VUL Optimizer®
Get the facts
Discover how VUL Optimizer® can help policyholders live more for today, keep more of the money they earn and build more for tomorrow.
Choosing investment options
With VUL Optimizer®, policyholders have the flexibility to choose from over 80 investment options. Learn about them here.
Tax-efficient retirement planning
Uncover the benefits of using a 7702 cash value life insurance policy to manage policyholders' tax brackets in retirement.
Why choose VUL Optimizer®?
People are searching for economic reassurance. It’s why we are committed to working with you to help them achieve their financial well-being. VUL Optimizer® is designed for policyholders who want to maximize cash value accumulation potential and tax-free distributions along with needed death benefit. It offers complete flexibility to choose their investments so their money is invested the way they want. It provides a way for policyholders to live more for today, keep more of what they earn and build more for the future.
Live More
Unlike term insurance, VUL Optimizer® protects the policyholders’ families for their entire lives, while adapting throughout their lives to provide access to the cash they need, when they need it.
- Lifetime death benefit provided required premiums are paid
- Downside protection via Market Stabilizer Option®
- Optional Long-Term Care Servicessm Rider available1
Keep More
VUL Optimizer® helps your policyholders keep more of their money, by helping to minimize taxes and no income taxes to the beneficiaries of the policy’s death benefit.
- Tax-deferred growth
- Tax-free distributions, when structured properly
Build More
With VUL Optimizer®, the policyholders’ cash value can grow over time. And, it can build their assets with tax-deferred growth and distributions.
- Index Portfolios
- Asset Allocation Portfolios2
- Plus more than 60 equity and fixed income options
-
Optional riders available at an additional charge:3
- Long-Term Care Servicessm Rider
- Children’s Term Insurance
- Disability Premium Waiver Rider
- Disability Waiver of Monthly Deductions Rider
- Option to Purchase Additional Insurance
- Market Stabilizer Option® (charge only if exercised)
- Cash Value Plus Rider
-
Optional riders available at no additional charge:3
- Charitable Legacy Rider®
-
Riders automatically included at no additional charge:3
- Living Benefits Rider
- Loan Extension Endorsement
- No-Lapse Guarantee
Client materials
Financial Professional materials
For Financial Professional materials please log in to equitable.com.
Prospectus and Supplements
Product highlights
VUL Optimizer® is a flexible premium variable universal life insurance product designed to maximize policyholders’ future income:
- Offers some of the most competitive level-pay premiums in the industry today.
- Provides more than 80 investment options to help investors plan for a long-term strategy.
- Wide selection of index options make investing simpler.
- Asset allocation options — from conservative to aggressive — for the less active investor.
- More than 60 additional equity and fixed income options offering access to some of the best money managers in the world.
- Helps policyholders stay the course during market downturns with our Market Stabilizer Option®
- Take advantage of growth opportunities and help protect against market declines, The Market Stabilizer Option® ("MSO") is an investment option that offers a rate tied to the performance of the S&P 500® Price Return Index (which does not include dividends). The MSO allows your clients participation in limited upside performance potential of the S&P 500® Price Return Index up to a growth cap rate that is set each month by the insurance company. It also provides limited downside protection against declines of up to -25%. There is a risk of substantial loss of principal as the client is responsible for losses in excess of 25%. The MSO has a charge of 1.15% with a maximum of 2.40%.
VUL Optimizer® in action
Nicole
- Age 37
- One daughter
- Annual Income $230,000
Goal: Nicole is a saver. She maximizes her employer’s 401(k) and contributes to her IRA and brokerage accounts. She wants life insurance for her daughter, Ava, who is 5, and would also like a way to save for retirement in a more tax-efficient way.
For Nicole’s working years
- Design her policy to grow with her and Ava, so she’ll always have the right amount of protection
- Cash value within the policy has the potential to grow tax-deferred
For her retirement
- When Nicole is ready to retire, she may be able to access any available cash surrender value, potentially income tax-free, to help her live more comfortably in retirement.4
For her family
- Nicole can make sure that Ava will be taken care of financially, with the life insurance coverage Nicole will have for her entire life provided certain premium levels are maintained.
