When is interest charged on policy loans?

Interest on policy loans is charged primarily to compensate the insurer for the potential investment income that it foregoes when a loan is granted. When a policyholder takes out a loan against their policy's cash value, the insurer cannot utilize those funds for other investment opportunities, which may generate returns. Therefore, the interest charged serves to cover the lost investment income that the insurer would have earned had the loan not been issued.

This principle is rooted in the concept of opportunity cost, where the insurer incurs a financial disadvantage by having to lend out funds rather than investing them. Hence, the correct option reflects the rationale behind charging interest on policy loans, emphasizing the insurer's need to recover the potential earnings lost due to the loan.

In contrast, the other options either incorrectly limit the context of the loans to specific types of policies or particular conditions that do not fully capture the fundamental reason behind the interest charges.