Retirement frequently asked questions

Please visit Customer Support for Symetra business hours.

Addresses and phone and fax numbers may vary depending on the product you have or the service you need. Please refer to the top of the form you are completing or contact us at 1-800-796-3872, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. PT | 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, to ensure your request gets to us in a timely manner.

In addition to our standard authentication process, Symetra can add an additional custom password to further safeguard your account. To add a password, the contract owner must send a letter of instruction indicating the new password, which can contain any combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Be sure to specify if the password is required on phone calls, transaction requests or both. Also, be sure to provide your notarized signature and date on the request. After the password is set up on your account, any calls or requests on your account will require you to verify your password. Any future requests to change or remove a password must be submitted in writing. A form to request an extra password will soon be available via our Forms section.

Only the contract owner has the ability to change the address of record. We will accept your address change by phone at 1-800-796-3872, or in writing via fax or U.S. Mail. If requesting your address change in writing, use the Address/Email Change Request form. Please fax or mail it to us using the contact information on the form.

If there are multiple trustees or attorneys-in-fact who are required to act together, all parties should sign the form.

To request a withdrawal, download the Withdrawal Request form at www.symetra.com/csforms. Please fax or mail it to us using the contact information on the form.

The contract owner should sign the request, and if the owner’s signature has changed, please have it notarized. If a trustee(s) or attorney-in-fact signs the request, we must have a valid Trustee Certification and Disclosure or Affidavit of Attorney-in-Fact on file. If the applicable documents are not on file, you can download these forms at the URL above. If there are multiple trustees or attorneys-in-fact who must act together, the request must be signed by all authorized individuals.

The penalty-free withdrawal amount can vary by contract, but most commonly, the penalty-free amount is 10% of the contract value each contract year while the contract is in its surrender charge period. Refer to your annuity contract for details. Some flexible-premium contracts start a new surrender charge schedule with each payment.

If you decide to take your RMD from your Symetra annuity, please download the Required Minimum Distribution form. Please fax or mail it to us using the contact information on the form.

If you would like to suspend your 2020 RMD payment due to the CARES Act, please complete this online waiver form or contact us at 1-800-796-3872 as soon as possible. For more information related to the CARES Act, visit our COVID-19 FAQ page.

Income annuities—also known as immediate annuities—are designed to provide regular income. However, some income annuity contracts include an “Advance Access” provision that enables the owner to take a lump-sum amount in advance of their scheduled income payments. The minimum amount is $5,000, the maximum is 30% based on present value. A three-year waiting period from contract inception is required. Note that Advance Access will reduce your remaining annuity payment amounts. Please contact us at 1-800-796-3872 to find out if your contract includes this provision.

To change the primary or contingent beneficiaries of your annuity contract, please complete the Beneficiary Change Request form. Additional details:

• Only the contract owner has the power to change the beneficiary, and the signature must match the signature on file or we will request a notarization of the form.
• Primary beneficiaries are first in line to receive death benefit proceeds. If you designate multiple primary beneficiaries, please ensure the percentages total 100%.
• If one or more primary beneficiaries predecease the insured person(s), we will pay the proceeds to any remaining primary beneficiaries.
• If you are changing the primary beneficiary to someone other than your spouse and you live in a community property state, your spouse must sign the form where indicated.
• If all primary beneficiaries predecease the insured person, we will pay the proceeds to all living contingent beneficiaries. If you designate multiple contingent beneficiaries, please ensure the percentages total 100%.
• If the owner of the contract is a trust, the trustee may change the primary beneficiary to a person other than the trust. The trustee should also consult a tax or legal advisor for guidance due to potential unintended tax consequences.
• If the owner is naming an established trust as a beneficiary, please include the complete trust name, including the trust date.
• If an attorney-in-fact/power of attorney is making a beneficiary change, we must have a copy of the Power of Attorney document and attorney-in-fact affidavit form already on file or submitted with the change. The Power of Attorney documentation will be reviewed to determine whether the attorney-in-fact is authorized to make beneficiary changes.

Any requests received in good order will revoke all prior designations of beneficiary. A confirmation of the change will be mailed to the contract owner

Follow these steps:

1. Visit Symetra.com.

2. Click on the "My Account" button at the top right of the screen.

3. Click on "New User Registration" on the right side of the screen.

4. From the “Type of User” drop-down box, select “I’m a customer.”

5. Enter your contract number and continue through the prompts to set up the online account.

Through this process, you will establish a user name and password that you will use each time you log on.

Yes, for individual deferred annuity accounts only. To view and print your statements, sign into your account and click on the "View Statements" link.

If you took a withdrawal or distribution from your annuity this year, Symetra will mail you an IRS Form 1099-R no later than January 31 of the following year. Please allow 5 to 10 business days for arrival in your mailbox. If you did not take a withdrawal or distribution, you will not receive a 1099-R. If you made a contribution to your IRA, you will receive an IRS Form-5498 no later than May 30. These forms are not currently available online.

Download the Affidavit of Attorney-in-Fact form. Complete it, have it notarized, and send it to us with all pages of the valid Power of Attorney document. Please fax or mail the form to us using the contact information on the form.

You are allowed to change your fixed indexed annuity account allocations at the end of each 1-year interest term. You will receive a renewal notice with the next year’s interest caps and floors approximately 35 days prior to the end of your current interest term. Any requests to transfer percentages must be received at least five business days before the end of each interest term. If you would like to change your account allocations, download the applicable Transfer Account Balances form. Please fax or mail it to us using the contact information on the form. Additional details:

• We can also accept allocation change requests through our secure online portal. If the contract is jointly owned, the signatures of both owners are needed to change allocations.
• We may be able to accept allocation change request over the phone in certain circumstances (e.g., an Allocation Change Telephone Authorization is on file). For more information, contact us at 1-800-796-3872.
• We must receive your request no later than five business days prior to the allocation date.

For a list of available accounts and crediting methods, refer to your contract or renewal notice, or contact us at 1-800-796-3872.

Please refer to your contract for the Guaranteed Minimum Interest Rate (GMIR). If you are unable to find the GMIR for your contact, please contact us at 1-800-796-3872 for assistance. There are often two GMIRs—one within the surrender period and one after the surrender period ends.