
The death benefit in a variable universal life policy is a critical component that provides financial protection to your loved ones. This benefit can be paid out to your beneficiaries, helping to cover funeral expenses, outstanding debts, and other final costs.
A variable universal life policy's death benefit is typically paid out tax-free, which means your beneficiaries won't have to worry about paying taxes on the payout. This can be a significant advantage, especially if your beneficiaries are already dealing with the emotional weight of your passing.
The death benefit can be used to cover a wide range of expenses, including funeral costs, medical bills, and outstanding debts such as credit card balances and mortgages.
What is Variable Universal Life Insurance?
Variable universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that comes with fixed premiums, a death benefit, and cash value.
It's designed for the long term, with a VUL policy staying intact throughout your lifeāor as long as you make the payments on the premiums.
You decide on the amount and frequency of premium payments, with limits involved, and have the option of making lump-sum payments or using the cash value towards the premiums.
The cash value is a separate account with funds tied to the market and a fixed account, similar to variable life insurance.
You can invest in underlying sub-accounts offering a variety of investment options, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and money market securities.
The policy allows you to tap into the cash value while you're still alive, and the death benefit can grow over time.
Consequently, you get long-term stability and the opportunity to grow the cash value and death benefit over time.
Policy Features and Benefits
A variable universal life insurance policy offers flexibility in its policy features and benefits. You can increase the death benefit as your insurance needs change over time.
This flexibility is a key advantage of this type of policy. You can adapt the policy to suit your changing circumstances by opting to increase or decrease coverage.
One notable feature is the ability to make a lump-sum payment to boost the policy's cash value.
Increase Death Benefit

Increasing the death benefit is a straightforward process with a variable universal life insurance policy. You can opt to increase the death benefit as your insurance needs change over time.
This flexibility is one of the key benefits of a variable universal life insurance policy. You can adapt the policy to suit your evolving needs.
One of the ways to increase the death benefit is by making a lump-sum payment to boost the policy's cash value. This can be done to increase the amount of coverage or to access the cash value for other financial needs.
By increasing the death benefit, you can ensure that your loved ones are protected in the event of your passing.
Withdraw/Borrow from It
You can withdraw funds from your VUL coverage or take a loan against the cash value, which may reduce your death benefit. This can be a good option if you have a solid amount saved.

Doing so can still allow you to leave a death benefit for your beneficiaries after you pass away. Just be aware that reducing the death benefit will impact the amount they receive.
You can decrease the death benefit and still have a significant amount left for your loved ones. This flexibility can be a valuable feature of VUL coverage.
Sources
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/variableuniversallife.asp
- https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/life-insurance/variable-universal-life-insurance/
- https://www.getamplifylife.com/learn/blog/understanding-variable-universal-life-insurance
- https://www.guardianlife.com/life-insurance/universal-life
- http://equitable.com/financial-professionals/life-insurance/variable-universal-life-insurance-vul-legacy
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