There is a saying which says that in life the only certain things are taxes and death. In someones lifetime we are bound to encounter one or both of these two things. While taxes we know when to expect them, death on the other hand is an eventuality which can come like a thief in the night without any warning.
What is frightening about death is when we don't prepare for it especially for the loved ones we leave behind. That is why understanding the life insurance basics is important for us to know why we should buy life insurance policy.
When you are planning your personal finances, life insurance should be forefront in the plans. One of its most important purpose it is to replace lost income.
If you want to save up for the future and also provide for your family, you can take up a whole life insurance policy which provides for cash value which can in the future be withdrawn or borrowed from the your life insurance. In the meantime in case of death then the sum assured is payable to the beneficiaries.
The purpose of a life insurance is to help the dependents when the insured dies. In most cases the insured is the bread winner and when there is a life insurance the family are assured to be left with some money to help them until they are able to fend for themselves. It is very important for families with young children who are not yet able to work and fend for themselves to buy life insurance which would help with the continuity in case of premature death. Knowing there is a life insurance will give us and our family a peace of mind in the event of death.
Apart from using a life insurance as a lifeline for the dependents , there are other uses which can also assist the surviving family. Life insurance can be used to pay for the burial expenses of the deceased which sometimes can amount to more than $10,000. It can also be used to help with the payments for the probate of the deceased's will.
It can also be taken by a parent who wants to leave an inheritance to the beneficiaries.
If you want to buy life insurance policy you can can choose from several types of life insurance---Term insurance and whole life insurance are examples.
Term insurance is the cheapest and is pure insurance which is paid out by the insurer after the death of the insured.
Whole life insurance has on the other hand some element of investments and although it still pays after death it accrues cash value which can be withdrawn by the insured during his lifetime.
Understanding the life insurance basics and knowing why you should buy life insurance is something every person earning an income should look into. At least your loved ones would be taken care of if you are no longer there to support them.
Learn more from http://howmuchdoeslifeinsurancecost.info on why you should buy life insurance by understanding the Life Insurance Basics
Monday, May 25, 2009
Personal Life Insurance - The Evolution Of Your Portfolio (by Donald Lusan)
You have been hounded by life insurance agents from your senior years in college. You just didn't see the need to buy a policy or may be you just felt you had no need for the product. You graduate and it doesn't take you too long to get established in a good job. You have a nice apartment and some money in the bank. A life insurance agent is referred to you by a friend. He calls and you allow him to come to your home to discuss the matter only because he was referred by a friend.
You feel you have no need for life insurance but you decide to listen to what he has to say anyway. You have a small group policy on your job that is sufficient to put you six feet under and get rid of you. After a little small talk the life insurance agent begins to ask some questions.
* Are you married?
* Do you intend to get married sometime in the future?
* How do you feel about single people having life insurance?
* what about children - do you plan on having children in the future?
* Do you plan on going into business in the future?
You can't see the relevance of the questions as they do not apply to your present situation but you answer them anyway.
The life insurance agent goes through between 30 and 40 questions. Some seem to hit home but mainly for some time in your future...not now.
The life insurance agent then explains that you have sufficient life insurance for now. your group policy will be sufficient to bury you and pay off whatever outstanding debts you now have. Based on the answers you give him this life insurance agent knows that you will need much life insurance in the future.
* MarriageIn another 5 years or so you plan to be married. It would certainly be your responsibility to guarantee that your wife can maintain the same standard of living she enjoys at the time of your marriage even if you died shortly thereafter. It really doesn't matter if she works...you will need some life insurance for that. The big problem is that the younger you are the cheaper it is so it may be wise to buy it now. Additionally, if you should develop some illness in the future you may not be able to qualify for your policy. If you have it from now they cannot take it away from you. You agree to buy $1,000,000 of term life insurance to start.
* Home - MortgageFive years down the line, exactly as you planned it, you get married. You had met your wife in college. She also has a job that pays well. You are now age 35 and so is your wife. You both agree that it would be a good thing not to wait too long before having a child. You both agree to buy a house first. As you had quite a bit of money saved you start house hunting. You wife also had some savings so you both put down a substantial down payment and you own your house... After buying your furniture something occurs to you. What would happen if you died tomorrow? Would your wife's earnings be sufficient to make the mortgage payments? You decide to buy a decreasing term policy sufficient to pay off the amount owed in the event of your death.
