Posts Tagged Death Benefit

Shop Life Insurance Rate – Getting The Best Coverage For

Shop Life Insurance Rate – Getting The Best Coverage For The Lowest Rate

The purchase of life insurance is so much easier because of the availability of so much online information. The buyer learn son much by studying the magnificent amount of web content about life insurance. Life insurance rates are easier to comprehend when you get a better understanding about the different types of life insurance. There are basically two types of life insurance that come in many different forms. Term life insurance and permanent life insurance are the two types.

isuranceTerm Life Insurance is the most inexpensive form of life insurance. Term life insurance is purchased for temporary needs over a specific time period. Once that time period elapses then the policy terminates. The short term benefit is what makes the premium low in comparison to permanent forms of life insurance. Mortgage term life insurance is purchased to cover a mortgage debt over a specific period of time. A thirty year mortgage requires a thirty year mortgage term policy that has the death benefit decrease as the mortgage balance decreases. The policy terminates after 30 years when the mortgage is fully paid. You can also purchase level term policies that provide level death benefits for specific periods of time. These time periods can be as short as five year and as long as twenty years with most companies.

Permanent Life Insurance is different from term insurance because it is designed to stay in force until the death of the insured. This form of life insurance is very popular because of its inside build up of cash value. The cash value of permanent life insurance is what enables the policy to extend until the death of the insured. This cash value account is accessible to the insured. The cash can be borrowed at a very low interest rate. Universal life policies have a partial surrender feature also that requires no pay-back of the borrowed amount.

Do your online shopping for life insurance rates based on these two forms. Compare term rates with term rates and permanent rates with permanent rates and that will make your shopping a whole lot easier.

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Selling Your Life Insurance (Viaticals and Life Settlements)

Selling your life insurance is an option you might consider if you’re in a difficult financial situation for which you don’t see a close end. A terminal illness or old age could cause you to think twice about paying those hefty premiums at this stage of your life. Selling your life insurance carries with it complex implications and substantial risks, so it is important that you educate yourself regarding the big picture. If you’re interested in selling your life insurance, this is a good starting point to obtain some basic information.

Basics: Vocabulary

If you’ve already done any research on selling your life insurance, chances are good that you’ve come across two main terms: viaticals and life settlements. Both refer to the selling of your life insurance to a third party. So what’s the difference? “Viatical” is typically used to refer to the transaction involving a chronically or terminally ill insured, while a “life settlement” is a transaction involving a senior (generally over the age of 65) who is not terminally ill.

Even though you now know the difference, it does not mean that your state does. These terms might be used interchangeably, or your state might use one of them to refer to both transactions. For example, your state could use “Viatical Settlement” to refer to any type of transaction regarding selling your insurance. Be aware that this kind of ambiguity may exist in relation to the vocabulary used in the sale of your life insurance.

How it Works

The owner of the life insurance policy will sell it for a percentage of the death benefit a lump sum to a third party and, in exchange, receives an often substantial lump sum payment. The third party then becomes the new owner andor beneficiary of the policy and pays all of the future premiums and eventually collects the death benefit when the insured passes away.

Those considering selling their life insurance may either directly approach a viatical company or settlement firm, or they may choose to work with a broker. The broker will act as an intermediary and present the information to several different companiesfirms in an effort to find the highest price for the sale.

The settlement firms buy the insurance on behalf of investors. In this situation, the investors become the owners and beneficiaries, and the settlement firm pays the premium until the insured dies. The firm then collects the death benefit and either pays its investors a percentage of the annual return or repackages the policy for sale to another party.

Take comfort in know that the process of selling one’s life insurance is typically very confidential. Most viatical companies and settlement firms understand the discretion necessary to make the process run smoothly and easily. However, a company may act disrespectfully and become borderline intrusive by trying to keep track of the insured’s condition. For this reason, it is important to work with a respectful, experienced organization.

Who Considers Selling

Those with serious, life-threatening illnesses are most likely to consider selling their life insurance to provide cash for various expenses, such as mounting medical bills. For those who are not terminally ill, selling the life insurance might be a good idea for a number of reasons. If the owner’s beneficiary has died or if the owner can’t afford to keep paying the premiums, it would appear that they no longer have sufficient use for the life insurance. Seniors around retirement age may also consider selling their life insurance, even if they are free of debt, in order to receive a lump sum of money with which they may do whatever they please.

Keep in mind that different companies may have different eligibility requirements to be able to sell your life insurance policy.

Advantages to Selling Your Life Insurance

It might be easy to see some of these benefits, but others are a little less obvious.

  • You’ll receive a lump sum cash payment right now. As mentioned above, this is especially useful to the terminally ill who have mounting medical bills.
  • You will receive more by selling your life insurance than you would if you simply surrendered it to the insurance company. It is possible for an insured person who is 65 or older or who is terminally ill to sell a policy with little or no cash value for a 100,000.00 or much more.
  • You won’t have to pay any more insurance premiums. If your financial situation is becoming strained with no end in sight, eliminating premiums is a way to alleviate the burden.
  • You don’t have to repay the money, like you do when you borrow against your insurance policy.
  • Even though your life insurance benefits won’t be available once you die, you can still leave money to a certain person or organization it will just come from the money that is leftover after using the funds from selling your policy. So, selling your life insurance does not
    mean that you’re definitely robbing your beneficiaries of their gift.
  • In some cases, the money you receive is tax-free.
  • There are no regulations or restrictions on how you make use of the money you receive. You may spend as much of it or as little of it as you wish, however you please.
    • Risks of Selling Your Life Insurance

      Understanding the risks associated with selling your life insurance will help you make an informed decision. Be sure to consult a financial advisor or tax attorney to make sure you understand the implications of the sale.

