
Whole life insurance is a permanent life insurance policy that combines a death benefit with a cash value savings component. It offers lifelong coverage as long as premiums are paid. The savings component, known as Cash Value, grows over time at a guaranteed rate and can be withdrawn or borrowed against by the policyholder. Whole life insurance is sometimes referred to as guaranteed whole life insurance because companies promise to keep premiums the same for the duration of the policy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type | Life insurance policy |
| Coverage | Guaranteed for the insured's entire lifetime, provided required premiums are paid |
| Contract | Between the insured and insurer |
| Payout | Death benefit of the policy to the policy's beneficiaries when the insured dies |
| Premiums | Higher than those of term life insurance |
| Permanent | Yes |
| Cash value | Grows over time at a guaranteed rate and can be withdrawn or borrowed against by the policyholder |
| Dividends | Paid if the company performs better than expected |
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What You'll Learn
- Whole life insurance is a permanent life insurance policy
- It combines a death benefit with a cash value savings component
- Whole life insurance is sometimes referred to as guaranteed whole life insurance
- Whole life insurance has tax benefits
- Whole life insurance is also known as participating whole life insurance

Whole life insurance is a permanent life insurance policy
Whole life insurance also has a cash value savings component that grows over time at a guaranteed rate and can be withdrawn or borrowed against by the policyholder. This makes it a good option for people who want the benefits of life insurance and the ability to invest the cash value. The premiums for whole life insurance are typically much higher than those of term life insurance because the policy is guaranteed to remain in force for the insured's entire lifetime.
Dividend-paying whole life insurance, also known as participating whole life insurance, refers to policies that pay a bonus if the company performs better than expected. Policyholders get a piece of the company's profits once they have paid all death benefits and other business expenses. For example, if the company collected $90 in premiums and made $10 in other income, but only spent $95 in payouts and costs, the remaining $5 would be shared with policyholders as a dividend. However, dividends depend on the company's performance, and there's no guarantee they'll be paid each year.
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It combines a death benefit with a cash value savings component
Whole life insurance, also known as whole of life assurance, is a type of permanent life insurance policy. It combines a death benefit with a cash value savings component. This means that, as long as the premiums are paid, the insurer will pay the death benefit of the policy to the policy's beneficiaries when the insured dies. The savings component, known as 'Cash Value', grows over time at a guaranteed rate and can be withdrawn or borrowed against by the policyholder. Whole life insurance is a good option for those who want the benefits of life insurance and the ability to invest the cash value.
Whole life insurance is sometimes referred to as 'guaranteed whole life insurance' because companies promise to keep premiums the same for the duration of the policy. This means that, as long as the required premiums are paid, the policy is guaranteed to remain in force for the insured's entire lifetime. Because of this, the premiums for whole life insurance are typically much higher than those of term life insurance, where the premium is fixed only for a limited term.
Whole life insurance also has tax benefits and can include dividends. Dividend-paying whole life insurance, also known as participating whole life insurance, refers to policies that pay a bonus if the company performs better than expected. Policyholders get a piece of the company's profits once they have paid all death benefits and other business expenses. For example, if the company collected $90 in premiums and made $10 in other income, but only spent $95 in payouts and costs, the remaining $5 would be shared with policyholders as a dividend. However, dividends depend on the company's performance and are not guaranteed to be paid each year.
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Whole life insurance is sometimes referred to as guaranteed whole life insurance
Whole life insurance, or whole of life assurance (in the Commonwealth of Nations), is also sometimes called "straight life" or "ordinary life". It is a life insurance policy that is guaranteed to remain in force for the insured's entire lifetime, provided the required premiums are paid, or to the maturity date. As a life insurance policy, it represents a contract between the insured and insurer that as long as the contract terms are met, the insurer will pay the death benefit of the policy to the policy's beneficiaries when the insured dies.
Because whole life policies are guaranteed to remain in force as long as the required premiums are paid, the premiums are typically much higher than those of term life insurance, where the premium is fixed only for a limited term. Whole life insurance also has tax benefits and a cash value component that grows. It is good for people who want the benefits of life insurance and the ability to invest the cash value. Dividend-paying whole life insurance, also known as participating whole life insurance, refers to policies that pay a bonus if the company performs better than expected. Policyholders get a piece of the company's profits once they have paid all death benefits and other business expenses.
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Whole life insurance has tax benefits
Whole life insurance, also known as whole of life assurance, is a permanent life insurance policy that combines a death benefit with a cash value savings component. The savings component, known as 'Cash Value', grows over time at a guaranteed rate and can be withdrawn or borrowed against by the policyholder. Whole life insurance is a type of individual life insurance policy that provides lifelong coverage as long as you keep paying the premiums.
Dividend-paying whole life insurance, also known as participating whole life insurance, refers to policies that pay a bonus if the company performs better than expected. Policyholders get a piece of the company's profits once they have paid all death benefits and other business expenses. For example, if the company collected $90 in premiums and made $10 in other income, but only spent $95 in payouts and costs to run the company, the $5 remaining would be shared with policyholders as a dividend. Dividends depend on the company's performance, and there's no guarantee they'll be paid each year.
The death benefit of a whole life policy is normally the stated face amount. However, if the policy is 'participating', the death benefit will be increased by any accumulated dividend values and/or decreased by any outstanding policy loans. Certain riders, such as Accidental Death benefit, may exist, which would potentially increase the benefit.
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Whole life insurance is also known as participating whole life insurance
Whole life insurance, also known as participating whole life insurance, is a permanent life insurance policy that combines a death benefit with a cash value savings component. It offers lifelong coverage as long as premiums are paid. The savings component, known as "Cash Value", grows over time at a guaranteed rate and can be withdrawn or borrowed against by the policyholder. Whole life insurance is a type of individual life insurance policy that provides lifelong coverage as long as you keep paying the premiums. The cash value grows steadily over time and can be borrowed or withdrawn, offering a death benefit and a savings option in one policy. Whole life insurance is sometimes called "straight life" or "ordinary life". It is a life insurance policy that is guaranteed to remain in force for the insured's entire lifetime, provided that the required premiums are paid, or until the maturity date. As a life insurance policy, it represents a contract between the insured and the insurer that, as long as the contract terms are met, the insurer will pay the death benefit of the policy to the policy's beneficiaries when the insured dies. Because whole life policies are guaranteed to remain in force as long as the required premiums are paid, the premiums are typically much higher than those of term life insurance, where the premium is fixed only for a limited term. Dividend-paying whole life insurance, or participating whole life insurance, refers to policies that pay a bonus if the company performs better than expected. Policyholders get a piece of the company's profits once they have paid all death benefits and other business expenses. For example, if the company collected $90 in premiums and made $10 in other income, but only spent $95 in payouts and costs to run the company, the $5 remaining would be shared with policyholders as a dividend. Dividends depend on the company's performance, and there's no guarantee they'll be paid each year.
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Frequently asked questions
Whole life insurance is a permanent life insurance policy that combines a death benefit with a cash value savings component.
Whole life insurance is guaranteed to remain in force for the insured's entire lifetime, provided the required premiums are paid. Term life insurance, on the other hand, has a fixed premium for only a limited term.
The savings component, known as "Cash Value", grows over time at a guaranteed rate and can be withdrawn or borrowed against by the policyholder.
Dividend-paying whole life insurance, also known as participating whole life insurance, refers to policies that pay a bonus if the company performs better than expected. Policyholders get a piece of the company's profits once they have paid all death benefits and other business expenses.


































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