The only real question is where it sits while it waits. Move the sliders — that number is yours, not a projection.
$500 a month, every month, for 20 years.
This is arithmetic, not a forecast. It's the money you'd move, before any growth, fees, or interest. Nobody can promise you what it becomes — but where you park it changes how much of it you keep.
Free · about 60 seconds · no payment info
Side by side
Each one is good at something and bad at something else. Nobody shows you the bottom row.
| Savings | 401(k) | Indexed policy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loses value when the market drops | No | Yes | No* |
| Growth taxed every year | Yes | No | No |
| Reach it before age 59½ | Yes | Penalty | Yes** |
| IRS contribution limit | None | Yes | None*** |
| Upside is capped | n/a | No | Yes |
| Ongoing fees & insurance charges | No | Some | Yes |
| Requires health underwriting | No | No | Yes |
| Pays your family if you die | No | No | Yes |
*Most policies credit 0% in a down index year rather than a loss — but policy charges still come out, so your balance can fall. **Through policy loans, which accrue interest and reduce the death benefit if unpaid. ***No IRS limit, but funding above federal 7-pay limits turns the policy into a MEC and changes its tax treatment.
The part nobody puts in the ad
If any of these describe you, close this tab. It'll save you a phone call.
Cost of insurance and policy charges come out from day one. Cancel in the first several years and you will likely get back less than you put in.
Index credits are capped, and the carrier can change that cap. In a 24% market year you don't get 24%.
Stop paying and an underfunded policy can lapse — which can trigger a tax bill on top of losing the coverage.
What happens next
Age, budget, goal, timeline. About a minute.
Licensed in your state. Your answers go to them and nobody else — never a call center, never resold.
A personalized illustration on your situation. Then you decide, or you don't.
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