What Is A Universal Life Insurance Policy?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Universal life (UL) is

a form of permanent life insurance with an investment savings element plus low premiums

. The price tag on universal life (UL) insurance is the minimum amount of a premium payment required to keep the policy. Beneficiaries only receive the death benefit.

What happens when a universal life insurance policy matures?

When a policy reaches its maturity date,

you generally receive payment and coverage ends

. Depending on the policy, the payment might be the death benefit or a specified dollar amount, but it's usually equal to the policy's cash value.

What is universal life insurance and how does it work?

Universal life (UL) insurance is

a form of permanent life insurance with an investment savings element plus low premiums

. The price tag on universal life (UL) insurance is the minimum amount of a premium payment required to keep the policy. Beneficiaries only receive the death benefit.

What is universal life insurance in simple words?

Under universal life insurance,

you can pay the premiums at any time; even all at one go

, if you prefer a lump sum. From this amount, a policyholder can withdraw smaller sums partially, mimicking the way investment components work in other insurance-savings plans.

Can you cash out a universal life insurance policy?

Final Word – Can You Cash In Universal Life Insurance? Cash-value life insurance policies like universal and whole life insurance accumulate cash in the policy. With universal life insurance,

you are able to withdraw this cash

. Although cash can be withdrawn, it might not be the best idea.

Do universal life insurance premiums increase with age?

A guaranteed universal life (GUL) insurance policy offers a death benefit and premium payments that will not change over time. You select an age at which the policy ends (such as age 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, or 121).

Choosing a higher age will increase the premium

.

What happens if I cancel my universal life insurance?

When you cancel your life insurance policy,

you tell your insurance company you no longer want the policy and stop making payments

. If your policy has a cash value, you receive this amount (minus fees) when you cancel your policy.

Should I cancel my universal life policy?

If a policy is fairly new and you are still in good health, you might consider

surrendering

it before you put more dollars into it. You could start from scratch with a whole life policy—or even a combination of whole life and term—and be able to have confidence in how your life insurance will perform.

Is universal life insurance a good investment strategy?

Every universal life insurance policy also has a fixed interest rate investment option, but these tend to have low returns. Universal life insurance policies

are essentially higher risk

, and higher potential return, compared to whole life insurance.

What is maturity of insurance policy?

In a life insurance policy with maturity benefits, the insured will be entitled to claim maturity benefits if he or she outlives the term of the policy. The insured is entitled to claim the maturity benefits only

when the policy is in force and all premiums have been paid duly

.

What are two types of life insurance?

There are two major types of life insurance—

term and whole life

. Whole life is sometimes called permanent life insurance, and it encompasses several subcategories, including traditional whole life, universal life, variable life and variable universal life.

Which option for universal life allows the beneficiary?

Universal life insurance plans may feature one of two distinct death benefit options –

level

or increasing. Under the level option, the death benefit is level to the face amount of your policy. This means that when you die, your beneficiary receives a level death benefit.

What are the characteristics of universal life insurance?

  • Permanent coverage.
  • Pays a death benefit.
  • Earns cash value.
  • Flexible benefits, payments and terms.
  • Changing coverage for changing needs.
  • More affordable than whole life insurance.
  • More freedom and more responsibility.

When should you cash out a life insurance policy?

Most advisors say policyholders should give their policy

at least 10 to 15 years to grow

before tapping into cash value for retirement income. Talk to your life insurance agent or financial advisor about whether this tactic is right for your situation.

How do I find the cash value of my life insurance policy?

Simply let your insurer know and they will pay you the life insurance policy's net cash value. The net cash value is the “actual” surrender value of the policy. You will typically find it listed

separately in your life insurance statements

.

Does life insurance payout decrease with age?

Typically, the premium amount increases average about

8% to 10% for every year of age

; it can be as low as 5% annually if your 40s, and as high as 12% annually if you're over age 50.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.