John Hancock Variable Life Account UV
JOHN HANCOCK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY (U.S.A.)
(“John Hancock USA”)
Flexible Premium Variable Universal Life Insurance Policy
MEDALLION VARIABLE UNIVERSAL LIFE EDGE
Prospectus dated April 25, 2022 (as revised May 23, 2022)
You may choose to allocate your account value to one or more of the options that the policies make available for that purpose. These options include our “variable investment accounts,” where the account value will vary directly with the positive or negative investment experience of underlying investment “portfolios.” To provide you with that investment experience, amounts that you allocate to a variable investment account are held in a corresponding “subaccount” of John Hancock Variable Life Account UV (“Separate Account”), and the subaccount invests those amounts exclusively in one of the portfolios.
You may also allocate account value to a “fixed account” that the policy makes available. This prospectus provides detailed information about all such options to which you can allocate your account value.
Please note that the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable life insurance, has been prepared by the SEC’s staff and is available at Investor.gov.
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| Limitations on transfers to or from a variable investment account |
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| Dollar cost averaging and asset allocation balancer programs |
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| Tax Consequences of Electing Certain Supplementary Benefit Riders |
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| Additional Information About How Certain Policy Charges Work |
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| Appendix-1 | ||||
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Important Information You Should Consider About the Policy
| FEES AND EXPENSES | ||||||||||||||||
| Charges for Early Withdrawals | There are contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSC”) assessed upon surrender within the stated period or upon reduction of Basic Sum Insured as part of a partial withdrawal. The maximum CDSC charge is 100% of first year Target Premium for surrenders in policy years 1-2.
There are also partial withdrawal charges assessed if your make a partial withdrawal. The maximum partial withdrawal charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $20. |
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| Transaction Charges | In addition to surrender charges (if applicable), you may also be charged for the following transactions:
A premium sales charge and a premium tax charge will be deducted from each premium paid.
An Additional Sum Insured (“ASI”) reduction charge upon decrease in the Additional Sum Insured during the first 20 policy years.
A transfer charge may be deducted upon transfers into or out of a variable investment account after you have made more than 12 such transfers in a year. |
Deductions from premium payments
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| Ongoing Fees and Expenses (annual charges) | In addition to surrender charges and transaction charges, you will also be subject to certain ongoing fees and expenses, including an insurance charge, issue charge, administrative charge, asset-based risk charge, policy loan costs, and supplementary benefit rider charges. Some of these fees and expenses are based wholly or in part on the characteristics of the insured person (e.g., age, sex, and underwriting classification). You should view the “policy specifications” page of your policy for rates applicable to your policy.
You will also bear expenses associated with the portfolios under the policy, as shown in the following table:
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Charges at the portfolio level
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| Annual Fee | Minimum | Maximum | ||||||||||||||
| Variable investment accounts (portfolio fees and expenses) |
0.39% | 1.64% | ||||||||||||||
| RISKS | ||||||||
| Risk of Loss |
You can lose money by investing in this policy. | PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN A POLICY | ||||||
| Not a Short-Term Investment | This policy is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The policy is unsuitable as a short-term savings vehicle because of substantial policy-level charges, including the premium charge and the surrender charge, as well as potential adverse tax consequences from such short-term use. | Access to Funds Risk/Not a Short-Term Investment | ||||||
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| Risks Associated with Investment Options | An investment in this policy is subject to the risk of poor performance and can vary depending on the performance of the account allocation options available under the policy (e.g., portfolios). Each such option (including the fixed account) will have its own unique risks, and you should review these options before making an allocation decision. | Investment Risk/Risk of Loss | ||||||
| Insurance Company Risks | Your investment in the policy is subject to risks related to John Hancock USA, including that the obligations (including under the fixed account options), guarantees, or benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of John Hancock USA. Information about John Hancock USA, including its financial strength ratings, is available upon request from your John Hancock USA representative. Our current financial strength ratings can also be obtained by contacting the Service Office at 1-800-732-5543. |
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| Policy Lapse | Unless the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect, your policy (or part of it) can terminate (i.e., “lapse”) if the account value of your policy is insufficient to pay the charges when due. This can happen as a result of insufficient premium payments, poor performance of the variable or general account options you have chosen, withdrawals, or unpaid loans or loan interest. You will be given a grace period within which to make additional premium payments to keep the policy in effect. If lapse occurs, you’ll be given the opportunity to reinstate the policy by making the required premium payments and satisfying certain other conditions. | Lapse and Reinstatement | ||||||
| RESTRICTIONS | ||||||||
| Investments | There are restrictions that may limit the variable investment account options and general account options (including the fixed account) that you may choose, as well as limitations on the transfer of account value among those options. These restrictions may include a monthly limit on the number of transfers you may make. We may also impose additional restrictions to discourage market timing and disruptive trading activity.
In particular, your allocation options will be affected if you elect to take a loan or receive benefits under certain supplementary benefit riders.
Among other things, the policy also allows us to eliminate the shares of a portfolio or substitute shares of another new or existing portfolio, subject to applicable legal requirements. |
Limitations on transfers to or from a variable investment account
Limitations on transfers out of the fixed account
Effect of Loans on Cash Value and Death Benefit
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| Optional Benefits | There are restrictions and limitations relating to optional benefits, as well as conditions under which an optional benefit may be modified or terminated by us. For example, certain supplementary benefit riders may be subject to underwriting, and your election of an option may result in restrictions upon some of the policy benefits, including availability of investment options. | More About Certain Optional Benefits | ||||||
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| TAXES | ||||||||
| Tax Implications | You should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under the policy. There is no additional tax benefit to you if the policy is purchased through a tax-qualified plan or an individual retirement account (IRA). If we pay out any amount of your account value upon surrender or partial withdrawal, all or part of that distribution would generally be treated as a return of the premiums you’ve paid and not subjected to income tax, with any portion not treated as a return of your premiums includible in your income. Distributions also are subject to tax penalties under some circumstances. | Tax Consequences of Owning a Policy | ||||||
| CONFLICTS OF INTEREST | ||||||||
| Investment Professional Compensation | Some investment professionals may receive compensation for selling the policy, including by means of commissions and revenue sharing arrangements. These investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer or recommend this policy over another investment. | Commissions Paid to Dealers | ||||||
| Exchanges | Some investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you a new policy in place of the one you already own, and you should only exchange your policy if you determine, after comparing the features, fees, and risks of both policies, that it is preferable for you to purchase the new policy rather than continue to own the existing policy. | Commissions Paid to Dealers | ||||||
The purpose of the policy is to provide lifetime protection against economic loss due to the death of the insured person, to help you accumulate assets through variable investment and fixed accounts that we make available, and to provide or supplement your retirement income. The policy may be appropriate for persons seeking both life insurance protection and the potential for the accumulation of cash values. However, fees, substantial policy-level charges, the CDSC, expenses and tax implications can make variable life insurance unsuitable as a short-term savings vehicle.
We call the investments you make in the policy “premiums” or “premium payments.” The Minimum Initial Premium is a dollar amount that is stated in your policy specifications and that must be paid to us in full before your policy will take effect. Premium payments after the initial premium may not be required, but you must pay enough premium to keep the policy in force. That’s why the policy is called a “flexible premium” policy. After the payment of the initial premium, premiums may be paid at any time and in any amount until the insured person’s attained age 100, subject to the need to pay enough premium to keep the policy in force, and to limitations on maximum premium amount.
Federal tax law limits the amount of premium payments you can make relative to the amount of your policy’s insurance coverage. We will not knowingly accept any amount by which a premium payment exceeds this limit. In addition, in order to limit our investment risk exposure under certain market conditions, we may refuse to accept additional premium payments.
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From each premium payment you make, we deduct the applicable premium charges identified in the FEE TABLE . We invest the rest (the “net premium”) in the variable investment accounts or any fixed account you’ve elected.
The policy offers a number of variable investment accounts. You can find some important information about each portfolio in the APPENDIX, but for a full description of each portfolio, including the investment objectives and strategies, policies, restrictions, and risks, you should read the portfolio’s prospectus carefully before investing in the corresponding variable investment account.
You can also allocate account value to the fixed account (where it is credited with rates of interest that we declare from time to time but will never be less than a minimum rate guaranteed in your policy specifications).
If the surrender value is insufficient to pay the charges when due and the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is not in effect, your policy can terminate (i.e., “lapse”). This can happen because you haven’t paid enough premium or because the investment performance of the variable investment accounts you’ve chosen has been poor, or because of a combination of both factors.
Death benefit. When the insured person dies, we will pay the “death benefit” minus any outstanding loans. There are two ways of calculating the death benefit. You choose which one you want in the application.
| • | Option A. The death benefit will equal the greater of (1) the Total Sum Insured or (2) the minimum insurance amount under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” or under the “cash value accumulation test,” as set forth in your policy. The “Total Sum Insured” is the amount of life insurance coverage equal to the “Basic Sum Insured” plus any “Additional Sum Insured,” as set forth in your policy. |
| • | Option B. The death benefit will equal the greater of (1) the Total Sum Insured plus your policy’s account value on the date of death, or (2) the minimum insurance amount under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test.” |
Surrender of the policy. You may surrender the policy in full while the insured person is alive. If you do, we will pay you the account value less any outstanding policy debt and less any contingent deferred sales charge that then applies. This is called your “surrender value.”
Withdrawals. You may make a partial withdrawal of your surrender value at any time after the first policy year. Each withdrawal must be at least $1,000. There is a charge for each partial withdrawal. The charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $20. Your account value is automatically reduced by the amount of the withdrawal and the charge. We reserve the right to refuse a withdrawal if it would reduce the surrender value or the Total Sum Insured below certain minimum amounts.
Policy loans. If your policy is in force and has sufficient account value, you may borrow from it at any time by completing the appropriate form. Generally, the minimum amount of each loan is $300. The maximum amount you can borrow is determined by a formula as described in your policy. Interest is charged on each loan. If there is an outstanding loan the amount of the loan and accrued interest will be deducted from the death benefit and other policy proceeds.
Supplementary benefits. When you apply for the policy, you can request any of the below-listed supplementary benefit riders that we make available. Availability of riders varies from state to state. Charges for most riders will be deducted monthly from the account value. Some riders may not be available in combination with other riders or benefits.
| • | Disability Waiver of Charges Rider |
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| • | Living Care Benefit Rider |
| • | Age 100 Waiver of Charges Rider |
| • | Children’s Insurance Benefit Rider |
| • | Accidental Death Benefit Rider |
| • | Enhanced Cash Value Rider |
You can find information about the fees we charge for these riders under “Optional Benefit Charges” in the Fee Table below. We also offer, at no charge, a dollar cost averaging (“DCA”) program and an asset allocation balancer program.
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from the policy. Please refer to your policy specifications for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.
The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time that you buy the policy, surrender or make withdrawals from the policy, or transfer account value between investment options.
| TRANSACTION FEES | ||||
| Charge | When Charge is Deducted | Amount Deducted | ||
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Premium sales charge (fn1) |
Upon payment of premium | 4% of any premium paid | ||
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Tax Charge |
Upon payment of premium | 3.60% of each premium paid | ||
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Maximum contingent deferral sales charge (“CDSC”) (fn2) |
Upon surrender of policy within the period stated
Upon reduction of Basic Sum Insured as a result of a partial withdrawal or a written request |
100% of first year Target Premium for surrenders in policy years 1-2 | ||
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Maximum ASI reduction charge (fn3) |
Upon decrease in Additional Sum Insured (ASI) during the first 20 policy years | $17.40 per $1,000 of decrease in ASI | ||
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Maximum partial withdrawal charge |
Upon making a partial withdrawal | Lesser of 2% of withdrawal amount or $20 | ||
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Maximum transfer charge (fn4) |
Upon each transfer into or out of a variable investment account beyond an annual limit of 12 | $25 | ||
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Enhanced Cash Value Rider Charge |
Upon payment of premium | 4% of all premiums paid in the first policy year up to the Target Premium | ||
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Living Care Benefit Rider (fn5) |
Only if benefit is exercised | Charge is embedded in discounting of death benefit paid in advance | ||
(fn1) This charge is 4% of any premium paid in years 1 and thereafter.
(fn2) The “Target Premium” for each policy year is determined at the time the policy is issued and appears in your policy specifications. In general, the greater the proportion of Additional Sum Insured at issue, the lower the Target Premium. The CDSC percentage decreases in later policy years as follows: for policy year 3, it is 95%; for policy year 4, it is 75%; for policy year 5, it is 55%; for policy years 6-8, it is 50%; for policy year 9, it is 45%; and for policy years 10 and later, it is 0%.
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(fn3) A table in the policy will state the maximum rate for this charge per $1,000 of ASI, based on the insured person’s issue age, insurance risk characteristics and (usually) gender. The rates range from less than $1 per $1,000 of ASI for issue ages of 40 or less up to the maximum shown in the table for an issue age 81 male tobacco risk. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn4) This charge is not currently imposed, but we reserve the right to do so in the policy.
(fn5) Applicable state regulations currently limit the discount percentage to the greater of (i) the yield on 90 day U.S. Treasury bills at the time the discount is determined, and (ii) the policy’s maximum loan interest rate at the time the discount is determined
The next table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay periodically during the time that you own the policy, not including portfolio fees and expenses.
| PERIODIC CHARGES OTHER THAN ANNUAL PORTFOLIO EXPENSES | ||||
| Charge | When Charge is Deducted | Amount Deducted | ||
|
Base Policy Charges: |
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| Insurance charge (fn1) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
$0.05 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
| Maximum charge |
$83.33 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
|
Charge for representative insured person |
$0.14 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
|
Maximum administrative charge |
Monthly | $31 during first policy year $11 during second policy year and thereafter | ||
| Issue charge: (fn2) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
1.3% of Target Premium | |||
| Maximum charge |
1.62% of Target Premium | |||
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Charge for representative insured person |
1.3% of Target Premium | |||
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Asset-based risk charge (fn3) |
Monthly | .07% (monthly rate) of first $25,000 of account value .07% (monthly rate) of all amounts in excess of $25,000 in policy years 1-5 .03% (monthly rate) of all amounts in excess of $25,000 in policy year 6 and thereafter | ||
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Maximum policy loan interest rate (fn4) |
Accrues daily, payable annually | 4.75% | ||
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Optional Benefit Charges: |
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| Disability Waiver of Charges Rider (fn5) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
5% of all other monthly charges | |||
| Maximum charge |
50% of all other monthly charges | |||
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Charge for representative insured person |
15% of all other monthly charges | |||
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| Charge | When Charge is Deducted | Amount Deducted | ||
| Age 100 Waiver of Charges Rider: (fn6) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
$0.0001 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
| Maximum charge |
$2.27 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
|
Charge for representative insured person |
$0.0003 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
|
Children’s Insurance Benefit Rider |
Monthly | $0.50 per $1,000 of Rider Sum Insured | ||
| Accidental Death Benefit Rider (fn7) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
$0.75 per $1,000 of accidental death benefit | |||
| Maximum charge |
$1.71 per $1,000 of accidental death benefit | |||
|
Charge for representative insured person |
$0.78 per $1,000 of accidental death benefit |
(fn1) The insurance charge is determined by multiplying the amount of insurance for which we are at risk (the “AAR”) by the applicable cost of insurance rate. The rates vary widely depending upon the Total Sum Insured, the length of time the policy has been in effect, the insurance risk characteristics of the insured person and (generally) the gender of the insured person. The minimum rate shown is the rate in the first policy year for a $1,000,000 policy for a 10 year old female preferred underwriting risk. The maximum rate shown is the rate in the first policy year for a $100,000 all Basic Sum Insured for a 99 year old male substandard tobacco underwriting risk with a $100,000 policy. This includes the so-called “extra mortality charge.” The representative insured person rate shown is for a 35 year old male standard non-tobacco underwriting risk with a $100,000 policy. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn2) The issue charge is a percentage of the Target Premium at issue and is assessed whether or not the Target Premium is actually paid. The percentage does not vary by the gender, issue age or risk classification of the insured person. The percentage will vary by the death benefit option selected. The minimum rate shown is for a policy issued with a death benefit Option A. The maximum rate shown is for a policy issued with a death benefit Option B. The representative insured person rate shown is for a policy issued with death benefit Option A. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn3) This charge only applies to that portion of account value held in the variable investment accounts. The charge does not apply to the fixed account.
(fn4) 4.75% is the maximum effective annual interest rate we can charge and applies only during policy years 1-10. The effective annual interest rate is 4.50% for policy years 11-20 and, under our current rules, is 4.00% thereafter. The amount of any loan is transferred from the investment options to a special loan account which earns interest at an effective annual rate of 4.00%. Therefore, the true cost of a loan is the difference between the loan interest we charge and the interest we credit to the special loan account.
(fn5) The charge for this rider is determined by multiplying the total amount of all other monthly policy level charges by the applicable rate. The rates vary by the attained age and the disability insurance risk characteristics of the insured person. The minimum rate shown is for a 64 year old preferred underwriting risk. The maximum rate shown is for a 55 year old substandard underwriting risk. The representative insured person rate shown is for a 35 year old standard underwriting risk. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
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(fn6) The charge for this rider is determined by multiplying the AAR by the applicable rate. The rates vary by the issue age, the insurance risk characteristics and gender of the insured person. The minimum rate shown is for a 20 year old male tobacco underwriting risk. The maximum rate shown is for an 85 year old female preferred non-tobacco underwriting risk. The representative insured person rate shown is for a 35 year old male standard non-tobacco underwriting risk. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn7) The charge for this rider is determined by multiplying the amount of accidental death benefit selected by the applicable rate. The rates vary by the attained age and the ADB risk characteristics of the insured person. The minimum rate shown is for an insured person less than 1 year of age with the lowest ADB risk rating (1.0). The maximum rate shown is for a 65 year old with the highest ADB rating (1.5). The representative insured person rate shown is for a 35 year old with an ADB rating of 1.0. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
The next item shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the portfolios that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the policy. A complete list of the portfolios available under the policy, including their annual expenses, may be found at the back of this document.
| Annual Portfolio Expenses | Minimum | Maximum | ||||||
| Range of expenses that are deducted from portfolio assets, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses |
0.39 | % | 1.64 | % | ||||
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE POLICY
Owner and beneficiary. The owner of the policy is the person who can exercise most of the rights under the policy, such as the right to choose the accounts in which to invest or the right to surrender the policy. In many cases, the person buying the policy is also the person who will be the owner. However, the application for a policy can name another person or entity (such as a trust) as owner. It is possible to name so-called “joint owners” of the policy. If more than one person owns a policy, all owners must join in most requests to exercise rights under the policy. Whenever we’ve used the term “you” in this prospectus, we’ve assumed that the reader is the person who has whatever right or privilege is being discussed. There may be tax consequences if the owner and the insured person are different, so you should discuss this issue with your tax adviser.
While the insured person is alive, you will have a number of options under the policy. These options include:
| • | Determine when and how much you allocate to the variable investment accounts and any fixed account |
| • | Borrow or withdraw amounts you have in the variable investment account and any fixed account |
| • | Change the beneficiary who will receive the death benefit |
| • | Change the amount of insurance |
| • | Surrender the policy for its surrender value |
| • | Choose the form in which we will pay out the death benefit or other proceeds |
You name your beneficiary when you apply for the policy. The beneficiary is entitled to the proceeds we pay following the insured person’s death. Until the death of the insured person you can change your beneficiary by written request. Such a change requires the consent of any named irrevocable beneficiary. A new beneficiary designation will not affect any payments we make before we receive it. If no beneficiary is living when the insured person dies, we will pay the insurance proceeds to the owner or the owner’s estate.
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Any premium payment processed prior to the twentieth day after the policy’s Issue Date will automatically be allocated to the Money Market variable investment account. On the later of the date such payment is received or the twentieth day following the Issue Date, the portion of the Money Market variable investment account attributable to such payment will be reallocated automatically among the variable investment accounts and any fixed account you have chosen. All other premium payments will be allocated among the variable investment accounts and any fixed account you have chosen as soon as they are processed. You make the original allocation in the application for the policy. The percentages you select must be in whole numbers and must total 100%. At any time, you may change the variable investment accounts or any fixed account in which future premium payments will be invested.
There are restrictions that may limit the variable account investment options and fixed account options that you may choose, as well as limitations on the transfer of policy value among those options.
You may transfer your account value from one variable investment account or any fixed account to another, subject to the limitations discussed below. To do so, you must tell us how much to transfer, either as a whole number percentage or as a specific dollar amount. A confirmation of each transfer will be sent to you. Without our approval, the maximum amount you may transfer to or from any variable investment account in any policy year is $1,000,000.
We have adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent transfers of account value among variable investment accounts.
Limitations on transfers to or from a variable investment account. Our current practice is to restrict transfers into or out of variable investment accounts to two per calendar month (except with respect to those policies described in the following paragraphs). For purposes of this restriction, and in applying the limitation on the number of free transfers, any transfers made during the period from the opening of a business day (usually 9:00 a.m. Eastern time) to the close of that business day (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) are considered one transfer. You may, however, transfer to the Money Market variable investment account even if the two transfers per month limit has been reached, but only if 100% of the account value in all variable investment accounts is transferred to the Money Market variable investment account. If such a transfer to the Money Market variable investment account is made, then for the 30 calendar day period after such transfer no transfers from the Money Market variable investment account to any other variable investment account or any fixed account may be made. If your policy offers a dollar cost averaging or automatic asset allocation rebalancing program, any transfers pursuant to such program are not considered transfers subject to these restrictions on frequent trading.
Policies such as yours may be purchased by a corporation or other entity as a means to informally finance the liabilities created by an employee benefit plan, and to this end the entity may aggregately manage the policies purchased to match its liabilities under the plan. Policies sold under these circumstances are subject to special transfer restrictions. In lieu of the two transfers per month restriction, we will allow the policy owner under these circumstances to rebalance the variable investment accounts in its policies within the following limits: (i) during the 10 calendar day period after any account values are transferred from one variable investment account into a second variable investment account, the values can only be transferred out of the second variable investment account if they are transferred into the Money Market variable investment account; and (ii) any account values that would otherwise not be transferable by application of the 10 day limit described above and that are transferred into the Money Market variable investment account may not be transferred out of the Money Market variable investment account into any other variable investment account or any fixed account for 30 calendar days.
Subject to our approval, we may offer policies purchased by a corporation or other entity that has purchased policies to match its liabilities under an employee benefit plan, as described above, the ability to electronically
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rebalance the variable investment accounts in its policies. Under these circumstances, in lieu of imposing any specific limit upon the number and timing of transfers, we will monitor aggregate trades among the subaccounts for frequency, pattern and size for potentially harmful investment practices. If we detect trading activity that we believe may be harmful to the overall operation of any variable investment account or portfolio, we may impose conditions on policies employing electronic rebalancing to submit trades, including setting limits upon the number and timing of transfers, and revoking privileges to make trades by any means other than written communication submitted via U.S. mail. While we seek to identify and prevent disruptive frequent trading activity, it may not always be possible to do so. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the restrictions we impose will be successful in preventing all disruptive frequent trading and avoiding harm to long-term investors.
We will apply these limitations uniformly to each class of policies.
Frequent transfers among variable investment accounts. Variable investment accounts in variable life insurance products can be a prime target for abusive transfer activity because these products value their variable investment accounts on a daily basis and allow transfers among variable investment accounts without immediate tax consequences. As a result, some investors may seek to frequently transfer into and out of variable investment accounts or to make large transfers in reaction to market news or to exploit a perceived pricing inefficiency. Whatever the reason, long-term investors in any variable investment account can be harmed by large or frequent transfer activity. For example, such activity may expose the variable investment account’s portfolio to increased portfolio transaction costs and/or disrupt the portfolio manager’s ability to effectively manage the portfolio’s investments in accordance with the portfolio’s investment objectives and policies. This could include causing the portfolio to maintain higher levels of cash than would otherwise be the case, or liquidating investments prematurely. Accordingly, frequent or large transfers may result in dilution with respect to interests held for long-term investment and adversely affect policy owners, beneficiaries and the portfolios.
To discourage market timing and disruptive trading activity, we impose restrictions on transfers and reserve the right to change, suspend or terminate telephone, facsimile and internet transaction privileges. We also reserve the right to impose a fee of up to $25 for any transfer beyond an annual limit (which would be 12 or more).
While we seek to identify and prevent disruptive trading activity, it may not always be possible to do so. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the restrictions we impose will be successful in preventing all disruptive trading and avoiding harm to long-term investors.
Limitations on transfers out of the fixed account. Transfers out of the fixed account are currently subject to the following restrictions:
| • | You can only make such a transfer once in each policy year. |
| • | Any transfer request received within 6 months of the last transfer out of a fixed account will not be processed until such 6 month period has expired. |
| • | The most you can transfer at any one time is the greater of (i) $500, (ii) 20% of the assets in your fixed account or (iii) the amount transferred out of your fixed account during the previous policy year. |
We reserve the right to impose limits on the minimum amount of each transfer out of the fixed account and the maximum amount of any transfer into the fixed account after the second policy year. We also reserve the right to impose different restrictions on any additional fixed account that we may offer in the future.
