There is only one financial product in existence that offers the perfect trifecta of:
- Guaranteed savings;
- Guaranteed death benefit;
- Guaranteed line of credit;
And that product is... participating whole life insurance.
Problem is... most policyholders are the victims of ho-hum life insurance sales "techniques" that are overly hyped, short on substance, and flat-out fail over the long run. Both policyholders and life insurance agents today tend to be hyper-focused on rate of return and other factors totally outside the control of the policyholder. And, while a policy's rate of return can potentially be important for hitting certain cash value and death benefit targets within a specific timeframe, ultimately "rate of return" on a whole life policy is mostly irrelevant.
A far more valuable recipe for long-term financial security is to buy life insurance equal to your full Human Life Value, and then fund the life insurance policy with as much premium as the policy will accept to build lifelong financial security for yourself and your family. Often, this is done in steps, using multiple policies. But, theoretically, it could be done with a single policy.
The reason this approach works is very, very, simple: The death benefit of whole life insurance is the future value of the cash value of your policy. And your cash value is the net present value of your future death benefit (i.e. it's what your future death benefit is worth right now).
Want more cash value in your whole life policy? Buy a bigger death benefit and fund it heavily with premium dollars. That's it. That's the "secret".
Sadly, few policyholders discover the true long-term value of whole life insurance, and thus they continue to mindlessly pay premiums, always looking for a way to reduce or eliminate premium payments so they can invest in something more exciting and speculative, and hopefully earn a higher rate of return. Or, they buy term life insurance with no eye toward a future policy conversion, eventually letting the policy lapse, never receiving a refund of their premium dollars, and ultimately waste decades of their life paying premiums they'll never see again. This money could have been put to good use for them and their family, but instead it's lost forever.
You have many choices when it comes to buying whole life insurance. Most of those choices result in suboptimal or downright bad outcomes. Some of those choices result in beneficial outcomes. A few give you an unbeatable advantage.
Your Choices
Each example assumes the same policyholder: male, age 35, preferred non-smoker. Some life insurance companies show a policyholder's age at the beginning of the year, while other insurers show age at the end of the policy year. This will make illustrations appear to show different time periods even though they show the same time period.
Whole Life, All Base Premium, Payable To Age 120.
An all-base premium whole life policy, typical of what is sold by the majority of life insurance agents doing business in the U.S.
This policy emphasizes a low guaranteed premium and a guaranteed death benefit, with slow and steady cash value growth. The result is a stable and reliable whole life policy, but with a rigid design and little to no premium flexibility. Long-term guaranteed cash value accumulation is slow but does eventually grow to equal $1 million. Non-guaranteed cash value growth is quicker due to the dividend enhancement. Guaranteed death benefit accumulation is zero, which allows inflation to erode the value of the policy. Non-guaranteed death benefit accumulation is substantially higher by comparison.
Click on the image below to see the full-size.
This is an "off the shelf" whole life policy, typical of what many life insurance agents sell. This particular policy is paid up at age 121.
High Cash Value Whole Life Insurance
High cash value whole life policies include classic "infinite banking", "cash flow banking", "family banking", "Bank On Yourself®" type policies and other similar policy designs which are typically (but not always) designed around a high early cash value goal. Some policies allow "premium offset", which gives policyholders the option of paying the minimum base premium with current dividend payments or accumulated dividends/PUAs. Depending on how the policy is designed, it may or may not limit the amount of premium that can be paid into the policy over the long-term.
Click on the image below to see the full-size.
This is a "high cash value" whole life policy design. High level premiums are paid for the first 7 years, then premiums must be reduced to avoid MEC status.
This high cash value policy design emphasizes high early year cash values, and high illustrated IRR (internal rate of return), at the expense of premiums and cash value growth later on in the policy. In essence, the policy sacrifices long-term policy performance and cash accumulation for short-term gains. Other policy designs may sacrifice short-term gains for long-term policy performance.
