There are several considerations and benefits to choosing a whole life insurance policy over other different types of life insurance policies. With so many options in the insurance marketplace, it is certainly confusing to choose the best insurance plan for you. However, here are a few advantages of whole life insurance plans to help you decide why this might be the right one for you.
Benefits of Whole Life Insurance
• Lifelong Insurance Coverage: The term whole life insurance is no misnomer! As the name implies, whole life insurance plans are designed to provide insurance coverage for your whole life, unlike term insurance policies, which only offer coverage for a specified period of time.
• Fixed Insurance Premiums: Premiums for other types of insurance policies generally increase over time to reflect the rising cost of protecting older policyholders. But for whole-life insurance policies, insurers average the entire cost so that you pay a predictable and level premium throughout your time. Having a fixed insurance premium can be easier for people to plan around the budget.
• Cash Value: One of the distinguishing features of a whole life insurance policy is “cash value”. It means that the insurance premiums you pay towards your plan accumulate in a cash balance that you can use even when you are still alive! If you do decide to discontinue paying your premiums, your insurance plan may still be worth something to you. This, however, depends on how much cash has accumulated. On the contrary, term insurance premiums (pure insurance policies) only pay out upon a death.
• Encourages Savings: For those who require additional encouragement, paying a compulsory policy premium forces them to set aside cash that can be used at a later date.
• Flexible Money Options: The accrual nature of your whole life insurance plans will offer you several flexible options in the future – should you decide to discontinue paying premiums. There may be a waiting period before you can borrow against your cash value. You can also opt to stop paying new premiums, and stretch your accumulated cash value and existing premiums towards a reduced benefit protection.
• Possible Dividends: If you have a participating whole life insurance policy, you can receive dividends from your company. However, they’re not guaranteed and are only paid out when your agency has excess investment earnings, favorable mortality statistics, or savings on expenses. You can choose how you want the dividends to be used: reduce your premium payments, paid out in cash, accumulate interest, or pay for paid up Additional insurance.
• Tax Deferrals: There are added tax benefits of whole insurance policies. The growth of interest in whole life policy is tax-deferred! In addition, if you have a basic participating policy, any dividends you receive will be considered a return of premium. They will not be taxed for until your total dividends exceed your total premiums.
• Certain Death Benefit: Policy holders are usually guaranteed a death benefit no matter when the holder dies, so long as the plan is active. This assumes the plan wasn’t surrendered, and that premiums were continued. In comparison, under term insurance policies, beneficiaries only receive a benefit if the policy holder passes away within the period covered.
Use the above points to determine if whole life plans are suitable for you and make the right choice!