Wine, Women & Wealth Book

Life Insurance

NOW IS THE TIME TO CONSIDER LIFE INSURANCE

If you’re young, you may not be thinking you need life insurance yet. But life insurance isn’t something only for your parents or grandparents.

Even if you have a free life insurance policy through your employer, you may not have as much coverage as you need.

There are many great reasons to buy life insurance – and a lot of those great reasons are even better reasons for young people.

So, read on for a little illumination about why you are not too young for life insurance. If you have dependents, life insurance is a must.

Take a moment and think about who depends on you and your income for their well-being. You may be surprised.

Most of us think immediately of children, but dependents can include your parents, siblings, a relative with a disability, or even a significant other. A solid life insurance policy can protect the people that count on you.

What would they do without your financial help? A life insurance policy can ensure they are protected if something were to happen to you.

The older you get, the more life insurance costs. From a simple, cost/benefit perspective, the best time to buy life insurance is when you are young. That’s when it’s the most affordable. As you age (i.e., become more likely to suffer from accident or illness), the cost of the policy will most likely go up. So buying a life insurance policy while you’re young may save you money over the long term.

Your employer-provided life insurance may be problematic. Getting life insurance through your employer is a great benefit (you should take advantage of it if it’s free).

But it may present some problems. One of the drawbacks is that this type of life insurance policy doesn’t go with you when you leave the company. That may be a challenge for young people who are moving from company to company as they climb the career ladder.

Second, employer-sponsored life insurance may simply not be enough. Even dual-income couples with no dependents should consider purchasing individual policies. Keep in mind that if one of you passed away, would the other afford to maintain your current lifestyle on a single income? Those “what if?” scenarios may be uncomfortable, but they are the best way to determine how much life insurance you need.

You’re never too young to think about your legacy. It’s not too soon to think about this. Did you know a life insurance policy can provide a lump sum to an organization you select, not just to a family member or other beneficiary? A life insurance policy can allow you to leave a meaningful legacy for the people or causes you care about. When it comes to buying life insurance, generally the younger you are when you start your policy, the better off you’re going to be.

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEBT

You might never have thought about this before, but how are debt and life insurance connected?

Well, the answer is very simple. Debt is one of the largest financial struggles in society today—total consumer debt has grown to a staggering $14.9 trillion as of 2020.  That represents a staggering financial burden on Americans throughout the country.

But what happens if someone in debt passes away? The debt doesn’t just vanish. The estate of the deceased is often responsible for repaying creditors. That means a family, already down an income, has to cope with the stress of managing debt.

That’s where life insurance can help.

Life insurance pays out a lump sum in the event of death. The money can help family members repay debt, care for children or other dependents, and provide financial security to those left behind.

So how much life insurance do you need? That’s something only you can answer for your own household. Typically, experts recommend 10X your annual income to provide a sufficient financial cushion for your family. But, depending on your level of debt or the particular needs of your spouse and children, you may require more coverage!

Life insurance could be critical for the financial well-being of your family if you’re carrying debt. It might provide the cash they need to pay your creditors and start building a new future.

If you’re looking for life insurance, contact me. We can estimate the amount of protection that’s right for your family!

WHY FAMILIES BUY TERM LIFE INSURANCE

Why does term life insurance seem to be so common among your friends and family?

For many, it’s simply the most affordable strategy for securing life insurance. And that means it can provide critical financial protection for many different situations. Here are a few of the most common reasons families choose term life insurance.

The power of term life insurance is that it’s typically affordable. It provides a death benefit for a limited term, typically 20-30 years, which means you can often purchase more protection at a lower price than other types of policies. As long as your protection lasts while you have financial dependents, you’re covered.

But there are more pragmatic reasons why families buy term life insurance. For many, it serves as a source of income replacement. When a breadwinner passes away, the income they provide is gone. That means a family might find themselves with a serious cash flow deficiency in addition to the tragic loss. The death benefit can replace the lost income.

A family might also need to purchase life insurance when they have dependents, such as college-aged kids with high educational expenses. If a family has dependents and no life insurance, the burden of funding higher education falls on the family, who are down an income. With term coverage in place, they have the financial power to help cover those bills with confidence.

Term life insurance can also be invaluable for families with high debt obligations. Because it’s often so affordable, term life insurance may provide significant coverage without diverting financial resources away from getting out of debt. And, if the policyholder passes away before the debt is eliminated, the death benefit can also go towards finishing off loans.

Finally, term life insurance can be used to cover the costs of funeral expenses. Families who don’t have any other form of coverage for these out-of-pocket bills often need extra cash to cover the costs of burial. Term life insurance is a simple way to pay for the funeral the family needs.

