There are many different ways that people do their estate planning. Generally speaking, estate planning is how a person plans to pass on their accumulated wealth to family and heirs after they die. A significant amount of wealth can be passed along by naming beneficiaries to their investment accounts, 401(k)s and IRAs, by writing a well, as well as holding homes and other real property jointly with whomever the property should pass to. Another important way of estate planning, although it’s often overlooked, is using a life insurance policy for estate planning purposes. Some types of life insurance policies even...

Read More »

We usually purchase our first life insurance policies when we get married or when we start to have or adopt children. The main reason for getting life insurance, of course, is to ensure that the dependents of the insured person will have continued financial security after the insured individual passes away. But does that mean that once the insured person retires, and the kids have moved out of the house, that there’s no longer any need for life insurance? The answer to that question isn’t quite as straightforward as you might think. Instead of assuming that life insurance is no...

Read More »

Of all the expenses in your budget, one that sometimes seems the most opaque is your cost of insurance. Chances are you pay for insurance to cover your home and car, as well as health insurance and life insurance. There are a variety of options for each type of coverage, so it’s important to make sure that you have the right kind of coverage, and that you aren’t paying too much for it. Not surprisingly, the best way to research and compare your different insurance policy options is using the Internet. There are many sites and resources available to you...

Read More »

Life insurance is something that too many of us do not have enough of. Some have no coverage whatsoever, while others have only small policies that might barely cover their final expenses. You need enough life insurance to pay funeral expenses, pay off debts, and make sure your dependents are taken care of when you’re gone. If you don’t have enough coverage to take care of these things, it’s time to apply for it. Don’t worry, it’s not as difficult or unpleasant as you might think. Here’s some information and advice on what you can expect when applying for a...

Read More »

Life insurance isn’t something that most of us like to think about. But if we want to make sure that our loved ones are taken care of when we’re gone, it’s something that we should consider carefully. Here's some advice you need to consider. An alarming number of people have no life insurance, and many others don’t have as much as they should. Those who are able to get life insurance through their employers often do so, but these policies rarely provide adequate coverage. Most offer a death benefit of $10,000 to $25,000, which is barely enough to pay your...

Read More »

Life insurance is, without a doubt, something that just about everyone should have. But not everyone should have the same type of policy. Here's some advice on one of the the many different flavors of life insurance, and any given type may or may not be suitable for you. One little known type of life insurance is variable universal life insurance, or VUL for short. Like other universal life insurance policies, VUL builds cash value and is paid when the insured dies, regardless of whether he or she is still paying premiums. But unlike your average universal life policy, the...

Read More »

When it comes to buying life insurance, shopping around is a must. There are lots of life insurance companies to choose from, and you can buy through an agent or directly from the company. Most companies offer a variety of life insurance products, and some will meet your needs better than others. The first thing that life insurance shoppers need to know is that there are two main types of life insurance: term and permanent. Term life insurance is purchased for a period of up to 30 years. The policyholder is covered for the duration of the term as long...

Read More »

Having adequate insurance coverage for your life, health, home, and automobile is a sound part of any individual’s overall financial planning. But this insurance coverage isn’t free, of course. You pay premiums for each type of coverage you have, and you pay higher premiums in order to get more coverage. At a certain point – especially if you have a change in your life or your family situation – you might find yourself paying premiums for coverage that is excessive, or no longer necessary. There are a number of different circumstances where it may be appropriate for you...

Read More »

How important is life insurance? Many people think they can go without it. However, for most people it’s a necessity. Here is some advice about the basics of life insurance. For some people, it’s more critical than others. For instance, if you are in your twenties and have no financial dependents, there is little point in getting it. On the other hand, if you do have people relying on you financially, then it definitely would be wise. The only time it wouldn’t be worth it is if you have enough savings to cover all expenses after you die. However, this...

Read More »

So you’ve probably seen some commercials lately about how term life insurance premiums are at historically low levels and you should take advantage of those lower prices now. But first, here is a quick tutorial and advice on why you should have life insurance before discussing how much an individual should own. So what is term life insurance? A term life insurance policy is one that has a set time frame on the coverage period – anywhere from one to thirty years – and when it reaches the end of that term, you can decide whether you’d like to renew...

Read More »

The average life insurance policy isn’t hard to understand – you take out this kind of policy to basically get life insurance coverage to protect your family. So, if you die unexpectedly, the insurer will pay out on the policy to give your next of kin a lump sum or an income according to the terms of your agreement. In most cases you will pay for your life insurance policy on a monthly basis for as long as the policy is in force – the payments here are usually referred to as premiums. It is critical that you read the...

Read More »