IDS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND B
N-30D, 2000-02-16
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IDS Life
Variable
Annuity
Fund B

Invests in a wide range of securities  with the  objective of long-term  capital
appreciation for contract  owners.

1999  ANNUAL REPORT

AMERICAN EXPRESS Financial Advisors

Managed by IDS Life Insurance Company
<PAGE>
(picture of) Pamela J. Moret
Pamela J. Moret
Executive Vice President

Message from the Executive Vice President
If  you're an  experienced  investor,  you know  that the past 12  months  was a
volatile period in many financial markets. But history tells us that substantial
market   moves  --  either  up  or  down  --  are  nothing  new  and  are  often
unpredictable.

The  potential  for  such  volatility  reinforces  the  need  for  investors  to
periodically  review their  long-term  financial goals and examine whether their
investment program remains on track to achieving them. Your quarterly investment
statements are one part of that monitoring process.  The other is a meeting with
your American  Express  financial  advisor.  That becomes even more important if
there's a major change in your financial situation or in the financial markets.

I also  want to let you  know  that,  beginning  in  2000,  this  Fund has a new
portfolio  manager.  She is Anne  Obermeyer,  who replaces  the  retiring  Mitzi
Malevich.  Like Mitzi, Anne is an experienced manager, and she intends to follow
the same investment approach that Mitzi used so successfully during her tenure.


Pamela J. Moret
Executive Vice President, Variable Assets
IDS Life Insurance Company
<PAGE>
(picture of) Mitzi Malevich
Mitzi Malevich

From Your Portfolio Manager: A Perspective

Despite considerable volatility,  the past fiscal year (January through December
1999) was a very productive one for the U.S. stock market and the Fund.

On Dec. 31, 1999, the accumulation  unit value of IDS Life Variable Annuity Fund
B was $38.85,  compared with $29.29 at the  beginning of the year.  The increase
represented  a gain of 32.64% for the 12 months.  (If you  purchased  additional
accumulation  units during the period,  your return would have been  affected by
the sales and administrative charges, as described in the Fund's prospectus.)

Spurred largely by three reductions in short-term  interest rates by the Federal
Reserve  Board (the Fed) in late 1998,  the stock  market was  surging  when the
period began. Illustrating the strength of the rally, the Fund gained nearly 10%
in January alone.  Although a run-up in long-term interest rates sent the market
into  retreat  during  February,   it  quickly  mounted  a  fresh  advance  that
established an all-time high by mid-summer.

At that point,  the Fed evidently  decided that the risk of higher inflation was
getting too great, because, in late June, it increased short-term interest rates
to relieve the potential inflation  pressure.  That was followed by another rate
increase in August.

Not surprisingly,  the rate hikes resulted in a stock-market slump, which lasted
into the fall.  But once again the market  displayed  remarkable  resilience  by
rallying  powerfully during the final three months of the year,  shrugging off a
third Fed rate increase in November in the process.

For the most part,  the  market's  gains  during the year were again driven by a
relatively  small number of  large-capitalization  growth  stocks.  Because such
issues form the core of the Fund's  investments,  the trend continued to work to
the Fund's advantage.

As has been the case for some  time,  technology-related  stocks  comprised  the
greatest  area of  investment  for the Fund,  and,  although  they  were  highly
volatile,  they did make  the  biggest  contribution  to  performance.  This was
especially true during the fourth quarter, when the technology sector registered
exceptionally  strong  gains.  Most of the rest of the portfolio was invested in
consumer  stocks,  including  health care and  retailing  issues,  and financial
services stocks. On the whole, they experienced mixed results.

On a  personal  note,  this  report  coincides  with the end of my tenure as the
Fund's  portfolio  manager.  In  January  2000,  I retired  from the  investment
business and turned over the management of the Fund to Anne Obermeyer,  in whose
capable  hands  I'm sure the Fund  will  prosper.  It has been my  pleasure  and
privilege to work on your behalf during the past several years,  and I sincerely
hope the years ahead will prove rewarding for you.


Mitzi Malevich
<PAGE>

The 10 Largest Holdings

                                     Percent                      Value
                                 (of net assets)          (as of Dec. 31, 1999)
 Cisco Systems                          8.88%                 $80,729,399
 Microsoft                              7.91                   71,859,625
 Tellabs                                6.91                   62,794,631
 Applied Materials                      6.02                   54,728,999
 MCI WorldCom                           5.97                   54,251,100
 Nokia Oyj ADR Cl A                     5.38                   48,868,000
 EMC                                    4.77                   43,317,625
 Intl Business Machines                 4.65                   42,228,000
 Intel                                  4.50                   40,876,388
 Tyco Intl                              3.40                   30,912,778

For further detail about these  holdings,  please refer to the section  entitled
"Investments in Securities."

