If you are looking into purchasing life insurance, you have probably heard about both term life insurance and whole life insurance. Before you decide on one or the other based on what you have heard or what your insurance agent tells you, you need to understand the meanings of ?term? and ?whole,? and familiarize yourself pros and cons of each one (and how these pros and cons will affect you).
First, we have term life insurance. It covers its policyholders for a certain amount of time, and that time can be up to 30 years. It costs much less than whole life insurance and policyholders can be covered by level-term premiums and annual renewable premiums. With level-term premiums, the premiums stay the same throughout the duration of the policy, whereas with annual renewable premiums, the premiums increase as the policyholder ages.
Next, we have whole life insurance, which combines term life insurance with an investment component. There are two elements involved with whole life insurance?the mortality charge, which pays for the insurance coverage, and the investment component, which earns interest and claims to act as a savings mechanism. However, as the policyholder ages, the mortality charge increases and the investment component decreases. Plus, the cash surrender value (the amount you would get back if you cashed in your policy) is not always what it appears to be. It fluctuates with markets, making its relation to reality a difficult one.
In the end, if you are on a budget and in search of a good, affordable life insurance policy, term life insurance is probably the best option for you. It is affordable and does not include more coverage that what you actually need. However, if you are wealthy enough to purchase whole life insurance, it can act as an estate-planning vehicle, applying the proceeds to your estate taxes rather than leaving your family to fight in out with the government.
Another problem is that whole life is extremely expensive, and if you're on a limited budget, you may not be able to afford all the insurance coverage you actually need.
Wealthy people sometimes use whole life policies as an estate-planning vehicle. They can set up an insurance trust, which applies the proceeds of the policy to their estate taxes when they die. That can save their heirs the considerable expense of settling the estate with Uncle Sam.
Term Insurance Vs Whole Life Insurance
Two types of insurance policies Term and Whole Life are available in the insurance market. Most people are confused about the difference between the two policies. Most of the buyers are unable to decide which policy is best for them. Before going in for any type of insurance you must know what you are buying and what benefit you will get from the insurance policy. You must know the differences between both the insurances. You must weigh all the options before you ink your deal for a particular insurance policy. Both policies have a different purpose and are not taxed.
Term Life Insurance and Whole Life Insurance- A Comparison
People mostly go in for term life insurance because it is beneficial for temporary or short time insurance needs. This type of insurance is suitable for those people who have just been employed and do not have the desired money to set aside for insurance, and those who foresee their future insurance needs are likely to change. It also gives you the option of selecting the exact period you want yourself to be covered by the insurance. The other advantage of term life insurance is that it has lower premium rate as compared to whole life insurance. The lower premium rate is an attraction for the insurer as to why not invest the difference in amount between term life insurance and whole life insurance in something else for better yield. The only consideration you have to keep in mind is that term life insurance expires without any maturity and the premium increases at the time of renewal.
Whole life insurance policy provides insurance for whole life. It has a fixed premium and can be cashed in. It can be terminated any time and you can still remain insured for an adjusted amount. This type of insurance is best suited for those who have the finances and are looking for long term insurance needs. Accumulation of cash value is considered as incidental benefit and not as an investment. The true value of whole life insurance is known only at retirement when you can use it as an income rather than as insurance or when you are in need of final expenses. This is the time when you need the retirement benefits most.
Basic concept of life insurance must be understood before selecting any policy. Reason out why you want insurance. Can you do without it? Consider your age, health, present and future needs. Most term life insurance policies can be converted in to whole life insurance policy at a later date. A combination of both insurances may be the best option.
Both Jessica Farrell & Van Whitsett are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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