Grow your money with the market's upside —
without the market's downside.
I'm Brian Dillon. I left a corporate tech career at IBM to help people build tax-free retirement income with Indexed Universal Life insurance — explained in plain English, not insurance-speak.
No cost, no obligation. Just a real conversation about your options.
Three things make IUL different from a typical investment account.
No formulas required. Here's the actual mechanism, in order.
Your money tracks an index — but isn't invested in it
Your cash value growth is linked to something like the S&P 500. When the index goes up, your account is credited a portion of that gain. Your money itself is never directly in the market, so it's never directly at risk from a crash.
A floor protects you in down years
Most policies guarantee a 0% floor. If the index drops 20% in a year, your account doesn't drop with it. You don't gain that year, but you don't lose ground either — and you don't have years to "make back."
A cap limits the upside — that's the trade-off
In exchange for that protection, your gains in a great year are capped at a set rate. You won't capture every point of a 30% market run, but you also weren't exposed when it dropped 30% the year before.
People who've outgrown "just max out the 401(k)."
IUL tends to make the most sense once you're past the basics and looking for tax diversification, downside protection, or living benefits a brokerage account can't offer.
Business Owners
Looking at buy-sell funding, key man coverage, or executive bonus plans on top of personal retirement savings.
High-Income Earners
Already maxing out tax-advantaged accounts and want another bucket that grows tax-free with no contribution limit.
Pre-Retirees
Within 5–15 years of retiring and want to stop being fully exposed to a market downturn right before they need the money.
Young Professionals
Early in their career with decades of compounding ahead, and an interest in building a tax-free asset most of their peers don't know exists.
Where IUL fits next to what you already have.
It's not a replacement for your 401(k) or brokerage account — it's a different tool for a different job.
| Account | Downside risk | Growth potential | Tax treatment | Access to cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 401(k) / Brokerage | Full market exposure | Uncapped | Taxed on withdrawal (or gains) | Penalties before 59½ |
| Whole Life | Guaranteed, no loss | Fixed, modest rate | Tax-free loans/death benefit | Loan against cash value |
| Indexed Universal Life | 0% floor, no loss in down years | Capped, tied to index performance | Tax-free loans/death benefit | Loan against cash value |
Brian Dillon
Life insurance & tax-free retirement specialist. Formerly in corporate technology at IBM.
I spent years in corporate technology at IBM before I made the move into insurance and retirement planning. That shift wasn't a career pivot I made lightly — it came out of a personal loss in my own family that made the gap between "having insurance" and "having the right coverage" very real to me.
I don't sell policies. I explain how the tools work and let you decide if one fits your life.
That's the same lens I bring to every conversation now: no jargon, no pressure, no pretending a product is right for you if it isn't. IUL isn't the answer for everyone. Some people are better served by term life, whole life, or just continuing to max out their 401(k). My job is to walk you through the actual mechanics — the floor, the cap, the fees, the living benefits — so you can tell the difference yourself.
If that sounds like a conversation worth having, book a call. There's no cost and no commitment — just a clear answer to whether this fits.
What people usually ask before booking a call.
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Ready to talk? Here's how to reach Brian.
Brian Dillon
Independent Insurance Broker
1916 Kenilworth Ave
Berwyn, IL 60402
Let's talk through whether this fits your situation.
One conversation, no pressure. You'll leave understanding exactly how IUL works and whether it makes sense for you.
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