(icon of) pie chart

                            The 10 holdings listed here
                            make up 58.39% of net assets
<PAGE>
Investment Illustration

On the chart  below  you can see how IDS Life  Variable  Annuity  Fund B's total
return  compared to the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500), an unmanaged list
of common stocks, frequently used as a general measure of market performance. In
comparing  the Fund to the S&P 500,  you should take into  account the fact that
the Fund's  performance  reflects a 5.65 percent total sales and  administrative
charge,  while no such sales charge is reflected in the  performance  of the S&P
500. Investment performance of the Fund, after charges, is reflected in the unit
value  calculation.  There  are  no  dividend  or  capital  gain  distributions,
therefore,  the assumed units  purchased  would remain  constant  throughout the
period.

How $10,000 has grown in IDS Life Variable Annuity Fund B

$50,000
                                                       S&P 500 Index        X
                                                                   X    Fund B
$40,000                                                          Annuity Value

$30,000

$20,000

$10,000
                                        X
X
$9,435

'89     '90    '91     '92    '93     '94    '95    '96     '97    '98     '99

Dec. 31
Unit Value

$9,435 9,634 14,422  15,324  16,769  16,098 21,867 26,768 32,641 38,696 51,322
$7.141 7.292 10.868  11.598  12.691  12.184 16.552 20.261 24.706 29.289 38.850

The above  represents  an assumed  investment  of $10,000 into a single  payment
annuity  contract on Dec. 31,  1989.  Values are  calculated  on Dec. 31 of each
year. (No new contracts are currently being sold.)

Average Annual Total Return on Each of Three Investments

                                       Period                 Fund B
           Date of                   investment               Annuity
         investment                held in years:              Value
        Dec. 31, 1989                    10                   +17.77%
        Dec. 31, 1994                     5                   +24.64%
        Dec. 31, 1998                     1                   +25.14%

The  returns  reflect the  deduction  of a sales and  administrative  charge and
mortality and expense risk charges.

Your  investment and return values  fluctuate so that your  accumulation  units,
when redeemed,  may be worth more or less than their  original cost.  This was a
period of  fluctuating  security  prices.  Past  performance  is no guarantee of
future results.
<PAGE>

Annual Financial Information

REPORT OF  INDEPENDENT  AUDITORS
THE BOARD OF MANAGERS  AND CONTRACT  OWNERS IDS

Life Variable Annuity Fund B:

We have audited the accompanying  statement of assets,  liabilities and contract
owners'  equity of IDS Life Variable  Annuity Fund B,  including the schedule of
investments  in securities,  as of December 31, 1999,  the related  statement of
operations  for the year then  ended,  the  statements  of changes  in  contract
owners'  equity  for each of the two years in the  period  then  ended,  and the
selected per unit data and ratios  presented  under  "Financial  highlights" for
each of the five years in the period then ended. These financial  statements and
per unit data and ratios are the  responsibility of the Fund's  management.  Our
responsibility  is to express an opinion on these  financial  statements and per
unit data and ratios based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted
in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain  reasonable  assurance about whether the financial  statements and per
unit  data and  ratios  are free of  material  misstatement.  An audit  includes
examining,  on a test basis,  evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in
the financial  statements.  Our procedures included  confirmation of investments
owned as of December 31, 1999, by  correspondence  with the custodian.  An audit
also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by  management,  as well as  evaluating  the  overall  financial  statement
presentation.  We believe  that our audits  provide a  reasonable  basis for our
opinion.

In our opinion,  the financial  statements and selected per unit data and ratios
referred to above  present  fairly,  in all  material  respects,  the  financial
position of IDS Life Variable  Annuity Fund B at December 31, 1999,  the results
of its operations for the year then ended,  the changes in its contract  owners'
equity for each of the two years in the period then ended,  and the selected per
unit data and  ratios  for each of the five  years in the  period  then ended in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.



