Life Insurance FAQs

Common Answers to 1099 Questions

When can I expect to receive my Form 1099–R or 1099-INT?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) require Northwestern Mutual mail Form 1099–R and 1099–INT to the taxpayer by January 31st (or the next business day if January 31st falls on a weekend or legal holiday) of the year following the year in which the distribution took place or the interest was earned. Example: A reportable transaction occurs by December 31st then a tax form 1099 needs to be sent by January 31st of the following year. Given the large volume of tax forms mailed during January, it may take several days for the form to reach the taxpayer.Form 1099s are also available through the Northwestern Mutual website as early as February 1st

How can I access my 1099 online?

Log into our client website and select the Documents page from the drop down menu. 1099 documents will be displayed under the document type 'Tax Documents'.

Why am I receiving a Form 1099 from Northwestern Mutual?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) require Northwestern Mutual to report certain distributions received from life insurance and annuity contracts, and interest earned. The IRS requires that we report this information on a Form 1099 to both the taxpayer and the IRS. Some common examples of taxable income Northwestern Mutual is required to report include:

Form 1099 -INT–Interest earned from a Billing Account, interest earned on dividends that are left to accumulate (i.e. Accumulated Dividends), interest income plans, interest earned on death proceeds after the date of death, but prior to the proceeds being paid, and interest earned on Access Fund Accounts; if the amount of the interest is at least $10.00.

Form 1099–R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, … Insurance Contracts, etc.–Full and partial distributions and certain dividend payments from life insurance and annuity contracts. Note: Certain tax-free exchanges are also reportable on Form 1099–R for informational purposes.

Can Northwestern Mutual advise me on tax matters?

No, Northwestern Mutual cannot provide tax advice as tax laws are complex and circumstances can vary greatly. For tax advice you should consult with your tax advisor.

This contract has multiple owners, why was only one 1099 issued?

Northwestern Mutual records that a contract has multiple owners, but we do not have knowledge of the arrangement among the owners of the contract. The IRS specifies that for multiple owners, the reporting company may report to the first owner of record to fulfill its reporting obligation. The first owner of record, in turn, can divide and report the income to the other owners (referred to as "nominees") on separate Forms 1099 based on their respective ownership interests. If you need to nominate additional owners you may want to consult with your tax advisor or refer to General Instructions for Certain Information Returns (Forms 1097, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, and W-2G).

Can I download my Northwestern Mutual Form 1099 information directly into my tax preparation software?

Currently, Northwestern Mutual does not provide this service for life insurance or annuity products.

Form 1099–R:

How should the taxable gain on Form 1099–R be reported -- ordinary income or capital gains?

Generally, the gain reported on the full or partial distribution of a life insurance or annuity contract is considered ordinary income. There are some situations in which the proceeds are treated as capital gain, e.g. the life insurance contract was sold by an owner to another party. If you feel your transaction may qualify for capital gain treatment you should consult with your tax advisor.

How is the taxable amount reported on the Form 1099–R determined for a life insurance contract?

For any part of a transaction to be taxable, the contract must first have a gain. A life insurance contract has a gain when the gross cash value exceeds the cost basis (generally premiums paid less adjustments) of the contract.

Generally, when a taxpayer takes a distribution from a life insurance contract the IRC allows the taxpayer to recover the cost basis before any gain is withdrawn, but there are some exceptions. Distributions (including loans) from life insurance contracts classified as Modified Endowment Contracts under the IRC are taxed gain-out -first. Also, distributions from a contract within the first 15 contract years may be subject to gain-out-first taxation depending on the size of the withdrawal and other factors.

There was a loan on my life insurance contract when it was surrendered/lapsed. Why is the gross distribution on the Form 1099–R greater than the amount I received at that time?

The IRS requires that if a loan is outstanding when a life insurance contract is surrendered or lapses, the taxable amount reported is generally determined by comparing the gross cash value of the contract to the remaining cost basis. The transaction is reported as if the gross cash value were distributed at the time of the surrender or lapse and then used to pay off the loan; value, if any, is distributed to the contract owner.

I exchanged my life insurance contract for another life insurance contract. Why did I receive a Form 1099–R (or possibly two Forms 1099–R)?

The IRC allows certain exchanges (section 1035 tax-free exchanges), to occur without generating taxable income even though one contract is surrendered for another.

