Surrender value and break-even explainer

Break-even is the first supplied year when surrender value meets cumulative premiums. Missing values stay unknown.

Illustration only, not advice.

Enter year-end values from your own illustration. Premiums are paid at each year's start for the chosen payment term.

Each scenario adds guaranteed value to the stated fraction of non-guaranteed value. These are stresses, not probabilities.

Blank means unknown, not zero. Enter zero only if the illustration states zero. No interpolation or extrapolation is used.

Nominal break-even excludes inflation, tax, fees and withdrawals. An earlier crossing can reverse later; it is not a forecast.

Calculations stay in this browser. Inputs are not sent, stored or added to the enquiry link. Avoid personal identifiers.

Static worked example

Hypothetical example — invented amounts, no insurer or product. All amounts use one currency of your choice.

Cumulative premiums and illustrated surrender value by year

The solid line shows cumulative premiums; the dashed line shows guaranteed plus all hypothetical non-guaranteed values. See the table.

Illustration only, not advice.
Year	Premiums by year (comma-separated; include zero years)	Non-guaranteed surrender value	Guaranteed only (0%)	50% of non-guaranteed	80% of non-guaranteed	100% of illustration
1	10,000	0	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000
2	20,000	1,000	7,000	7,500	7,800	8,000
3	30,000	3,000	16,000	17,500	18,400	19,000
4	30,000	5,000	22,000	24,500	26,000	27,000
5	30,000	7,000	27,000	30,500	32,600	34,000
6	30,000	9,000	31,000	35,500	38,200	40,000

With JavaScript, edit the assumptions below. Without JavaScript, this explanation, chart and example table remain usable.