Other considerations
- VUL Optimizer® does have additional charges including but not limited to surrender charges, cost of insurance charge, mortality and expense risk charge, rider charges front end load and monthly administration charges, please make sure you and your clients consider these charges before making a purchase.
4 Under current federal tax rules, clients may access their cash value by taking federal income tax-free loans or withdrawals from a life insurance policy that is not a Modified Endowment Contract (MEC) of up to their basis (total premiums paid) in the policy. Certain exceptions may apply for partial withdrawals during the policy’s first 15 years. If the policy is a MEC, all withdrawals or loans are taxed as ordinary income to the extent of gain in the policy, and may also be subject to an additional 10% premature distribution penalty if taken prior to age 59½, unless certain exceptions apply. Loans and partial withdrawals will decrease the death benefit and cash value of the life insurance policy and may be subject to policy limitations and income tax. In addition, loans and partial withdrawals may cause the policy benefits and riders to become unavailable and may increase the chance the policy may lapse. If the policy lapses, is surrendered or becomes a MEC, the loan balance at the time would generally be viewed as a distribution and therefore taxable under the general rules for distribution of policy cash values.
Prospective policyholder
- May be a more financially sophisticated investor
- Age 30-60
- Has a need for life insurance protection
- Prefers an active to semi-active investment approach, with the ability to buy and sell when necessary
- Is comfortable making investment decisions and selecting variable investment options
- Is willing to accept market volatility, including the loss of principal invested, to achieve potentially higher investment returns
- Wants to fully participate in the market’s growth potential
- Wants access to cash for future needs
1 The Long-Term Care Servicessm Rider does have an additional charge as well as restrictions and limitations. A client may qualify for the insurance but not the rider. It is paid as an acceleration of the death benefit.
2 Asset Allocation is a method of diversification that does not guarantee a profit nor protect against a loss.
3 All riders are subject to the terms and conditions of the rider. All riders may not be available in all jurisdictions. Some states may vary the terms and conditions. There may be an additional charge associated with obtaining certain riders. Some riders may not be available in combination with other riders and/or policy features.
Please be advised that this webpage is not intended as legal or tax advice. Accordingly, any tax information provided in this guide for producers is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The tax information was written to support the promotion or marketing of the transaction(s) or matter(s) addressed, and clients should seek advice based on their particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.
Policy form #s ICC15-100, 15-100 or state variations.
Market Stabilizer Option® form #s ICC15-R15-200, R15-200 or state variations (not available in New York).
VUL Optimizer® is a flexible premium variable life insurance policy issued in New York and Puerto Rico by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (Equitable Financial), New York, NY; and in all other jurisdictions by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Equitable America), an Arizona Stock Corporation with its main administrative office in Jersey City, NJ; and is distributed by Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) and Equitable Distributors, LLC, 1290 Avenue of Americas, New York, NY 10104. Equitable America is not licensed to conduct business in New York and Puerto Rico. When sold by New York state-based (i.e., domiciled) financial professionals, VUL Optimizer® is issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (New York, NY). Equitable and Equitable America are separate companies, and each insurance company has sole responsibility for its life insurance obligations.
Equitable Financial, Equitable America, Equitable Advisors and Equitable Distributors are subsidiaries of Equitable Financial Services, LLC and Equitable Holdings, and do not provide tax or legal advice. Certain types of policies, features and benefits may not be available in all jurisdictions or may be different.
VUL Optimizer® Charitable Legacy Rider® and Market Stabilizer Option® are registered service marks and Long-Term Care Servicessm Rider is a service mark of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company.
This webpage is not a complete description of all the material provisions of the VUL Optimizer® variable life insurance policy. This webpage must be preceded or accompanied by the VUL Optimizer® product prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplements. The prospectuses contain more complete information about the policy, including investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, limitations and restrictions. Please read the prospectuses and consider the information carefully before purchasing a policy or sending money. The link above will provide you a copy of the current prospectus.