• If you exchanged your Northwestern Mutual contract for one with a different company, and the exchange qualified as an IRC section 1035 tax-free exchange, a Form 1099–R was generated showing a Distribution Code of "6" in Box 7. This provides the cost basis transferred (amount in Box 5) to your new contract as part of the exchange. No taxable amount is reported in Box 2.
• If you received two Forms 1099–R for the same contract on the exchange from Northwestern Mutual to another company, the exchange was not entirely tax-free. One Form 1099–R will report the amount of taxable income generated from the exchange (Distribution Code of "7" in Box 7), which occurs if you received cash or an outstanding loan was extinguished as part of the exchange. The other Form 1099–R reports the cost basis transferred (Distribution Code of "6" in Box 7) to the new company. If you exchanged one Northwestern Mutual contract for another Northwestern Mutual contract under IRC section 1035, we do not send a 1099–R with a Distribution Code of "6"as Northwestern Mutual tracks the cost basis internally.
• If your contract did not qualify for the exchange, the surrender was taxable to the extent of the gain and reported on Form 1099–R with a Distribution Code of "7" in Box 7.
• Variable annuity contracts

I surrendered multiple life insurance or annuity contracts. Why did I only receive one Form 1099–R?

The IRS allows for consolidating information from multiple contracts on one form, if the information is similar. As a mutual insurance company that is owned by the policyowners, we take advantage of this opportunity to reduce costs. We do include a breakdown by contract on the page following the Form 1099–R.

I received a Form 1099–R reporting all or part of my annual dividend on my life insurance or annuity contract as taxable. Why?

Generally, for life insurance, the IRC allows the taxpayer to recover the cost basis of the contract before anything is taxable. If the cost basis was recovered through previous withdrawals, then subsequent dividends that are paid in cash, applied to a contract loan, or deposited into a Billing Account are reported as taxable income. Dividends from an annuity are fully taxable.

My contract dividend was reported as taxable; shouldn't that dividend have been reported on Form 1099—DIV?

No, per the IRS instructions, taxable dividend distributions from life insurance and annuity contracts are reported on Form 1099–R - Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, …Insurance Contracts, etc. The Form 1099-DIV is generally used for dividends paid on corporate stock.

I received a Form 1099–R with a Distribution Code of "1" in Box 7 indicating that I am subject to a penalty tax because at the time of the distribution I was younger than age 59½. While I was younger than 59 ½, I was also disabled and should qualify for an exception under IRC section 72. Can this Form 1099–R be corrected?

While you may qualify for the disability exception, the definition of disability can vary and to qualify you must meet the IRS definition of disability. Northwestern Mutual is not in the position to make the determination of whether you qualify under the IRS definition. You should consult with a tax advisor regarding claiming the exception on your federal tax return.

What should I do if I think some of the information on my 1099-INT/1099–R is incorrect?

Information believed to be incorrect:

• Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number
• Address
• Your tax form was submitted to the state of your secondary residence, rather than your resident state.

Call the telephone number on the upper right-hand corner of the Instructions for Recipient page that was sent along with your 1099.

Information believed to be incorrect:

• Dollar amounts
• Distribution Code

If the information relates to an amount or distribution code, you can call the number on the Instructions for Recipient page as well. However, prior to doing so, please consider:

In some instances the information on the 1099 may be combined from multiple policies/contracts or transactions and may account for an apparent discrepancy—consider all of the transactions that were completed during the tax year.

The reporting and determination of taxable income from life insurance policy and annuity contract is governed by Internal Revenue Code, and not a contractual stipulation on the part of Northwestern Mutual. Northwestern Mutual is required by law to report certain taxable transactions from life insurance policies and annuity contracts.

There may be instances where Northwestern Mutual is required to report a transaction as taxable in a certain manner, but for reasons not reflected in Northwestern Mutual's records, the distribution may qualify for different tax treatment. In these situations you may need to provide additional information to the Internal Revenue Service (not Northwestern Mutual) to support your position regarding the amount of income that is taxable. Northwestern Mutual cannot determine the impact of transactions that are not fully reflected in our records. You should seek tax advice from a tax advisor.

This FAQ is not intended to be tax advice and cannot be used for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code or any other applicable tax law and you are advised to seek tax advice based upon your own particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.Effective tax year 2020, the IRS has made changes to tax form 1099MISC by removing Non-Employee Compensation (NEC) to its own 1099NEC form. To see further detail regarding IRS tax forms, please visit IRS.gov or consult with your professional tax advisor.

