An Endowment Life Insurance Policy Is a Term Life Policy With a Cash Back Feature

When you are looking for a good life insurance plan and whole life is not an option you might consider an endowment life insurance policy. An endowment life insurance policy is a term life policy where you are insured for a set period of time. If you should die during the period you are insured, your beneficiaries will get the proceeds. However, when you are searching for term life policies you will find that this type of insurance policy has and added benefit. It accumulates a cash payout over the years.

Therefore, if you do not die within the time you are insured you will be able to take out the money on its maturity date. Traditionally these types of policies have been taken out to provide funds for college or anything that a family may want money for at a future date. How much the cash value builds at any given time depends largely on how well the insurance company is doing with their investments. Endowments also provide cash surrender value if the insured cashes out before the maturity date. Though it is not recommended to use the endowment in this way, it can cushion a disastrous financial setback.

There are different types of endowments with different levels of flexibility for the insured. Full endowment policies will provide a cash surrender value equal to the death benefit. A unit-linked endowment often allows the insured to decide which funds their policy will invest in and how much will be invested. Traded endowments are endowments that have been sold to a new insured when the former policyholder has surrendered the policy; yet, there is still potential for growth and cash value accumulating within the policy. Finally, low-cost endowments are usually purchased to pay off the interest portions of mortgages, if the insured does not die beforehand.

Generally speaking when you compare term life insurance rates you are going to find that this type of term insurance is more expensive. The reason of course is because the typical term life insurance policy does not have an accumulated cash value. Term insurance pays the death benefit if the insured dies within the term of the policy. In the end, when you compare term life insurance rates you must decide if you want the most affordable coverage or coverage that will offer some additional cash back, but will cost a little extra per month.

Life Insurance Policies Explained

Six Basic Kinds of Life Insurance

Regardless of how fancy the policy title or sales presentation might appear, all life insurance policies contain benefits derived from one or more of the three basic kinds shown below. Some policies due combine more than one kind of life insurance and can be confusing.

Term Life Insurance

Endowment Life Insurance

Whole Life Insurance

Variable Life Insurance

Universal Life Insurance

Variable Universal Life Insurance

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance is death protection for a term of one or more years. Some companies are offering policies with terms up to thirty years. Premiums on term insurance remain level during the life of the policy. Term Life Insurance has no cash value account. Death benefits will be paid only if you die within that term of years. Term insurance generally provides the largest immediate death protection for your premium dollar.

Some term life insurance policies are renewable for one or more additional terms even if your health has changed. Each time you renew the policy for a new term, premiums will be higher. You should check the premiums at older ages and the length of time the policy can be continued.

Some term insurance policies are also convertible. This means that before the end of the conversion period, you may trade the term policy for a whole life or endowment insurance policy even if you are not in good health. Premiums for the new policy will be higher than you have been paying for the term insurance.

Life Insurance "Endowment"

An endowment insurance policy pays a sum or income to you, the policyholder, if you live to a certain age. If you were to die before then, the death benefit would be paid to your beneficiary. Premiums and cash values for endowment insurance are higher than for the same amount of whole life insurance. Thus endowment insurance gives you the least amount of death protection for your premium dollar.

Whole Life Insurance

Whole life insurance gives death protection for as long as you live. The most common type is called straight life or ordinary life insurance, for which you pay the same premiums for as long as you live. These premiums can be several times higher than you would pay initially for the same amount of term insurance. But they are smaller than the premiums you would eventually pay if you were to keep renewing a term insurance policy until your later years.

Some whole life policies let you pay premiums for a shorter period such as 20 years, or until age 65. Premiums for these policies are higher than for ordinary life insurance since the premium payments are squeezed into a shorter period.

Although you pay higher premiums, to begin with, for whole life insurance than for term insurance, whole life insurance policies develop cash values which you may have if you stop paying premiums. You can generally either take the cash, or use it to buy some continuing insurance protection. Technically speaking, these values are called nonforfeiture benefits. This refers to benefits you do not lose or forfeit when you stop paying premiums. The amount of these benefits depends on the kind of policy you have, its size, and how long you have owned it.

