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                                                                    EXHIBIT 4(R)

                      MERRILL LYNCH LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

                    INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ANNUITY ENDORSEMENT

This endorsement is part of the Contract. The Contract, as amended, is intended
to qualify as an individual retirement annuity under section 408(b) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). The following provisions
replace any contrary provisions of the Contract:

1.       The Owner shall be the Annuitant. Any provision of the Contract that
         would allow co-owners, or that would allow more than one person to
         share distributions, is deleted.

2.       The Contract is not transferable or assignable (other than pursuant to
         a divorce or separation instrument in accordance with Code section
         408(d)(6)) and is established for the exclusive benefit of the Owner
         and his or her Beneficiaries. It may not be sold, assigned, alienated,
         or pledged as security for a loan or other obligation.

3.       The Owner's entire interest in the Contract shall be nonforfeitable.

4.       (a)      Premium payments shall be in cash. Initial premium payments
                  must be $10,000 or more. The following purchase payments shall
                  be accepted as initial premiums under this Contract:

                  (i)      rollover contributions described in Code sections
                           402(c), 402(e)(6), 403(a)(4), 403(b)(8), 403(b)(10),
                           408(d)(3), and 457(e)(16);

                  (ii)     amounts transferred from another individual
                           retirement account or annuity; and

                  (iii)    contributions made pursuant to a Simplified Employee
                           Pension ("SEP"), as provided in Code section 408(k),
                           up to the limits specified in Code section 408(j),
                           that are made in accordance with the written terms of
                           the SEP.

         (b)      Additional premium payments must satisfy the same requirements
                  as initial premium payments, or such additional contributions
                  must not exceed the annual contribution limits specified in
                  Code section 408(b), as set forth in subsection (i) and (ii),
                  or the Owner's compensation (as defined in paragraph (d)
                  below), if less, for that taxable year:

                  (i)      if the Owner is under age 50, $3,000 for any taxable
                           year beginning in 2004, $4,000 for any taxable year
                           beginning in 2005 through 2007, and $5,000 for any
                           taxable year beginning in 2008 through 2010;

                  (ii)     if the Owner is age 50 or over, $3,500 for any
                           taxable year beginning in 2004, $4,500 for any
                           taxable year beginning in 2005, $5,000 for any
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                           taxable year beginning in 2006 through 2007, and
                           $6,000 for any taxable year beginning in 2008 through
                           2010.

                  After 2008, the limits listed above will be adjusted by the
                  Secretary of the Treasury for cost of living increases under
                  Code section 219(b)(5)(C). Such adjustments will be in
                  multiples of $500.

                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, for any calendar year in which
                  the Owner has attained age 70-1/2, the limit of additional
                  cash premium payments are reduced to zero.

         (c)      For purposes of paragraph (b) above, compensation is defined
                  as wages, salaries, professional fees, or other amounts
                  derived from or received for personal services actually
                  rendered (including, but not limited to commissions paid
                  salesmen, compensation for services on the basis of a
                  percentage of profits, commissions on insurance premiums,
                  tips, and bonuses) and includes earned income, as defined in
                  Code section 401(c)(2) (reduced by the deduction a
                  self-employed individual takes for contributions made to a
                  self-employed retirement plan). For purposes of this
                  definition, Code section 401(c)(2) shall be applied as if the
                  term trade or business for purposes of Code section 1402
                  included service described in subsection (c)(6). Compensation
                  does not include amounts derived from or received as earnings
                  or profits from property (including but not limited to
                  interest and dividends) or amounts not includible in gross
                  income. Compensation also does not include any amount received
                  as a pension or annuity or as deferred compensation. The term
                  "compensation" shall include any amount includible in the
                  individual's gross income under Code section 71 with respect
                  to a divorce or separation instrument described in
                  subparagraph (A) of Code section 71(b)(2).

         (d)      No contributions will be accepted under a SIMPLE IRA plan
                  established by any employer pursuant to Code section 408(p).
                  Also, no transfer or rollover of funds attributable to
                  contributions made by a particular employer under its SIMPLE
                  IRA plan will be accepted from a SIMPLE IRA, that is, an IRA
                  used in conjunction with a SIMPLE IRA plan, prior to the
                  expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date the
                  individual first participated in that employer's SIMPLE IRA
                  plan.

         (e)      The Owner must determine whether any premium payment qualifies
                  as a permissible contribution subject to favorable tax
                  treatment under the Code. The Owner must also determine
                  whether such amount qualifies as a permissible rollover
                  contribution for income tax purposes.

