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Form 497VPI LINCOLN NATIONAL VARIABL

April 29, 2026 11:51 AM EDT
Lincoln PathBuilderSM Income Version 4 
Group Variable Annuity Contracts 
Summary Prospectus for New Investors
May 1, 2026
This summary prospectus summarizes key features of the Lincoln PathBuilderSM Income Version 4 group variable annuity contract, issued by The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (Lincoln Life or Company).
Before you invest, you should also review the prospectus for the Lincoln PathBuilderSM Income Version 4 group variable annuity contract, which contains more information about the Contract’s features, benefits, and risks. You can find this prospectus and other information about the Contract online at www.lfg.com/VAprospectus. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling 1-800-234-3500 or by sending an email request to [email protected].
This Contract is a complex investment and involves risks, including potential loss of principal.
YOU MAY CANCEL YOUR CONTRACT WITHIN THE FREE LOOK PERIOD WITHOUT PAYING FEES OR PENALTIES.
If you are a new investor in the Contract, you may cancel your Contract within ten days of receiving it without paying fees or penalties. In some states, this “free look” or cancellation period may be longer if you are replacing an existing Contract. Upon cancellation, you will receive either a full refund of the amount you paid with your application or your total Contract Value. You should review the prospectus, or consult with your investment professional, for additional information about the specific cancellation terms that apply.
This Contract is not designed for short-term investing and is not appropriate for the investor who needs ready access to cash. Withdrawals could result in taxes and tax penalties.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved the Contract or determined if this Summary Prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable annuities, has been prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s staff and is available at Investor.gov.
Investors should consult a financial professional about the Contract’s features, benefits, risks, and fees and whether the Contract is appropriate for them based upon their financial situation and objectives. We do not guarantee that all of the Subaccounts will always be available. Our obligations under the Contract, guarantees, or benefits of the Contract are subject to our financial strength and claims-paying ability.
1
Special Terms
In this initial summary prospectus, the following terms have the indicated meanings:
Account or Variable Annuity Account (VAA)—The segregated investment account, Account L, into which we set aside and invest the assets of the Contract offered in this prospectus.
Accumulation Unit—A measure used to calculate Contract Value for the Contract before the Annuity Commencement Date.
Additional Plan Expenses—The maximum amount of Plan expenses that can be deducted from the Contract on an annual basis that will not reduce the Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit. The annual maximum amount is specified in the Contract.
Annuitant—The person upon whose life the annuity payments are based.
Annuity Payout— An amount paid at regular intervals after the Annuity Commencement Date under one of several options available to the Annuitant and/or any other payee. This amount is paid on a fixed basis.
Automatic Annual Step-up—A feature that provides an automatic step-up of the Protected Income Base to the Participant Account Value, subject to certain conditions.
Benefit Year—For each Participant, the 12-month period starting with the date the initial contribution is made to the group annuity contract for a Participant, and starting with each anniversary of the date of the initial contribution after that.
Beneficiary—The person or entity designated by the Participant to receive any Death Benefit paid if the Participant dies before the Annuity Commencement Date.
Contract—The variable annuity contract between the Plan and The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (Lincoln Life or Company).
Contract—The variable annuity contract you have entered into with Lincoln Life.
Contractowner (you, your, owner)—An employer or a Plan sponsor, a trustee of a trust or a custodian of: (1) a qualified pension or profit sharing plan under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, or “tax code”; (2) an Individual Retirement Annuity under Section 408 of the tax code; (3) a tax deferred annuity under Section 403(b) of the tax code; or (4) a governmental deferred compensation plan under Section 457 of the tax code. Additional Contractowners may be allowed upon approval by us.
Contract Value—At a given time before the Annuity Commencement Date, the total value of all Accumulation Units for a Contract.
Contract Year—Each 12-month period starting with the effective date of the Contract and starting with each contract anniversary after that.
Death Benefit—Before the Annuity Commencement Date, the amount payable to your designated Beneficiary if the Participant dies.
Excess Withdrawals—Amounts withdrawn from the Contract which may decrease or eliminate guarantees under the Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit. All withdrawals are Excess Withdrawals except withdrawals to provide the Guaranteed Annual
Income, the Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit charge and the Additional Plan Expenses..
Good Order—The actual receipt at our Home Office of the requested transaction in writing or by other means we accept, along with all information and supporting legal documentation necessary to complete the transaction. The forms we provide will identify the necessary documentation. We may, in our sole discretion, determine whether any particular transaction request is in Good Order, and we reserve the right to change or waive any Good Order requirements at any time.
