This versatile policy can be used to fund your life or your family's expenses. Rent or mortgage, Education, Medical bills,Funeral costs, Lost income, Financial emergencies.
The majority of whole life insurance policies you can purchase are "participating" policies. This means that you might earn dividends depending on the company’s financial performance. There are many ways to use dividends, including increasing the cash value and boosting your policy’s cash value.
A whole life policy consists of two parts: the death benefit, and the cash value.
People in certain circumstances are best served by whole life coverage, such high earners who need additional investment vehicles or individuals with lifelong dependents.
A whole life policy will offer you quotes that are based on your ability to pay your premiums until the age of 65 or 99. Most people purchase whole life insurance policies which will be paid monthly or annually up to the time they die.
If you find the idea cash value and potential dividends appealing, it shouldn't be your main reason to choose your entire life.
Your whole-life insurance quotes will be more expensive if you are older, as your life expectancy drops with age. Rates will also be affected by the date of your policy's expiration, which is when all premiums have been paid.
Let's take a look at how each type covers you to help you understand the difference between term and whole life.
Although whole life is more complicated that term life, it's still simpler than other permanent types of life insurance. The premiums do not change over time, and the cash balance account grows at a fixed pace. Except for loans with large cash values, the death benefit cannot be reduced. Your policy does not require you to repay loans, however your insurer will subtract any outstanding debts from the final benefit to your beneficiaries.
Two parts make up a whole-life policy: the death benefit as well as the cash value.
Whole life insurance costs more than term and is the most widely used type of permanent lifestyle insurance. The reason is that most policies offer lifetime coverage and payouts regardless how you die. There is also a cash value component to whole life insurance. A portion of your premiums goes into the account. This account grows over time. Once enough cash is built up, you are able to borrow against it or surrender the policy.
The benefits of whole life insurance may sound too good to be true, but there really isn't a catch. The main disadvantage of whole life is that you'll likely pay higher premiums. Also, you're likely to earn less interest on whole life insurance than other types of investments.
For starters, the death benefit from a whole life insurance policy is generally tax-free. But a whole life policy also features a cash value component that's guaranteed to grow in a tax-advantaged way – it will never decline in value. As long as you leave the gain in your policy, you won't owe taxes on it.
This is insurance you buy for the length of your life. Unlike term insurance, whole life policies don't expire. The policy will stay in effect until you pass or until it is canceled. The initial cost of premiums is higher than it is with term insurance because of the length of the policy.
Disadvantages of whole life insurance
Whole life insurance is generally a bad investment unless you need permanent life insurance coverage. If you want lifelong coverage, whole life insurance might be a worthwhile investment if you've already maxed out your retirement accounts and have a diversified portfolio.
Typically for whole life plans, the policy is designed to endow at maturity of the contract, which means the cash value equals the death benefit. If the insured lives to the “Maturity Date,” the policy will pay the cash value amount in a lump sum to the owner.
Surrendering an insurance policy will return to you the cash value of the policy, less some fees, and will cancel the policy3. The amount you recoup from the policy is taxable. So yes, you may withdraw money from your whole life insurance policy, or cash it out altogether.