If there is a default as described in the “Lapse and Reinstatement” provision and a grace period is triggered, you will be prohibited from making any transfers among variable investment and fixed accounts while the grace period remains in effect.
Potential additional limitations. We reserve the right to take other actions to restrict transfers, including, but not limited to: (i) restricting the number of transfers made during a defined period, (ii) restricting the dollar
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amount of transfers, (iii) restricting transfers into and out of certain variable investment accounts, (iv) restricting the method used to submit transfers, and (v) deferring a transfer at any time we are unable to purchase or redeem shares of the portfolio. We may also impose additional administrative conditions upon or prohibit a transfer request made by a third party giving instructions on behalf of multiple policies, whether owned by the same owner or different owners. If you engage a third party for asset allocation services, then you may be subject to these transfer restrictions because of the actions of that party in providing those services. We will notify the third party you have engaged if we exercise this right. A portfolio also may require us to impose additional trading restrictions if violations of its policies against frequent or disruptive trading in its shares are discovered.
Dollar cost averaging and asset allocation balancer programs. The dollar cost averaging (“DCA”) program is a program of automatic monthly transfers out of the Money Market investment account into one or more of the other variable investment or fixed accounts. You choose the investment options and the dollar amount and timing of the transfers. The program is designed to reduce the risks that result from market fluctuations. It does this by spreading out the allocation of your money to investment options over a longer period of time. This allows you to reduce the risk of investing most of your money at a time when market prices are high. Scheduled transfers under this option may be made from the Money Market investment account to not more than nine other variable investment accounts. However, the amount transferred to any one investment option must be at least $100. Once we receive the election in form satisfactory to us at our Service Office, transfers will begin on the second monthly deduction date following its receipt. Once elected, the scheduled monthly transfer option will remain in effect for so long as you have at least $2,500 of your account value in the Money Market investment account, or until we receive written notice from you of cancellation of the option or notice of the death of the insured person.
The asset allocation balancer program is a program that automatically re-sets the percentage of your account value allocated to the variable investment accounts. Over time, the variations in the investment results for each variable investment account you’ve elected will shift the percentage allocations among them. The “rebalancing” program will periodically transfer your account value among the variable investment accounts to reestablish the preset percentages you have chosen. Rebalancing would usually result in transferring amounts from a variable investment account with relatively higher investment performance since the last rebalancing to one with relatively lower investment performance. However, rebalancing can also result in transferring amounts from a variable investment account with relatively lower current investment performance to one with relatively higher current investment performance.
This rebalancing program can be elected in the application or by sending the appropriate form to our Service Office. You must specify the frequency for rebalancing (quarterly, semi-annually or annually), the preset percentage for each variable investment account and a future beginning date. The first rebalancing will occur on the monthly deduction date that occurs on or next follows the beginning date you select. Once elected, rebalancing will continue until we receive notice of cancellation of the option or notice of the death of the insured person. If you cancel rebalancing, you will have to wait 30 days before you can start it again. The fixed investment account does not participate in and is not affected by rebalancing. We reserve the right to modify, terminate or suspend the rebalancing program at any time.
Any transfer made under the DCA or asset allocation balancer program will not count toward the annual transfer limit. No fee is charged for these programs.
The fixed account is part of our general account. Our general account consists of all assets owned by us other than those in the Separate Account and any other separate accounts which we have established and may establish. Any interest credited to a policy owner from an investment in a fixed account, and any guaranteed benefits we may provide under the policy that exceed the value of amounts held in the Separate Account, will be paid from the Company’s general account and are subject to the Company’s financial strength and claims paying ability. Subject to applicable law, John Hancock USA has sole discretion over the investment of the assets of the general
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account and policy owners do not share in the investment experience of, or have any preferential claim on, those assets. John Hancock USA bears full investment risk for all amounts allocated to the fixed account.
Because of exemptive and exclusionary provisions, interests in our fixed account have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and our general account has not been registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”). Accordingly, neither the general account nor any interests therein are subject to the provisions of these acts. Disclosures regarding the general account, however, are subject generally to applicable provisions of federal securities laws relating to the accuracy and completeness of statements made in the prospectus.
The fixed account. Account value allocated to any fixed account will accrue interest daily at an effective annual rate that we determine and that depends on a number of significant considerations in addition to the actual investment experience we expect for the general account. We currently offer only one fixed account — the standard fixed account. The effective annual rate we declare for the fixed account will never be less than 4%. We reserve the right to offer one or more additional fixed accounts with characteristics that differ from those of the current fixed account, but we are under no obligation to do so. Any interest we credit in excess of the guaranteed interest crediting rate will be based on our sole discretion. Additionally, interest credited on a non-guaranteed basis varies over time is rarely the same year-over-year and there may be extended periods of time during which no interest above the guaranteed minimum is declared.
Generally, the policy is available with a minimum Basic Sum Insured at issue of $100,000. At the time of issue, the insured person must have an attained age of no more than 85. The insured person must meet certain health and other insurance risk criteria called “underwriting standards.”
Policies issued in Montana or in connection with certain employee plans will not directly reflect the sex of the insured person in either the premium rates or the charges or values under the policy.
The Minimum Initial Premium is set forth in your policy specifications. Factors that determine the Minimum Initial Premium amount is determined by us based on the characteristics of the insured person, the Basic Sum Insured and the Additional Sum Insured at issue, and the policy options you have selected. Premium payments after the initial premium may not be required, but you must pay enough premium to keep the policy in force. That’s why the policy is called a “flexible premium” policy.
If you pay premiums by check or money order, they must be drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars and made payable to “John Hancock.” We will not accept credit card checks. We will not accept starter or third party checks if they fail to satisfy our administrative requirements. Premiums after the first must be sent to the John Hancock USA Service Office at the appropriate address shown on the back cover of this prospectus. We will also accept premiums by wire or by exchange from another insurance company, via an electronic funds transfer program (any owner interested in making monthly premium payments must use this method), or if we agree to it, through a salary deduction plan with your employer.
In addition to the Minimum Initial Premium, your policy specifications will also show the “Planned Premium” that you chose for the policy. You choose this amount in the policy application. You will also choose how often to pay premiums — annually, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly. The premium reminder notice we send you is based on the amount and period you choose. However, payment of Planned Premiums is not necessarily required. Payment of Planned Premiums is not necessarily required, however. You need only pay enough premium to keep the policy in force.
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The amount and frequency of the Planned Premium are determined by you, in consultation with your financial advisor, based upon your financial objectives for the policy. Depending upon the amount and timing of your actual premium payments, investment results, changing objectives and other factors, you may need to change the amount and frequency of your premium payments from the Planned Premium amount in order for the policy to continue to support your financial objectives. You may be required to pay additional premiums beyond the Planned Premium amount in order to keep your policy from lapsing. You should request in-force illustrations periodically in order to help assure that you are keeping on track with your objectives.
Federal tax law limits the amount of premium payments you can make relative to the amount of your policy’s insurance coverage. Also, in order to limit our exposure to unanticipated investment risk, we may refuse to accept additional premium payments. For example, with large premium payments in an environment of decreasing interest rates, we may not be able to acquire investments for our general account that will sufficiently match the liabilities we are incurring under our fixed account guarantees. Excessive allocations may also interfere with the effective management of our variable investment accounts, if we are unable to make an orderly investment of the additional premium into the variable investment accounts. Also, we may refuse to accept or limit an amount of premium if the amount of the premium would increase our insurance risk exposure, and the insured person doesn’t provide us with adequate evidence that he or she continues to meet our requirements for issuing insurance.
We will notify you in writing of our refusal to accept premium and will promptly thereafter take the necessary steps to return the premium to you. Notwithstanding the foregoing limits on the premium that we will accept, we will not refuse to accept any premium necessary to prevent the policy from terminating or to keep the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature in effect.
We will process any premium payment as of the day we receive it, unless one of the following exceptions applies:
(1) We will process a payment received prior to a policy’s Issue Date as if received on the business day immediately preceding the Issue Date.
(2) If the Minimum Initial Premium is not received prior to the Issue Date, we will process each premium payment received thereafter as if received on the business day immediately preceding the Issue Date until all of the Minimum Initial Premium is received.
(3) We will process the portion of any premium payment for which we require evidence of the insured person’s continued insurability only after we have received such evidence and found it satisfactory to us.
(4) If we receive any premium payment that we think will cause a policy to become a modified endowment contract or will cause a policy to lose its status as life insurance under the tax laws, we will not accept the excess portion of that premium payment and will immediately notify the owner. We will refund the excess premium when the premium payment check has had time to clear the banking system (but in no case more than two weeks after receipt), except in the following circumstances:
| • | The tax problem resolves itself prior to the date the refund is to be made; or |
| • | The tax problem relates to modified endowment contract status and we receive a signed acknowledgment from the owner prior to the refund date instructing us to process the premium notwithstanding the tax issues involved. |
In the above cases, we will treat the excess premium as having been received on the date the tax problem resolves itself or the date we receive the signed acknowledgment. We will then process it accordingly.
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(5) If a premium payment is received or is otherwise scheduled to be processed (as specified above) on a date that is not a business day, the premium payment will be processed on the business day next following that date.
Unless the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect, your policy (or part of it) can terminate (i.e., “lapse”) if the account value of your policy is insufficient to pay the charges when due. This can happen because you haven’t paid enough premiums or because the investment performance of the variable investment accounts you’ve chosen has been poor or because of a combination of both factors. You will be given a 61-day grace period within which to make additional premium payments to keep the policy in effect. If you don’t pay at least the required amount by the end of the grace period, your policy (or part of it) will lapse. If your policy lapses, all coverage under the policy will cease. If lapse occurs, you’ll be given the opportunity to reinstate the policy by making the required premium payments and satisfying certain other conditions.
Guaranteed Death Benefit Feature
This feature guarantees that your Basic Sum Insured will not terminate, regardless of adverse investment performance, if on each “grace period testing date” the amount of cumulative premiums you have paid (less all withdrawals from the policy and all outstanding loans) equals or exceeds the sum of all Guaranteed Death Benefit Premium (“GDB Premium”) due to date. For the first 5 policy years, the same applies to any amount of Additional Sum Insured. If the Guaranteed Death Benefit test is not satisfied on any grace period testing date, the guaranteed death benefit feature will not be “in effect” on that date. We currently test on a quarterly basis, but reserve the right to test on each monthly deduction date.
Your policy will show three types of GDB Premium (or such other types as permitted by your policy’s Issue Date):
| • | 5 Year GDB Premium - This is used on each grace period testing date until the 5th policy anniversary. The total GDB Premium that is “due to date” on any grace period testing date during this period is equal to the 5 Year GDB Premium times the number of elapsed policy months from the policy’s Issue Date through the grace period testing date. |
| • | Age 65/10 Year GDB Premium - This is used on each grace period testing date that occurs on and after the 5th policy anniversary until the later of (i) the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 65th birthday or (ii) the 10th policy anniversary. The total GDB Premium that is “due to date” on any grace period testing date during this period is equal to the Age 65/10 Year GDB Premium times the number of elapsed policy months from the policy’s Issue Date through the grace period testing date. |
| • | Age 100 GDB Premium - This is used on each grace period testing date that occurs on and after the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 65th birthday (or, if later, the 10th policy anniversary) until the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 100th birthday. The total GDB Premium that is “due to date” on any grace period testing date during this period is equal to the Age 100 GDB Premium times the number of elapsed policy months from the policy’s Issue Date through the grace period testing date. |
The Age 100 GDB Premium is higher than the Age 65/10 Year GDB Premium which in turn is higher than the 5 Year GDB Premium, but none of them will ever be greater than the so-called “guideline premium” for the policy as defined in Section 7702 of the Code. The GDB Premium varies from policy to policy based upon a number of factors, including the insured person’s issue age, insurance risk characteristics and (generally) gender.
For the first 5 policy years, the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature applies to both the Basic Sum Insured and Additional Sum Insured then in effect. On the 5th policy anniversary and thereafter, the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature applies only to the Basic Sum Insured in effect when we issue the policy and does not apply to
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any amount of Additional Sum Insured. In any policy year, the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature will cease to be in effect if you increase the Basic Sum Insured. The amount of the Basic Sum Insured that is guaranteed will be reduced to the extent that we pay it to you under a Living Care Benefit Rider while the insured is living. If there are monthly charges that remain unpaid because of this Guaranteed Death Benefit feature, we will deduct such charges when there is sufficient surrender value to pay them.
If an insufficient amount of GDB Premium has been paid on a grace period testing date, and your policy would lapse for failure to pay charges then due, we will provide you with a notification.
Effectiveness and Policy Date. After you apply for a policy, we gather and evaluate all the information we need to decide whether to issue a policy to you and, if so, what the insured person’s risk classification should be. After we approve an application for a policy and assign an appropriate insurance risk classification, we will prepare the policy for delivery. The policy will take effect only if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
| • | The policy is delivered to and received by the applicant. |
| • | The Minimum Initial Premium is received by us. |
| • | The insured person is living and still meets our criteria for issuing insurance. |
If all of the above conditions are satisfied, the policy will take effect on the date shown in the policy as the “Issue Date.” That is the date on which we begin to take monthly deductions. Policy months, policy years and policy anniversaries are all measured from the Issue Date. Under limited circumstances, we may backdate a policy by assigning an Issue Date that is up to 60 days earlier than the date that would otherwise apply. The most common reasons for backdating are to preserve a younger age at issue for the insured person or to retain a common monthly deduction date in certain corporate-owned life insurance cases involving multiple policies issued over time. If used to preserve age, backdating will result in lower insurance charges. However, monthly deductions will begin earlier than would otherwise be the case.
Temporary insurance coverage. If a specified amount of premium is paid with the application for a policy and other conditions are met, we will provide temporary term life insurance coverage on the insured person for a period prior to the time coverage under the policy takes effect. Such temporary term coverage will be subject to the terms and conditions described in the application for the policy, including conditions to coverage and limits on amount and duration of coverage.
Option A and Option B. When the insured person dies, we will pay the death benefit minus any outstanding loans, accrued interest and unpaid fees and charges. There are two ways of calculating the death benefit. You must choose which one you want in the application. The two death benefit options are described below.
| • | Option A. The death benefit will equal the greater of (1) the Total Sum Insured, or (2) the minimum insurance amount under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” or under the “cash value accumulation test” (as described below). |
| • | Option B. The death benefit will equal the greater of (1) the Total Sum Insured plus your policy’s account value on the date of death, or (2) the minimum insurance amount under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test.” |
For the same premium payments, the death benefit under Option B will tend to be higher than the death benefit under Option A. On the other hand, the monthly insurance charge will be higher under Option B to compensate us for the additional insurance risk. Because of that, the account value will tend to be higher under Option A than under Option B for the same premium payments.
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Poor investment performance of the portfolios, expenses, and deduction of charges under the policy all will reduce the account value and surrender value and may also reduce the death benefit. However, favorable investment performance may increase the account value, surrender value, and death benefit. Therefore, if you experience better investment performance or lower expenses and charges than you assumed, you may be able to reduce your premium payments while maintaining the death benefit and other values under your policy; or if you continue to pay premiums at the same level, the death benefit and other values under your policy may increase. Conversely, if the investment performance falls short of what you assumed, or the expenses or charges are higher, the death benefit and other values under your policy may decrease unless you pay additional premiums.
Basic Sum Insured and Additional Sum Insured. Total Sum Insured is composed of the Basic Sum Insured and any Additional Sum Insured you elect. The maximum amount of Additional Sum Insured you can have is generally limited to 400% of the Basic Sum Insured at the Issue Date. The application may also give you the option of electing among various patterns of scheduled increases in Additional Sum Insured.
You should consider a number of factors in determining whether to elect coverage in the form of Basic Sum Insured or in the form of Additional Sum Insured. For the same amount of premiums paid, the amount of the issue charge deducted from account value and the amount of compensation paid to the selling insurance agent will generally be less if coverage is included as Additional Sum Insured, rather than as Basic Sum Insured. On the other hand, the amount of any Additional Sum Insured is not included in the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature after the 5th policy year. Therefore, if the policy’s surrender value is insufficient to pay the monthly charges as they fall due (including the charges for the Additional Sum Insured) after the 5th policy year, the Additional Sum Insured coverage will lapse, even if the Basic Sum Insured stays in effect pursuant to the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature.
Generally, you will incur lower sales charges and have more flexible coverage with respect to the Additional Sum Insured than with respect to the Basic Sum Insured. If this is your priority, you may wish to maximize the proportion of the Additional Sum Insured. However, if your priority is to take advantage of the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature after the 5th policy year, the proportion of the policy’s Total Sum Insured that is guaranteed can be increased by taking out more coverage as Basic Sum Insured at the time of policy issuance. Any decision you make to modify the amount of Additional Sum Insured coverage after issue can have significant tax consequences.
Minimum death benefit. In order for a policy to qualify as life insurance under Federal tax law, there has to be a minimum amount of insurance in relation to account value. There are two tests that can be applied under Federal tax law — the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” and the “cash value accumulation test.” When you elect the Option A death benefit, you must also elect which test you wish to have applied. If you elect the Option B death benefit, the guideline premium and cash value corridor test will automatically be applied. Under the guideline premium and cash value corridor test, we compute the minimum insurance amount each business day by multiplying the account value on that date by the death benefit factor (called “corridor factor” in the policy) applicable on that date. In this case, the factors are derived by applying the guideline premium and cash value corridor test. The factor starts out at 2.50 for ages at or below 40 and decreases as attained age increases, reaching a low of 1.0 at age 95. A table showing the factor for each policy year will appear in the policy. Under the cash value accumulation test, we compute the minimum insurance amount each business day by multiplying the account value on that date by the death benefit factor applicable on that date. In this case, the factors are derived by applying the cash value accumulation test. The factor decreases as attained age increases. A table showing the factor for each age will appear in the policy.
As noted above, you have to elect which test will be applied if you elect the Option A death benefit. The cash value accumulation test may be preferable if you want an increasing death benefit in later policy years and/or want to fund the policy at the “7 pay” limit for the full 7 years. The guideline premium and cash value corridor test may be preferable if you want the account value under the policy to increase without increasing the death benefit as quickly as might otherwise be required.
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Calculation and payment of the death benefit. We will ordinarily pay any death benefit within seven days after we receive the last required form or request and any other documentation that may be required. You may choose to receive proceeds from the policy as a single sum. If no alternative payment option has been chosen, proceeds may be paid as a single sum. As permitted by state law and our current administrative procedures, death claim proceeds may be placed into an interest-bearing John Hancock retained asset account in the beneficiary’s name. The interest earned in a John Hancock retained asset account is normally subject to income tax. You should consult with your tax advisor if you have any questions regarding taxation of the interest earned. We will provide the beneficiary with a checkbook, so checks may be written for all or a part of the proceeds. The retained asset account is part of our general account and is subject to the claims of our creditors. It is not a bank account and it is not insured by the FDIC. We may receive a benefit from managing proceeds held in a retained asset account.
Additional Information About Standard Death Benefits
Requesting an increase or decrease in coverage.
The Basic Sum Insured generally cannot be increased after policy issue. You may request an increase in the Additional Sum Insured. Generally, each such increase must be at least $50,000. However, you will have to provide us with evidence that the insured person still meets our requirements for issuing insurance coverage. Unless we consent otherwise, you may not increase the Additional Sum Insured if the increase would cause the entire Additional Sum Insured to equal or exceed 800% of the Basic Sum Insured. An approved increase will take effect on the policy anniversary on or next following the date we approve the request.
After the first policy year, you may request a reduction in the Total Sum Insured, but only if:
| • | the remaining Basic Sum Insured will be at least $100,000, and |
| • | the remaining Additional Sum Insured will not exceed 800% of the Basic Sum Insured, and |
| • | the remaining Total Sum Insured will at least equal the minimum required by the tax laws to maintain the policy’s life insurance status. |
Any reduction in Total Sum Insured would take effect on the monthly deduction date on or next following the date we approve your request. Any reduction in Total Sum Insured will be implemented by first reducing any Additional Sum Insured. If there is any reduction in Basic Sum Insured, a pro-rata portion of the applicable CDSC will be deducted from the account value.
Change of death benefit option. If the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” applies to your policy, you may change your coverage from death benefit Option A to Option B or vice-versa on any policy anniversary, but only if there is no change in the Federal tax law test used to determine the minimum insurance amount. If you change from Option A to Option B, we will require evidence that the insured person still meets our requirements for issuing coverage. This is because such a change increases our insurance risk exposure. If the “cash value accumulation test” applies to your policy, you can never change to either Option A under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” or to Option B.
A change of death benefit Option from A to B takes effect on the policy anniversary on or next following the date we approve your request. A change of death benefit Option from B to A is effective on the policy anniversary on or next following the date we receive the request.
Tax consequences of coverage changes. Please read “Tax Consequences of Owning a Policy” to learn about possible tax consequences of changing your insurance coverage under the policy.
Limitations on payment of death benefit. If the insured person commits suicide within certain time periods (generally within two years from the Issue Date of the policy), the amount payable will be equal to the premiums paid, less the amount of any policy debt on the date of death, and less any withdrawals. Also, if an application
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misstated the age or sex of the insured person, we will adjust, if necessary, the Basic Sum Insured, any Additional Sum Insured, and every other benefit to that which would have been purchased at the correct age or sex by the most recent cost of insurance charges or as otherwise provided by your policy.
You may surrender the policy in full at any time, in which case we will pay you the account value, less any policy debt and less CDSC that then applies. You must return your policy when you request a full surrender. We process surrenders as of the day we receive the surrender request.
You may make a partial withdrawal of your surrender value at any time after the first policy year. Each partial withdrawal must be at least $1,000. There is a charge for each partial withdrawal. The charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $20. We will automatically reduce the account value of your policy by the amount of the withdrawal and the related charge. Unless we agree otherwise, each variable investment account and fixed account will be reduced in the same proportion as the account value is then allocated among them. We will not permit a partial withdrawal if it would cause your surrender value to fall below 3 months’ worth of monthly charges. We also reserve the right to refuse any partial withdrawal that would cause the policy’s Total Sum Insured to fall below $100,000 or the policy’s Basic Sum Insured to fall below $100,000. Under the Option A death benefit, the reduction of your account value occasioned by a partial withdrawal could cause the minimum insurance amount to become less than your Total Sum Insured. If that happens, we will automatically reduce your Total Sum Insured. The calculation of that reduction is explained in the policy, and will be implemented by first reducing any Additional Sum Insured in effect. If the reduction in Total Sum Insured would cause your policy to fail the Internal Revenue Code’s (“Code”) definition of life insurance, we will not permit the partial withdrawal. If the withdrawal results in a reduction in Basic Sum Insured, a pro-rata portion of the applicable CDSC will be deducted from the account value.
Availability of Loans, Limitations and Interest
You may borrow from your policy at any time by completing a form satisfactory to us. We process policy loans as of the business day we receive the loan request. You can repay all or part of a loan at any time. The minimum amount of each loan is $300. The maximum amount you can borrow is the greater of (i) 75% of the surrender value of your policy or (ii) the amount determined as follows:
| • | We first determine the surrender value of your policy. |
| • | We then subtract an amount equal to 12 times the monthly charges then being deducted from account value. |
| • | We then multiply the resulting amount by .75% in policy years 1 through 10, .50% in policy years 11 through 20, and 0% thereafter (although we reserve the right to increase the percentage after policy year 20 to as much as .25%). |
| • | We then subtract the third item above from the second item above. |
Interest is charged on each loan. You can pay the interest or allow it to become part of the outstanding loan balance. The interest charged on any loan is an effective annual rate of 4.75% in the first 10 policy years, 4.50% in policy years 11 through 20, and 4.00% thereafter. However, we reserve the right to increase the percentage after the 20th policy year to as much as 4.25%. Accrued interest will be added to the loan daily and will bear interest at the same rate as the original loan amount. The amount of the loan is deducted from the variable investment accounts and any fixed account in the same proportion as the account value is then allocated among them and is placed in a special loan account. This special loan account will earn interest at an effective annual rate of 4.00%.
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Effect of Loans on Cash Value and Death Benefit
The account value, the surrender value, and any death benefit above the Total Sum Insured are permanently affected by any loan, whether or not it is repaid in whole or in part. This is because the amount of the loan is deducted from the variable investment and fixed accounts and placed in a special loan account. The variable investment accounts or any fixed account and the special loan account will generally have different rates of investment return.
Taking a loan on the policy increases the risk that the policy may lapse because of the difference between the interest rate charged on the loan and the interest rate credited to the special loan account. Policy loans permanently affect the calculation of your account value and may also result in adverse tax consequences. The amount of the outstanding loan (which includes accrued and unpaid interest) is subtracted from the amount otherwise payable when the policy proceeds become payable. Whenever the outstanding loan equals or exceeds the surrender value, the policy will terminate 31 days after we have mailed notice of termination to you (and to any assignee of record at such assignee’s last known address) specifying the amount that must be paid to avoid termination, unless a repayment of at least the amount specified is made within that period.
