Advisors Blog

Below is the full text of the recent John Hancock memo. For a PDF version of this announcement, click here.

With extended guarantees and some of the lowest premiums in the industry, Protection UL offers a lifetime of affordable security¹.  And with benefits like John Hancock Vitality and the Critical Illness Benefit rider, it's no wonder Protection UL is our #1 selling permanent product.

Product Highlights

• NEW Extended guarantees — often to life expectancy and beyond.²
• NEW Critical Illness Benefit rider in addition to the popular Long-Term Care rider — offering even more protection from the unexpected.^3,4
• Highly affordable premiums — for level-pay, short-pay, and single-pay premiums, and additional savings and rewards with the John Hancock Vitality Program!
• Competitive cash value potential — when compared to guaranteed UL products.
• LifeTrack — an industry-first solution designed to keep your clients’ policies on track to meet their coverage objectives.

NEW Critical Illness Benefit Rider 

Take advantage of a new, innovative approach to critical illness coverage.  This living benefit can help protect your clients throughout their working years from the financial burden associated with a critical illness event such as heart attack, cancer or stroke.

• Pays a benefit — provides a one-time, lump-sum, income tax-free⁵ benefit up to $250,000 to the policy owner, upon the insured's initial diagnosis of a covered critical illness. 
• Preserves the death benefit — offers a payment that's separate from the death benefit, preserving it for the policy's beneficiaries. 

State Approvals and Illustration System

Please refer to the state approval map for most current state approvals. JHIllustrator will be updated as states are approved.

New Business and Underwriting Information 

June 30, 2018:

• If seeking an Informal Offer - the John Hancock home office must receive a Protection UL '16 illustration signed by the insured and owner, and a tentative underwriting decision must be obtained by this date. 
• If seeking a Formal Offer - the John Hancock office must receive a Protection UL '16 application signed by the insured and owner by this date. An illustration on the case is also required. 
• For a Term Conversion - the John Hancock home office must receive a Term Conversion application signed by the insured an owner by this date. 

August 31, 2018:

• John Hancock must have provided a final underwriting offer, received all administrative requirements to issue the policy, and received confirmation to proceed with the 1035 Exchange (if applicable). 

In-Force Cases

Please consult John Hancock's Internal Replacement Guidelines if you have a client considering replacing their existing John Hancock coverage.

1. Insurance policies and/or associated riders and features may not be available in all states. Some riders may have additional fees and expenses associated with them.

2. Protection UL policies automatically include a no-lapse guarantee called Death Benefit Protection. This feature guarantees that the policy will not default, even if the cash surrender value falls to zero or below, provided that the Death Benefit Protection Value remains greater than zero and policy debt never exceeds the Policy Value. Once terminated, the Death Benefit Protection feature cannot be reinstated. Life expectancy calculations are based on 2008 VBT mortality table.

3. The Critical Illness Benefit Rider provides a one-time, lump sum benefit for covered critical illnesses subject to eligibility requirements. The benefit will not be paid for critical illnesses initially diagnosed before the rider effective date or during the waiting period. The rider is not available in all states and state variations may apply.

4. The Long-Term Care (LTC) rider is an accelerated death benefit rider and may not be considered long-term care insurance in some states. There are additional costs associated with this rider. The Maximum Monthly Benefit Amount is $50,000. When the death benefit is accelerated for long-term care expenses it is reduced dollar for dollar, and the cash value is reduced proportionately. Please go to www.jhsaleshub.com to verify state availability.

5. John Hancock anticipates that the Critical Illness Benefit paid under this rider will generally be excludable from income under Internal Revenue Code Section 104(a)(3). However, the benefit may not qualify for this exclusion with certain third-party ownership arrangements.

Guaranteed product features are dependent upon minimum premium requirements and the claims-paying ability of the issuer. This material does not constitute tax or legal advice and neither John Hancock nor any of its agents, employees or registered representatives are in the business of offering such advice. You should consult with your own tax advisor.