What is a Life Insurance Retirement Plan (LIRP)?

A life insurance retirement plan uses permanent life insurance to build tax-deferred cash value you can access in retirement through loans or withdrawals.

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What is a Life Insurance Retirement Plan (LIRP)?

Written by Mark Fitzpatrick

Updated: January 20, 2026

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Key Takeaways

Life insurance retirement plans combine death benefit protection with tax-deferred cash value growth to supplement retirement income.

You access retirement income through policy loans or withdrawals without triggering income taxes on gains.

LIRPs work best after maxing out 401(k)s and IRAs due to higher costs and complexity.

Life insurance retirement plans involve tax implications. Evaluate carefully with a qualified financial advisor, as this may not be suitable for all investors.

Life Insurance as a Retirement Plan

A life insurance retirement plan (LIRP) isn't a specific product. It's a strategy that uses permanent life insurance policies to supplement retirement income. These policies combine a death benefit for your beneficiaries with a cash value component that grows tax-deferred over time.

Every LIRP includes three core components. The death benefit remains the policy's primary purpose, providing financial protection for your family. The cash value builds over time as you pay premiums, creating a supplemental income source for retirement. Your premium payments fund both the death benefit and cash value growth.

LIRPs supplement traditional retirement accounts rather than replace them. Unlike 401(k)s and IRAs, life insurance wasn't designed primarily for retirement savings. The costs are higher, and the rules are more complex.

How Life Insurance Retirement Plans Work

The mechanics of an LIRP center on how your premium dollars get allocated and how cash value grows over time. Your monthly or annual premium payments split between covering insurance costs and building cash value. The insurance company deducts fees for the death benefit, administrative expenses and commissions before directing remaining funds into your cash value account.

When you need the cash value, you've got three options:

Policy loans let you borrow against your cash value without income tax consequences. This is the most common LIRP strategy. Unpaid loan interest compounds annually and reduces the death benefit. If total loans plus interest exceed the cash value, the policy may lapse, creating a taxable event.

Withdrawals allow you to take money up to your cost basis (total premiums paid) tax-free, though amounts above the basis trigger taxes.

Surrendering the policy terminates coverage and pays out remaining cash value, but ends your death benefit and may create a tax liability.

Taking loans or withdrawals can reduce your death benefit dollar-for-dollar unless you repay borrowed amounts. If you borrow $50,000 from a policy with a $500,000 death benefit, your beneficiaries receive $450,000 when you die (assuming you didn't repay the loan). The loan balance plus interest accrues against your death benefit.

Types of Life Insurance Used in LIRPs

You’ve got five main options for LIRP strategies, each with different risk-return profiles and cost structures.

Whole Life Insurance

Whole life insurance charges fixed premiums and guarantees your death benefit amount. Your cash value grows at a predetermined rate set by the insurance company, removing market volatility from the equation. Participating policies pay dividends when the insurer performs well financially, though dividends aren't guaranteed.

Whole life suits risk-averse people who value predictability over growth potential.

Universal Life Insurance

Universal life insurance offers flexible premium payments and adjustable death benefits. Your cash value earns interest based on current market rates, which means returns fluctuate with economic conditions.

Increase or decrease premium payments within limits and adjust your death benefit up or down (subject to underwriting for increases). Universal life’s flexibility appeals to people whose income varies or who want control over premium timing.

Indexed Universal Life Insurance (IUL)

Indexed universal life ties cash value growth to a stock market index, such as the S&P 500. The policy includes a floor (often 0%-1%) that protects you from losses when markets drop and a cap (often 8%-12%) that limits gains when markets surge. The index-linked structure provides downside protection with moderate upside potential.

IULs work for investors seeking growth beyond traditional universal life while maintaining some protection from market downturns.

Variable Universal Life Insurance (VUL)

Variable universal life invests your cash value directly in sub-accounts similar to mutual funds. You choose from stocks, bonds and balanced portfolios based on your risk tolerance.

VULs offer the highest growth potential but come with the highest risk. Your cash value can decrease when investments perform poorly, and there's no guaranteed minimum.

VULs suit risk-tolerant people who are comfortable with market volatility and want direct control over investment allocation.

Variable Life Insurance

Variable life insurance requires fixed premiums but lets you invest cash value in various sub-accounts. Unlike variable universal life, you can't adjust premium payments. The death benefit and cash value fluctuate based on investment performance.

Variable life combines the investment flexibility of VUL with the payment structure of whole life, making it appropriate for disciplined savers who want market exposure without premium payment flexibility.

Life Insurance Retirement Plan Pros and Cons

LIRPs offer advantages but come with drawbacks you need to weigh.

Pros

Tax-free retirement income: Policy loans avoid income taxes on gains
No contribution limits: Pay as much as you want annually
Asset protection: Creditors can't access cash value
Death benefit included: Provides life insurance coverage simultaneously
Doesn't count for financial aid: FAFSA excludes cash value from calculations

Cons

High fees: Commissions and insurance costs reduce returns
Slow cash value growth: Takes 10-15 years to build meaningful value
Complexity: Requires understanding of insurance and tax rules
Lower returns: Underperforms low-cost index funds historically
Policy lapse risk: Large loans can cause policy to fail

Who Should Consider LIRP?

