Group Variable Universal Life | NEBA

Life Insurance Overview

MetLife’s Group Variable Universal Life (GVUL) insurance is a single policy with two features — life insurance and savings options — that enable you to maintain your family’s future financial security while letting you save today.

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Protect your family’s financial security and start building savings today.

MetLife’s Group Variable Universal Life (GVUL) insurance is a single policy with two
benefits — life insurance and an investment feature.

Permanent – protect your family while saving for the future.³

Portable – take it with you at active group rates if you change jobs or retire.³
Flexible – update your policy as your needs change.

Easy – invest via payroll deduction and/or a lump-sum contribution at any time during the year.
Accessible – obtain your cash value at any time through loans and withdrawals with no surrender charges or tax penalties.⁴
Tax-advantaged – all potential earnings on your investment can be withdrawn tax-free under certain conditions.⁴
Tax-free withdrawals – if your total cash value does not exceed the total cost basis, your entire withdrawal is tax-free.⁴
Customizable – allocate additional investment dollars into a wide spectrum of nationally recognized investment fund options - including stocks and bonds, money market funds⁵as well as an interest-bearing account with a minimum guaranteed rate of return.⁶

To speak with a GVUL Benefits Specialist, call 800-756-0124,
Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 7:00 pm CT

Learn more about the investment feature

Enroll or update coverage

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One policy, two benefits

Life insurance with an investment option can help you maintain your family’s financial security in the future and in the present.

Do you have the right coverage for you?

No matter where you are in life, we want you to feel financially secure. Planning ahead and evaluating your life insurance needs is a smart way to make sure you’re protected as your needs and responsibilities change over time. Click on these examples to find out how much coverage you may need. Or use our online calculator to get your personalized recommendation.

Coverage needs

Family of four

This family should consider $1,900,000 to replace income, pay off mortgage and debt and fund college expenses.

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Single parent

This single parent should consider $800,000 to replace income, pay off debt and fund college expenses.

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Empty nesters

This couple should consider $735,000 each to replace income and supplement retirement savings.

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With one parent as primary care giver and one as the primary income earner, this family wants to make sure their life insurance will cover that income.

How much life insurance do you need?

To speak with a GVUL Benefits Specialist, call 800-756-0124,
Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 7:00 pm CT

Tax-Deferred¹ Investment Feature

Tax-deferred gains can grow faster than taxable gains.

See how tax-deferral works

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Tax-Deferral Tool

Use our interactive tool to see how a tax-deferred¹ investment can grow overtime.

Live GVUL Session

Attend an online information session and learn more about GVUL investment options.

Learn More

Download the brochure for an overview of GVUL policy benefits.

FAQs

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Life insurance:² While you are actively at work for the employer offering your GVUL program, you can typically apply for more coverage at the program anniversary each year. In addition, some programs may allow coverage increases at any time, or within a specified time period following a change in family status. If you terminate employment with this employer, and begin paying premiums directly, you generally still have the ability to apply for more coverage. Check your Plan Summary for details.

Investment contributions: You can begin investing or make changes to your investment contributions/fund allocations at any time during the year by accessing your GVUL enrollment site.

The easiest way to update your coverage is online. However, some plans may require you to complete a paper form. See your Plan Summary for details on updating your coverage.²

When you enroll for GVUL insurance coverage, you become the owner of a permanent³ life insurance certificate. As the certificate owner, you have the ability to control your life insurance coverage amount and your tax-deferred investment contributions (if any), and to name your life insurance beneficiary.

You may choose to “assign” ownership of your coverage to another individual or entity. Once you transfer ownership of your certificate, that individual or entity will have control over selecting your life insurance coverage amounts, investment contributions, etc. You should speak with a financial professional before making any changes to your certificate.

Yes. After consultation with an independent tax advisor, you may wish to transfer any accumulated cash value and/or cost basis from another permanent life insurance certificate into your MetLife GVUL certificate. This can be accomplished via a 1035 Exchange (named after the section of the Internal Revenue Code which provides for the exchange to be tax-free), which transfers the value of the existing life insurance certificate into your MetLife certificate.

Yes, you can continue your coverage at competitive* group rates under the portability option if you leave your company or retire.³

A GVUL Surrender form will need to be completed and submitted. Your policy will be cancelled as of the date we receive the form. You may call 1-866-574-2861 prompt 4 for questions around your GVUL policy.

*Please review the other insurance tabs as cancellation process for other plans are different.

To speak with a GVUL Benefits Specialist, call 800-756-0124,
Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 7:00 pm CT

¹ Earnings within your GVUL coverage grow income tax-free while the policy stays in force. Money allocated to the variable investment portfolios is subject to market risk, and when redeemed may be worth more or less than your original investment. Please consider your investment time horizon, tax rates, and the effect of fees and expenses, including any premium expense charge, when evaluating the benefit of GVUL tax deferral. See your Prospectus and Certificate for complete information.

