Editorial standards and methods

Sources we use

• Company pages and releases first. A declared rate or payout comes from the insurer's own release or product page whenever one exists.
• Model laws and actuarial standards for the rules, such as the NAIC model laws on nonforfeiture and policy loan interest, and the actuarial standard on illustrations.
• Named third parties such as trackers, analysts and agency blogs, always labeled with their name and date, and only where a company states nothing.
• Consumer-facing material only. We never use documents marked for agents, producers or financial professionals only, or marked not for public distribution, even when they can be found online.
• No government websites. Where an official figure matters, we cite a non-government source that reports it.

How a figure is recorded

1. Open the page. The source is opened and the figure copied as printed, with the date on the page and the date we opened it.
2. Label who said it. Each row says whether the company, a release, or a named third party stated the figure.
3. Mark the gaps. Where a company publishes no rate, the page shows n/s, for not stated, and gives the dollar figure the company does publish.
4. Log conflicts. When two sources disagree, both are shown with their sources until a primary source settles it.
5. Review. A licensed life insurance agent at the agency reviews the page before it publishes.

Rules every page follows

• Whole life is described as life insurance first, never as an investment, a bank or a retirement plan.
• Every dividend figure says it is not guaranteed and gives the year it was declared.
• Every mention of a policy loan says it reduces the death benefit and can end the policy and leave a tax bill.
• Where a page describes a specific policy, it names the insurer.
• Calculators show the guaranteed figure and the figure with current dividends separately, with the date of the dividend scale used.
• Tax and legal points are general information. Readers are pointed to a tax professional or an attorney for their own case.
• No star ratings, testimonials, award badges or insurer logos.

Prices and illustrations

A price on this site is a dated sample with its source and its assumptions, such as age, sex, health class, face amount and premium period. A real price comes from the insurer after an application. Illustration figures are shown with the company, the date and the guaranteed column beside them.

Corrections log

When a figure is wrong, it is fixed on the page and a dated line is added here saying what changed. Call (305) 699-5857 to report an error.