All > Business > Finance > Personal Finance
If you have a permanent life insurance policy, part of each premium you pay goes into a tax-deferred account called the cash value account.
You can borrow against the money that accumulates in this account, though any outstanding balance at the time of your death reduces the death benefit your beneficiary receives.
If you cancel or surrender your policy, or if you stop paying the premiums, you are entitled to receive a portion of your cash value account. That amount is your cash surrender value.
- Browse Related Terms: Accelerated death benefit, Asset, Cash surrender value, Cash value account, Credit Life Insurance (CLI), Death benefit, Decreasing term insurance, Depreciation, Face value, Insurance trust, Life settlement, Lump sum, Pension maximization, Permanent insurance, Straight life, Survivorship life, Universal life insurance, Viatical settlement, Whole life insurance