A policy with cash values may also be used as collateral for a loan. If you borrow from the life insurance company, the rate of interest is shown in your policy. Any money which you owe on a policy loan would be deducted from the benefits if you were to die, or from the cash value if you were to stop paying premiums.

Variable Life Insurance

Variable life insurance, provides permanent protection for you and death benefits to your beneficiary upon your death. The value of the death benefits may fluctuate up or down depending on the performance of the investment portion of the policy. Most variable life insurance policies guarantee that the death benefit will not fall below a specified minimum, however, a minimum cash value is seldom guaranteed. Variable is a form of whole life insurance and because of investment risks it is also considered a securities contract and is regulated as securities under the Federal Securities Laws and must be sold with a prospectus.

Universal Life Insurance

Universal Life insurance is a variation of Whole Life. The insurance part of the policy is separated from the investment portion of the policy. The investment portion is invested in bonds and mortgages, the investment portion of Universal Life is invested in money market funds. The cash value portion of the policy is set up as an accumulation fund. Investment income is credited to the accumulation fund. The death benefit portion is paid for out of the accumulation fund. Unlike Whole Life Insurance, the cash value of Universal Life Insurance grows at a variable rate. Normally, there is a guaranteed minimum interest rate applied to the policy. No matter how badly the investments go by the insurance company, you are guaranteed a certain minimal return on the cash portion. If the insurance company does well with its investments, the interest return on the cash portion will increase.

Variable-Universal Life

Variable universal life insurance pays your beneficiary a death benefit. The amount of the benefit is dependent on the success of your investments. If the investments fail, there is a guaranteed minimum death benefit paid to your beneficiary upon your death. Variable universal gives you more control of the cash value account portion of your policy than any other insurance type. A form of whole life insurance, it has elements of both life insurance and a securities contract. Because the policy owner assumes investment risks, variable universal products are regulated as securities under the Federal Securities Laws and must be sold with a prospectus.

Rates and coverage vary form state to state. Shop around on your own and talk to an independent insurance agent to make sure you get a plan that's right for you. It's amazing how much rates may vary from company to company for the same coverage.

Life Insurance - Don't Fear the Reaper

Death is a part of life, yet many people don't consider the fact that when the Reaper comes knocking, their loved ones will be left behind. Providing support for your family in the form of life assurance can help in the most difficult times by easing any financial worries they may otherwise have.

The most common reasons to take out a life insurance policy are:

Mortgage payments

If you have an outstanding balance on your home, a life insurance policy could take care of this, ensuring your family won't be made homeless, thus adding to the grief.

Income replacement

If you are the main wage earner, a life insurance policy could replace the income you would otherwise have made, avoiding financial hardship for your family.

Childcare support

If your partner is left alone with small children, life insurance can provide the money to pay for necessary childcare.

Education

A life assurance policy can help provide the fees for your child's education at school or university.

There are as many different types of life cover as there are reasons to have it. It can be confusing, so if you're unsure about which would suit you it's best to compare different policies and seek further advice before deciding. Here's a summary of the most common types of policy:

Level Term Assurance

This type of policy is taken over a fixed term and pays out a lump sum if the policy holder dies during that term. The sum payable remains guaranteed throughout.

Decreasing Term Insurance

Similar to Level Term in that the policy is over a fixed length of time, but the sum decreases over the duration of the policy. Commonly used to protect mortgage interest repayments.

Convertible Term Assurance

The same as Level Term, but with an option to convert to a Whole of Life or Endowment insurance policy.

Whole of Life Insurance

Guarantees a lump sum on the policy holder's death, provided payments are maintained. Does not run out, and premiums are fixed for the first ten years.

