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PODCAST

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast

TheInsuranceProBlog.com

The Insurance Pro Blog Podcast releases new episodes each week that support professional life insurance agents and financial planners who seek to better understand how cash value life insurance, in particular, might work for the benefit of their clients.

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All Episodes

38:00

Retirement Without Permission

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/11/02

You've been told that maxing out your 401(k) is the key to a secure retirement. But what happens when you're 52, hate your job, and have a million dollars locked away that you can't touch without massive penalties? We explore the hidden trap that catches millions of Americans who concentrate too much wealth in retirement accounts. You'll discover why the traditional "save until 65" approach often leaves people feeling stuck and unable to make career changes when they want to. This episode breaks

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31:49

Forty Year IUL Return Probabilities

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/10/26

When someone asks you about the average rate of return for indexed universal life insurance, you'll discover that average is actually a meaningless number. You need to understand the probability of hitting specific rates of return to make accurate projections about what might happen with your IUL policy. In this episode, we analyze 40 years of S&P 500 data using rolling periods from 1930 through 2024 to determine real probability outcomes for IUL policies. You'll learn how different cap rates, floor

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32:01

The Real Whole Life Insurance Candidates

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/10/19

You've probably heard the standard advice about who should buy whole life insurance: ultra-conservative investors who've maxed out their 401k and IRA contributions. The financial industry often treats cash value life insurance as a last resort for people with nowhere else to put their money. We challenge that conventional wisdom in this episode. You'll discover that the real candidates for whole life insurance aren't defined by their risk tolerance or retirement account status. Instead, they share

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36:39

Maximizing Cash Through Paid-Up Additions

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/10/12

You want to build cash value with whole life insurance, but you're not sure how paid-up additions actually work. This episode breaks down the fundamentals of paid-up additions riders and why they're essential for cash accumulation. We explain the difference between having a PUA rider and actually using it effectively. You'll learn why a policy built for strong cash performance must have a paid-up additions rider. We walk through real examples comparing policies with different premium allocations to

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35:11

IUL Policy Survives Twelve Year Test

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/10/05

This episode examines real-world data from a 12-year-old indexed universal life insurance policy. We track how the policy performed despite significant changes to its original parameters. The case study reveals insights about IUL resilience and flexibility. The policy started with a 12% cap rate and 2% floor on the S&P 500. Over the 12 years, the cap rate dropped to 7.75%, yet the policy still achieved an average return of 7.37%. This exceeded the original 6% assumption used in the planning process

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36:18

Life Insurance Hits Forty-Two Year High

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/09/28

The life insurance industry just hit its strongest growth in over four decades. We break down the latest LIMRA data, which shows a 13% premium increase and 17% policy growth in Q2 2025. Cash value policies are driving this surge, not term insurance. Index universal life sales increased 21% year-over-year, while whole life sales grew 8% and variable universal life sales rose 4%. Term insurance remained essentially flat with just 1% growth. We examine which companies are issuing the largest policies

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35:14

Rethinking Whole Life Insurance Safety

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/09/21

You've probably heard that whole life insurance is the "safe" choice while indexed universal life insurance is "risky" and volatile. This episode challenges that conventional wisdom with actual data and real-world examples. We break down why this oversimplified risk-reward framework misses important details about how these products actually perform over time. We compare a 40-year-old funding either policy with $25,000 annually until age 65, then taking income for life. You'll discover that indexed

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36:15

Premium Financing: Not the Magic Solution

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/09/14

You've probably heard premium financing pitched as a smart way to buy large life insurance policies without the hefty upfront costs. In this episode, we break down why this strategy often leads to expensive disappointments and mounting lawsuits. We examine recent court cases that show how premium financing arrangements can spiral out of control when interest rates change and cash values don't perform as promised. We explain how premium financing actually works - borrowing money from specialized

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30:18

IUL Index Allocation Strategies Analyzed

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/09/07

If you own indexed universal life insurance or you're considering buying it, you've probably looked at all the index options and wondered which one to choose. In this episode, we dive deep into the data to answer that question with empirical analysis rather than guesswork. We examine the two most common index options available across IUL contracts: the traditional S&P 500 annual reset with a cap and the uncapped strategy with a spread. Using 20 years of market data, we test different allocation

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31:02

Why Life Insurance Expenses Don't Matter

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/24

Are you obsessing over life insurance expenses and expense ratios? You might be focusing on the wrong thing. In this episode, we explain why expenses in life insurance policies matter far less than you think. We break down the difference between expense ratios and load fees, and why neither should be your primary concern when evaluating life insurance. You'll learn why the most successful buyers focus on outcomes rather than costs. We also reveal what the typical expense ratio actually is for

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35:19

Can AI Replace Life Insurance Agents?

