Nationwide Financial® Improves Pricing of Its Best-Selling YourLifeSM ULtimate Universal Life Policy
November 04 2008 - 1:00PM
Business Wire
No-lapse guaranteed universal life insurance has been one of the
top selling products in the industry, and Nationwide Financial�s
YourLifeSM ULtimate product has been a sales success since its
launch in June 2006. Now the company has repriced it, making it
even more competitive. Nationwide is one of the few insurance
carriers that is consistently near the top in both premium rates
and target premiums. Nationwide YourLifeSM ULtimate is a universal
life insurance policy designed to provide consumers with low-cost,
permanent life insurance with a guaranteed death benefit.
YourLifeSM ULtimate is designed for consumers who want lifetime
protection, strong living benefits and simplified policy
maintenance. The product can also be used for legacy planning and
wealth transfer for clients who want to preserve assets for loved
ones in a tax-efficient manner, provide lost income for survivors
and create an estate for their heirs. �As consumer needs and
demands evolve, we continually strive to improve the value of our
life insurance products and services to our customers,� said Peter
Golato, senior vice president for Nationwide Financial Services,
Inc. (NYSE: NFS). �This reprice is an example of our commitment to
the fixed universal life business. We reduced the premium pricing
to improve the competitiveness of 10-pay and level-pay premiums to
complement our already competitive single-pay premiums.� Golato
added that as consumers expect to live longer, they are concerned
about having enough funds throughout their lives, so protection at
a very competitive cost is important. �Uncertainty about the future
of their family, the financial markets and personal security is
driving clients to more conservative products with guarantees,� he
said. �ULtimate is most competitive for consumers age 45 through
age 70 who are looking for guaranteed death benefit coverage at a
very competitive price.� Optional riders provide more choices for
consumers YourLifeSM ULtimate offers several beneficial riders,
which can be added to personalize the product. These include:
Long-term Care Rider Accelerated Benefit Rider Accidental Death
Benefit Rider Child Rider Spouse Rider Waiver of Monthly Deductions
Rider Consumers should consult with their financial professional to
discuss costs, advantages and disadvantages of each rider in
detail. All riders are available for an additional cost, may not be
available in all states and may be known by different names in
different states. Uninsured long-term care expenses can wreak havoc
on consumers� finances �Consumers tell us that one of their biggest
fears is the inability to afford the long-term care they may need
in retirement,� Golato said. �ULtimate is truly a living benefit
for them and their families, as we�ve seen the cost for a private
room in a nursing home average nearly $70,000 a year, and $18 an
hour for a home health care aide.� a. Nationwide�s indemnity-style
rider can provide the policyholder with an accelerated death
benefit to use for long-term care. If the person doesn�t use the
accelerated death benefit, they don�t lose the value of the final
death benefit. To keep things simple and easy, Nationwide doesn�t
require the policyholder to keep track of bills and receipts or
worry about creating an unintentional taxable event from payments
from its policies. After meeting the 90-day elimination period,
Nationwide pays the policy owner. The policyholder controls the
payment amount and enjoys a high degree of flexibility by choosing
how much of the monthly benefit is received, up to the benefit
maximum or HIPAA limit, and any excess funds not needed for LTC
expenses may be used for any purpose. b. �Almost 28 percent of all
ULtimate policies written since we first launched the product two
years ago have included this important rider, so we know it is a
key feature for consumers to protect their assets and plan for
their futures,� said Golato. a. �Insurers Push for Long-term Care�
The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 27, 2005 b. Nationwide sends a
monthly check equal to the lesser of two percent of the LTC
specified amount or daily HIPAA amount ($270 in 2008) times the
number of days in the month. Automated Premium Monitor helps avoid
policy lapse Nationwide YourLifeSM ULtimate proactively addresses
the problem of policy lapse. A patent-pending Automated Premium
Monitor (APM) program can help clients pay their premium at the
exact time needed, which ensures the death benefit guarantee stays
in force as originally illustrated. There is no extra cost to the
policyholder for this program. APM is a three-tiered safety net
designed to: prevent the intended guarantee from going off course
notify the client and producer if the planned guarantee is off
track correct guarantees that strayed from the intended plan
Important Consumer Information Neither Nationwide nor its
representatives give legal or tax advice. Consumers should contact
their legal or tax advisor for answers to their specific questions.
As with all life insurance, guarantees are subject to the
claims-paying ability of the issuing life insurance company. As
consumers� personal situations change (for example, marriage, birth
of a child or job promotion), so will their life insurance needs.
Care should be taken to ensure this product is suitable for
long-term life insurance needs. Any associated costs should be
evaluated before making a purchase. Investing involves market risk,
including the possible loss of principal. Life insurance has fees
and charges associated with it that include costs of insurance that
vary with such characteristics of the insured as gender, health and
age, and has additional charges for riders that customize a policy
to fit individual needs. About Nationwide Financial Nationwide
Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: NFS), a publicly traded company
based in Columbus, Ohio, provides a variety of financial services
that help consumers invest and protect their long-term assets, and
offers retirement plans and services through both public- and
private-sector employers. It�s part of the Nationwide group of
companies, which offers diversified insurance and financial
services. The group is led by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company,
which is ranked No. 108 on the Fortune 500 based on 2007 revenue.1
For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Life insurance is
issued by Nationwide Life Insurance Company or Nationwide Life and
Annuity Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio. Nationwide, Nationwide
Financial, the Nationwide framemark and On Your Side are federally
registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
Nationwide YourLife is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual
Insurance Company. 1 Fortune Magazine, April 2007
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