In conclusion, term life insurance can be a great way to cover the costs of many big ticket items and expenses at a reasonable cost. Would that be a good fit for your family? Contact me, and we can explore what it would look like for you!

 

KEEPING THE HOUSE

Life insurance can save your house.

Picture this…

A couple owns a beautiful home out in the suburbs. It’s where they’ve raised their children and made memories that will last a lifetime.

Until one of them passes away too soon. Suddenly, the whole picture shifts. See, they are a two-income household. They relied on both income streams to buy groceries, cover children’s education… and pay the mortgage.

Now, the surviving partner isn’t simply coping with grief. They’re facing the potential loss of their house, with all of its memories and meaning, as well.

It’s not a far-fetched scenario. Death is one of the Five D’s of foreclosure—the others are divorce, disease, drugs, and denial.

Life insurance can help. It’s the safety net to have in place to protect your family from financial uncertainty and provide for their future.

That’s because the death benefit that’s paid out to your loved ones can cover the cost of mortgage payments, or possibly even pay off your mortgage entirely.

What does that look like in the scenario from earlier?

First, it prevents a personal tragedy from becoming a financial crisis. The last thing a grieving person needs is to have to cope with financial stress.

Second, it means that the grieving partner could keep the house if they so desire. After some time has passed, they can make plans on what the future of their life should look like, without undue financial restrictions.

If that’s a peace you would like to help provide to your family, contact me. We can review what life insurance would look like for you and your budget.

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER? BEWARE HIDDEN EXPENSES

If you’re getting into the home-buying game, chances are you’re feeling a little overwhelmed.

Purchasing a home for the first time is exciting but it can also be very stressful! Anyone who’s been through that process could probably share a story about a surprise hidden expense that came along with their dream home.

Read on to help prepare yourself for some common costs that can pop up unexpectedly when you’re purchasing a home.

Emergency fund
Before we get into the hidden costs of homeownership, let’s talk a little about how to help handle them if and when they do arise. If you’re getting ready to buy a home but don’t have an emergency fund, you may want to strongly consider holding off that purchase, if at all possible, until you do have an emergency fund established. It’s recommended to put aside at least $1,000, but preferably you should save 3-6 months of your expenses, including mortgage payments. An emergency fund is the most fundamental personal finance tool you can have in your toolkit. It’s like the toolbox itself that holds all your other financial tools together. So, before you start home shopping, build your emergency fund.

Homeowners associations
If your dream house happens to be in a neighborhood with a homeowners association (HOA), be prepared to pony up HOA fees each month (some HOA’s may charge these fees every quarter, or even annually). HOA fees may cover costs to maintain neighborhood common areas, such as pools or parks. They may also cover maintenance to your front lawn, and/or snow removal from driveways, etc. Typically, a homeowners association will have a board that enforces any agreed-upon property standards, such as having you remove ivy from your home exterior, or making sure your sidewalk is pressure washed regularly.

If you purchase a home with an HOA, be prepared for the added cost in fees as well as adhering to the rules. You may incur a fine for such things as your grass not being mowed properly, or parking your boat or camper in your yard.

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
PMI comes into play if you can’t make at least a 20% down payment on your new home. If that’s the case, your mortgage lender charges PMI which would kick in to protect them if you default on the loan. It can cost 0.3 to 1.5% of your mortgage. However, once you have 20% equity in the home, you don’t have to pay it anymore. (Note: You may have to proactively call your mortgage company and tell them to remove it.)

Maintenance costs
If you’ve been living a maintenance-free life in an apartment or rental home, the cost of maintaining a house that you own may come as a shock. Even new homes require maintenance – lawn care, pressure washing, clearing rain gutters, painting, etc. There’s always going to be something to upgrade or repair on a home, and many first-time home buyers aren’t prepared for the expense.

A good rule of thumb is to budget about 10 percent of the value of your home for maintenance per year. So, if you buy a $250,000 home, you should prepare for $2,500 a year in maintenance costs.

Home insurance
Be prepared for some sticker shock when purchasing your homeowners’ insurance. Homeowners’ insurance is typically significantly more expensive than purchasing a renter’s policy. If you live in an area prone to natural disasters, be prepared to pay top rates for homeowners’ insurance. If you live near a body of water, you may also need flood insurance.

Life insurance
Many first-time homebuyers may not give life insurance a thought, but it’s an important factor that can help protect your investment. You probably need life insurance if anyone is depending on your income. Especially if your income helps pay your mortgage every month, you should strongly consider a life insurance policy in case something were to happen to you. This will help ensure that your spouse or significant other can continue to live in your home.

Home buying is exciting and part of the American dream. But don’t neglect to come back to reality – at least when making financial decisions – so you can budget properly and anticipate any hidden costs. This will help ensure that your first-time home buying experience is a happy one.