Guaranteed Annual Income (GAI)—The guaranteed periodic withdrawal amount available from the Participant Account Value each Benefit Year for the life of a Participant and spouse (if applicable).
Guaranteed Annual Income Effective Date—The Valuation Date the request to receive Guaranteed Annual Income amounts for a Participant is approved by the Home Office.
Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit or Benefit—The feature of this Contract that provides guaranteed lifetime periodic withdrawals called GAI that may increase based on Automatic Annual Step-ups and also age-based increases to the withdrawal amount, regardless of investment performance of the Contract and provided certain conditions are met.
Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit Effective Date (GWB Effective Date)—The date of the first Purchase Payment into the VAA by the Contractowner on behalf of the Participant.
Income Base—A value used to calculate the Guaranteed Annual Income amount. The amount of the Income Base varies for each Participant and is adjusted as set forth in this prospectus.
Lincoln Life (we, us, our, Company)—The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company.
Participant—A person defined as a Participant in the Plan, who has enrolled under a Contract, on whose behalf Lincoln Life maintains a Participant Account Value. This individual is also the Annuitant.
Participant Account Value—The Participant’s share of the Contract Value.
Plan—The retirement program that an employer offers to its employees for which a Contract is used to accumulate funds.
Purchase Payments—The sum of all amounts paid into the Contract. Purchase Payments are allocated to the VAA’s Subaccounts and are used to fund the Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefits under the Contract.
Subaccount—The portion of the VAA that reflects investments in Accumulation Units of the fund available under the Contract.
Valuation Date—Each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading.
Valuation Period—The period starting at the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that the NYSE is open for trading (Valuation Date) and ending at the close of such trading on the next Valuation Date.
3
Overview of the Contract
Purpose of the Contract
The Lincoln PathBuilderSM Income Version 4 is designed for you to accumulate assets through investments in a variety of investment options during the accumulation phase. Then, during the annuity phase, the Contract is designed to supplement your retirement income by providing a stream of income payments. The Contract also offers a death benefit to protect your designated beneficiaries.
This Contract may be appropriate if you have a long-term investment horizon. It is not intended for people who may need to make early or frequent withdrawals or intend to engage in frequent trading in the Subaccounts.
Phases of the Contract
The Contract has two phases: (1) an accumulation phase (for savings) and (2) an annuity phase (for income).
Accumulation (Savings) Phase. To help you accumulate assets during the accumulation phase, you can invest your payments and earnings in the variable options available under the Contract, each of which has an underlying mutual fund with its own investment objective, strategies, and risks; investment adviser(s); expense ratio; and performance history.
Additional information about each investment option is provided in Appendix A – Investment Options Available Under The Contract. The Contractowner has decided which funds are available for Participant allocations.
Annuity (Income) Phase. You can end the accumulation phase and enter the annuity phase by electing to annuitize your Contract, turning your Contract Value into a stream of income payments from us (sometimes called annuity payments). These payments may continue for a set period of years, for as long as you live, or for the longer of the two. The payments may be fixed or variable. Variable payments will vary based on the performance of the investment options you select.
In general, if you elect to annuitize, your investments will be converted to annuity payments. You will no longer be able to withdraw money from your Contract and there won’t be a death benefit. However, please note that certain annuity payout options make an amount payable upon death.
Primary Features and Options of the Contract
Accessing Your Money. Before you annuitize, you can withdraw money from your Contract at any time. We have designed the Contract for use in connection with certain types of retirement plans that receive favorable treatment under the tax code. The Federal income tax treatment of the Contract is complex and sometimes uncertain. The Federal income tax rules may vary with your particular circumstances.
Tax Treatment. You can transfer money between investment options without tax implications, and earnings (if any) on your investments are generally tax-deferred. You may be taxed only upon: (1) making a withdrawal; (2) receiving a payment from us; or (3) payment of a death benefit.
Death Benefits. The Contract includes a return of premium death benefit that will pay a Death Benefit to your designated beneficiaries at the time of your death.
Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit. The Contract includes a Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit that provides guaranteed lifetime periodic withdrawals, regardless of investment performance of the Contract. This guarantee is subject to certain conditions, as set forth elsewhere in the prospectus.
4
Important Information You Should Consider About the Lincoln PathBuilderSM Income Version 4 Variable Annuity Contract 
 