The tax consequences of a loan interest credited differential of 0% are unclear. You should consult a tax adviser before effecting a loan to evaluate possible tax consequences. If we determine that a loan will be treated as a distribution from your policy because of the differential between the loan interest rate and the rate being credited on the special loan account, we reserve the right to increase the rate charged on the loan to a rate that would, in our reasonable judgment, result in the transaction being treated as a loan under Federal tax law. The right to increase the rate charged on the loan is restricted in some states.
You can repay all or part of a loan at any time. Unless we agree otherwise, each repayment will be allocated among the variable and fixed accounts as set out below.
| • | The same proportionate part of the loan as was borrowed from any fixed account will be repaid to that fixed account. |
| • | The remainder of the repayment will be allocated among the variable investment accounts in the same way a new premium payment would be allocated. |
If you want a payment to be used as a loan repayment, you must include instructions to that effect. Otherwise, all payments will be assumed to be premium payments. We process loan repayments as of the day we receive the repayment.
OTHER BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE POLICY
In addition to the standard death benefits associated with your policy, other standard and/or optional benefits may also be available to you. The following tables summarize information about those benefits. Information about the fees associated with each benefit included in the tables may be found in the FEE TABLE.
| STANDARD BENEFITS | ||||
| Name of Benefit | Purpose | Brief Description of Restrictions/Limitations | ||
|
Dollar cost averaging |
Under the dollar cost averaging program, you will designate an amount that will be transferred monthly from one variable investment account into any other variable investment account or a fixed account. | We reserve the right to cease to offer this program after written notice to you. | ||
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| Name of Benefit | Purpose |
Brief Description of Restrictions/Limitations | ||
| Asset allocation balancing | Under the asset allocation balancer program, you will designate a percentage allocation of account value among variable investment accounts. We will automatically transfer amounts among the variable investment accounts at intervals you select (annually, semi-annually, or quarterly) to reestablish your chosen allocation. | We reserve the right to cease this program after written notice to you. | ||
| OPTIONAL BENEFITS | ||||
| Name of Benefit | Purpose | Brief Description of Restrictions/Limitations | ||
| Disability Waiver of Charges Rider | Waives charges under the policy during total disability (as defined in the rider) of the insured person, prior to age 60. | If the insured person becomes totally and permanently disabled after age 60, monthly deductions are only waived until age 65. | ||
| Living Care Benefit Rider | Provides for an advance payment of a portion of the death benefit if the insured person becomes terminally ill (as defined in the rider), with death expected within 24 months. | Advances under the rider are discounted for interest at the rates specified in the rider, and we may use a portion of any advance to repay loans under your policy. The maximum advance is $1,000,000. | ||
| Age 100 Waiver of Charges Rider | Provides for the continuation of the Total Sum Insured in force without further charges when the insured person attains age 100. | The policy’s account value at that time must be at least $1 more than any then existing surrender charge. | ||
| Children’s Insurance Benefit Rider | Provides term insurance up through age 21 on each covered child of the insured person. | A child must be more than 14 days old and less than 15 years old. | ||
| Accidental Death Benefit Rider | Provides for an additional insurance benefit if the insured person’s death is due to accidental causes. | The accidental cause must have occurred between the policy anniversaries nearest the insured person’s 5th and 70th birthdays. | ||
| Enhanced Cash Value Rider | Provides an enhancement in cash surrender value. | This rider can only be elected at the time of application for the policy. | ||
More About Certain Optional Benefits
When you apply for a policy, you can request any of the optional supplementary benefit riders that we then make available. Availability of any rider, the benefits it provides and the charges for it may vary by state. Our rules and procedures will govern eligibility for any rider and, in some cases, the configuration of the actual rider benefits. Each rider contains specific details that you should review before you decide to choose the rider. You may request an example illustrating the operation of any of the following optional supplementary benefit riders by contacting the Service Office at 1-800-732-5543. Charges for most riders will be deducted from the account value. We may change these charges (or the rates that determine them), but not above any applicable maximum amount stated in your policy specifications. We may add to, delete from or modify the list of optional supplementary benefit riders.
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| becomes totally and permanently disabled after age 60, monthly deductions are only waived until age 65. Benefits under this rider do not reduce the GDB Premium payment requirements that are necessary for the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature to remain in effect. |
| • | Enhanced Cash Value Rider. While this rider is in effect, we will pay an Enhanced Cash Value Benefit in addition to the policy surrender value if: |
| • | you surrender the policy before the CDSC is equal to zero; and |
| • | the surrender is not the result of an exchange under Section 1035 of the Code. |
The Enhanced Cash Value Benefit is equal to the CDSC in effect on the date of your surrender, up to a maximum amount equal to your account value on the date of surrender less any indebtedness. We describe the CDSC, and the period it is in effect, under “Deductions from account value.”
The Enhanced Cash Value Benefit does not increase (a) the death benefit payable under the policy, (b) the maximum amount you may borrow from the policy or (c) the maximum amount you may withdraw from the policy through partial withdrawals.
Tax Consequences of Owning a Policy
Tax consequences will vary based on your own particular circumstances, and for further information you should consult a qualified tax adviser. This material does not constitute tax or legal advice and neither John Hancock USA nor any of its agents, employees or registered representatives are in the business of offering such advice.
Federal, state and local tax laws, regulations and interpretations can change from time to time. As a result, the tax consequences to you and the beneficiary may be altered, in some cases retroactively. The policy may be used in various arrangements, including non-qualified deferred compensation or salary continuation plans, split dollar insurance plans, executive bonus plans, retiree medical benefit plans and others. The tax consequences of such plans may vary depending on the particular facts and circumstances of each individual arrangement. Therefore, if the value of using the policy in any such arrangement depends in part on the tax consequences, a qualified tax adviser should be consulted for advice.
Generally, death benefits paid under policies such as yours are not subject to income tax unless policy ownership has been transferred in exchange for payment. Earnings on your account value are ordinarily not subject to
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income tax as long as we don’t pay them out to you. If we do distribute any amount of your account value, all or part of that distribution would generally be treated as a return of the premiums you’ve paid and not subjected to income tax. Any portion not treated as a return of your premiums would be includible in your income.
Distributions for tax purposes include amounts received upon surrender or partial withdrawals and may include the charges for certain supplementary benefit riders as described below. You may also be deemed to have received a distribution for tax purposes if you assign all or part of your policy rights or change your policy’s ownership. Amounts you borrow are generally not taxable to you.
Please note that certain distributions associated with a reduction in death benefit or other policy benefits within the first fifteen years after issuance of the policy are ordinarily taxable in whole or in part.
Some of the tax rules change if your policy becomes a “modified endowment contract.” This can happen if you’ve paid premiums in excess of limits prescribed by the tax laws. In that case, additional taxes and penalties may be payable for policy distributions of any kind, including loans.
We expect the policy to receive the same Federal income and estate tax treatment as fixed benefit life insurance policies. Section 7702 of the Code defines a life insurance contract for Federal tax purposes. For a policy to be treated as a life insurance contract, it must satisfy either the cash value accumulation test or the guideline premium test. We will monitor compliance with these standards. If we determine that a policy does not satisfy the definition of life insurance under section 7702, we may take whatever steps are appropriate and reasonable to bring it into compliance with section 7702.
It is possible that, despite our monitoring, a policy might fail to qualify as a life insurance contract under section 7702 of the Code. This could happen, for example, if we inadvertently failed to return to you any premium payments that were in excess of amounts permitted under section 7702, or if any of the funds failed to meet certain investment diversification or other requirements of the Code. If this were to occur, you would be subject to income tax on the income credited to the policy from the date of issue to the date of the disqualification and for subsequent periods.
If the policy complies with section 7702, the death benefit proceeds under the policy ordinarily should be excludible from the beneficiary’s gross income under section 101 of the Code. (As noted above, a transfer of the policy for valuable consideration may limit the exclusion of death benefits from the beneficiary’s income.)
Tax consequences of ownership or receipt of policy proceeds under Federal, state and local estate, inheritance, gift and other tax laws will depend on the circumstances of each owner or beneficiary. If the person insured by the policy is also its owner, either directly or indirectly through an entity such as a revocable trust, the death benefit will be includible in his or her estate for purposes of the Federal estate tax. If the owner is not the person insured, the value of the policy will be includible in the owner’s estate upon his or her death. Even if ownership has been transferred, the death proceeds or the account value may be includible in the former owner’s estate if the transfer occurred less than three years before the former owner’s death or if the former owner retained certain kinds of control over the policy. You should consult your tax adviser regarding these possible tax consequences.
Increases in account value as a result of interest or investment experience will not be subject to Federal income tax unless and until values are received through actual or deemed distributions. In general, unless the policy is a modified endowment contract, the owner will be taxed only on the amount of distributions that exceed the premiums paid under the policy. An exception to this general rule occurs in the case of a decrease in the policy’s death benefit or any other change that reduces benefits under the policy in the first fifteen years after the policy is issued and that results in a cash distribution to the policy owner. Changes that reduce benefits include partial withdrawals and reductions in face amount that result in a distribution that is required to keep the policy in compliance with section 7702. For purposes of this rule any distribution within the two years immediately before a reduction in benefits will also be treated as if it were a result of the reduction. A cash distribution that reduces
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policy benefits will be taxed in whole or in part (to the extent of any gain in the policy) under rules prescribed in section 72(e) of the Code. The taxable amount is subject to limits prescribed in section 7702(f)(7). Any taxable distribution will be ordinary income to the owner (rather than capital gain).
Tax Consequences of Electing Certain Supplementary Benefit Riders
Cash value enhancement riders. If you have elected the Enhanced Cash Value Rider, we will not treat the rider charge as a distribution from your life insurance policy for federal income tax purposes, however, such charge will reduce your investment in the policy.
Accelerated benefit riders. If you have elected the Living Care Benefit Rider, we intend for the rider’s benefits to be excludible from gross income under Section 101 of the Code. Nevertheless, you should consult your tax adviser as to the income tax consequences to you.
We are taxed as a life insurance company. Under current tax law rules, we include the investment income (exclusive of capital gains) of the Separate Account in our taxable income and take deductions for investment income credited to our policy holder reserves. We are also required to capitalize and amortize certain costs instead of deducting those costs when they are incurred. We do not currently charge the Separate Account for any resulting income tax costs, other than a charge we may impose against the Separate Account to compensate us for the cost of a delay in the deductibility of deferred acquisition costs (the “DAC tax” adjustment) pursuant to section 848 of the Code. We also claim certain tax credits or deductions relating to foreign taxes paid and dividends received by the series funds. These benefits can be material. We do not pass these benefits through to the Separate Account, principally because: (i) the deductions and credits are allowed to us and not the policy owners under applicable tax law; and (ii) the deductions and credits do not represent investment return on the Separate Account assets that is passed through to policy owners.
The policies permit us to deduct a charge for any taxes we incur that are attributable to the operation or existence of the policies or the Separate Account. Currently, we do not anticipate making any specific charge for such taxes other than any DAC tax charge and premium taxes where applicable. If the level of the current taxes increases, however, or is expected to increase in the future, we reserve the right to make a charge in the future.
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE POLICY
If the account value of your policy is insufficient to pay the charges when due, your policy (or part of it) can terminate (i.e., “lapse”). This can happen because you haven’t paid enough premiums or because the investment performance of the variable investment accounts you’ve chosen has been poor or because of a combination of both factors. You will be given a 61-day grace period within which to make additional premium payments to keep the policy in effect. If you don’t pay at least the required amount by the end of the grace period, your policy (or part of it) will lapse. If your policy lapses, all coverage under the policy will cease. If lapse occurs, you’ll be given the opportunity to reinstate the policy by making the required premium payments and satisfying certain other conditions. Since withdrawals reduce your account value, withdrawals increase the risk of lapse. Policy loans also increase the risk of lapse.
The policy offers a number of variable investment accounts, as listed in the APPENDIX. The investment performance of any variable investment account may be good or bad, and you may lose money on amounts you invest in a policy. Your account value will increase or decrease based on the investment performance of the
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variable investment accounts you’ve chosen. The variable investment accounts cover a broad spectrum of investment styles and strategies, some variable investment accounts are riskier than others. These risks (and potential rewards) are discussed in detail in the prospectuses of the portfolios. The death benefit may also increase or decrease with investment experience.
An investment in a policy is also subject to risks related to John Hancock USA, including that the obligations (including under the fixed account options), guarantees, or benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of John Hancock USA. Information about John Hancock USA, including its financial strength ratings, is available upon request from your John Hancock USA representative. Our current financial strength ratings can also be obtained by contacting the Service Office at 1-800-732-5543.
There is a risk that you will not be able to transfer your account value from one variable investment account to another because of limitations on the dollar amount or frequency of transfers you can make. The limitations on transfers out of the fixed account are more restrictive than those that apply to transfers out of variable investment accounts. If you purchase certain supplementary benefit riders you will be subject to special transfer restrictions.
To discourage market timing and disruptive trading activity, we impose restrictions on transfers and reserve the right to change, suspend or terminate telephone, facsimile and internet transaction privileges. While we seek to identify and prevent disruptive trading activity, it may not always be possible to do so. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the restrictions we impose will be successful in preventing all disruptive trading and avoiding harm to long term investors.
Access to Funds Risk/ Not a Short-Term Investment
This policy is not a short-term investment because of substantial policy-level charges and the CDSC, and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. There is a risk that you will not be able (or willing) to access your account value by surrendering the policy because of the CDSC that may be payable upon surrender. The CDSC is a percentage of the premiums you’ve paid and disappears only after 9 policy years have passed. See the Fee Table of this prospectus for details on the CDSC. There is a fee for each partial withdrawal. The charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $20.
In order for you to receive the tax benefits extended to life insurance under the Code, your policy must comply with certain requirements of the Code. We will monitor your policy for compliance with these requirements, but a policy might fail to qualify as life insurance in spite of our monitoring, which can have adverse tax consequences. If the policy were determined not to qualify as life insurance under the Code, you would be taxed on any income or gains those assets generate. In other words, you would lose the value of the so-called “tax-deferred inside build-up” that is a major benefit of life insurance.
There is a tax risk associated with policy loans. Although no part of a loan is treated as income to you when the loan is made unless your policy is a “modified endowment contract,” surrender or lapse of the policy with a loan outstanding would result in the loan being treated as a distribution at the time of lapse or surrender. This could result in a considerable tax bill. Under certain circumstances involving large amounts of outstanding loans and an insured person of advanced age, you might find yourself having to choose between high premium requirements to keep your policy from lapsing and a significant tax burden if you allow the lapse to occur.
Tax consequences of ownership or receipt of policy proceeds (including surrender or withdrawal proceeds) under Federal, state and local estate, inheritance, gift and other tax laws can vary greatly depending upon the circumstances of each owner or beneficiary. There can also be unfavorable tax consequences on such things as
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the change of policy ownership or assignment of ownership interests. For these and all the other reasons mentioned above, we recommend you consult with a qualified tax adviser before buying the policy and before exercising certain rights under the policy.
There are tax risks associated with the election of certain supplementary benefit riders (see “Tax Consequences of Electing Certain Supplementary Benefit Riders”).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE POLICY
Under the policies, we deduct the charges discussed immediately below under “Deductions from premium payments” and “Deductions from account value.” Although the Fee Table in this prospectus provides disclosure about the maximum rates we are permitted to charge, we currently deduct some of the charges at less than those maximum rates. As a general matter, however, we also are permitted to increase or decrease the rate at which we are deducting any charge, provided that the rate can never exceed the maximum set forth in your policy (including in any applicable supplementary benefit rider) and as disclosed in the Fee Table. By contacting the John Hancock USA Service Office or your John Hancock USA representative at any time, you can obtain information about the then-current rate of any charges that are applicable to your particular circumstances and/or obtain a personalized illustration that will demonstrate the manner in which those specific current charges impact the values under your policy.
Deductions from premium payments.
Tax charge. A charge to cover state premium taxes we currently expect to pay, on average, and the increased federal income tax burden that we currently expect will result from receipt of premiums. This charge is currently 3.60% of each premium.
Premium sales charge. A charge to help defray our sales costs. The charge is 4% of the premium you pay in policy years 1 and thereafter.
Enhanced Cash Value Rider charge. A charge to cover the cost of this rider, if elected, equal to 4% of premium paid in the first policy year that does not exceed the Target Premium. We may vary the charge where special circumstances result in sales or administrative expenses, mortality risks or other risks that are different from those normally associated with the rider. These include the type of variations discussed under “Variations.” No variation in the charge will exceed the maximum stated above.
Deductions from account value.
Issue charge. A monthly charge to help defray our sales and administrative costs. The charge is a percentage of the Target Premium and will be the same regardless of the amount of premium actually paid. The Target Premium is determined at the time the policy is issued and appears in the policy specifications. In general, the greater the proportion of Additional Sum Insured at issue, the lower the Target Premium. The percentage will vary by the gender, issue age and risk class of the insured person, the death benefit option selected and the duration of the policy.
Administrative charge. A monthly charge to help defray our administrative costs. This is a flat dollar charge of up to $31 during the first policy year and up to $11 during policy years 2 and thereafter.
Insurance charge. A monthly charge for the cost of insurance. To determine the charge, we multiply the AAR by a cost of insurance rate. The table in your policy will show the maximum cost of insurance rates. The cost of insurance rates that we currently apply are generally less than the maximum rates. We will review the cost of
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insurance rates at least every 5 years and may change them from time to time. However, those rates will never be more than the maximum rates shown in the policy. The table of rates we use will depend on the insurance risk characteristics and (usually) gender of the insured person, the Total Sum Insured and the length of time the policy has been in effect. Regardless of the table used, cost of insurance rates generally increase each year that you own your policy, as the insured person’s attained age increases. We currently apply three “bands” of insurance rates, based on a policy’s Total Sum Insured on the Issue Date (excluding any scheduled increase in Additional Sum Insured on the Issue Date), but continuation of that practice is not guaranteed. The lowest band of rates is for policies of $1 million or more, next lower for policies between $250,000 to $999,999, and the highest band is for policies between $100,000 to $249,999. The insurance charge for death benefit Option B will tend to be higher than the insurance charge for death benefit Option A.
Asset-based risk charge. A monthly charge for mortality and expense risks we assume. The charge is a percentage of that portion of your account value allocated to variable investment accounts. We guarantee that the percentage on the first $25,000 of account value allocated to variable investment accounts will never exceed .07%. We guarantee that the percentages on the account value allocated to the variable investment accounts in excess of $25,000 will never exceed .07% for policy years 1 through 5 and .03% for policy years 6 and thereafter. This charge does not apply to the fixed account.
Supplementary benefit rider charges. Monthly charges for any supplementary insurance benefits (other than the optional Enhanced Cash Value Rider) added to the policy by means of a rider. Maximum charges for the various riders are shown in the Fee Table above under “Transaction Fees” or “Periodic Charges Other than Annual Portfolio Expenses,” as appropriate. These charges are also specified in the rider’s provisions or the policy specifications. You can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
ASI reduction charge. A charge we deduct if you decrease the Additional Sum Insured during the first 20 policy years. A table in your policy will state the maximum rate for the charge per $1,000 of Additional Sum Insured surrendered, based on the insured person’s issue age, insurance risk characteristics and (usually) gender. The rates are shown in the policy and generally range from less than $1 per $1,000 for issue age 40 or less, and increase for issue ages thereafter, to over $10 per $1,000 for issue ages after 70. We do not deduct this charge if the Additional Sum Insured is reduced because of a withdrawal of surrender value or surrender of the policy.
Contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”). A charge we deduct if the policy lapses or is surrendered within the first 10 policy years. We deduct this charge to compensate us for sales expenses that we would otherwise not recover in the event of early lapse or surrender. The charge is a percentage of the premiums we received in the first policy year that do not exceed the first year Target Premium, as shown in the following table:
|
Policy Year(s) |
Percentage of First Year Target Premium |
|||
|
1-2 |
100 | % | ||
| 3 |
95 | % | ||
| 4 |
75 | % | ||
| 5 |
55 | % | ||
|
6-8 |
50 | % | ||
| 9 |
45 | % | ||
| 10 and later |
0 | % | ||
The above table applies only if the insured person is less than attained age 45 at issue. For older issue ages, the maximum is reached earlier and the percentage may decrease to zero in fewer than 10 policy years. Regardless of
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issue age, there is a further limitation on the CDSC that can be charged if surrender or lapse occurs in the second policy year. A pro-rata portion of the CDSC may also be charged in the case of withdrawals that reduce Basic Sum Insured and requested reductions in Basic Sum Insured. The pro-rata charge is calculated by dividing the reduction in Basic Sum Insured by the Basic Sum Insured immediately prior to the reduction and then multiplying the applicable CDSC by that ratio.
Loan interest charge. We will charge interest on any amount you borrow from your policy. The interest charged on any loan is a maximum effective annual rate of 4.75% for policy years 1-10. The effective annual interest rate is 4.50% for policy year 11-20, and 4% thereafter.
Transfer fee. We currently do not impose a fee upon transfers of account value among the variable investment accounts, but reserve the right to impose a fee of up to $25 for any transfer beyond an annual limit (which would be 12 or more) to compensate us for the costs of processing these transfers.
Partial withdrawal charge. A charge for each partial withdrawal of account value to compensate us for the administrative expenses of processing the withdrawal. The charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $20.
Charges at the portfolio level. The portfolios must pay investment management fees and other operating expenses from portfolio assets. These fees and expenses are different for each portfolio and reduce the investment return of each portfolio. Therefore, they also indirectly reduce the return you will earn on any variable investment accounts you select. Expenses of the portfolios are not fixed or specified under the terms of the policy, and those expenses may vary from year to year. See APPENDIX .
Additional Information About How Certain Policy Charges Work
The premium sales and the CDSC charges help to compensate us for the cost of selling our policies. The amount of the charges in any policy year does not specifically correspond to sales expenses for that year. We expect to recover our total sales expenses over the life of the policies. To the extent that the premium sales and the CDSC charges do not cover total sales expenses, the sales expenses may be recovered from other sources, including gains from the charge for mortality and expense risks and other gains with respect to the policies, or from our general assets. Similarly, administrative expenses not fully recovered by the issue charge and the administrative charge may also be recovered from such other sources.
Unless we agree otherwise, we will deduct the monthly deductions and any CDSC from your policy’s variable investment accounts and any fixed account in proportion to the amount of account value you have in each of those accounts. For each month that we cannot deduct any charge because of insufficient account value, the uncollected charges will accumulate and be deducted when and if sufficient account value becomes available.
The insurance under the policy continues in full force during any grace period but, if the insured person dies during the policy grace period, the amount of unpaid monthly charges is deducted from the death benefit otherwise payable.
Effect of premium payment pattern. You may structure the timing of premium payments to minimize the sales charges, although doing so involves certain risks. Paying less premium in the first 5 policy years and more in later years could reduce your total sales charges (whether or not we implement the reduction in the premium sales charge for policy years 6 through 10). For example, if we did implement such a reduction and if the Target Premium was $2,000 and you paid $1,500 in each of the first 10 policy years, you would pay total sales charges of $525 and be subject to a maximum CDSC of $1,500. If you paid $1,000 in each of the first 5 policy years and $2,000 in each of policy years 6 through 10, you would pay total sales charges of only $500 and be subject to a maximum CDSC of only $1,000. However, delaying the payment of premiums to later policy years could increase the risk that the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature will not be in effect and the surrender value will be insufficient to pay policy charges. As a result, the policy or any Additional Sum Insured may lapse and eventually terminate.
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Other Charges We Could Impose in the Future
Except for the tax charge deducted from premium payments, we currently make no specific charge for our Federal income taxes. However, if we incur, or expect to incur, income taxes attributable to any subaccount of the Separate Account or this class of policies in future years, we reserve the right to make a charge for such taxes. Any such charge would reduce what you earn on any affected accounts. However, we expect that no such charge will be necessary.
We also reserve the right to increase the tax charge in order to correspond with changes in the state premium tax levels or in the Federal income tax treatment of the deferred acquisition costs for this type of policy.
Under current laws, we may incur state and local taxes (in addition to premium taxes) in several states. At present, these taxes are not significant. If there is a material change in applicable state or local tax laws, we may make charges for such taxes.
Our right to increase any charge up to the maximum rate shown in the policy specifications applies to then outstanding policies, as well as to policies issued after the increase.
