Joshua Cumrine » Term

Six Reasons to Buy Whole Life Insurance or Term Life Insurance

josh — Sun, 02 May 2010 14:43:39 +0000

Securing quality term or whole life insurance coverage is important, especially if there are people in your life whose financial stability depends on your income. Many financial experts even consider life insurance to be the foundation of sound financial planning. Find out six reasons why you should purchase whole life or term life insurance to protect your family and loved ones.

1. Income for Dependents
If people in your life depend on your income for financial support, having a whole life or term life insurance policy in place will protect them in the event of your death. Life insurance can replace your income for your dependents so they aren’t left bearing the financial burden of an income lost through death. This applies most often to parents with young children, but is also applicable to couples if the death of one spouse would leave the survivor financially stricken. If your parents, adult children, or siblings are your dependents, life insurance can also provide replacement income to benefit them. And, if your surviving spouse’s government or employer-sponsored benefits will see a reduction after your death, having life insurance to replace your income can definitely be useful.

2. Coverage for Final Expenses
Funeral and burial costs can be expensive, but your life insurance can cover the costs. Carefully planned life insurance will also provide funds to cover mortgages and other expenses. Debts and medical expenses not covered by health insurance can also be covered by your life insurance. Life insurance offers protection to the dependents you leave behind, since it can sometimes be utilized as a cash resource.

3. Create Inheritance
Life insurance can allow you to create an inheritance for your immediate relatives or heirs. Even if you don’t have any other significant assets to pass on to your surviving family or loved ones, you can create an inheritance by naming your heirs as beneficiaries in your life insurance policy.

4. Pay Estate Taxes
Rather than leaving your surviving family to take a smaller inheritance or do away with some assets, have a quality life insurance policy in place so the benefits can pay estate taxes. Life insurance plans provide tax free benefits that can be used to pay estate taxes and death duties.

5. Create Source of Savings
Your life insurance can become a sort of savings plan since some types of insurance can create a cash value that is available for withdrawal upon the owner’s request. Another benefit of this “forced” savings plan is that the interest credited is tax deferred, and if the money is paid as a death claim, the interest can be tax exempt (www.iii.org).

6. Make Charitable Contribution
By naming a charity as a beneficiary of your life insurance, you can make a larger contribution than if you donated the cash equivalent of your policy’s premiums. Donating a term life insurance policy allows you to deduct the cost of the premiums from your taxes. And, if you donate a whole life policy, you can deduct the cash value of the policy and the cost of the whole life insurance premiums. In both cases, after you die, the charity you select gets the insurance policy proceeds.

Plan ahead and ensure that you have a quality life insurance plan in place to protect your family.

Advantages of Whole and Term Life Insurance

josh — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:38:40 +0000

As is obvious from the name, whole life insurance is a permanent life insurance covering the whole life of the policy holder with timely premium payments, as long as the policy holder is alive. Whole life insurance is apt for those who plan on long term goals.

Though term life insurance has gained popularity due to various reasons, whole life insurance cannot be set aside entirely as it has a lot of advantages to its credit. Primarily whole life insurance guarantees the death benefits that never decrease and nonfederal income taxes are charged upon death and lasts an entire lifetime which is a good advantage.

Premiums are generally a little higher than term life insurance and as the age progresses, the annual premium tends to lessen. As against term life insurance which has no cash value, whole life insurance has some money stored as cash value. If the policy is terminated, accumulated guaranteed cash would be paid. It is also feasible to take loans against the whole life insurance policy. The guaranteed cash values can be used for emergencies and temporary needs. The cash value increases as the premiums are paid.

When a policy holder has a participation in whole life insurance, he or she is eligible for earning dividends which would be paid in cash. This cash can be either used to keep within the policy to generate interest or used to minimize the premiums. All the cash that are accumulated or borrowed are on a tax free basis except when it is withdrawn.

Whole life insurance policies can never be struck off by the insurance company. As the whole life insurance policy gets older, the surrender value becomes more or less the amount that has been paid and thus, the cash value along with the dividend far exceeds the premiums that have been paid.

The dividend from a whole life insurance can also be used to purchase paid up additions that are small, fully paid up whole life policies.

Whole life insurance is not only a tool to protect the dependents after the demise of the policy holder; it is also a way of saving for the future and has an emotional attachment to it. Hence, sufficient thought and time have to be spared to get the best quote and option available and decide accordingly, to ensure a secure future and a comfortable present life.

Which One Rules? Term Life Insurance Vs Whole Life Insurance

josh — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:53:10 +0000

What do you think is a better insurance? As per my point of view, these are two different policies serving different purposes. Term life and Whole life both have their own strong and weak points. So the question of comparison does not even arise. If you are living in India then this is most useful to choose right life insurance plan.

Referring history, all insurance was term insurance covering life only. But with time consumers started complaining about the benefits one should receive after paying the premium over 20-30 years. They felt it was injustice. Henceforth, life insurance started giving the option of cash value.

Let us discuss the main features of Term Life Insurance and Whole Life Insurance as described below.

Term Life Insurance:

It covers life only.

Premiums are paid only for the term period

The premiums are cheaper

Beneficiary is eligible to benefits only in case of death.

If the policy holder lives after the maturity term, there are no benefits.

It covers life only, has no additional benefits to it.

Whole Life Insurance:

It takes care of both life and investment.

