Why Suze Orman Says You Shouldn't Use Whole Life Insurance as an Investment Vehicle

Insurance and investments don't mix.

For years, financial advisor Suze Orman has gotten questions from listeners about whole life insurance. Many of them have wanted to know specifically about using whole life insurance as an investment. This idea is usually prompted by a life insurance agent or financial advisor.

Orman's answer is always the same -- no, no, no. She even says, "Whenever someone tries to sell you a life insurance policy with some story that it is a fantastic way to invest, you are to shut down that conversation and never work with that person again." It may sound extreme, but she's right on the money here.

Why Suze Orman doesn't recommend investing in whole life insurance

Before getting into why whole life insurance is a poor investment, let's go over how this "investment" works. Whole life insurance is, first and foremost, a life insurance policy that pays out upon your death. Unlike term life insurance, which lasts for a set amount of time, whole life is permanent.

The insurance company invests a portion of your premiums, giving your policy a cash value. After you've put in enough money, you can access it through withdrawals and loans. When you die, these withdrawals and any outstanding loans are subtracted from the death benefit.

On the surface, it might seem like a reasonable deal. But according to Orman, there are a few things the people pushing these policies don't tell you:

• The annual fees for your insurance policy's portfolio will be much higher than what you'd pay in a low-cost mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF).
• There will be a hefty cash surrender fee if you want to cash out your plan early.
• The real reason life insurance agents and financial advisors push these plans is because they get huge commissions.

It's also worth mentioning that whole life insurance policies tend to have very conservative investment portfolios. Since the insurer manages your portfolio, you can't decide how to invest your money.

Lots of people prefer a hands-off investing approach, so this isn't all bad. However, you could likely get a much better return with a mutual fund or ETF that isn't as conservative.

What you should do instead

As Orman puts it, "investments are investments, insurance is insurance." It's much better for you financially if you keep the two separate.

For your investments, you have several options. If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, this is a good, tax-advantaged way to save for retirement, especially if your employer will match your contributions up to a certain amount. There are also two types of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) you can open through online stock brokers:

• With traditional IRAs, your contributions are tax deductible, and you pay income taxes on withdrawals.
• With Roth IRAs, contributions aren't tax deductible, but withdrawals are tax-free.

Once you've chosen a retirement plan, make sure to pick how you want your money invested, as well. Retirement accounts offer a variety of investment funds, and IRAs also let you pick stocks.

As far as life insurance goes, term life insurance is generally the better option. Premiums are much cheaper, and most people don't need life insurance to cover them their entire life. Pick a term life policy that will last for as long as your family will be relying on your income, and you're good to go.