When a reduced paid-up nonforfeiture option is chosen, what happens to the face amount of the policy

If you currently own a whole life policy, you may be interested in an option where you no longer pay premiums, and in return, either surrender the policy for the cash value or receive a reduced death benefit. This is known as reduced paid-up life insurance and is a nonforfeiture option for surrendering a policy. There are circumstances where exercising this choice may be a good financial move and other times may not benefit you as much.

What is reduced paid-up life insurance?

If you own a permanent whole life policy but no longer wish to pay premiums, there are two common methods available to you without forfeiting the policy. The first option is to surrender the policy and receive the cash value. The other option is to use the cash value the policy has accumulated and turn it into reduced paid-up insurance coverage, which keeps your policy active but will lower your death benefit. The death benefit will become equivalent to the cash value when you convert to reduced paid-up insurance.

The reduced paid-up option is not available with term life insurance policies since they do not build any cash value. You would also need to confirm eligibility for the reduced paid-up insurance coverage option since most life insurance companies require the policy to be a certain number of years old.

How do life insurance companies calculate the reduced value of your policy?

One of the key factors in exercising the reduced paid-up option is understanding how life insurance companies calculate the new, reduced value of your policy. The first step life insurers take is to add up the number of premiums you have paid towards the policy, add the cash value, and factor in your age. Once the company has these three factors, it can use them to determine the overall cash value. This newly calculated cash value should be a close match to the reduced paid-up coverage of the policy.

For example, assume you have a policy you have paid $2,500 in premiums each year for 20 years, which has a cash value of $40,000. If you choose the reduced paid-up life insurance option, the guaranteed death benefit would likely be close to the $40,000, and you would no longer be responsible for future premiums.

When is reduced paid-up life insurance a good option?

Choosing to use the reduced paid-up life insurance option may be a good choice for those struggling to make the annual premium payments. If the cost of the whole life policy is becoming more of a burden, then it may be best to convert. It’s probably a better move to convert the policy than risk a policy lapse, which could result in policy termination.

It may also be a wise financial move to keep the policy in place if you want to keep the death benefit along with the tax benefits this type of policy may provide.

When is reduced paid-up life insurance not a good option?

Converting to this policy option may not work for every policyholder. If your current whole life policy includes several riders you are dependent on for financial protection, then you should be aware these riders will be canceled upon conversion.

For example, if your whole life policy currently includes a disability rider that would pay out monthly if you were to become disabled, then you would lose this rider when converting to a reduced paid-up policy. You would no longer be able to depend on this income if you were unable to work. You would need to have alternative income options for disability in place if your policy was converted to a reduced paid-up insurance.

Other nonforfeiture options for life insurance

Other nonforfeiture options for life insurance are available to policyholders besides reduced paid-up life insurance. It is important to review the availability of these options with your life insurance company since not all options are available from each carrier. Nonforfeiture means you are canceling or converting your policy but still receiving some value from it.

  • Cash value surrender. This option is where the life insurance company pays the cash value to the policyholder in one lump sum. Cash value surrender cancels the policy, and it can not be reinstated. It can take several months for the life insurance company to make the lump sum payment to you if you choose this option.
  • Extended term insurance. This option takes the cash value of the policy and uses it to purchase and convert the policy to a term life insurance policy. The new term length would equal the number of years you paid the premiums on the original policy.

What are paid-up additions for life insurance?

Paid-up additions for your whole life policy are supplemental payments you can make to increase the amount of your death benefit. Whereas the reduced paid-up option is included with whole life policies, the paid-up addition is completely supplemental and is only an option if the “paid-up” rider was purchased by the policyholder.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best life insurance company?

To determine the best life insurance company, it is critical to compare several options to see which one best suits your financial situation and needs. Comparing the financial stability of a company, reading customer reviews, reviewing the life insurance coverage and options and obtaining quotes is an effective method for finding the best life insurance company. Keep in mind that rates for life insurance typically do not vary as much for the same coverage and limits as other types of insurance.

Is reduced paid-up insurance a good idea?

It depends on your financial situation. If you can no longer afford the annual premiums and are at risk of policy termination due to nonpayment, then it may be time to consider converting to the reduced paid-up option so you can retain some of the benefits from your policy.

How do you purchase paid-up additions?

When you first purchased your policy, you may have been presented with the option to add a paid-up additions rider. If you elected this rider, you could use a portion of your premiums to purchase a higher death benefit. This is another method for eliminating premium payments since you are essentially paying for the death benefit in full.

What is a reduced paid up Nonforfeiture option?

Nonforfeiture Reduced Paid-Up Benefit — a life insurance policy nonforfeiture benefit option to use the cash surrender value of the policy to purchase a fully paid-up life permanent insurance policy for a lesser amount of coverage.

What does reduced paid up amount mean?

A reduced paid-up insurance is a type of policy that results when you take the cash value of the policy as the death benefit, rather than the originally agreed-upon coverage amount from a whole life insurance policy. It's “paid-up” meaning you won't have to make further premium payments.

What is the reduced paid up option in life insurance?

Reduced paid-up insurance would allow the death benefit to remain in place without you being required to pay any future premiums. However, the death benefit is reduced to the amount of cash value that you had in your original life insurance policy.

When the insured selects the extended term Nonforfeiture option the cash value will be used?

Choosing the nonforfeiture extended term option allows the policy owner to use the cash value to purchase a term insurance policy with a death benefit equal to that of the original whole-life policy. The policy is calculated from the insured's attained age.