Apex VUL offered through Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and C.M. Life Insurance Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MassMutual, is flexible premium variable universal life insurance.

The decision to purchase life insurance should be based on long-term financial goals and the need for a death benefit. Life insurance is not an appropriate vehicle for short-term savings or short-term investment strategies. Surrender charges apply for the first 10 years of the policy (fewer in New York), may substantially decrease the policy surrender value. While the policy allows for access to account value, you should know that there may be little to no account value available for loans and withdrawals in the early policy years. Taking withdrawals will decrease the no-lapse guarantee period. Borrowing from the policy may cause it to lapse.

The information provided is not written or intended as specific tax or legal advice. MassMutual, its subsidiaries, employees, and representatives are not authorized to give tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to seek advice from their own tax or legal counsel. Individuals involved in the estate planning process should work with an estate planning team, including their own personal legal or tax counsel.

VARIABLE UNIVERSAL LIFE INSURANCE IS: NOT A BANK OR CREDIT UNION DEPOSIT OR OBLIGATION • NOT FDIC OR NCUA INSURED • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY • NOT GUARANTEED BY ANY BANK OR CREDIT UNION • MAY GO DOWN IN VALUE

Introduction

Apex VUL is a permanent life insurance product. It provides a death benefit and has an accumulation focus that diversifies MassMutual’s life portfolio. This helps to meet clients where they are in the financial life cycle.

Accumulation focused VUL with a Death Benefit Guarantee to age 85.

Variety of investment options from leading companies including low-cost index options and a new 10% buffer fund.¹

Innovative conversion feature to any new MassMutual Whole Life policy.²

Disability riders provide additional protection and peace of mind.³

¹ Like other investment options available with variable universal life insurance, buffer funds can give you equity market exposure to fuel account value accumulation potential. What’s unique is that a buffer fund is designed to cushion against (or “buffer”) a specific level of losses (and potentially reduce volatility) in the event of a market downturn in exchange for a certain amount of upside potential (a “cap”).
² Not including HECV or any MassMutual CareChoice^SM Series policy.
³ Only one rider can be elected for an additional charge. Benefits may be limited based on the attained age of the insured at the onset of disability.

Features and Benefits

Permanent life insurance

Premium flexibility

Low-cost index funds

60+ investment options

Chronic Illness Rider⁴

Overloan protection rider⁵

Guaranteed death benefit to age 85

Conversion to whole life

Tax-advantaged withdrawals⁶

Death benefit protection and investment potential for the long run

Account value can be invested in 60+ investment options.⁷

Account value that accumulates tax-deferred.

Potential for long-term equity/fixed income performance.

Tax-advantaged retirement supplement withdrawals.⁶

⁴ The Death Benefit will be reduced by an amount greater than the amount of the Chronic Illness benefit payment received. The Chronic Illness Rider is not available with policies issued in California and New York.
⁵ The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has not issued guidance on the tax consequences of exercising the Overloan Protection Rider. It is possible that the IRS could assert that the Policy Debt should be treated as a distribution, in whole or in part, when this rider is invoked. Consult with a tax adviser regarding the risks associated with invoking this rider.
⁶ Policy loans and/or withdrawals reduce the cash surrender value and policy Death Benefit and may cause the policy to lapse. Taking a policy loan could have adverse tax consequences if the policy terminates before the insured’s death. Policy withdrawals are not subject to taxation up to your cost basis in the policy. If the policy is a Modified Endowment Contract, policy loans and/or withdrawals will be taxable to the extent of gain and are subject to a 10% tax penalty if the policyowner is under age 59½.
⁷ Investment options refers to the investment divisions of the Separate Account. The values in the Separate Account are not guaranteed. Allocating premium to investment options in a variable life insurance policy may provide account value accumulation and growth, but the value may also decline. The value of the policy may not be high enough to pay the required charges, resulting in the need for additional premium to keep the policy in force.

Additional Features and Benefits

3 Death Benefit Options

(with the ability to schedule an automatic change from DBO 2 to DBO 1)

Disability riders

Guaranteed insurability option

Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA)⁸

Portfolio Rebalancing⁸

Directed monthly deduction amount

Persistency Credit⁹

Reimagine Retirement with our Apex VUL and Whole Life Insurance strategy.

In addition to death benefit protection, the combination of these products can help your clients with a retirement income alternative.