In this example, high level premiums are paid during the early years. Eventually, the premiums must be reduced to avoid converting the policy to a modified endowment contract (MEC). Some policies can maintain high level premiums for longer or shorter durations, but they all share the same design limitation.
This design limitation is the result of extremely high premiums in the early years of the policy relative to the death benefit purchased. High level premiums are paid for the first 7 years, then premiums must be reduced to avoid MEC status. Guaranteed cash value accumulation is OK, and non-guaranteed cash value accumulation is exceptional in the early years, but subpar in later years despite the high illustrated rate of return (i.e. "growth rate"). Both the guaranteed and non-guaranteed death benefit lag inflation in the early years of the policy, which is not ideal. The reduced premiums later on significantly hamper death benefit growth in the latter years of the policy.
While this type of policy design is becoming more popular, it also leaves you (the policyholder) very vulnerable later on in life. Most policyholders want the flexibility of adding more premium dollars to their policy as they get older. But this policy design will limit premium flexibility as you age.
The Perfect Policy™
The Perfect Policy™ concept emphasizes maximum premium flexibility within the context of insuring an individual for his full Human Life Value (HLV), while targeting a specific age, cash value accumulation amount, death benefit amount, or a combination of all three. It is "planning agnostic", meaning you don't have to buy into a larger financial planning system, become part of an organized movement, adopt a different ideology, or join a cult to benefit from this type of life insurance planning.
This policy design integrates seamlessly into your existing financial plan, does not require you to change other aspects of your financial plan that are working for you, and does not require you to sell or cash in your other valuable assets to fund a new life insurance policy. It does not sacrifice short-term gain for long-term policy performance. Likewise, it does not sacrifice long-term performance for short-term gain. It is also the widest-scope application of life insurance planning possible. An individual may use one policy, or a combination of policies, to achieve the desired effect.
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The Perfect Policy #2
The Perfect Policy™ — $30,000/yr Scheduled Premium
This policy shows premiums of $30,000 going into the policy each year. The minimum premium the policyholder can pay is $7,780 per year and the maximum is $43,549. Premiums can be scheduled for between 5 years and to the insured's age 100. Additionally, premiums can be temporarily stopped after 5 years or permanently stopped after the first 7 years. Premiums can also be temporarily stopped and restarted.
Click on the image below to see the full-size.
The Perfect Policy™ design emphasizes premium flexibility and maximum cash value and death benefit accumulation, within the context of an individual's full human life value. Policy performance is exceptional, though a secondary benefit. Both guaranteed and non-guaranteed cash value and death benefit accumulation are well above average for a whole life policy. Interestingly, the rate of return on The Perfect Policy™ is comparable to a more traditional high cash value whole life policy over the long-term. However, total lifetime net cash value and death benefit accumulation are much higher in The Perfect Policy™, even when the same premium is paid over long periods of time. This is a function of the PUA rider buying more death benefit and thus achieving a higher total net cash value accumulation. More death benefit = higher total lifetime net cash value.