Ernst & Young LLP
Minneapolis, Minnesota
February 4, 2000
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Statement of assets, liabilities and contract owners' equity

IDS Life Variable Annuity Fund B

Dec. 31, 1999

Assets
Investments in securities, at value (Note 1)
<S>                                                                                         <C>
   (identified cost, $293,715,925)                                                          $908,638,977
Cash in bank on demand deposit                                                                   415,856
Dividends and interest receivable                                                                186,949
Receivable from IDS Life Insurance Company for contract purchase payments                     40,881,206
                                                                                              ----------
Total assets                                                                                $950,122,988
                                                                                            ------------

Liabilities
Payable for contract terminations                                                           $ 41,099,213
Payable to IDS Life Insurance Company for:
Mortality and expense assurance fee                                                               24,705
Investment management fee                                                                            481
                                                                                                     ---
Total liabilities                                                                           $ 41,124,399
                                                                                            ------------

Contract owners' equity
Contracts in accumulation period-- 22,892,980 units at $38.85 per unit (Note 5)             $889,315,450
Contracts in payment period                                                                   19,683,139
                                                                                              ----------
Total contract owners' equity                                                                908,998,589
                                                                                             -----------
Total liabilities and contract owners' equity                                               $950,122,988
                                                                                            ============

See accompanying notes to financial statements.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Statement of operations
IDS Life Variable Annuity Fund B

Year ended Dec. 31, 1999

Investment income (loss) -- net Income:
<S>                                                                                         <C>
Dividends                                                                                   $  3,732,537
Interest                                                                                         746,048
                                                                                                 -------
Total income                                                                                   4,478,585
                                                                                               ---------
Expenses:
Mortality and expense assurance fee (Note 2)                                                   8,620,886
Investment management fee (Note 3)                                                             3,448,538
                                                                                               ---------
Total expenses                                                                                12,069,424
                                                                                              ----------
Investment income (loss) -- net                                                               (7,590,839)
                                                                                              ----------

Realized and unrealized gain (loss) -- net
Net realized gain (loss) on investments                                                       63,930,480
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments                          186,335,187
                                                                                             -----------
Net gain (loss) on investments                                                               250,265,667
                                                                                             -----------
Net increase (decrease) in contract owners' equity from operations                          $242,674,828
                                                                                            ============

See accompanying notes to financial statements.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Statements of changes in contract owners' equity
IDS Life Variable Annuity Fund B

Year ended Dec. 31,                                                                         1999                   1998

Operations
<S>                                                                                    <C>                     <C>
Investment income (loss)-- net                                                         $ (7,590,839)           $ (5,646,422)
Net realized gain (loss) on investments                                                  63,930,480              62,783,286
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments                     186,335,187              74,918,754
                                                                                        -----------              ----------
Net increase (decrease) in contract owners' equity from operations                      242,674,828             132,055,618
                                                                                        -----------             -----------

Contract transactions
Net contract purchase payments (Note 2)                                                   2,949,259               3,573,742
Repayment of temporary withdrawals                                                              132                     865
Net transfers from (to) fixed annuities                                                  (9,935,689)             (5,535,879)
Contract termination payments and temporary withdrawals                                (120,468,743)            (90,095,829)
Annuity payments                                                                         (2,400,199)             (1,991,837)
                                                                                         ----------              ----------
Net increase (decrease) from contract transactions                                     (129,855,240)            (94,048,938)
                                                                                       ------------             -----------
Net increase (decrease) in contract owners' equity                                      112,819,588              38,006,680
                                                                                        -----------              ----------
Contract owners' equity at beginning of year                                            796,179,001             758,172,321
                                                                                        -----------             -----------
Contract owners' equity at end of year                                                 $908,998,589            $796,179,001
                                                                                       ============            ============

See accompanying notes to financial statements.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
Notes to Financial Statements

1. ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
IDS Life Variable  Annuity Fund B (the Fund) is organized as a segregated  asset
account of IDS Life  Insurance  Company  (IDS Life) under  Minnesota  law and is
registered under the Investment  Company Act of 1940 as a diversified,  open-end
management  investment  company.  The Fund's  assets are held for the  exclusive
benefit of its variable  annuity contract owners and are not chargeable with any
liabilities  arising  from  the  other  business  activities  of IDS  Life.  The
significant accounting policies followed by the Fund are summarized as follows:

