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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ's)

General Information Product Information
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General Information
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Premium Payments
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Policy Changes
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Product Information
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Annual Information
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General Information
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Who is authorized to obtain information regarding my policy?
The policyowner or active insurance producer may obtain information regarding a policy. If the policyowner chooses, they may provide us with a written authorization to allow another person access to their information (i.e. spouses, financial advisors, beneficiaries etc…). This request should include the owner's name, policy number, authorized person, and length of time the authorization should be in effect. This authorization (signed by the policyowner) should then be mailed to our Administrative Office.

 How do I change the owner of my policy?
Complete a Beneficiary and Ownership Change form (L-2402). The ownership section must be completed and both the present and new owners must sign the form. Under certain circumstances, the owner's spouse may be required to sign the ownership change form. If the policy is assigned or contains an irrevocable beneficiary (a beneficiary whose rights to the proceeds of a life insurance policy cannot be cancelled by the policyowner unless the beneficiary consents), their signatures would be required for the change to be processed. Once the change has been made, the previous owner no longer has any rights to the policy information or the ability to make any future changes.

What if the present owner passes away before the insured?
Complete a Beneficiary and Ownership Change form (L-2402). The Executor of the deceased's estate must complete this form enclosing a copy of the owner's death certificate along with documentation naming them as executor. If no executor was named, we require the next of kin to confirm the change by signing on behalf of the estate (stating their relationship to the deceased owner) and indicate that no executor was named.

Do I live in a Community Property State?
Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin are Community Property states.

How does living in a Community Property state affect my ability to make changes to my policy?
If your policy was issued in a Community Property state and your spouse (at the time your policy was issued) was designated as a primary beneficiary, you need to obtain their signature prior to making changes to the beneficiary designations, face amount, or requesting a loan or partial withdrawal or that the policy be surrendered for the cash value.

What is a Beneficiary?
 A beneficiary is the person/entity that will receive the death benefit when the insured passes away. The term beneficiary is furthered divided into primary and contingent. The primary beneficiary is the first person(s) to receive the proceeds. The contingent beneficiary is the person(s) to receive the death benefit proceeds in the event the primary beneficiary has predeceased the insured.

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How do I change the beneficiary?
 Complete a Beneficiary and Ownership Change form (L-2402). The beneficiary section must be completed in full (including relationship) and signed by the policyowner. If the policy was issued in a Community Property state or if the policyowner currently resides in a Community Property state and the spouse was the beneficiary listed at the time the policy was issued, we require their signature. If the policy contains an irrevocable beneficiary designation, we require their signature. Once the change has been processed an endorsement will be mailed to the policyowner to be retained with the policy contract and all previous designations will be revoked.

What does "per stirpes" mean?
 The term is often used in beneficiary designations and provides for the pass through of benefits to the beneficiary's children without having to complete other forms. If the beneficiary is deceased at the time of the insured's death, and their designation stated "per stirpes", their portion of the death benefit would be paid to their children or children's children.

Can I have minor children named as beneficiaries?
 Minor children may be named as beneficiaries however; it would be in your best interest to appoint a guardian/trustee for your minor children. If one is not named, the death benefit proceeds will be held in a trust within our company until the child(ren) reach legal age for their state. Our Policy Settlement Agreement form (L-1153) may be used to name the guardian/trustee.

What is a collateral assignment and how does it affect my beneficiaries?
 A collateral assignment is an agreement between the policyowner and another party (typically a bank/financial institution) where the policy is used to secure a debt. If the policy is collaterally assigned at the time of the insured's death, the assignee must provide us with information showing their interest in the policy. The proceeds will be paid to the assignee as their interest appears. The remaining proceeds (if any) are paid to the beneficiaries.

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What types of life insurance policies can be collaterally assigned?
 Any type of life insurance policy may be assigned.

How do I collaterally assign my policy?
 Complete an Assignment of Life Insurance Policy as Collateral form (L-776). The form must be signed by the policyowner, spouse (if Community Property laws apply), irrevocable beneficiary (if applicable) and notarized. It should then be returned to our Administrative Office for processing.

How do I remove a collateral assignment?
 Complete a Release of Assignment form (L-513). Otherwise, the assignee may submit a release in writing to our Administrative Office. The letter must include the policy number, name of the insured and be signed and dated by two officers of the company to which it was assigned.

How do I obtain another copy of my policy?
 Complete a Multipurpose Service Request form (L-2777) and submit along with a $25 fee (for all states with the exception of New York) to our Administrative Office. A duplicate policy will then be mailed. Another option is a Policy Certificate - this is a legal certificate outlining the details of your policy. This document is free of charge and may be requested either in writing or by calling our Administrative Office.