The Perfect Policy™ vs Other Life Insurance Policy Designs
other policies | The Perfect Policy™ Design |
|---|---|
Can only be used after you’re dead; no personal benefit while you’re alive | Generous living benefits that can be used while you’re alive; don’t have to die to use |
Low early cash value or no cash value associated with the policy | High early cash value and easy access to money when needed |
High guaranteed premiums that cannot be changed | Low guaranteed premiums with options to stop and restart payments |
Cannot be paid-in-full; premiums may be required until death | Can be converted to a paid-in-full policy, with no further premiums due; conversion is simple and straightforward |
Non-guaranteed policy values; driven by speculative assumptions | Guaranteed policy values; driven by guarantees and supplemented by stable non-guaranteed dividend payments |
Level death benefit does not grow over time | Death benefit increases every year |
Builds little or no personal credit | Builds large credit lines that will equal the sum total of all your future income |
High lapse risk | Low lapse risk |
Does not endow | Endows |
A net liability | A net asset |
Difficult for your insurance agent to manage; high risk of unfavorable outcome | Easy for your insurance agent to manage; low risk of unfavorable outcome |
Cannot be used to finance major purchases; does not contribute to future savings | Can be used to finance many large purchases; adds a substantial amount of money to one’s future savings |
Crediting rates on cash value can fall to zero | Crediting rates can never be zero |
Expenses are variable and can be increased by insurance company | Expenses are fixed and cannot be increased by insurance company |
Death benefit can only be used after you die | Death benefit can be used before you die |
Single purpose | Multipurpose |
Rigid policy design; to the extent changes are possible, it increases the risk of the policy to the policyholder | Flexible policy design; changes to policy have minimal to no negative consequences to policyholder |
Scheduled premiums that are difficult or impossible to change | Scheduled premiums that are simple and easy to change |
No unscheduled premiums or alterations to premium flow possible | Generous unscheduled premium provisions; policy changes to accommodate policyholder needs and wants |
Fixed policy payment periods that cannot be changed later | Custom policy payment periods that can be changed later through special policy provisions |
Cannot be converted to retirement income | Can easily be converted to a guaranteed lifetime income, adjusted for inflation, that you cannot outlive |
Unknown future policy value and benefit | Known future policy value and benefit |
Little or no personal benefit to you | Immense personal value to you and your family |
How The Perfect Policy™ Can Be Used In Your Financial Plan
Protecting Heirs
Protect your loved ones by purchasing basic term life insurance protection that lasts for between 1 year and 30 years, guaranteed. Compensate your heirs for the loss of your income and protect your family's standard of living after you die.
Alternatively, provide permanent, lifetime, protection through whole life insurance. Or, combine both term and whole life insurance.
Protecting Savings And Future Income
Protect your savings with a high cash value, custom whole life insurance policy. Then, build an income stream through non-guaranteed dividend payments or convert your policy's cash value to guaranteed income for life, or cash savings, or cash payments to pay for a permanent chronic, critical, or terminal illness.
Building and Maintaining Personal Credit
Build and maintain personal credit that you own and control, using life insurance. Enrich yourself and your family instead of enriching banks, credit card companies, or other lenders. Finance your own business or other investments. Take back control over your finances and make a long-term financial plan you can count on.
Funding An Estate Plan
Fund a simple, but dynamic, estate plan that protects your assets from the corrosive effects of taxation. Compensate your heirs for the loss of your income and protect your family's standard of living after you die. Create a multi-generational family dynasty and leave a legacy you can be proud of.
Results
Read client case studies and learn how The Perfect Policy™ concept is working right now in real-world scenarios...
Be Your Own Lender:
Financing Major Purchases
Learn how Madeline took back control over her credit, became her own lender, and now finances major purchases and grows her savings at the same time, without making any personal sacrifices or taking unnecessary risks.
Creating A Stable Income:
Protecting Your Nest Egg
Learn how Tim protects his nest egg from the volatility of the stock market, and sets up a stable future income stream.
Money Multitasking:
Planning Without Sacrifice
Learn how Sandra and James are planning for their child's future education needs as well as their own retirement without making any personal sacrifices.
Protection From Financial Uncertainty
Financial Protection Against Unemployment and Financial Catastrophe
Learn how Jake used whole life insurance as a shield against the uncertainty of life. From unemployment to unexpected repairs, he was able to overcome it all without sacrificing his long-term financial goals.
The Next Step
If you think The Perfect Policy™ would be a smart and valuable addition to your existing financial plan, schedule a meeting with me to discuss your personal financial situation and goals, get your free Human Life Value assessment, and see if you qualify for a policy.
What To Expect During Our Meeting
During your meeting, we'll discuss your financial goals, long-term plans, budget, suitability, your Human Life Value, how much life insurance coverage you qualify for, and whether The Perfect Policy™ concept makes sense for you. There is no pressure or obligation to buy anything. The initial meeting is a discovery meeting only. You will not be applying for life insurance.
