In the United States, life insurance is divided into three categories: Whole Life (Life Life Insurance), Universal Life (Life Insurance), Variable / Indexed Universal Life (investment life insurance). The three types of life insurance are lifelong and have a cash value, that is, premiums are paid to the insurance costs and additional costs, will enter the insurance company set up savings / investment accounts (savings / separate account) for the accumulation of cash value.
Whole life (life insurance):
The so-called life insurance, it is obvious that the insurance is valid until the insured person died. In general, life insurance, there will be a dividend distribution. That is, you pay the premium, after paying the insurance costs, the insurance company will be the majority of the remaining, more conservative investment (such as bonds, etc.). Insurance companies will be based on the company's profit on a regular basis to distribute dividends, but the dividend issued with the amount is not guaranteed.
Life insurance is a lifetime guarantee; but at the same time, because it is the insurance company's guarantee, so the insurance costs become very expensive; and the surrender will produce The corresponding surrender costs.
Lifetime life insurance Another concern is the dividend distribution, so some people think that this is the savings type of insurance. Because with age, high insurance costs will be prohibitive.
Universal Life:
Savings type life insurance, and life-long life insurance are very similar, are life-long life insurance premiums after paying the insurance costs, will invest in another savings account to invest. The difference between the two is that the savings type life insurance regulations are more flexible and the payment is more free. The insured person can choose to pay the amount of insurance premiums, as well as payment period. Insurance companies generally publish monthly insurance dividend yield.
The drawback of savings-based life insurance is that, as a result of the fact that its earnings are generally linked to the interest rate market, the return on investment in life savings is generally too low in the current low interest rate environment, which makes it possible for insureds to invest higher premiums To cover the cost of insurance, so as to maintain the effectiveness of insurance.
Variable / Indexed Universal Life:
The key difference is that customers can choose to invest in different funds within the scope of the fund provided by the insurance company, so that the corresponding return on investment, generally not cap, but not at the end of the insurance. So if the cash account in the financial market losses are too large, then the insured's insurance account will be a loss, the insured need to add more cash to maintain the effectiveness of insurance. Indexed Universal Life is the name of the stock market index. The biggest selling point is that the investment account (separate account) although the investment return has been capped, usually about 13% of the highest, but can protect the end. So many people will think that Indexed Universal Life is a guaranteed investment insurance, at least not a loss. But in fact, because the insurance costs will grow with the age of the insured person, even if the security at the end, but if the return on investment as expected, still need to pay additional cash in order to maintain the insurance continue to be effective.