Why is it necessary?

In the period immediately following a death it is much easier to arrange for a funeral if a life insurance policy is in place. The average cost of a funeral is more than $7,500.

Also, within a marital partnership, the death of the spouse does not relieve debt. Your partner will be liable for any payments that need to be made. Standard housekeeping expenses will need to be met as well. The ability for your loved ones to continue living in the same manner as they did prior to your death will also be important to you. Funding the education of any children will certainly be important.

What amount should be bought?

In order to calculate the amount of life insurance you need you must consider immediate and short term needs as well as long term requirements. Burial costs and existing debt would fall into the current needs category. Mortgage payments and child care would also fall into this group. College expenses would be an example of future expenses to be considered. Don’t forget taxes that may be due. There are many calculators available on the net which can help you to estimate the amount of life insurance you may need.

If you need help

In a matter as important as life insurance it is always good advice to get many quotes and compare them. Quotes are free and are the best way to compare plans, pricing and options. After receiving some quotes it may be prudent to consult a life insurance professional or even an attorney. Many times life insurance proceeds can be protected from taxation.

The best way to learn and save money on insurance is to collect as many quotes as possible in order to compare services and rates.

There is another reason to buy life insurance, however, and it is the life insurance settlement.  Your life insurance policy can be settled for a large sum before the end of your lifetime, though many people are not aware of this.  Others buy life insurance specifically with this reasoning in mind. 

Purchasing a Life Insurance Policy
Though it may sound strange, it’s actually a good idea to buy life insurance while the policyholder is still in good health.  Rates are usually cheaper when this is the case, which makes buying a life insurance policy a whole lot easier.  Also, rates are less expensive if you buy life insurance while still young.  If you’re young and in good health, it’s actually the best time of your life to purchase a life insurance policy – as strange as that may sound.

Don’t be afraid to do your own shopping around to find the best rates, and the best life insurance settlement.  Comparison shopping is the way to make sure you get the best life insurance policy, and life insurance settlement, possible.  Don’t rely on your employer to give you all the life insurance coverage you need.  Generally, life insurance policies and life insurance settlements offered as part of a benefits package will not have good payoffs.

The Life Insurance Settlement
There are many reasons that you may want to settle your life insurance policy.  Sometimes, a life insurance settlement is the best thing you can do for your family.   For instance, when the policyholder has reached the age of seventy and there is a need for a new life insurance policy or long-term care, your best option may be a life insurance settlement.  A change in health status, estate tax charge, or when the policy has outlived the beneficiaries may all be reasons to consider a life insurance settlement, as well.

A large factor in the life insurance settlement is the need for liquidation of assets.  This may be due to bankruptcy or other financial reasons, or simply that the policy holder would like to acquire the sum of the life insurance settlement early.  Your reasons for settling your life insurance policy are your own, and if you feel the need for a settlement then you should pursue one.

Be sure to discuss your life insurance settlement options with your insurance company.  If needed, have a new life insurance policy in place before going forward with your life insurance settlement.  There is no reason you cannot have two or more life insurance policies at the same time.

A life insurance settlement can allow you to enjoy some of the benefits of your life insurance policy, and be a good source of income when long-term care or extra income is needed.  Be sure to discuss the exact amount that you will receive from your life insurance settlement with your insurance company, and find out the payment scale and time frame for receiving your settlement.  When you agree on a life insurance settlement, the paperwork that you sign should include all of this information.  Be sure to look over any paperwork very carefully before signing, because you can never be too careful with insurance companies.

HOW LIFE INSURANCE WORKS

Typically, the insured person makes payments into the plan – called premiums – in exchange for a “death benefit,” the money that is paid at the time of death. If you are considering purchasing life insurance there are a few potential problems you need to be aware of.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

There are numerous types of policies you can choose, but life insurance policies generally fall into three categories – protection, long-term savings and estate conservation.

Many people purchase life insurance for the purpose of providing for their dependents in the event of their death, thus protecting your existing stream of income. If you are in the protection category you may want to consider term life insurance, which offers only a death benefit for a specified period of time such as until you retire.

If long term savings is your reason for purchasing insurance, you may consider a cash value policy. With this type of life insurance, your beneficiaries receive a payment upon your death based on the full amount of coverage , not the cash value of the plan. The value of these plans is usually tied to an underlying investment portfolio and that is how funds accumulate.

Another added benefit is that these policies usually allow a holder to borrow from the accumulated funds in the plan without taxes or penalties. Depending on the policy, you can typically withdraw a portion of cash value and not pay it back, or even cancel the policy and receive the money that has been accumulated over the years.

USE LIFE INSURANCE FOR ESTATE PLANNING

Life insurance can also be used as an estate planning tool, especially if your goal is to preserve wealth for future generations. This type of policy covers one or two lives; the cash generated by these plans typically helps your heirs pay estate taxes and provide otherwise.

