Indexed universal life insurance (IUL) is a permanent life insurance policy that offers a death benefit. Like other types of permanent insurance, your periodic premiums will earn tax-deferred interest which increases the cash value in your policy.
Not only does it offer a traditional declared interest rate for the time the policy is active, but IUL also offers the ability to earn interest that is linked to the movement of a selected index or indexes.
These policies are funded with a cash value account. The interest rate is then compounded. Unlike traditional universal life, where interest is based on a fixed rate, an IUL earns interest on an indexed-rate basis. There are three critical options within this policy:
- A policyholder can choose from various equity index accounts and link their cash account to the index(s).
- A policyholder can choose to invest in one of two options: a fixed account or an equity index account.
- The policyholder will always have access to invest in multiple indexes like NASDAQ, S&P 500, Credit Suisse, and others.
The amount of cash you have to invest has a limit. The limit is the periodic premium minus the cost of the insurance and administrative fees. However, this limit is flexible so that if you choose to pay a higher premium over the years, you can increase your investment cash as the cost of insurance increases.
Index Allocation Options in an Indexed Universal Life Policy
Although there are many index allocations to choose from, your availability will vary among the insurance companies that offer IUL. The company you choose should be highly-rated, offer outstanding customer service, and has demonstrated over time that the indexes they offer provide historically outstanding returns.
Listed below is a limited illustration of the indexes offered by highly-rated life insurers:
| Insurance Company | Equity Index Account Examples |
| Lincoln Financial | Fidelity AIM -Dividend Indexed – Fixed Bonus |
| Fidelity AIM Dividend Indexed | |
| S&P 500 Fixed Bonus Indexed Account | |
| S&P 500 Traditional Indexed Account | |
| S&P 500 Performance Trigger Indexed Account | |
| Prudential | S&P 500 Indexed Account |
| Goldman Sachs Voyager | |
| National Life Group | Credit Suisse Balanced Trend 5% |
| Hang Seng Index Cap Focus Strategy | |
| S&P 500 Annual Point-to-Point Cap Focus | |
| S&P 500 Annual Point-to-Point 1% Floor | |
| North American | Fidelity Multifactor Yield Index 5% ER |
| S&P 500 Annual Point-to-Point | |
| S&P 500 Monthly Point-to-Point | |
| S&P 500 Annual Point-to-Point with Spread | |
| High Par S&P 500 Annual Point-to-Point | |
| NASDAQ 100 | |
| S&P Mid-Cap 400 | |
| Russell 2000 | |
| EURO STOXX 50 | |
| Multi-Index | |
| Uncapped S&P 500 |
Although this represents a small selection of highly rated insurance companies that offer Indexed Universal Life Insurance with a selection of multiple indexes, it demonstrates your need to speak with an independent insurance advisor so you can review the historical return data needed to make an informed decision.
To begin the process of getting an IUL for yourself, complete the form on the side of this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the most common index allocation used in an IUL policy?
Answer: Up until recently, the S&P index. Now that carriers are creating their own proprietary indexes we are seeing a wide array of indexes selected.
Question: What are some unique IUL allocations options to look for:
Answer: Allianz has the PIMCO and Bloomberg. North American has the Fidelity MFY 5% index. Lincoln has the Fidelity AIM Dividend Indexed Account.
Question: Can allocation changes be made once the IUL Policy is in force?
Answer: Yes. Allocations may be changed each year on the policy anniversary.