We pay compensation to broker-dealers for the promotion and sale of the policies, and for providing ongoing service in relation to policies that have already been purchased. We may also pay a limited number of broker-dealers commissions or overrides to “wholesale” the policies; that is, to provide marketing support and training services to the broker-dealer firms that do the actual selling. The compensation paid to broker-dealers may vary depending on the selling agreement. The compensation paid is not expected to exceed 112.75% of the Target Premium paid in the first policy year, 8% of the Target Premium paid in years 2-4, and 3% of the Target Premium paid in years 5 through 10. Compensation on any premium paid in excess of Target Premium in any year will not exceed 4%. This compensation schedule is exclusive of additional compensation and revenue sharing and inclusive of overrides and expense allowances paid to broker-dealers for sale of the policies (not including riders). Under their own arrangements, broker-dealers determine how much of any amounts received from us is to be paid to their registered representatives.
To the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) rules and other applicable laws and regulations, we may enter into special compensation or reimbursement arrangements (“revenue sharing”), either directly or through JH Distributors, with selected broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries. In consideration of these arrangements, a firm may feature our policy in its sales system, give us preferential access to sales staff, or allow JH Distributors or its affiliates to participate in conferences, seminars or other programs attended by the firm’s sales force. We hope to benefit from these revenue sharing and other arrangements through increased sales of our policies.
Selling broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries may receive, directly or indirectly, additional payments in the form of cash, other compensation or reimbursement. These additional compensation or reimbursement arrangements may include, for example, payments in connection with the firm’s “due diligence” examination of the policies, payments for providing conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, payment for travel expenses, including lodging, incurred by registered representatives and other employees for such seminars or training programs, seminars for the public or client seminars, advertising and sales campaigns regarding the policies, payments to assist a firm in connection with its systems, operations and marketing expenses and/or other events or activities sponsored by the firms. We may contribute to, as well as sponsor, various educational programs, sales promotions, and/or other contests in which participating firms and their sales persons may receive gifts and prizes such as merchandise, cash or other rewards as may be permitted under FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations.
You should contact your registered representative for more information on compensation arrangements in connection with your purchase of a policy. We provide additional information on special compensation or
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reimbursement arrangements involving broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
Either your entire policy or the Additional Sum Insured portion of your Total Sum Insured can terminate (i.e., “lapse”) for failure to pay charges due under the policy. During the first 5 policy years, there can be no lapse of any kind if the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect (see below). If the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect after the 5th policy year, the Additional Sum Insured, and any optional supplementary benefit riders (unless otherwise stated therein) will be in default and may lapse if the policy’s surrender value is not sufficient to pay the charges on a grace period testing date. If the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is not in effect, the entire policy will be in default and may lapse if the policy’s surrender value is not sufficient to pay the charges on a grace period testing date. In either case, we will notify you of how much you will need to pay to keep the Additional Sum Insured or the policy in force. You will have a 61 day “grace period” to make these payments. If you pay these amounts during the grace period, you may also continue the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature by paying the necessary amount of GDB Premiums.
If you don’t pay at least the required amount by the end of the grace period, the Additional Sum Insured and any optional supplementary benefit riders (unless otherwise stated therein) or your policy, as the case may be, will lapse. If your policy lapses, all coverage under the policy will cease. Even if the policy or the Additional Sum Insured terminates in this way, you can still reactivate (i.e., “reinstate”) it within 3 years from the beginning of the grace period. You will have to provide evidence that the insured person still meets our requirements for issuing coverage. You will also have to pay a minimum amount of premium and be subject to the other terms and conditions applicable to reinstatements, as specified in the policy. Reinstatement of a lapsed policy or Additional Sum Insured will take effect on the monthly deduction date on or next following the date we approve the reinstatement request. If the Guaranteed Death Benefit is not in effect and the insured person dies during the grace period, we will deduct any unpaid monthly charges from the death benefit. During a grace period, you cannot make a partial withdrawal or policy loan.
Generally, the suicide exclusion and incontestability provisions will apply from the effective date of reinstatement. Your policy will indicate if this is not the case. A surrendered policy cannot be reinstated.
Insurance laws and regulations apply to us in every state in which our policies are sold. As a result, terms and conditions of your insurance coverage may vary depending on where you purchase a policy, and certain riders and options may not be available due to state insurance laws or restrictions in the state in which the policy is issued. You should refer to your policy for these state specific features.
We may vary the charges and other terms of our policies where special circumstances result in sales or administrative expenses, mortality risks or other risks that are different from those normally associated with the policies, subject to the maximum charges described in this prospectus. For example, with respect to policies issued to a class of associated individuals or to a trustee, employer or similar entity where we anticipate that the sales to the members of the class will result in lower than normal sales or administrative expenses, lower taxes or lower risks to us, we may offer the policies with reduced charges or with additional or enhanced features or benefits. We will make these programs available in accordance with our established administrative procedures in effect at the time of the application for a policy. The factors we consider in determining the eligibility of a particular group for such a program are: (i) the nature of the association and its organizational framework; (ii) the method by which sales will be made to the members of the class; (iii) the facility with which premiums will be collected from the associated individuals and the association’s capabilities with respect to administrative tasks; (iv) the anticipated lapse and surrender rates of the policies; (v) the size of the class of associated individuals and the number of years it has been in existence; (vi) the aggregate amount of premiums paid; and (vii) any other
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such circumstances which result in a reduction in sales or administrative expenses, lower taxes or lower risks. Any reduction in charges or feature or benefit enhancement will be reasonable and will apply uniformly to all prospective policy investors in the class and will not unfairly discriminate against any owner.
Policy or Separate Account Changes
We reserve the right to make any changes in the policy necessary to ensure the policy is within the definition of life insurance under the Federal tax laws and is in compliance with any changes in Federal or state tax laws.
In our policies, we reserve the right to make certain changes if they would serve the best interests of policy owners or would be appropriate in carrying out the purposes of the policies. These changes include the following:
| • | Changes necessary to comply with or obtain or continue exemptions under the Federal securities laws |
| • | Adding or removing fixed accounts or variable investment accounts |
| • | Combining variable investment accounts |
| • | Closing the variable investment accounts to new allocations or transfers |
| • | Changes in the form of organization of any separate account |
Any such changes will be made only to the extent permitted by applicable laws and only in the manner permitted by such laws. When required by law, we will obtain your approval of the changes and the approval of any appropriate regulatory authority.
We also reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, including approval of owners if so required, (1) to transfer assets determined by John Hancock USA to be associated with the class of policies to which your policy belongs from the Separate Account to another separate account or subaccount, (2) to deregister the Separate Account under the 1940 Act, (3) to substitute for the fund shares held by a subaccount any other investment permitted by law, and (4) to take any action necessary to comply with or obtain any exemptions from the 1940 Act. Any such change will be made only if, in our judgment, the change would best serve the interests of owners of policies in your policy class or would be appropriate in carrying out the purposes of such policies. We would notify owners of any of the foregoing changes and to the extent legally required, obtain approval of affected owners and any regulatory body prior thereto. Such notice and approval, however, may not be legally required in all cases.
We will ordinarily pay any death benefit, withdrawal, surrender value or loan within seven days after we receive the last required form or request (and, with respect to the death benefit, any other documentation that may be required). You may choose to receive proceeds from the policy as a single sum. If no alternative payment option has been chosen, proceeds may be paid as a single sum. As permitted by state law and our current administrative procedures, death claim proceeds may be placed into an interest-bearing John Hancock retained asset account in the beneficiary’s name. The interest earned in a John Hancock retained asset account is normally subject to income tax. You should consult with your tax advisor if you have any questions regarding taxation of the interest earned. We will provide the beneficiary with a checkbook, so checks may be written for all or a part of the proceeds. The retained asset account is part of our general account and is subject to the claims of our creditors. It is not a bank account and it is not insured by the FDIC. We may receive a benefit from managing proceeds held in a retained asset account. Alternatively, you can elect to have proceeds of $1,000 or more applied to any of the other payment options we may offer at the time. You cannot choose an option if the monthly payments under the option would be less than $50. We will issue a supplementary agreement when the proceeds are applied to any alternative payment option. That agreement will spell out terms of the option in full. Please contact our Service Office for more information.
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We reserve the right to defer payment of that portion of your account value that is attributable to a premium payment made by check for a reasonable period of time (not to exceed fifteen days) to allow the check to clear the banking system. We will not delay payment longer than necessary for us to verify a check has cleared the banking system.
We reserve the right to defer payment of any death benefit, loan or other distribution that is derived from a variable investment account if (1) the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings) or trading on the New NYSE is restricted; (2) an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC, as a result of which disposal of securities is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable to fairly determine the account value; or (3) the SEC by order permits the delay for the protection of owners. Transfers and allocations of account value among the variable investment accounts may also be postponed under these circumstances. If we need to defer calculation of separate account values for any of the foregoing reasons, all delayed transactions will be processed at the next values that we do compute.
State laws allow us to defer payment of any portion of the surrender value derived from the fixed account for up to six months. These laws were enacted many years ago to help insurance companies in the event of a liquidity crisis.
When the Insured Person Reaches 100
On the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 100th birthday, the death benefit will become equal to the account value on the date of death. Death benefit Options A and B (as described above) will cease to apply. Also, we will stop deducting any monthly charges (other than the asset-based charge) and will stop accepting any premium payments.
Under “More About Certain Optional Benefits,” we describe an optional Age 100 Waiver of Charges Rider that provides for continuation of the Total Sum Insured after the insured person reaches 100.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT, DEPOSITOR AND PORTFOLIOS
Your policy is issued by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), 200 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116.
The “registrant” of the policies with the SEC is the John Hancock Variable Life Account UV, a separate account operated by us under Michigan law (the “Separate Account”). Each subaccount of the Separate Account invests its assets in one of the portfolios shown in the APPENDIX.
The Separate Account’s assets are our property. Each policy provides that amounts we hold in the Separate Account pursuant to the policies cannot be reached by any other persons who may have claims against us and can’t be used to pay any obligations of John Hancock USA other than those arising out of policies that use the Separate Account. Income, gains and losses credited to, or charged against, the Separate Account reflect the Separate Account’s own investment experience and not the investment experience of John Hancock USA’s other assets. All obligations under the policies (including under any fixed account options), guarantees, or benefits are obligations of John Hancock USA and are subject to its claims paying ability.
We normally compute account values for each business day as of the close of the NYSE on that day (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). In case of emergency or other disruption resulting in the NYSE closing at a time other than the regularly scheduled close, the close of our business day may be the regularly scheduled close of the NYSE or another time permitted by the SEC and applicable regulations. Over time, the amount you’ve invested
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in any variable investment account will increase or decrease the same as if you had invested the same amount directly in the corresponding portfolio and had reinvested all of that portfolio’s dividends and distributions in additional portfolio shares, except that we will deduct certain additional charges which will reduce your account value. We describe these charges under “Charges at the portfolio level.”
Information regarding each portfolio, including (i) its name; (ii) its investment objective; (iii) its investment adviser and any sub-investment adviser; (iv) current expenses; and (v) performance is available in the APPENDIX to this prospectus. Each portfolio has issued a prospectus that contains more detailed information about the portfolio. You can obtain the prospectus (hard copy or electronic) and additional information about any portfolio, at the addresses or phone number set forth in the first paragraph of the APPENDIX. On each business day, shares of each series are purchased or redeemed by us for each subaccount based on, among other things, the amount of net premiums allocated to the subaccount, distributions reinvested, and transfers to, from and among subaccounts, all to be effected as of that date. Such purchases and redemptions are effected at each series fund’s net asset value per share determined for that same date. A “business day” is any date on which NYSE is open for trading.
We will purchase and redeem series fund shares for the Separate Account at their net asset value without any sales or redemption charges. Shares of a series fund represent an interest in one of the funds of the series fund which corresponds to a subaccount of the Separate Account. Any dividend or capital gains distributions received by the Separate Account will be reinvested in shares of that same fund at their net asset value as of the dates paid. We normally calculate the unit values for each variable investment account once every business day as of the close of that day, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Sales and redemptions within any variable investment account will be transacted using the unit value calculated as follows after we receive your request either in writing or other form that we specify. If we receive your request before the close of our business day, we’ll use the unit value calculated as of the end of that business day. If we receive your request at or after the close of our business day, we’ll use the unit value calculated as of the end of the next business day. If a scheduled transaction falls on a day that is not a business day, we’ll process it as of the end of the next business day.
We will vote all portfolio shares that we hold in the Separate Account for policy owners in proportion to instructions timely received by us from policy owners from all our Separate Accounts that are registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act. We will vote all portfolio shares that we otherwise are entitled to vote (including our own shares and other shares for which we receive no instructions) on any matter in proportion to the instructions timely received by us and any affiliated insurance companies with respect to the matter from policy owners in separate accounts of these insurance companies that are registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act. The effect of this proportional voting is that a small number of policy owners can determine the outcome of a vote. The voting privileges described above reflect our understanding of applicable Federal securities law requirements. To the extent that applicable law, regulations or interpretations change to eliminate or restrict the need for such voting privileges, we reserve the right to proceed in accordance with any such revised requirements.
We will determine the number of portfolio shares for which voting instructions may be given not more than 90 days prior to the meeting. Proxy material will be distributed to each person having the voting interest under the policy together with appropriate forms for giving voting instructions.
We determine the number of a portfolio’s shares held in a subaccount attributable to each owner by dividing the amount of a policy’s variable investment account value held in the subaccount by the net asset value of one share in the series fund. Fractional votes will be counted. We determine the number of shares as to which the owner may give instructions as of the record date for a series fund’s meeting. Owners of policies may give instructions regarding the election of the Board of Trustees or Board of Directors of a series fund, ratification of the selection of independent auditors, approval of series fund investment advisory agreements and other matters requiring a shareholder vote.
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There are no legal proceedings to which the Depositor, the Separate Account or the principal underwriter is a party or to which the assets of the Separate Account are subject that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Separate Account or the ability of the principal underwriter to perform its contract with the Separate Account or of the Depositor to meet its obligations under the policy.
The financial statements of the Separate Account, as well as the consolidated financial statements of John Hancock USA are in the SAI. The financial statements of John Hancock USA have relevance for the policies only to the extent that they bear upon its ability to meet its obligations under the policies. You may request an SAI by contacting our Service Office at a phone number or address shown on the back cover of this prospectus.
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APPENDIX: PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE POLICY
The following is a list of portfolios available under the policies. More information about the portfolios is available in the prospectuses for the portfolios, which may be amended from time to time. You can request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-732-5543 or by sending an email request to webmail@jhancock.com.
The current expenses and performance information below reflect fees and expenses of the portfolios, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your policy may charge. Expenses would be higher and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. Each portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To approximate the aggregate total return of a broad-based U.S. domestic equity market index. | 500 Index Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (North America) Limited |
0.25% | 28.36 | 18.18 | 16.27 | |||||
| To seek income and capital appreciation. | Active Bond Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.66% | -0.42 | 4.30 | 4.27 | |||||
| To seek to provide high total return (including income and capital gains) consistent with preservation of capital over the long term. | American Asset Allocation Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
0.92% | 14.71 | 11.31 | 10.93 | |||||
| To seek to provide long-term growth of capital. | American Global Growth Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
1.05% | 16.00 | 19.23 | 15.23 | |||||
| To seek to provide growth of capital. | American Growth Trust - Series I Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
0.97% | 21.55 | 24.97 | 19.27 | |||||
| To seek to provide long-term growth of capital and income. | American Growth-Income Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
0.91% | 23.61 | 15.97 | 15.01 | |||||
| To seek to provide long-term growth of capital. | American International Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
1.16% | -1.81 | 9.23 | 7.74 | |||||
| Appendix-1 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To provide long-term growth of capital. Current income is a secondary objective. | Blue Chip Growth John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.76% | 16.92 | 23.20 | 19.24 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Capital Appreciation John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Jennison Associates LLC |
0.73% | 15.76 | 26.65 | 20.19 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Capital Appreciation Value John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.87% | 18.16 | 14.83 | 13.62 | |||||
| To seek total return consisting of income and capital appreciation. | Core Bond Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Allspring Global Investments, LLC |
0.61% | -1.99 | 3.52 | 3.09 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Disciplined Value International John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. |
0.87% | 13.15 | 5.54 | 5.98 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Emerging Markets Value John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Dimensional Fund Advisors LP |
0.98% | 11.25 | 7.99 | 4.31 | |||||
| To provide substantial dividend income and also long-term growth of capital. | Equity Income Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.71% | 25.49 | 11.02 | 11.92 | |||||
| To seek growth of capital. | Financial Industries John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.84% | 29.70 | 11.52 | 12.92 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Fundamental All Cap Core John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.70% | 30.68 | 20.25 | 18.00 | |||||
| Appendix-2 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Fundamental Large Cap Value John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.71% | 30.00 | 14.06 | 14.41 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Global Equity Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.87% | 21.32 | 8.86 | 9.33 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Health Sciences Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.95% | 11.23 | 18.55 | 20.05 | |||||
| To realize an above-average total return over a market cycle of three to five years, consistent with reasonable risk. | High Yield Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Western Asset Management Company, LLC |
0.77% | 5.78 | 6.22 | 6.45 | |||||
| To seek to track the performance of a broad-based equity index of foreign companies primarily in developed countries and, to a lesser extent, in emerging markets. | International Equity Index John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/SSGA Funds Management, Inc. |
0.34% | 7.59 | 9.64 | 7.21 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | International Small Company John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Dimensional Fund Advisors LP |
0.95% | 13.77 | 9.41 | 9.43 | |||||
| To provide a high level of current income consistent with the maintenance of principal and liquidity. | Investment Quality Bond John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.68% | -1.21 | 4.22 | 3.56 | |||||
| To seek a balance between a high level of current income and growth of capital, with a greater emphasis on growth of capital. | Lifestyle Balanced John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.62% | 9.51 | 9.34 | 8.17 | |||||
| Appendix-3 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To seek a high level of current income with some consideration given to growth of capital. | Lifestyle Conservative John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.64% | 2.94 | 6.14 | 5.23 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. Current income is also a consideration. | Lifestyle Growth John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.60% | 14.13 | 11.46 | 10.11 | |||||
| To seek a balance between a high level of current income and growth of capital, with a greater emphasis on income. | Lifestyle Moderate John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.63% | 7.23 | 8.28 | 7.23 | |||||
| To seek growth of capital and current income while seeking to both manage the volatility of return and limit the magnitude of portfolio losses. | Managed Volatility Balanced Portfolio - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.73% | 9.88 | 7.47 | 6.84 | |||||
| To seek current income and growth of capital, while seeking to both manage the volatility of return and limit the magnitude of portfolio losses. | Managed Volatility Conservative Portfolio - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.72% | 3.52 | 5.11 | 4.76 | |||||
| To seek long term growth of capital while seeking to both manage the volatility of return and limit the magnitude of portfolio losses. | Managed Volatility Growth Portfolio - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.76% | 12.85 | 8.12 | 7.33 | |||||
| To seek current income and growth of capital while seeking to both manage the volatility of return and limit the magnitude of portfolio losses. | Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.73% | 8.03 | 7.00 | 6.49 | |||||
| Appendix-4 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Mid Cap Growth Trust (formerly Mid Cap Stock Trust) - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.86% | 3.58 | 23.93 | 18.54 | |||||
| Seeks to approximate the aggregate total return of a mid cap U.S. domestic equity market index. | Mid Cap Index Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (North America) Limited |
0.40% | 24.27 | 12.67 | 13.79 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Mid Value Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.91% | 24.26 | 10.15 | 12.95 | |||||
| To obtain maximum current income consistent with preservation of principal and liquidity. | Money Market Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.28% | 0.00 | 0.91 | 0.47 | |||||
| To seek maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management. | Opportunistic Fixed Income John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.81% | -2.06 | 4.86 | 2.72 | |||||
| To seek to achieve a combination of long-term capital appreciation and current income. | Real Estate Securities John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.74% | 46.80 | 12.99 | 12.08 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. Current income is incidental to the fund’s objective. | Science & Technology John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
1.05% | 8.58 | 27.10 | 21.28 | |||||
| To seek income and capital appreciation. | Select Bond Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.59% | -1.15 | 3.96 | 3.36 | |||||
| Appendix-5 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To seek a high level of current income consistent with preservation of capital. Maintaining a stable share price is a secondary goal. | Short Term Government Income Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.64% | -1.54 | 1.39 | 0.99 | |||||
| Seeks to approximate the aggregate total return of a small cap U.S. domestic equity market index. | Small Cap Index Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (North America) Limited |
0.46% | 14.59 | 11.66 | 12.94 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Small Cap Opportunities John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Dimensional Fund Advisors LP and GW&K Investment Management, LLC |
0.83% | 31.16 | 11.66 | 12.70 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Small Cap Stock Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
1.05% | 1.27 | 20.55 | 15.69 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Small Cap Value Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
1.04% | 26.30 | 6.28 | 10.52 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Small Company Value John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
1.18% | 22.81 | 10.37 | 12.13 | |||||
| To seek a high level of current income. | Strategic Income Opportunities Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.70% | 0.95 | 4.08 | 4.84 | |||||
| To seek to track the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the “Bloomberg Index”) (which represents the U.S. investment grade bond market). | Total Bond Market John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.26% | -1.86 | 3.31 | 2.68 | |||||
| Appendix-6 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| Seeks to approximate the aggregate total return of a broad U.S. domestic equity market index. | Total Stock Market Index John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (North America) Limited |
0.51% | 24.51 | 17.43 | 15.68 | |||||
| The fund seeks a high level of current income consistent with the maintenance of liquidity and the preservation of capital. | Ultra Short Term Bond John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.61% | -0.41 | 1.28 | 0.77 | |||||
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| The Portfolio seeks maximum real return consistent with preservation of real capital and prudent investment management. | PIMCO VIT All Asset Pacific Investment Management Company LLC/Research Affiliates, LLC |
1.54% | 15.90 | 8.26 | 5.71 | |||||
| To seek to provide capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Aggressive Growth ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.55% | 19.31 | 12.65 | 11.48 | |||||
| To seek to provide income and capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Balanced ETF - Class 2 ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.56% | 9.62 | 7.60 | 6.72 | |||||
| To seek to preserve capital and provide moderate income and moderate capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Conservative ETF - Class 2 ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.58% | 6.45 | 5.76 | 4.90 | |||||
| To seek to provide capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Growth ETF - Class 2 ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.55% | 16.52 | 11.31 | 10.13 | |||||
| To seek to provide capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Moderate Growth ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.55% | 12.82 | 9.53 | 8.50 | |||||
* The portfolios’ annual expenses may reflect temporary fee or expense waivers or reimbursements.
| Appendix-7 | App tbl #2 |
JOHN HANCOCK USA SERVICE OFFICE
| Overnight Express Delivery | Mail Delivery | |
| Life Post Issue 410 University Avenue, Suite #55979 Westwood, MA 02090 |
Life Post Issue John Hancock Insurance Company PO Box 55979 Boston, MA 02205 | |
| Phone: | Fax: | |
| 1-800-732-5543 | 1-617-572-1571 | |
In addition to this prospectus, John Hancock USA has filed with the SEC an SAI that contains additional information about John Hancock USA and the Separate Account, including information on our history, services provided to the Separate Account, and the audited financial statements for John Hancock USA and the Separate Account. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus and personalized illustrations of death benefits, account values and surrender values are available, without charge, upon request. You may obtain the personalized illustrations from your John Hancock USA representative. The SAI may be obtained, without charge, by contacting the John Hancock USA Service Office. You should also contact the John Hancock USA Service Office to request any other information about your policy or to make any inquiries about its operation.
Reports and other information about the Separate Account are available on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of such information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by submitting an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
1940 Act File No. 811-7766 — 1933 Act File No. 333-164168
EDGAR Contract Identifier No. C000086000
John Hancock Variable Life Account UV
JOHN HANCOCK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY (U.S.A.)
(“John Hancock USA”)
Flexible Premium Variable Universal Life Insurance Policy
MEDALLION VARIABLE UNIVERSAL LIFE EDGE II
Prospectus dated April 25, 2022 (as revised May 23, 2022)
You may choose to allocate your account value to one or more of the options that the policies make available for that purpose. These options include our “variable investment accounts,” where the account value will vary directly with the positive or negative investment experience of underlying investment “portfolios.” To provide you with that investment experience, amounts that you allocate to a variable investment account are held in a corresponding “subaccount” of John Hancock Variable Life Account UV (“Separate Account”), and the subaccount invests those amounts exclusively in one of the portfolios.
You may also allocate account value to a “fixed account” that the policy makes available. This prospectus provides detailed information about all such options to which you can allocate your account value.
Please note that the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Additional information about certain investment products, including variable life insurance, has been prepared by the SEC’s staff and is available at Investor.gov.
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| Tax Consequences of Electing Certain Supplementary Benefit Riders |
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| 31 | ||||
| Additional Information About How Certain Policy Charges Work |
31 | |||
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| Appendix-1 | ||||
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Important Information You Should Consider About the Policy
| FEES AND EXPENSES | ||||||||||||||||
| Charges for Early Withdrawals | There are contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSC”) assessed upon surrender within the stated period or upon reduction of Basic Sum Insured as part of a partial withdrawal. The maximum CDSC charge is 100% of first year Target Premium for surrenders in policy years 1-4.
