Vermont Life & Health Insurance Exam — All Questions

Which statement best describes term life insurance?

• a.It pays a benefit only if the insured survives the term
• b.It provides death benefit protection for a specified period and normally builds no cash value✓
• c.It provides lifetime protection and builds guaranteed cash value
• d.It allows the policyowner to skip premiums using the policy's savings element

Term insurance provides pure death benefit protection for a stated period (for example, 10 or 20 years) and, because there is no savings element, it generally builds no cash value, which makes it the lowest-cost way to buy a large death benefit. The first option describes permanent (whole) life. The third option describes a feature of cash-value policies, which term does not have. The fourth option is backwards: term pays if the insured dies during the term, not if the insured survives it.

A key characteristic that distinguishes whole life insurance from term insurance is that whole life:

• a.Never pays a death benefit if the insured lives a long time
• b.Provides lifetime coverage and accumulates cash value✓
• c.Has premiums that increase each year
• d.Covers the insured only until age 65

Whole life is a form of permanent insurance: it provides coverage for the insured's entire life (as long as premiums are paid) and accumulates a guaranteed cash value that grows over time. Traditional whole life features a level premium that does not increase, so the first option is wrong. It does not terminate at age 65, so the second is wrong. Because coverage is lifetime, it is designed to pay a death benefit whenever death occurs (policies typically endow at about age 121), making the fourth option wrong.

Which type of permanent policy is known for allowing the policyowner to adjust the premium amount and the death benefit within limits after issue?

• a.Traditional (ordinary) whole life insurance
• b.Level term insurance
• c.Single premium immediate annuity
• d.Universal life insurance✓

Universal life is a flexible-premium, adjustable death benefit policy: the owner can vary the timing and amount of premiums and can increase or decrease the death benefit (subject to insurer rules and possible evidence of insurability). Level term has fixed premiums and a fixed benefit for the term. A single premium immediate annuity is not life insurance at all; it converts a lump sum into an income stream. Traditional whole life has a fixed, level premium and a fixed face amount, which is exactly the rigidity universal life was designed to overcome.

Under the 'human life value' approach to determining how much life insurance a person needs, the insurer primarily estimates:

• a.The face amount the applicant simply requests
• b.The total of the insured's outstanding debts only
• c.The insured's future earnings that would be lost to the family if the insured died✓
• d.The replacement cost of the insured's home and possessions

The human life value approach measures the present value of the insured's future earnings that the family would lose if the insured died prematurely, capturing the economic value of that income stream. It is broader than simply totaling current debts, which is only one piece of a needs analysis. It has nothing to do with the replacement cost of property (that is property insurance). And it is a systematic calculation, not merely the amount the applicant asks for.

The method of estimating life insurance need that totals specific obligations, such as final expenses, debts, income replacement, and education, then subtracts existing assets, is the:

• a.Estate maximization approach
• b.Rule-of-thumb multiple approach
• c.Needs approach✓
• d.Human life value approach

The needs approach adds up the family's specific financial obligations and goals and subtracts existing resources to find the coverage gap. The human life value approach instead calculates the present value of the insured's lost future earnings. 'Estate maximization' and a simple 'rule-of-thumb multiple' of income are not the standard structured method described here. The needs approach is favored because it ties the amount of insurance directly to identifiable obligations rather than to income alone.

A term policy that permits the insured to exchange it for a permanent policy without providing new evidence of insurability is described as:

• a.Increasing
• b.Participating
• c.Renewable
• d.Convertible✓

A convertible term policy lets the owner change it to a permanent policy without a new medical exam or proof of insurability, which is valuable if the insured's health declines. A renewable feature lets the owner continue the term coverage without new evidence but does not convert it to permanent. Increasing describes a benefit that grows. Participating describes a policy that pays dividends. Convertibility specifically addresses moving from temporary to permanent coverage.

Annual renewable term lets the policyowner continue coverage each year without new evidence of insurability, but:

• a.The death benefit decreases automatically each year
• b.The coverage automatically becomes permanent after ten years with no action required by the owner
• c.The policy begins to build guaranteed cash value
• d.The premium increases at each renewal as the insured grows older✓

With annual renewable term, the face amount stays level but the premium rises at each renewal because the insured is one year older and the mortality cost is higher. The death benefit does not automatically decrease (that would be decreasing term). Term insurance builds no cash value. And it does not automatically convert to permanent coverage; conversion, if available, requires the owner to elect it. The rising premium is the trade-off for guaranteed renewability.

Term insurance costs less than whole life for the same face amount primarily because term insurance:

• a.Is guaranteed renewable for the insured's entire life
• b.Provides only temporary protection with no savings element✓
• c.Pays a larger death benefit than whole life does
• d.Always refunds the premiums paid if the insured outlives the term

Term is cheaper because it is pure protection for a limited period and includes no cash value or savings component, so the premium pays only for the mortality risk during the term. It does not pay a larger benefit than whole life for the same face amount. It is not guaranteed for the whole of life. And ordinary term does not refund premiums; only a special (more expensive) return-of-premium term does. The absence of a savings element is the core cost difference.