FEES, EXPENSES, AND ADJUSTMENTS
Location in
Prospectus
Are There
Charges or
Adjustments for
Early
Withdrawals?
No:
There are no surrender charges associated with this Contract, however a withdrawal
may have a negative impact on certain optional benefits that you may elect.
●N/A
Are There
Transaction
Charges?
No:
There are no transaction charges associated with this Contract.
●N/A
Are There
Ongoing Fees and
Expenses?
Yes:
Minimum and Maximum Annual Fee Table. The table below describes the fees and
expenses that you may pay each year, depending on the investment options and
optional benefits you choose. Please refer to your contract specifications page in your
Contract for information about the specific fees and expenses you will pay each year
based on the options you have elected.
●Fee Tables
●Fee Tables –
Examples
●Charges, Other
Deductions,
and
Adjustments
●Appendix A –
Investment
Options
Available
Under the
Contract
Annual Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Base Contract
0.65%1
0.65%1
 
Base Contract – Guaranteed Withdrawal
Benefit
0.90%2
2.00%2
 
Fund fees and expenses
0.59%3
0.82%3
1 As a percentage of average Contract Value. For the base contract, also includes an amount attributable
to the Annual Account Fee.
 
2As a percentage of the Income Base.
 
3As a percentage of fund net assets, before expense reimbursements or fee waiver arrangements.
Lowest and Highest Annual Cost Table. Because your Contract is customizable, the
choices you make affect how much you will pay. To help you understand the cost of
owning your Contract, the following table shows the lowest and highest cost you could
pay each year, based on current charges. This estimate assumes that you do not take
withdrawals from the Contract.
 
Lowest Annual Cost: $1,500
Highest Annual Cost: $3,727
 
 
Assumes:
Assumes:
 
 
●Investment of $100,000
●5% annual appreciation
●Least expensive fund fees and
expenses
●No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers, or withdrawals
●Investment of $100,000
●5% annual appreciation
●Most expensive fund fees and expenses
●No additional Purchase Payments,
transfers, or withdrawals
 
5
 
RISKS
Location in
Prospectus
Is There a Risk of
Loss From Poor
Performance?
Yes:
●You can lose money by investing in this Contract, including loss of principal.
●Principal Risks
●Investments of
the Variable
Annuity
Account
Is This a Short-
Term Investment?
No:
●This Contract is not designed for short-term investing and is not appropriate for the
investor who needs ready access to cash.
●The benefits of tax deferral, long-term income, and living benefit protections mean
the Contract is more beneficial to investors with a long-term investment horizon.
●Surrenders and withdrawals may be subject to ordinary income tax and/or tax
penalties.
●Fee Tables
●Principal Risks
●Surrenders and
Withdrawals
What are the
Risks Associated
With the
Investment
Options?
●An investment in this Contract is subject to the risk of poor investment performance
of the investment options you choose. Performance can vary depending on the
performance of the investment options available under the Contract.
●Each investment option has its own unique risks.
●You should review the available investment options before making an investment
decision.
●Principal Risks
●Investments of
the Variable
Annuity
Account
What are the
Risks Related to
the Insurance
Company?
●An investment in the Contract is subject to the risks related to Lincoln Life. Any
obligations, guarantees, or benefits of the Contract are subject to our claims-paying
ability. If we experience financial distress, we may not be able to meet our obligations
to you. More information about Lincoln Life, including our financial strength ratings,
is available upon request by calling 1-800-454-6265 or visiting
www.LincolnFinancial.com.
●Principal Risks
 
RESTRICTIONS
Location in
Prospectus
Are There
Restrictions on
the Investment
Options?
●Not all investment options may be available for investment under your Contract.
●We reserve the right to remove or substitute any funds as investment options that
are available under the Contract.
●You may be limited in the number of transfers between investment options per
Contract Year.
●Principal Risks
●Investments of
the Variable
Annuity
Account
●Appendix A –
Investment
Options
Available
Under the
Contract
 
TAXES
Location in
Prospectus
What are the
Contract’s Tax
Implications?
●Consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in
and payments received under this Contract.
●If you purchase the Contract through a tax-qualified plan or IRA, you do not get any
additional tax benefit under the Contract.
●Depending on the source of your Purchase Payments, earnings on your Contract may
be taxed at ordinary income tax rates when you withdraw them, and you may have to
pay a penalty if you take a withdrawal before age 59½.
●Federal Tax
Matters
6
 
