One embodiment of the invention is a method for providing a financial instrument that includes determining an initial account balance associated with a financial instrument, establishing a first guarantee of a protected value, the protected value including at least an amount based upon the initial account balance growing at a minimum positive growth rate, establishing a second guarantee that a beneficiary may receive a transfer of an amount of money, and establishing an agreement to allow at least a portion of the account balance to be transferred from one or more selected investments to one or more alternative investments in response to a triggering event.