Guaranteed minimum income payments (GMIP) ensure that each annuitized payment will be no less than what?

• A. The first payment
• B. A specified percentage of the first payment
• C. The average of the prior year's payments
• D. A fixed-dollar amount unrelated to the first payment

Answer: (B)

GMIP creates a guaranteed income floor by tying the minimum payment to a percentage of the initial payment. This means every future annuitized payment will be at least that specified percentage of what you received at the start, even if the investment performance declines. The first payment sets the baseline, so the floor moves with that baseline and provides a predictable minimum throughout the payout period. This protects against market risk while still allowing for higher actual payments if returns are strong. The other ideas don’t fit because the floor isn’t the first payment amount itself, nor an average of past payments, nor a fixed dollar amount unrelated to the initial payout.