death benefit,with Income 150+ SE specifically targeted around an extra income boost for qualifying health care expenses — we will confirm the exact methodology using a current illustration before assuming either structure fits your specific needs.
Two Products, One Underlying Goal
Both ForeIncome II and Income 150+ SE exist to solve the same core retirement problem: converting a lump sum into an income stream you can’t outlive. Both are fixed index annuities — meaning your money isn’t directly invested in the market, so you’re not exposed to market losses, while still getting the potential for index-linked growth. Both are issued by Forethought Life Insurance Company, and both build their guaranteed income around a GLWB rider. Where they genuinely differ is in how the number your future income is based on — the Withdrawal Base — actually grows before you turn on income.
ForeIncome II: Choose Your Growth Engine
ForeIncome II requires you to elect one of two income benefit structures at the time you purchase the contract:
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Option 1 — Guaranteed Income Builder Benefit: your Withdrawal Base grows by a fixed 10% annually (of your initial premium, adjusted for any withdrawals), continuing every year until the earlier of 15 years or the point you activate income. This is predictable, uncorrelated with market performance, and easy to project years in advance.
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Option 2 — Income Multiplier Benefit: before you activate income, your Withdrawal Base grows by 3 times any interest credited through your chosen index strategy. Once you activate income, that multiplier drops to 1x credited interest going forward. This option ties your growth potential to actual index performance rather than a fixed rate, with more upside potential and more variability.
You must be at least age 55 to activate the income benefit, and the GLWB rider carries an ongoing annual charge based on the Withdrawal Base — confirm the current fee for whichever option you’re considering, since the two structures aren’t necessarily priced identically. ForeIncome II also includes nursing care and terminal illness waivers, along with a standard death benefit paying any remaining contract value to your beneficiaries.
Income 150+ SE: One Structure, Front-Loaded
Income 150+ SE takes a different approach entirely: instead of choosing between two ongoing growth engines, you get one immediate boost to your Withdrawal Base right at purchase. Global Atlantic has described this publicly as roughly a 20% boost — as Jason Bickler, the company’s Co-Head of Individual Markets, put it: “If you invest $100,000, right away $120,000 is available to base your guaranteed income on.”
This is a fundamentally different growth philosophy from ForeIncome II’s year-over-year accumulation — the value is front-loaded rather than built gradually over a deferral period. Income 150+ SE also includes a death benefit at no additional cost, and is specifically built around an enhanced income feature for qualifying health care expenses — a meaningful feature if long-term care risk is part of what you’re planning around, though the exact qualification criteria and payout mechanics should be confirmed directly against a current product illustration rather than assumed.
Minimum Premium: A Real Practical Difference
This is a straightforward but genuinely important distinction: ForeIncome II requires a $25,000 minimum premium, while Income 150+ SE requires just $10,000. For a client working with a smaller lump sum — a partial IRA rollover, a smaller inheritance, or simply a more conservative allocation to annuities within a broader portfolio — Income 150+ SE’s lower entry point may be the more realistic starting option regardless of which growth structure otherwise appeals more.
Which One Fits Which Client
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ForeIncome II tends to fit clients with a longer deferral horizon who want to actively choose between predictable fixed growth and index-linked upside potential — and who have at least $25,000 to commit.
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Income 150+ SE tends to fit clients who want simplicity and immediate Withdrawal Base value without electing between two structures, along with clients specifically motivated by the health-expense income boost feature, or those working with a smaller initial premium.
Both products have been recognized in Barron’s annual 100 Best Annuities guide in recent years — ForeIncome II in the Fixed-Indexed Annuity Income Guarantees category, and Income 150+ SE specifically highlighted for its “new guaranteed income design.” That’s a reasonable signal of industry competitiveness, but it isn’t a substitute for comparing the actual numbers against your specific age, premium amount, and income timeline.
What To Do Next
These are two genuinely different ways to build guaranteed lifetime income from the same carrier family — one built around choosing your growth engine over time, the other built around an immediate front-loaded boost. The right fit depends on your premium amount, how long you plan to defer income, and whether the health-expense feature is relevant to your broader planning. Current rates, fees, and illustration numbers should always be confirmed before deciding — reach out and we’ll run the actual numbers for your specific situation.
Questions? Call (800) 927-9326 or email
This information is general in nature and not intended as tax or legal advice. Annuity features, rates, and fees are subject to change and vary by state; confirm current details against an official Global Atlantic illustration before making a decision.
Sources: Global Atlantic Financial Group, ForeIncome II and Income 150+ SE professional product pages and Product Highlights materials (globalatlantic.com, professionals.globalatlantic.com); Barron’s 100 Best Annuities coverage via Business Wire (2024, 2025); Annuity.org, “Annuity Products from Global Atlantic Financial Group.”
