Issue age is the age of the insured that a life insurance company uses when issuing a policy and calculating premiums, typically based on the insured's nearest birthday or last birthday according to the carrier's rules. The issue age influences premium rate classes, underwriting expectations, and the cost of riders and benefits. Because mortality risk increases with age, higher issue ages generally result in higher premiums for the same face amount and product type. For permanent life insurance, issue age also affects policy performance projections, guarantees, and the duration of certain benefits. Understanding issue age is fundamental to pricing, suitability, and comparisons across carriers and product designs.

In practice, advisors refer to issue age when quoting coverage, preparing illustrations, and comparing options for clients who may be close to age band changes. They explain that some carriers use age last birthday while others use age nearest, which can move a client into a higher age bracket earlier than expected. For example, a client approaching their next birthday might want to apply quickly to secure the lower issue age and corresponding premiums. Issue age can affect eligibility for preferred underwriting classes, maximum term durations, or availability of certain riders such as long term care or chronic illness benefits. Advisors also look at issue age when reviewing in force policies, considering whether term conversions, exchanges, or replacements make sense given current age and health. By understanding how issue age drives pricing and product design, producers can better time applications, manage client expectations, and build long term insurance strategies that reflect realistic cost patterns over the life of the policy.