Use of estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally  accepted in the United States  requires  management to make estimates
and assumptions  that affect the reported  amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosure of  contingent  assets and  liabilities  at the date of the financial
statements and the reported  amounts of increase and decrease in net assets from
operations during the year. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Investments in securities
Securities traded on national securities exchanges are valued at the last quoted
sales price on the principal exchange on which traded.  Securities traded in the
over-the-counter  market are valued at the mean of the last quoted bid and asked
price.  Short-term  securities  that  mature  in 60 days or less are  valued  at
amortized cost.  Those maturing in more than 60 days from the valuation date are
valued at the market price or approximate market value based on current interest
rates.  Short-term  securities originally purchased with maturities of more than
60 days but which currently mature in 60 days or less are valued on an amortized
cost basis using the market  value or  approximate  market value on the 61st day
before  maturity.  Bonds  and  other  securities  are  valued  at fair  value as
determined  by the Board of  Managers  when  market  quotations  are not readily
available.  Determination of fair value involves among other things,  references
to market indexes, matrices and data from independent brokers.

Security transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased
and sold. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date.

Option contracts
In order to produce  incremental  earnings,  protect gains and facilitate buying
and selling of securities for investment purposes, the Fund may buy and sell put
and call options and write  covered call  options on portfolio  securities.  The
risk in  writing a call  option  is that the Fund  gives up the  opportunity  of
profit if the market price of the security increases.  The risk in writing a put
option is that the Fund may  incur a loss if the  market  price of the  security
decreases and the option is exercised.  The risk in buying an option is that the
Fund pays a premium  whether or not the option is  exercised.  The Fund also has
the additional  risk of not being able to enter into a closing  transaction if a
liquid secondary market does not exist.

Option  contracts  are  valued  daily at the  closing  prices  on their  primary
exchanges and unrealized appreciation or depreciation is recorded. The Fund will
realize a gain or loss upon  expiration  or closing  of the option  transaction.
When an option is  exercised,  the  proceeds on sales for a written call option,
the  purchase  cost for a written  put  option or the cost of a  security  for a
purchased  put or call option is  adjusted by the amount of premium  received or
paid.

During  the year ended Dec.  31,  1999,  the Fund did not buy or sell any put or
call  options or write any  covered  call or put  options.  There were no option
contracts outstanding as of Dec. 31, 1999.

Futures contracts
In order to gain exposure to or protect  itself from changes in the market,  the
Fund may buy and sell stock index futures  contracts and related options.  Risks
of entering into futures  contracts and related  options include the possibility
that  there  may be an  illiquid  market  and that a change  in the value of the
contract  or  option  may not  correlate  with the  changes  in the value of the
underlying securities.

Upon entering into a futures  contract,  the Fund is required to deposit  either
cash or securities in an amount (initial  margin) equal to a certain  percentage
of the  contract  value.  Subsequent  payments  (variation  margin)  are made or
received by the Fund each day. The  variation  margin  payments are equal to the
daily  changes in the contract  value and are recorded as  unrealized  gains and
losses.  The Fund recognizes a realized gain or loss when the contract is closed
or expires.

During the year ended Dec.  31,  1999,  the Fund did not buy or sell stock index
futures  contracts  and  related  options.  There  were no stock  index  futures
contracts outstanding as of Dec. 31, 1999.

Foreign currency translations and foreign currency contracts
Securities and other assets and  liabilities  denominated in foreign  currencies
are translated daily into U.S. dollars.  Foreign currency amounts related to the
purchase or sale of  securities  and income and expenses are  translated  at the
rate of exchange on the transaction date. It is not practicable to identify that
portion of realized  and  unrealized  gain or loss  arising  from changes in the
exchange  rates from the portion  arising  from  changes in the market  value of
investments.

The Fund may also enter into forward  foreign  currency  exchange  contracts for
operational  purposes and to protect against adverse exchange rate  fluctuation.
The net U.S.  dollar  value  of  foreign  currency  underlying  all  contractual
commitments  held by the  Fund  and the  resulting  unrealized  appreciation  or
depreciation  are  determined  using  foreign  currency  exchange  rates from an
independent  pricing  service.  The Fund is subject to the credit  risk that the
other party will not complete the obligations of the contract.

There were no forward foreign currency exchange contracts outstanding as of Dec.
31, 1999.

Statement of  Financial  Accounting  Standards  (SFAS) No. 133,  Accounting  for
Derivative  Instruments and Hedging  Activities SFAS 133 establishes  accounting
and reporting standards for derivative  instruments.  It requires that an entity
recognize all  derivatives  as either assets or  liabilities in the statement of
financial position and measure them at fair value. SFAS 133 is effective for the
Fund Jan. 1, 2000.  The  adoption of this  statement  is not  expected to have a
material effect on the Fund's financial condition or results of operations.