Endowment Life Insurance

This type of policy takes your premiums and invests them in the stock market, and pays out the returns upon the end of the term or the death of the policy holder, whichever comes first. It can be a tremendous asset to someone who understands stocks and shares.

Family Income Insurance

As the name suggests, this policy will help out widows or widowers with a family to support. Rather than a single lump sum, this policy pays out the sum in the form of regular monthly payments. Payments last for however long is left on the term at the time of death.

Some life insurance policies come with additional benefits such as critical illness cover; a sum is payable should you be diagnosed with certain illnesses like kidney failure, cancer or Parkinson's Disease. You may also be offered a waiver of premiums; a form of PPI which will continue to pay your premiums if you cannot work for health reasons.

As with all insurance policies, life insurance should not be rushed into. It's important to understand exactly what you're signing and paying for, and any exclusions which may apply. Some policies will not result in a payout if death occurs due to a pre-existing condition, or one which was known about and not declared when the policy was taken out. Others refuse to pay out for deaths caused by undertaking dangerous activities such as extreme sports.

Life Insurance Policies

There are various aspects to consider before getting a life insurance policy. One of them is a sustained doubt about the significance and need for life insurance. A life insurance policy is relevant for all individuals who are concerned about the financial future of their family in case of death.

Apart from the purely protectional needs, life insurance policies, like whole and variable life insurance, offer the opportunity for tax-free investment and reaping dividends, and they have a built-in cash value. Purchased with due discretion, it can be utilized as liquid cash to cater to the various needs of policyholders.

There are various types of life insurance policies customized to suit the different needs of various individuals. Depending on the number of dependants and kind of insurance needs, a suitable life insurance policy can be chosen after consultation with financial experts and advisors.

Whole life insurance and term life insurance are the two basic forms of insurance policies. With time, there have been different variations to suit the changing demands of people. A term life insurance policy is also called temporary or short-term life insurance. These are purely protection-oriented and provide death benefits only if the insured dies within the period specified in the policy. In case the insured lives past the specified duration, no money is given.

People with short-term insurance needs, like a young individual with dependents, a house loan or a car loan, favor this kind of insurance policy because they are cheap and affordable in comparison to whole life policies. In the initial years the premiums are very low; however, as the mortality risk of the insured increases with age the premium cost increases and at time becomes more than that of whole life insurance.

There are now two kinds of term life insurance, namely level term (decreasing premium) and annual renewable term (increasing premium) policies. The premiums of level term are initially higher than renewable term, but become lower in the later years. Whole life insurance has an ingrained cash value and guaranteed life protection features. The initial steep premiums of whole life insurance may exceed the actual cost of the insurance. This surplus, which is the cash value, is added to a separate account and can be used as a tax-free investment to reap dividends, and is also used to enable the insured to give a level premium latter on. There is a guarantee of getting the death benefit on the maturity of the policy or death of the insured, apart from cash value surrendered in case of cancellation.

Return of premium is popular because it combines the features of whole and term policies. It costs double the amount of a term policy. The policy is made for a set time, but full value is given on death within that period or in case the policy matures. Universal, variable and universal variables are different variations of whole life insurance policies. A universal life insurance policy offers the flexibility to the insured to choose the kind of premium payment, the death benefits and the coverage amount.

Variable life insurance policies enable the insurance buyer to invest the cash value in direct investment for a greater potential return. A universal variable insurance policy integrates the flexibility factor of a universal policy and the investment option of a variable policy. Single purchase life insurance enables a buyer to buy the policy and own it through a one-time premium payment. A survivorship or second-to-die insurance policy is a joint form of life insurance policy which is devised to serve the specific purpose of certain individuals. Apart from these, there are also endowment life insurance policies. Endowment is with profit kind or unit-liked kind. On maturity of the policy or on the death of the insured the value of the policy or the amount insured, whichever is more, is given back.

Life insurance policies differ from company to company, and hence the various parameters have to be analyzed meticulously with the help of experts and financial advisors to get the best deal.