Apply for a Policy Loan

One of the most valuable features of a life insurance policy is the ability to borrow from your policy's cash value. However, taking out a policy loan can have a significant impact on your policy's performance and future non-guaranteed annual dividends. Also, any outstanding loan balance and interest will reduce proceeds paid to your beneficiary.

Talk to your Northwestern Mutual representative before making any decisions.

If you have a policy that is dated after Dec. 31, 1981, or that has been amended to direct recognition, a loan may reduce the annual non-guaranteed dividends you receive on your policy. Direct Recognition is the process Northwestern Mutual uses to determine the dividends that are paid on a whole life policy. It factors in the amount of loan activity on the policy in order to fairly distribute the company's surplus to all policyowners.

Applying for a Loan

To apply for a policy loan of more than $100,000, you'll need to complete a Policy Loan Agreement form. To obtain a copy of the form, ask your representative or call Northwestern Mutual at 1-800-388-8123, 7am–6pm CT, Monday – Friday.

Please have your policy number ready when you call.

How Interest Affects Your Policy

Interest on your loan accrues daily and is billed annually until the loan is repaid. Unpaid interest is added to principal where it continues to accrue and compound. This may result in the loan exceeding the cash value of your policy. If this happens, you will need to pay back some or all of the loan to avoid termination and a potentially significant taxable gain.

How Loans Affect Certain Policy Types

Variable Life and Variable CompLife policies

Taking a loan from a Variable Life or a Variable CompLife will permanently affect your policy, even if you repay the loan in full. That's because the cash value used as collateral for your loan will be placed in the company's general account and will not share in the investment experience of the underlying funds.

Policies Classified as Modified Endowment Contracts

Loans and loan interest are taxable when taken as ordinary income to the extent of the gain in the policy. Northwestern Mutual is required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to report either the amount you borrow or the gain in the contract, whichever is less. If you are under age 59 1/2 when you take the loan, the IRS may assess an additional 10% penalty on the taxable amount.Modified Endowment Contracts may be subject to other special tax treatment. Talk with your tax consultant before making your decision.

Repaying Policy Loans

Repaying your loan is important. It keeps your policy in force and maintains the level of protection you planned to provide for your beneficiaries. Repayment can restore your policy's death benefit and cash value, and may increase non-guaranteed annual dividend performance. As you pay off your loan, you will also reduce your interest payments—a lower balance means lower annual interest charges.

To repay a policy loan:

• Contact your representative
• Call Northwestern Mutual at 1-800-388-8123, 7am–6pm CT, Monday – Friday
• Sign-up or Log in to your Billing Account to make one-time payments on outstanding loan balances.
• Send payment to:
  • Northwestern Mutual
  • Milwaukee, WI 53288-0245
  • PO Box 88245

Please write your policy number(s) on your payment to ensure proper crediting.

You can repay your loan in installments, in a lump sum, or with your scheduled bills.

Installments

You choose the amount and the frequency of the payment.

Lump-sum payment

You repay the loan all at once.

Scheduled bill payments

If you pay your premium through an Insurance Service Account, we can add your loan payments to your bill monthly, quarterly or every six months. Payments can be as little as $10 a month.

Change the Beneficiary

"Beneficiary" Defined

The beneficiary of a policy is the person who receives the proceeds of an insurance policy upon the death of the insured. The beneficiary is named by the policyowner. The policyowner is the only person who can change the beneficiary.

Changing a Current Beneficiary's Name or Address

You do not need to fill out a form if you are only changing the current beneficiary's name and/or address (i.e. marriage, adoption, or other legal name change). Call your Northwestern Mutual representative, or contact Northwestern Mutual directly at 1-877-394-9524, 7am–6pm CT. Monday – Friday.

Change a Beneficiary

To change the beneficiary, you will need to complete and sign a change of beneficiary form. Call your Northwestern Mutual representative, or contact Northwestern Mutual directly at1-877-394-9524, 7am–6pm CT. Monday – Friday.

Settlement plans

Your beneficiary has several kinds of settlement choices, including lump sum, interest income, period certain for a set number of years, life income plan, Joint Life income plan or the Northwestern Access Fund. Our plans are designed to provide flexibility allowing your beneficiary to preserve your benefit while earning interest, receive income over a specified period, or receive income for their lifetime. Choices are subject to availability and can be discontinued at any time. Plans are subject to individual contracts and market types.