There are also partial withdrawal charges assessed if your make a partial withdrawal. The maximum partial withdrawal charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $50. |
| ||||||||||||||
| Transaction Charges | In addition to surrender charges (if applicable), you may also be charged for the following transactions:
A premium sales charge will be deducted from each premium paid.
A Basic Sum Insured (“BSI”) increase charge upon a requested increase in the Basic Sum Insured.
A transfer charge may be deducted upon transfers into or out of a variable investment account after you have made more than 12 such transfers in a year. |
Deductions from premium payments
| ||||||||||||||
| Ongoing Fees and Expenses (annual charges) | In addition to surrender charges and transaction charges, you will also be subject to certain ongoing fees and expenses, including an insurance charge, issue charge, administrative charge, asset-based risk charge, policy loan costs, and supplementary benefit rider charges. Some of these fees and expenses are based wholly or in part on the characteristics of the insured person (e.g., age, sex, and underwriting classification). You should view the “policy specifications” page of your policy for rates applicable to your policy.
You will also bear expenses associated with the portfolios under the policy, as shown in the following table:
|
Charges at the portfolio level
| ||||||||||||||
| Annual Fee | Minimum | Maximum | ||||||||||||||
| Variable investment accounts (portfolio fees and expenses) |
0.39% | 1.64% | ||||||||||||||
| RISKS | ||||||||
| Risk of Loss |
You can lose money by investing in this policy. | PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN A POLICY | ||||||
| Not a Short-Term Investment | This policy is not a short-term investment and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. The policy is unsuitable as a short-term savings vehicle because of substantial policy-level charges, including the premium charge and the surrender charge, as well as potential adverse tax consequences from such short-term use. | Access to Funds Risk/Not a Short-Term Investment | ||||||
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| Risks Associated with Investment Options | An investment in this policy is subject to the risk of poor performance and can vary depending on the performance of the account allocation options available under the policy (e.g., portfolios). Each such option (including the fixed account) will have its own unique risks, and you should review these options before making an allocation decision. | Investment Risk/Risk of Loss | ||||||
| Insurance Company Risks | Your investment in the policy is subject to risks related to John Hancock USA, including that the obligations (including under the fixed account options), guarantees, or benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of John Hancock USA. Information about John Hancock USA, including its financial strength ratings, is available upon request from your John Hancock USA representative. Our current financial strength ratings can also be obtained by contacting the Service Office at 1-800-732-5543. |
| ||||||
| Policy Lapse | Unless the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect, your policy (or part of it) can terminate (i.e., “lapse”) if the account value of your policy is insufficient to pay the charges when due. This can happen as a result of insufficient premium payments, poor performance of the variable or general account options you have chosen, withdrawals, or unpaid loans or loan interest. You will be given a grace period within which to make additional premium payments to keep the policy in effect. If lapse occurs, you’ll be given the opportunity to reinstate the policy by making the required premium payments and satisfying certain other conditions. | Lapse and Reinstatement | ||||||
| RESTRICTIONS | ||||||||
| Investments | There are restrictions that may limit the variable investment account options and general account options (including the fixed account) that you may choose, as well as limitations on the transfer of account value among those options. These restrictions may include a monthly limit on the number of transfers you may make. We may also impose additional restrictions to discourage market timing and disruptive trading activity.
In particular, your allocation options will be affected if you elect to take a loan or receive benefits under certain supplementary benefit riders.
Among other things, the policy also allows us to eliminate the shares of a portfolio or substitute shares of another new or existing portfolio, subject to applicable legal requirements. |
Limitations on transfers to or from a variable investment account
Limitations on transfers out of the fixed account
Effect of Loans on Cash Value and Death Benefit
| ||||||
| Optional Benefits | There are restrictions and limitations relating to optional benefits, as well as conditions under which an optional benefit may be modified or terminated by us. For example, certain supplementary benefit riders may be subject to underwriting, and your election of an option may result in restrictions upon some of the policy benefits, including availability of investment options. | More About Certain Optional Benefits | ||||||
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| TAXES | ||||||||
| Tax Implications | You should consult with a tax professional to determine the tax implications of an investment in and payments received under the policy. There is no additional tax benefit to you if the policy is purchased through a tax-qualified plan or an individual retirement account (IRA). If we pay out any amount of your account value upon surrender or partial withdrawal, all or part of that distribution would generally be treated as a return of the premiums you’ve paid and not subjected to income tax, with any portion not treated as a return of your premiums includible in your income. Distributions also are subject to tax penalties under some circumstances. | Tax Consequences of Owning a Policy | ||||||
| CONFLICTS OF INTEREST | ||||||||
| Investment Professional Compensation | Some investment professionals may receive compensation for selling the policy, including by means of commissions and revenue sharing arrangements. These investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer or recommend this policy over another investment. | Commissions Paid to Dealers | ||||||
| Exchanges | Some investment professionals may have a financial incentive to offer you a new policy in place of the one you already own, and you should only exchange your policy if you determine, after comparing the features, fees, and risks of both policies, that it is preferable for you to purchase the new policy rather than continue to own the existing policy. | Commissions Paid to Dealers | ||||||
The purpose of the policy is to provide lifetime protection against economic loss due to the death of the insured person, to help you accumulate assets through variable investment and fixed accounts that we make available, and to provide or supplement your retirement income. The policy may be appropriate for persons seeking both life insurance protection and the potential for the accumulation of cash values. However, fees, substantial policy-level charges, the CDSC, expenses and tax implications can make variable life insurance unsuitable as a short-term savings vehicle.
We call the investments you make in the policy “premiums” or “premium payments.” The Minimum Initial Premium is a dollar amount that is stated in your policy specifications and that must be paid to us in full before your policy will take effect. Premium payments after the initial premium may not be required, but you must pay enough premium to keep the policy in force. That’s why the policy is called a “flexible premium” policy. After the payment of the initial premium, premiums may be paid at any time and in any amount until the insured person’s attained age 100, subject to the need to pay enough premium to keep the policy in force, and to limitations on maximum premium amount.
Federal tax law limits the amount of premium payments you can make relative to the amount of your policy’s insurance coverage. We will not knowingly accept any amount by which a premium payment exceeds this limit. In addition, in order to limit our investment risk exposure under certain market conditions, we may refuse to accept additional premium payments.
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From each premium payment you make, we deduct the applicable premium charges identified in the FEE TABLE. We invest the rest (the “net premium”) in the variable investment accounts or any fixed account you’ve elected.
The policy offers a number of variable investment accounts. You can find some important information about each portfolio in the APPENDIX , but for a full description of each portfolio, including the investment objectives and strategies, policies, restrictions, and risks, you should read the portfolio’s prospectus carefully before investing in the corresponding variable investment account.
You can also allocate account value to the fixed account (where it is credited with rates of interest that we declare from time to time but will never be less than a minimum rate guaranteed in your policy specifications).
If the surrender value is insufficient to pay the charges when due and the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is not in effect, your policy can terminate (i.e., “lapse”). This can happen because you haven’t paid enough premium or because the investment performance of the variable investment accounts you’ve chosen has been poor, or because of a combination of both factors.
Death benefit. When the insured person dies, we will pay the “death benefit” minus any outstanding loans. There are two ways of calculating the death benefit. You choose which one you want in the application.
| • | Option A. The death benefit will equal the greater of (1) the Total Sum Insured or (2) the minimum insurance amount under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” or under the “cash value accumulation test,” as set forth in your policy. The “Total Sum Insured” is the amount of life insurance coverage equal to the “Basic Sum Insured” plus any “Additional Sum Insured,” as set forth in your policy. |
| • | Option B. The death benefit will equal the greater of (1) the Total Sum Insured plus your policy’s account value on the date of death, or (2) the minimum insurance amount under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test.” |
Surrender of the policy. You may surrender the policy in full while the insured person is alive. If you do, we will pay you the account value less any outstanding policy debt and less any contingent deferred sales charge that then applies. This is called your “surrender value.”
Withdrawals. You may make a partial withdrawal of your surrender value at any time after the first policy year. Each withdrawal must be at least $1,000. There is a charge for each partial withdrawal. The charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $50. Your account value is automatically reduced by the amount of the withdrawal and the charge. We reserve the right to refuse a withdrawal if it would reduce the surrender value or the Total Sum Insured below certain minimum amounts.
Policy loans. If your policy is in force and has sufficient account value, you may borrow from it at any time by completing the appropriate form. Generally, the minimum amount of each loan is $1,000. The maximum amount you can borrow is determined by a formula as described in your policy. Interest is charged on each loan. If there is an outstanding loan the amount of the loan and accrued interest will be deducted from the death benefit and other policy proceeds.
Supplementary benefits. When you apply for the policy, you can request any of the below-listed supplementary benefit riders that we make available. Availability of riders varies from state to state. Charges for most riders will be deducted monthly from the account value. Some riders may not be available in combination with other riders or benefits.
| • | Disability Waiver of Charges Rider |
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| • | Living Care Benefit Rider |
| • | Disability Payment of Specified Premium Rider |
| • | Children’s Insurance Benefit Rider |
| • | Accidental Death Benefit Rider |
| • | Enhanced Cash Value Rider |
You can find information about the fees we charge for these riders under “Optional Benefit Charges” in the Fee Table below. We also offer, at no charge, a dollar cost averaging (“DCA”) program and an asset allocation balancer program.
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when buying, owning, and surrendering or making withdrawals from the policy. Please refer to your policy specifications for information about the specific fees you will pay each year based on the options you have elected.
The first table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay at the time that you buy the policy, surrender or make withdrawals from the policy, or transfer account value between investment options.
| TRANSACTION FEES | ||||
| Charge | When Charge is Deducted | Amount Deducted | ||
|
Premium sales charge (fn1) |
Upon payment of premium | 8% of any premium paid | ||
|
Maximum contingent deferral sales charge (“CDSC”) |
Upon surrender of policy within the period stated Upon reduction of Basic Sum Insured as a result of a partial withdrawal or a written request |
100% of first year Target Premium for surrenders in policy years 1-4 (fn2) Pro rata portion of applicable CDSC (fn3) | ||
|
Maximum BSI increase charge (fn4) |
Upon a requested increase in Basic Sum Insured (“BSI”) | $49.22 per $1,000 of increase in BSI | ||
|
Maximum partial withdrawal charge |
Upon making a partial withdrawal | Lesser of 2% of withdrawal amount or $50 | ||
|
Maximum transfer charge (fn5) |
Upon each transfer into or out of a variable investment account beyond an annual limit of 12 | $25 | ||
|
Enhanced Cash Value Rider Charge |
Upon payment of premium | 4% of all premiums paid in the first two policy years up to the Target Premium in each year | ||
|
Living Care Benefit Rider (fn6) |
Only if benefit is exercised | Charge is embedded in discounting of death benefit paid in advance | ||
(fn1) This charge is 8% of any premium paid in policy year 1 and thereafter. We reserve the right to increase the premium sales charge beyond the limit indicated in order to correspond with changes in state premium tax levels or in the Federal income tax treatment of the deferred acquisition costs (“DAC”) for this type of policy.
(fn2) The charge is actually calculated as a percentage of the lesser of (i) first year Target Premium and (ii) the sum of premiums paid during the first two policy years. The “Target Premium” for each policy year is determined at the time the policy is issued and appears in your policy specifications. In general, the greater the proportion of Additional Sum Insured at issue, the lower the Target Premium. The CDSC percentage decreases
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in later policy years as follows: for policy years 5-6, it is 95%; for policy year 7, it is 90%; for policy year 8, it is 70%; for policy year 9, it is 50%; and for policy years 10 and later, it is 0%.
(fn3) This charge will be equal to a proportionate part of the CDSC that would have applied if the policy had been surrendered on the date the reduction in BSI takes effect. The proportion will be equal to the amount of the reduction in BSI divided by the amount of BSI in effect immediately before the reduction.
(fn4) A table in the policy will state the maximum rate for this charge per $1,000 of BSI increase, based on the death benefit option chosen and the insured person’s issue age, insurance risk characteristics and (usually) gender. The rates range from $1.80 per $1,000 of BSI increase for issue ages of 40 or less up to the maximum shown in the table for an issue age 69 male tobacco risk. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn5) This charge is not currently imposed, but we reserve the right to do so in the policy.
(fn6) Applicable state regulations currently limit the discount percentage to the greater of (i) the yield on 90 day U.S. Treasury bills at the time the discount is determined, and (ii) the policy’s maximum loan interest rate at the time the discount is determined.
The next table describes the fees and expenses that you will pay periodically during the time that you own the policy, not including portfolio fees and expenses.
| PERIODIC CHARGES OTHER THAN ANNUAL PORTFOLIO EXPENSES | ||||
| Charge | When Charge is Deducted | Amount Deducted | ||
|
Base Policy Charges: |
||||
| Insurance charge (fn1) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
$0.06 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
| Maximum charge |
$83.33 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
|
Charge for representative insured person |
$0.18 per $1,000 of AAR | |||
|
Maximum administrative charge |
Monthly | $31 during first policy year $11 during second policy year and thereafter | ||
| Issue charge (fn2) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
0.68% of Target Premium | |||
| Maximum charge |
0.85% of Target Premium | |||
|
Charge for representative insured person |
0.68% of Target Premium | |||
|
Asset-based risk charge (fn3) |
Monthly | .07% (monthly rate) of first $25,000 of account value .07% (monthly rate) of all amounts in excess of $25,000 in policy years 1-5 .03% (monthly rate) of all amounts in excess of $25,000 in policy year 6 and thereafter | ||
|
Maximum policy loan interest rate (fn4) |
Accrues daily, payable annually | 3.75% | ||
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| Charge | When Charge is Deducted | Amount Deducted | ||
|
Optional Benefit Charges: |
||||
| Disability Waiver of Charges Rider (fn5) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
5% of all other monthly charges | |||
| Maximum charge |
50% of all other monthly charges | |||
|
Charge for representative insured person |
15% of all other monthly charges | |||
| Disability Payment of Specified Premium Rider (fn6) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
$15.90 per $1,000 of monthly Specified Premium | |||
| Maximum charge |
$198.68 per $1,000 of monthly Specified Premium | |||
|
Charge for representative insured person |
$30.95 per $1,000 of monthly Specified Premium | |||
|
Children’s Insurance Benefit Rider |
Monthly | $0.50 per $1,000 of Rider Sum Insured | ||
| Accidental Death Benefit Rider (fn7) |
Monthly | |||
| Minimum charge |
$0.75 per $1,000 of accidental death benefit | |||
| Maximum charge |
$1.71 per $1,000 of accidental death benefit | |||
|
Charge for representative insured person |
$0.78 per $1,000 of accidental death benefit |
(fn1) The insurance charge is determined by multiplying the amount of insurance for which we are at risk (the “AAR”) by the applicable cost of insurance rate. The rates vary widely depending upon the Total Sum Insured, the length of time the policy has been in effect, the insurance risk characteristics of the insured person and (generally) the gender of the insured person. The minimum rate shown is the rate in the first policy year for a $1,000,000 policy for a 10 year old female. The maximum rate shown is the rate in the first policy year for a $100,000 all Basic Sum Insured policy for a 99 year old male substandard tobacco underwriting risk. This includes the so-called “extra mortality charge.” The representative insured person rate shown is for a 35 year old male standard non-tobacco underwriting risk with a $100,000 policy. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn2) The issue charge is a percentage of the Target Premium at issue and is assessed whether or not the Target Premium is actually paid. The percentage does not vary by the gender, issue age or risk classification of the insured person. The percentage will vary by the death benefit option selected. The minimum rate shown is for a policy issued with a death benefit Option A. The maximum rate shown is for a policy issued with a death benefit option B. The representative insured person rate shown is for a policy issued with death benefit Option A. This charge continues for the first 10 policy years only. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn3) This charge only applies to that portion of account value held in the variable investment accounts. The charge does not apply to the fixed account.
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(fn4) 3.75% is the maximum effective annual interest rate we can charge and applies only during policy years 1-10. The effective annual interest rate is 3.50% for policy years 11-20 and, under our current rules, is 3.00% thereafter. The amount of any loan is transferred from the investment options to a special loan account which earns interest at an effective annual rate of 3.00%. Therefore, the true cost of a loan is the difference between the loan interest we charge and the interest we credit to the special loan account.
(fn5) The charge for this rider is determined by multiplying the total amount of all other monthly policy level charges by the applicable rate. The rates vary by the attained age and the disability insurance risk characteristics of the insured person. The minimum rate shown is for a 64 year old preferred underwriting risk. The maximum rate shown is for a 55 year old substandard underwriting risk. The representative insured person rate shown is for a 35 year old standard underwriting risk. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn6) The charge for this rider is determined by multiplying the monthly Specified Premium by the applicable rate. The Specified Premium is chosen by you in the application. The rates vary by the issue age, the insurance risk characteristics and gender of the insured person. The minimum rate shown is the rate for a male insured person less than 1 year of age without any substandard rating. The maximum rate shown is the rate for a 54 year old female substandard underwriting risk. The representative insured person rate shown is for a 35 year old male standard non-tobacco underwriting risk. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
(fn7) The charge for this rider is determined by multiplying the amount of accidental death benefit selected by the applicable rate. The rates vary by the attained age and the ADB risk characteristics of the insured person. The minimum rate shown is the rate for an insured person less than 1 year of age with the lowest ADB risk rating (1.0). The maximum rate shown is the rate for a 65 year old with the highest ADB rating (1.5). The representative insured person rate shown is fora 35 year old with an ADB rating of 1.0. These charges may not be particularly relevant to your current situation, and you can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
The next item shows the minimum and maximum total operating expenses charged by the portfolios that you may pay periodically during the time that you own the policy. A complete list of the portfolios available under the policy, including their annual expenses, may be found at the back of this document.
| Annual Portfolio Expenses | Minimum | Maximum | ||||||
| Range of expenses that are deducted from portfolio assets, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses |
0.39 | % | 1.64 | % | ||||
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE POLICY
Owner and beneficiary. The owner of the policy is the person who can exercise most of the rights under the policy, such as the right to choose the accounts in which to invest or the right to surrender the policy. In many cases, the person buying the policy is also the person who will be the owner. However, the application for a policy can name another person or entity (such as a trust) as owner. It is possible to name so-called “joint owners” of the policy. If more than one person owns a policy, all owners must join in most requests to exercise rights under the policy. Whenever we’ve used the term “you” in this prospectus, we’ve assumed that the reader is the person who has whatever right or privilege is being discussed. There may be tax consequences if the owner and the insured person are different, so you should discuss this issue with your tax adviser.
11
While the insured person is alive, you will have a number of options under the policy. These options include:
| • | Determine when and how much you allocate to the variable investment accounts and any fixed account |
| • | Borrow or withdraw amounts you have in the variable investment account and any fixed account |
| • | Change the beneficiary who will receive the death benefit |
| • | Change the amount of insurance |
| • | Surrender the policy for its surrender value |
| • | Choose the form in which we will pay out the death benefit or other proceeds |
You name your beneficiary when you apply for the policy. The beneficiary is entitled to the proceeds we pay following the insured person’s death. Until the death of the insured person you can change your beneficiary by written request. Such a change requires the consent of any named irrevocable beneficiary. A new beneficiary designation will not affect any payments we make before we receive it. If no beneficiary is living when the insured person dies, we will pay the insurance proceeds to the owner or the owner’s estate.
Any premium payment processed prior to the twentieth day after the policy’s Issue Date will automatically be allocated to the Money Market variable investment account. On the later of the date such payment is received or the twentieth day following the Issue Date, the portion of the Money Market variable investment account attributable to such payment will be reallocated automatically among the variable investment accounts and any fixed account you have chosen. All other premium payments will be allocated among the variable investment accounts and any fixed account you have chosen as soon as they are processed. You make the original allocation in the application for the policy. The percentages you select must be in whole numbers and must total 100%. At any time, you may change the variable investment accounts or any fixed account in which future premium payments will be invested.
There are restrictions that may limit the variable account investment options and fixed account options that you may choose, as well as limitations on the transfer of policy value among those options.
You may transfer your account value from one variable investment account or any fixed account to another, subject to the limitations discussed below. To do so, you must tell us how much to transfer, either as a whole number percentage or as a specific dollar amount. A confirmation of each transfer will be sent to you. Without our approval, the maximum amount you may transfer to or from any variable investment account in any policy year is $1,000,000.
We have adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent transfers of account value among variable investment accounts.
Limitations on transfers to or from a variable investment account. Our current practice is to restrict transfers into or out of variable investment accounts to two per calendar month (except with respect to those policies described in the following paragraphs). For purposes of this restriction, and in applying the limitation on the number of free transfers, any transfers made during the period from the opening of a business day (usually 9:00 a.m. Eastern time) to the close of that business day (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) are considered one transfer. You may, however, transfer to the Money Market variable investment account even if the two transfers per month limit has been reached, but only if 100% of the account value in all variable investment accounts is transferred to the Money Market variable investment account. If such a transfer to the Money Market variable investment account is made, then for the 30 calendar day period after such transfer no transfers from the Money
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Market variable investment account to any other variable investment account or any fixed account may be made. If your policy offers a dollar cost averaging or automatic asset allocation rebalancing program, any transfers pursuant to such program are not considered transfers subject to these restrictions on frequent trading.
Policies such as yours may be purchased by a corporation or other entity as a means to informally finance the liabilities created by an employee benefit plan, and to this end the entity may aggregately manage the policies purchased to match its liabilities under the plan. Policies sold under these circumstances are subject to special transfer restrictions. In lieu of the two transfers per month restriction, we will allow the policy owner under these circumstances to rebalance the variable investment accounts in its policies within the following limits: (i) during the 10 calendar day period after any account values are transferred from one variable investment account into a second variable investment account, the values can only be transferred out of the second variable investment account if they are transferred into the Money Market variable investment account; and (ii) any account values that would otherwise not be transferable by application of the 10 day limit described above and that are transferred into the Money Market variable investment account may not be transferred out of the Money Market variable investment account into any other variable investment account or any fixed account for 30 calendar days.
Subject to our approval, we may offer policies purchased by a corporation or other entity that has purchased policies to match its liabilities under an employee benefit plan, as described above, the ability to electronically rebalance the variable investment accounts in its policies. Under these circumstances, in lieu of imposing any specific limit upon the number and timing of transfers, we will monitor aggregate trades among the subaccounts for frequency, pattern and size for potentially harmful investment practices. If we detect trading activity that we believe may be harmful to the overall operation of any variable investment account or portfolio, we may impose conditions on policies employing electronic rebalancing to submit trades, including setting limits upon the number and timing of transfers, and revoking privileges to make trades by any means other than written communication submitted via U.S. mail. While we seek to identify and prevent disruptive frequent trading activity, it may not always be possible to do so. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the restrictions we impose will be successful in preventing all disruptive frequent trading and avoiding harm to long-term investors.
We will apply these limitations uniformly to each class of policies.
Frequent transfers among variable investment accounts. Variable investment accounts in variable life insurance products can be a prime target for abusive transfer activity because these products value their variable investment accounts on a daily basis and allow transfers among variable investment accounts without immediate tax consequences. As a result, some investors may seek to frequently transfer into and out of variable investment accounts or to make large transfers in reaction to market news or to exploit a perceived pricing inefficiency. Whatever the reason, long-term investors in any variable investment account can be harmed by large or frequent transfer activity. For example, such activity may expose the variable investment account’s portfolio to increased portfolio transaction costs and/or disrupt the portfolio manager’s ability to effectively manage the portfolio’s investments in accordance with the portfolio’s investment objectives and policies. This could include causing the portfolio to maintain higher levels of cash than would otherwise be the case, or liquidating investments prematurely. Accordingly, frequent or large transfers may result in dilution with respect to interests held for long-term investment and adversely affect policy owners, beneficiaries and the portfolios.
To discourage market timing and disruptive trading activity, we impose restrictions on transfers and reserve the right to change, suspend or terminate telephone, facsimile and internet transaction privileges. We also reserve the right to impose a fee of up to $25 for any transfer beyond an annual limit (which would be 12 or more).
While we seek to identify and prevent disruptive trading activity, it may not always be possible to do so. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the restrictions we impose will be successful in preventing all disruptive trading and avoiding harm to long-term investors.
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Limitations on transfers out of the fixed account. Transfers out of the fixed account are currently subject to the following restrictions:
| • | You can only make such a transfer once in each policy year. |
| • | Any transfer request received within 6 months of the last transfer out of a fixed account will not be processed until such 6 month period has expired. |
| • | The most you can transfer at any one time is the greater of (i) $500, (ii) 20% of the assets in your fixed account or (iii) the amount transferred out of your fixed account during the previous policy year. |
We reserve the right to impose limits on the minimum amount of each transfer out of the fixed account and the maximum amount of any transfer into the fixed account after the second policy year. We also reserve the right to impose different restrictions on any additional fixed account that we may offer in the future.
If there is a default as described in the “Lapse and Reinstatement” provision and a grace period is triggered, you will be prohibited from making any transfers among variable investment and fixed accounts while the grace period remains in effect.