Is Life Insurance an Investment?

Life insurance is often considered to be a kind of investment that one makes for his future and in order to safeguard one's family's future. It is not exactly an investment but quite close to it. It helps provide a security to your family and saves them from financial crisis at the time of your death.

In the simplest form, a life insurance policy is a contract between the insured and the insurance company under which the latter promises to an assured sum to the nominee of the policy. The nominee is the person who receives the insured amount upon the death of the insured person. Thus it is an investment towards one's life and toward his family's future. The insured person may not be able to enjoy the benefits of the investment but his family does and thus it is considered to be beneficial.

In most of the life insurance policy, the insured amount is realized on the death of the insured person only. But nowadays there are certain flexible insurance policies which works like investment as well. For instance the endowment life insurance policies have a predefined maturity date and the insured party can invest in them to increase their capital.

In case of an endowment policy, the policy holder needs to pay a higher premium for a fixed tenure, decided under the contract. Interest is added to the capital amount under this policy which can then be released one the policy matures. These types of policies allow you to withdraw the amount before time and thus you can rely on them during financial crisis.

Similarly there are participating life insurance policies also which work as investment. Under this policy, the premium paid by the insurer is paid to the insurance company which further invests it. When the insurance company earns any profit on those investments then the insured person also receives the benefit. The profit is shared with the insured person whose money has been invested by the company. Even if the company does not make any profit, a minimum insured amount is paid to the insured party upon the maturity of the policy.

These participating policies are generally offered by mutual life insurance companies.

These companies use the premium paid by the insured party and then use them as collective investment that is invested in mutual funds. The returns from the investment depend on market condition and various factors therefore it is essential to choose the right company. The company might invest the amount in properties or other investment plans and when they get profits on these investments, it is equally divided among all the policy holders of the company.

If you are opting for participating policies then you need to consider certain factors like past performance of the insurance company, financial strength of the insurance company, returns in the past, contract period and other such factors.

Similarly you can invest in insurance bonds also which are basically meant for investments. It has a single premium similar to an investment plan. In other words, you need to make the payment once only and enjoy the interest on it.

If you are searching for life insurance policy that acts as bond then you can opt for investment bonds. Under this you need to pay one premium only and can enjoy the investment. Investing in these insurance bonds and other life insurance policies is beneficial otherwise as well. It helps you save your taxes and secure your future.

If you wish to invest towards your future then you can opt for pension plans that are offered by some of the life insurance companies. Under this you would be required to buy a policy and pay a small premium regularly till you retire. Once you have retired, you can enjoy regular income in the form of the pension that you would get from the life insurance company. This way you would not have to depend on anyone and can invest towards a better future for yourself.

These types of investment - insurance policies are gaining a lot of popularity these days as they allow you and your family to have a better future. However, not all types of life insurance policies can be considered as investments. Thus if you wish to buy a life insurance policy then you need to first choose the kind of policy you need.

If you wish to increase your capital then you can invest in the investment policies which would allow you to enjoy the profits and dividends. But if you wish to provide protection to your near and dear ones upon your death then you can choose to buy the protection policy. Under the latter, the assured amount is paid to the nominee mentioned in the policy, when the policy owner dies.

The dividends and the profit you receive in case of an investment policy also depends upon the kind of policy you choose. Some of the investment policies pay you a fixed interest rate, while there are other policies wherein the amount of returns you get fluctuate according to the profit made by the company.

So it depends on you to choose the kind of policy you need. In case of the investment policy you may have to face risks as it depends on the market condition. On the other hand, life insurance policies extend the benefit to your nominee but do not involve any risk as such. Therefore it is best to decide what you expect from your policy and then invest in a policy that provides you with the maximum benefits.

Bust Through The Insurance Jargon - Endowment Life Insurance

Although there are many options surrounding insurance policies, you may wish to consider taking out endowment life insurance. This option is slightly different from many standard life insurance policies, in that you receive funds whether you live or die.