Now you have to decide how much coverage you need to provide the amount of income your family will need in the event of your death. After all, your goal in purchasing life insurance most likely is to ensure that income continues for those who are now dependent upon your income.

WHO NEEDS LIFE INSURANCE?

It also is important not to ignore the need for life insurance protection in a single or dual income family. The death of either spouse could create a financial strain on your family.

A term life insurance plan provides life insurance – plain and simple. A whole life insurance plan provides life insurance but also accrues value, which you can cash out or borrow against. It generally takes about three years to see any value and then it’s not a lot of money. Term life insurance, in comparison to whole life, is considerably less costly for this reason. Some will refer to term life insurance as renting insurance rather than buying it. The reason for that attitude is that, much like auto insurance, you pay the premium each month or quarter or year to hedge against the bet that you might have an accident (in the case of term life insurance the accident is death). If you don’t have that accident, in the case of auto insurance, or if you don’t die in the case of life insurance, you don’t get the money.

We all die, of course, so it might seem that term life insurance is a good bet and the best bet in comparison to whole life. You would, you surmise, always get your money back. The catch here is that term life insurance will end at a certain point – and that point may well be before you are deceased. Term life insurance plans are only good until a certain predetermined age – many are 70 years of age, others up to 80. For those of us who really need this coverage until the day we die these aren’t good plans in comparison to whole life which will be in force until the day we die.

Term life insurance is a good buy in comparison to whole life, however, if all you are trying to do is set money aside to prevent your young family from becoming destitute in the event of your unexpected death. Once you reach the age of 70, the likelihood is that your children will be comfortably on their own and not dependent on your money or income to survive. Of course, if this is your only life insurance and it goes away before you die then your family or someone else must bear the cost of burying you. That is where whole life insurance is a favorable comparison to term life. Whole life will stay in place as long as you do, and will be there when it comes time to pay for your burial.

It may be, then, that in doing a comparison between term life insurance and whole life insurance, the results indicate a need for both. Many professionals suggest that you buy an amount of term life insurance that would keep your family bills paid for a predetermined time in the event of your untimely death, choosing a term that covers them only until they are old enough to take care of their bills on their own. These same professionals suggest as well that you also buy a whole life insurance policy for an amount of $7000-$12,000, merely to assure that your family will have money to bury you.

In other words, if you are 40 and your children are 6, 8 and 10, you’re going to need about 15 years of term life insurance – until your youngest is through four years of college. You might decide, with three children and a spouse that you’ll need several hundred thousand dollars of coverage. A Whole life policy of $10,000, however, would be plenty to provide a decent funeral and burial.

Reputation

One of the most important things you need to consider when choosing between life insurance companies is reputation. You should only work with companies that have outstanding reputations. There are far too many life insurance scams in the world to fall for, so be sure to stick with companies that look and feel legitimate. This does not mean you should always go with the largest company out there, just be sure that the insurance company you choose to work with is professional and will be around when you need them to be.

Competitive Prices

Just like auto insurance, you need to shop around for life insurance rates. Depending on your age, different companies will be able to offer you different prices. You may pay more on one policy, but get better benefits. Look at three to five quotes from life insurance companies before you make a commitment. Once you sign up with one company, you probably will never want to change because you may lose some benefits you have earned. So, making the right decision the first time is important. Remember to use your instinct and only work with those who are professional and legitimate.

If they believe that the applicant will live long and will therefore make a substantial number of insurance premium payments during his/her life, then life insurance companies see the applicant as low risk to their business. However, if life insurance companies believe that an applicant could die soon, and therefore make relatively few insurance premium payments while they are alive, that candidate will be seen as a higher risk by the insurance companies.

How life insurance premiums are calculated

When calculating life insurance premiums two factors are considered by life insurance companies. The first factor involves an evaluation of the general likelihood of death occurring at a particular age, and involves the scaling of applicants against normal life expectancy. This sets the ‘average’ risk level that different age ranges attract; needless to say that the closer you are to your average life expectancy then the higher the risk level that you’ll be measured against.

The second factor is based on whether the applicant is above or below their average risk level for their age. Someone who has an unhealthy lifestyle, suffers from pre-existing health conditions and is in a stressful job is likely to be classified as ‘above average’. On the flip side, someone who goes to the gym regularly, does not smoke and eats a balanced diet is likely to be seen as ‘below average’. Naturally, those who are below average risk will see keener insurance premiums on their life insurance policy for their age than people who are classified as ‘above average’.

Cheaper life insurance?

While there is often little we can do about pre-existing health conditions, there are ways in which to tip the scales in our favour of cheaper life insurance. This we can do by altering our lifestyle and striking a better work-life balance in a stress-free environment. Changing lifestyle habits though can be more effective for some than it can for others.

For instance, a person in their 20s living out an unhealthy existence is likely to be seen as less of an insurance threat for their age to life companies than someone in their 50s with the same unhealthy lifestyle. This is because the body of a 20-year-old will respond more efficiently to improvements in lifestyle than will the body of a 50-year-old. In essence therefore, there are different degrees of being above average and below average, making the calculation of life insurance premiums for each individual definitely a job for the experts at the life companies!

