Vince Bazemore, Types Of Life Insurance

Author: A Bohart
There are many companies providing life insurance services; you can get most of the information you need from insurance brokers, financial advisers who work for insurance companies, employees of insurance companies, and other sources. Much of the information you receive, however, will be in general terms - or will focus more on ’sales talk’ aimed at getting you to purchase life insurance from the person you are talking to.

The truth is that there are many different types of life insurance available - not just the ‘cradle to grave’ coverage offered by insurance sales people. Here are three of them.

Level Term Life Insurance

This is a type of coverage with a specific face amount (the death benefit) over a set number of years with the premium generally kept constant throughout the policy’s term. The term of insurance is fixed; it can be 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and even 30 years.

The typical aim of this kind of insurance is providing the family some financial protection in case of the insured’s death within the term- ensuring that there are enough monies to support the survivor and any dependent children. It may also be designed to cover payments for loans or mortgages, again ensuring that the beneficiary will not be burdened by the responsibility of repaying them when the insured passes away.

This is how it works. You purchase the insurance plan. This insurance will cover you effectively for the term or the number of years specified in your insurance contract. Within that term, too, you will have to pay insurance premiums regularly. If you die within that specific time period, your family or whoever your beneficiary is will receive the amount of money specified in the plan. If you don’t die within the term, you lose your premiums, unless your policy states that you get them back.

Decreasing Term Life Insurance

This is taken out specifically to provide a contingency for repaying the policyholder’s loans and mortgages just in case he passes away before he’s able to repay them. The insurance coverage is for a specific period (usually equivalent to the life of the mortgage or loan), and the level of coverage decreases during the policy’s term - usually in conjunction with the amount of the loan or the mortgage (e.g., as the loan is repaid, the amount of cover is reduced to cover the balance remaining). The premium remains constant during the term of the policy.

Decreasing term insurance works pretty much the same way as level term insurance in term length and what triggers the payout. The only difference is the decreasing value of the coverage.

Whole Life Insurance

If you take out this type of insurance, your family or beneficiary will get a lump sum of money. This money can then be used to pay for your children’s educations or mere day to day expenses.

Of all three types, this is the most expensive in terms of premiums. However, this type of insurance lets you build cash value which you can loan out. You can also surrender the insurance in exchange for the total cash value of the policy. This type of insurance is therefore more flexible since it offers you more options. Moreover, you have coverage as long as you live, provided of course that you keep up your premium payments.

Author: Andrew Regan
A recent life insurance study has led to suggestions that individuals in the UK should look into securing a life insurance policy earlier in life rather than later, in order to effectively invest in and plan for the future.

According to James Harrison, chief executive of Insurancewide.com, consumers who begin saving earlier will enjoy the security of life insurance. According the research undertaken by the insurer comparison service, men aged between 35 and 42 are far more likely to apply for life insurance than individuals in their early twenties. Mr Harrison suggested that the early twenties was a good age to begin setting aside funds as people with debts or mortgages, and those who are self-employed are excellent candidates for setting up a life insurance policy.

Mr Harrison commented: “Life insurance is certainly not a top priority for most twenty-somethings, but when you stop and look at the cost you’ll see that it pays to start buying a policy as early as possible where there is a genuine need.”

However, choosing life insurance at such a young age can be daunting. After all, if neither death nor illness seems to be facing you anytime soon, how do you establish what’s best to include in your life insurance policy? Whatever your age, if you’re planning to purchase life insurance, it’s important to be aware of the options that face you in your search.

For instance, if you choose to buy life insurance in your twenties, then it might be best to opt for investment-type life insurance, also known as a whole-of-life or endowment policy. This type of life insurance will both pay out in the event of your death and accumulate in value during your lifetime. This means that, the younger you are when you choose to take out your life insurance, the greater the value it will accrue as the years go on.

Other types of life-insurance include protection-only life insurance. This is more popular with older life insurance buyers, particularly those looking for protection in times of illness, as it covers you only for a specified amount of time. However, if your death occurs after this period has lapsed, your family will receive no payments from your life insurance.

Author: Robert D. Cavanaugh, CLU
Survivorship life insurance is a life insurance policy that insures two people and pays at the second death. Also referred to as second-to-die life insurance, common abbreviations are SWL for survivor whole life and SUL for survivor universal life.