In a traditional whole life policy, the cash value:

• a.Grows tax-deferred and is guaranteed✓
• b.Must be completely withdrawn by the owner every year
• c.Is available to the owner only at the insured's death
• d.Rises and falls directly with stock market performance

Whole life cash value grows on a guaranteed schedule and accumulates tax-deferred, and the living owner can access it through loans or surrender. It is not locked up until death; that is a benefit of the cash value while the insured is alive. It does not move with the stock market (that describes variable products). And there is no requirement to withdraw it annually. The guaranteed, tax-deferred growth is a hallmark of traditional whole life.

A 'participating' whole life policy is one that:

• a.Guarantees a fixed investment return above six percent
• b.Never accumulates any cash value
• c.Can be sold only by stock insurers
• d.May pay policy dividends to the owner✓

A participating policy is eligible to receive dividends, which represent a return of a portion of the premium when the insurer's experience is favorable; such policies are traditionally issued by mutual insurers. Non-participating policies (often issued by stock insurers) do not pay dividends. There is no guaranteed high fixed return, since dividends are never guaranteed. And like all whole life, a participating policy does build cash value. Dividends are the defining feature of a participating policy.

Compared with traditional whole life, a distinguishing feature of universal life is that the policyowner can:

• a.Direct the cash value into mutual fund sub-accounts, a feature reserved for variable products
• b.Never change the death benefit once issued
• c.Borrow the cash value only at death
• d.Adjust the premium amount and timing within policy limits✓

Universal life is built around flexibility: within limits, the owner can vary how much and when they pay premiums, and can adjust the death benefit. Traditional whole life, by contrast, has a fixed level premium and fixed face amount. Directing cash value into sub-accounts describes variable or variable universal life, not standard universal life, whose interest is credited at a declared rate. Cash value can be borrowed during life, not only at death. Premium and benefit flexibility is universal life's signature trait.

An endowment policy pays its face amount:

• a.Only when the proceeds are left to a charity
• b.Only if the insured dies within a short specified term of years
• c.Never, because an endowment has no death benefit
• d.At death or at policy maturity, whichever occurs first✓

An endowment pays the face amount if the insured dies during the endowment period, or pays the same amount to the living insured if they survive to the maturity date, whichever happens first. It is not limited to death during a short term (that is term insurance). There is no charity requirement. And it does include a death benefit. The defining feature of an endowment is that it 'endows,' paying the face amount to the insured at maturity if they are still living.

The three primary factors an insurer uses to calculate a life insurance premium are:

• a.Inflation, unemployment, and gross domestic product
• b.Age, gender, and the applicant's ZIP code
• c.Mortality, interest, and expense✓
• d.Commissions, premium taxes, and policy reserves

The three fundamental pricing factors are mortality (expected death claims), interest (the earnings the insurer expects on invested premiums, which reduces the premium), and expense (the cost of doing business, also called loading). Age and gender affect the mortality assumption but are not the three pricing factors themselves. Macroeconomic figures and internal cost items like commissions are not the classic trio. Remembering mortality, interest, and expense explains why premiums rise with age and fall when investment returns are strong.

If an insurer assumes that insureds will, on average, live longer than previously expected, the mortality cost built into life insurance premiums generally:

• a.Increases
• b.Decreases✓
• c.Becomes irrelevant to pricing
• d.Stays exactly the same

Longer expected lifespans mean death claims are paid later and, on average, the insurer holds and invests premiums longer, so the mortality cost per year of life insurance tends to decrease and premiums can fall. Rising longevity would not raise mortality cost. Mortality does not stay the same when the underlying assumption changes. And mortality never becomes irrelevant, since it is one of the three core pricing factors. This is why improving life expectancy has historically lowered life insurance rates.

Under the level premium approach used in whole life, the premiums charged in the early policy years are:

• a.Exactly equal to each year's actual mortality claim cost
• b.Higher than the current cost of insurance, with the excess building reserves and cash value✓
• c.Set below the actual cost of insurance, leaving the policy underfunded in each one of the early policy years
• d.Waived entirely until the insured reaches age sixty-five

A level premium stays the same for life even though the true cost of insurance rises with age; in the early years the level premium exceeds the current cost, and the overcharge is set aside and accumulates as reserves and cash value that help fund the higher costs later. The premium is not set below cost, nor is it matched to each year's actual claim cost (that would be a steeply increasing premium). It is not waived until age sixty-five. This structure is what makes cash value possible.

An applicant with a significant but insurable health impairment will most likely be placed in which underwriting classification?

• a.Standard
• b.Guaranteed issue with no rating
• c.Preferred
• d.Substandard (rated)✓

A substandard or 'rated' classification applies to an applicant who presents a higher-than-average risk but is still insurable; they are charged a higher (rated) premium to reflect the added risk. Preferred is reserved for the healthiest, lowest-risk applicants. Standard is for average risks. Guaranteed issue with no rating would ignore the impairment, which underwriting does not do for individually underwritten coverage. The rated premium lets the insurer cover a higher risk while keeping the pool fairly priced.

