Life insurance is a financial tool that can offer cash value, peace of mind and a legacy for your loved ones. However, navigating the world of life insurance can be daunting, with its myriad policies, terms and options. Life insurance may not be worth it if you have no dependents, a tight budget or other plans. Whether you’re just beginning your financial journey or re-evaluating your existing coverage, here’s why life insurance can be the cornerstone of your financial plan. To make sure you’re fully covered, you may want to talk to a financial advisor.
What Is Life Insurance?
Life insurance is a financial contract between an individual (the policyholder) and an insurance company. In exchange for regular premiums, the insurance company provides a financial benefit to the policyholder’s beneficiaries upon the policyholder’s death. This benefit, known as the death benefit, is typically paid out as a lump sum, although some policies offer installment payout options.
Here are some key aspects of life insurance:
Policyholder: The person who purchases and owns the life insurance policy.
Premium: The regular payments made by the policyholder to the insurance company to keep the policy in force. You can usually pay premiums in monthly, quarterly or annual intervals.
Death Benefit: The amount of money the insurance company will pay the beneficiaries if the policyholder passes away. The policyholder determines the amount of the death benefit when purchasing the policy.
Beneficiaries: The individuals or entities named by the policyholder to receive the death benefit when the policyholder dies. Beneficiaries are usually family members or loved ones who would face financial difficulties in the event of the policyholder’s death.
Underwriting: When applying for life insurance, the insurance company assesses the applicant’s health, age, lifestyle and other factors to determine the premium rate and eligibility. Younger, healthier individuals often pay lower premiums.
Riders: Policyholders can often customize their life insurance policies with riders, which are additional provisions or benefits that enhance the policy’s coverage. Common riders include accelerated death benefits, waiver of premium and accidental death benefit riders.
Types: Multiple types of life insurance are available for purchase, depending on your needs. The two primary types are term and whole.
Term Life Insurance
Term life insurance provides coverage for a specific period, such as 10, 20, 25 or 30 years. If the policyholder passes away during this term, the insurance company pays the death benefit to the beneficiaries. The payout usually comes as a tax-free lump sum. However, if the policyholder survives the term, the coverage ends and there is no payout. The insurance company bases premiums on factors like age, health and the chosen term length. The younger you are when you purchase a term life policy, the less expensive it is.
Although term life insurance expires after a given period, the premiums are usually lower than whole life. In addition, term policies are cheaper because they don’t accumulate cash value or savings. These features allow the policyholder more financial flexibility and potential. For instance, you could invest the amount you save choosing term over life (usually a difference of at least $100 monthly) in the stock market, earning a better return than a whole life policy’s interest rate.
Because they are temporary, policyholders usually choose term life insurance to cover specific financial obligations, such as a mortgage, education expenses or income replacement during the years when these needs are most critical.
Whole Life Insurance
Whole life insurance provides coverage for the entire lifetime of the insured, regardless of how long they live. Because the coverage never ends, premiums for whole life insurance are considerably higher than those for term life insurance.
In addition, whole life policies include a cash value component that accumulates over time. This growth is tax-deferred, so you won’t increase your bill to Uncle Sam unless you tap the gains in the account. A portion of each premium payment goes into this cash value, which you can borrow against or withdraw for specific financial needs. However, doing so may affect the death benefit, increase the premium amount and incur taxes.
Another advantage of some whole life policies is dividend payments. Participating whole life policies send dividends to policyholders when the company’s finances flourish. These payments can be taken as cash, used to reduce premiums or left to accumulate within the policy.
As a result, whole life insurance is suitable for long-term financial planning, estate planning and providing a guaranteed death benefit regardless of the policyholder’s age.
Reasons You Need Life Insurance
A man buying life insurance after making sure he's not being scammed
Life insurance is a valuable financial tool that can serve various purposes. Here are several benefits to having life insurance:
1. Financial Security for Dependents
If you have dependents, such as a spouse, children or aging parents who rely on your income to cover living expenses, life insurance can provide them with financial stability if you die. The death benefit can replace lost income, cover daily funeral expenses, pay for education and maintain a standard of living.
