Indexed Universal Life Insurance
When we think about life insurance, most of us immediately either think about how it will financially protect our loved ones in the event of our death or how not having it could have a negative impact. And while this is certainly one of the primary functions of life insurance, there are other important aspects to consider.
For example, many life insurance policies also offer cash value accumulation that can be accessed during our lifetime. One type of policy that offers death benefit protection and cash value accumulation is Indexed Universal Life (IUL). IUL policies offer the potential for cash value growth while also providing a death benefit to your loved ones.
What is Indexed Universal Life?
An indexed universal life (IUL) is a type of permanent life insurance that offers the potential for cash value growth based on the performance of an underlying index. An indexed universal life policy also provides a death benefit to your beneficiaries in the event of your passing. IULs offer several advantages over traditional whole life insurance policies, including the potential for higher cash value growth and more flexible premium payments.
IULs can be a good choice for people looking for a reliable life insurance policy with the potential for cash value growth.
How Does Indexed Universal Life Work?
With an IUL policy, a portion of your premium payments gets used to fund the death benefit, and the remainder is allocated to the cash value account. The cash value account grows based on the performance of an underlying index, such as the S&P 500.
The indexed universal life policy also offers flexibility in premium payments, allowing you to make smaller or larger premium payments depending on your financial circumstances.
IUL policies also offer the potential for tax-deferred growth of the cash value account. Fees and expenses associated with IUL policies can vary, so it’s important to compare different policies before choosing one.
Total cash value and death benefit growth potential with IUL policies make them a popular choice for people looking for a safe and reliable life insurance policy. If you own an IUL policy, you may be able to borrow against the policy’s cash value or make partial withdrawals without surrendering the policy. But, it’s important to remember that taking out a loan or withdrawing money from the cash value account may reduce the death benefit.
Other policies, such as whole life insurance, offer death benefits and cash value growth potential. IUL policies typically have higher potential growth rates than whole life insurance, but they also come with more risk.
When considering an IUL policy, it’s important to work with a financial professional to understand the risks and potential rewards associated with this type of policy.
Benefits of IUL
Everyone’s financial situation is different, so it’s important to understand the benefits and drawbacks of IUL policies before choosing one. IUL policies offer several potential benefits (even for your kids). Let’s take a closer look at some of the most important ones.
Potential for Cash Value Growth
Cash value growth is one of the biggest benefits of IUL policies. The cash value in an IUL policy grows at a guaranteed rate, regardless of the stock market’s performance. This can be a great way to save for retirement or other long-term goals.
Tax-Deferred Growth
The Tax-Deferred Growth benefit means that the money you save will grow without having to pay any taxes on it. This is a good way to save money because you’ll be able to make more of it grow without having to give any of it to the government.
Flexible Payment Options
IUL policies offer flexible payment options, so you can choose the payment schedule that best suits your needs. You can make payments at once, spread out your payments over time, or pay in installments. This flexibility makes IUL policies a great choice for people who want to be able to control their life insurance premiums and benefits.
Protection from Market Volatility
Indexed Universal Life Insurance can protect you from market volatility. That means that your life insurance policy will stay the same even if the stock market crashes or goes up and down a lot. That can be helpful if you’re worried about losing a lot of money in a crash.
Death Benefit Paid Out Tax-Free
When a person dies, their beneficiaries receive the death benefit from their life insurance policy. The death benefit is paid out tax-free with an indexed universal life (IUL) policy. This means that the beneficiaries will not have to pay any taxes on the money they receive. This can be a great relief for them during a difficult time.