THE POWER OF LIVING BENEFITS

Preparing for the possibility of a critical medical illness or condition is probably not high on your list of fun things to do.

But its importance cannot be overstated—two-thirds of people who file for bankruptcy do so because of medical debt.¹

What many don’t know, however, is that life insurance can help you shoulder the high cost of medical care… if you utilize living benefits!

How living benefits work

Almost all life insurance policies come with a death benefit. It’s money that will go to your beneficiaries when you pass away. A living benefit is a feature of some life insurance policies that allows you to access the death benefit while you’re still alive.

So let’s say you have a life insurance policy with a $400,000 death benefit. You suddenly get diagnosed with a serious illness that requires you to take time off work and undergo intensive medical treatment.

That means you’re facing a substantial expense with a decreased income. Your medical crisis has also become a financial crisis!

But what if you could access your death benefit in the present? $400,000 may cover a substantial portion—perhaps even all—of the cost of treatment.

And you don’t have to use your entire benefit. If your medical bills add up to $100,000, you could use $100,000 from your life insurance policy to cover your expenses, and leave the remaining $300,000 as of the death benefit!

Keep in mind that only certain types of illness may trigger your ability to access your benefit. That’s why it’s important to work with a licensed and qualified financial professional to create the right policy for you.

If you’re interested in what living benefits would look like for you, contact me. We can review your income and how much life insurance your family needs!

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¹ “This is the real reason most Americans file for bankruptcy,” Lorie Konish, CNBC, Feb 11 2019, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/11/this-is-the-real-reason-most-americans-file-for-bankruptcy.html

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY WITH LIFE INSURANCE

If you have a family, you have many responsibilities.

You have a responsibility to help them celebrate promotions, birthdays, and holidays.

You have a responsibility to sit with them during their bad days, their breakups, their failures, and their grief.

You have a responsibility to listen and understand, even if you have no clue what they’re trying to say.

You have a responsibility to own up when you mess up and to forgive when they mess up.

And you wouldn’t trade those responsibilities for the world. In fact, they feel more like honors and privileges than burdens.

If you’re the breadwinner for your family, you have another responsibility and honor—to provide for them as best as you can.

It’s how you give them the big things, the little things, and everything in between.

But one tragic consequence of passing away is that you can no longer provide those things. You’re not there to help celebrate, to comfort, to listen, to forgive. In those ways, you’re truly irreplaceable.

That’s why many families choose life insurance. It’s an opportunity to provide for the ones they love.

The payout from life insurance, called a death benefit, gives their family cash that replaces the lost income. The family faces a long emotional journey of grief and healing. But they’re protected from a traumatic financial catastrophe.

In other words, life insurance gives you the power to fulfill one of your primary duties—provide for your family. And that’s one of the greatest gifts you can give.

TOP REASONS WHY PEOPLE BUY TERM LIFE INSURANCE

These days, most families are two-income households.

That describes 61.9% of U.S. families as of 2017. If that describes your family (and the odds are good), do you have a strategy in place to cover your financial obligations with just one income if you or your spouse were to unexpectedly pass away?

Wow. That’s a real conversation-opener, isn’t it? It’s not easy to think about what might happen if one income suddenly disappeared. (It might seem like more fun to have a root canal than to think about that.) But having the right coverage “just in case” is worth considering. It’ll give you some reassurance and let you get back to the fun stuff… like not thinking about having a root canal.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Term insurance and how it may help with your family’s financial obligations, read on…

 

Some Basics about Term Insurance
Many of life’s financial commitments have a set end date. Mortgages are 15 to 30 years. Kids grow up and (eventually) start providing for themselves. Term life insurance may be a great option since you can choose a coverage length that lines up with the length of your ongoing financial commitments. Ideally, the term of the policy will end around the same time those large financial obligations are paid off. Term policies also may be a good choice because in many cases, they may be the most economical solution for getting the protection a family needs.

As great as term policies can be, here are a couple of things to keep in mind: a term policy won’t help cover financial commitments if you or your spouse simply lose your job. And term policies have a set (level) premium during the length of the initial period. Generally, term policies can be continued after the term expires, but at a much higher rate.

The following are some situations where a Term policy may help.

Pay Final Expenses
Funeral and burial costs can be upwards of $10,000. However, many families might not have that amount handy in available cash. Covering basic final expenses can be a real burden, especially if the death of a spouse comes out of the blue. If one income is suddenly gone, it could mean the surviving spouse would need to use credit or liquidate assets to cover final expenses. As you would probably agree, neither of these are attractive options. A term life insurance policy can cover final expenses, leaving one less worried for your family.