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Location in
Prospectus
How are
Investment
Professionals
Compensated?
●Financial professionals may receive compensation for selling this Contract, in the
form of commissions, additional cash benefits (e.g., bonuses), and non-cash
compensation. We may share the revenue we earn on this Contract with investment
firms.
●This potential conflict of interest may influence a financial professional to
recommend this Contract over another investment for which the investment
professional is not compensated or compensated less.
●Distribution of
the Contracts
Should I
Exchange My
Contract?
●You should only exchange your Contract if you determine, after comparing the
features, fees, and risks of both Contracts, that it is better for you to purchase the
new Contract rather than continue to own your existing contract.
●N/A
Benefits Available Under the Contract
The following table summarize information about the benefits available under the Contract. A detailed description of each benefit is available in the prospectus.  
Standard Benefits
Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions /
Limitations
Guaranteed
Withdrawal Benefit
●Guaranteed lifetime periodic withdrawals;
●Annual step-ups of the Income Base;
●Age-based increases the Guaranteed
Annual Income amount.
●2.00%
●Excess Withdrawals could significantly
reduce or terminate the benefit.
●Any Excess Withdrawal may negatively
impact or eliminate the potential for
enhancements or step-ups.
●Subject to a $2 million maximum
Protected Income Base.
●Additional Purchase Payments may be
limited.
Buying the Contract
This prospectus describes the group variable annuity contract under which we allocate payments to the accounts of individual Participants and provide a Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit if all conditions are met. Each Participant under the group variable annuity contract receives a certificate which summarizes the provisions of the group contract and is proof of participation. The Participant's share of the Contract Value is called the Participant Account Value.
Purchase Payments – Investing in the Contract
Periodic Purchase Payments are payable to us at a frequency and in an amount specified by the Plan sponsor. Purchase Payments are allocated to the LVIP American Global Balanced Allocation Managed Risk Fund and LVIP Global Moderate Allocation Managed Risk Fund, and are used to fund the Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit. If Purchase Payments are discontinued, the Contract will remain in force as a paid-up contract. If you submit a Purchase Payment to your agent, we will not begin processing the Purchase Payment until we receive it from your agent's broker-dealer in Good Order.
The maximum annual Purchase Payment into the Contract for a Participant will be limited to $500,000 without the Home Office approval. Purchase Payments from a Participant which originate from other investment options available under the Plan and are made within 180 days of a withdrawal from the Participant Account Value may be limited to $25,000 in the future. In addition we may further limit or decline future Purchase Payments into the Contract as long as we provide you 180 days notice. It is possible that we could refuse any or all future Purchase Payments. If future Purchase Payments cannot be made into this Contract, Participant Account Values and Income Bases will no longer be increased by additional Purchase Payments. Participants should consider these Purchase Payment limitations and how they may impact their long-term investment plans, especially if the intent is to make additional Purchase Payments over a long period of time.
7
Making Withdrawals: Accessing the Money in Your Contract
Before the Annuity Commencement Date – During the Accumulation (Savings) Phase
You can access the money in your Contract by making a withdrawal, which will reduce the value of your Contract. You may withdraw all or a portion of the Contract Value (minus applicable charges and other adjustments, discussed below). However, withdrawing the entire cash value of your Contract will terminate your Contract.
Before the Annuity Commencement Date, we will allow the surrender of the Contract or a withdrawal of a portion of the Contract Value upon your written request or the written request of a Participant, if authorized by the Contractowner.
The amount available upon surrender/withdrawal is the Contract Value at the end of the Valuation Period during which the written request for surrender/withdrawal is received at the Home Office if the request is received in Good Order before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, or the close of trading of the New York Stock Exchange if earlier. If we receive a surrender or withdrawal request in Good Order at or after 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, we will process the request using the Accumulation Unit value computed on the next Valuation Date. Unless prohibited, surrender/withdrawal payments will be mailed within seven days after we receive a valid written request at the home office. The payment may be postponed as permitted by the 1940 Act.
There are tax consequences for surrenders and withdrawals.
There are limitations associated with taking money out of the Contract, including the following:  
Negative impact on benefits and guarantees of your
Contract
●A withdrawal may have a negative impact on certain
optional benefits that you may elect. It may reduce the
value of or even terminate certain benefits.
Internal Revenue Code or Retirement Plan
●Depending on the circumstances, the Internal Revenue
Code or your retirement plan may restrict your ability
to take withdrawals.
 
