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Permanent Insurance Policy
Permanent Life Insurance Policies
There are three variations of permanent life insurance: traditional whole life, interest-sensitive whole life and universal life.
Traditional Whole Life Back To Top
  • Level premiums and level death benefit
  • Cost usually higher than term insurance in early policy years, lower in later years
  • Portion of premium develops cash value over time that may be used for:
    • Emergency funds
    • Retirement income
    • Purchase of a paid up policy
 
Interest sensitive Whole Life Back To Top
• Accumulations based on earnings credited to policy's general account

• Credits excess interest rate above guaranteed rate

• Marketed by stock companies

• Cost similar to traditional whole life policies

• Insured retains some portion of investment risk
Universal life Back To Top
• Has features of both term and permanent insurance

• Side investment fund earns at a current interest rate

• Cash values are credited with a higher current interest rate

• Guaranteed minimum rate

• Same loan provisions as other permanent policies. Loan features include:
  o Borrowed cash values continue to receive guaranteed interest rate
  o Loans generally not taxable

• Partial surrender provision
  o Withdraw part of cash value without a repayment provision
  o Interest portion of withdrawal is taxable
  o Death benefit options
  o Pays beneficiary face amount of policy
  o Pays beneficiary policy's face amount plus accumulated values