How do I change my address?
 We will accept a change of address from the Postal Service, policyowner or an active agent with our Company. The request may be made by telephone, fax, email or written correspondence. A confirmation letter will be mailed to the previous address confirming the new information.

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How do I change my name?
 We require a written notification to change the name of an insured, policyowner and beneficiary. This request should include the new name and reason for the change. Complete a Multipurpose Service Request form (L-2777). Please note if the individual is a male or child, we also require a copy of a legal document reflecting the name change and reason.

Can I borrow/withdraw money from my policy?
 You may request to borrow money from your policy in the form of a loan given your policy has this provision and if there is sufficient value in the policy. (Term policies do not contain a loan provision.) This request may be made over the phone, in writing or by utilizing our Multipurpose Service Request form (L-2777). Any loan against your policy will be charged interest at the rate specified in your policy. You will receive an interest due statement once a year. We recommend repaying the outstanding loan and/or interest, as not doing so will affect the longevity of your coverage. Any repayments to the loan principal or interest should be mailed directly to our Administrative Office. Please indicate on the method of payment if it is for loan repayment. If your policy is currently being drafted from a financial institution, you may ask to have your draft increased and the additional amount be applied to repay the loan. Any outstanding loan amount (principal and/or interest) will be deducted from the death benefit prior to the proceeds being paid to the beneficiary.

You may also request to partially surrender your policy given your policy has this provision and the amount requested does not cause the policy to fall below the minimum face amount allowed. (Term policies do not contain a partial surrender provision.) This request may be made over the phone, in writing or by utilizing our Multipurpose Service Request form (L-2777). A partial surrender will reduce the death benefit by the amount of the partial at the time of the request and therefore is not assessed interest. There may be a processing fee charged in conjunction with a partial surrender, please refer to the terms of your policy contract for details. You do not have the option to repay a partial surrender.

 Premium Payments
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Can you draft from a savings account?
 We are able to draft from a savings account. You would need to indicate the draft is from a savings account on the Pre-Authorized Check Plan form (L-1683) that is required. Please include a voided savings slip along with this form.

How do I change the frequency of my billings?
 We provide you the choice to be billed on a quarterly (four times a year), semi-annually (twice a year) or annual (once a year) basis. If you are currently utilizing our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program (drafting from your financial institution) you have the choice to have your drafts taken monthly (12 times a year), quarterly (four times a year) or semi-annually (twice a year). We do not offer an annual EFT draft. If you are currently paying via Credit Card, the same EFT options are available. Please note Credit Card payments are only available on our term plans. A request to change the frequency of your billings/drafts may be made by calling, writing, faxing or emailing our Administrative Office. Complete an EFT (L-1683) and/or Credit Card form (L-2856).

Can I choose the day in which my drafts will occur?
 For EFT drafts you may choose any day between the 1st and the 28th of the month. Please keep in mind the date chosen (if different than the issue date of your policy) may result in your account being drafted twice for the initial premium. For credit card drafts, the date drafted is the issue date of the policy.

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Am I able to choose a different Credit Card draft date?
 Unfortunately due to system limitations, we are unable to allow a flexible date for credit cards. The draft date needs to be on your policy anniversary date.

If my credit card premium payment rejects and the mode of payment is changed to quarterly, can I ask to try again with the same credit card?
 We will retry the same credit card two times, after the second time you will need to send in a new Credit Card Authorization form
(L-2856).

Can I change the credit card number over the phone?
 For your protection, any change to the credit card information on record will require a new Credit Card Authorization form (L-2856) to be completed.

Do I have any additional time (after the due date) to pay my premium?
 If you have one of our Term policies, you have 31 days from the scheduled due date to make your payment or your policy will lapse for non-payment. Your coverage then ceases and there is no death benefit available. However, an easy reinstatement notice will be mailed after the 31-day grace period has expired. This notice advises you of an additional 15-day window in which you may submit your payment and have your death benefit once again become payable without having to complete any of the standard reinstatement paperwork.

If you have one of our Universal Life policies, you have a 61-day grace period for your coverage. The grace notice is mailed the next business day following the premium due date. The additional 15-day window does not apply to our Universal Life policies.

How can I stop my bank draft (EFT)?
 The policyowner, active agent or any individual named on the bank account may request the drafts to cease. This request may be made via telephone, fax, email or regular mail. In most cases, we are able to stop a draft the same day it is to occur however; we do recommend a three-day advance notice. A quarterly billing will automatically generate when a bank draft (EFT) is stopped.

