|
Group Universal Life Insurance
- Enrollment and Changes
- Premium Payments
- Life Insurance Rates
- Benefit Amount and Premium Changes
- How the Benefit Is Paid
- Restrictions
- Cash Accumulation Fund
- Canceling Your Coverage
- Options When You Retire
- Options When You Terminate Employment
- When Coverage Ends
|
|
Group Universal Life Insurance
Q. Is additional life insurance available?
A. Yes. A regular employee
may elect additional life insurance of one to five times your
annualized monthly benefit pay
at group rates. If you enroll within 31 days of your first day of
active employment,
you can do so without evidence of insurability.
You may choose coverage equal to one, two, three, four or five times your
annualized monthly benefit pay, rounded to the next higher $1,000. As an active employee, if
you have a pay change your coverage is based on your annualized monthly benefit pay beginning
the first full month after the change, rather than effective with the pay change.
Certain employees who participate in the Executive Life Insurance/Death Benefit
Plan are limited to choosing up to three times their annualized monthly benefit pay.
The maximum coverage available is $10,000,000.
Example:
If your annualized monthly benefit pay is $38,250 and you choose three times coverage, the benefit amount is:
| |
$38,250 x 3 = $114,750
rounded to the next higher $1,000 = $115,000
|
Enrollment and Changes
You may enroll in, change or cancel your Group Universal Life Insurance at any time using EDA.
Enrollment forms are also available from Benefits Administration for those individuals who do not have access to EDA.
If you:
- Enroll within 31 days of your first day of active employment, your coverage is effective as soon as your enrollment
is completed on EDA or as soon as your form is received by Benefits Administration. However, payroll deductions may not begin until the
first of the month following your EDA election or the receipt of the enrollment form.
- Want to increase your insurance coverage or enroll after 31 days of employment, you must
provide evidence of insurability and meet MetLife's underwriting requirements. Your coverage becomes
effective when your application is approved by MetLife. However, payroll deductions may not begin until
the first of the month following Benefit Administration's receipt of the approval from MetLife.
- Lower your coverage, the change is effective the first of the month following the
date your election form is received by Benefits Administration.
- Want to cancel your insurance coverage, coverage and payroll deductions will continue through the end of month in which your
election form is received by Benefits Administration.
Premium Payments
Your contributions are made through payroll deduction, annuity deduction or direct payment to MetLife. If you choose to suspend payroll or annuity deductions at any time, premiums will be automatically deducted from your cash accumulation fund until it is depleted;
thereafter, MetLife will send you a monthly bill for the cost of coverage.
Life Insurance Rates
For employees and for retirees
under age 70, the monthly premiums per $1,000 of life insurance are based on age,
effective January 1, 2008, as shown in this chart:
| Age |
Rate |
| Under 30 |
$0.02 |
| 30-34 |
$0.03 |
| 35-39 |
$0.05 |
| 40-44 |
$0.06 |
| 45-49 |
$0.09 |
| 50-54 |
$0.15 |
| 55-59 |
$0.38 |
| 60-64 |
$0.58 |
| 65-69 |
$1.10 |
| 70+ |
$1.78 |
Retirees age 70 and older and employees who terminate as a
regular employee
without retiree status are no longer eligible for this coverage under the ExxonMobil Life
Insurance Plan, but may continue this coverage directly with MetLife and at rates as
determined by MetLife.
Examples:
- Bob is 43 years old, and his pay is $46,500. He chooses Group Universal
Life Insurance of three times normal pay.
| |
$46,500 x 3 = $139,500, rounded to $140,000
(140,000 divided by 1,000 = 140) x $0.06 = $8.40 monthly premium
|
- Maria is 58 years old, and her pay is $62,800. She chooses
Group Universal Life Insurance of two times normal pay.
| |
$62,800 x 2 = $125,600, rounded to $126,000
(126,000 divided by 1,000 = 126) x $0.38 = $47.88 monthly premium
|
Benefit Amount and Premium Changes
Your benefit amount automatically changes the first of the month following the effective date of a pay change. When you have a birthday that puts you into a higher age bracket, the premium will increase the first of the month of your birthday.
For example, if your birthday is July 23, your premium increases on July 1.
How the Benefit Is Paid
The lump sum benefit is available to your beneficiary upon your death.
Restrictions
Benefits may be limited or denied if death results from a self-inflicted
injury occurring within the first
two years of enrolling in the Plan or increasing your level of coverage.
Cash Accumulation Fund
GUL is a flexible life insurance option that allows you to contribute different levels of premium over time
to best meet your insurance and other financial needs. You can choose to pay only the minimum necessary
to cover the current cost of insurance, or you can choose to add extra premium to a cash accumulation
fund. These additional premiums are subject to certain maximums. However, they permit you to take
advantage of the investment benefits of GUL, for example, helping to fund future needs like college
education expenses and retirement.
There are tax advantages associated with making after-tax contributions to the GUL cash accumulation fund:
- Contributions to the GUL cash accumulation fund earn a minimum 3% rate of interest that is guaranteed annually by MetLife.
