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Originally Posted by dougm
What type of insurance you get depends on your needs. Most folks will tell you to only buy term insurance, but I think the statistic is that less than 5% of policyholders make a claim on their insurance (they die outside the term). I sell both term and "cash value". Cash value insurance gets a bad rap when in fact it is a superior retirement strategy to IRAs and 401(k)s. You get a decent return and can structure it so you get tax free distributions for life, plus leave tax free money to your heirs and do it without risking your money in the stock market.
To me risk is the most important factor to consider. Risk that you'll outlive your term policy. Risk that you will outlive your money/assets. Most money in IRAs and 401(k)s is at risk in the stock market. I would be glad to give you an comparative analysis based on your needs.
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LOL! Cash value life insurance gets a bad rap because of sales people making dubious claims about it being a superior retirement strategy to IRAs or 401(k)s.
If you or your spouse's death will cause a financial hardship to the surviving family members, you need at the very least, a term life insurance policy long enough to cover your working years.
But you or your spouse's death, after your work years, can still create a financial hardship for the survivor. SSN benefits will be reduced, you may still have debt, like a mortgage you did not plan on having when you were younger due to unforeseen circumstances. A stock market crash can sink your investments for decades. Assets can be depleted due to health care costs and long term care not covered by insurance, etc.
If providing financial support to the people you leave behind WHEN you die, not just if you die unexpectedly during your working years, is important to you, you should look at permanent life insurance.
There is a relatively affordable type of permanent life insurance designed to not build up cash value, but provide a lifelong death benefit, at a price much less than a lot of cash value life insurance.
A guaranteed universal life insurance policy may be the best value for you. If permanent life insurance appeals to you, find a couple of good independent life insurance agents to help you decide what is best for you. A good agent will recommend term, universal life, or whole life depending on your goals & financial situation. They will ask you questions, and not recommend a product until they know you, your goals, and your finances. Avoid agents pitching you cash value life insurance as a retirement plan, because it turns out to be an expensive mistake for most people, except the agent selling it to you.
Cash value life insurance, such as whole life, can be a great product for financially disciplined people, making a very good income, saving a lot of their income, with no high interest credit card debt, saving enough money for retirement, but wanting another place to put money with tax advantages and no market risk. Does this describe a lot of people you know? If you know a lot of wealthy, frugal people, Whole Life insurance may be a good choice for them.
If a cash value life insurance policy interests you, conduct your due diligence, because some policies are awful, and some can perform very well, and they are EXTREMELY complex products for most people to understand.