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Indexed Whole Life Insurance

Indexed whole life insurance offers lifetime coverage and a cash value account that earns interest based on an investment index chosen by your provider.

Whole life insurance provides lifelong life insurance protection for your family and a cash value component you can access while you are alive. Indexed whole life insurance builds cash value based on an investment index chosen by your insurance company.

Indexed life insurance is best suited to people who want a policy with tax-deferred investment growth and investments with less potential volatility. It does not carry the higher investment risk of other permanent life insurance plans, yet it could still deliver higher returns than traditional whole life insurance. Here is how to decide whether indexed life insurance is right for you.

What Is Indexed Whole Life Insurance?

Indexed whole life insurance has the same features as a traditional whole life insurance policy but differs in how its cash value earns interest. Your policy will provide:

A death benefit for your beneficiaries

Level premiums

Lifelong life insurance protection

A tax-advantaged cash value account

As with whole life insurance, your insurance provider controls the interest rate on your indexed whole life policy. With indexed life insurance, however, your provider changes your interest rate based on the performance of a specific investment index, such as the S&P 500.

Indexed whole life insurance also differs from indexed universal life insurance, which offers index-based cash value growth and also allows you to use the cash value to adjust your death benefit and pay premiums.


Cash value investments are complex and require more management than most tax-advantaged investments. Consult a financial advisor if you are interested in using life insurance to invest.


How Much Does Indexed Whole Life Insurance Cost?

Indexed whole life insurance premiums vary based on several factors, including:

  • Your age when you buy the policy
  • The death benefit amount
  • Gender
  • Medical and health history
  • Lifestyle risks such as smoking
  • Your policy's payment period

Here are examples of monthly premiums for a $500,000 whole life insurance policy paid over 99 years, one of the most common payment periods:

Methodology: Monthly rates were calculated for nonsmokers in a Preferred health classification purchasing a MassMutual whole life insurance policy payable within 99 years. Individual rates will vary because each customer's specific circumstances affect their rate. Rate illustration valid as of 04/10/2022.

If you want to use life insurance as an investment vehicle but are wary of policies with higher investment risk, an indexed whole life insurance policy is worth considering. Most people, however, get greater value by buying a term life policy and investing separately.

Work with an independent insurance agent or financial advisor to obtain the best coverage for your family.