What is the difference between surrender value and paid up value?

Asked by: Samson Waelchi MD  |  Last update: January 18, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (68 votes)

A special surrender value is determined by (Initial base sum assured times (Premiums paid minus Premiums payable+ Bonus) + surrender value factor). If premiums are stopped after a certain period, the policy continues with a lower sum assured. We refer to this sum assured as the paid-up value.

What is the difference between surrender and paid up?

However, surrendering a policy early results in reduced payouts, as bonuses and other benefits may not fully accrue. Opt for paid-up value if you want to retain insurance coverage without additional premium payments. This choice is beneficial when long-term protection is a priority, even if the payout is reduced.

What is the meaning of paid up value?

Paid-up value indicates that your policy has received enough premium input to cover you till the policy tenure runs out even if you make no additional premium payments on the policy. You can choose to surrender such a paid-up policy and end the benefits so as to withdraw the money from the policy.

What is the difference between fund value and surrender value?

Key Takeaways. Cash value, or account value, is equal to the sum of money that builds inside a cash-value–generating annuity or permanent life insurance policy. Surrender value is the amount you'll receive if you try to withdraw all of your cash value, and it may be less than cash value if surrender fees are charged.

Why is surrender value less than premium paid?

When one stops paying premiums after a certain period, the policy continues but with a lower sum assured. This sum assured is called the paid up value. The more the number of premiums paid, the more will be the surrender value. The surrender value factor is a percentage of the paid-up value plus the bonus.

Paid up or surrender your all insurance policy

39 related questions found

How much money will I get if I surrender my policy after 3 years?

Types of Surrender Value

This means the premium must be paid for a minimum period of 3 years. If you surrender after 3 years, the surrender value will be around 30% of the premiums paid.

Should I surrender or sell my life insurance policy?

Surrendering your life insurance policy is one way you can liquidate, but selling a policy you don't need may be a better strategy. Selling has several advantages to surrendering it, including higher proceeds and greater flexibility. Surrendering the policy is faster but selling it usually brings you more money.

Why is surrender value higher than cash value?

What is the difference between cash value and surrender value? Cash value is the amount of money accrued in your policy's cash value, including any compound interest. The surrender value refers to the cash value minus any surrender fees due when you cash in your life insurance policy.

How to avoid surrender charge life insurance?

The surrender charge is usually waived if the insured party informs the insurer in advance of the cancellation of their life insurance policy, and then continues to pay for a period of time before canceling the policy.

What is the surrender value in simple terms?

A surrender value in insurance refers to the amount paid by the insurance company to the policyholder upon terminating the policy before its maturity date. If the policyholder surrenders during the policy tenure, the earnings and savings portion will be paid to him or her.

Can you cash in a paid-up life insurance policy?

If your policy has built up a cash value, you can withdraw money or take a loan on the policy. If it has a cash surrender value, you can stop the policy and get the money built up in the cash value. However, there may be charges for surrendering early.

What does it mean when a premium is paid up?

A life insurance policy in which if all the premium payments are complete and the insured is free of all payment obligations, the policy stays intact until insured's death or termination of the policy is called paid-up policy. Description: Paid-up policy falls into the category of traditional insurance plans.

What happens if I don't pay my sun life on time?

What will happen if I do not pay on time? If you are unable to pay your premium within the grace period, your policy may lapse resulting in loss of benefits.

What is paid up value?

A paid-up value is the value of your sum assured after you stop paying your premiums. The sum assured decided at the start of the policy is reduced if you do not pay all the premiums. This reduced sum assured is known as Paid-up Value.

What is the benefit of surrender?

What are the benefits of choosing surrender? BM: When we're able to surrender the things that are out of our control, it reduces anxiety and helps us regulate our emotions more effectively.

Who pays the surrender charge?

A surrender fee is a penalty charged to an investor for withdrawing funds from an insurance or annuity contract early or canceling the contract. Surrender fees act as an incentive for investors to maintain their contracts and reduce the frequency of early withdrawals.

Do you get money back when you surrender a life insurance policy?

Your insurer will terminate the coverage and send you a check for the policy's cash surrender value. Cash surrender value is the money a life insurance policyholder receives for ending their coverage before the policy's maturity date or before they pass away, minus any surrender fees and taxes on earnings.

How much money will I get if I surrender my policy?

If surrendered in the second year, 30% of the total premiums paid will be returned. If surrendered in the third year, 35% of the total premiums paid will be given. If surrendered anytime from the fourth to the seventh year, 50% of the total premiums paid will be returned.

How long does a surrender charge last?

A "surrender charge" is a type of sales charge you must pay if you sell or withdraw money from a variable annuity during the "surrender period" – a set period of time that typically lasts six to eight years after you purchase the annuity.

Do I have to pay taxes on life insurance surrender?

Is the cash surrender value of life insurance taxable? A life insurance policy's cash surrender value can be taxable. Any amount you receive over the policy's basis, or the amount you paid in premiums, can be taxed as income.

What is the cash value of a $25,000 life insurance policy?

Examples of Cash Value Life Insurance

An example is a cash value life insurance policy with a $25,000 death benefit. Assuming you don't take out a loan or withdraw, the cash value accumulates to $5,000. After the policyholder's death, the insurance company would pay out the full death benefit, which would be $25,000.

How to avoid surrender charges?

The surrender period is an often years-long interval where you are responsible for paying a fee if you withdraw funds during this time. To avoid possible surrender fees, you should not put money into an annuity that you might need to withdraw from during the surrender period.

At what age should you stop whole life insurance?

There isn't any age cut-off that makes life insurance no longer worth it; it's all about your personal situation. That being said, it is often worth having life insurance after 65 if you have dependents who rely on you financially.

Do you lose money when you surrender a life insurance policy?

The insurance company will pay you the cash surrender value, if there is any available. Generally, this is the cash value of the policy to date, less any loans, loan interest, premiums outstanding, or surrender fees. Your life insurance coverage ends, and some or all the money you receive may be subject to tax.

Are surrender charges tax deductible?

No, surrender charges are not tax deductible.