The policyowner possesses the contractual ownership rights in a life insurance policy, including the right to designate the beneficiary who will receive the policy ' s death proceeds. Unless ownership rights have been restricted or transferred, the policyowner may also change a revocable beneficiary, assign the contract, obtain policy loans when available, select certain dividend or settlement options, and exercise other contractual privileges.
The insured and policyowner can be the same person, but they do not have to be. For example, one spouse may own a policy covering the other spouse ' s life. In such a case, beneficiary-designation authority rests with the owner, not automatically with the person whose life is insured.
The producer has no ownership interest merely because the producer solicited or serviced the contract. An assignee may receive specified policy rights following an assignment, but assignment does not make “assignee” the general answer to who initially possesses beneficiary-designation authority. The precise rights of an assignee depend on whether the assignment is absolute or collateral and on the policy terms.
Therefore, the individual who ordinarily has the contractual right to name the beneficiary is the policyowner.
Study Guide Reference: Life Insurance Policy Provisions, Options, and Riders — policy ownership; beneficiary designation; ownership rights; assignments.
