Whole Life Insurance

Whole life insurance

A contract with both insurance and investment components: (1) It pays off a stated amount upon the death of the insured, and (2) it accumulates a cash value that the policyholder can redeem or borrow against.

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Whole Life Insurance

A life insurance policy with no expiration date. That is, a whole life insurance policy provides coverage for the entire life of the policyholder (provided he/she continues to make premium payments). When the policyholder dies, regardless of when that is, his/her beneficiaries receive the death benefit. Whole life insurance policies also include a cash surrender value, allowing the policyholder to recover part of the premium he/she has invested in the policy should he/she ever decide to cancel the policy.

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whole life insurance

See cash-value life insurance.

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Whole life insurance. A whole life insurance policy is a type of permanent insurance that provides a guaranteed death benefit and has fixed premiums.

This traditional life insurance is sometimes also known as straight life insurance or cash value insurance.

With a whole life policy, a portion of your premium pays for the insurance and the rest accumulates tax deferred in a cash value account. You may be able to borrow against the cash value, but any amount that you haven't repaid when you die reduces the death benefit.

If you end the policy, you get the cash surrender value back, which is the cash value minus fees and expenses. However, ending the policy means you no longer have life insurance and no death benefit will be paid at your death.