Variable Universal Life Insurance (VUL)

Definition

Variable Universal Life Insurance (VUL) is a type of permanent life insurance policy with a built-in savings component that allows for the investment of the cash value. Unlike traditional whole life policies, a VUL lets the policyholder decide how the cash value is invested. This type of insurance offers flexible premiums, investment choices, and a death benefit to the beneficiary.

Phonetic

The phonetic pronunciation of “Variable Universal Life Insurance (VUL)” is: “Vair-ee-uh-buhl Yoo-nuh-vur-suhl Lyf In-shoor-uhns (Vee-You-Ell)”.

Key Takeaways

1. Flexible Premiums and Death Benefit: Variable Universal Life Insurance (VUL) offers flexibility, allowing policy owners to adjust their premiums and death benefit as their financial situation changes. This makes it suitable for individuals with varying income levels. 2. Investment Component: VUL includes an investment component where the cash value can be invested in a variety of different accounts, similar to mutual funds. This comes with the potential for higher returns, but also higher risk since the investment value can go up or down depending on market conditions. 3. Cost and Fees: In comparison to other types of life insurance policies, VUL tends to be more expensive due to management and insurance charges. Policy holders must pay administrative costs, cost of insurance (COI), and fund expense charges, which can decrease the cash value of the policy, particularly in the early years.

Importance

Variable Universal Life Insurance (VUL) is an important term in business and finance as it represents a type of permanent life insurance that combines characteristics of term life insurance, a mutual fund, and a savings account. It is significant because it offers flexible premiums, a death benefit, and an investment component. The investment component allows policyholders to invest their cash value into various sub-accounts that operate similarly to mutual funds, enabling the potential for higher returns tied to market performance. However, this also comes with a higher level of risk due to market volatility. VUL can be an advantageous choice for individuals seeking life insurance coverage combined with the potential for cash value accumulation, yet its complexity and risk make it essential to completely understand before purchasing.

Explanation

Variable Universal Life Insurance (VUL) is primarily designed as a life insurance policy that also incorporates a savings or investment component, providing the policyholder with a tool for wealth accumulation. It serves as a functional instrument for individuals who seek not only life coverage for the financial stability of their dependents, but also an avenue to grow their financial assets over the long term. The VUL policy merges the benefits of a regular universal life insurance cover with a variable life insurance policy, offering both death benefit and an investment feature. The fundamental purpose of a VUL is to offer a flexible premium and adjustable death benefit, matching the changing insurance and financial needs of the policyholder. The unique feature of the investment portion lies in its capacity to yield a return based on the market performance of the underlying investment options chosen by the policyholder. This component of investment risk and potential reward provides an opportunity to potentially accumulate more cash value over time, which can be used to fund future needs such as retirement, education expenses, or other long-term financial goals. However, it’s important to note that the policyholder assumes the investment risk and the policy’s cash value can decrease based on the performance of the investment options.

Examples

1. John’s Variable Universal Life Insurance: John purchases a VUL to act as a retirement savings vehicle and provide death benefits to his family. He is attracted by its flexible premium payments and ability to invest sub-account cash into a variety of different underlying investment options. Over time, the value of his policy grows with the market and each year, John can decide to allocate premiums between building the death benefit or funding the cash value account. 2. Sarah’s Variable Universal Life Insurance for Estate Planning: Sarah is an affluent businesswoman in her 50s with significant assets. She uses a VUL for estate planning, placing assets into the policy to offer tax advantages. Depending on future circumstances, Sarah can also borrow against the policy’s cash value while she is alive, and upon her death, her heirs will receive the policy’s death benefit free of income taxation. 3. XYZ Corporation’s VUL for Key Person Insurance: XYZ Corporation takes out a VUL policy on their CEO, considering their CEO is vital for the company’s success. The policy serves as a form of key person insurance, providing the company with a financial cushion if something were to happen to the CEO. The corporation pays the policy’s premiums and is its beneficiary. In addition to providing death benefits, the policy’s cash value is invested, giving the company another source of potential future income.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Related Finance Terms

• Investment Component
• Death Benefit
• Cash Value
• Premium Payments
• Flexible Premiums

Sources for More Information

• Investopedia
• Allstate
• Forbes
• NerdWallet