Northwestern Mutual offers two basic types of income plans—fixed and variable. Both offer a number of options. A variable income plan is only available with a variable annuity.

The type of settlement choice you select should be based on your financial circumstances, your tolerance of risk and the return potential.

See also:

• Fixed Income Plans
• Variable Income Plans

Learn About Fixed Settlement Plans

Northwestern Mutual offers a number of fixed income plans:

• Interest Income Plans
  • Allows you to earn interest on your proceeds while keeping your principal intact.

• Period Certain Income Plans
  • Allows you to receive principal and interest in monthly payments for a specified period of time.

• Specified Amount Plans
  • Allows you to receive payments of principal and interest until the funds are exhausted.

• Life Income Plans
  • Pay principal and interest, in equal amounts, on a monthly basis for the rest of your life.

Types of Interest Income Plans

Interest Income Minimum Rates

• A minimum of $2,000 is required.
• You can make withdrawals and transfers to another income plan at any time at no charge.
• The current interest rate is payable for the calendar year and may change annually, as determined by Northwestern Mutual.
• The interest rate will never be lower than the guaranteed rate specified in your contract.
• Interest is paid to you monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or compounded annually.

Interest Income with Guaranteed Interest Rate

• A minimum of $5,000 is required.
• You can select from an interest period of six months, one year, two years, five years or ten years, depending on availability.
• At the end of the interest period, your choice will renew automatically, unless you specify otherwise. The rate of interest will be that offered by Northwestern Mutual at that time.
• Interest is paid to you monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or compounded annually
• You can make withdrawals and transfers at the end of the interest period you select. A charge will be deducted, however, if you make a withdrawal or transfer before the end of your interest period.

Types of Period Certain Income Plans

Period Certain for Specified Period

• A minimum of $2,000 is required.
• Principal and interest in varying monthly payments over a specified period between 1 and 30 years.
• The current interest rate is payable for the calendar year and may change annually, as determined by Northwestern Mutual.
• It will never be lower than the guaranteed minimum rate specified in your contract.
• Interest that exceeds your guaranteed rate will be added to your guaranteed payments.
• A withdrawal or transfer of the remaining funds can be made free of charge at any time before the end of your payment period. Partial withdrawals are not allowed.

Period Certain for Specified Period with Guaranteed Interest Rate

The Period Certain for Specified Period with Guaranteed Interest Rate option includes the following:

• A minimum of $5,000 is required.
• You receive principal and interest in equal monthly payments guaranteed for a specified period of 2 to 20 years.
• The interest rate and the payment amount are both guaranteed for the time period you select.
• A full withdrawal or transfer can be made at any time. A charge will be deducted, however, if you make a withdrawal or transfer before the end of the period.

Types of Specified Amount Plan

Specified Amount Plan

• Principal and interest are paid to you in an amount you choose until your account balance is zero.
• Payments continue until all interest and principal have been paid out.
• The current interest rate is payable for the calendar year, and may change annually, as determined by Northwestern Mutual.
• It will never be lower than the guaranteed minimum rate specified in your contract.
• Interest that exceeds your guaranteed rate will be used to extend your payment period.
• Withdrawals or transfers of your remaining funds can be made free of charge.

Life Income Plans

Northwestern Mutual has life income plans with two payment options. For either case, withdrawals or transfers are not allowed once payments have started.

Lifetime Only Plans

Guarantees payments for life. Payments stop upon your death.

Lifetime with a Certain Period Plan

Guarantees payments for life. You have the option of guaranteed payments for 10 or 20 years, or until all of the amount you originally invested is paid out. If you die before the guaranteed payment period ends, payments will continue to your beneficiary for the remainder of the guaranteed period.

Joint & Survivor Life Income Plans

Northwestern Mutual has Joint & Survivor Life Income Plans that provide a monthly payment based on the lifetimes of two people.

Joint Life 100% to Survivor (full amount to survivor)

Receive guaranteed payments for your lifetime, the lifetime of the joint annuitant, or for the period you choose, whichever is latest. Upon the death of the first to die, the payments continue and are payable to the survivor. Income plan transfers or withdrawals are not available.