* ChildrenYou wife get's pregnant. You are shortly going to have an addition to the family. Not to worry; if anything happened to you that original $1,000,000 life insurance policy will take care of them. Special attention should be paid to the rising cost of living, however. What a dollar can buy today it certainly cannot buy a few years down the line. In your case you increase your life insurance a little when the baby is born.
* 25 Years Down The LineYou had one other child and they have done well. They graduated from college and are looking forward to a happy and prosperous future. Do You still need the life insurance you bought over the years? It is very likely you do. You still want to provide that income for the one you love...even though your investments have done very well and you are pretty well off. If your estate is a large one the Federal Government will have to be paid what is known as Estate Taxes. The Federal Estate Tax Law has been repealed but that does not mean you have no Tax to pay.
For additional information on Estate Taxes go to:
http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net/estate-taxes.html
For more than 40 years Donald has been known for his extensive knowledge of the life insurance business. He has represented some of the largest and most admired life insurance companies in the United States as well as Canada. His advice is invaluable.
Donald's website is: http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net
You feel you have no need for life insurance but you decide to listen to what he has to say anyway. You have a small group policy on your job that is sufficient to put you six feet under and get rid of you. After a little small talk the life insurance agent begins to ask some questions.
* Are you married?
* Do you intend to get married sometime in the future?
* How do you feel about single people having life insurance?
* what about children - do you plan on having children in the future?
* Do you plan on going into business in the future?
You can't see the relevance of the questions as they do not apply to your present situation but you answer them anyway.
The life insurance agent goes through between 30 and 40 questions. Some seem to hit home but mainly for some time in your future...not now.
The life insurance agent then explains that you have sufficient life insurance for now. your group policy will be sufficient to bury you and pay off whatever outstanding debts you now have. Based on the answers you give him this life insurance agent knows that you will need much life insurance in the future.
* MarriageIn another 5 years or so you plan to be married. It would certainly be your responsibility to guarantee that your wife can maintain the same standard of living she enjoys at the time of your marriage even if you died shortly thereafter. It really doesn't matter if she works...you will need some life insurance for that. The big problem is that the younger you are the cheaper it is so it may be wise to buy it now. Additionally, if you should develop some illness in the future you may not be able to qualify for your policy. If you have it from now they cannot take it away from you. You agree to buy $1,000,000 of term life insurance to start.
* Home - MortgageFive years down the line, exactly as you planned it, you get married. You had met your wife in college. She also has a job that pays well. You are now age 35 and so is your wife. You both agree that it would be a good thing not to wait too long before having a child. You both agree to buy a house first. As you had quite a bit of money saved you start house hunting. You wife also had some savings so you both put down a substantial down payment and you own your house... After buying your furniture something occurs to you. What would happen if you died tomorrow? Would your wife's earnings be sufficient to make the mortgage payments? You decide to buy a decreasing term policy sufficient to pay off the amount owed in the event of your death.
* ChildrenYou wife get's pregnant. You are shortly going to have an addition to the family. Not to worry; if anything happened to you that original $1,000,000 life insurance policy will take care of them. Special attention should be paid to the rising cost of living, however. What a dollar can buy today it certainly cannot buy a few years down the line. In your case you increase your life insurance a little when the baby is born.
* 25 Years Down The LineYou had one other child and they have done well. They graduated from college and are looking forward to a happy and prosperous future. Do You still need the life insurance you bought over the years? It is very likely you do. You still want to provide that income for the one you love...even though your investments have done very well and you are pretty well off. If your estate is a large one the Federal Government will have to be paid what is known as Estate Taxes. The Federal Estate Tax Law has been repealed but that does not mean you have no Tax to pay.
For additional information on Estate Taxes go to:
http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net/estate-taxes.html
For more than 40 years Donald has been known for his extensive knowledge of the life insurance business. He has represented some of the largest and most admired life insurance companies in the United States as well as Canada. His advice is invaluable.
Donald's website is: http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net
What's the Difference Between Permanent and Whole Life Insurance (by Ryan Patterson)
Whole life insurance is a type of permanent insurance, and both of these have terms lasting until the end of the insured's life, as opposed to term life insurance, which, as the name suggests, only covers the life of the insured for a specified term. Put simply, permanent life insurance always pays out to the beneficiary, because the end of its term is the death of the insured; term life insurance only pays out if the insured dies during the allotted time period. The former is substantially-sometimes tenfold-more expensive than the latter, but term life insurance renewal is often costly, since at the end of the term the insured person is older and therefore represents a higher risk. This is especially true of life insurance for seniors, as one might imagine, since their chances of payout are higher.