In contrast, permanent or whole life insurance remains in force until you die. You pay the premium on a monthly basis for a pre-specified term, which can range between 10 to 20 years. A portion of your monthly payment pays the insurance and the life insurance company that provided the insurance invests the remainder. Eventually you don’t pay any premiums but your estate still receives a large payment upon death.

Whole life polices have been criticized because their investment returns are low. Thus you were often advised to buy life insurance protection with a term policy and invest the difference between term and whole life payments in a separate investment vehicle, such as mutual funds, stocks, or bonds. Once you have built up a large pool of assets you don’t need the insurance because the assets will provide security and stability in the event of an unexpected death.

However, there is a new, more flexible product called universal life insurance. While the life insurance company controls the savings in a whole life policy, the savings in a universal life plan are owned and controlled by the policyholder. Insurance companies offer a large variety of investment options for this savings component, including mutual funds. Thus, you have the ability to meet your life insurance needs and increase your return on investment.

The major advantage of a universal life policy is tax-advantaged growth. When you pay the policy premium, a portion of the premium pays for the insurance and a portion is invested. However, when you are ready to withdraw the money from your investment, your cost basis ( the portion not subject to tax) is higher with a universal life policy. The cost base for a universal policy is equal to the sum of all your premiums – the amount of money you have invested plus the money you have used to buy life insurance. This is very useful because increasing your cost base will ensure you pay less tax once you sell your investments within the universal life policy.

Universal life insurance provides a powerful combination of life insurance and tax-advantaged investment opportunities. Investors should realize that universal life insurance premiums work twice as hard as other premiums. They should also know that choosing the right product is an important element in the overall success of this strategy. Finally, the benefits of this strategy are magnified if you are in a higher tax bracket.

The thing that insurance companies will be looking for is insurable interest. It may come as a surprise but in the early days of aviation, there were some clever entrepreneurs who would hang around at airports and buy life insurance policies on the passengers. Since plane crashes were very common, a good proportion of the insured passengers died and the insurance companies were faced with the prospect of paying out vast sums to these men.

This is not the reason insurance was developed and the system was not designed to cope with this kind of speculation. Therefore the rule developed that you could only insure the life of someone you had a real interest in surviving. There is also the public policy issue that it would be tempting to some people to insure strangers and then make sure they died soon.

The insurance policy will have two important details defined right at the outset. The first is who is to be paid out under the policy. While this seems obvious, it is important to think carefully about it as, unlike in most insurance contracts, the purchaser of the policy is rarely the beneficiary under a life insurance policy.

The second is the amount to be paid out on to occurrence of the event. It must be remembered that this is also subject to the rule of insurable interest and therefore you cannot have a policy on your life for more than your life is reasonably financially worth. Since the premium is partially calculated on the amount of the payout, you will simply be paying for more insurance than you can receive. Therefore be honest with how much you earn and how much support your providing to your family so that the premium will be accurately assessed.

The most popular type of life insurance is, without a doubt, term life insurance. This kind of policy will be set out to last for a specified ‘term’ – i.e. it will last for a set time period. So, you can take out a life insurance term policy for 25 years, as an example. During this 25 year period you will make your policy payments and you’ll have the protection of the policy if you die. So, your next of kin can claim against the policy in the event of your death. But, at the end of the 25 years your policy will be finished and you’ll get no further protection from it.

Many people opt to take out a term life insurance policy because they know that they will no longer have a great need for insurance at the end of the specific term. For many people this kind of policy will end at around the time that they retire so their mortgage will probably be repaid, their families will be grown and they won’t need to make provision for their family to have such a large lump sum or income if they die. So, a term policy can suit them very well indeed, giving them cover during the years when they really need it and finishing when they don’t.

A whole of life policy, on the other hand, will suit those of us who want protection for the rest of our days. This kind of life insurance is designed to last until you die – so you’ll be covered in the short, medium and long term. A lot of people who opt for this kind of life insurance do so because it can be set up to help with issues such as inheritance planning, although many people simply prefer to get cover that is guaranteed to make a payment at some point so that they feel that they are getting some return on their policy payments. There is a guarantee of payment with a whole of life policy that isn’t there with a term policy. Once your term policy is finished that really is it – you are only guaranteed a payment if you do die while the policy is in force.

Many people make their choice here based on their budget. The fact that a term life insurance policy may not ever make a payment (i.e. the fact that you will probably survive your policy) means that insurers can offer lower costs. A whole of life policy – with its guaranteed payment at some point – is consequently more expensive. The choice you make here will be a personal one and may well depend on your financial circumstances. The vital thing to remember is that some form of life insurance cover is vital for most of us – especially if we have a family to consider and we can consequently get great protection from either kind of policy at the end of the day.