Advantages

Since the insurance company does not have to pay until the second person dies, the premium is lower.

The insurance company could issue a standard policy, even if one person has health issues. In extreme cases where one person is entirely uninsurable, a policy with an acceptable premium is possible.

There are many uses for a survivorship life insurance policy. Let’s look at five.

Estate Taxes

Life insurance is the least expensive method of providing cash for the payment of estate taxes. Since 1981, the law allows one spouse to transfer all their property to the other spouse at death tax free. This is the “unlimited marital deduction.” If there is an estate tax due, it is not due until the second spouse dies.

In response, life insurance companies designed the survivorship life insurance contract. Since the premium is lower, it is even a better solution than a policy insuring only one person.

Replacing an Asset Given Away

Charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) allow a person to sell a highly appreciated asset (stock, land, a business etc.) without paying a capital gain tax, receive an income tax deduction and convert the asset to an income. At their death, the asset passes to the charity, not to their heirs.

An easy way to circumvent the children’s disinheritance is to insure mom and dad with a survivorship life insurance policy for the value of the asset given to charity. Sometimes premiums can be entirely paid from the income from the charitable remainder trust, which is often found money if the original asset was illiquid. The income tax deduction can be spread over six years if the asset contributed to the CRT is large enough. This is another premium source.

Even Out an Inheritance

A couple has three children and a family business. One of the children is active in the business and the other two have careers of their own. If the bulk of the estate is the business and the plan is to leave the business to the active child, the other two children come up short.

A second-to-die policy on mom and dad can even things out. For example, let’s say the total estate is 6 million and the business represents 4 million. If the parents leave the business to the active child and the remaining 2 million to the other two children and name these children the beneficiary of a 6 million dollar survivorship life policy, everything is equal.

The child active in the business gets the business worth 4 million. The other two children inherit 1 million apiece from the balance of the estate and 3 million apiece from the survivorship life insurance policy.

Post Phone a Buy Sell

If Joe and Bill were equal partners in a business, good planning would have them meet with their attorney and accountant, put a value on the business that each are happy with and have a buy-sell agreement drawn. Fund the agreement with life insurance and the funds are assured for the buy-out.

However, what if Joe’s wife, Ann, is also active in the business? If Joe dies, Ann would inherit Joe’s interest and continue to work in the business as usual. In this case, it would make sense to use a survivorship life insurance policy to insure both Joe and Ann. The buy-sell agreement would be worded to trigger the buy-out at the second of their deaths.

To Pay the Income Tax on an Inherited Qualified Plan

This is the day of mega 401(k) plans. When a 401(k), IRA or other qualified plan is passed, for example, to the children, income tax is required upon a distribution.

Most people do not realize the large potential tax on what may be their largest asset. Let’s look at the worst case. If the qualified plan money is subject to the top estate tax bracket, which is currently 45% and the child is also in the top income tax bracket, currently 35%, the amount left to the child is only a fraction of the total amount. Note there is a deduction against income for estate taxes paid. A good estimate of the net total percentage paid in taxes at the top brackets is 70%.

Author: Ivon T. Hughes

Life insurance should be a part of your overall financial planning. While some life insurance policies can be used to help you achieve your financial goals, others just provide protection. But whichever type you choose, it is important you understand your needs and the options available so you get the best value for your life insurance coverage.

How Much Life Insurance?

First, determine how much coverage you’ll need and how much you can afford. Now these 2 items may not match. However, if you have a young family, you need to get the most coverage for the lowest price. That means term life insurance which indeed, meets the needs of most everyone.

What Type Of Life Insurance Do I Need?

Next choose a term or permanent life insurance policy. Term life insurance provides protection for a specific period of time, normally 10, 20 or to age 100 in Canada.

Permanent life insurance policies are whole life and universal life. These policies offer death benefits and a savings account (cash surrender value) so that you can get money back either by cashing in the policy or by borrowing against it. However it is my firm belief that you should only buy whole life insurance if the premium is about the same as the term life insurance. And that will only happen in your sixties or beyond. Otherwise you are paying a higher premium for the same coverage And then, if you want to borrow your own money out of the policy, the insurance company charges you interest! And if you don’t pay it back, the coverage is reduced by the amount of the borrowing. And you still continue to pay the far higher premiums, though now for less life insurance coverage. Why would you do this?