The Life Insurance Policy And What You Need To Know Before You Buy
|
Are you looking to buy a life insurance policy? Well, be careful. Life insurance can be difficult to understand and it's easy to be conned into buying something under false pretenses.
Recently a prominent life insurance company together with several of its agents paid a huge fine because it permitted the sale of a life insurance policy disguised as a retirement plan. There was little attention given to what a life insurance policy is truly designed to provide.
Life insurance is not an investment for your benefit. It's guaranteed income tax-free cash paid to someone you designate in the event of your death. If you love someone and want to protect them, then buying a life insurance policy makes sense.
As primary bread winner in your family, your lost income could jeopardize the ability of those you love to continue to enjoy their standard of living.
The only way to guarantee an immediate replacement of this money is with the intelligent purchase of a life insurance policy.
Notice I didn't say term life insurance, low cost life insurance, or whole life insurance.
To your loved ones ... this doesn't really matter.
Over the years I've delivered millions of dollars of life insurance benefit to the families of deceased bread winners. And you know what?
No one ever asked me what type of life insurance policy it was. They were just extremely grateful to get the money.
Term is the cheapest, but it's unlikely the death benefit will be paid since the life insurance policy will probably lapse before you actually die. Right now the premium may seem cheap compared with other types. But what happens when you're older?
Term life insurance premiums can be level for a specific number of years, but when that number of years is up the price will skyrocket to the point you won't be able or willing to pay.
Whole life insurance provides a lifetime level premium until the policy is paid-up. This can be 10 years, 20 years ... or when you reach age 65, 85 or 100. One big advantage is you don't have to worry about your policy expiring before you do.
One type of life insurance policy is not necessarily better than another. But it's critical you understand what you are buying, how it works and your net cost.
After all, if the policy isn't in force when you die you have thrown your premium dollars right down a rat hole.
By the way, don't fall for that line about buy term and invest the difference. Anyone who cons you with this bunch of malarkey has absolutely no idea how to intelligently evaluate the purchase of life insurance.
An excellent life insurance policy to consider is universal life. This guarantees the death benefit up to age 115 regardless of the performance of the underlying investment.
Although more expensive then term life insurance, universal life is far less costly than a typical whole life insurance policy. But be careful because some universal life policies are sold by focusing on projected interest rates rather than contractual guarantees.
If you are considering the purchase of a whole life insurance policy from a mutual company that declares annual dividends, ask the agent for a hypothetical illustration using a dividend forecast at least one percent less than the current rate.
In the past, when long-term interest rates were higher, mutual companies credited very handsome dividends to their policies. But today with long-term rates still depressed, it's unlikely a life insurance policy will perform as illustrated.
In summary, pay close attention to the guarantees of whatever life insurance policy you decide to buy. Also, make sure you know the credit rating of the life insurance company.
There is nothing wrong with term life insurance, but understand your options about converting to a permanent plan. This could be critical if you become uninsurable before the policy expires.
Don Adams is a 24 year veteran financial consultant who provides easy to understand personal finance advice on a wide variety of money matters.
|
|
|
Cheap Insurance - Ten Ways
Cheap insurance? Auto insurance, life insurance, health insurance, liability insurance - whatever type of insurance you need, you can buy it for less. Try the following:1. Raise you deductible. Why have a $100 deductible if a $1000 deductible won't break you? It may hurt to pay the first thousand someday, but what if meanwhile you saved several thousand? High deductibles mean lower rates. Of course, get quotes with various deductibles, to be sure you're saving enough for the higher risk.2. Lower your coverage. Insurance agents secretly admit that people usually get sued according to policy limits. You'll be sued for more if your limit is a million than if it's a hundred thousand. A judgement beyond the polic...(related: Insurance)
What Does Buildings Insurance Cover?