Federal income taxes
IDS Life is taxed as a life  insurance  company.  The Fund is treated as part of
IDS Life for federal income tax purposes.  Under current federal income tax law,
no taxes are payable with respect to any income of the Fund.

2. MORTALITY AND EXPENSE ASSURANCE FEE AND SALES CHARGES
IDS Life makes  contractual  assurances to the Fund that possible future adverse
changes in  administrative  expenses and mortality  experience of the annuitants
and beneficiaries  will not affect the Fund. The mortality and expense assurance
fee paid to IDS Life is computed  daily and is equal on an annual basis to 1% of
the average daily net assets of the Fund.

Charges by IDS Life for its sales and administrative  services applicable to the
variable annuity contracts amounted to $105,875 for the year ended Dec. 31, 1999
and $128,315  for the year ended Dec. 31, 1998.  Such charges are not an expense
of the Fund.  They are  deducted  from  contract  purchase  payments and are not
included in the net contract purchase payments to the Fund.
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

3. INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
The Fund has an Investment Management Agreement with IDS Life. For its services,
IDS Life is paid a fee based on the  aggregate  average  daily net assets of the
Fund.  The  investment  management fee paid to IDS Life is computed daily and is
equal on an annual basis to 0.4% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

In addition to paying its own  management  fee, the Fund also pays all brokerage
commissions  and charges in the purchase and sale of assets.  Brokerage  charges
are paid to IDS Life for  reimbursement  of charges incurred in the purchase and
sale of foreign securities.

4. SECURITY TRANSACTIONS AND BASIS FOR DETERMINING  REALIZED GAIN AND LOSS
Cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities  (other than  short-term
obligations) aggregated $47,190,316 and $187,748,532 for the year ended Dec. 31,
1999.  Net realized  gain on  investments  has been  determined  on the basis of
identified costs.

5. ACCUMULATION UNITS
The  changes in number of  outstanding  units  applicable  to  contracts  in the
accumulation period were as follows:

                                                                       Year ended             Year ended
                                                                     Dec. 31, 1999          Dec. 31, 1998
<S>                                                                   <C>                    <C>
Units outstanding at beginning of year                                26,644,242             30,121,701
Additions for contract purchase payments and repayments                   88,123                134,905
Net transfers from (to) fixed annuities                                 (291,755)              (207,480)
Deductions for contract terminations and withdrawals                  (3,547,630)            (3,404,884)
                                                                      ----------             ----------
Units outstanding at end of year                                      22,892,980             26,644,242
</TABLE>

<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

6. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The table below shows certain important financial information for evaluating the
Fund's results.

Fiscal year ended Dec. 31,

                                                             1999           1998           1997            1996           1995

<S>                                                         <C>           <C>            <C>             <C>            <C>
Accumulation unit value at beginning of year                $29.29        $24.71         $20.26          $16.55         $12.18

Income from investment operations:
Net investment income (loss)                                  (.29)         (.19)          (.16)           (.09)          (.03)

Net gains (losses)(both realized and unrealized)              9.85          4.77           4.61            3.80           4.40

Total from investment operations                              9.56          4.58           4.45            3.71           4.37

Accumulation unit value at end of year                      $38.85        $29.29         $24.71          $20.26         $16.55

Total returna                                               32.64%        18.54%         21.96%          22.42%         35.88%

Ratios/supplemental data
Total contract owner's equity at end of year
(000 omitted)                                             $908,999      $796,179       $758,172        $673,907       $613,941

Ratio of operating expenses to average daily net assets      1.40%         1.40%          1.40%           1.40%          1.40%

Ratio of net investment income
(loss) to average daily net assets                           (.89%)        (.73%)         (.72%)          (.50%)         (.19%)

Portfolio turnover rate                                         6%           16%            29%             12%            44%

a Total return does not reflect payment of a sales charge.

The foregoing table pertains to accumulation  units only. There are two kinds of
units.  As long as  contract  owners  are  paying  into the Fund they are called
"accumulation"  units.  When contract owners begin to receive the annuity,  they
change to "annuity" units.