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How do I change the financial institution for my drafts?
 If you are with the same financial institution but the account number is changing, you may call our Administrative Office to make this change. If you are changing a financial institution, our Pre-Authorized Check Plan form (L-1683) is required.
Do I need a form to change my premium?
 You do not need a form to change the amount of your premium that is being drafted or billed. You may contact our Administrative Office to make this adjustment.

How do I request a premium refund?
 If we have received your premium less than 30 days ago, you may request to have your payment refunded. This request may be made by phone, fax, email or regular mail but must be received in our office within the 30-day window. After the 30 days, premiums will only be refunded on term policies (please note, there is no refund after 30 days on Universal Life policies) where the address of record is one of the Premium Refund states. Our policy is to hold any refund for 15 business days after the money was received before mailing back to the policyowner. In certain circumstances, requesting a premium refund may terminate your coverage. Please contact our Policy Services Department for further information regarding refunding of premiums.

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What is TEFRA and when did the law become effective?
 TEFRA (Tax, Equity, Fiscal and Responsibility Act) was enacted in 1982. Congress established the limit of money that can be placed into a life insurance policy and still have the policy qualify as life insurance.

When will I be able to begin remitting premium payments again once the TEFRA limits have been violated?
 If your policy has reached the TEFRA guidelines, you will receive a written notice when you may resume making your premium payments.

Why can't I pay any premiums toward my policy once it has exceeded TEFRA guidelines?
 The policy can only accept a maximum amount of premium to ensure that it continues to meet the definition of life insurance as outlined in the regulations.

Since I can't pay any premiums toward my policy, because it has exceeded TEFRA guidelines, can you accept loan payments?
 We will continue to accept loan repayments even if your policy has met the TEFRA guidelines. You may submit any repayments directly to our Administrative Office. Please indicate they are loan repayments. If your policy was previously on EFT, you will need to submit loan repayments to our office. We are unable to draft for only loan repayments.

I just received a lapse notice in the mail, can I overnight you a payment?
 If the policy is lapsed, we will need the Reinstatement Application completed and submitted with the necessary back premium to our office for reinstatement consideration. Please contact the Policy Change Department for the proper Reinstatement form and premium amount.

How do you determine the amount of premium due upon submission of the reinstatement application?
 Universal Life - Please contact your agent or the Policy Change Department for premium amount. Term Products - All back premiums from date of lapse to current are required.

 What is the grace period for my policy?
 This is a period of time after the premium is due, but prior to the policy termination. During this time period, only premium is necessary to keep the policy from terminating. Please refer to your policy contract for specific lengths of the grace period as it applies to your specific policy.

 Policy Changes
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How long do you require someone to be a non-smoker before they can apply for non-smoker rates?
 To apply for Standard Non Tobacco, the insured must be tobacco free for 12 months. For a Preferred class, the wait is 24 months and for a Premier class, 36 months. Rate changes are not available for all policies. Please contact your agent or the Policy Change Department to determine eligibility and which risk classifications pertain to your policy.

I am adding a Child Rider to my policy, why is my medical information needed?
 In the unfortunate event of the base insured's death, any secondary riders on the policy are paid up for at least one year. Most Children's Insurance Riders are paid up until the child reaches age 25. Therefore, the base insured will be fully underwritten also.

What is necessary to request a Policy Change?
 In order to process a change (face change, death benefit option change, etc...) to your policy, we require a state specific Policy Change Conversion Form. If the type of change requested requires medical evidence of insurability, additional information may be required as a result of underwriting. If the request is for non-underwritten changes (removal of riders, decreases in coverage) a written request from the policyowner will be accepted. This request should include the date, owner's name, policy number, and type of change requested. Please note: Policy changes are not allowed on all products. We ask that you contact your agent or our Policy Change Department to receive specific information for your plan of insurance.

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What is Re-Entry/Conditional Exchange?
 Re-Entry/Conditional Exchange is a premium discount option that is available on certain Term and Whole Life products. This option allows for you to request level premiums for the same length of time as your original coverage and is available at the end of your current guaranteed period. Re-Entry/Conditional Exchange requests will be fully underwritten. Please refer to your policy for availability and additional information.

How do I determine if my policy is eligible for Re-Entry/Conditional Exchange?
 The Re-Entry/Conditional Exchange eligibility is outlined on the Policy Schedule and defined in the original policy pages for each eligible policy. We are able to quote/accept application up to 60 days before through 30 days after the appropriate policy anniversary.

Is there a time limit from the date a policy lapses until I am able to apply for reinstatement of my policy?
 For the majority of the states, you may reinstate your lapsed policy at any time within five years of the date of termination and before the Maturity Date. Please reference your policy for additional information.