2. Debt Protection
The life insurance benefit can also pay off substantial outstanding debts, such as mortgages, car loans and credit card debt. The payout guarantees your loved ones are not burdened with these financial obligations if you’re no longer there to pay them.
3. Estate Planning
Life insurance can play a crucial role in estate planning. It can be the cornerstone of the inheritance you leave, ensuring your heirs receive the assistance you want for them, even if you don’t have substantial assets.
4. Business Continuity
If you’re a business owner, life insurance can fund a buy-sell agreement, enabling your business partner(s) to buy out your share if you die. It can also provide financial support for the business’s continued operations.
5. Charitable Giving
Some individuals use life insurance to make significant charitable donations upon their death. You can name a charity as a beneficiary, allowing you to leave a lasting legacy with a cause close to your heart.
6. Supplement Retirement Income
While life insurance policies are insufficient for retirement on their own, the cash value can act as an emergency fund or income stream during retirement. Remember, the cash you’ve deposited over time isn’t taxable income. However, the gains in the account are taxable upon withdrawal.
7. Health Considerations
Customers who are young and healthy generally receive the best life insurance rates. If life insurance is part of your long-term financial plan, locking in a policy earlier in life will save you money, especially if you’re concerned about developing a health condition in the future.
Reasons You May Not Need Life Insurance
While life insurance can be valuable in many situations, there are circumstances in which you might not need it or where the need is minimal. Here are some reasons why you might not need life insurance.
You Don’t Have Any Dependents
If you have no dependents and no one else relies on your income for financial support, you may not need life insurance. In other words, if no one will suffer financially from your passing away, one of life insurance’s main perks is null. Likewise, if your spouse is financially independent, life insurance may not serve a purpose.
Financial Independence
Life insurance can be redundant if you’ve accumulated enough wealth to cover your own funeral expenses, outstanding debts and any other financial obligations without causing a burden on others. Some financially independent individuals self-insure by setting aside savings for these purposes. So, if you’re a high-net-worth individual, these could serve as a financial safety net for your loved ones, eliminating the need for life insurance.
You’re Retired or Close to Retirement
If you’re already retired or close to retirement, you may have the savings and assets you need for the next stage of life. As a result, your focus would shift toward preserving your wealth instead of purchasing an expensive policy. In addition, your wealth can help your beneficiaries the same way a life insurance policy payout would.
You Have Competing Financial Priorities
Life insurance may not be the most pressing need for your situation. For instance, you may have high-interest debts, such as credit cards or student loans. The interest rates on these balances can cause more damage when left unaddressed, so eliminating them from your budget can provide more financial benefit. Likewise, starting an individual retirement account (IRA) may be wiser because, historically, investments in stocks and bonds have the potential for higher long-term returns.
You Have Significant Health Issues
If you have significant health issues that make life insurance premiums prohibitively expensive, it may not be a viable option. In this situation, other assets and savings vehicles are more cost-effective.
Your Beneficiaries Have Alternative Sources of Financial Support
If you have other sources of financial support for your beneficiaries, such as a trust fund, investments or other assets, these resources can sufficiently provide for your loved ones without the need for life insurance.
What Type of Life Insurance Do You Need?
To determine the type of life insurance that may suit your needs, begin by assessing your financial situation, including income, debts and dependents or beneficiaries. Next, define your financial goals, both immediate (like covering debts and monthly expenses) and long-term (such as funding education or leaving a legacy). Then, you can determine your insurance needs based on these goals, considering income replacement, debt repayment, education funding and funeral expenses.
In addition, it’s crucial to understand the various types of life insurance available, such as term, whole, universal and variable life insurance and their respective features. Seek guidance from a financial advisor or insurance professional who can provide personalized recommendations based on your unique circumstances. Lastly, remember to periodically review your life insurance plan as your life changes to ensure it continues to align with your evolving financial objectives and responsibilities.