5.       This Contract does not require fixed premium payments. Any refund of
         premiums (other than excess contributions) will be applied before the
         close of the calendar year following the year of the refund toward the
         payment of additional premiums or the purchase of additional benefits.

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         Notwithstanding any provision of this Contract to the contrary, the
         distribution of the individual's interest in the Contract shall be made
         in accordance with the requirements of Code section 408(b)(3) and the
         regulations thereunder, the provisions of which are herein incorporated
         by reference. If distributions are not made in the form of an annuity
         on an irrevocable basis (except for acceleration), then distribution of
         the interest in the Contract (as determined under Section 11 below)
         must satisfy the requirements of Code section 408(a)(6) and the
         regulations thereunder, rather than Sections 8, 9, 10, and 12 below.

6.       The Annuity Date is the date the Owner's entire Contract Value will be
         distributed or commence to be distributed. The Annuity Date shall be no
         later than April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in
         which the Owner attains age 70-1/2 (the Required Beginning Date). The
         Owner or Owner's Beneficiary, as applicable, shall have the sole
         responsibility for requesting or arranging for distributions that
         comply with this endorsement and applicable income tax requirements.

7.       Any amounts payable during the Owner's lifetime shall commence on or
         before the Annuity Date and shall be payable in substantially equal
         amounts, at least annually. Payment shall be made as follows:

                  a.       in a lump sum; or

                  b.       over the Owner's life; or

                  c.       over the lives of the Owner and his or her designated
                           Beneficiary; or

                  d.       over a period certain not exceeding the Owner's life
                           expectancy; or

                  e.       over a period certain not exceeding the joint and
                           last survivor life expectancy of the Owner and his or
                           her designated Beneficiary.

         If the Owner's entire interest is to be distributed in other than a
         lump sum, then the minimum amount to be distributed each year
         (commencing with the calendar year following the calendar year in which
         the Owner attains age 70-1/2 and each year thereafter) shall be
         determined in accordance with Code section 408(b)(3) and the
         regulations thereunder, including the incidental death benefit
         requirement of Code section 401(a)(9)(G), the regulations thereunder,
         and the minimum distribution incidental death benefit requirement of
         Q&A-2 of Treasury Regulation section 1.401(a)(9)-6. Payments must be
         either non-increasing or may increase only as provided in Q&A-14 of
         Treasury Regulation section 1.401(a)(9)-6. It is the Owner's
         responsibility to make sure that the required minimum distribution is
         taken in a timely manner and that the correct amount is distributed.

         The distribution periods described in this Section 8 cannot exceed the
         periods specified in section 1.401(a)(9)-6 of the Treasury Regulations.

         The first required payment can be made as late as April 1 of the year
         following the year the individual attains age 70-1/2 and must be the
         payment that is required for one payment interval. The second payment
         need not be made until the end of the next payment interval.

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8.       If the Owner dies after distribution of his or her interest has
         commenced, the remaining portion of such interest will continue to be
         distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution
         being used prior to his or her death.

         If the Owner dies before required distributions commence, his or her
         entire interest will be distributed at least as rapidly as follows:

         a.       If the designated Beneficiary is someone other than the
                  Owner's surviving spouse, the entire interest will be
                  distributed, starting by the end of the calendar year
                  following the calendar year of the Owner's death, over the
                  remaining life expectancy of the designated Beneficiary, with
                  such life expectancy determined using the age of the
                  Beneficiary as of his or her birthday in the year following
                  the year of the Owner's death, or, if elected, in accordance
                  with paragraph (c) below.

         b.       If the Owner's sole designated Beneficiary is the Owner's
                  surviving spouse, the entire interest will be distributed,
                  starting by the end of the calendar year following the
                  calendar year of the Owner's death (or by the end of the
                  calendar year in which the Owner would have attained age
                  70-1/2, if later), over such spouse's life, or, if elected, in
                  accordance with paragraph (c) below. If the surviving spouse
                  dies before required distributions commence to him or her, the
                  remaining interest will be distributed, starting by the end of
                  the calendar year following the calendar year of the spouse's
                  death, over the spouse's designated Beneficiary's remaining
                  life expectancy determined using the Beneficiary's age as of
                  his or her birthday in the year following the death of the
                  spouse, or, if elected, will be distributed in accordance with
                  paragraph (c) below. If the surviving spouse dies after
                  required distributions commence to him or her, any remaining
                  interest will continue to be distributed under the Contract
                  option chosen.