Joint Life with Two-Thirds to Survivor

Receive guaranteed payments for your lifetime or the lifetime of the joint annuitant for the period you choose, whichever is latest. Upon the death of the first to die, payments reduce to two-thirds (2/3) of the payment and are payable to the survivor. Income plan transfers and withdrawals are not available.

Joint Life with One-Half to Survivor

Receive guaranteed payments for your lifetime or the lifetime of the joint annuitant for the period you choose, whichever is latest. Upon the death of the first to die, the payments reduce to one-half (1/2) of the payment and are payable to the survivor. Income plan transfers or withdrawals are not available.

Joint Life with Two-Thirds to Joint Annuitant

Receive guaranteed payments for your lifetime or the lifetime of the joint annuitant for the period you choose, whichever is latest. Upon the death of the first to die, payments reduce to two-thirds (2/3) of the payment and are payable to the joint annuitant if living, otherwise to the contingent beneficiary for the balance of the period you chose. Income plan transfers or withdrawals are not available.

Joint Life with One-Half to Joint Annuitant

Receive guaranteed payments for your lifetime or the lifetime of the joint annuitant for the period you choose, whichever is latest. Upon the death of the first to die, payments reduce to one-half (1/2) of the payment and are payable to the joint annuitant if living, otherwise to the contingent beneficiary for the balance of the period you chose. Income plan transfers or withdrawals are not available.

Who To Consult

Decisions concerning a fixed income plan should be made within the scope of your total financial situation, your tolerance of investment risk and return potential, and with the guidance of your representative or tax advisor.

Learn About Settlement Plans Section

Notice To Kent, Maine, Oregon AND Washington Policyowners

If your life insurance policy is in danger of lapsing, please review the brochure specific to your state of residence, by clicking on one of the links listed below. These brochures detail important information about alternatives to allowing your policy to lapse.

• Kentucky
• Maine
• Oregon
• Washington

Premium Payments

Paying premiums keeps your insurance policies in force and ensures your beneficiaries will receive the level of protection you planned for them.

Paying premiums has other advantages. It builds tax-deferred cash value, which provides money for emergencies, your children's education, a dream vacation or supplemental retirement income.

Ways to Pay Your Premiums

Northwestern Mutual offers four easy ways to pay your premium.

• Automatic withdrawal
  • Automatic withdrawal, often called Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), is the quickest, most convenient way to pay your premiums. Just tell us what checking or savings account you want the money to come from, and how often you want to pay. You can pay your premiums monthly, quarterly, every six months or once a year. To pay by automatic withdrawal, log on to 'Access Your Accounts,' select 'Billing Account', and complete the Automatic EFT Payments Form. You must have a Billing/Payment Account in order to make payments via Automatic withdrawal.

• Online Payments
  • Northwestern Mutual's Online Payment option is safe, secure, and available 24/7. You have the ability to schedule one -time EFT payments from your checking or savings account. Online payments can be scheduled in advance with the effective date you select, up to the due date. To pay online, log on through 'Manage Your Accounts' and select 'Pay Online.' You must have a Billing Account in order to access the Pay Online feature.

• Direct Billing
  • Northwestern Mutual sends you a billing notice in the mail. If you have several policies with Northwestern Mutual, you can have them placed on one bill using a Billing Account.
  • Note: A separate Billing Account is required for variable products and annuity products.

• Electronic Payment Services
  • Not to be confused with EFT, these are outside electronic bill payment services such as MSMoney, Quicken or your bank. Northwestern Mutual still bills you directly, but you instruct the outside service to pay. An electronic payment service arrangement is an agreement between you and the provider of the service. Unlike EFT, where Northwestern Mutual draws the amount for the payment on the day it is due, you are responsible for coordinating the payment amount, date and payee with the service.
  • Tip: When paying through an electronic payment service, use your Billing Account or policy number. If the service does not ask you to enter your first and last name separately, enter your last name first.

When You Don't Pay Your Premiums

If your premium payments are not automatically withdrawn from your bank account, Northwestern Mutual should receive payment by the due date on your bill. If the insured person dies during the grace period, the unpaid premium is deducted from the death benefit.

If your premium is not paid within the grace period and your policy has built cash value, you may be able to take advantage of your policy's automatic premium loan option which you selected at the time of policy issue. These options pay your premium and keep your policy in force for a specified time. Policies that do not have cash value, such as term insurance and disability insurance, will lapse when the grace period expires.