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Can the face amount of my policy be reduced?
 It maybe possible to decrease the face amount of your policy depending on the type of coverage you purchased. Our term policies do not include a decrease provision. Some of our universal life policies may allow a decrease but not to an amount lower than the minimum face amount for the plan as specified in your policy contract. For universal life policies that are within their surrender charge period, a pro rata surrender charge may be assessed when processing a face amount reduction.

Why didn't the billable premium decrease when I processed the coverage decrease on my Universal Life policy?
 Universal Life products are designed to allow the insured to select the level of premium (subject to minimum and maximum guidelines) you wish to pay. Thus, unless specifically instructed, we will not automatically decrease the billable premium.

Can I fax my policy change/reinstatement request?
 We will accept a faxed copy of the application, given that all areas are legible. In order to avoid duplicate requests, the original does not need to be submitted. Please note your reinstatement request will not be processed until any applicable money is received.

Who is covered under the Child Rider?
 Any child born naturally or legally adopted, by the insured. Most coverage begins at 15 days and continues through age 25. Please reference the rider for additional information.

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How is a child added to an existing child rider?
 A phone call, fax or mailed correspondence including the full name, date of birth, social security number and active agent code needs to be submitted to the Policy Change Department at the Administrative Office.

What is an Accidental Death Benefit Rider?
 A supplementary policy benefit that provides for a specified amount of money if the insured dies in an accident, this amount is in addition to the basic death benefit of a life insurance policy.

Who is covered under the Family Protection Rider?
 The spouse and children of the insured for a death benefit amount established at the time of issue.

How is a rider/benefit removed from my policy?
 A state specific Policy Change/Conversion form must be completed. A written request signed and dated by the policyowner is also acceptable.

How do I determine if my policy has a conversion privilege?
 The Policy Schedule, in your original policy, will indicate if you have a conversion option and how long the option is available. Most of our term policies contain a conversion privilege.
Product Information
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What is a term policy?
 A term policy provides insurance coverage for a specified period of time at a level premium. Once the specified period of time is over, the coverage may be continued but at a higher premium. This increase in premium is reflected on the Premium Schedule included in your original policy. A term policy does not typically build a value.

What is a universal life policy?
 A universal life policy can be a flexible premium adjustable life plan or a single premium fixed life plan. With a flexible premiums adjustable life plan, you have the option to adjust your premiums at any time as long as the minimum premium (or the cost of insurance) for your plan is being met. Both types of universal life policies can build cash value, which may be used to cover the cost of insurance or be taken as a loan/partial surrender.

What is an account value within a universal life policy?
 The account value (also referred to as accumulation value) is the difference between the payments we receive and the monthly cost of insurance that is deducted. The account value is the value that earns interest.

 What is a surrender value within a universal life policy?
 The surrender value is the difference between the account value and the surrender charge less any indebtedness. This is the value that you would receive if you were to surrender your policy.

What is surrendering a policy?
 Surrendering a policy is when a person wishes to cancel their coverage or requests to obtain the full surrender value of their policy. You may surrender your policy by completing a Multipurpose Service Request form (L-2777) for the state of New York and returning it (along with the original policy) to our Administrative Office for processing. If you are unable to locate your original policy, please indicate this on the form. Once the Multipurpose Service Request form is received in our office, the normal processing time is five to seven business days before the notification and any surrender value is mailed.

What is a surrender charge?
 This is a charge that is assessed against your policy if it is cancelled within the early years. A detailed table is included in your policy.

What is an indexed universal life policy?
Indexed Universal Life insurance (IUL) is similar to a fixed universal life insurance policy except that it has a different crediting method for applying interest. Interest credited is linked, in part, to the movement of a stock market index over a period of time. The client never buys or participates directly in the index; it is simply a measuring tool to define the crediting rate. If the market index goes up, the client’s account value grows, if it goes down, there is a minimum amount to protect the client (often zero). So the client has upside potential without the downside risk associated with stock market indices.

How does an indexed universal life policy work?
An IUL product usually offers a choice of index options in which the client can choose to allocate premiums. If the client doesn’t want to have all values subject to index performance, there is also a choice (typically) for a fixed interest account. Then, a crediting method is applied that either measures performance of the index on a point-to-point basis (difference between index value at date “A” to date “B”) or an averaging basis (average of index from point “A” through point “B” compared to starting point of “A”). These points are often one-year periods with resets that occur after each period (so a gain in one year can’t be lost by a poor performance the next year).

Additionally, there is a participation rate which determines how much of the index performance will be applied to the policy. This participation rate is often as high as 100% for point-to-point crediting methods. So, if the market index grows by 10% in one year, the crediting rate for the policy would be 10%. If the market falls by 10%, the crediting rate would be the floor rate (typically 0%).