Whole life insurance, also known as cash surrender life insurance, is considered a solid investment. Given consistent upkeep, it accumulates value on a tax-deferred basis, just as an education or retirement fund does. With whole life insurance, the insured may use the policy as collateral, borrow against it or even borrow from it-again, just as with a bank account. If the insured borrows from it, say to build a dream retirement home, the end cash payout obviously will be lower for the named beneficiary/ies, unless the borrowed amount is repaid. And, if the insured is unable to continue paying into the policy, then just like a bank account, it might still have a payout to beneficiaries, depending on when the payout is. The insurance company providing whole life insurance also folds its dividends directly into the policy (provided the company is profitable), providing a secondary increase in value over time.
Another type of permanent insurance is variable life insurance. Here, the life insurance policy is more of a stock portfolio than a savings account, and its value varies with the value of the investments chosen to support it. At the end of the insured's life, the portfolio is paid out to the beneficiary/ies; depending on the risk level of the chosen investments, the benefit may either erode or grow over time.
With universal life insurance, the insured pays a base initial amount, and then makes payments within a range set by the insurance provider. This type of policy is usually less costly, but it is important to understand that the range of minimum and maximum payments may change over time, depending on the health of the provider, its investments or other terms. Therefore, the account requires more attention than other forms of permanent insurance.
Finally, variable universal life (VUL) insurance is another tax-free account in which terms and payments can vary as needed. In it, flexible premiums may be invested in a variety of areas and accounts, coverage may be increased or decreased, and investments may be transferred between accounts without tax ramifications. Because the policyholder retains more of the risk than the insurance provider, VUL policies often have less costly upkeep fees than many other types of policies. On the other hand, it is also a combination of all of the flexibility possible within the permanent life insurance category.
Ryan Patterson is president of US Insurance Online based in Austin, TX. He graduated in 2000 from the University of Texas with a combined business and computer science degree, and started the company in May of 2005 with fellow entrepreneur Jim Waltrip. The recently re-launched site is designed to provide insurance shopping help and free insurance quotes. For assistance finding whole life insurance, visit http://www.USInsuranceOnline.com
Whole life insurance, also known as cash surrender life insurance, is considered a solid investment. Given consistent upkeep, it accumulates value on a tax-deferred basis, just as an education or retirement fund does. With whole life insurance, the insured may use the policy as collateral, borrow against it or even borrow from it-again, just as with a bank account. If the insured borrows from it, say to build a dream retirement home, the end cash payout obviously will be lower for the named beneficiary/ies, unless the borrowed amount is repaid. And, if the insured is unable to continue paying into the policy, then just like a bank account, it might still have a payout to beneficiaries, depending on when the payout is. The insurance company providing whole life insurance also folds its dividends directly into the policy (provided the company is profitable), providing a secondary increase in value over time.
Another type of permanent insurance is variable life insurance. Here, the life insurance policy is more of a stock portfolio than a savings account, and its value varies with the value of the investments chosen to support it. At the end of the insured's life, the portfolio is paid out to the beneficiary/ies; depending on the risk level of the chosen investments, the benefit may either erode or grow over time.
With universal life insurance, the insured pays a base initial amount, and then makes payments within a range set by the insurance provider. This type of policy is usually less costly, but it is important to understand that the range of minimum and maximum payments may change over time, depending on the health of the provider, its investments or other terms. Therefore, the account requires more attention than other forms of permanent insurance.
Finally, variable universal life (VUL) insurance is another tax-free account in which terms and payments can vary as needed. In it, flexible premiums may be invested in a variety of areas and accounts, coverage may be increased or decreased, and investments may be transferred between accounts without tax ramifications. Because the policyholder retains more of the risk than the insurance provider, VUL policies often have less costly upkeep fees than many other types of policies. On the other hand, it is also a combination of all of the flexibility possible within the permanent life insurance category.
Ryan Patterson is president of US Insurance Online based in Austin, TX. He graduated in 2000 from the University of Texas with a combined business and computer science degree, and started the company in May of 2005 with fellow entrepreneur Jim Waltrip. The recently re-launched site is designed to provide insurance shopping help and free insurance quotes. For assistance finding whole life insurance, visit http://www.USInsuranceOnline.com
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