² All applications for coverage are subject to review and approval by MetLife. If you choose to apply for increased coverage, the increase may be subject to underwriting. MetLife will review your information and evaluate your request for coverage based upon your answers to the health questions, MetLife’s underwriting rules and other information you authorize us to review. In certain cases, MetLife may request additional information to evaluate your request for coverage. Coverage will be effective in accordance with the applicable policy and certificate after approval by MetLife. Only applicants who reside in a US state, the District of Columbia, or Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico or US Virgin Islands are allowed to complete their SOH form online (where available). Otherwise, applicants will be provided with a paper SOH form. Individuals residing outside of the US or in certain US territories must be on US payroll and be approved by MetLife before being provided with an SOH form.

³ To the maturity age specified in your certificate. In some program designs, if your plan sponsor replaces MetLife GVUL with another group life insurance plan or otherwise terminates the MetLife group policy, your coverage may also be terminated, even after retirement or separation from employment. Rates may increase if you leave your employer or are no longer eligible under the group and choose to continue your coverage. If you have ported or otherwise continued your coverage after retirement or separation from employment and the plan sponsor later terminates the group policy, cost of insurance rates may increase as a result of such termination.

⁴ In general, participants may withdraw cash value equal to premiums paid without tax consequences. However, if the funding of the certificate exceeds certain limits, it will become a “modified endowment contract” (MEC) and become subject to “earnings first” taxation on withdrawals and loans. An additional 10% penalty for withdrawals and loans taken before age 59½ will also generally apply to MECs. We will notify you if a contribution would cause your certificate to become a MEC. Withdrawals and loans will reduce the death benefit and cash value and thereby diminish the ability of the cash value to serve as a source of funding for cost of insurance charges, which increase as you age. Withdrawals are subject to an administrative fee of 2% of the amount withdrawn, not to exceed $25. Outstanding loan amounts do not participate in the interest credited to the interest-bearing account and can have a permanent effect on certificate values and benefits. Upon surrender, lapse, or case termination, including those circumstances where termination of the group contract results in termination of individual certificates/policies, loans become withdrawals and may become taxable to the certificate owner.

⁵ Money market funds are neither insured nor guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. The Fund’s sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the Fund at any time.

⁶ The current crediting rate on the interest-bearing account is subject to change without notice but will not fall below the guaranteed minimum in your certificate. Guarantees are subject to the financial strength and claims-paying ability of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

^* Cost of insurance rates are determined using methodologies that vary by company. These rates can vary and will generally increase with age. Rates for active employees may be different than those available to terminated or retired employees. It’s important to look at all factors when evaluating the overall competitiveness of rates and the value of life insurance coverage.

Nothing in these materials is intended to be advice for a particular situation or individual. Please consult with your own advisors for such advice. Like most insurance policies, MetLife GVUL contains exclusions, limitations and terms for keeping it in force. MetLife can provide you with costs and complete details.

Any discussion of taxes is for general informational purposes only and does not purport to be complete or cover every situation. MetLife, its agents and representatives may not give legal, tax or accounting advice and this document should not be construed as such. Please confer with your qualified legal, tax and accounting advisors as appropriate.

Prospectuses for Group Variable Universal Life insurance and its underlying portfolios can be obtained by calling (800) 756-0124. You should carefully read and consider the information in the prospectuses regarding the contract’s features, risks, charges and expenses, as well as the investment objectives, risks, policies and other information regarding the underlying portfolios prior to making any purchase or investment decisions. Product availability and features may vary by state. All product guarantees are subject to the financial strength and claims-paying ability of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

Group Variable Universal Life insurance has limitations. There is no guarantee that any of the variable options in this product will meet its stated goals or objectives. Cash value allocated to the variable investment options is subject to market fluctuations so that, when withdrawn or surrendered, it may be worth more or less than the amount of premiums paid.

Group Variable Universal Life insurance (GVUL) is issued by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), New York, NY 10166, and distributed by MetLife Investors Distribution Company (MLIDC) (member FINRA). MLIC and MLIDC are MetLife companies. [Certificate Form#]

Life Insurance Overview

Take me to:

Protect your family’s financial security and start building savings today.

Learn more about the investment feature

Enroll or update coverage

One policy, two benefits

Do you have the right coverage for you?

Coverage needs

Family of four

Single parent

Empty nesters

How much life insurance do you need?

Tax-Deferred1 Investment Feature

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Tax-Deferral Tool

Live GVUL Session

Learn More

FAQs

When can I apply for more coverage? Can I make changes to my investments?

How do I apply for more GVUL insurance coverage or update my current certificate information?

What is a GVUL certificate and how can I transfer ownership of my certificate to another entity or trust?

Can I transfer the cash value and cost basis of any other permanent lifeinsurance policies I own into my MetLife GVUL certificate?

If I leave the company or retire, can I continue my GVUL insurance?

How to cancel coverage?

Tax-Deferred¹ Investment Feature