Potential additional limitations. We reserve the right to take other actions to restrict transfers, including, but not limited to: (i) restricting the number of transfers made during a defined period, (ii) restricting the dollar amount of transfers, (iii) restricting transfers into and out of certain variable investment accounts, (iv) restricting the method used to submit transfers, and (v) deferring a transfer at any time we are unable to purchase or redeem shares of the portfolio. We may also impose additional administrative conditions upon or prohibit a transfer request made by a third party giving instructions on behalf of multiple policies, whether owned by the same owner or different owners. If you engage a third party for asset allocation services, then you may be subject to these transfer restrictions because of the actions of that party in providing those services. We will notify the third party you have engaged if we exercise this right. A portfolio also may require us to impose additional trading restrictions if violations of its policies against frequent or disruptive trading in its shares are discovered.
Dollar cost averaging and asset allocation balancer programs. The dollar cost averaging (“DCA”) program is a program of automatic monthly transfers out of the Money Market investment account into one or more of the other variable investment or fixed accounts. You choose the investment options and the dollar amount and timing of the transfers. The program is designed to reduce the risks that result from market fluctuations. It does this by spreading out the allocation of your money to investment options over a longer period of time. This allows you to reduce the risk of investing most of your money at a time when market prices are high. Scheduled transfers under this option may be made from the Money Market investment account to not more than nine other variable investment accounts. However, the amount transferred to any one investment option must be at least $100. Once we receive the election in form satisfactory to us at our Service Office, transfers will begin on the second monthly deduction date following its receipt. Once elected, the scheduled monthly transfer option will remain in effect for so long as you have at least $2,500 of your account value in the Money Market investment account, or until we receive written notice from you of cancellation of the option or notice of the death of the insured person.
The asset allocation balancer program is a program that automatically re-sets the percentage of your account value allocated to the variable investment accounts. Over time, the variations in the investment results for each variable investment account you’ve elected will shift the percentage allocations among them. The “rebalancing” program will periodically transfer your account value among the variable investment accounts to reestablish the preset percentages you have chosen. Rebalancing would usually result in transferring amounts from a variable investment account with relatively higher investment performance since the last rebalancing to one with relatively lower investment performance. However, rebalancing can also result in transferring amounts from a variable investment account with relatively lower current investment performance to one with relatively higher current investment performance.
This rebalancing program can be elected in the application or by sending the appropriate form to our Service Office. You must specify the frequency for rebalancing (quarterly, semi-annually or annually), the preset
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percentage for each variable investment account and a future beginning date. The first rebalancing will occur on the monthly deduction date that occurs on or next follows the beginning date you select. Once elected, rebalancing will continue until we receive notice of cancellation of the option or notice of the death of the insured person. If you cancel rebalancing, you will have to wait 30 days before you can start it again. The fixed investment account does not participate in and is not affected by rebalancing. We reserve the right to modify, terminate or suspend the rebalancing program at any time.
Any transfer made under the DCA or asset allocation balancer program will not count toward the annual transfer limit. No fee is charged for these programs.
The fixed account is part of our general account. Our general account consists of all assets owned by us other than those in the Separate Account and any other separate accounts which we have established and may establish. Any interest credited to a policy owner from an investment in a fixed account, and any guaranteed benefits we may provide under the policy that exceed the value of amounts held in the Separate Account, will be paid from the Company’s general account and are subject to the Company’s financial strength and claims paying ability. Subject to applicable law, John Hancock USA has sole discretion over the investment of the assets of the general account and policy owners do not share in the investment experience of, or have any preferential claim on, those assets. John Hancock USA bears full investment risk for all amounts allocated to the fixed account.
Because of exemptive and exclusionary provisions, interests in our fixed account have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and our general account has not been registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”). Accordingly, neither the general account nor any interests therein are subject to the provisions of these acts. Disclosures regarding the general account, however, are subject generally to applicable provisions of federal securities laws relating to the accuracy and completeness of statements made in the prospectus.
The fixed account. Account value allocated to any fixed account will accrue interest daily at an effective annual rate that we determine and that depends on a number of significant considerations in addition to the actual investment experience we expect for the general account. We currently offer only one fixed account — the standard fixed account. The effective annual rate we declare for the fixed account will never be less than 3%. We reserve the right to offer one or more additional fixed accounts with characteristics that differ from those of the current fixed account, but we are under no obligation to do so. Any interest we credit in excess of the guaranteed interest crediting rate will be based on our sole discretion. Additionally, interest credited on a non-guaranteed basis varies over time is rarely the same year-over-year and there may be extended periods of time during which no interest above the guaranteed minimum is declared.
Generally, the policy is available with a minimum Basic Sum Insured at issue of $100,000. At the time of issue, the insured person must have an attained age of no more than 85. The insured person must meet certain health and other insurance risk criteria called “underwriting standards.”
Policies issued in Montana or in connection with certain employee plans will not directly reflect the sex of the insured person in either the premium rates or the charges or values under the policy.
The Minimum Initial Premium is set forth in your policy specifications. Factors that determine the Minimum Initial Premium amount is determined by us based on the characteristics of the insured person, the Basic Sum Insured and the Additional Sum Insured at issue, and the policy options you have selected. Premium payments after the initial premium may not be required, but you must pay enough premium to keep the policy in force. That’s why the policy is called a “flexible premium” policy.
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If you pay premiums by check or money order, they must be drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars and made payable to “John Hancock.” We will not accept credit card checks. We will not accept starter or third party checks if they fail to satisfy our administrative requirements. Premiums after the first must be sent to the John Hancock USA Service Office at the appropriate address shown on the back cover of this prospectus. We will also accept premiums by wire or by exchange from another insurance company, via an electronic funds transfer program (any owner interested in making monthly premium payments must use this method), or if we agree to it, through a salary deduction plan with your employer.
In addition to the Minimum Initial Premium, your policy specifications will also show the “Planned Premium” that you chose for the policy. You choose this amount in the policy application. You will also choose how often to pay premiums — annually, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly. The premium reminder notice we send you is based on the amount and period you choose. However, payment of Planned Premiums is not necessarily required. Payment of Planned Premiums is not necessarily required, however. You need only pay enough premium to keep the policy in force.
The amount and frequency of the Planned Premium are determined by you, in consultation with your financial advisor, based upon your financial objectives for the policy. Depending upon the amount and timing of your actual premium payments, investment results, changing objectives and other factors, you may need to change the amount and frequency of your premium payments from the Planned Premium amount in order for the policy to continue to support your financial objectives. You may be required to pay additional premiums beyond the Planned Premium amount in order to keep your policy from lapsing. You should request in-force illustrations periodically in order to help assure that you are keeping on track with your objectives.
Federal tax law limits the amount of premium payments you can make relative to the amount of your policy’s insurance coverage. Also, in order to limit our exposure to unanticipated investment risk, we may refuse to accept additional premium payments. For example, with large premium payments in an environment of decreasing interest rates, we may not be able to acquire investments for our general account that will sufficiently match the liabilities we are incurring under our fixed account guarantees. Excessive allocations may also interfere with the effective management of our variable investment accounts, if we are unable to make an orderly investment of the additional premium into the variable investment accounts. Also, we may refuse to accept or limit an amount of premium if the amount of the premium would increase our insurance risk exposure, and the insured person doesn’t provide us with adequate evidence that he or she continues to meet our requirements for issuing insurance.
We will notify you in writing of our refusal to accept premium and will promptly thereafter take the necessary steps to return the premium to you. Notwithstanding the foregoing limits on the premium that we will accept, we will not refuse to accept any premium necessary to prevent the policy from terminating or to keep the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature in effect.
We will process any premium payment as of the day we receive it, unless one of the following exceptions applies:
(1) We will process a payment received prior to a policy’s Issue Date as if received on the business day immediately preceding the Issue Date.
(2) If the Minimum Initial Premium is not received prior to the Issue Date, we will process each premium payment received thereafter as if received on the business day immediately preceding the Issue Date until all of the Minimum Initial Premium is received.
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(3) We will process the portion of any premium payment for which we require evidence of the insured person’s continued insurability only after we have received such evidence and found it satisfactory to us.
(4) If we receive any premium payment that we think will cause a policy to become a modified endowment contract or will cause a policy to lose its status as life insurance under the tax laws, we will not accept the excess portion of that premium payment and will immediately notify the owner. We will refund the excess premium when the premium payment check has had time to clear the banking system (but in no case more than two weeks after receipt), except in the following circumstances:
| • | The tax problem resolves itself prior to the date the refund is to be made; or |
| • | The tax problem relates to modified endowment contract status and we receive a signed acknowledgment from the owner prior to the refund date instructing us to process the premium notwithstanding the tax issues involved. |
In the above cases, we will treat the excess premium as having been received on the date the tax problem resolves itself or the date we receive the signed acknowledgment. We will then process it accordingly.
(5) If a premium payment is received or is otherwise scheduled to be processed (as specified above) on a date that is not a business day, the premium payment will be processed on the business day next following that date.
Unless the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect, your policy (or part of it) can terminate (i.e., “lapse”) if the account value of your policy is insufficient to pay the charges when due. This can happen because you haven’t paid enough premiums or because the investment performance of the variable investment accounts you’ve chosen has been poor or because of a combination of both factors. You will be given a 61-day grace period within which to make additional premium payments to keep the policy in effect. If you don’t pay at least the required amount by the end of the grace period, your policy (or part of it) will lapse. If your policy lapses, all coverage under the policy will cease. If lapse occurs, you’ll be given the opportunity to reinstate the policy by making the required premium payments and satisfying certain other conditions.
Guaranteed Death Benefit Feature
This feature guarantees that your Basic Sum Insured will not terminate, regardless of adverse investment performance, if on each “grace period testing date” the amount of cumulative premiums you have paid (less all withdrawals from the policy and all outstanding loans) equals or exceeds the sum of all Guaranteed Death Benefit Premium (“GDB Premium”) due to date. For the first 5 policy years, the same applies to any amount of Additional Sum Insured. If the Guaranteed Death Benefit test is not satisfied on any grace period testing date, the guaranteed death benefit feature will not be “in effect” on that date. We currently test on a quarterly basis, but reserve the right to test on each monthly deduction date.
Your policy will show two types of GDB Premium (or such other types as permitted by your policy’s Issue Date):
| • | 5 Year GDB Premium - This is used on each grace period testing date until the 5th policy anniversary. The total GDB Premium that is “due to date” on any grace period testing date during this period is equal to the 5 Year GDB Premium times the number of elapsed policy months from the policy’s Issue Date through the grace period testing date. |
| • | Lifetime GDB Premium - This is used on each grace period testing date that occurs on and after the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 65th birthday (or, if later, the 10th policy anniversary). The total GDB Premium that is “due to date” on any grace period testing date during this period is equal to the Lifetime GDB Premium times the number of elapsed policy months from the policy’s date of issue through the grace period testing date. |
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The Lifetime GDB Premium is higher than the 5 Year GDB Premium, but neither of them will ever be greater than the so-called “guideline premium” for the policy as defined in Section 7702 of the Code. The GDB Premium varies from policy to policy based upon a number of factors, including the insured person’s issue age, insurance risk characteristics and (generally) gender. The GDB Premium may change if there is a reduction in Total Sum Insured or a change in death benefit option.
For the first 5 policy years, the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature applies to both the Basic Sum Insured and Additional Sum Insured then in effect. On the 5th policy anniversary and thereafter, the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature applies only to the Basic Sum Insured in effect when we issue the policy and does not apply to any amount of Additional Sum Insured. In any policy year, the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature will cease to be in effect if you increase the Basic Sum Insured. The amount of the Basic Sum Insured that is guaranteed will be reduced to the extent that we pay it to you under a Living Care Benefit Rider while the insured is living. If there are monthly charges that remain unpaid because of this Guaranteed Death Benefit feature, we will deduct such charges when there is sufficient surrender value to pay them.
If an insufficient amount of GDB Premium has been paid on a grace period testing date, and your policy would lapse for failure to pay charges then due, we will provide you with a notification.
Effectiveness and Policy Date. After you apply for a policy, we gather and evaluate all the information we need to decide whether to issue a policy to you and, if so, what the insured person’s risk classification should be. After we approve an application for a policy and assign an appropriate insurance risk classification, we will prepare the policy for delivery. The policy will take effect only if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
| • | The policy is delivered to and received by the applicant. |
| • | The Minimum Initial Premium is received by us. |
| • | The insured person is living and still meets our criteria for issuing insurance. |
If all of the above conditions are satisfied, the policy will take effect on the date shown in the policy as the “Issue Date.” That is the date on which we begin to take monthly deductions. Policy months, policy years and policy anniversaries are all measured from the Issue Date. Under limited circumstances, we may backdate a policy by assigning an Issue Date that is up to 60 days earlier than the date that would otherwise apply. The most common reasons for backdating are to preserve a younger age at issue for the insured person or to retain a common monthly deduction date in certain corporate-owned life insurance cases involving multiple policies issued over time. If used to preserve age, backdating will result in lower insurance charges. However, monthly deductions will begin earlier than would otherwise be the case.
Temporary insurance coverage. If a specified amount of premium is paid with the application for a policy and other conditions are met, we will provide temporary term life insurance coverage on the insured person for a period prior to the time coverage under the policy takes effect. Such temporary term coverage will be subject to the terms and conditions described in the application for the policy, including conditions to coverage and limits on amount and duration of coverage.
Option A and Option B. When the insured person dies, we will pay the death benefit minus any outstanding loans, accrued interest and unpaid fees and charges. There are two ways of calculating the death benefit. You must choose which one you want in the application. The two death benefit options are described below.
| • | Option A. The death benefit will equal the greater of (1) the Total Sum Insured, or (2) the minimum insurance amount under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” or under the “cash value accumulation test” (as described below). |
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| • | Option B. The death benefit will equal the greater of (1) the Total Sum Insured plus your policy’s account value on the date of death, or (2) the minimum insurance amount under the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test.” |
For the same premium payments, the death benefit under Option B will tend to be higher than the death benefit under Option A. On the other hand, the monthly insurance charge will be higher under Option B to compensate us for the additional insurance risk. Because of that, the account value will tend to be higher under Option A than under Option B for the same premium payments.
Poor investment performance of the portfolios, expenses, and deduction of charges under the policy all will reduce the account value and surrender value and may also reduce the death benefit. However, favorable investment performance may increase the account value, surrender value, and death benefit. Therefore, if you experience better investment performance or lower expenses and charges than you assumed, you may be able to reduce your premium payments while maintaining the death benefit and other values under your policy; or if you continue to pay premiums at the same level, the death benefit and other values under your policy may increase. Conversely, if the investment performance falls short of what you assumed, or the expenses or charges are higher, the death benefit and other values under your policy may decrease unless you pay additional premiums.
Basic Sum Insured and Additional Sum Insured. Total Sum Insured is composed of the Basic Sum Insured and any Additional Sum Insured you elect. The maximum amount of Additional Sum Insured you can have is generally limited to 400% of the Basic Sum Insured at the Issue Date. The application may also give you the option of electing among various patterns of scheduled increases in Additional Sum Insured.
You should consider a number of factors in determining whether to elect coverage in the form of Basic Sum Insured or in the form of Additional Sum Insured. For the same amount of premiums paid, the amount of the issue charge deducted from account value and the amount of compensation paid to the selling insurance agent will generally be less if coverage is included as Additional Sum Insured, rather than as Basic Sum Insured. On the other hand, the amount of any Additional Sum Insured is not included in the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature after the 5th policy year. Therefore, if the policy’s surrender value is insufficient to pay the monthly charges as they fall due (including the charges for the Additional Sum Insured) after the 5th policy year, the Additional Sum Insured coverage will lapse, even if the Basic Sum Insured stays in effect pursuant to the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature.
Generally, you will incur lower sales charges and have more flexible coverage with respect to the Additional Sum Insured than with respect to the Basic Sum Insured. If this is your priority, you may wish to maximize the proportion of the Additional Sum Insured. However, if your priority is to take advantage of the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature after the 5th policy year, the proportion of the policy’s Total Sum Insured that is guaranteed can be increased by taking out more coverage as Basic Sum Insured at the time of policy issuance. Any decision you make to modify the amount of Additional Sum Insured coverage after issue can have significant tax consequences.
Minimum death benefit. In order for a policy to qualify as life insurance under Federal tax law, there has to be a minimum amount of insurance in relation to account value. There are two tests that can be applied under Federal tax law — the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” and the “cash value accumulation test.” When you elect the Option A death benefit, you must also elect which test you wish to have applied. If you elect the Option B death benefit, the guideline premium and cash value corridor test will automatically be applied. Under the guideline premium and cash value corridor test, we compute the minimum insurance amount each business day by multiplying the account value on that date by the death benefit factor (called “corridor factor” in the policy) applicable on that date. In this case, the factors are derived by applying the guideline premium and cash value corridor test. The factor starts out at 2.50 for ages at or below 40 and decreases as attained age increases, reaching a low of 1.0 at age 95. A table showing the factor for each policy year will appear in the policy. Under the cash value accumulation test, we compute the minimum insurance amount each business day by multiplying
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the account value on that date by the death benefit factor applicable on that date. In this case, the factors are derived by applying the cash value accumulation test. The factor decreases as attained age increases. A table showing the factor for each age will appear in the policy.
As noted above, you have to elect which test will be applied if you elect the Option A death benefit. The cash value accumulation test may be preferable if you want an increasing death benefit in later policy years and/or want to fund the policy at the “7 pay” limit for the full 7 years. The guideline premium and cash value corridor test may be preferable if you want the account value under the policy to increase without increasing the death benefit as quickly as might otherwise be required.
Calculation and payment of the death benefit. We will ordinarily pay any death benefit within seven days after we receive the last required form or request and any other documentation that may be required. You may choose to receive proceeds from the policy as a single sum. If no alternative payment option has been chosen, proceeds may be paid as a single sum. As permitted by state law and our current administrative procedures, death claim proceeds may be placed into an interest-bearing John Hancock retained asset account in the beneficiary’s name. The interest earned in a John Hancock retained asset account is normally subject to income tax. You should consult with your tax advisor if you have any questions regarding taxation of the interest earned. We will provide the beneficiary with a checkbook, so checks may be written for all or a part of the proceeds. The retained asset account is part of our general account and is subject to the claims of our creditors. It is not a bank account and it is not insured by the FDIC. We may receive a benefit from managing proceeds held in a retained asset account.
Additional Information About Standard Death Benefits
Requesting an increase or decrease in coverage.
You may request an unscheduled increase in the Total Sum Insured. Generally, each such increase must be at least $50,000. However, you will have to provide us with evidence that the insured person still meets our requirements for issuing insurance coverage. Unless we consent otherwise, you may not increase the Additional Sum Insured if the increase would cause the entire Additional Sum Insured to equal or exceed 800% of the Basic Sum Insured. A charge will apply for any increase in Basic Sum Insured. Also, any increase in Basic Sum Insured will automatically terminate the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature. Any approved increase will take effect on the policy anniversary on or next following the date we approve the request.
After the first policy year, you may request a reduction in the Total Sum Insured, but only if:
| • | the remaining Basic Sum Insured will be at least $100,000, and |
| • | the remaining Additional Sum Insured will not exceed 800% of the Basic Sum Insured, and |
| • | the remaining Total Sum Insured will at least equal the minimum required by the tax laws to maintain the policy’s life insurance status. |
Any reduction in Total Sum Insured would take effect on the monthly deduction date on or next following the date we approve your request. Any reduction in Total Sum Insured will be implemented by first reducing any Additional Sum Insured. If there is any reduction in Basic Sum Insured, a pro-rata portion of the applicable CDSC will be deducted from the account value. Any Guaranteed Death Benefit feature will be adjusted prospectively to reflect any reduction in Basic Sum Insured.
Change of death benefit option. You may change your coverage from death benefit Option B to Option A on any policy anniversary, but only if the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” continues to apply. You can never change from death benefit Option A to Option B. If you’ve elected Option A, you can change the Federal tax law test from the “guideline premium and cash value corridor test” to the “cash value accumulation test,” but not vice versa. At the time you change from Option B to Option A, the following will occur:
| • | The Additional Sum Insured will be increased so that the death benefit remains the same after the change. |
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| • | If the policy has been in effect for at least 5 policy years, the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature will terminate. |
| • | If the policy has not been in effect for at least 5 policy years, the 5 Year GDB Premium may need to be recalculated. |
A change of death benefit Option from A to B is effective on the policy anniversary on or next following the date we approve your request. A change of death benefit Option from B to A takes effect on the policy anniversary on or next following the date we receive the request.
Tax consequences of coverage changes. Please read “Tax Consequences of Owning a Policy” to learn about possible tax consequences of changing your insurance coverage under the policy.
Limitations on payment of death benefit. If the insured person commits suicide within certain time periods (generally within two years from the Issue Date of the policy), the amount payable will be equal to the premiums paid, less the amount of any policy debt on the date of death, and less any withdrawals. Also, if an application misstated the age or sex of the insured person, we will adjust, if necessary, the Basic Sum Insured, any Additional Sum Insured, and every other benefit to that which would have been purchased at the correct age or sex by the most recent cost of insurance charges or as otherwise provided by your policy.
You may surrender the policy in full at any time, in which case we will pay you the account value, less any policy debt and less CDSC that then applies. You must return your policy when you request a full surrender. We process surrenders as of the day we receive the surrender request.
You may make a partial withdrawal of your surrender value at any time after the first policy year. Each partial withdrawal must be at least $1,000. There is a charge for each partial withdrawal. The charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $50. We will automatically reduce the account value of your policy by the amount of the withdrawal and the related charge. Unless we agree otherwise, each variable investment account and fixed account will be reduced in the same proportion as the account value is then allocated among them. We will not permit a partial withdrawal if it would cause your surrender value to fall below 3 months’ worth of monthly charges. We also reserve the right to refuse any partial withdrawal that would cause the policy’s Total Sum Insured to fall below $100,000 or the policy’s Basic Sum Insured to fall below $100,000. Under the Option A death benefit, the reduction of your account value occasioned by a partial withdrawal could cause the minimum insurance amount to become less than your Total Sum Insured. If that happens, we will automatically reduce your Total Sum Insured. The calculation of that reduction is explained in the policy, and will be implemented by first reducing any Additional Sum Insured in effect. If the reduction in Total Sum Insured would cause your policy to fail the Internal Revenue Code’s (“Code”) definition of life insurance, we will not permit the partial withdrawal. If the withdrawal results in a reduction in Basic Sum Insured, a pro-rata portion of the applicable CDSC will be deducted from the account value. We reserve the right to waive any withdrawal charge or any reduction in Total Sum Insured if the withdrawal is designed to serve certain administrative purposes (such as the payment of fees associated with the provision of asset management services).
Availability of Loans, Limitations and Interest
You may borrow from your policy at any time by completing a form satisfactory to us. We process policy loans as of the business day we receive the loan request. You can repay all or part of a loan at any time. The minimum amount of each loan is $1,000. The maximum amount you can borrow is determined as follows:
| • | We first determine the surrender value of your policy. |
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| • | We then subtract an amount equal to 12 times the monthly charges then being deducted from account value. |
| • | We then multiply the resulting amount by .75% in policy years 1 through 10, .50% in policy years 11 through 20, and 0% thereafter (although we reserve the right to increase the percentage after policy year 20 to as much as .25%). |
| • | We then subtract the third item above from the second item above. |
Interest is charged on each loan. You can pay the interest or allow it to become part of the outstanding loan balance. The interest charged on any loan is an effective annual rate of 3.75% in the first 10 policy years, 3.50% in policy years 11 through 20, and 3.00% thereafter. However, we reserve the right to increase the percentage after the 20th policy year to as much as 3.25%. Accrued interest will be added to the loan daily and will bear interest at the same rate as the original loan amount. The amount of the loan is deducted from the variable investment accounts and any fixed account in the same proportion as the account value is then allocated among them and is placed in a special loan account. This special loan account will earn interest at an effective annual rate of 3.00%.
Effect of Loans on Cash Value and Death Benefit
The account value, the surrender value, and any death benefit above the Total Sum Insured are permanently affected by any loan, whether or not it is repaid in whole or in part. This is because the amount of the loan is deducted from the variable investment and fixed accounts and placed in a special loan account. The variable investment accounts or any fixed account and the special loan account will generally have different rates of investment return.
Taking a loan on the policy increases the risk that the policy may lapse because of the difference between the interest rate charged on the loan and the interest rate credited to the special loan account. Policy loans permanently affect the calculation of your account value and may also result in adverse tax consequences. The amount of the outstanding loan (which includes accrued and unpaid interest) is subtracted from the amount otherwise payable when the policy proceeds become payable. Whenever the outstanding loan equals or exceeds the surrender value, the policy will terminate 31 days after we have mailed notice of termination to you (and to any assignee of record at such assignee’s last known address) specifying the amount that must be paid to avoid termination, unless a repayment of at least the amount specified is made within that period.
