Understanding surrender and loan features.
Surrender values and policy loans are features tied to cash value life insurance.
These features are required by nonforfeiture laws, which protect policyowners from losing all value if a policy is discontinued.
Which policies build cash value?
Universal life: Builds cash value → surrender and loan features required.
Twenty payment life: A form of whole life → cash value present.
Endowment insurance: Accumulates cash value and matures at a set age.
Why term life is different.
Five-year term life provides pure death protection only.
No cash value accumulates.
Therefore, no surrender value and no loan provision are required or available.
Maryland nonforfeiture relevance.
Maryland requires nonforfeiture protections only for policies with cash value.
Term insurance is excluded from these requirements.
Conclusion.
Because it has no cash value, five-year term life does not require surrender or loan features.