Universal life insurance is a variation of whole life insurance. It is a blend of term insurance and a savings account. It earns interest at a money market rate, the policy holder paying an annual fee for coverage, which includes a fee for managing the policy. Funds not used for paying the life insurance earn a tax deferred interest.

With a universal life insurance policy, the premium can fluctuate. The policy holder decides how much to devote toward insurance and how much toward savings. The face amount of the policy can be changed as well as the amount of premium payments and how often they are paid. However, the insured must make certain their savings are large enough to cover the monthly premiums for the insurance as well as the policy expenses. If the savings are not sufficient enough, the monthly charges will consume the cash value and the policy will be of no value.

Variable life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that allows the holder to target their premium to one or more detached investment funds. These funds can be fixed income investments, stocks, bonds, or money market funds. Depending on the company policy, the holder can change their investments from two to five times annually. Unlike universal life insurance, with variable life insurance the insured can manage the investment of their cash value.

Universal variable life insurance is also commonly referred to as flexible premium variable life insurance. This kind of policy combines the flexible features found in universal life insurance policies and the investment alternatives of variable life insurance. As with universal life insurance, the policy holder can choose to raise or lower their premiums in a single policy. As with variable life insurance, individuals have the right to decide how their cash worth will be invested.

Adjustable life insurance is another variety of permanent protection that allows the policy holder to change the amount of their premiums. They can also increase or decrease the face amount of the policy, or lessen the protection period. If the policy holder increases the death benefit, they must prove that they are still in fact insurable.