I’m seeing this often enough that it feels like a trend. Many UL policies issued in the 1980s and 1990s included special guarantees: persistency bonuses or a step-up in the minimum guaranteed interest rate after a set number of years in force. I’ve seen step-ups as high as 0.5% to 1.25%, which can add up […]

Most policyholders never think about it. But in our work, we’ve seen a troubling pattern: When insurers merge, the deal is often about annuities, retirement products, or asset management — not life insurance. Older life insurance policies become “closed blocks” and are treated as an afterthought. New management may push harder on costs, lower crediting […]

If these allegations are accurate, this is horrific. “According to the lawsuit, Globe Life sells “burial policies” designed to cover end-of-life expenses primarily to elderly Arkansans with limited means, Jennings claims that Globe Life conducts a short phone interview with vague health questions before issuing these policies, and the application form is not filled out […]

Life insurance as an industry has shifted so much over time, it’s really incredible. Life insurance used to be primarily positioned as simple protection. A way to replace income or provide liquidity upon death in a tax-advantaged manner. The solutions frequently involved guarantees and low risk strategies. A safe asset. I’m not exactly sure what […]

I can’t speak to whether this is accurate or not, but this number seems shocking to me. I was under the impression that denials are rare in the life insurance space: Many policyholders assume that once their application is approved and premiums are paid, their families are guaranteed the benefit—but up to 10%–20% of death-benefit […]

Most conversations about Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policies focus on the mechanics — caps, participation rates, floors, expenses, etc. Important topics, yes, but they often overshadow what may be the most impactful risk: carrier discretion. Unlike whole life or guaranteed UL, very few levers in IULs are truly locked in. Insurers maintain wide authority to […]

Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policies are often marketed as offering the best of both worlds: the upside of market-linked returns without the risk of direct market losses. But behind the glossy sales illustrations, a growing number of policyholders are discovering that their cash value growth falls far short of expectations. A key culprit? Engineered indexes. […]

Premium financing is often marketed as a smart way to buy life insurance. The pitch is appealing: borrow from a bank to pay premiums, keep your money invested, and let the policy “pay for itself.” But the reality is very different — and many lawsuits have arisen when these strategies go wrong. Here are four […]

Unlike traditional whole life or guaranteed universal life policies, Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policies credit interest based on the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500 or a custom “engineered” index. While policyholders are shielded from direct market losses through contractual crediting floors, the method of crediting interest is complex. Caps, […]

Premium financing has been marketed as a cutting-edge way for high-net-worth individuals and business owners to purchase large life insurance policies—often structured as Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policies. The sales pitch is attractive: borrow money to pay premiums, keep your capital invested, and rely on projected policy growth to cover the cost. But when assumptions […]