premiums with after tax money, so put it in a Roth instead and it'll grow tax free too.

Look at what the cash value is at the end of every year (your insurance agent should be able to provide that). You'll see the reason he's pushing it is because he makes a nice commission that first year (that's why you have no cash value that first year - it's all going to commissions).

Does your employer offer term life as an optional benefit?