Pay Off Debt
The average household in the U.S. is carrying nearly $140,000 in debt. For households with a large mortgage balance, the debt figures could be much higher. Couple that with a median household income of under $60,000, and it’s clear that many families would be in trouble if one income is lost.

Term life insurance can be closely matched to the length of your mortgage, which helps to ensure that your family won’t lose their home at an already difficult time.

But what about car payments, credit card balances, and other debt? These other debt obligations that your family is currently meeting with either one or two incomes can be put to bed with a well-planned term life policy.

Income Protection
Even if you’ve planned for final expenses and purchased enough life insurance coverage to pay off your household debt, life can present many other costs of just… living. If you pass unexpectedly, the bills will keep rolling in for anyone you leave behind – especially if you have young children. Those day-to-day living costs and unexpected expenses can seem to multiply in ways that defy mathematical concepts. (You know – like that school field trip to the aquarium that no one mentioned until the night before.)

But Wait, There’s More
A well-planned term life insurance policy can provide other benefits as well, including living benefits that can help prevent medical expenses from wreaking havoc on your family’s financial plan if you become critically ill. One note about the living benefits policies, though: If the critical and chronic illness features are used, the face value of the policy is reduced. But which might be more prepared to take a financial hit: the face value of the life insurance policy that just helped you cover your medical expenses… or your child’s college fund?

In some cases, policies with built-in living benefits may cost more than a standard term policy, but they may still cost less than permanent insurance policies! And because a term policy is in force only during the years when your family needs the most protection, premiums can be lower than for other types of life insurance.

Term life insurance can provide income protection to help keep your family’s financial situation solid, and help things stay as “normal” as they can be after a loss.

3 SIMPLE BENEFITS OF INDEXED UNIVERSAL LIFE INSURANCE

If you’re not familiar with indexed universal life insurance, you’ve come to the right place.

 

What is an IUL?
Indexed universal life insurance (IUL) is a type of permanent life insurance that has an investment element that helps the policy build cash value.

Part of the premium for an IUL is invested in stock options that track an index, like the S&P 500 or NASDAQ 100. This provides a higher growth potential than a whole life policy or a standard universal life policy (both of which provide a conservative fixed return). Gains may be capped in an indexed universal life policy, but the policy provides protections that prevent stock market meltdowns or slow slides from eroding the cash value in your policy.

 

 

Here are some of the main benefits of an IUL:
1. It protects your downside. Unlike direct investments, mutual funds, or other types of investments – an indexed universal life policy protects your downside. If the market drops for the index (or indexes) your policy tracks, you keep the gains and are sheltered from the losses. Don’t you wish your 401k or private investments could do that?

2. The cash value in your policy grows tax-deferred. Without the frequent tax liability that often comes with trading in and out of stocks or funds, the cash value can grow unhindered by the ball and chain of capital gains or income taxes.

3. Gains for an indexed universal life policy can be significantly higher than with a whole life policy or a universal life policy. Even with capped gains, which is a tradeoff in exchange for providing a floor to protect your policy from losses, the gains in an indexed universal life policy can outpace the earnings in fixed-rate policies. As with any investment, time tends to be your best friend, smoothing the down years (flat years for an IUL) with strong years to build an upward trend line.

An indexed universal life insurance policy can help supplement your retirement savings strategy and work in parallel with your existing 401k and IRAs – but with access to your cash value before age 59 ½ – or after – and without the dreaded 10 percent penalty for early withdrawal.

Summing It Up
As both a permanent life insurance policy and a tax-deferred investment vehicle that shields you from market losses, an indexed universal life policy can help provide for your family at nearly any point in life and then provide for your beneficiaries when you pass away.

YOUR LIFE INSURANCE RATE & YOU: HOW GENDER FACTORS IN

Men and women pay different rates for life insurance from the get-go. And it’s purely the result of statistics.

 

Life insurance rates are determined largely by life expectancy, so the longer you’re projected to live, the lower your rates might be. Statistically, women live longer: an American woman is expected to live about 81 years to a man’s expected 76 years. Therefore, if qualifying for life insurance was based on life expectancy alone, a man would pay more every time. (However, it’s important to note that gender is only one consideration while you’re applying for life insurance. Other factors include your age and your overall health.)

Now throw this stat into the mix: 46% of Americans don’t have any type of life insurance coverage at all. That means far too many people do not have the coverage in place to provide for their loved ones in the event of a sudden tragedy. Nothing to cover final expenses or replace the lost income and no inheritance left behind… Finding yourself in financial trouble knows no gender.

When you’re ready to work together to build the tailored policy that takes you, your loved ones, and your goals into account, contact me. Stats are stats, but your unique needs have the potential to shape your coverage and your rate into something unexpected!