A commission on term insurance would be calculated similarly to whole life, except most companies have a different percentage of premiums paid as a commission for whole life and term. (lifeant.com)
In the early years of the policy, a higher percentage of your premium goes toward the cash value. (investopedia.com)
This is mainly due to the high percentage of the premiums paid out in commissions during the first 10 — 12 years. (en.wikipedia.org)