{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/whole-life-policy","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/whole-life-policy","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"whole-life-policy","term":"Whole Life Policy","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"A type of life insurance that provides coverage for your entire life and includes a cash value component that grows over time. The SBA often requires a policy on key principals to protect the loan.","what_it_means":"For an SBA 7(a) loan, you'll likely need to assign a life insurance policy on yourself (and any other key principals) to the lender as collateral. A whole life policy can fulfill this requirement, but lenders often prefer term life policies due to lower premiums and clearer death benefit. If you already have one, the lender will require an Assignment of policy form.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/whole-life-policy","official_sources":[{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"},{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"}],"related":[{"slug":"life-insurance","term":"Life insurance","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/life-insurance"},{"slug":"key-man-insurance","term":"Key man insurance","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/key-man-insurance"},{"slug":"assignment-of-policy-form","term":"Assignment of Policy Form","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/assignment-of-policy-form"},{"slug":"personal-guarantee","term":"Personal guarantee","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/personal-guarantee"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"What defines 'insurable interest' for a business life insurance policy?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-defines-insurable-interest-for-a-business-life-insurance-policy"},{"question":"Who is responsible for paying premiums on a business life insurance policy?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/who-is-responsible-for-paying-premiums-on-a-business-life-insurance-policy"},{"question":"Who typically owns the life insurance policy on a seller post-acquisition?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/who-typically-owns-the-life-insurance-policy-on-a-seller-post-acquisition"},{"question":"What is the specific SBA policy document that addresses collateral life insurance requirements?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-is-the-specific-sba-policy-document-that-addresses-collateral-life-insurance-requirem"},{"question":"Who owns and is the beneficiary of a key-person life insurance policy?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/who-owns-and-is-the-beneficiary-of-a-key-person-life-insurance-policy"},{"question":"Is a decreasing term life insurance policy acceptable for the SBA's life insurance requirement on a 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/is-a-decreasing-term-life-insurance-policy-acceptable-for-the-sba-s-life-insurance-require"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Whole Life Policy","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/whole-life-policy","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}