How to Sell your Life Insurance Policy for More Than the Cash Value
Most people do not know they can sell an insurance policy. There are companies that will pay you more than the cash value. Even term insurance, which has no cash value, is a candidate for purchase.
This transaction is called a life settlement. Life settlements have been on the scene since 1995; they are not new. While the purchase is facilitated by an insurance company, the buyers typically are pension and institutional funds which hold the policies in their investment portfolios.
Here are three common reasons why a person would sell their insurance policy...
1. The policy has outlived its usefulness.
78% of all insurance is purchased for family protection. Families with children insure the breadwinner(s) until they have had the time to build up an estate or an adequate 401(k) plan to provide for the family, pay off a mortgage and educate the children. Most people have been there and done that.
However, later in life these needs may have disappeared. The house is paid for, the kids have been to college and your 401(k) plan has a balance ten times greater than your life insurance face value.
Rather than continue to pay premiums, or surrender it for its cash value, you can sell it for more than the cash value. Buy a boat, take an extended vacation or go down to the dealership and plunk down cash for that car you have always wanted.
2. The policy has a large loan.
There are three common ways a policy can acquire a large loan.
First, at some point you simply took a maximum loan against your policy. It could have been to satisfy an emergency, take advantage of an investment opportunity-any number of things. But the loan was never repaid.
Second, you could have taken a modest loan years ago and never paid anything toward the principal. Every year, however, you received a bill for the interest due. If you are like many people, this goes in the round file and you never pay the interest. What happens is that the interest gets added to the loan. So what is originally simple interest turns into compound interest.
Over time, the loan and the unpaid interest can consume the entire cash value. That's when you get the letter from the insurance company telling you that to keep the policy in force, you need to come up with some astronomical amount of money.
But that's not the worst of it. When you call your agent to see what your other options might be, he or she informs you that if the policy lapses, there will be a gain (cash value less premiums paid) that the insurance company is required to report to the IRS. Worse yet is the fact that there is no money in the insurance policy to pay the tax (remember it lapsed for lack of premium payment and/or lack of any remaining values). So you are going to have to come up with the tax from someplace else. I don't think you would consider getting this information one of your better days.
3. You own Universal Life and interest rates have declined.
Getting this news is another bad day at the mail box. This time the letter from the insurance company says that in order to keep the policy in force, you have to come up with more than you could get for your first born.
How this occurs goes back to when you bought your policy. One of the major factors in determining the premium for a given face amount of Universal Life is the interest rate assumption made in the original proposal. Remember the double-digit interest rates? You could have bought your policy during this time frame. Most insurance agents would have suggested using a lower interest rate assumption to be conservative. However, interest rates have declined to even below these play-it-safe assumptions.
The sale of your insurance policy averts all three of these problems. In the first case, you don't have to pay any more premiums for coverage that is no longer needed. In the second, the problem you have with the loan disappears and is replaced by cash. And in the third, the probable lapse of the policy due to the fact that the premium to maintain the coverage is off the charts is offset by the cash received via a sale.
Related Tags: life settlement, viatical, cash from life insurance, insurance rescue
Robert D. Cavanaugh, CLU is a 36-year financial and estate planning veteran and author of the free newsletter, "The Estate Preservation Advisor". For cutting-edge, easy-to-understand financial planning resources and techniques to increase your income, reduce taxes and preserve your estate and to claim the free video, "How to Sell Your Life Insurance Policy for More than the Cash Value", go to http://theestatepreservationadvisor.com/rd/subscribe.htm
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Motor Trade Rundown
It is not just cars that must be insured on British roads, every type of motor vehicle is required b - Claiming Compensation For Defective Products
Compensation claims for injury and damage caused by faulty, defective products normally target eithe - Ideas To Uncover Affordable Rate Auto Coverage
These days, everyone is looking for ways to lower expenses. Certain costs like home and car insuranc - Should It Be Illegal For People To Drive Without Vehicle Insurance?
There are many drivers on the road who drive un-roadworthy vehicles. The worst part is not that they - Do You Need Static Caravan Insurance?
Static caravan insurance is an automobile insurance that deals with vehicles that are used while on - Insurance - Tool For Personal Finance Planning
Financial planning is must for every individual. When we start saving money for our goals, there is - Family Life Insurance Policy For The Families Staying In Dubai
The main motive of insurance policy is to give financial security to the person's family especially - Buying Temporary Health Insurance In Florida
You are the resident of Florida? You are between jobs and therefore are not looking for a long term - Car Insurance Is Of The Utmost Importance In Today's Lifestyle
In today's hectic lifestyle we are always rushing to get from one place to another, whether it be ru - Health Insurance Companies Are Using New Laws As An Excuse To Raise Their Rates
Government officials are cautioning insurance companies to stop utilizing scare tactics to steam up
Most viewed articles in this category:
- International Health Insurance: Insure Yourself While in Go
We all will agree that whether we are living in our home country or abroad, our health needs constan - It's Never Too Early to Buy a Long Term Care Health Insurance!
Most people delay buying a long term care health insurance because they think that it is too early t - Home Owner Insurance Quote: Stay Safe!
Your house will not be fully secured until and unless you have a home owner insurance policy. A home - The Benefits of Health Insurance Are Immense!
Almost everyone in this world has fallen ill sometime or the other. Apart from illness, many people - What Happens When You Make An Insurance Claim?
If you've never filed a loss claim before, you might feel nervous and confused about the whole proce - Pet Health Care Insurance: Show your Pets That you Care!
Having a pet in one's household is a joyful experience. It can provide you with entertainment, compa - Three Ways to Buy Long Term Care Without Paying Premiums Out of your Pocket
Stop 100 people over 65 on the street and ask them if they will ever need to go to a nursing home an - Protect That Bauble: Engagement Ring Insurance
Engagement ring insurance can protect your bauble in case a worst case scenario happens...So you've - Do I Need Diamond Ring Insurance
If you have to ask whether or not you need diamond ring insurance you probably do. There's somethin - Choosing a Benefits TPA
The use of third-party administrators (TPAs) is one of the hottest trends in insurance today. Accor