Consider that variable universal insurance is subject to external events that can upend the best-laid plans:

• Severe Bear Markets: If the subaccounts are heavily equity-based, a market crash could sharply reduce the cash value at a time when you might be less able or willing to increase premiums. This can accelerate policy lapses.
• Economic Downturns: During recessions, your personal income might fall, making even the flexible premiums difficult to maintain. Without adequate cash value reserves, the policy can become precarious.
• Health Crises or Disability: If you lose the ability to work, a waiver-of-premium rider might mitigate the risk, but not all policies have it. A disability could hamper your ability to pay premiums otherwise, leading to a forced partial or full surrender if cash value can’t cover charges.
• Major Life Transitions: Divorce, remarriage, or relocating to a different country with varied tax laws could alter the policy’s desirability or how it’s structured legally (e.g., changes in beneficiary designations or trust ownership).