The tax consequences of a loan interest credited differential of 0% are unclear. You should consult a tax adviser before effecting a loan to evaluate possible tax consequences. If we determine that a loan will be treated as a distribution from your policy because of the differential between the loan interest rate and the rate being credited on the special loan account, we reserve the right to increase the rate charged on the loan to a rate that would, in our reasonable judgment, result in the transaction being treated as a loan under Federal tax law. The right to increase the rate charged on the loan is restricted in some states.
You can repay all or part of a loan at any time. Unless we agree otherwise, each repayment will be allocated among the variable and fixed accounts as set out below.
| • | The same proportionate part of the loan as was borrowed from any fixed account will be repaid to that fixed account. |
| • | The remainder of the repayment will be allocated among the variable investment accounts in the same way a new premium payment would be allocated. |
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If you want a payment to be used as a loan repayment, you must include instructions to that effect. Otherwise, all payments will be assumed to be premium payments. We process loan repayments as of the day we receive the repayment.
OTHER BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE POLICY
In addition to the standard death benefits associated with your policy, other standard and/or optional benefits may also be available to you. The following tables summarize information about those benefits. Information about the fees associated with each benefit included in the tables may be found in the FEE TABLE.
| STANDARD BENEFITS | ||||
| Name of Benefit | Purpose | Brief Description of Restrictions/Limitations | ||
|
Dollar cost averaging |
Under the dollar cost averaging program, you will designate an amount that will be transferred monthly from one variable investment account into any other variable investment account or a fixed account. | We reserve the right to cease to offer this program after written notice to you. | ||
| Asset allocation balancing | Under the asset allocation balancer program, you will designate a percentage allocation of account value among variable investment accounts. We will automatically transfer amounts among the variable investment accounts at intervals you select (annually, semi-annually, or quarterly) to reestablish your chosen allocation. | We reserve the right to cease this program after written notice to you. | ||
| OPTIONAL BENEFITS | ||||
| Name of Benefit | Purpose | Brief Description of Restrictions/Limitations | ||
| Disability Waiver of Charges Rider | Waives charges under the policy during total disability (as defined in the rider) of the insured person, prior to age 60. | If the insured person becomes totally and permanently disabled after age 60, monthly deductions are only waived until age 65. | ||
| Living Care Benefit Rider | Provides for an advance payment of a portion of the death benefit if the insured person becomes terminally ill (as defined in the rider), with death expected within 24 months. | Advances under the rider are discounted for interest at the rates specified in the rider, and we may use a portion of any advance to repay loans under your policy. The maximum advance is $1,000,000. | ||
| Disability Payment of Specified Premium Rider | Pays a specified amount of premium into the policy value each month during the life insured person’s total disability. | Total disability must begin between the policy anniversaries nearest the insured person’s 5th and 65th birthdays and must be continuous for at least six months. We will not pay the specified premium under this rider if: (1) the total disability results from an intentional, self-inflicted injury or service in the armed forces; or (2) the total disability begins within 2 years after the rider’s | ||
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| Name of Benefit | Purpose |
Brief Description of Restrictions/Limitations | ||
| Issue Date and results from an injury sustained or a disease contracted before the rider’s Issue Date. The specified premium may be reduced in the event of a reduction in Total Face Amount. The specified premium paid under this rider may not be sufficient to maintain the policy in force to Age 100. | ||||
| Children’s Insurance Benefit Rider | Provides term insurance up through age 21 on each covered child of the insured person. | A child must be more than 14 days old and less than 15 years old. | ||
| Accidental Death Benefit Rider | Provides for an additional insurance benefit if the insured person’s death is due to accidental causes. | The accidental cause must have occurred between the policy anniversaries nearest the insured person’s 5th and 70th birthdays. | ||
| Enhanced Cash Value Rider | Provides an enhancement in cash surrender value. | This rider can only be elected at the time of application for the policy. |
More About Certain Optional Benefits
When you apply for a policy, you can request any of the optional supplementary benefit riders that we then make available. Availability of any rider, the benefits it provides and the charges for it may vary by state. Our rules and procedures will govern eligibility for any rider and, in some cases, the configuration of the actual rider benefits. Each rider contains specific details that you should review before you decide to choose the rider. You may request an example illustrating the operation of any of the following optional supplementary benefit riders by contacting the Service Office at 1-800-732-5543. Charges for most riders will be deducted from the account value. We may change these charges (or the rates that determine them), but not above any applicable maximum amount stated in your policy specifications. We may add to, delete from or modify the list of optional supplementary benefit riders.
Total disability is a condition resulting from accidental bodily injury or disease which leaves the insured person (1) incapable of performing the duties of employment or (2) with total and irrecoverable loss of sight of both eyes or use of both hands, both feet or one hand and one foot. Before we will pay Specified Premium, we must receive due proof of the insured person’s total disability, which must begin between the policy anniversaries nearest the insured person’s 5th and 65th birthdays and must be continuous for at least six months.
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Pursuant to the terms and conditions of this rider, we will continue to pay Specified Premium until (1) the insured person’s total disability has ceased, (2) the insured person has died, (3) we have not received sufficient proof of continued total disability, or (4) the rider has terminated. However, if total disability begins on or after the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 60th birthday, we will cease to pay Specified Premium on the earliest of the dates provided above and the day before the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 65th birthday.
Example: Assume that you have chosen a monthly Specified Premium amount of $1,000 and there has not been any change in benefits since your policy was issued. If you qualify for and receive such Specified Premium payments for a 5-year period prior to the insured person’s date of death, the total cumulative amount of premiums we will pay into the policy pursuant to this rider will be 60 months (i.e., 5 years) x $1,000 = $60,000. However, the amount of any death benefit paid upon the insured person’s death will not be reduced as a result of these payments under the rider.
We will not pay the Specified Premium under this rider if: (1) the total disability results from an intentional, self-inflicted injury or service in the armed forces; or (2) the total disability begins within 2 years after the rider’s Issue Date and results from an injury sustained or a disease contracted before the rider’s issue date.
The Specified Premium may be reduced in the event of a reduction in Total Face Amount or a change in any rider benefits. We will notify you of any such reduction in the Specified Premium.
This rider will terminate at the earliest of (a) the date your policy terminates, (b) the date you request in writing to terminate this rider, or (c) the date of death of the insured person. However, if total disability begins on or after the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 60th birthday, the rider will terminate on the earliest of the dates provided above and the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 65th birthday.
The Specified Premium paid under this rider may not be sufficient to maintain the policy in force to Age 100. Therefore, you may be required to pay premiums during the period of continuous total disability in order to maintain the policy in force.
| • | Enhanced Cash Value Rider. While this rider is in effect, we will pay an Enhanced Cash Value Benefit in addition to the policy surrender value if: |
| • | you surrender the policy before the CDSC is equal to zero; and |
| • | the surrender is not the result of an exchange under Section 1035 of the Code. |
The Enhanced Cash Value Benefit is equal to the CDSC in effect on the date of your surrender, up to a maximum amount equal to your account value on the date of surrender less any indebtedness. We describe the CDSC, and the period it is in effect, under “Deductions from account value.”
The Enhanced Cash Value Benefit does not increase (a) the death benefit payable under the policy, (b) the maximum amount you may borrow from the policy or (c) the maximum amount you may withdraw from the policy through partial withdrawals.
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Tax Consequences of Owning a Policy
Tax consequences will vary based on your own particular circumstances, and for further information you should consult a qualified tax adviser. This material does not constitute tax or legal advice and neither John Hancock USA nor any of its agents, employees or registered representatives are in the business of offering such advice.
Federal, state and local tax laws, regulations and interpretations can change from time to time. As a result, the tax consequences to you and the beneficiary may be altered, in some cases retroactively. The policy may be used in various arrangements, including non-qualified deferred compensation or salary continuation plans, split dollar insurance plans, executive bonus plans, retiree medical benefit plans and others. The tax consequences of such plans may vary depending on the particular facts and circumstances of each individual arrangement. Therefore, if the value of using the policy in any such arrangement depends in part on the tax consequences, a qualified tax adviser should be consulted for advice.
Generally, death benefits paid under policies such as yours are not subject to income tax unless policy ownership has been transferred in exchange for payment. Earnings on your account value are ordinarily not subject to income tax as long as we don’t pay them out to you. If we do distribute any amount of your account value, all or part of that distribution would generally be treated as a return of the premiums you’ve paid and not subjected to income tax. Any portion not treated as a return of your premiums would be includible in your income.
Distributions for tax purposes include amounts received upon surrender or partial withdrawals and may include the charges for certain supplementary benefit riders as described below. You may also be deemed to have received a distribution for tax purposes if you assign all or part of your policy rights or change your policy’s ownership. Amounts you borrow are generally not taxable to you.
Please note that certain distributions associated with a reduction in death benefit or other policy benefits within the first fifteen years after issuance of the policy are ordinarily taxable in whole or in part.
Some of the tax rules change if your policy becomes a “modified endowment contract.” This can happen if you’ve paid premiums in excess of limits prescribed by the tax laws. In that case, additional taxes and penalties may be payable for policy distributions of any kind, including loans.
We expect the policy to receive the same Federal income and estate tax treatment as fixed benefit life insurance policies. Section 7702 of the Code defines a life insurance contract for Federal tax purposes. For a policy to be treated as a life insurance contract, it must satisfy either the cash value accumulation test or the guideline premium test. We will monitor compliance with these standards. If we determine that a policy does not satisfy the definition of life insurance under section 7702, we may take whatever steps are appropriate and reasonable to bring it into compliance with section 7702.
It is possible that, despite our monitoring, a policy might fail to qualify as a life insurance contract under section 7702 of the Code. This could happen, for example, if we inadvertently failed to return to you any premium payments that were in excess of amounts permitted under section 7702, or if any of the funds failed to meet certain investment diversification or other requirements of the Code. If this were to occur, you would be subject to income tax on the income credited to the policy from the date of issue to the date of the disqualification and for subsequent periods.
If the policy complies with section 7702, the death benefit proceeds under the policy ordinarily should be excludible from the beneficiary’s gross income under section 101 of the Code. (As noted above, a transfer of the policy for valuable consideration may limit the exclusion of death benefits from the beneficiary’s income.)
Tax consequences of ownership or receipt of policy proceeds under Federal, state and local estate, inheritance, gift and other tax laws will depend on the circumstances of each owner or beneficiary. If the person insured by
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the policy is also its owner, either directly or indirectly through an entity such as a revocable trust, the death benefit will be includible in his or her estate for purposes of the Federal estate tax. If the owner is not the person insured, the value of the policy will be includible in the owner’s estate upon his or her death. Even if ownership has been transferred, the death proceeds or the account value may be includible in the former owner’s estate if the transfer occurred less than three years before the former owner’s death or if the former owner retained certain kinds of control over the policy. You should consult your tax adviser regarding these possible tax consequences.
Increases in account value as a result of interest or investment experience will not be subject to Federal income tax unless and until values are received through actual or deemed distributions. In general, unless the policy is a modified endowment contract, the owner will be taxed only on the amount of distributions that exceed the premiums paid under the policy. An exception to this general rule occurs in the case of a decrease in the policy’s death benefit or any other change that reduces benefits under the policy in the first fifteen years after the policy is issued and that results in a cash distribution to the policy owner. Changes that reduce benefits include partial withdrawals and reductions in face amount that result in a distribution that is required to keep the policy in compliance with section 7702. For purposes of this rule any distribution within the two years immediately before a reduction in benefits will also be treated as if it were a result of the reduction. A cash distribution that reduces policy benefits will be taxed in whole or in part (to the extent of any gain in the policy) under rules prescribed in section 72(e) of the Code. The taxable amount is subject to limits prescribed in section 7702(f)(7). Any taxable distribution will be ordinary income to the owner (rather than capital gain).
Tax Consequences of Electing Certain Supplementary Benefit Riders
Cash value enhancement riders. If you have elected the Enhanced Cash Value Rider, we will not treat the rider charge as a distribution from your life insurance policy for federal income tax purposes, however, such charge will reduce your investment in the policy.
Accelerated benefit riders. If you have elected the Living Care Benefit Rider, we intend for the rider’s benefits to be excludible from gross income under Section 101 of the Code. Nevertheless, you should consult your tax adviser as to the income tax consequences to you.
We are taxed as a life insurance company. Under current tax law rules, we include the investment income (exclusive of capital gains) of the Separate Account in our taxable income and take deductions for investment income credited to our policy holder reserves. We are also required to capitalize and amortize certain costs instead of deducting those costs when they are incurred. We do not currently charge the Separate Account for any resulting income tax costs, other than a charge we may impose against the Separate Account to compensate us for the cost of a delay in the deductibility of deferred acquisition costs (the “DAC tax” adjustment) pursuant to section 848 of the Code. We also claim certain tax credits or deductions relating to foreign taxes paid and dividends received by the series funds. These benefits can be material. We do not pass these benefits through to the Separate Account, principally because: (i) the deductions and credits are allowed to us and not the policy owners under applicable tax law; and (ii) the deductions and credits do not represent investment return on the Separate Account assets that is passed through to policy owners.
The policies permit us to deduct a charge for any taxes we incur that are attributable to the operation or existence of the policies or the Separate Account. Currently, we do not anticipate making any specific charge for such taxes other than any DAC tax charge and premium taxes where applicable. If the level of the current taxes increases, however, or is expected to increase in the future, we reserve the right to make a charge in the future.
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PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE POLICY
If the account value of your policy is insufficient to pay the charges when due, your policy (or part of it) can terminate (i.e., “lapse”). This can happen because you haven’t paid enough premiums or because the investment performance of the variable investment accounts you’ve chosen has been poor or because of a combination of both factors. You will be given a 61-day grace period within which to make additional premium payments to keep the policy in effect. If you don’t pay at least the required amount by the end of the grace period, your policy (or part of it) will lapse. If your policy lapses, all coverage under the policy will cease. If lapse occurs, you’ll be given the opportunity to reinstate the policy by making the required premium payments and satisfying certain other conditions. Since withdrawals reduce your account value, withdrawals increase the risk of lapse. Policy loans also increase the risk of lapse.
The policy offers a number of variable investment accounts, as listed in the APPENDIX. The investment performance of any variable investment account may be good or bad, and you may lose money on amounts you invest in a policy. Your account value will increase or decrease based on the investment performance of the variable investment accounts you’ve chosen. The variable investment accounts cover a broad spectrum of investment styles and strategies, some variable investment accounts are riskier than others. These risks (and potential rewards) are discussed in detail in the prospectuses of the portfolios. The death benefit may also increase or decrease with investment experience.
An investment in a policy is also subject to risks related to John Hancock USA, including that the obligations (including under the fixed account options), guarantees, or benefits are subject to the claims-paying ability of John Hancock USA. Information about John Hancock USA, including its financial strength ratings, is available upon request from your John Hancock USA representative. Our current financial strength ratings can also be obtained by contacting the Service Office at 1-800-732-5543.
There is a risk that you will not be able to transfer your account value from one variable investment account to another because of limitations on the dollar amount or frequency of transfers you can make. The limitations on transfers out of the fixed account are more restrictive than those that apply to transfers out of variable investment accounts. If you purchase certain supplementary benefit riders you will be subject to special transfer restrictions.
To discourage market timing and disruptive trading activity, we impose restrictions on transfers and reserve the right to change, suspend or terminate telephone, facsimile and internet transaction privileges. While we seek to identify and prevent disruptive trading activity, it may not always be possible to do so. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the restrictions we impose will be successful in preventing all disruptive trading and avoiding harm to long term investors.
Access to Funds Risk/ Not a Short-Term Investment
This policy is not a short-term investment because of the substantial policy-level charges and the CDSC, and is not appropriate for an investor who needs ready access to cash. There is a risk that you will not be able (or willing) to access your account value by surrendering the policy because of the CDSC that may be payable upon surrender. The CDSC is a percentage of the premiums you’ve paid and disappears only after 9 policy years have passed. See the Fee Table of this prospectus for details on the CDSC. There is a fee for each partial withdrawal. The charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $50.
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In order for you to receive the tax benefits extended to life insurance under the Code, your policy must comply with certain requirements of the Code. We will monitor your policy for compliance with these requirements, but a policy might fail to qualify as life insurance in spite of our monitoring, which can have adverse tax consequences. If the policy were determined not to qualify as life insurance under the Code, you would be taxed on any income or gains those assets generate. In other words, you would lose the value of the so-called “tax-deferred inside build-up” that is a major benefit of life insurance.
There is a tax risk associated with policy loans. Although no part of a loan is treated as income to you when the loan is made unless your policy is a “modified endowment contract,” surrender or lapse of the policy with a loan outstanding would result in the loan being treated as a distribution at the time of lapse or surrender. This could result in a considerable tax bill. Under certain circumstances involving large amounts of outstanding loans and an insured person of advanced age, you might find yourself having to choose between high premium requirements to keep your policy from lapsing and a significant tax burden if you allow the lapse to occur.
Tax consequences of ownership or receipt of policy proceeds (including surrender or withdrawal proceeds) under Federal, state and local estate, inheritance, gift and other tax laws can vary greatly depending upon the circumstances of each owner or beneficiary. There can also be unfavorable tax consequences on such things as the change of policy ownership or assignment of ownership interests. For these and all the other reasons mentioned above, we recommend you consult with a qualified tax adviser before buying the policy and before exercising certain rights under the policy.
There are tax risks associated with the election of certain supplementary benefit riders (see “Tax Consequences of Electing Certain Supplementary Benefit Riders”).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE POLICY
Under the policies, we deduct the charges discussed immediately below under “Deductions from premium payments” and “Deductions from account value.” Although the Fee Table in this prospectus provides disclosure about the maximum rates we are permitted to charge, we currently deduct some of the charges at less than those maximum rates. As a general matter, however, we also are permitted to increase or decrease the rate at which we are deducting any charge, provided that the rate can never exceed the maximum set forth in your policy (including in any applicable supplementary benefit rider) and as disclosed in the Fee Table. By contacting the John Hancock USA Service Office or your John Hancock USA representative at any time, you can obtain information about the then-current rate of any charges that are applicable to your particular circumstances and/or obtain a personalized illustration that will demonstrate the manner in which those specific current charges impact the values under your policy.
Deductions from premium payments.
Premium sales charge. A charge to help defray our sales costs. The charge is 8% of the premium you pay in policy year 1 and thereafter.
Enhanced Cash Value Rider charge. A charge to cover the cost of this rider, if elected, equal to 4% of premium paid in the first two policy years up to the Target Premium in each year. We may vary the charge where special circumstances result in sales or administrative expenses, mortality risks or other risks that are different from those normally associated with the rider. These include the type of variations discussed under “Variations.” No variation in the charge will exceed the maximum stated above.
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Deductions from account value.
Issue charge. A monthly charge to help defray our sales and administrative costs. The charge is a percentage of the Target Premium and will be the same regardless of the amount of premium actually paid. The Target Premium is determined at the time the policy is issued and appears in the policy specifications. In general, the greater the proportion of Additional Sum Insured at issue, the lower the Target Premium. The percentage will vary by the gender, issue age and risk class of the insured person, the death benefit option selected and the duration of the policy.
Administrative charge. A monthly charge to help defray our administrative costs. This is a flat dollar charge of up to $31 during the first policy year and up to $11 during policy years 2 and thereafter.
Insurance charge. A monthly charge for the cost of insurance. To determine the charge, we multiply the AAR by a cost of insurance rate. The table in your policy will show the maximum cost of insurance rates. The cost of insurance rates that we currently apply are generally less than the maximum rates. We will review the cost of insurance rates at least every 5 years and may change them from time to time. However, those rates will never be more than the maximum rates shown in the policy. The table of rates we use will depend on the insurance risk characteristics and (usually) gender of the insured person, the Total Sum Insured and the length of time the policy has been in effect. Regardless of the table used, cost of insurance rates generally increase each year that you own your policy, as the insured person’s attained age increases. The insurance charge for death benefit Option B will tend to be higher than the insurance charge for death benefit Option A.
Asset-based risk charge. A monthly charge for mortality and expense risks we assume. The charge is a percentage of that portion of your account value allocated to variable investment accounts. We guarantee that the percentage on the first $25,000 of account value allocated to variable investment accounts will never exceed .07%. We guarantee that the percentages on the account value allocated to the variable investment accounts in excess of $25,000 will never exceed .07% for policy years 1 through 5 and .03% for policy years 6 and thereafter. This charge does not apply to the fixed account.
Supplementary benefit rider charges. Monthly charges for any supplementary insurance benefits (other than the optional Enhanced Cash Value Rider) added to the policy by means of a rider. Maximum charges for the various riders are shown in the Fee Table above under “Transaction Fees” or “Periodic Charges Other than Annual Portfolio Expenses,” as appropriate. These charges are also specified in the rider’s provisions or the policy specifications. You can obtain information about the specific charges applicable to you from your John Hancock USA representative.
BSI increase charge. A charge we deduct if you increase the Basic Sum Insured. A table in your policy will state the maximum rate for the charge per $1,000 of Basic Sum Insured increase, based on the insured person’s age on the effective date of the increase and the death benefit option chosen. The rates are shown in the policy and generally range from $1.80 per $1,000 (for a female superpreferred risk with an issue age of less than 1 year and death benefit Option A) up to the maximum rate for an issue age 69 male tobacco risk with death benefit Option A or B.
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Contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”). A charge we deduct if the policy lapses or is surrendered within the first 10 policy years. We deduct this charge to compensate us for sales expenses that we would otherwise not recover in the event of early lapse or surrender. The charge is a percentage of the premiums we received in the first policy year that do not exceed the first year Target Premium, as shown in the following table:
|
Policy Year(s) |
Percentage of First Year Target Premium |
|||
|
1-4 |
100 | % | ||
|
5-6 |
95 | % | ||
| 7 |
90 | % | ||
| 8 |
70 | % | ||
| 9 |
50 | % | ||
| 10 and later |
0 | % | ||
The above table applies only if the insured person is less than attained age 45 at issue. For older issue ages, the maximum is reached earlier and the percentage may decrease to zero in fewer than 10 policy years. Regardless of issue age, there is a further limitation on the CDSC that can be charged if surrender or lapse occurs in the second policy year. A pro-rata portion of the CDSC may also be charged in the case of withdrawals that reduce Basic Sum Insured and requested reductions in Basic Sum Insured. The pro-rata charge is calculated by dividing the reduction in Basic Sum Insured by the Basic Sum Insured immediately prior to the reduction and then multiplying the applicable CDSC by that ratio.
Loan interest charge. We will charge interest on any amount you borrow from your policy. The interest charged on any loan is a maximum effective annual rate of 3.75% for policy years 1-10. The effective annual interest rate is 3.50% for policy year 11-20, and 3% thereafter.
Transfer fee. We currently do not impose a fee upon transfers of account value among the variable investment accounts, but reserve the right to impose a fee of up to $25 for any transfer beyond an annual limit (which would be 12 or more) to compensate us for the costs of processing these transfers.
Partial withdrawal charge. A charge for each partial withdrawal of account value to compensate us for the administrative expenses of processing the withdrawal. The charge is equal to the lesser of 2% of the withdrawal amount or $50.
Charges at the portfolio level. The portfolios must pay investment management fees and other operating expenses from portfolio assets. These fees and expenses are different for each portfolio and reduce the investment return of each portfolio. Therefore, they also indirectly reduce the return you will earn on any variable investment accounts you select. Expenses of the portfolios are not fixed or specified under the terms of the policy, and those expenses may vary from year to year. See APPENDIX .
Additional Information About How Certain Policy Charges Work
The premium sales and the CDSC charges help to compensate us for the cost of selling our policies. The amount of the charges in any policy year does not specifically correspond to sales expenses for that year. We expect to recover our total sales expenses over the life of the policies. To the extent that the premium sales and the CDSC charges do not cover total sales expenses, the sales expenses may be recovered from other sources, including gains from the charge for mortality and expense risks and other gains with respect to the policies, or from our general assets. Similarly, administrative expenses not fully recovered by the issue charge and the administrative charge may also be recovered from such other sources.
Unless we agree otherwise, we will deduct the monthly deductions and any CDSC from your policy’s variable investment accounts and any fixed account in proportion to the amount of account value you have in each of
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those accounts. For each month that we cannot deduct any charge because of insufficient account value, the uncollected charges will accumulate and be deducted when and if sufficient account value becomes available.
The insurance under the policy continues in full force during any grace period but, if the insured person dies during the policy grace period, the amount of unpaid monthly charges is deducted from the death benefit otherwise payable.
Other Charges We Could Impose in the Future
We currently make no specific charge for our Federal income taxes. However, if we incur, or expect to incur, income taxes attributable to any subaccount of the Separate Account or this class of policies in future years, we reserve the right to make a charge for such taxes. Any such charge would reduce what you earn on any affected accounts. However, we expect that no such charge will be necessary.
We also reserve the right to increase the tax charge in order to correspond with changes in the state premium tax levels or in the Federal income tax treatment of the deferred acquisition costs for this type of policy.
