What is the difference between assignment and collateral assignment in life insurance?

• A. Assignment transfers ownership rights; collateral assignment temporarily assigns a portion of the death benefit to secure a loan.
• B. Assignment transfers a portion of the death benefit; collateral assignment transfers ownership rights.
• C. Assignment is for loans; collateral assignment is for beneficiaries.
• D. Both are identical.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is ownership vs loan security. An assignment transfers ownership of the life insurance policy to someone else, giving that person full rights over the policy (including who is the beneficiary, whether you can borrow against it, surrender it, etc.). A collateral assignment, however, is a loan-security arrangement. The policy owner keeps ownership, but the lender is named as collateral for the loan. If the insured dies, the death benefit is paid to satisfy the loan up to the outstanding balance, and any remaining proceeds go to the original beneficiaries. This makes the loan the reason for the assignment, not a permanent change in ownership.