Variable Universal Life insurance
Growth potential with investment options
With Variable Universal Life (VUL), you can live more for today by protecting your family from life’s unknowns, keep more of the money you earn with potential tax-deferred growth and a generally tax-free financial protection death benefit, and build more for tomorrow with a growth component that compliments the protection this policy provides.1
Variable Universal Life insurance is a type of life insurance that has potential to build cash value. When you make payments, you invest your money in investment options, selecting from any of the choices available. In addition, VUL pays a death benefit that can be used to replace your income or cover expenses.
What is Indexed?
Refers to your ability to invest in an indexed-linked option that gives you the potential to accumulate cash value within your policy based on the performance of an index up to a cap.
What is Universal?
Means you have flexibility in making payments. Your payments and the timing of those payments, can vary from nothing to a maximum amount.1
The tax benefits of life insurance
Potentially tax-free access to cash surrender value1 and income tax-free life insurance benefit
How does VUL work?
When you make payments to your variable universal life policy, a portion of each payment goes toward the life insurance benefit that protects your family. The rest of it gets invested for potential growth. You have complete freedom to invest in the available options, with no restrictions.3
- Each time you make a payment, your cash value increases.
- Your investments – and therefore your cash value – will fluctuate with the performance of your selected investment options.
- You’ll automatically pay for the life insurance benefit that protects your family because a percentage of your cash value each month pays for the policy’s charges and any additional benefits you’ve selected.
- The cash value you can potentially accumulate can build equity, which you can access through loans and withdrawals to help you meet important financial goals down the line.
A variable universal life insurance contract is a contract with the primary purpose of providing a death benefit. It is also a long term financial investment that can also allow potential accumulation of assets through customized, professionally managed investment portfolios. These portfolios are closely managed in order to satisfy stated investment objectives. There are fees and charges associated with variable life insurance contracts including mortality and risk charges, front end loads, administrative fees, investment management fees, surrender charges and charges for optional riders.
Learn more about our Variable Universal Life policies:
VUL Optimizer®
Life insurance protection with the potential for cash value accumulation through customized, professionally-managed investment portfolios as well as a wide array of investment options of your choice.
Benefits
Accumulation potentialInvestment options
Flexible premiums
VUL Incentive Life Protectsm
Designed to give individuals cost-effective life insurance with the ability to choose additional valuable protections and a level of downside protection to manage market volatility.
Benefits
Guaranteed lifetime protection optionLTC protection option
Market volatility management
1 Variable universal life does contain investment risk including the possibility of loss of principal invested. Under current federal tax rules, you may access your cash surrender value by taking federal income tax-free loans or withdrawals from a life insurance policy that is not a Modified Endowment Contract (MEC) of up to your basis (total premiums paid) in the policy. Certain exceptions may apply for partial withdrawals during the policy’s first 15 years. If the policy is a MEC, all withdrawals or loans are taxed as ordinary income to the extent of gain in the policy, and may also be subject to an additional 10% premature distribution penalty if taken prior to age 59½, unless certain exceptions apply. Loans and partial withdrawals will decrease the death benefit and cash surrender value of your life insurance policy and may be subject to policy limitations and income tax. In addition, loans and partial withdrawals may cause the policy benefits and riders to become unavailable and may increase the chance your policy may lapse. If the policy lapses, is surrendered or becomes a MEC, the loan balance at the time would generally be viewed as a distribution and therefore taxable under the general rules for distribution of policy cash values.
2 Your policy’s cash value must be sufficient to cover your monthly charge. Lowering your premium payments will negatively impact the cash value and death benefit of your policy.
3 There are restrictions if certain riders are added to the policy. VUL Optimizer® and VUL Incentive Life Protectsm are issued in New York and Puerto Rico by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (New York, NY) and in all other jurisdictions by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Equitable America), an Arizona Stock company and are co-distributed by Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) and Equitable Distributors, LLC.
VUL Optimizer® and VUL Incentive Life Protectsm are sold by prospectus only that contains complete information on investment options, fees, charges and expenses. It should be read carefully before investing or sending money. Please visit the product pages for the current prospectus.
A variable universal life insurance contract is a contract policy with the primary purpose of providing a death benefit. It is also a long term financial investment that can also allow potential accumulation of assets through customized, professionally managed investment portfolios. These portfolios are closely managed in order to satisfy stated investment objectives. There are fees and charges associated with variable life insurance contracts including mortality and risk charges, front end loads, administrative fees, investment management fees, surrender charges and charges for optional riders.
VUL Optimizer® and VUL Incentive Life Protectsm are a flexible premium variable life insurance policies issued in New York and Puerto Rico by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (Equitable Financial), New York, NY; and in all other jurisdictions by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Equitable America), an Arizona Stock company and is distributed by Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) and Equitable Distributors, LLC, New York, NY. Equitable America is not licensed to conduct business in New York and Puerto Rico. When sold by New York state-based (i.e., domiciled) Equitable Advisors Financial Professionals, they are issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (New York, NY). Equitable and Equitable America are separate companies, and each insurance company has sole responsibility for its life insurance obligations.
VUL Optimizer® is a registered mark. VUL Incentive Life Protectsm is a service mark of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company.
VUL Optimizer® Policy form #s ICC15-100, 15-100 or state variations.
VUL Incentive Life Protectsm form # ICC09-100, #09-100 or state variations.