The value of an annuity unit (assuming a 3.5% investment  rate) was $13.46 as of
Dec. 31, 1999,  $10.51 as of Dec. 31, 1998,  $9.17 as of Dec. 31, 1997, $7.78 as
of Dec.  31, 1996 and $6.58 as of Dec.  31,  1995.  The value of an annuity unit
(assuming a 5% investment  rate) was $8.63 as of Dec. 31, 1999, $6.83 as of Dec.
31, 1998,  $6.05 as of Dec. 31, 1997,  $5.21 as of Dec. 31, 1996 and $4.47 as of
Dec. 31, 1995.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
7. YEAR 2000 (UNAUDITED)
The Year 2000 issue is the result of computer programs having been written using
two  digits  rather  than  four  to  define  a  year.  Any  programs  that  have
time-sensitive  software may recognize a date using "00" as the year 1900 rather
than 2000. This could result in the failure of major systems or miscalculations,
which could have a material  impact on the  operations  of the Fund.  All of the
major  systems  used by the Fund are  maintained  by AEFC  and are  utilized  by
multiple  subsidiaries and affiliates of AEFC. The Fund's businesses are heavily
dependent upon AEFC's computer  systems and have  significant  interaction  with
systems of third parties.

A  comprehensive  review of AEFC's  computer  systems  and  business  processes,
including  those  specific to the Fund,  was  conducted  to  identify  the major
systems  that  could be  affected  by the Year 2000  issue.  Steps were taken to
resolve potential problems  including  modification to existing software and the
purchase of new software. As of Dec. 31, 1999, AEFC had completed its program of
corrective  measures on its internal  systems and  applications,  including Year
2000  compliance  testing.  As of Dec.  31,  1999,  AEFC had also  completed  an
evaluation  of the Year 2000  readiness  of other  third  parties  whose  system
failures could have an impact on the Fund's operations.

AEFC's Year 2000 project also included  establishing Year 2000 contingency plans
for all key business units.  Business continuation plans, which address business
continuation  in the  event of a  system  disruption,  are in place  for all key
business  units.  At Dec.  31,  1999,  these  plans had been  amended to include
specific Year 2000 considerations.

In  assessing  its Year 2000  initiatives  and the results of actual  production
since Jan. 1, 2000,  management  believes no material adverse  consequences were
experienced, and there was no material effect on the Fund's business, results of
operations,  or financial  condition as a result of the Year 2000 issue.
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Investments in Securities
IDS Life Variable Annuity Fund B

Dec. 31, 1999

(Percentages represent value of investments compared to net assets)

Common stocks (99.4%)
Issuer                                                                               Shares                        Value(a)

Banks and savings & loans (2.4%)
<S>                                                                                      <C>                         <C>
Bank One                                                                                 81                          $2,597
FleetBoston Financial                                                               189,504                       6,597,108
Washington Mutual                                                                   591,300                      15,373,800
Total                                                                                                            21,973,505

Beverages & tobacco (2.5%)
Coca-Cola                                                                           393,600                      22,927,200

Communications equipment & services (23.0%)
Andrew Corp                                                                         250,000(b)                    4,734,375
Cisco Systems                                                                       753,600(b)                   80,729,399
MasTec                                                                              250,000(b)                   11,125,000
Nokia Oyj ADR Cl A                                                                  257,200(c)                   48,868,000
Tellabs                                                                             978,300(b)                   62,794,631
Total                                                                                                           208,251,405

Computers & office equipment (19.0%)
EMC                                                                                 396,500(b)                   43,317,625
Intl Business Machines                                                              391,000                      42,228,000
Microsoft                                                                           615,500(b)                   71,859,625
Solectron                                                                           160,000(b)                   15,220,000
Total                                                                                                           172,625,250

Electronics (17.0%)
Applied Materials                                                                   432,000(b)                   54,728,999
Intel                                                                               496,600                      40,876,388
Maxim Integrated Products                                                           632,400(b)                   29,841,375
Texas Instruments                                                                   297,100                      28,781,563
Total                                                                                                           154,228,325

Energy (1.9%)
Anadarko Petroleum                                                                  500,000                      17,062,500

Energy equipment & services (3.4%)
Halliburton                                                                         300,000                      12,075,000
Schlumberger                                                                        295,700                      16,633,125
Transocean Sedco Forex                                                               57,247                       1,928,508
Total                                                                                                            30,636,633

Financial services (6.3%)
Associates First Capital Cl A                                                       392,700                      10,774,706
Citigroup                                                                           510,300                      28,353,544
Merrill Lynch & Co                                                                  216,200                      18,052,700
Total                                                                                                            57,180,950

