Whole life insurance is one of the most popular forms of insurance on the market.
While it might seem like an easy choice, there are some things you should know about whole life insurance before you make a purchase.
We’ve put together this quick guide to help you figure out if it’s right for you and, if so, how to find the best policy that offers the coverage you need and comes with a fair price tag.
1) Whole life insurance is permanent
Whole life insurance is permanent, meaning that your policy never expires.
Unlike term life insurance, which only covers a set amount of time, the coverage on your whole life policy will last for as long as you live.
This type of protection can be beneficial if your dependents rely on your income or if they’re going to receive a financial inheritance from you when they turn 18 or 21.
With this type of insurance, you’ll build cash value and earn interest on it.
Your death benefit remains the same no matter how much your cash value has grown over time.
When you die, your beneficiaries receive the greater of either the face value of your policy or its cash value at the time of your death.
It’s worth noting that some insurers may charge an additional premium fee to convert some or all of the face value into cash.
however, converting to a lower cost policy could save money in the long run.
2) Whole life insurance has cash value
Whole life insurance has a cash value and the cash value is always guaranteed. It never decreases in value like a term policy.
You can borrow against the cash value of your whole life policy to pay for education or medical expenses, buy a home, or start a business without having to worry that your death will adversely affect your family’s financial security.
Every year at renewal time, your premium is adjusted based on age and whether or not you smoke.
If you want to lower your premium cost, you can always increase the amount of annual income rider (IAR) coverage on your whole life policy.
3) Premiums are fixed
Whole Life Insurance premiums are fixed, which means that the premiums will stay the same over the entire term of your policy.
This is different from Term Life Insurance, which has a set premium for a set period of time (typically 10 or 20 years).
The benefit pays out when you die: If you don’t have any dependents and pass away, the benefits will be paid out as cash.
You can save up money while you live: Premiums typically pay for themselves after only a few years and most people who use this type of life insurance say it’s worth every penny.
Don’t think of it as an expense, but rather an investment in yourself.
If you are able to meet with a qualified agent before deciding on your coverage, they may be able to help answer any questions you may have.
4) Coverage is guaranteed
Whole Life Insurance is a type of permanent life insurance.
It guarantees coverage for the entire term of your policy, regardless of how long or short it may be.
This means that if you become terminally ill, or pass away earlier than expected, your family will still receive death benefits.
You can change beneficiaries at any time: You can change beneficiaries at any time without having to reapply for a new policy! Some policies even allow you to designate different beneficiary(ies) on each individual life insured.
There are no lapse periods and premiums don’t increase:
With Whole Life Insurance, there are no lapse periods where you’re not paying anything and premiums never go up like they do with other types of policies such as Term Life or Universal Life Insurance.
5) Whole life insurance can be used as collateral
Whole life insurance is a form of permanent life insurance with cash values that can be borrowed against.
It’s an investment tool, but it also has the potential to act as collateral in a loan scenario.
If your plan is to use your whole life policy as collateral for a loan or mortgage, there are some important factors you’ll want to consider before doing so .
For example , if you were planning on taking out a 20-year loan from your lender and planned to pay off the full amount at the end of those 20 years, would it make sense for you to put up something worth 10% less than what was borrowed?
Or if you’re borrowing $200,000 and plan on paying back $240,000 over 20 years,
6) Whole life insurance can be part of an estate plan
Whole life insurance is a form of permanent or universal life insurance that provides coverage for the insured person’s entire lifetime.
Whole life policies typically have a cash value account associated with them, where an investor can make deposits and withdrawals on a tax-free basis.
This account can grow tax deferred until the insured person either surrenders the policy by cancelling it in exchange for the cash value, or dies and the proceeds are paid to their beneficiaries.
The advantages of this type of insurance include the fact that whole life insurance offers a death benefit (a lump sum payment) at the time of death rather than waiting to pay out benefits over time.
The disadvantages may include higher premiums because there is no limit on how long the insurer will cover your risk, unlike term life insurance which has a limited amount of time for which it will cover your risk.
7) Whole life insurance is regulated by state law
Whole life insurance is regulated by state law and salesperson
Different states have different regulations on how the agent can sell this type of insurance.
The salesperson cannot sell a product if they are not licensed in that state.
In some cases, there may be additional requirements for specific types of products.
For example, most states require all life insurance agents to complete training on the NAIC Life Insurance Agency Practices Model Act before selling any type of policy.
Some states also restrict sales to certain ages or limit the number of policies an agent can sell per day.
One thing to keep in mind with whole life insurance:
There’s no such thing as a free lunch, so you’re paying higher premiums because it covers you for your entire lifetime.