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.

A Whole Life Insurance Description:

This is a life insurance policy that can cover you for your entire life and not just for a specific period such as term life insurance. Your death benefit and premium will generally remain the same.

A whole life policy also builds cash value. This is a return on the portion of your premiums that the insurance company invests. Your cash value is tax-deferred until you withdraw it. You may also borrow against it.

Who Needs Whole Life Insurance?

If you are in need of life insurance the tax benefits and cash value of a whole life policy can be a bonus. A whole life policy will earn you tax-deferred interest near the market rate and will pay your beneficiaries a death benefit.

You may also consider purchasing a whole life policy if you require more tax-deferred savings than you have available. You can also get the life coverage you need if you can afford to pay the higher premiums.

Cash Value in a Whole Life Policy.

The cash value is what you could get if you cashed in your policy. If you decide to surrender your policy, your cash surrender value can be paid in paid-up insurance or cash.

The earnings on the cash value of a whole life insurance policy can be borrowed against the policy in the form of a policy loan. The death benefit is reduced by the amount of the loan if the loan is not repaid.

Cashing Out A Whole Life Insurance Policy.

Cashing out a whole life insurance policy may be difficult owing to the surrender charge. The surrender charge is a charge which insurers remove out of the cash savings amount you have developed. This charge can be as high as 10% of the payoff value of the life insurance policy. It may stay in force for up to 20 years after you purchased the policy.

Borrowing Against Whole Life Insurance.

You may borrow against the guaranteed cash value of a whole life insurance policy in the form of a policy loan as long as the policy is valid. Just remember that borrowed amounts diminish the death benefit and cash surrender value of your policy.

The Best Whole Life Insurance Benefit.

There may be many different opinions regarding the best whole life insurance benefit. This can also be influenced by personal needs and circumstances.

The following are three possible whole life insurance benefits:

Premiums are normally level and payable for life.

A quantity of the money you pay into your whole life policy collect as a guaranteed cash value.

A part of your life insurance premium may be returned to you as a dividend if real life insurance costs turn out to be less than was believed in setting the premiums.

Do you need life insurance coverage?

You may consider purchasing life insurance:

* If you become a parent.
* If your family does not have a lot of money saved.
* If you are a stay-at-home parent.
* To cover the mortgage or other large shared financial commitments.

The different types of whole life insurance policies you may choose from.

To help you choose the best whole life insurance, you may first need to know more about the different types of whole life policies you can choose from.

Level Premium Whole Life Insurance:

This whole life policy features premium payments that are:

* level.
* are required to be paid as long as the insured is alive.

In the early years the premium is more than enough to pay the current cost of insurance security. The surplus makes up the insufficiency of premiums in later years when the annual premium is not sufficient to pay the yearly cost of insurance. These extra premiums are held and invested by the insurer. This creates the cash value of the policy.

Indeterminate Premium Whole Life Insurance:

This type of whole life policy is similar to an ordinary whole life policy save for it providing adjustable premiums. The company will charge a premium based on its current estimate of expenditure, investment income and mortality. The company will adjust the premium in view of these estimates changing in later years. It will never be adjusted above the maximum guaranteed premium declared in the policy contract.

Single Premium Whole Life Insurance:

Single premium whole life is a limited payment whole life insurance policy with one quite large premium payment payable at issue. The policy is fully paid up and no further premiums are necessary. Owing to the single premium payment the policy will have an immediate cash and loan value. This could be considerable depending on the sum of the single premium payment.

Limited Payment Whole Life Insurance:

This whole life policy gives you life insurance protection but involves only a limited number of premium payments. The premium payments will be higher than with an ordinary whole life policy since the premiums are paid over a shorter timespan. Limited payment plans can provide for the payment of premiums for a set number of years such as 20 payment whole life insurance.

Participating Whole Life Insurance:

This whole life policy pays dividends corresponding to:

* the positive experience of the company.
* results from surplus investment earnings.
* favorable mortality.

The dividends may be:

* paid in cash.
* used to decrease your premium expenses.
* left to build up at a particular rate of interest.
* used to buy paid-up supplementary insurance.

Non-Participating Whole Life Insurance:

A non-participating whole life policy has a level premium and a fixed insured amount during your entire life. However, this policy does not pay out any dividends.

Contact Joshua Cumrine Financial for more information about the best whole life insurance for your personal life insurance needs.

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.

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.

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