Despite what some people think, life insurance’s tax advantaged status isn’t an act of God. It’s the direct result of the social function of our products. Life insurance is the grease in the gears for the most difficult transition imaginable. It allows families to continue to function when otherwise they would be crushed. At least, that’s the marketing story from groups like AALU. Reality is much less straightforward. The Wall Street Journal wrote an article last year discussing the increasing skew of life insurance sales towards highly affluent individuals for use in retirement and estate planning. Middle and lower income Americans are less insured than ever. Increasingly, life insurance companies are promoting products specifically designed and marketed for tax advantaged accumulation.