To help you select the funds that meet your objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon, the Variable Life insurance fund offerings are organized into style boxes. Style boxes can help show one portfolio's characteristics relative to other investments in the same asset class. Simply select the fund within the style box for more information.

A Northwestern Mutual financial representative can help walk you through the selection process of your investment options for Variable Life insurance. Contact a financial representative today for an appointment.

You should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, expenses and charges of the investment company before you invest. Your Northwestern Mutual Investment Services Registered Representative can provide you with a prospectus that will contain the information noted above, and other important information that you should read carefully before you invest or send money.

Equity Style Box
The equity style box categorizes the size and management style of the various equity offerings for Variable Life insurance.

On the horizontal axis, funds are separated into one of three categories - value, blend or growth, depending upon the management style of the portfolio. On the vertical axis, funds are separated into either their market capitalization, the general size of companies that it invests in, or international and hybrid/specialty.

Fixed Income Style Box
The fixed income style box demonstrates the two most important and distinguishing characteristics of fixed income funds: credit quality and average portfolio maturity.

All three funds in the fixed income style box can be described as intermediate maturity. On the vertical axis, funds are separated into one of three categories, High, Mid or Low quality depending upon the average investment grade of the bonds in the portfolio.

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No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. Investment risk disclosures are available on the individual fund pages.

Style Box Definitions
Value: Value managers are generally more interested in getting a company's stock for a good price; they purchase stocks of companies that are currently out of favor with the market, believing that the stock is a good value for the price.

Blend: Blend managers may take meaningful positions in growth or value stocks, but usually exhibit no strong bias toward either style.

Growth: Growth managers typically concentrate on companies with outstanding prospects for future growth; they seek companies with a record of consistent, above-average profitability, or those expected to generate above-average earnings growth.

Large Cap: Generally companies that have a market capitalization larger than $10 billion.

Mid Cap: Generally companies that have a market capitalization between $3 and $10 billion. Mid-size company's may involve greater risks than stocks of companies with larger capitalizations because they often have a more limited track record, have narrower markets for their products and services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies.

Small Cap: Generally companies that have a market capitalization smaller than $3 billion. Small company's may involve greater risks than stocks of companies with larger capitalizations because they often have a more limited track record, have narrower markets for their products and services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. Also, to a lesser degree than mid-size companies, face greater risk of failure.

International: Generally invest assets in securities whose primary trading markets are outside of the United States. Note that foreign investments involve greater risks than U.S. investments. These risks, especially in emerging markets, include political and economic uncertainties of foreign countries as well as the risk of currency fluctuations.

Hybrid/Specialty: Generally allocate portions of their portfolio in more than one asset class. For example, a particular fund may have allocations that are more equally weighted to both stocks and bonds in its portfolio.

Bond maturities: Generally, the bonds in a bond portfolio that mature in one to three years are referred to as short-term bonds. Medium- or intermediate-term bonds are generally those that mature in four to 10 years, and long-term bonds are those with maturities greater than 10 years. Generally, the shorter the maturity, the lower the volatility and lower the interest of the portfolio.

Bond quality: Generally, the bonds in a bond portfolio invest in bonds with a ratings range of AAA to BBB- are referred to as high quality (investment grade). Mid quality bonds are generally on the lower quality side of investment grade. Sometimes known as "high yield" bonds, low quality bonds (ratings less than BB) typically pay a higher interest rate than higher quality bonds, but they also have a greater chance that the company issuing such bonds will default.