Everyone needs life insurance.
Contrary to popular belief, life insurance isn't just for parents. You need life insurance if anyone is financially dependent on you.

You've recently graduated from college.
You may have significant student loan obligations. If something were to happen to you, your loved ones would most likely be forced to shoulder that debt.

You're the parent of small children.
You want to make sure they'll be able to keep the same lifestyle and attend college—even if you're not there to see it happen.

Your grown children are on their own.
But your children may rely on you for support and help around the house. If you weren't there for them, your children would need extra money to pay someone to take care of things you've been managing for them.

Your spouse/domestic partner may be depending on your income for retirement.
But you're not sure your retirement savings is enough to keep up with a rising cost of living if your paycheck stopped. Life insurance can be a smart way to fill the gap.

Like many families, you rely on two incomes to make ends meet.
You'll need life insurance on both you and your spouse/domestic partner. Even if your spouse/domestic partner stays at home, you should consider life insurance on your spouse/domestic partner to cover the cost of hiring someone to take care of the things your spouse/domestic partner generally handles.

You want to be sure your children can protect their futures, too.

Most children's life insurance coverage contains an innovative feature that allows them to convert their term life protection to a permanent life insurance plan at a higher premium when they become adults. This ensures that your children can protect their own families—no matter what health problems they may develop.

With 150 years of experience, the MetLife companies are a leading innovator and a recognized leader in protection planning and retirement and savings solutions around the world.

You can enroll if you:

• Are a regular full-time employee, working at least 20 hours per week on U.S. payroll.
• Are not receiving or entitled to receive any benefit due to sickness or injury (other than medical expense benefits) from any source.
• Are actively at work at Avery Dennison and able to perform normal activities on both the date the enrollment form is signed and the effective date of coverage.
• Have not been hospitalized during the last 90 days prior to the date the enrollment form is completed.
• Are a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.

Note: You can enroll in coverage amounts equal to between 1 to 8 times your annual earnings, subject to a minimum amount of $10,000 and a maximum of $2,000,000.

If you enroll, you can also enroll these family members:

• Your legal spouse/domestic partner
• Your dependent children or those of your spouse/domestic partner

You can enroll your spouse/domestic partner in any amount between $10,000 and $200,000 in increments of $10,000.

You can enroll your children in the following benefit amount : $10,000.

Once you have elected coverage for your first child, all of your other children are automatically covered.

Important Definitions

Your Spouse/domestic partner of an employee who is legally married to the employee based on the laws of the state of residence
Domestic Partner: A person of the same or opposite sex who:

• Shares the employee's permanent residence
• Has resided with the employee continuously for at least one year
• Is financially interdependent with the employee
• Has signed a domestic partner declaration with the employee
• Has not signed a domestic partner declaration with any other person in the last 12 months
• Is no less than 18 years old
• Is not currently legally married to any other person
• Is not a blood relative any closer than would prohibit legal marriage

Dependent Children: The unmarried child of an employee who is:

• 14 days of age, but less than 19 years old
• 19 or more years old, but less than 25 years, and primarily financially supported by the employee
• 19 or more years old, and primarily financially supported by the employee, and incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of mental or physical handicap

The term "child" means a child born to, legally adopted by, or under legal guardianship of the employee. It also means a child living with the employee, and born to or legally adopted by the employee's spouse or domestic partner

You can enroll anytime!

At certain times you may be allowed to enroll in the Group Universal Life plan by not completing as many questions. These times include:

1. Within 31 days of your initial eligibility date.
2. During special enrollment periods as offered by your employer and the insurance provider.
3. Within 31 days of marriage.
4. Within 31 days of the birth or adoption of your first child. Coverage for a newborn will begin when the child is 14 days old, however the application for coverage could be received immediately following the birth.

If you do not apply for yourself and your eligible family members during your initial eligibility date or during a special enrollment period, you will be required to answer a more comprehensive health questionnaire and be approved by the insurance company before coverage can begin.

If you apply when first eligible: 

Guaranteed Issue

• For a full-time employee, you can enroll in coverage up to $150,000, not to exceed 1 times your annual earnings by successfully answering a few health questions.
• You can apply for up to $10,000 for your spouse/domestic partner by successfully answering a few health questions.
• You can apply for $10,000 for your children with no health questions.

Simplified Issue

• For a full-time employee, you can enroll in coverage up to $300,000 not to exceed 3 times your annual earnings by successfully answering a few health questions. You can apply for up to $100,000 for your spouse/domestic partner by successfully answering a few health questions.

