Whole-Life Insurance, Long Derided, Gets New Lease

If you haven't already, you are likely to hear the pitch soon: Whole-life insurance—the fuddy-duddy stuff your grandparents owned—was a shining star during the financial crisis... Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., New York Life Insurance Co. and others have been playing off the disappointing performance of many competing investments during the financial crisis to boost whole-life policies, which combine insurance with investments.

Thanks to conservative investments in bonds, whole life—and its cousin, universal life—delivered positive returns during the financial crisis. But before you sign up for a policy, beware: You will pay hefty premiums and, in most cases, a steep up-front commission that eats up your first-year premium, leaving little of it for investment...

WSJ: Whole-Life Insurance, Long Derided, Gets New Lease