What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Universal Life Insurance? 
That is a great question ! I will start off my answer with the full disclosure that I am not a fan of , nor do I recommend , UL policies . Here 's why : While they do provide an opportunity to earn a substantial death benefit , and offer flexible premiums , those `` advantages '' are often not really advantages . These policies transfer much of the risk from the insurance company to you -LRB- unlike term or whole life policies that have solid guarantees -RRB- , and require that you are aware , and managing the policies performance . These policies are a mix of whole life and term policies , and are typically only guaranteed for a certain number of years -LRB- 20 , usually -RRB- though they can end sooner , or later than that , depending upon the policies investment performance and what you 've paid in premiums . When it comes to protecting my clients ' money and future , I prefer to suggest policies that are guaranteed , and therefore safer . A UL policy may be right for you , or it may be a bit riskier than you would prefer . There are many policies out there , and some have started offering limited guarantees , so please talk with your agent about whatever concerns you may have . And a last bit of advice ? Ask them to show you real numbers on the policies returns , and not the projected estimates in the illustration . I hope that helps , thanks for asking ! 