    • You might lose your eligibility for some public assistance benefits, especially those based on your income and assets (such as food stamps, welfare, Medicaid and some Social Security benefits).
    • There could be tax issues. Selling the policy will
      result in a tax bill if the settlement amount exceeds your cost basis.
    • With improved medical care, the ill person may live longer than expected.
    • You might face unhappy heirs. This might not be a problem for you, but it could lead to a long road of (possibly legal) complications and battles. Some settlement actually companies require the beneficiaries to also sign off on any sale, which could be good or bad, depending on whether or not you’re dealing with a cooperative beneficiary.

      • Other Options

        If you come to the conclusion that selling your life insurance policy is not for you, there are other options (though none that would provide you with such a large lump sum). An insurance agent should be able to help give you more information on some of these ideas.

      • Borrow against your insurance policy
      • Cash out the policy if it has surrender value
      • Look into accelerated benefits or living benefits
      • Medical protection
      • Borrow money (from family or friends perhaps) and use the life insurance policy as collateral
        • If you believe that selling your life insurance policy is the right decision for you, make sure you deal with a dependable, experienced broker or settlement company to ensure that you get the best service and results from your transaction.
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    Second to Die Life Insurance Policies

    11healthUsually, the death benefit from a second-to-die life insurance policy is intended to go to the children , a charity or pay taxes owed after both spouses pass away.

    In the U.S. there is a marital deduction permitting you to leave an unlimited amount of assets to your surviving spouse with no taxes payable at your death. Those assets then become part of the estate of the spouse and if it includes a second to die life insurance polciy it could help pay any taxes. In Canada, there is more lenient tax treatment.

    There are also tax ramifications for small businesses, which is why business partners also purchase second-to-die policies.

    THE REASON TO BUY SECOND TO DIE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

    With a second-to-die life insurance policy your beneficiaries can pay debts with the proceeds of your policy, so they won’t be forced to sell your house or liquidate assets to pay the bill.

    A second-to-die life insurance policy can help to construct a financial plan reducing the tax burden of wealthy individuals by creating trusts and using second-to-die life insurance as part of the estate-planning process.

    ADVANTAGES TO SECOND TO DIE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

    1.Less expensive. Second-to-die life insurance is usually less expensive than life insurance but depends on the blend of the ages. The premium is based upon the joint life expectancy.

    2.Estate Preservation. A second-to-die policy appeals to individuals who feel strongly about preserving their estates with the life insurance paying the taxes.

    3.Easier to buy. It’s easier to qualify for a second-to-die policy than for individual life insurance. Since both insureds must die before the benefit is payable, the insurance company is less concerned that one of them might not be in good health.

    * Builds your estate. In some cases, second-to-die life insurance is marketed as a way to build an estate, not just insulate it from taxes. Much like individual life insurance, the death benefit of a second-to-die policy can ensure that certain people receive money, even if you spend every nickel.

    4.Second-to-die life insurance might make sense for people who don’t have a lot of money but want to leave an estate for their children.

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    Second to DIe Life Insurance

    better-health-insuranceUsually, the death benefit from a second-to-die life insurance policy is intended to go to the children , a charity or pay taxes owed after both spouses pass away.

    In the U.S. there is a marital deduction permitting you to leave an unlimited amount of assets to your surviving spouse with no taxes payable at your death. Those assets then become part of the estate of the spouse and if it includes a second to die life insurance policy it could help pay any taxes. In Canada, there is more lenient tax treatment.

    There are also tax ramifications for small businesses, which is why business partners also purchase second-to-die policies.

    THE REASON TO BUY SECOND TO DIE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

    With a second-to-die life insurance policy your beneficiaries can pay debts with the proceeds of your policy, so they won’t be forced to sell your house or liquidate assets to pay the bill.

    A second-to-die life insurance policy can help to construct a financial plan reducing the tax burden of wealthy individuals by creating trusts and using second-to-die life insurance as part of the estate-planning process.

    ADVANTAGES TO SECOND TO DIE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

    1.Less expensive. Second-to-die life insurance is usually less expensive than life insurance but depends on the blend of the ages. The premium is based upon the joint life expectancy.

    2.Estate Preservation. A second-to-die policy appeals to individuals who feel strongly about preserving their estates with the life insurance paying the taxes.

    3.Easier to buy. It’s easier to qualify for a second-to-die policy than for individual life insurance. Since both insures must die before the benefit is payable, the insurance company is less concerned that one of them might not be in good health.

    * Builds your estate. In some cases, second-to-die life insurance is marketed as a way to build an estate, not just insulate it from taxes. Much like individual life insurance, the death benefit of a second-to-die policy can ensure that certain people receive money, even if you spend every nickel.

    4.Second-to-die life insurance might make sense for people who don’t have a lot of money but want to leave an estate for their children.

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