Before relying on an insurance illustration

Document identity

• Insurer name, product name, edition, jurisdiction and illustration date
• Insured age, coverage amount, premium term and benefit structure
• Whether the values represent an initial proposal or an updated in-force illustration

Distinguish guarantees

• Clearly separate guaranteed values from non-guaranteed dividend or investment assumptions
• Identify cumulative premiums and individual annual premiums
• Identify the meanings of cash value, surrender value and death benefit

Check risks and limitations

• Understand surrender terms, loan conditions, fees and unpaid premium implications
• For universal life, ask about insurance-cost structure and the effect of lower returns
• Ask which figures can change and what additional premiums might be required

Record your questions

Ask a licensed professional to confirm unresolved questions and provide an official illustration. The review tool helps organize manually entered amounts but does not verify their correctness against a PDF.