Available Options

• Automatic Premium Loan (APL)
  • Any unpaid premium is automatically paid with a premium loan at the end of the grace period. Premium loans accrue interest according to the rate in your policy.

• Extended Term Coverage
  • Your policy's cash value is used to purchase term insurance that is equal to the death benefit of your existing policy. Your policy will terminate at the end of the term insurance period and will not have any value. This option applies only to whole life policies, excluding Variable CompLife.

• Paid Up Contract
  • If your contract is paid up, you do not need to make future premium payments to retain coverage. Limited-pay policies become paid up after the required number of premiums have been paid. The term also refers to the end result of a non-forfeiture option that causes a policy to convert to a smaller, but still participating, completely paid up policy.

Changing Bank Names/Payment Date

To change the date the premium is automatically withdrawn from your bank, or to let us know you have changed banks:

• Contact your Northwestern Mutual representative
• Sign-up or Log in to your Billing Account
• Northwestern Mutual directly at 1-800-388-8123, 7am–6pm CT, Monday – Friday

To change the payment date, you will need to provide:

• Your name
• Your Billing Account or policy numbers
• Your bank account number
• The current date of your automatic withdrawal
• The new date of your automatic withdrawal

To change the bank where payments are withdrawn:

• Your name
• Your Billing Account or policy numbers
• Your bank transit/routing number
• Your new bank account number
• The name of your new bank

Request Technical Support

What should I do if I can't remember my user id or password?

Call us toll-free at (866) 950-4644 and hours Monday – Friday, 7am–10pm CT, Saturday 7am–2pm CT. Upon verifying contract information, we can give you the user id, and provide you with a new, temporary password. The next time you access your policy information enter the temporary password and change it immediately to a new password.

You can also reset your password online.

What will happen if I enter the wrong password?

For security reasons, after three tries you will be locked out of your account. Please try again later. Your password is case sensitive. Enter your password exactly the way you saved it with the correct upper and lower case letters. Check to see if you have activated your caps lock key. Turn off caps lock and enter your password again.

How do I clear incorrect login information from the system?

Your browser may have cached (stored on your hard drive) the incorrect information and is not sending your new information to the server. Close your browser and disconnect from your Internet Service Provider. Wait about ten seconds and reconnect to the Internet. Open your browser and go back to the site. Reenter your login information.

Why do I get these error messages?

"We are unable to display your policy values at this time."

Customers who come to our site from a bookmark will sometimes get this message. A connection has failed in relation to the bookmark. Enter in the address field of your browser the URL for our site instead of using the bookmark.

"We are unable to provide you with contract information."

This message displays when someone other than the owner of a policy attempts to view policy information. If you are the payer or the insured of a policy but not the owner, you will not be given access to the policy information.

Why can't I view my policy statements after I've logged in?

To view policy statements, you will need the free  Adobe Acrobat Reader®. Adobe, the Adobe logo and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

What can I do to see all of my values when I print my statement?

If you print your statement and the right-hand side of the page has missing values, there is a simple change you can make to your system to resolve this. Within your operating system, select a display setting of at least 800 × 600 pixels. Browse to your statement and select File and Print within your browser's menu at the top of the page. Next, change the print orientation to Landscape and your statement will print correctly.

Submit a Waiver of Premium Claim

If you have been disabled for at least six months due to an accident or illness, and you purchased the waiver of premium benefit on any of your life insurance or annuity policies, you may be able to suspend payment of your premiums on these policies.

To notify Northwestern Mutual of a disability,

• Complete the File a Disability Claim form
• or
• Call Northwestern Mutual at 1-800-748-9493, ext. 6612016, 7am–6pm CT, Monday – Friday

We will mail you a personalized claim kit within two business days of receiving your notification of disability. The kit contains forms and instructions you will need to file your claim.

If you also have the waiver of premium benefit on your life insurance or annuity and IRA policies, one notification begins the claim process for both your disability income insurance and the waiver of premium benefit.

Premiums Payments During the Claim Process

In order to protect your policy rights, you should continue to pay premiums on all of your Northwestern Mutual policies until your disability claim is approved.

After your claim has been approved, we will refund any premiums paid on your disability insurance policy back to the date of disability as determined during the review of your claim.

These premiums will be refunded to the premium payer.