A 'preferred' risk classification is generally assigned to an applicant who:

• a.Falls exactly at the average in every underwriting factor, which would produce a standard classification instead
• b.Is in better-than-average health and presents lower-than-average risk✓
• c.Has several serious ongoing health conditions
• d.Cannot be insured at any premium

A preferred classification recognizes applicants whose health, lifestyle, and other factors make them lower risk than average, so they qualify for the lowest premiums. Applicants with serious conditions would be rated (substandard) or declined. Someone uninsurable at any price would be declined, not classified as preferred. An exactly average applicant would be standard. The preferred class rewards below-average risk with below-average pricing.

The chief advantage of the conversion privilege on a term policy is that the insured can:

• a.Stop paying premiums while keeping full coverage
• b.Automatically double the death benefit at no cost for the entire remaining coverage period
• c.Receive a full cash refund of all premiums paid
• d.Obtain permanent coverage without having to prove insurability again✓

Conversion lets the owner exchange term coverage for a permanent policy without new evidence of insurability, which protects someone whose health has worsened and who could no longer qualify for new coverage. It does not refund premiums, does not double the benefit for free, and does not eliminate premiums (the permanent policy will cost more). The value of conversion is preserving insurability while moving to lasting protection.

Whole life insurance is generally most suitable for a client who wants:

• a.Pure investment growth with no death benefit at all
• b.The lowest possible premium for a short-term need
• c.Lifelong protection combined with a savings element✓
• d.Coverage only until the youngest child finishes college

Whole life fits a client who values permanent, lifelong coverage together with a guaranteed cash value that builds over time. A client focused only on the lowest premium for a temporary need is better served by term. Someone needing coverage just until the children are grown also typically uses term. A client wanting pure investment growth with no death protection would not buy life insurance at all. Whole life's combination of lifetime protection and savings defines its ideal use.

For most families, the amount of life insurance protection needed typically:

• a.Has no relationship to family circumstances
• b.Is always highest during the retirement years
• c.Is often highest during child-rearing years and declines later as assets grow and obligations shrink✓
• d.Stays constant throughout the insured's entire life regardless of changes in income, debts, dependents, or accumulated savings

A family's need for life insurance usually peaks when children are young, debts (like a mortgage) are high, and future income must be protected, then declines as savings accumulate, debts are paid, and children become independent. It does not stay constant, is generally not highest in retirement, and is closely tied to family circumstances. Recognizing this life-cycle pattern helps a producer recommend an appropriate amount and type of coverage at each stage.

Which of the following is a common personal use of life insurance?

• a.Covering property damage caused by a windstorm
• b.Insuring an automobile against collision damage, which is really a property and casualty function
• c.Paying for routine annual physical exams
• d.Providing money for final expenses and replacing lost income✓

Life insurance is commonly used to cover final expenses (such as funeral and burial costs) and to replace the income a family loses when a breadwinner dies. Insuring a car against collision and covering windstorm property damage are property and casualty functions, not life insurance. Routine physical exams are a health insurance or out-of-pocket matter. Life insurance addresses the financial impact of death, and income replacement is its central personal purpose.

A 'living benefit' of a permanent life insurance policy refers to the policyowner's ability to:

• a.Increase the face amount without any limit or underwriting at the owner's sole discretion
• b.Avoid ever having to pay any premium
• c.Receive the death benefit only after the insured has died
• d.Access the accumulated cash value during the insured's lifetime✓

A living benefit is a benefit available while the insured is alive, most notably the cash value that can be borrowed against or surrendered, and features such as accelerated death benefits for terminal illness. Receiving proceeds only after death is a death benefit, the opposite of a living benefit. Permanent policies still require premiums. And the face amount cannot be raised without limit or underwriting. Cash value access is the classic living benefit of permanent insurance.

Which combination of elements is guaranteed in a traditional whole life policy?

• a.The death benefit, the premium, and the cash value✓
• b.The annual dividend the owner will receive
• c.The interest rate credited to separate account sub-accounts
• d.The return earned by the stock market each year

Traditional whole life guarantees three key elements: a level premium that will not rise, a fixed death benefit, and a guaranteed schedule of cash value growth. Dividends, by contrast, are never guaranteed; they depend on the insurer's experience. Stock market returns are not part of a traditional whole life guarantee. Separate account sub-accounts belong to variable products, not traditional whole life. These three guarantees are what give whole life its predictability.

A universal life policy is at risk of lapsing if:

• a.The cash value becomes insufficient to cover the monthly cost-of-insurance and expense charges✓
• b.The credited interest rate rises
• c.The insured reaches age forty
• d.The owner names a contingent beneficiary in addition to the primary beneficiary already listed on the application

Because universal life deducts monthly cost-of-insurance and expense charges from the cash value, the policy can lapse if the owner underpays and the cash value runs too low to cover those deductions. Simply reaching a particular age does not cause a lapse. A rising credited interest rate helps the cash value, reducing lapse risk. Naming a contingent beneficiary has no effect on the policy staying in force. This is why universal life owners must monitor funding.