To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: At least two insurance companies are adding “buffered” investment portfolios to the lineup of underlying funds that are available to support their variable annuity and variable life insurance policies. These buffered funds are in many ways similar to the popular “buffered” index-linked annuity and universal life options that insurers have offered under Form S-1 or S-3 registrations with the SEC. The new buffered funds, however, will instead be registered on the same Form N-1A as more conventional underlying fund options, and the variable annuity/life benefits that they support will be registered on the same Form N-4 or N-6 that is used for other interests under such variable products.