⁸ DCA is not available when portfolio rebalancing is in effect. DCA/Portfolio Rebalancing does not assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Clients should consider their ability to assume the financial risks of continued DCA through periods of fluctuating price levels.
⁹ Only guaranteed in NY.

Case Study

Meet Jane

Age 40

Occupation
VP of Operations, Manufacturing

Annual Income
$150,000 + bonus

401(k) balance and other savings
$500,000 invested in equity, bond, and money market funds.

Concerns:

Leaving her children a financial legacy, especially while they are young.
Having enough income during retirement.
Having protection against disability and/or illness.

Using Apex VUL to Meet Jane's Needs

Annual Premium: $12,000/year for 20 Years.
Initial Face Amount: $1,000,000.
DBO2 to DBO1 after year 20.
Account Value Allocation: Index funds; Average index fund expense = 0.17%.
Ultra-preferred; non-tobacco.
Takes $65,000 of income/year from ages 70-89.

Return Assumptions:

7% gross/6.82% net investment return.

Solution

Secures a $1 million Death Benefit at issue
Takes $65,000 a year for 20 years (starting at 70) for a total of $1,300,000 of income
Death Benefit at age 90 = $131,488

Policy loans and/or withdrawals reduce the cash surrender value and policy death benefit and may cause the policy to lapse. Taking a policy loan could have adverse tax consequences if the policy terminates before the insured’s death. Policy withdrawals are not subject to taxation up to your cost basis in the policy. If the policy is a Modified Endowment Contract, policy loans and/or withdrawals will be taxable to the extent of gain and are subject to a 10% tax penalty if the policyowner is under age 59½.

Marketing Resources

For Use With Clients

LI5551 Apex VUL^SM Consumer Guide
A high-level overview of the features and benefits that Apex VUL offers.
LI5552 Apex VUL^SM Investment Guide
Provides an overview of the investment options that Apex VUL offers.
LI7242 Executive Bonus Plan
Use this to illustrate how an Executive Bonus Plan with Apex VUL can differentiate their compensation and benefits packages.

Financial Professional

LI5515 Apex VUL^SM Producer Guide
Provides product specifications and details concerning the features and benefits that Apex VUL offers.
LI4011 Retirement Reimagined Case Study
Sales idea for your clients. Combining the guarantees of Whole Life Insurance plus equity exposure in Apex VUL offer policyowners the ability to use their policies in ways they may not have thought of before.
LI4012 Apex VUL Conversion to Whole Life Case Study
Sales idea for your clients. Apex VUL diversifies MassMutual's life insurance portfolio to better meet client's where they are in the financial life cycle and has the additional benefit to be able to convert to a different form of insurance if their needs change.
VID2732 Apex VUL Video
Reimagine Retirement with our Apex VUL and Whole Life Insurance strategy.
Apex VUL Conversion FAQ
Apex VUL offers an innovative conversion feature. It gives clients the ability to convert to a more conservative form of life insurance whenever financial needs change.
LI4501 Retirement Supplement with Apex VUL^SM
Use this to illustrate how Apex VUL can provide your clients the life insurance protection they need now, with the potential to accumulate account value on a tax-deferred basis.

Before purchasing a variable life policy investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the policy and its underlying investment choices. For this and other information, they must obtain the prospectus for the policy and the prospectuses (or summary prospectuses, if available) for its underlying investment choices to read carefully before investing or sending money. You should also read these prospectuses carefully before recommending a variable life policy. Prospectuses (or summary prospectuses, if available) are available on MassMutual.com.

Any guarantees explicitly referenced herein are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

Apex VUL (Policy Forms: CMVUL-2023 and ICC23-CMVUL in certain states, including North Carolina) is individual, non-participating, flexible premium, adjustable variable life insurance issued by C.M. Life Insurance Company (C.M. Life), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual). C.M. Life is non-admitted in New York. Apex VUL (Policy forms: MMVUL-CA-2020 in California, and MMVUL-NY-2020 in New York) is issued by MassMutual. Both C.M. Life and MassMutual are located in Springfield, MA 01111-0001.

To offer or sell MassMutual and subsidiary company variable products, producers must be a registered representative of MML Investors Services, LLC (MMLIS), Member SIPC® (www.SIPC.org), or of a broker-dealer that has a selling agreement with MML Strategic Distributors, LLC. MMLIS and MSD are subsidiaries of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111-0001, Members FINRA (www.FINRA.org).

Principal Underwriters:
MML Investors Services, LLC
MML Strategic Distributors, LLC

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