Policy Owners Last reviewed: 2026-10-03 Part of Policy owners

How to Read an In-Force Illustration: The Five Numbers to Circle

Written and reviewed by Hans Goldstein, licensed insurance producer, NPN 20602398 · CA Insurance License #4273294
Last reviewed October 3, 2026 · Published October 3, 2026

Short answer: an in-force illustration is a projection of your existing policy from today, at its current values and the insurer's current assumptions. California requires illustrations to show three bases side by side: guaranteed, midpoint and illustrated. Circle five numbers: the year the policy lapses on each column, the cash surrender value at 75 and 85, the premium needed to reach age 100 or 121, the loan balance path, and the assumed crediting rate. The guaranteed column is the only promise.

The three columns

California's illustration law requires the numeric summary to show values at years 5, 10, 20 and age 70 on three bases: policy guarantees, the insurer's illustrated scale, and a midpoint between them (CA Ins. Code 10509.956). For indexed universal life, the illustrated rate is also capped by the NAIC's AG 49-A (AG 49-A).

Reading the columns

Column	What it assumes	How to use it
Guaranteed	Maximum charges, minimum crediting (often 0% on index accounts)	The worst case the contract allows. Is the lapse year acceptable?
Midpoint	Halfway between guaranteed and illustrated	A sober planning case
Illustrated	Current charges and the illustrated rate	The insurer's current projection; not a promise

The five numbers to circle

Lapse year on each column. If the policy lapses at 84 on guaranteed and 97 on illustrated, you know the range.
Cash surrender value at 75 and 85. These show whether the policy is building or draining.
Premium to reach 100 or 121. Ask for a solve: the premium that carries the policy to your target age on the midpoint column.
Loan balance path. If a loan is outstanding, compare it with the cash value each year; when they meet, the policy lapses.
Assumed crediting rate and current caps. Compare with what the policy actually credited the last few years on your statements.

Policy owners

Get the request letter.

Send your email and I'll send the in-force illustration request letter. Return the illustration and I'll review it within one business day.

We’ll email it to you. Hans Goldstein · NPN 20602398.

Rather talk it through? Or book 15 minutes on Hans’s calendar.

How to request one

The policy owner requests it from the insurer's service center, by phone, portal or letter. Ask for: current and guaranteed values, a midpoint column, your current premium, and a solve for the premium to carry the policy to age 100 (or 121); if you have Option B, a version switching to Option A. The request letter template is on Hans's policy review page. Hans does not contact the insurer for you; you send it, then share the result.

Red flags

The guaranteed column lapses within 10 years.
The illustrated rate is higher than what the policy actually credited on average over recent statements.
The loan balance grows faster than the cash value.
The premium you pay is below the solve for your target age on the midpoint column.

Send your latest annual statement or an in-force illustration to hans@hansgoldstein.com and Hans grades the policy on the Goldstein Index within one business day. Or book 15 minutes.

Send the statement or letter. Get a plain answer.

Within one business day you get a written read: what the letter or statement means for your policy, the options, and the one to take first. No pressure to change anything.

Rather talk it through? Or book 15 minutes on Hans’s calendar, or call 213-414-2808.

Hans Goldstein · 213-414-2808 · NPN 20602398, independent licensed insurance producer

Frequently asked questions

What is an in-force illustration?

A projection of an existing policy from today, using its current values and the insurer's current assumptions, showing guaranteed, midpoint and illustrated columns.

How do I get an in-force illustration?

The policy owner requests it from the insurer's service center. Ask for guaranteed and current values, a midpoint column, and a premium solve to age 100 or 121.

Which column should I trust?

The guaranteed column is the only promise. The midpoint column is a sober planning case; the illustrated column is the insurer's current projection.

What should I look at first?

The lapse year on each column, cash surrender value at 75 and 85, the premium to reach your target age, the loan path and the assumed crediting rate.

How often should I get one?

At least every two to three years, yearly for policies with loans, and after any COI change, missed payment or big change in the policy.

Sources

Hans Goldstein, CA Insurance License #4273294 · NPN 20602398 · Goldstein & Co. LLC dba Goldstein Insurance Services, CA License #6016830

Contact: hans@hansgoldstein.com · 213-414-2808

General education, not tax or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on your facts and on current law, which can change. Talk to your CPA or estate attorney. Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Guarantees apply only to the contractual terms of the policy. Caps, participation rates, loan rates, charges and dividends are not guaranteed and can change. Hans is paid a commission by the insurer if you buy a policy through him. For life insurance, ask and he will tell you what he earns on your specific policy. Product and company names are trademarks of their owners. Goldstein Insurance Services is an independent agency, not affiliated with or endorsed by any insurer named here. Life insurance requires underwriting; not everyone qualifies. This page describes products in general terms; read the policy and the insurer's disclosures before you buy.