A financial security product and method for managing a financial security,
such as a variable annuity, which enables financial service providers to
deduct the fees, costs and expenses associated with managing the
financial security product. In a preferred embodiment, the method enables
financial service providers to provide optional benefits to investors of
a financial security without the need for maintaining separate unit
prices for each potential combination of optional benefits. The method
comprises periodically declaring a dividend with respect to the financial
security and deducting at least a portion of the fees associated with
managing the financial security from the declared dividend. The amount of
the fees can vary depending upon the number of optional benefits, if any,
selected to be provided with the financial security by the investor. In a
preferred embodiment, any remaining dividend after the fees have been
deducted is reinvested into the financial security.In a preferred
embodiment, the process for declaring the dividend, assessing and
deducting the management fees, reinvesting the remainder of the dividend
and determining the new value of the financial security is accomplished
using a series of calculations via an automated system such as a computer
program.