Another factor which determines how much of the index performance will be applied to the policy may be an index cap rate. The index cap rate is an upper limit of index performance that can be applied to the policy. For example, a policy with a 12% index cap rate would have a 12% crediting rate if the underlying market index grows above that amount over a given period. Index cap rates are typical on point-to-point crediting methods, but not on averaging crediting methods (where participation rates are more variable).

This is a relatively straightforward example on a single premium policy or where annual payments occur on the same date each year. However, universal life insurance is flexible and premium payments could occur at any time throughout the year. To address the possibility of premiums coming in during the middle of an index period, companies introduce the availability of different premium “buckets.” A bucket is a portion of account value that is applied to a particular crediting period. Therefore, a policy with semi-annual premiums would have at least two buckets. So if premium payments were made on January 1st and July 1st, the first bucket would measure index performance from Jan 1st through Dec 31st while the 2nd bucket would measure performance from July 1st through June 30th. There can be many buckets on an IUL policy.

What indexed universal life products does North American offer?
North American currently offers Builder IULsm and Guarantee Builder IULsm indexed universal life insurance policies, in states where the products are approved. Our indexed universal life policies offer the permanent life insurance protection you need, with the opportunity to build significant cash value for the future.

Please see our Builder IUL Consumer Guide and Guarantee Builder IUL Consumer Guide for complete product details.

Your North American representative can provide you with a customized policy illustration to help you determine if Builder IUL or Guarantee Builder IUL are the right products for you!

Annual Information
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What is a Statement of Account (SOA)?
 A statement of account is a recap of your universal life policy's past year. This document includes any payments that were received, interest credited, the cost of insurance that was deducted on a monthly basis as well as providing you with month by month values. If applicable, the SOA will also reflect any partial withdrawals or outstanding loan activity on the policy.

How is interest and my index crediting methods on my indexed universal life policy reflected on my annual statement of account?
View this short presentation (viewable as PowerPoint or PDF) regarding index crediting and see examples of crediting calculations on my indexed universal life policy.

What is a reprojection?
 For most universal life policies, the reprojection (that accompanies the SOA) is a forecast into the future based on the current premium you are scheduled to pay as well as current interest rates and costs of insurance. Because interest rates and costs may change, this information is not guaranteed. The guaranteed values shown on the reprojections reflect the policy values at the guaranteed cost of insurance and guaranteed interest rates for the policy. These guarantee values are only valid provided future scheduled payments are made on time; as well as no additional partial withdrawals or loans are requested. You should refer to your individual policies for details pertaining to your specific policy.

How do I request additional reprojections?
 Additional reprojection requests may be made at any time. You would need to call, write, fax or email your specific request to our Administrative Office.

“Standard & Poor’s®”, “S&P®”, “S&P 500®”, “Standard & Poor’s 500”, “500” are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and have been licensed for use by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance.
“The Dow Jones Euro STOXX 50® is the intellectual property of (including registered trademarks) Stoxx Limited, Zurich, Switzerland and/or Dow Jones & Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation, New York, USA (the “Licensors”), which is used under license. The securities based on the Index are in no way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Licensors and neither of the Licensors shall have any liability with respect thereto.
“Dow Jones”, “DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGEsm”, “DJIAsm” are service marks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance.
The NASDAQ-100®, NASDAQ-100 INDEX® and NASDAQ® are registered marks of the NASDAQ Stock Market Inc. (which with its affiliates are the “Corporations”) and are licensed for use by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance. This product has not been passed on by the Corporations as to their legality or suitability. This product is not issued, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Corporations. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THIS PRODUCT. THIS INDEX DOES NOT INCLUDE DIVIDENDS PAID BY THE UNDERLYING COMPANIES.
Builder IUL and Guarantee Builder IUL from North American Company for Life and Health Insurance are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor’s®, Dow Jones or NASDAQ® and Standard & Poor’s®, Dow Jones and NASDAQ® make no representation regarding the advisability of purchasing this contract or investing in this product. Builder IUL is issued on policy form series LS161A, Guarantee Builder IUL is issued on form series LS164A; No Lapse Guarantee Rider is issued on form LR436A; Protected Pour In Rider is issued on form LR418A or state variations, by North American Company for Life and Health Insurance, Chicago, IL. Not all products, features, riders, endorsements or issue ages are available in all jurisdictions.
Builder IUL and Guarantee Builder IUL are service marks; “We’re Here for Life,” Producer’s InfoNet, and nacolah.com are registered service marks of North American Company for Life and Health Insurance, Chicago, IL.

 

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 Site last updated:  07/16/08