Under current laws, we may incur state and local taxes (in addition to premium taxes) in several states. At present, these taxes are not significant. If there is a material change in applicable state or local tax laws, we may make charges for such taxes.
Our right to increase any charge up to the maximum rate shown in the policy specifications applies to then outstanding policies, as well as to policies issued after the increase.
We pay compensation to broker-dealers for the promotion and sale of the policies, and for providing ongoing service in relation to policies that have already been purchased. We may also pay a limited number of broker-dealers commissions or overrides to “wholesale” the policies; that is, to provide marketing support and training services to the broker-dealer firms that do the actual selling. The compensation paid to broker-dealers may vary depending on the selling agreement. The compensation paid is not expected to exceed 112.75% of the Target Premium paid in the first policy year, and 8% of the Target Premium paid in years 2-4, and 3% of the Target Premium payable in years 5 through 10. Compensation on any premium paid in excess of Target Premium in any year will not exceed 4%. This compensation schedule is exclusive of additional compensation and revenue sharing and inclusive of overrides and expense allowances paid to broker-dealers for sale of the policies (not including riders). Under their own arrangements, broker-dealers determine how much of any amounts received from us is to be paid to their registered representatives.
To the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) rules and other applicable laws and regulations, we may enter into special compensation or reimbursement arrangements (“revenue sharing”), either directly or through JH Distributors, with selected broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries. In consideration of these arrangements, a firm may feature our policy in its sales system, give us preferential access to sales staff, or allow JH Distributors or its affiliates to participate in conferences, seminars or other programs attended by the firm’s sales force. We hope to benefit from these revenue sharing and other arrangements through increased sales of our policies.
Selling broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries may receive, directly or indirectly, additional payments in the form of cash, other compensation or reimbursement. These additional compensation or reimbursement arrangements may include, for example, payments in connection with the firm’s “due diligence” examination of the policies, payments for providing conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, payment for travel expenses, including lodging, incurred by registered representatives and other employees for such seminars or training programs, seminars for the public or client
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seminars, advertising and sales campaigns regarding the policies, payments to assist a firm in connection with its systems, operations and marketing expenses and/or other events or activities sponsored by the firms. We may contribute to, as well as sponsor, various educational programs, sales promotions, and/or other contests in which participating firms and their sales persons may receive gifts and prizes such as merchandise, cash or other rewards as may be permitted under FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations.
You should contact your registered representative for more information on compensation arrangements in connection with your purchase of a policy. We provide additional information on special compensation or reimbursement arrangements involving broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
Either your entire policy or the Additional Sum Insured portion of your Total Sum Insured can terminate (i.e., “lapse”) for failure to pay charges due under the policy. During the first 5 policy years, there can be no lapse of any kind if the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect (see below). If the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect after the 5th policy year, the Additional Sum Insured, and any optional supplementary benefit riders (unless otherwise stated therein) will be in default and may lapse if the policy’s surrender value is not sufficient to pay the charges on a grace period testing date. If the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is not in effect, the entire policy will be in default and may lapse if the policy’s account value is not sufficient to pay the charges on a grace period testing date. In either case, we will notify you of how much you will need to pay to keep the Additional Sum Insured or the policy in force. You will have a 61 day “grace period” to make these payments. If you pay these amounts during the grace period, you may also continue the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature by paying the necessary amount of GDB Premiums.
If you don’t pay at least the required amount by the end of the grace period, the Additional Sum Insured and any optional supplementary benefit riders (unless otherwise stated therein) or your policy, as the case may be, will lapse. If your policy lapses, all coverage under the policy will cease. Even if the policy or the Additional Sum Insured terminates in this way, you can still reactivate (i.e., “reinstate”) it within 3 years from the beginning of the grace period. You will have to provide evidence that the insured person still meets our requirements for issuing coverage. You will also have to pay a minimum amount of premium and be subject to the other terms and conditions applicable to reinstatements, as specified in the policy. Reinstatement of a lapsed policy or Additional Sum Insured will take effect on the monthly deduction date on or next following the date we approve the reinstatement request. If the Guaranteed Death Benefit is not in effect and the insured person dies during the grace period, we will deduct any unpaid monthly charges from the death benefit. During a grace period, you cannot make a partial withdrawal or policy loan.
Generally, the suicide exclusion and incontestability provisions will apply from the effective date of reinstatement. Your policy will indicate if this is not the case. A surrendered policy cannot be reinstated.
Insurance laws and regulations apply to us in every state in which our policies are sold. As a result, terms and conditions of your insurance coverage may vary depending on where you purchase a policy, and certain riders and options may not be available due to state insurance laws or restrictions in the state in which the policy is issued. You should refer to your policy for these state specific features.
We may vary the charges and other terms of our policies where special circumstances result in sales or administrative expenses, mortality risks or other risks that are different from those normally associated with the policies, subject to the maximum charges described in this prospectus. For example, with respect to policies issued to a class of associated individuals or to a trustee, employer or similar entity where we anticipate that the sales to the members of the class will result in lower than normal sales or administrative expenses, lower taxes or
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lower risks to us, we may offer the policies with reduced charges or with additional or enhanced features or benefits. We will make these programs available in accordance with our established administrative procedures in effect at the time of the application for a policy. The factors we consider in determining the eligibility of a particular group for such a program are: (i) the nature of the association and its organizational framework; (ii) the method by which sales will be made to the members of the class; (iii) the facility with which premiums will be collected from the associated individuals and the association’s capabilities with respect to administrative tasks; (iv) the anticipated lapse and surrender rates of the policies; (v) the size of the class of associated individuals and the number of years it has been in existence; (vi) the aggregate amount of premiums paid; and (vii) any other such circumstances which result in a reduction in sales or administrative expenses, lower taxes or lower risks. Any reduction in charges or feature or benefit enhancement will be reasonable and will apply uniformly to all prospective policy investors in the class and will not unfairly discriminate against any owner.
Policy or Separate Account Changes
We reserve the right to make any changes in the policy necessary to ensure the policy is within the definition of life insurance under the Federal tax laws and is in compliance with any changes in Federal or state tax laws.
In our policies, we reserve the right to make certain changes if they would serve the best interests of policy owners or would be appropriate in carrying out the purposes of the policies. These changes include the following:
| • | Changes necessary to comply with or obtain or continue exemptions under the Federal securities laws |
| • | Adding or removing fixed accounts or variable investment accounts |
| • | Combining variable investment accounts |
| • | Closing the variable investment accounts to new allocations or transfers |
| • | Changes in the form of organization of any separate account |
Any such changes will be made only to the extent permitted by applicable laws and only in the manner permitted by such laws. When required by law, we will obtain your approval of the changes and the approval of any appropriate regulatory authority.
We also reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, including approval of owners if so required, (1) to transfer assets determined by John Hancock USA to be associated with the class of policies to which your policy belongs from the Separate Account to another separate account or subaccount, (2) to deregister the Separate Account under the 1940 Act, (3) to substitute for the fund shares held by a subaccount any other investment permitted by law, and (4) to take any action necessary to comply with or obtain any exemptions from the 1940 Act. Any such change will be made only if, in our judgment, the change would best serve the interests of owners of policies in your policy class or would be appropriate in carrying out the purposes of such policies. We would notify owners of any of the foregoing changes and to the extent legally required, obtain approval of affected owners and any regulatory body prior thereto. Such notice and approval, however, may not be legally required in all cases.
We will ordinarily pay any death benefit, withdrawal, surrender value or loan within seven days after we receive the last required form or request (and, with respect to the death benefit, any other documentation that may be required). You may choose to receive proceeds from the policy as a single sum. If no alternative payment option has been chosen, proceeds may be paid as a single sum. As permitted by state law and our current administrative procedures, death claim proceeds may be placed into an interest-bearing John Hancock retained asset account in the beneficiary’s name. The interest earned in a John Hancock retained asset account is normally subject to income tax. You should consult with your tax advisor if you have any questions regarding taxation of the interest
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earned. We will provide the beneficiary with a checkbook, so checks may be written for all or a part of the proceeds. The retained asset account is part of our general account and is subject to the claims of our creditors. It is not a bank account and it is not insured by the FDIC. We may receive a benefit from managing proceeds held in a retained asset account. Alternatively, you can elect to have proceeds of $1,000 or more applied to any of the other payment options we may offer at the time. You cannot choose an option if the monthly payments under the option would be less than $50. We will issue a supplementary agreement when the proceeds are applied to any alternative payment option. That agreement will spell out terms of the option in full. Please contact our Service Office for more information.
We reserve the right to defer payment of that portion of your account value that is attributable to a premium payment made by check for a reasonable period of time (not to exceed fifteen days) to allow the check to clear the banking system. We will not delay payment longer than necessary for us to verify a check has cleared the banking system.
We reserve the right to defer payment of any death benefit, loan or other distribution that is derived from a variable investment account if (1) the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings) or trading on the New NYSE is restricted; (2) an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC, as a result of which disposal of securities is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable to fairly determine the account value; or (3) the SEC by order permits the delay for the protection of owners. Transfers and allocations of account value among the variable investment accounts may also be postponed under these circumstances. If we need to defer calculation of separate account values for any of the foregoing reasons, all delayed transactions will be processed at the next values that we do compute.
State laws allow us to defer payment of any portion of the surrender value derived from the fixed account for up to six months. These laws were enacted many years ago to help insurance companies in the event of a liquidity crisis.
When the Insured Person Reaches 100
On the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 100th birthday, the death benefit will become equal to the following:
| • | the account value on the date of death, and |
| • | the lesser of the following: |
| • | the Basic Sum Insured plus the account value on the date of death, and |
| • | the Basic Sum Insured plus the Additional Sum Insured in effect immediately before the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 100th birthday. |
Death benefit Options A and B (as described above) will then cease to apply. Also, we will stop deducting any monthly charges (other than the asset-based risk charge) and will stop accepting any premium payments. If the Guaranteed Death Benefit feature is in effect on the policy anniversary nearest the insured person’s 100th birthday, the death benefit as described above will be guaranteed not to lapse.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT, DEPOSITOR AND PORTFOLIOS
Your policy is issued by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), 200 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116.
The “registrant” of the policies with the SEC is the John Hancock Variable Life Account UV, a separate account operated by us under Michigan law (the “Separate Account”). Each subaccount of the Separate Account invests its assets in one of the portfolios shown in the APPENDIX.
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The Separate Account’s assets are our property. Each policy provides that amounts we hold in the Separate Account pursuant to the policies cannot be reached by any other persons who may have claims against us and can’t be used to pay any obligations of John Hancock USA other than those arising out of policies that use the Separate Account. Income, gains and losses credited to, or charged against, the Separate Account reflect the Separate Account’s own investment experience and not the investment experience of John Hancock USA’s other assets. All obligations under the policies (including under any fixed account options), guarantees, or benefits are obligations of John Hancock USA and are subject to its claims paying ability.
We normally compute account values for each business day as of the close of the NYSE on that day (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). In case of emergency or other disruption resulting in the NYSE closing at a time other than the regularly scheduled close, the close of our business day may be the regularly scheduled close of the NYSE or another time permitted by the SEC and applicable regulations. Over time, the amount you’ve invested in any variable investment account will increase or decrease the same as if you had invested the same amount directly in the corresponding portfolio and had reinvested all of that portfolio’s dividends and distributions in additional portfolio shares, except that we will deduct certain additional charges which will reduce your account value. We describe these charges under “Charges at the portfolio level.”
Information regarding each portfolio, including (i) its name; (ii) its investment objective; (iii) its investment adviser and any sub-investment adviser; (iv) current expenses; and (v) performance is available in the APPENDIX to this prospectus. Each portfolio has issued a prospectus that contains more detailed information about the portfolio. You can obtain the prospectus (hard copy or electronic) and additional information about any portfolio, at the addresses or phone number set forth in the first paragraph of the APPENDIX. On each business day, shares of each series are purchased or redeemed by us for each subaccount based on, among other things, the amount of net premiums allocated to the subaccount, distributions reinvested, and transfers to, from and among subaccounts, all to be effected as of that date. Such purchases and redemptions are effected at each series fund’s net asset value per share determined for that same date. A “business day” is any date on which NYSE is open for trading.
We will purchase and redeem series fund shares for the Separate Account at their net asset value without any sales or redemption charges. Shares of a series fund represent an interest in one of the funds of the series fund which corresponds to a subaccount of the Separate Account. Any dividend or capital gains distributions received by the Separate Account will be reinvested in shares of that same fund at their net asset value as of the dates paid. We normally calculate the unit values for each variable investment account once every business day as of the close of that day, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Sales and redemptions within any variable investment account will be transacted using the unit value calculated as follows after we receive your request either in writing or other form that we specify. If we receive your request before the close of our business day, we’ll use the unit value calculated as of the end of that business day. If we receive your request at or after the close of our business day, we’ll use the unit value calculated as of the end of the next business day. If a scheduled transaction falls on a day that is not a business day, we’ll process it as of the end of the next business day.
We will vote all portfolio shares that we hold in the Separate Account for policy owners in proportion to instructions timely received by us from policy owners from all our Separate Accounts that are registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act. We will vote all portfolio shares that we otherwise are entitled to vote (including our own shares and other shares for which we receive no instructions) on any matter in proportion to the instructions timely received by us and any affiliated insurance companies with respect to the matter from policy owners in separate accounts of these insurance companies that are registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act. The effect of this proportional voting is that a small number of policy owners can determine the outcome of a vote. The voting privileges described above reflect our understanding of applicable Federal securities law requirements. To
36
the extent that applicable law, regulations or interpretations change to eliminate or restrict the need for such voting privileges, we reserve the right to proceed in accordance with any such revised requirements.
We will determine the number of portfolio shares for which voting instructions may be given not more than 90 days prior to the meeting. Proxy material will be distributed to each person having the voting interest under the policy together with appropriate forms for giving voting instructions.
We determine the number of a portfolio’s shares held in a subaccount attributable to each owner by dividing the amount of a policy’s variable investment account value held in the subaccount by the net asset value of one share in the series fund. Fractional votes will be counted. We determine the number of shares as to which the owner may give instructions as of the record date for a series fund’s meeting. Owners of policies may give instructions regarding the election of the Board of Trustees or Board of Directors of a series fund, ratification of the selection of independent auditors, approval of series fund investment advisory agreements and other matters requiring a shareholder vote.
There are no legal proceedings to which the Depositor, the Separate Account or the principal underwriter is a party or to which the assets of the Separate Account are subject that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Separate Account or the ability of the principal underwriter to perform its contract with the Separate Account or of the Depositor to meet its obligations under the policy.
The financial statements of the Separate Account, as well as the consolidated financial statements of John Hancock USA are in the SAI. The financial statements of John Hancock USA have relevance for the policies only to the extent that they bear upon its ability to meet its obligations under the policies. You may request an SAI by contacting our Service Office at a phone number or address shown on the back cover of this prospectus.
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APPENDIX: PORTFOLIOS AVAILABLE UNDER THE POLICY
The following is a list of portfolios available under the policies. More information about the portfolios is available in the prospectuses for the portfolios, which may be amended from time to time. You can request this information at no cost by calling 1-800-732-5543 or by sending an email request to webmail@jhancock.com.
The current expenses and performance information below reflect fees and expenses of the portfolios, but do not reflect the other fees and expenses that your policy may charge. Expenses would be higher and performance would be lower if these other charges were included. Each portfolio’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To approximate the aggregate total return of a broad-based U.S. domestic equity market index. | 500 Index Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (North America) Limited |
0.25% | 28.36 | 18.18 | 16.27 | |||||
| To seek income and capital appreciation. | Active Bond Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.66% | -0.42 | 4.30 | 4.27 | |||||
| To seek to provide high total return (including income and capital gains) consistent with preservation of capital over the long term. | American Asset Allocation Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
0.92% | 14.71 | 11.31 | 10.93 | |||||
| To seek to provide long-term growth of capital. | American Global Growth Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
1.05% | 16.00 | 19.23 | 15.23 | |||||
| To seek to provide growth of capital. | American Growth Trust - Series I Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
0.97% | 21.55 | 24.97 | 19.27 | |||||
| To seek to provide long-term growth of capital and income. | American Growth-Income Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
0.91% | 23.61 | 15.97 | 15.01 | |||||
| To seek to provide long-term growth of capital. | American International Capital Research and Management Company (Adviser to the Master Fund, American Fund Insurance Series) |
1.16% | -1.81 | 9.23 | 7.74 | |||||
| Appendix-1 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To provide long-term growth of capital. Current income is a secondary objective. | Blue Chip Growth John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.76% | 16.92 | 23.20 | 19.24 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Capital Appreciation John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Jennison Associates LLC |
0.73% | 15.76 | 26.65 | 20.19 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Capital Appreciation Value John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.87% | 18.16 | 14.83 | 13.62 | |||||
| To seek total return consisting of income and capital appreciation. | Core Bond Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Allspring Global Investments, LLC |
0.61% | -1.99 | 3.52 | 3.09 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Disciplined Value International John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. |
0.87% | 13.15 | 5.54 | 5.98 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Emerging Markets Value John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Dimensional Fund Advisors LP |
0.98% | 11.25 | 7.99 | 4.31 | |||||
| To provide substantial dividend income and also long-term growth of capital. | Equity Income Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.71% | 25.49 | 11.02 | 11.92 | |||||
| To seek growth of capital. | Financial Industries John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.84% | 29.70 | 11.52 | 12.92 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Fundamental All Cap Core John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.70% | 30.68 | 20.25 | 18.00 | |||||
| Appendix-2 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Fundamental Large Cap Value John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.71% | 30.00 | 14.06 | 14.41 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Global Equity Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.87% | 21.32 | 8.86 | 9.33 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Health Sciences Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.95% | 11.23 | 18.55 | 20.05 | |||||
| To realize an above-average total return over a market cycle of three to five years, consistent with reasonable risk. | High Yield Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Western Asset Management Company, LLC |
0.77% | 5.78 | 6.22 | 6.45 | |||||
| To seek to track the performance of a broad-based equity index of foreign companies primarily in developed countries and, to a lesser extent, in emerging markets. | International Equity Index John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/SSGA Funds Management, Inc. |
0.34% | 7.59 | 9.64 | 7.21 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | International Small Company John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Dimensional Fund Advisors LP |
0.95% | 13.77 | 9.41 | 9.43 | |||||
| To provide a high level of current income consistent with the maintenance of principal and liquidity. | Investment Quality Bond John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.68% | -1.21 | 4.22 | 3.56 | |||||
| To seek a balance between a high level of current income and growth of capital, with a greater emphasis on growth of capital. | Lifestyle Balanced John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.62% | 9.51 | 9.34 | 8.17 | |||||
| Appendix-3 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To seek a high level of current income with some consideration given to growth of capital. | Lifestyle Conservative John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.64% | 2.94 | 6.14 | 5.23 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. Current income is also a consideration. | Lifestyle Growth John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.60% | 14.13 | 11.46 | 10.11 | |||||
| To seek a balance between a high level of current income and growth of capital, with a greater emphasis on income. | Lifestyle Moderate John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.63% | 7.23 | 8.28 | 7.23 | |||||
| To seek growth of capital and current income while seeking to both manage the volatility of return and limit the magnitude of portfolio losses. | Managed Volatility Balanced Portfolio - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.73% | 9.88 | 7.47 | 6.84 | |||||
| To seek current income and growth of capital, while seeking to both manage the volatility of return and limit the magnitude of portfolio losses. | Managed Volatility Conservative Portfolio - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.72% | 3.52 | 5.11 | 4.76 | |||||
| To seek long term growth of capital while seeking to both manage the volatility of return and limit the magnitude of portfolio losses. | Managed Volatility Growth Portfolio - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.76% | 12.85 | 8.12 | 7.33 | |||||
| To seek current income and growth of capital while seeking to both manage the volatility of return and limit the magnitude of portfolio losses. | Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.73% | 8.03 | 7.00 | 6.49 | |||||
| Appendix-4 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Mid Cap Growth Trust (formerly Mid Cap Stock Trust) - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.86% | 3.58 | 23.93 | 18.54 | |||||
| Seeks to approximate the aggregate total return of a mid cap U.S. domestic equity market index. | Mid Cap Index Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (North America) Limited |
0.40% | 24.27 | 12.67 | 13.79 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Mid Value Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
0.91% | 24.26 | 10.15 | 12.95 | |||||
| To obtain maximum current income consistent with preservation of principal and liquidity. | Money Market Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.28% | 0.00 | 0.91 | 0.47 | |||||
| To seek maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management. | Opportunistic Fixed Income John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.81% | -2.06 | 4.86 | 2.72 | |||||
| To seek to achieve a combination of long-term capital appreciation and current income. | Real Estate Securities John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
0.74% | 46.80 | 12.99 | 12.08 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. Current income is incidental to the fund’s objective. | Science & Technology John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
1.05% | 8.58 | 27.10 | 21.28 | |||||
| To seek income and capital appreciation. | Select Bond Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.59% | -1.15 | 3.96 | 3.36 | |||||
| Appendix-5 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| To seek a high level of current income consistent with preservation of capital. Maintaining a stable share price is a secondary goal. | Short Term Government Income Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.64% | -1.54 | 1.39 | 0.99 | |||||
| Seeks to approximate the aggregate total return of a small cap U.S. domestic equity market index. | Small Cap Index Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (North America) Limited |
0.46% | 14.59 | 11.66 | 12.94 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Small Cap Opportunities John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Dimensional Fund Advisors LP and GW&K Investment Management, LLC |
0.83% | 31.16 | 11.66 | 12.70 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Small Cap Stock Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
1.05% | 1.27 | 20.55 | 15.69 | |||||
| To seek long-term capital appreciation. | Small Cap Value Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Wellington Management Company LLP |
1.04% | 26.30 | 6.28 | 10.52 | |||||
| To seek long-term growth of capital. | Small Company Value John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
1.18% | 22.81 | 10.37 | 12.13 | |||||
| To seek a high level of current income. | Strategic Income Opportunities Trust - Series NAV John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.70% | 0.95 | 4.08 | 4.84 | |||||
| To seek to track the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the “Bloomberg Index”) (which represents the U.S. investment grade bond market). | Total Bond Market John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.26% | -1.86 | 3.31 | 2.68 | |||||
| Appendix-6 | App tbl #2 |
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| Seeks to approximate the aggregate total return of a broad U.S. domestic equity market index. | Total Stock Market Index John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (North America) Limited |
0.51% | 24.51 | 17.43 | 15.68 | |||||
| The fund seeks a high level of current income consistent with the maintenance of liquidity and the preservation of capital. | Ultra Short Term Bond John Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC/Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC |
0.61% | -0.41 | 1.28 | 0.77 | |||||
| INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE |
PORTFOLIO AND ADVISER/SUBADVISER |
CURRENT EXPENSES* |
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (as of 12/31/21) (%) | |||||||
| 1-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | ||||||||
| The Portfolio seeks maximum real return consistent with preservation of real capital and prudent investment management. | PIMCO VIT All Asset Pacific Investment Management Company LLC/Research Affiliates, LLC |
1.54% | 15.90 | 8.26 | 5.71 | |||||
| To seek to provide capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Aggressive Growth ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.55% | 19.31 | 12.65 | 11.48 | |||||
| To seek to provide income and capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Balanced ETF - Class 2 ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.56% | 9.62 | 7.60 | 6.72 | |||||
| To seek to preserve capital and provide moderate income and moderate capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Conservative ETF - Class 2 ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.58% | 6.45 | 5.76 | 4.90 | |||||
| To seek to provide capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Growth ETF - Class 2 ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.55% | 16.52 | 11.31 | 10.13 | |||||
| To seek to provide capital appreciation. | TOPS ® Moderate Growth ValMark Advisers, Inc./Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC |
0.55% | 12.82 | 9.53 | 8.50 | |||||
* The portfolios’ annual expenses may reflect temporary fee or expense waivers or reimbursements.
| Appendix-7 | App tbl #2 |
JOHN HANCOCK USA SERVICE OFFICE
| Overnight Express Delivery | Mail Delivery | |
| Life Post Issue 410 University Avenue, Suite #55979 Westwood, MA 02090 |
Life Post Issue John Hancock Insurance Company PO Box 55979 Boston, MA 02205 | |
| Phone: | Fax: | |
| 1-800-732-5543 |
1-617-572-1571 | |
In addition to this prospectus, John Hancock USA has filed with the SEC an SAI that contains additional information about John Hancock USA and the Separate Account, including information on our history, services provided to the Separate Account, and the audited financial statements for John Hancock USA and the Separate Account. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus and personalized illustrations of death benefits, account values and surrender values are available, without charge, upon request. You may obtain the personalized illustrations from your John Hancock USA representative. The SAI may be obtained, without charge, by contacting the John Hancock USA Service Office. You should also contact the John Hancock USA Service Office to request any other information about your policy or to make any inquiries about its operation.
Reports and other information about the Separate Account are available on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of such information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by submitting an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
1940 Act File No. 811-7766 — 1933 Act File No. 333-164168
EDGAR Contract Identifier No. C000086001