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/17

Are you wondering if AI will make insurance agents obsolete? We put artificial intelligence to the test with four real-world insurance scenarios to see if it could handle the job. From simple term life quotes to complex cash value life insurance strategies, we wanted to know if AI could truly replace human expertise. You'll discover how AI performed when we asked it to quote term life insurance for a 35-year-old male needing $1 million in coverage. We also tested its ability to analyze indexed

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30:21

Term vs Whole Life: Wrong Question

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/10

You've probably heard the debate about whether term or whole life insurance is "better" and wondered which side is right. In this episode, we explain why you're asking the wrong question entirely. Comparing these two types of insurance based on premium alone will lead you to the wrong conclusion every time. We'll show you why term and whole life insurance are designed for completely different purposes. Term insurance efficiently protects against lost wages if you die prematurely. It's temporary,

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30:54

Life Insurance is Popular Now

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/03

You'll discover why life insurance is experiencing remarkable growth in 2025, with industry-wide sales up 8% year over year. We break down the latest statistics from LIMRA showing which types of life insurance are leading the charge, including indexed universal life at 11% growth and variable universal life with an impressive 41% increase. You'll learn how the pandemic accelerated long-overdue modernization in the insurance industry, making it easier than ever to purchase coverage remotely. We

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31:27

Are Volatility Controlled Indices Worth It?

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/27

Are volatility controlled indices (VCIs) just another insurance industry gimmick, or do they actually benefit you as a policyholder? In this episode, we break down these increasingly popular index options found in indexed universal life insurance and indexed annuities. You'll discover what VCIs are, why insurance companies love them, and whether they're worth your consideration. We explain how VCIs work by automatically shifting between stocks and bonds based on market volatility. When volatility

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36:09

2025 Whole Life Insurance Company Review

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/20

Looking for the right whole life insurance company in 2025? We break down the major players in the participating whole life insurance market and discuss what makes each one unique. You'll learn which companies excel at cash accumulation and which ones focus more on providing affordable permanent death benefits. We cover over a dozen companies including Guardian, MassMutual, Northwestern Mutual, New York Life, Penn Mutual, and more. You'll discover why some companies are easier to work with than

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30:34

Whole Life Insurance Design Options

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/13

You face a critical decision when designing whole life insurance: optimizing for death benefit or maximizing cash value accumulation. These two objectives sit on opposite ends of the spectrum, and trying to balance them often means you don't accomplish either goal effectively. We break down the fundamental trade-offs you need to understand before purchasing a policy. If you want permanent death benefit at the lowest possible cost, you'll sacrifice cash value growth in the early years. If you're

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33:43

Life Insurance MEC Myths Debunked

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/06

You've probably heard about Modified Endowment Contracts (MECs) and wondered what all the fuss is about. Many people fear creating a MEC with their life insurance policy, but they don't really understand what it means or how it happens. In this episode, we break down the history behind MECs and why they were created in the first place. You'll learn how universal life insurance in the 1970s and 80s led to tax shelter abuses that prompted Congress to establish new rules. We explain exactly what

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29:16

Bad Years Don't Destroy IUL

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/06/29

You've probably heard criticism about index universal life insurance and its overly optimistic projections. We tackle this head-on by examining what really happens when your IUL policy doesn't perform as expected in those crucial early years. We break down three realistic scenarios using actual numbers and assumptions. You'll see how a policy performs under our base case projection, what happens during 15 consecutive bad years at the start, and how things play out when good years come first,

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34:05

Unlocking Generational Wealth-Whole Life Insurance...

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/06/22

Are you tired of hearing the same old debate about term versus whole life insurance? In this episode, we cut through the noise and reveal why whole life insurance might be the wealth preservation tool you've been overlooking. We explore how successful business owners and high earners use life insurance to protect their assets from market volatility and create guaranteed growth. You'll discover why comparing term and whole life insurance on cost alone is like comparing a Honda to a

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49:08

Infinite Banking: Strategy or Sales Gimmick?

Insurance Pro Blog Podcast ·

2025/06/15

In this episode, we dive deep into infinite banking to answer the burning question: is it a legitimate financial strategy or just a clever way to sell whole life insurance? You'll discover what infinite banking actually is, how it works, and why it's become such a polarizing topic in the financial world. We break down the good aspects of infinite banking, including how whole life insurance can serve as a safe wealth-building tool with unique liquidity features. You'll learn why business owners often

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184 results

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