Whole Life Insurance
We have found that many people get confused about exactly what whole life insurance is. In the simplest of terms, it can be a catch-all phrase for permanent life insurance because it covers your "whole" lifetime vs. a term of it. However, whole life is not the only form of permanent life insurance available.
A "straight" whole life policy is the most standard of permanent life insurance policies. It features a level premium that typically does not rise over a persons lifetime. It also can grow a cash value that can be withdrawn or borrowed against by taking out a loan on the policy. The cash value of whole life insurance does not generally grow as rapidly as other forms of permanent life insurance, such as Universal Life, but is the trade-off for level premiums.
Whole Life Insurance is a great choice for the individual who wants to have coverage for their entire lifetime and the security of reliable, level lifetime premium payments. It is also useful for the individual who likes the idea of building a cash value in their policy that they can borrow against in cases of emergencies. However, there are better permanent life options available for those who wish to grow a cash value within their policy more rapidly or borrow against the cash value for large purchases.