FAQ's

Helping employers offer an equal financial opportunity workplace to all their employees

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this level of value possible? Because this is institutionally priced life insurance. ILI’s total costs (institutional risk and fund expenses):

	Typically costs less than retail fund expenses.
	Almost always costs less than retail fund expenses and taxes on investment gain.

ILI is simply a higher level of pricing efficiency previously only available to employers for their long-term cash and risk management. But through The STAR Plan (Strategic Talent Appreciation and Recognition) those same ILI qualifying employees may now access ILI for their own personal planning.

How do I access The STAR Plan? Contact us or your employer. Only your employer’s HR department can validate your employment and role, earning you access to STAR, and facilitate introduction to your STAR Advisor. Your STAR Advisor is a specially trained independent financial planner that will help you understand the role of ILI in your personal planning.

What is my employer’s role? Merely to validate your employment as they do for a car loan or mortgage. Employers have no costs, liabilities or administrative responsibilities. STAR is not a benefit plan and is not an employer endorsement… it is an access convenience. We coordinate everything directly and confidentially with you. Just as you can’t access a retail life insurance policy without your doctor validating your health, you can’t access ILI without your employer validating your employment, compensation and role.

What is Valley View Consultants, Inc’s (VVC) role? We are the developer and national administrator of The STAR Plan. We are your lifelong administrative resource for your ILI policy information and management. Our role is simple:

Provide financial models to your specifications so you can properly ascertain if ILI is a fit for you and your family.

Help you administratively to maximize the value from this lifelong asset.

Who is Valley View Consultants, Inc? Our backgrounds are business continuity planning, selective benefits informally funded with ILI and trust-owned life insurance administration for fiduciaries. In 2002 we formed Valley View Consultants, Inc. to focus exclusively on helping employers facilitate all their qualifying people's access to ILI for their personal planning.

Is STAR an executive benefit? No. STAR is a parity restoration program for all the mid-upper income individuals that are impacted by the limitations and suitability problems with tax qualified savings plans. Where tax qualified plans pose problems, STAR begins. STAR is the ideal qualified plan complement enabling an employer to offer an equal financial opportunity workplace for all its people.

Do I have to take a medical exam? Yes, for individual access and to potentially access the best risk rates. But some larger employers sponsor a guaranteed issue access program ... no medical exams if you are age 65 or 70 and under, and have been actively at work the past 90 days.

How does ILI compare to retail life insurance? ILI and retail life insurance share a name. After that there are many differences. ILI is designed to be more efficient the longer you live.

1. Only a handful of the largest insurers offer ILI.

2. Retail life insurance is a defined benefit product. ILI is a defined contribution product.

3. ILI also offers guaranteed issue risk rates designed specifically for mid-upper income white-collar employees that typically are less than retail medically issued rates for standard or preferred risks.

4. ILI qualifying employees are offered one opportunity to join the ILI risk pool at guaranteed issue rates. Those that medically qualify may join The STAR Plan any time.

5. No surrender charges. 100% access to your cash account starting day one.

6. No loads, or load refunds. Some ILI products have no sales loads permitting 100% of your contribution to your account day one. Others have 4-11 year surrender refunds providing 100% cash surrender values day one.

7. Experience driven rates. Most ILI products are experience rated. Inforce policies receive the same rates as new issues. No need to reprove your insurability to continue to receive the best rates.

8. Unlike retail products, ILI product illustrations do not assume mortality improvements. Hence, comparing an ILI illustration and retail product illustration is a misrepresentation of illustrated values ... apples and oranges.

9. ILI is only available in the employment marketplace … only an employer can validate your qualifications to access ILI.

10. Only specialized third party administrators (TPA’s) may support ILI. Part of the pricing advantage is the ILI issuers do not provide administrative services. VVC is the conduit between the marketplace and the issuer … all we do provide access and administer ILI.

ILI is a completely different value proposition than retail priced life insurance and why we support leading financial advisors across the country helping their key client’s access ILI.

Who pays for VVC’s services? The ILI issuers and registered representatives. We do not charge participants for our administrative services.

STAR is a goodwill convenience and demonstration of an employer’s appreciation for those that have made the career and life choices earning them access to ILI.

Please feel free to contact us if you are:

	A mid-upper income white-collar employee and would like to see a personal projection of what The STAR Plan could mean to you.
	An executive not wanting to put your paycheck at risk in a deferred compensation plan.
	A CEO wanting to recognize the achievements of your ILI qualifying employees.
	An HR director wanting to end the discrimination and suitability problems inherent in tax-qualified plans.
	A 401(k) administrator with plans that have capped-out employees.
	A 401(k) distributor looking to offer your clients a program enhancement.
	A 409A distributor that would rather outsource than retool for this marketplace.
	A financial advisor serving white-collar employees.
	A producer group wanting to give your people access to a national parity restoration program.
	An ILI issuer looking to expand your institutional product distribution by being a member of The STAR Plan.

We look forward to you joining the STAR Initiative.

Helping STAR individuals attain financial self-reliance since 2002

Please contact me about The STAR Plan

The STAR Plan® is a Registered Service Mark of Valley View Consultants, Inc.
Last modified: February 16, 2010