Premiums are paid life long.

The premiums are expensive.

Beneficiary is eligible to benefits in case of death.

If the policy holder lives after maturity period, the policy holder receives both the maturity value plus cash value as applicable.

It has dual purpose, covers life and offers added benefits like cash value.

Which one is better according to you choosing?

From the above we can make out that both these policies are different and do not serve the same purpose. Term life insurance benefits people who generally have good health and follow healthy living. They can save on the large premium to be paid out and go for other better investment instruments. Whereas Whole life insurance benefits people who are already suffering from certain kind of disease and cover is necessary. It generally works for people who are wealthy enough to carry on paying huge premiums life long.

The combination of both term life insurance and whole life insurance is the best portfolio of life insurance one can possess.

But first and foremost, it is necessary to understand why you are purchasing life insurance. You will be more content when you figure out why you wish to buy the policy. Analyze your needs and its importance. Figure out what needs to be covered and who should receive the benefits, etc. Once you make a decision, start shopping for quotes from various sources like the local representatives, brokers and sites having online comparing tool. Compare the quotes received, the coverage level, other added values, offers, etc. they are offering. Choose the policy that fits your requirement in the best way at the most competitive price available.

Who Should Buy Term Life Insurance?

josh — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:38:37 +0000

There are a wide range of life insurance products that are floating in the market. Choosing the right life insurance policy involves assessing your particular situation and evaluating the right policy for you. It is imperative to choose the right life insurance that fits your bill or which can be customized to suit your particular needs.

Unlike whole life insurance, term life insurance is purchased to cover a limited term period. Term life pays the insured sum only when the insured dies within the time span of the policy. Term life policies do not accrue any cash value. So if you live past the length of the policy, you won’t receive any money. It is also important to understand that premiums for term life policies may not be fixed, and may increase from time to time. To avoid this, be sure to look for a guaranteed level premium term life insurance policy. These policies guarantee a level premium throughout the term period.

Advantages of a Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance covers the maximum insurance for your money. It can be beneficial for those families that have more financial obligations than current assets. Here are some of the advantages of term insurance:

Affordable
Term life insurance offers the most affordable premiums against high death benefits.

Simple
Term life insurance is the most simple life insurance product available in the market.

Competitive Pricing
Since term life policies are simple in nature, they can be easily compared on the basis of price and features. This makes term life insurance an appealing commodity in a very competitive market.

Flexibility
Term Life policies may include “renewability” and “convertability” options. The renewability feature enables you to renew your term policy at the end of the term, without having to undergo a medical exam. A convertible feature allows you to convert your term life policy into an equivalent whole life policy, which accrues cash value, should you feel the need to switch to a permanent policy.

Waiver of premium
There is an additional optional feature called “waiver of premium”, which means that in the event of your inability to pay premiums due to circumstances stipulated in the term life insurance contract, the insurance company will waive payments for a stipulated time. However, this feature comes with an extra charge.

Short Term Coverage to Suit Your Needs
Term life is suitable for short term coverage. If your mortgage can be paid up in ten years you may want to choose a term policy for ten years. Most people do not envisage requiring life insurance in their senior years, so a term life policy makes sense for short term financial planning.

Deciding If a Term Life Insurance Policy is Right for You
Deciding the right life insurance policy is a very important step in securing your family’s future. If you are looking for a low cost, budget friendly life insurance plan, choosing a term life insurance policy would be your best option. Moreover, term life insurance is a good choice for people on fixed incomes and with a growing family. If you have a mortgage, educational loans, estate taxes or other liabilities, your sudden death would place an overwhelming financial burden on your family. Term life insurance provides high death benefits at the most affordable rates. This is why term life policies are the most popular life insurance policy. You should determine the amount of life insurance coverage that enables your family to clear all debts and provide a tidy some for their future. You may want to include college funds for your children in your coverage.

Here is a quick check-list that can help you to decide if a low cost term life insurance policy is right for you:

If you’re on a budget and cannot afford a very high premium. If you are young, and in good health. You can take advantage of low premium rates. If you are looking for a simple, straight-forward, low cost life insurance plan to protect your beneficiaries.

Most people need life insurance and term life is suitable for all stages of life. Term life policies offer a cheap option to suit your needs. Term life is also easy to purchase. Many online life insurance providers have access to hundreds of reliable life insurance companies. By feeding in your personal information, you can receive numerous quotes for comparison within minutes. Remember to be completely honest in answering questionnaires. Use sites that are absolutely safe and are certified by the Better Business Bureau to safeguard your interests. Many online sites, provide cheap initial quotes to attract customers. They may end up being a disappointment.

Many people think they may not be eligible for a term life policy or they will have to pay high premiums because they suffer from certain health conditions. But there are online life insurance providers who can help you find life insurance companies that may look more favorably on certain medical conditions than the regular life insurance companies. This is where shopping around for term life policies will come into play.

Conclusion

Choosing the right life insurance that suits your needs is simple once you’ve studied your options thoroughly. Utilize the Internet’s resources to educate yourself about life insurance basics. Factor in your personal situation, present debts and future liabilities and you will be able to gauge how much life coverage your family would need. Many online insurance quote providers can help you with your queries and offer professional advice on choosing the right policy for your particular situation. And once you factored in all the scenarios, and have numerous term life policies to evaluate, choosing a life insurance not only becomes easy, but beneficial too.