         c.       If there is no designated Beneficiary, or if applicable by
                  operation of paragraph (a) or (b) above, the entire interest
                  will be distributed by the end of the calendar year containing
                  the fifth anniversary of the Owner's death (or of the spouse's
                  death in the case of the surviving spouse's death before
                  distributions are required to begin under paragraph (b)
                  above).

         d.       Life expectancy is determined using the Single Life Table in
                  Q&A-1 of section 1.401(a)(9)-9 of the Treasury Regulations. If
                  distributions are being made to a surviving spouse as the sole
                  designated Beneficiary, such spouse's remaining life
                  expectancy for a year is the number in the Single Life Table
                  corresponding to such spouse's age in the year. In all other
                  cases, remaining life expectancy for a year is the number in
                  the Single Life Table corresponding to the beneficiary's age
                  in the year specified in paragraph (a) or (b) and reduced by 1
                  for each subsequent year.

         e.       Notwithstanding any provision in the Contract to the contrary,
                  upon becoming entitled to the remaining interest of the
                  Contract, the primary or contingent beneficiary, as the case
                  may be (the "Original Beneficiary") shall have the right to


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                  designate a subsequent beneficiary (the "Subsequent
                  Beneficiary") to receive any interest in the Contract that is
                  not distributed during the Original Beneficiary's lifetime if
                  the designation is executed before the death of the Original
                  Beneficiary, in a written form acceptable to Us, the
                  designation expressly refers to the remaining benefits in the
                  Contract, and the Owner did not designate a Subsequent
                  Beneficiary to receive benefits upon the Original
                  Beneficiary's death. If such remaining benefits are thus
                  payable to such a Subsequent Beneficiary, they shall be paid
                  over a period that does not extend beyond the maximum
                  distribution period over which the Original Beneficiary was
                  required to receive the interest under Section 401(a)(9) of
                  the Code.

                  If the Original Beneficiary is a trust and is receiving
                  benefits under the Contract over the life expectancy of a
                  trust beneficiary, then upon the death of such trust
                  beneficiary prior to the complete distribution of such
                  benefits to the trust, such remaining benefits shall be
                  payable to the trust, or directly to the successor trust
                  beneficiary if so instructed in writing by the trustee of such
                  trust, over a period that does not extend beyond the maximum
                  distribution period over which the Original Beneficiary was
                  required to receive the interest under Section 401(a)(9) of
                  the Code.

9.       If the sole designated Beneficiary is the Owner's surviving spouse, the
         spouse may elect to treat the Contract as his or her own IRA. This
         election will be deemed to have been made if such surviving spouse
         makes a contribution to the Contract or fails to take required
         distributions as a Beneficiary.

         If the Owner dies before his or her entire interest has been
         distributed, no additional premiums will be accepted under this policy
         after his or her death unless the Beneficiary is the Owner's surviving
         spouse.

10.      The "interest" in the Contract includes the amount of any outstanding
         rollover, transfer and recharacterization under Q&A-7 and Q&A-8 of
         section 1.408-8 of the Treasury Regulations and the actuarial value of
         any other benefits provided under the IRA, such as guaranteed death
         benefits.

11.      For purposes of paragraph 8 above, required distributions are
         considered to commence on the Owner's Required Beginning Date or, if
         applicable, on the date distributions are required to begin to the
         surviving spouse under paragraph 8(b) above. However, if distributions
         start prior to the applicable date in the preceding sentence, on an
         irrevocable basis (except for acceleration) under an annuity contract
         meeting the requirements of section 1.401(a)(9)-6 of the Treasury
         Regulations, then required distributions are considered to commence on
         the Annuity Date.

12.      The insurer of this Contract shall furnish annual calendar year reports
         concerning the status of the annuity and such information concerning
         required minimum distributions as is prescribed by the Commissioner of
         Internal Revenue.

13.      This endorsement is intended to qualify the Contract under the
         provisions of Code section 408 for federal income tax purposes. The
         provisions of the Contract in conjunction with

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         the provisions of this endorsement are to be interpreted to maintain
         such qualification, notwithstanding any other provision to the
         contrary. We reserve the right to amend or modify the Contract or this
         endorsement to the extent necessary to comply with any law, regulation,
         ruling, or other requirement necessary to establish or maintain the tax
         advantages available to an individual retirement annuity under Code
         section 408(b) and any other applicable law. We will send the Owner a
         copy of such amendment to this endorsement. The Owner is responsible
         for determining that premiums, distributions and other transactions
         under the Contract comply with applicable laws.

14.      This endorsement is effective as of the Contract Date.

This Endorsement controls over any contrary provisions of the Contract.

                                   MERRILL LYNCH LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY



                                   By:______________________________________
                                                     Secretary

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