A burial insurance policy is a big investment. There are many pitfalls on the path that the buyer need to follow, for good coverage and reasonable rates. A little knowledge can pave over some of those pitfalls and make the path much easier to walk. This article presents some good ideas that the life insurance buyer needs to keep in mind.
When designing your life insurance policy to pay out to a spouse, consider the tax implications of the titled spouse owning the policy. When the titled spouse dies, the policy payout then becomes part of their estate, and transferring those funds to the living spouse creates a tax burden. If the non-titled spouse owns the policy the funds are not considered to be part of the deceased’s estate.
When purchasing life insurance, you will want to weight the company you choose very carefully. Since it is not likely that you will need to use their services for many many years, you will want to make sure that they will be around when it’s needed. A strong reputable company who has been in the business for a long time is the safest choice.
Avoid the whole life policy and go with the term life policy instead. Whole life policies combine an investment with the standard term policy. The term life policy will pay out the amount of coverage that you have selected either in a lump sum or over the course of 20 to 30 years.
Always look out for red flags when you’re looking for an agent to purchase insurance from. Any agent that appears vague, or who will not give straight information regarding ratings, should not be dealt with. Also, take the time to lodge a complaint about the agent with their superiors.
Make adjustments on your plans as needed. Life changes to your policy can greatly affect it. Things that can cause a change to coverage, include marriage, divorce, birth of a child or the beginning of caring for an elderly parent. You could even reach a point, most likely after your kids reach adulthood and your retirement amount is achieved, where you could stop life insurance coverage altogether.
Obtain a term insurance plan instead of a whole life permanent plan. The latter will last until the holder of the policy dies. The other is obtained for a certain period of time or until you reach a certain age. It is the least expensive policy that you can get because the premiums remain the same while its held.
Take advantage of the accelerated death benefit option if it’s offered by your insurance company. This life insurance benefit allows the policyholder to receive a substantial amount of the death benefit of the policy, in the case of a terminal illness. This can allow the insured to use this benefit to cover things such as medical costs, experimental treatments, a trip, home improvements or nursing staff.
You need to find out what exclusions or limitations are included in your life insurance policy. There are certain things that a life insurance policy will not cover. If you do not want to leave your family in debt, you need to take the time to find out what is and what is not covered under your life insurance policy.
Burial
When choosing life insurance, be sure to have a good idea of how much money your loved ones will require. This is important because of the amount of debt that they might be left with the burden of paying off after you die. Consider car payments, mortgage, credit card debts, funeral and burial costs, and the cost of raising children.
When choosing life insurance, you may also wish to look into purchasing burial insurance. This is fairly cheap insurance and will cover things such as your casket, funeral home costs, transportation and other such things. This is well worth it as the costs for these items can be extraordinary, if they come from out of pocket.
Life insurance can help ease the burden to your family by helping with funeral and burial expenses. Policies also pay your family an amount that you designate. For a relatively low monthly cost, your family can be covered $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, or another amount that is right for you.
Make sure you get enough coverage. $500,000 can seem like a windfall of cash for your family in the event of your passing. But when you take into consideration a $300,000 mortgage, car loans, student loans, burial and funeral expenses, credit card debt and the like, all those can add up fast.
Don’t buy shady or cheap life insurance. If your life insurance policy is especially cheap, it might not be enough to help your family after you’re gone. Make sure that your policy will, at least, cover any debt and expenses left to your family, including funeral and burial costs.
Determine the amount of coverage you will need, the amount of money your family will receive after your death is called a death benefit. To determine the amount of life insurance you need simply take your annual salary and multiply by eight. Add to that amount the money you’ll need to cover one-time burial expenses and you’ll have an estimate of the amount of life insurance you need.
Life insurance is never a bad idea. If you are young, you may be able to purchase a small life insurance policy to cover the costs of funeral and burial expenses for just a few dollars per month. In any event, you may be able to provide yourself with peace of mind at a low cost, all you need to do is ask for a quote.
There is much more good advice on the internet, for purchasing life insurance, but hopefully, there are a few helpful tips in this little collection. Every little bit of new knowledge is potentially useful. The right idea at the right time, can spur the insurance buyer into finding a great deal on coverage that is just right for him or her.