What is Indexed Universal Life Insurance?
IUL, or indexed universal life insurance, is a type of permanent life insurance policy that offers death benefit protection for the remainder of your lifetime, as well as a cash value component that provides you with the opportunity for higher returns.
In many ways, indexed universal life insurance is similar to traditional universal life, except IUL uses a different crediting method for determining the interest that accumulates in the cash-value component of the policy.
Is IUL The Right Choice For You?
- Opportunity to obtain market-linked returns
- Protection of principal
- Tax-deferred accumulation
- Tax-free access to cash value
- Flexibility
- No annual maximum contribution limits
- Permanent death benefit protection
- Complexity
- Charges & Fees
- Surrender charges
- Limited upside growth
- No payout of dividends
Tax-Deferred Growth – The funds inside an IUL policy’s cash value are allowed to grow tax-deferred. This means that there is no tax due on these gains unless or until the funds are withdrawn.
Tax-Free Access to Cash Value – IUL policyholders may be able to access funds from the cash value component tax-free by taking certain types of loans.
No Annual Maximum Contribution Limits – There is no annual maximum contribution limit with an IUL policy, unlike qualified retirement plans or traditional IRAs. This means that additional funds can be contributed that allow for tax-advantaged growth.
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