**Exhibit 99(a)**
**GENERAL GUARANTEE AGREEMENT**
     GENERAL GUARANTEE AGREEMENT, dated January 4, 1999 (the“Guarantee”), by American Home Assurance Company, aNew York corporation (the “Guarantor”) in favor ofeach party (individually, a “Party” and collectively,“Parties”) insured under policies issued by AnchorNational Life Insurance Company, an Arizona corporation (the“Company”).
     1.     Guarantee. For value received,and to induce Parties to purchase insurance from the Company,the Guarantor unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to eachParty, its successors, endorsees and assigns, the prompt paymentwhen due of all present and future obligations and liabilitiesof any kind whatsoever of the Company to such Party arising frompolicies of insurance issued by the Company, including but notlimited to payments for claims, losses and return premiumswhether due or to become due, secured or unsecured, absolute orcontingent, joint or several (the “Obligations”).
     2.     Nature of Guarantee. TheGuarantor’s obligations hereunder with respect to anyObligation shall not be affected by the existence, validity,enforceability, perfection or extent of any collateral for suchObligation. No Party shall be obligated to file any claimrelating to the Obligations owing to it in the event that theCompany becomes subject to a bankruptcy, reorganization orsimilar proceeding, and the failure of any Party to so fileshall not affect the Guarantor’s obligations hereunder. Inthe event that any payment to any Party in respect to anyObligations is rescinded or must otherwise be returned for anyreason whatsoever, the Guarantor shall remain liable hereunderin respect to such Obligations as if such payment had not beenmade. The Guarantor reserves the right to assert defenses whichthe Company may have to payment of any Obligation other thandefenses arising from the bankruptcy or insolvency of theCompany and other defenses expressly waived hereby.
     3.     Consents, Waivers and Renewals.The Guarantor agrees that a Party may at any time and from timeto time, either before or after the maturity thereof, withoutnotice to or further consent of the Guarantor extend the time ofpayment of, exchange or surrender any collateral for, or renewany of the Obligations owing to it, and may also make anyagreement with the Company or with any other party to or personliable on any of the Obligations, or interested therein, for theextension, renewal, payment, compromise, discharge or releasethereof, in whole or in
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part, or for any modification of the terms thereof or of anyagreement between such Party and the Company or any of suchother party or person, without in any way impairing or affectingthis Guarantee. The Guarantor agrees that a Party may resort tothe Guarantor for payment of any of the Obligations, whether ornot the Party shall have resorted to any collateral security, orshall have proceeded against any other obligor principally orsecondarily obligated with respect to any of the Obligations.     4.     Expenses. The Guarantoragrees to pay on demand all out-of-pocket expenses (includingthe reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel) in any wayrelating to the enforcement or protection of the rights of aParty hereunder; provided, that the Guarantor shall not beliable for any expenses of a Party if no payment under thisGuarantee is due.     5.     Subrogation. Upon paymentof all the Obligations owing to any Party, the Guarantor shallbe subrogated to the rights of such Party against the Company,and such Party agrees to take at the Guarantor’s expensesuch steps as the Guarantor may reasonably request to implementsuch subrogation.     6.     Third-Party BeneficiaryContract. The Guarantor hereby acknowledges that Partiesinsured under policies issued by the Company prior to thetermination of the Guarantee are intended third-partybeneficiaries of the Guarantee who may enforce this Guaranteedirectly against the Guarantor.     7.     Termination. This Guaranteemay be terminated after 30 days notice given by theGuarantor by publication in The Wall Street Journal;provided, however, that in the event that a Partyhas requested, by written notice to the Secretary of theGuarantor at 70 Pine Street, New York, New York 10270, prior tothe date of such publication, that such Party be given notice ofany termination of this Guarantee (specifying the address towhich such notice to the Party shall be sent), this Guaranteeshall remain in full force and effect with respect to such Partyuntil receipt by such Party of written notice of termination inaccordance with such request. Notwithstanding the foregoingsentence, this Guarantee shall remain in full force and effectwith respect to Obligations of the Company outstanding orcontracted or committed for (whether or not outstanding) priorto the 30th day after publication of notice of suchtermination in The Wall Street Journal, or, in the eventthat a Party has requested notice of termination as providedabove, prior to receipt by such Party of written notice oftermination in accordance with such request, until suchObligations shall be finally and irrevocably paid in full.
 

 
     8.     Governing Law. ThisGuarantee shall be governed by and construed in accordance withthe laws of the State of New York.     AMERICAN HOME ASSURANCE COMPANY      By /s/ Edward E.Matthews            By /s/ Elizabeth M. Tuck