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Life Insurance 7LIFE INSURANCE People buy life insurance to protect their dependents INDIVIDUAL LIFE INSURANCE against financial hardship when the insured person, the Individual life is the most widely used form of life policyholder, dies. Many life insurance products also allow insurance protection, accounting for 58 percent of all life policyholders to accumulate savings that can be used in insurance in force in the United States at year-end 2017 a time of financial need. Most American families depend (Table 7.1). Typically purchased through life insurance on life insurance to provide this economic protection: 90 agents, this insurance is issued under individual policies million American families rely on life insurers’ products with face amounts as low as $1,000, although larger for financial and retirement security.* minimum amounts are more typical in today’s market. Americans purchased $3.1 trillion of new life insurance While individual life is principally used for family coverage in 2017, a 5.2 percent increase from 2016. By the protection, it also is widely used for business purposes. end of 2017, total life insurance coverage in the United A business may purchase life insurance to protect against States was $20.4 trillion, an increase of .5 percent from the economic loss that would result from the death of the 2016 (Table 7.1). owner or a key employee. Three types of life insurance policies predominate the Individual life insurance protection in the United States market. Individual insurance is underwritten separately totaled $12 trillion at the end of 2017 and has grown at for each individual who seeks insurance protection. an average annual rate of 1.5 percent since 2007, when Group insurance is underwritten on a group as a whole, $10.2 trillion was in force (Table 7.1). such as the employees of a company or the members of The average size of new individual life policies purchased an organization. Credit insurance guarantees payment of has decreased since its peak in 2008 ($183,000) to some debt, such as a mortgage or other loan, in the event $163,000 in 2017 (Figure 7.2). The number of individual the insured person dies, and can be bought on either an policies purchased totaled 10.5 million in 2017 (Table 7.1). individual or a group basis. Insurance on loans of 10 years’ or less duration is classified as credit insurance in National Individual life policies offer two basic types of protection: Association of Insurance Commissioners accounts; covering a specified term, or permanently covering one’s insurance on longer loans is included in individual or whole life. group policy data in this chapter. Life insurance policies offered by fraternal benefit societies are considered individual insurance. * 75 million households rely on life insurance and/or non-qualified annuities; an additional 15 million households who don’t own life insurance or non-qualified annuities rely on qualified annuities, disability income insurance, long-term care insurance, supplemental insurance, or a combination of these products. Types of Policies In 2017, direct purchases of permanent life constituted 60 Term Insurance percent of U.S. individual life insurance policies issued and 30 percent of the total face amount issued (Table 7.2). Term insurance policies provide life insurance coverage for a specified period, usually greater than one year. Term Participating and Nonparticipating Insurance policies provide no further benefits when the term expires, Traditional whole life and term insurance policies can be and no buildup of cash value occurs. If this insurance is purchased on a participating or nonparticipating basis. not renewed at the end of its term, coverage lapses and A participating policy allows the policyholder to share no payment would be made to the beneficiary in the in the insurance company’s surplus. With this type of event of death. life insurance, a policyholder receives annual dividends representing that portion of the premium not needed Of new individual life policies purchased in 2017, 40 by the company for death payments to beneficiaries, percent, or 4.1 million, were term insurance, totaling additions to reserves, or administrative expenses. Nearly $1.2 trillion, or 70 percent, of the individual life face three-fourths of individual life policies’ face amount amount issued (Table 7.2). The most popular form of term purchased were nonparticipating at $1.17 trillion (70%) insurance is level term, which offers a fixed premium. in 2017 (Table 7.3). Permanent Insurance Characteristics of Individual Policies Unlike term insurance, permanent life (or whole life) Lapses and Surrenders insurance provides protection for as long as the insured A policy lapses if its premium is not paid by the end lives. Permanent life policies also have a savings of a specified time, often called the grace period. component, building cash value that can help families Policyholders have different reasons for terminating their meet financial emergencies, pay for special goals, or policies, sometimes using cash values to address financial provide income for retirement years. emergencies or achieve long-term goals. Rates of voluntary There are four types of permanent life insurance policies: policy termination by policyholders vary considerably traditional whole life, universal life (UL), variable life (VL), among life insurers. Each company’s rate depends on and variable-universal life (VUL). The annual premium for many factors, including the types of policies written and traditional whole life policies remains constant throughout the ratio of new policies to older ones in force with the the life of the policy. In earlier years, the premium is company. higher than the actual cost of the insurance, but in later years it becomes substantially lower than the actual cost The voluntary termination rate of individual life insurance of protection. The excess amount of each premium in the policies reached 5.7 percent by 2017 (Table 7.4). Of early years is held in reserve as the policy’s cash value. This the individual life policies that have been voluntarily cash value grows over time from investment earnings and terminated, 20% were surrendered based on face amount. future premium payments, providing funds for the cost The life insurance business vigorously seeks to minimize of coverage as the insured grows older. If a policyholder the lapsing of policies. For example, agent training focuses decides to give up the insurance protection, he or she on realistic identification of clients’ life insurance needs, receives the cash value upon surrendering the policy, and careful analysis of the use of family income for less any outstanding policy loans. Universal life allows varying premium payment amounts subject to a certain protection. Since the voluntary termination rate is higher minimum and maximum. For variable life, the death for policies on which loans are outstanding, companies benefit and cash value vary subject to the performance urge that loans be used only in genuine financial of a portfolio of investments chosen by the policyholder. emergencies, and that they be repaid promptly. VUL combines the flexible premium payment options of UL with the varied investment options of VL. 64 American Council of Life Insurers Most insurers offer policyholders time after their policy is extend for life or to the age at which Social Security delivered to consider whether to keep the policy. These retirement payments become available, but cease on companies will refund the premium in full if, within the remarriage. Contingent benefits to dependent children in prescribed time, the policyholder decides not to keep the event of a spouse’s death are available as well. The his or her policy. initial value of these survivor benefits can range from three to 10 times an employee’s annual salary. Some policies that lapse still have a cash value, entitling the policyholder to some form of payment under a cash As with individual life policies, group policies can be surrender value non-forfeiture option. All coverage under purchased on either a participating or nonparticipating the policy terminates at the time of the surrender. basis. Most group life policies are nonparticipating—94 Disability Provisions percent of those purchased in 2017, at $1.2 trillion (Table Besides the benefit payable upon death of the insured, 7.3). many life insurance policies or policy riders provide The voluntary termination rate of group life insurance disability benefits to cover financial losses that result from policies decreased to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent a year a sickness or injury. The most common supplementary earlier. The voluntary lapses in 2017 decreased to 5.9 benefit is waiver of premium. Of individual life policies percent from 6.1 percent in 2016 (Table 7.4). in force in 2017, 91 percent, or 32 million, allowed the premium to be waived during disability, representing $4.2 Group policies also provide disability benefits. Of group trillion, or 99 percent, of the individual life face amount life policies in force in 2017, 94 percent, or 93 million, in force with disability provisions (Table 7.6). provided for waiver of premium, representing $5.3 trillion, or 87 percent, of the group life face amount in force with GROUP LIFE INSURANCE disability provisions (Table 7.6). Group life insurance is a contract between an insurance company and some group to insure all of the group’s CREDIT LIFE INSURANCE members, usually under term coverage. Common Credit life insurance pays the balance on loans of 10 years’ examples are employer-provided life insurance and or less duration if the borrower dies before repaying the insurance offered through unions and professional amount due. At year-end 2017, $78 billion of credit life associations. Employees or other group members receive insurance was in force, down .4 percent from the previous certificates denoting their participation in the group year (Table 7.1).
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