Health care (8.2%)
Guidant                                                                             594,700                      27,950,900
Medtronic                                                                           300,000                      10,931,250
Pfizer                                                                              803,000                      26,047,313
Warner-Lambert                                                                      120,000                       9,832,500
Total                                                                                                            74,761,963

Household products (0.7%)
ServiceMaster                                                                       512,550                       6,310,772

Industrial equipment & services (1.4%)
Deere & Co                                                                          294,000                      12,752,250

Insurance (1.9%)
American Intl Group                                                                 162,500                      17,570,313

Multi-industry conglomerates (3.4%)
Tyco Intl                                                                           795,184(c)                   30,912,778

Utilities -- telephone (8.4%)
MCI WorldCom                                                                      1,022,400(b)                   54,251,100
Sprint                                                                              240,000                      16,155,000
Sprint PCS                                                                           60,000(b)                    6,150,000
Total                                                                                                            76,556,100

Total common stocks
(Cost: $288,824,536)                                                                                           $903,749,944

See accompanying notes to investments in securities.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Short-term securities (0.5%)
Issuer                                                  Annualized                  Amount                         Value(a)
                                                       yield on date              payable at
                                                        of purchase                maturity

U.S. government agencies
Federal Home Loan Mtge Corp Disc Nt
<S>                                                         <C>                  <C>                             <C>
   01-12-00                                                 5.49%                $4,700,000                      $4,689,946
Federal Natl Mtge Assn Disc Nt
   01-27-00                                                 5.60                    200,000                         199,087

Total short-term securities
(Cost: $4,891,389)                                                                                               $4,889,033

Total investments in securities
(Cost: $293,715,925)(d)                                                                                        $908,638,977


See accompanying notes to investments in securities.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

Notes to investments in securities

(a)  Securities  are valued by  procedures  described in Note 1 to the financial
statements.

(b) Non-income producing.

(c) Foreign security values are stated in U.S. dollars. As of Dec. 31, 1999, the
value of foreign securities represented 8.78% of net assets.

(d) At Dec. 31, 1999, the cost of securities for federal income tax purposes was
$293,715,925  and the aggregate gross  unrealized  appreciation and depreciation
based on that cost was:

Unrealized appreciation                                     $629,081,782
Unrealized depreciation                                      (14,158,730)
                                                             -----------
Net unrealized appreciation                                 $614,923,052
<PAGE>

MANAGERS AND OFFICERS

Board of Managers
Gumer C. Alvero
vice president, American Express Financial Corporation

Rodney P. Burwell
chairman, Xerxes Corporation (fiberglass storage tanks)

Jean B. Keffeler
independent management consultant

Richard W. Kling
chairman of the board and president

Thomas R. McBurney president, McBurney Management Advisors

Principal Officers
Besides Mr. Kling, who is president, the Fund's other officers are:

Lorraine R. Hart
vice president, investments

Jeffrey S. Horton
vice president and treasurer

Timothy S. Meehan
secretary

William A. Stoltzmann
general counsel and assistant secretary

Philip C. Wentzel
controller

<PAGE>

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The  investment  objective  of IDSLife  Variable  Annuity Fund B is to invest in
securities  that  offer   opportunities  for  long-term   capital   appreciation
consistent with  accumulating  Fund value and providing  annuity  payments under
variable annuity contracts issued by IDS Life.

There is a sales and administrative charge to the contract owner included in the
purchase payment.

This  report is for the  information  of  contract  owners of  IDSLife  Variable
Annuity  Fund  B,  but it may be used  as  sales  literature  when  preceded  or
accompanied  by  the  current   prospectus.   For  details  and  other  material
information, see the current prospectus.

Issuer and Investment Manager:
IDS Life Insurance Company,
Minneapolis, Minn.

Custodian:
American Express Trust Company
Minneapolis, Minn.

Sub-Custodian:
Bank of New York
New York,  New York
<PAGE>

IDS Life
Variable
Annuity
Fund B

1999 ANNUAL REPORT
                                                              Bulk Rate
                                                            U.S. POSTAGE
                                                                PAID
                                                           Permit No. 85
                                                            Spencer,  IA


                                                         S-6444 P  (2/00)

IDS Life  Insurance  Company
IDS Tower 10
Minneapolis, MN 55440-0010

                       AMERICAN EXPRESS Financial Advisors


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