Full Underwriting

• For a full-time employee, you can enroll in coverage over $300,000 not to exceed 8 times your annual earnings. This may require medical exam/diagnostics to determine coverage. You can apply for over $100,000 in coverage for your spouse/domestic partner. This may require medical exam/diagnostics to determine coverage.

Your cost is based on several factors including your age, any special features you select, and the amount of coverage you want. Also, you may be eligible for a premium discount if you do not use tobacco. See the rate chart below for rate information.

 

Employee and Spouse Coverage

Monthly cost of insurance per $10,000 coverage unit

Age	Non-Tobacco User	Tobacco User
Under 24	$0.52	$0.62
25-29	0.59	0.65
30-34	0.79	0.87
35-39	0.91	1.10
40-44	1.10	1.32
45-49	1.58	1.90
50-54	2.51	3.02
55-59	4.27	5.12
60-64	7.28	8.73
65-69	13.74	16.48
70 and over	Available upon request	Available upon request

 

Child Coverage

Coverage Amount	Monthly Cost
$1,000	$0.15
$10,000	$1.50

When you leave or retire from your current employer, you can continue your coverage without interruption as long as the group policy is in effect, subject to applicable law and the policies' terms and conditions. Although payroll deduction will no longer be available if you retire or leave your company, you can opt for other payment methods such as direct checking or bank account deduction, credit card billing or home billing. You will be billed directly for your cost of coverage at portable rates. Portable rates may be higher.

Perhaps the best advantage of Group Universal Life Insurance is the availability of a special interest-bearing, tax deferred account. Accumulated cash value, if any, can be withdrawn tax-free up to an amount equal to your cost basis. Tax-favored loans and withdrawals may be available. You can access the money whenever you want and for whatever you want. You can also take a loan against the value in your cash fund and continue to earn interest on the borrowed amount. Minimum withdrawal amount is $200.

 

¹ In general, participants may withdraw cash value equal to premiums paid without tax consequences although less favorable rules may apply in the first 15 years. However, if the funding of the certificate exceeds certain limits, it will become a “modified endowment contract’ (MEC) and become subject to “earnings first” taxation on withdrawals and loans. An additional 10% penalty for withdrawals and loans taken before age 59½ will also generally apply. We will notify you if a contribution would cause your certificate to become a MEC. Withdrawals and loans reduce the death benefit and cash value, thereby diminishing the ability of the cash value to serve as a source of funding for cost of insurance charges, which increase as you age.

In addition to the advantages of this plan over other life insurance options, this plan offers even more special benefits:

• Nonsmoker rates: Reduced rates are available if the insured has not smoked or used any form of tobacco for 12 consecutive months prior to the date you complete the enrollment form. (If the insured qualifies at a later date, you may change your rate to nonsmoker by completing a smoker change form.)
• Automatic Coverage Increase: Your employee coverage will automatically increase annually on January 1 based on the increase in your base pay as of the prior October 1. If you would like to opt out of this feature you must contact Mercer Voluntary Benefits.
• Accelerated Benefit Rider:
  • An advance payment of your life insurance benefits is available if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness with a life expectancy of 12 months or less.
  • You can request payment up to 80 percent of your coverage amount, up to a maximum of $500,000.
  • Advance payment permanently reduces the death benefit.
  • Premiums must continue to be paid on the remaining coverage amount after an advanced payment.
  • This benefit is available to you and your covered spouse/domestic partner.
• MetLife Advantages^SM
  MetLife Advantages is a comprehensive suite of meaningful services and benefits available at no cost to participants of the GUL program. Click on the links below to learn more about each of these valuable services.
  • Will Preparation Services
  • Will Preparation Services Frequently Asked Questions
• Children's Portability Privilege: When your child is no longer an eligible dependent, he or she can apply for an increase in coverage up to 5 times the amount of the children's rider not to exceed $50,000, as long as the group policy is still in effect. The child will be issued a Group Universal Life certificate and will be eligible to contribute to a cash fund. The request for coverage must be made by writing to Mercer Voluntary Benefits within 31 days of the date the child is no longer an eligible dependent.
  
  A Children’s Portability Privilege is not available for a disabled child. Children's coverage may be continued for a disabled child as a rider to the existing adult Group Universal Life certificate. The dependent rider may remain in effect as long as the employee or spouse maintains coverage. Please contact Mercer Voluntary Benefits to request continued coverage for a disabled child.

If evidence of good health is required...
Coverage is effective on the first of the month after coverage is approved by MetLife.

If evidence of good health is not required...
Coverage is effective the first day of the month in which your first payroll deduction begins.