You will find that your lender will insist that you have this cover when you take out a mortgage. The lender, remember, owns your home until you have paid off the mortgage. However, because they don't live in it, you are responsible for it, thus you need to insure the building. Should the property fall down, the lender wants it to be covered for the catastrophe.But buildings insurance cover permanent fixtures and fittings as well. It will also cover toilets, baths and fitted kitchens, your interior decorations and bedroom cupboards. To know what your buildings insurance will cover, try this simple test ? can you reasonably remove the fixture and take it t...(related: Insurance)
Life Insurance Settlement
A new financial tool is now available for senior citizens. Life Insurance Settlements are quickly becoming a way for seniors to receive money from an under performing or costly life insurance policy.A life insurance settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy (whole life, term, universal life, etc.) covering the life of one or more individuals with an "ascertainable and limited" life expectancy. A life insurance settlement is usually most beneficial seniors over the age of 65.Some basic qualifications for a life insurance settlement are the above-mentioned age and health requirement, policy is assignable and beyond the contestability period, and the policy must be ...(related: Insurance)
The Life Insurance Policy And What You Need To Know Before You Buy
Are you looking to buy a life insurance policy? Well, be careful. Life insurance can be difficult to understand and it's easy to be conned into buying something under false pretenses.Recently a prominent life insurance company together with several of its agents paid a huge fine because it permitted the sale of a life insurance policy disguised as a retirement plan. There was little attention given to what a life insurance policy is truly designed to provide.Life insurance is not an investment for your benefit. It's guaranteed income tax-free cash paid to someone you designate in the event of your death. If...(related: Insurance)
Health Savings Accounts
Most people with health insurance, especially employer paid health insurance, really don't know what their health care costs are. Furthermore, in many cases, they are limited in which health providers (doctors, hospitals, pharmacies etc) they can use.Most people are locked into a network of doctors. They know what the co-pay is, but have...(related: Insurance)
Health Savings Account (hsa): Helpful For Older People?
The Health Savings Account (HSA) is an amazing tool that a lot of people have been talking about. It is meant to help you save money on insurance and make your life simpler, maybe even help you be healthier.But do HSAs work just as well for older Americans? The answer depends on your age.Let's start with someone older than 65. Once you turn 65, you are eligible ...(related: Insurance)
Tips For Buying A New Home
My wife and I recently purchased a new home in Tennessee. Here are some helpful hints we picked up along the way:1. Use all of the online resources available. Al...(related: Insurance)
Filing An Insurance Claim
Everything seemed pretty simple when you purchased that insurance policy. If you have a loss, just tell the insurance company about it and you will get paid - Right? Well.... it may not be quite that easy. There are some basic steps you should follow to ma...(related: Insurance)
Should You Have Higher Deductibles On Your Coverage?
What is a deductible? A deductible is the amount you pay before your insurance carrier pays any claim. Insur...(related: Insurance)
Insurance Or Assurance - Do You Need Reassurance?
Insurance versus assurance: what is the difference?Should you care?Yes!!The world of finance is extremely complicated and there are many factors to consider when choosing any financial protection product.When looking for a policy you need to know what you are looking for and what is on offer in order that you get the right cover for your needs.One thing that many people find confusing is the specific use of the term "insurance" and the use of "assurance". What are the differences between them?In general, the term insurance refers to providing cover for an event that might happen while assurance is the provision of cover for an event that is certain to happen.For the purposes of financial provisions, a life insurance policy provides cover for a set p...(related: Insurance)
Life Insurance: Why Theres No Need To Be A Desperate Housewife
Life insurance looks set to make a comeback in the UK, after a period of neglect by consumers who were simply occupied with affording a home. The stabilising of the UK house market has made many consumers take a broader view to their personal finances.LifeSearch (a life insurance broker), in the September issue...(related: Insurance)
Health Savings Accounts
Most people with health insurance, especially employer paid health insurance, really don't know what their health care costs are. Furthermore, in many cases, they are limited in which health providers (doctors, hospitals, pharmacies etc) they can use.Most people are locked into a network of doctors. They know what the co-pay is, but have...(related: Insurance)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 Insurance | All Rights Reserved. | Insurance