Mortality And Expense Risk Charge

What Does Mortality And Expense Risk Charge Mean?
A variable annuity fee included in certain annuity or insurance products which serves to compensate the insurance company for various risks it assumes under the annuity contract.

Investopedia explains Mortality And Expense Risk Charge
Any time an insurance company offers an annuity to someone, it must make assumptions about uncertain factors (such as the life expectancy of the annuitant) and the likelihood of uncertain events actually occurring; it must also provide the annuitant with peace of mind via lifetime payout options for the future and fixed insurance premiums. The insurance company prices these risks inherent to the structure of an annuity as accurately as possible and packages it into a dollar value charge for the annuitant.