Universal life insurance is a type of permanent insurance with flexible offers that includes investment savings elements and low premiums.  With Universal insurance, individuals are able to reduce or increase their death benefit and pay their premiums at any time in any amount once there is money in the account. However, this amount is subject to certain limits.

Essentially, when you make a payment to your plan, a portion will go to the death benefit while the other portion will go into an investment account. What’s even better is that any interest accrued since your first deposit will be credited to the account.

The cash value is guaranteed to grow in correlation with the minimum annual interest rate. With that said, this value has the potential to grow faster but will depend on the insurer’s market performance.

Difference Between Universal and Whole Life Insurance

Many people confuse Universal and Whole life insurance. While both are permanent life insurance, there are few key differences that help to distinguish the two.

• Universal life insurance offers a variety of different payment options. Whole life insurance, on the other hand, offers fixed level premiums. This means payments stay the same throughout the life of the policy.
• With Universal life insurance, you might be able to skip premium payments contingent upon whether the cash value is enough to cover expenses for that month, unlike Whole insurance
• The premiums with Universal insurance are generally lower when there are periods of high-interest rates.
• Interest is adjusted monthly with Universal insurance while adjusted annually with Whole insurance.

Advantages of Universal Life Insurance

Increase of Cash Value

One of the greatest benefits of a Universal life insurance premium is the ability to increase cash value. Universal life doesn’t pay dividends; however, policyholders can expect cash value growth, loan collateral, and premium payment benefits.

It’s important to note that Universal life policies can calculate growth in 3 different ways.

• Surrender Value: If you decide you no longer want your policy, you can give it back to the insurer. In return, the insurer will give you the cash value.
• Loan Collateral: This is when you borrow money from the insurer and use the cash value as collateral. Keep in mind, these policies are subject to interest rates, which are set by the insurer.
• Premium Payments: You can use the cash value to pay a portion or an entirety of the premium payment. However, policies can lapse if the cash value falls to zero. For this reason, it’s going to be important to monitor the amount of cash value you have in your policy.

Premium Flexibility

With Universal insurance, individuals can increase or decrease their death benefits based on needs as long as sufficient money is paid into the premium to keep the policy going. This means that if you run into a financial rut, you can get access to your money to meet your financial needs.

It’s important to note that while you can make withdrawals, repeated withdrawals will lessen your cash flow. With that said, if you plan to make continuous withdrawals, keep in mind that an unexpected emergency can occur. In this case, it’s a good idea to have enough cash flow to meet the financial obligations of these expenses.

Universal policies also allow for premium payments to be increased, decreased, and even skipped. However, this will depend on certain factors such as the amount of premium you’ve paid into the policy. In addition, individuals have the ability to adjust their death benefits without needing to buy a new policy so long as it’s within the plan limits.

Even more, some Universal life policies offer guarantees up to age 100. This is great for those looking for an extensive policy that can provide security.

Death Benefit Protection

Another excellent advantage of Universal life insurance is its death benefit protection. A death benefit is a payout to the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, annuity, or pension when the insurer passes away.

Investing in Universal insurance means you are always protected as long as you pay sufficient premiums. This can give you peace of mind and a sense of security knowing that your beneficiaries are set financially.

Guaranteed Interest Rates

Universal life insurance plans are also a great option due to guaranteed interest rates. This means that your cash value will continue to grow over time. The more cash value you have, the more financial security you can create for you and your loved ones.

Tax Advantages

This type of insurance also has great tax advantages for policyholders. For starters, death benefits paid to beneficiaries are free from federal income tax. In addition to this, any loans that you take out against your policy are free of penalty and federal income tax.

It’s important to consider that if your policy lapses or if you surrender your policy and have an outstanding loan, a portion of the cash value could be taxable.

Things to Consider

Who is Universal Life Insurance Right For?

Universal life insurance is an excellent option for many people but it is especially great for individuals who have very specific needs. For instance, someone with a high net worth can benefit from this type of insurance. High net worth individuals might be able to take advantage of the tax-deferred saving component that comes with this type of insurance. This can lessen the amount of money that might need to be paid during tax season.
This is also a great option for those who have many expenses. For instance, individuals with special needs children will generally have higher expenses to support their ongoing needs. In this case, having this type of insurance is great due to the ability to the flexibility of cash withdrawals.
Universal life Insurance is also right for those looking for flexibility with their policy. Many individuals like the idea of having adjustable premium payments and death benefits without worry about whether their policy will lapse.
Universal life insurance policies certainly have great benefits for those focused on financial planning. Universal policies are flexible, allowing you to meet your financial needs as circumstances change. Along with this, policyholders can expect to see an increase in their cash value, guaranteed interest rates, and death benefit protection.
If you have any questions about Universal life insurance or want to learn more about your insurance protection options, contact us today to learn more.