After the Annuity Commencement Date – During the Annuity (Income) Phase
After the Annuity Commencement Date, you will receive payments under the annuity payment option you select, but generally you may not take any other withdrawals or surrender your Contract. Surrender or withdrawal rights after the Annuity Commencement Date, if any, depend on the Annuity Payout option selected.
8
Additional Information About Fees
Fee Tables
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from the Contract. Please refer to your Contract Specifications page for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.
The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time that you buy the Contract, surrender or make withdrawals from the Contract.
 
TRANSACTION EXPENSES
  
There are no sales charges, deferred sales charges, or surrender charges associated with this Contract.
 
 
The next table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay each year during the time that you own the Contract (not including fund fees and expenses).
 
ANNUAL CONTRACT EXPENSES
  
Base Contract Expense (as a percentage of average Contract Value)
 
 
Base Contract Expense
 
0.65%
 
 
 
Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit:1
 
 
Guaranteed Maximum Annual Charge
 
2.00%
Current Annual Charge
 
0.90%
1
As percentage of the Income Base (initial Purchase Payment), as increased for subsequent Purchase Payments, Automatic Annual Step-ups and decreased upon an Excess Withdrawal. The current monthly charge is 0.075%, not to exceed the guaranteed maximum monthly percentage charge of 0.17%. This charge is
deducted from the Participant Account Value on a monthly basis. 
The next item shows the minimum and maximum total annual operating expenses charged by the funds that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the Contract. A complete list of funds available under the Contract, including their annual expenses, may be found in Appendix A – Investment Options Available Under the Contract. 
Annual Fund Expenses
Minimum
Maximum
Expenses that are deducted from the fund assets, including
management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other
expenses before any fee waivers or expense reimbursements.
0.59
%
0.82
%
Expenses that are deducted from the fund assets, including
management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other
expenses after any fee waivers or expense reimbursements.1
0.59
%
0.80
%
1
Any fee waivers or expense reimbursements will remain in effect until at least April 30, 2027, and can only be terminated early with approval by the fund’s board of directors.
9
EXAMPLES
These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the variable options with the cost of investing in other annuity contracts that offer variable options. These costs include separate account annual expenses, benefit charges and fund fees and expenses.
The examples assume that you invest $100,000 in the variable options for the time periods indicated, and that your investment has a 5% annual return on assets and the maximum fees and expenses of the fund. The examples also assume that the guaranteed maximum contract charges are in effect. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1) If you surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
$3,482
$10,604
$17,940
$37,265
2) If you annuitize or do not surrender your Contract at the end of the applicable time period: 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
$3,482
$10,604
$17,940
$37,265
For more information – See Charges, Other Deductions, and Adjustments in this prospectus. These examples should not be considered a representation of past or future expenses. Actual expenses may be more or less than those shown.
10
Appendix A — Investment Options Available Under The Contract
The following is a list of funds currently available under the Contract. Current performance of the Subaccounts can be found at www.lfg.com/VAprospectus. More information about the funds is available in the prospectuses for the Funds, which may be amended from time to time and can be found online at www.lfg.com/VAprospectus. You can also request this information and current fund performance at no cost by calling 1-800-234-3500 or by sending an email request to [email protected].
The current expenses and performance information below reflect fees and expenses of the Fund, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your Contract may charge. Expenses would be higher and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. Each fund’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance. 
Investment Objective
Fund and
Adviser/Sub-adviser1
Current
Expenses
Average Annual Total
Returns (as of 12/31/2025)
 
 
 
1 year
5 year
10 year
A balance between a high level of current
income and growth of capital. A fund of
funds.
LVIP American Global Balanced Allocation
Managed Risk Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.59%
12.84%
5.06%
6.43%
A balance between a high level of current
income and growth of capital, with an
emphasis on growth of capital. A fund of
funds.
LVIP Global Moderate Allocation Managed
Risk Fund - Standard Class
advised by Lincoln Financial Investments
Corporation
0.80%2
11.52%
4.70%
5.65%
1
The name of the adviser or sub-adviser is not listed if the name is incorporated into the name of the fund or the fund company.
2
This fund is subject to an expense reimbursement or fee waiver arrangement. As a result, this fund’s annual expenses reflect temporary expense reductions. See the fund prospectus for additional information.
A-1
This initial summary prospectus incorporates by reference the prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (SAI) for the Contract, both dated May 1, 2026, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time. The SAI may be obtained, free of charge, in the same manner as the prospectus.
 
SEC File Nos.:
333-187071; 811-07645
EDGAR Contract Identifier:
C000126536

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