1 / 11

Deep Dive on Universal Life Accumulation Products

Deep Dive on Universal Life Accumulation Products. SOA Annual Meeting. Timothy C. Pfeifer, FSA, MAAA Pfeifer Advisory LLC. October 15, 2012. The Future. The Question to be Addressed.

avalon
Download Presentation

Deep Dive on Universal Life Accumulation Products

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Deep Dive on Universal Life Accumulation Products SOA Annual Meeting Timothy C. Pfeifer, FSA, MAAA Pfeifer Advisory LLC October 15, 2012

  2. The Future The Question to be Addressed Over the next five to ten years, what will be the landscape for universal life products which are structured to build attractive cash accumulation values or provide income benefits rather than focus on death benefit protection?

  3. Key Topics for Discussion • Declared Rate Accumulation Universal Life • Indexed Universal Life • Variable Universal Life • Interest Indexed Universal Life • Survivorship Universal Life • Guaranteed Lifetime Income Features

  4. What Factors Will Ultimately Drive the Future? Interest Rate Levels Shape of Yield Curve Equity Market Volatility Demographics Overall Economy Federal Tax Changes/Rules Securities/State Regulation Industry Capital

  5. Declared Rate Accumulation Universal Life • Little story as long as medium-long interest rates are so low. • The minimum needed rise in market rates to energize story is at least 200bps, and even that is probably insufficient. • Heavy persistency bonuses and reverse select and ultimate COIs and expense loads can sweeten story, but products may become very lapse supported. • Over the next five years, carriers who credit interest under a portfolio strategy have the greatest chance of success

  6. Indexed Universal Life Showcase for next 5-10 years Greater demands on product–accumulation, death protection, income Increase in participating carriers–to virtually all Some registered versions of product Market share of Universal Life sales 40% Level of interest rates determines breadth of indices

  7. Variable Universal Life Market will still be dominated by a half-dozen companies with captive distribution B/Ds, Banks, and Wirehouses will continue turn to Indexed UL • Only Hope for Greater VUL Penetration • Embrace Guaranteed Benefits, which can be done given profit sources • Leverage exemptions from AG38, illustration regs

  8. Interest Indexed Universal Life Product is virtually non-existent today Premise: Promise rising credited rates if rates rise Credited rate can be linked to external index like Treasury rates or Bond index Market hedging needed to lock-in liabilities Addresses anti-selective lapses if rates rise Other policy components (e.g., death benefit) can be linked to rate movements

  9. Survivorship Universal Life • Can be a very efficient tax-deferred cash accumulation vehicle for certain policyholders due to the low mortality cost drag: • Middle income couple • Business partners • Income uses • First-to-die rider adds flexibility • College funding • Indexing Generally not thought of as an accumulation product, but rather as a protection oriented estate planning vehicle But…

  10. Guaranteed Lifetime Income Features Impact on Death Benefits, Riders, and other features Use of Policy Loans and Withdrawals to Deliver Income A “cousin” to Annuity GLWBs, only better Income may be provided by General Account Insurer Guarantee Use of Benefit Base concept or Account Value definition Biggest uncertainty is FIT treatment Another Similar Future Direction is a GMAB on an Indexed,Variable UL

  11. Thank You! Timothy C. Pfeifer, FSA, MAAA E-mail: tpfeifer@pfeiferadvisory.com www.pfeiferadvisory.com

More Related