- Money in the GUL cash accumulation fund earns a
competitive rate of interest on a tax-deferred basis. All
contributions made to the cash fund (whether cost of insurance
amounts or extra dollar amounts) are included in the GUL
certificate's cost basis. If the amount of money withdrawn
exceeds the cost basis (the money paid into the GUL
certificate), the owner will have a taxable gain. Federal
income tax is calculated on the taxable gain amount and a 1099
Form is issued.
- At the insured's death, money in the cash fund can automatically be added to the life insurance coverage amount, possibly increasing the total
benefit to the beneficiary.
Participants have a choice of how to contribute to their GUL cash fund:
- Regular contributions through payroll deduction; or
- Lump sum contributions at any time (minimum of $100) directly to MetLife.
Participants have access to the money in their cash fund - for any reason - through loans and withdrawals.
Withdrawals and Loans
You may withdraw all or part of the cash in your fund, or you can take a loan on your fund for any reason.
Withdrawals and loans are subject to the following:
- If you choose to withdraw a portion of your fund, it must be at least $200.
- The maximum withdrawal is the entire amount of money in the cash fund (less any outstanding loans).
- Withdrawals are limited to one per month.
- The minimum loan amount is $200.
- You may take only one loan per year, and have only one outstanding loan at a time.
- The interest rate on a loan is based on Moody's Corporate Bond Index, set back two months. The money
you borrow continues to earn interest at 2% less than the loan interest charge rate.
- Loans can only be re-paid directly to MetLife, and not through payroll deductions.
- There is no time limit on loan repayment.
- Withdrawals and loans generally will be processed by MetLife within 10 business days.
There may be situations where processing takes longer.
Contribution Limits
Your contributions to the cash accumulation fund are subject to limits set by
the Internal Revenue Code. Exceeding these limits could affect the tax treatment of your
contributions. If this happens, MetLife will notify you and suggest alternatives which are completely separate from this Plan and are not sponsored, endorsed or
recommended by ExxonMobil. The alternatives separate from this Plan have varying degrees of
risk and are governed entirely by agreements between you and MetLife.
If you have any questions regarding the cash accumulation fund, withdrawals and loans, or contribution
limits, contact MetLife (see Information Sources on page 1).
Canceling Your Coverage
Employees may cancel their coverage by using Employee Direct Access
available on the ExxonMobil Me Intranet site or by requesting a form
from ExxonMobil Benefits Administration, for those who do not have
access to EDA. Any amount
remaining in your cash accumulation fund (less any outstanding loans) will be returned to you. At this
time, you may be responsible for paying income tax (if any) on the tax-deferred interest portion of
your cash accumulation fund. For this reason, you may want to consult with your personal tax advisor
first. There are no fees associated with canceling your coverage.
Options When You Retire
In addition to withdrawals and loans, you have these additional
options when you retire:
- Choose to Continue Your Life Coverage — You can continue to be covered under ExxonMobil Group
Universal Life Insurance until age 70. If you receive a monthly pension, your premiums are automatically
deducted. If you receive no pension payment, you are billed directly by MetLife. You also have the
option to have your premiums deducted from your cash accumulation fund until the fund is depleted.
After you reach age 70, you are no longer eligible to participate in the GUL option of the Plan. You
may continue your coverage directly with MetLife, with premiums determined by MetLife, and your
benefits will be reduced to the lesser of the current amount of the insurance (i.e., multiple of pay)
or five times the value of the cash accumulation fund (minimum of $20,000).
At age 95, the insurance coverage with MetLife terminates, and you will need to select a distribution option for your cash
accumulation fund. MetLife will provide you with these options.
Note: There is a nominal administration fee for direct billing by MetLife.
- Elect an Annuity — You can elect an annuity using all of the money in your cash accumulation fund. The minimum contribution
amount is $10,000. A variety of payout options is available, including joint and survivor benefits
and a life income option. Life income products provide payments for your life with a guaranteed minimum
return of at least what you paid in premium. Note that when you elect an annuity, your Group Universal
Life Insurance coverage ends.
- Paid-up Insurance — This is insurance that you may purchase with your cash accumulation
fund. It provides a benefit (minimum of $10,000) to your beneficiary
when you die. Note that when
you elect paid-up insurance, your Group Universal Life Insurance coverage ends.
- Cancel Your Coverage — You may cancel your coverage by completing a form available from Benefits Administration.
Retirees
who elect to cancel coverage cannot re-enroll.
Options When You Terminate Employment
If you terminate employment as a regular employee,
without becoming a retiree,
you have all of the options described in the previous section. You will be contacted
by MetLife regarding continuation of your coverage as a portable policy. If you choose to continue
insurance with MetLife, your premiums are determined and billed by MetLife.
When Coverage Ends
Unless you have chosen to continue your coverage as described in Options When You Retire
(see page 15), your Group
Universal Life Insurance through ExxonMobil ends on the earliest of the following dates:
- The end of the month in which you terminate your regular employment with the company without being a retiree.
- The end of the month in which you surrender (cancel) your coverage.
- The first of the month in which a retiree reaches age 70.
- When you become a suspended retiree.
You may continue your coverage at rates determined by MetLife on a direct-billed basis when your
coverage ends as an ExxonMobil participant.
|