LIRPs make sense for specific financial situations, but they're not typically a first step in retirement planning.

Consider an LIRP if you meet these criteria.

High-net-worth people: These people often max out contributions to traditional retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs and are in search of additional avenues for tax-deferred savings. LIRPs provide this opportunity, allowing you to further grow their wealth in a tax-efficient way and enhance their financial security in retirement.
People with lifelong dependents: LIRPs can be a suitable choice for people with lifelong dependents, such as children with disabilities. An LIRP not only provides continued coverage but also offers the potential for cash value accumulation that can be used as a supplemental income source in retirement.

Look elsewhere if you're just starting retirement planning. Put your first dollars into employer 401(k) matches (that's free money), then max out Roth IRAs for tax-free growth with fewer restrictions.

Young professionals under 40 usually benefit more from term life insurance for protection and low-cost index funds for retirement. You'll grow wealth faster with this strategy. If you can't afford to fund a policy for at least 10-15 years, the early cash value growth won't justify the costs.

How to Set Up an LIRP

Using life insurance as a retirement plan involves strategic planning and an understanding of the policy’s features. To set up an LIRP:

1
Choose the Right Policy
Choose a permanent life insurance policy that suits your financial goals and risk tolerance. Compare a whole, universal, indexed, variable, or variable life insurance policy. Each of these policies has a cash value component that can be used for retirement income, but they differ in terms of premium flexibility, cash value growth and investment options.
2
Fund Your Policy
After choosing the right policy, fund it. This involves paying premiums, which are split between the cost of insurance and the cash value component.
3
Overfund Your Life Insurance (Optional)
If you have the financial capacity, consider overfunding your policy. Pay more than the required premium to build up your cash value faster.
4
Manage Your Cash Value
The cash value component of your policy is an investment-like account that grows over time. Monitor this account and consider how it fits into your overall investment strategy. Some policies allow you to choose how your cash value is invested, so you can align this with your risk tolerance and investment goals.
5
Plan Your Withdrawals
As you approach retirement, you should plan how you'll withdraw from your cash value. Take out loans against your cash value, make withdrawals or surrender the policy. Each of these options has different tax implications and can impact the death benefit, so plan this carefully.
6
Consult a Financial Advisor
A financial advisor can guide you in choosing the right policy, planning your funding and withdrawals and integrating this strategy into your overall retirement plan.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN OVERFUNDING

Be aware of the Modified Endowment Contract (MEC) limits, as exceeding these can result in less favorable tax treatment. A life insurance policy becomes an MEC when it loses its tax benefits because it holds too much cash. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determines whether a policy is an MEC based on the total amount of premiums paid into the policy within the first seven years, a measure known as the "seven-pay test." If the premiums paid within those seven years exceed the amount needed to pay the policy in full, the policy is classified as an MEC.

Consult a tax professional before implementing MEC strategies, as tax treatment varies by individual situation.

Life Insurance Retirement Plan: Bottom Line

Life insurance retirement plans work for high earners who've maxed out 401(k)s and IRAs, need permanent life insurance anyway and can commit to funding policies for 10-15+ years. The strategy provides tax-advantaged retirement income through policy loans while maintaining a death benefit for beneficiaries. Cash value grows tax-deferred and loans avoid income taxes when structured correctly.

LIRPs come with high costs, complexity and slow early growth. Most people build wealth faster through employer retirement plans plus low-cost index funds. Young professionals and those with temporary insurance needs usually do better with term life insurance for protection and traditional investments for retirement.

LIRPs supplement retirement plans rather than replace them. Use this strategy only after maximizing simpler, cheaper options first.

LIRP: FAQ

What's the difference between an LIRP and a 401(k)?

An LIRP uses permanent life insurance to build tax-deferred cash value that you access through loans. A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement account with annual contribution limits ($23,500 in 2025). LIRPs have no contribution limits but higher fees and complexity. 401(k)s offer lower costs and employer matching.

How long does it take to build cash value in an LIRP?

Most policies need 10-15 years to accumulate meaningful cash value that you can use for retirement income. Early years fund commissions, administrative costs and insurance charges. Cash value growth accelerates after year 7-10 when fees decrease and compound growth takes effect.

Can I lose money in an LIRP?

Yes. It's possible with variable policies where cash value is invested in market sub-accounts. Surrendering the policy early also results in losses due to surrender charges and low cash value accumulation in the initial years.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research for insurance shoppers. His insights have been featured in CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!

He writes about economics and insurance, breaking down complex topics so people know what they're buying.

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sources

Internal Revenue Service. "Definition of a Modified Endowment Contract (MEC)." Accessed January 20, 2026.