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Demystifying Permanent Life Insurance — What Every CFP Should Know
This session examined why permanent life insurance remains one of the most misunderstood and least scrutinized assets on client balance sheets, emphasizing that NAIC-compliant illustrations (based on the 1995 NAIC Model Illustration Regulation) were designed to standardize projections but do not require clear disclosure of embedded costs or realistic performance assumptions, creating fiduciary risk for CFP professionals. The presenters argued that CFP practice standards require benchmarking policy costs and evaluating whether expenses, performance assumptions, and asset-class constraints align with a client’s best interest—especially in light of cases like the Kyle Busch lawsuit, where significant losses were attributed to undisclosed costs and unrealistic return assumptions embedded in policy illustrations.
1. Illustrations: What They Show — and What They Don’t
The session highlighted that life insurance illustrations:
- Depict non-guaranteed elements (e.g., crediting rates, dividends).
- Often exceed 50 pages with extensive disclaimers.
- Do not require year-by-year disclosure of internal cost structures (e.g., cost of insurance, loads, administrative charges) in a comparative framework.
Regulatory Framework:
NAIC Life Insurance Illustrations Model Regulation (originally adopted in 1995)
https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/MDL-582.pdf
The presenters emphasized that illustrations are appropriate for:
- Understanding mechanics of a single policy
- Modeling “what-if” scenarios
- Integrating into financial planning projections
But regulators caution against using them to compare products.
Regulatory and industry commentary:
- FINRA guidance on communications with the public and projections
https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/rulebooks/finra-rules/2210 - Society of Actuaries commentary on illustration misuse
https://www.soa.org - OCC supervisory guidance (illustration risk and volatility discussions)
https://www.occ.treas.gov
2. CFP Fiduciary Standard and Cost Benchmarking
The session stressed that CFP professionals have a fiduciary duty under the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct to evaluate costs and consider reasonably available alternatives.
CFP Board Standards of Conduct:
https://www.cfp.net/ethics/code-of-ethics-and-standards-of-conduct
The presenters argued that failing to benchmark internal policy costs—especially in 1035 exchanges or large estate-planning structures—may breach the Duty of Care if alternatives with lower cost structures were reasonably available.
3. The Kyle Busch Case: Cost and Performance Disconnect
The Kyle Busch lawsuit was presented as a case study in:
- ~$10 million allocated to permanent life insurance
- Alleged ~85% loss of value
- Required performance approximating ~14% versus illustrated ~5%
- Estate structures (including SLATs) failing due to embedded costs and unrealistic performance expectations
The takeaway was that illustrated IRRs may look attractive but can mask high internal charges, particularly cost of insurance (COI), which the presenters stated may represent ~85% of total policy expenses in many structures.
4. Life Insurance as “AUM Hiding in Plain Sight”
The presenters cited approximately:
- ~$3 trillion in life insurance assets
- ~$3 trillion in annuities
Industry size references:
- ACLI Life Insurers Fact Book
https://www.acli.com/industry-data/fact-book
The argument: lower internal costs can materially increase retained cash value, potentially freeing capital for other planning uses.
5. Product Asset-Class Constraints
The session clarified that different permanent products have structural asset constraints:
- Whole Life / Fixed UL / GUL: Primarily backed by high-grade bonds and mortgages (general account assets).
- Variable Universal Life (VUL): Can allocate to equities and higher-risk assets.
NAIC general account vs separate account framework:
https://content.naic.org
The presenters cautioned that illustrated returns must align with the underlying asset class; otherwise, client risk expectations may be misrepresented.
6. Vera Lytic Benchmarking
Vera Lytic was described as an independent benchmarking system that:
- Compares cost of insurance, loads, and administrative expenses
- Provides best/worst available rate comparisons for a given underwriting profile
- Is used by major trust companies for fiduciary policy review
- Costs approximately $299/month for licensing
Example shared:
- 62-year-old male, $5M whole life policy
- Overcharge example: 17 cents per $1,000
- ~$70,000 on $1M
- ~$700,000 on $10M
The presenters positioned third-party benchmarking as analogous to Morningstar in investment analysis.
7. GUL, Term Conversions, and Settlement Value
Key operational insights:
- Guaranteed Universal Life (GUL) requires strict premium discipline; missing shadow-account timing can void guarantees.
- Term conversion windows may expire before the full level term period (often before age 70).
- Life settlement markets may allow sale of converted policies, sometimes at multiples of premiums paid.
HUD life settlement overview (general reference):
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-life-settlement-en-1743/
8. IRR Pitfalls
The presenters cautioned that:
- IRR calculations on death benefit or cash value rely entirely on illustrated assumptions.
- If crediting rates or bonuses are unrealistic, IRR outputs are misleading.
- Embedded costs must be evaluated before relying on projected IRRs.
9. Why Products Change Frequently
Carriers introduce new products due to:
- Reinsurance treaty cycles (often 18–24 months)
- Changing interest-rate environments
- Marketing and competitive positioning
- Regulatory constraints
NAIC reinsurance overview:
https://content.naic.org/cipr-topics/reinsurance
Core Advisor Takeaways
- Never rely solely on illustrations for product comparison.
- Obtain year-by-year cost disclosure pages.
- Benchmark cost of insurance and loads against available alternatives.
- Align product asset class with expected return assumptions.
- Document fiduciary review process.
- Use independent benchmarking tools where appropriate.
- Understand conversion rights and settlement value when reviewing term policies.
- Ensure premium discipline in guaranteed structures.
External Source List
- NAIC Life Insurance Illustrations Model Regulation
https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/MDL-582.pdf - CFP Board Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct
https://www.cfp.net/ethics/code-of-ethics-and-standards-of-conduct - FINRA Rule 2210 – Communications with the Public
https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/rulebooks/finra-rules/2210 - ACLI Life Insurers Fact Book
https://www.acli.com/industry-data/fact-book - CFPB – Life Settlement Overview
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-life-settlement-en-1743/ - NAIC Reinsurance Overview
https://content.naic.org/cipr-topics/reinsurance
A few comments from listeners when they were asked what the learned from the webinar:
Insist on cost disclosure pages for life insurance. Educate clients on the variability of illustrations and the inability to compare. Continue warning and checking for buried fees.
- Sophie H.
That you can actually see beneath the covers on these permanent life insurance policies. I had no idea!
- Frank M.
Very informative. Great insight on what a professional needs to look for to ascertain the real cost of a policy is. And, it is clear that a fiduciary should utilize a service like their model to properly advise their clients before purchasing a UL policy.
- Monica B.
Attendees Comments:
A few comments from listeners when they were asked what the learned from the webinar:
Insist on cost disclosure pages for life insurance. Educate clients on the variability of illustrations and the inability to compare. Continue warning and checking for buried fees.
- Sophie H.
That you can actually see beneath the covers on these permanent life insurance policies. I had no idea!
- Frank M.
Very informative. Great insight on what a professional needs to look for to ascertain the real cost of a policy is. And, it is clear that a fiduciary should utilize a service like their model to properly advise their clients before purchasing a UL policy.
- Monica B.