Is Life Insurance a Scam?
Life insurance can seem like a rip-off because of the high premiums and unlikelihood of the policyholder’s death. In addition, doubts about an insurance company’s financial stability can raise questions about whether it can afford payouts when they are due.
However, life insurance is a trustworthy financial product because of the amount of independent oversight in the industry. Third-party agencies regularly review the financial strength and transparency of each life insurance company and publicize the results. So, customers can research every company’s financial strength, claims-paying ability and history to determine its quality.
Secondly, life insurance companies follow regulations from the federal and state governments. Specifically, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) provides regulatory standards and consumer protections at the federal level. Plus, your state has a department of insurance with the authority to penalize any company with fraudulent insurance practices.
The final reason life insurance isn’t a scam is an unfortunate reality: some people die unexpectedly. These tragedies occur regardless of the person’s financial preparedness and can devastate families financially and emotionally. Life insurance provides a layer of financial security in the event of an unexpected death, the loss of a home or the inability to get an education isn’t part of the fallout.
Common Life Insurance Scams
Life insurance scams can result in financial loss and harm to individuals and their beneficiaries. Here’s an explanation of some common life insurance scams:
Phony Contacts: Scammers impersonate legitimate insurance companies or agents through phone calls, emails or mail to convince individuals to purchase fake policies. Victims may pay premiums for non-existent policies and believe they have coverage when they do not.
Fake Outstanding Balance: Fraudsters contact the beneficiary of a recently deceased policyholder, claiming there’s a premium payment due before the death benefit can be disbursed. The beneficiary sends a payment, believing they’ll receive a lump sum in return.
Premium Theft: Unscrupulous agents collect premium payments from policyholders but do not remit the funds to the insurance company. Policyholders believe they are covered, but their policies lapse due to non-payment of premiums, leaving them without coverage.
Unlicensed Agents: Individuals pose as insurance agents without the necessary licenses or credentials to sell insurance products. Victims may purchase policies that are not legitimate or from unregulated sources, leading to potential financial losses and lack of coverage.
Fee Churning: Dishonest agents persuade policyholders to replace existing policies with new ones or buy more insurance with the policy’s cash value. However, instead of enhancing the policy, doing so simply earns the agent additional commissions.
Forgery: Scammers forge insurance documents, such as policies or riders, without the policyholder’s consent. Policyholders then find they have expensive coverage or riders they didn’t request or authorize.
Policy Switching: Unscrupulous agents sell potential policyholders an inexpensive policy, then switch the paperwork at signing for a vastly more costly policy. Policyholders may lose the benefits and coverage they initially signed up for while incurring higher costs.
Unnecessary Riders: Agents add unnecessary riders or endorsements to policies to increase commissions, even when they don’t benefit the policyholder. Policyholders pay higher premiums for coverage they don’t need, reducing the value of their policies.
Bottom Line
A couple getting life insurance after realizing it's not a scam
While life insurance offers valuable benefits, it’s essential to know about common life insurance scams that can exploit policyholders or potential buyers. These scams include phony contacts, fake outstanding balance requests, premium theft, unlicensed agents, fee churning, forgery, policy switching and the addition of unnecessary riders to policies. To safeguard yourself from these scams, verifying the legitimacy of insurance agents and companies is crucial. Therefore, it’s recommended to carefully review policy documents and maintain records of premium payments and correspondence.
Tips for Buying the Right Life Insurance
A financial advisor can help you find the life insurance policy that fits your financial plan. Plus, he or she can act as an extra pair of eyes, double-checking for fraud. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
If you have a medical condition keeping you from purchasing health insurance, no-exam policies are available. While they generally don’t have as high of payouts as a standard policy, they provide a layer of financial protection for your loved ones that can work in conjunction with other assets.