In some respect, an endowment life insurance policy can be likened to a term life insurance policy. That is to say, that it will be limited to a specific amount of time, generally 20 or 30 years. The difference is that an endowment life policy will pay out whether you pass on during this period or not. It is a win-win situation as you will receive the cash if you live out the years until the policy expires. The term life insurance option does not pay out if you reach the end of the time alive.

An endowment life insurance policy can also be cashed in early. Choosing to do this will mean that you receive less than you would if you let it run, but you are guaranteed some of the funds to be able to use them whilst still living. For example, if you cash in a policy in the fifteenth year and it is a twenty year policy, you will receive approximately 50% of the amount you would have got once the policy ended. The amount you get will differ depending on the insurers and what agreements were made when the policy was started.

The major drawback of this type of insurance is that you are likely to have to pay a high premium than you would with any other kind. It is possible to get around this by getting a low cost endowment policy. This does mean lower premiums; however, the amount that will be paid out will decrease over time.

Alternatively, you could choose to get a return of premium life insurance policy. This is a fairly new insurance product but is designed to give you the best of both worlds. It is set for a specific period of time like other insurance products and you pay a set amount each month. If you die within the period, your beneficiary will receive the death benefit.

Should you live through to the end of the policy, you will receive your premiums paid back to you in full. There is no tax payable on the premiums you have made and so there will be no reduction in the amount of money that is returned to you. You can also receive some return of premium if you cancel the policy before it is due to expire. Essentially, this policy is a way of ensuring you receive money back whether you do or don't die.

If you are looking to get lower premium quotations, then you need to know that there are a few factors that determine how much you pay. Age is a huge part when taking out in insurance. The younger you are, the more likely the premium will be minimal. This is one reason to arrange life insurance before you reach your prime. Insurers will also look at issue such as smoking. Non-smokers are generally paying 50% less on their premiums than those who choose to smoke.

You can find out all about return of premium insurance and endowment life insurance policies from your financial advisor or insurance agent. Take the time to look at the policies closely and ask any questions that you have. If you feel you are ready to buy these policies, most providers have a quick and straightforward application form on their websites.

Consider Comparing Life Insurance Policies

Life insurance is arguably one of the most important insurance policies as it offers protection for family and loved ones. As with all types of insurance, there are lots of different policies on the market so ensure complete peace of mind for yourself and security for your family by carefully comparing the various options available.

Logical factors to think about before starting the search relate to the level of cover you feel you need. You may want to cover your mortgage repayments or replace the primary earner's salary. If you have children, covering education or childcare expenses may be of utmost importance.

Starting with the least expensive, the most basic type of life insurance is known as term insurance. This type of protection is usually chosen in order to cover mortgage or loan payments. The key point to remember is that at the end of the term nothing is payable to you if you haven't claimed and there is no surrender value. This is a good option if all you want to do is cover the outstanding balance of a loan, but as there are several different types of term insurance a bit of research is required.

Whole life insurance is a more comprehensive option which, unlike term insurance, is not limited to a specific time period. You can be certain that the insurance company will pay out the sum insured and because of this the premiums are usually more expensive. Whole life insurance is available at different levels, namely 'non-profit', 'with profit' and 'low cost' so do your sums if looking at the possibility of taking out a whole life insurance policy.

If profit is a factor you see as a benefit of your life insurance policy then it's a wise idea to review endowment life insurance which is essentially a savings scheme married with a life insurance policy.

There are also different premiums to consider - guaranteed and reviewable. With the guaranteed option your insurer promises never to increase your premium whereas reviewable premiums mean your policy can be reviewed and premiums are likely to increase.

This is merely a scratch on the surface of life insurance options so it really is worth investigating further and comparing offers. Premiums can vary widely between companies for the same policy and spending an hour or two shopping around could save you thousands of pounds. Shaving just £10 a month off a twenty-five year policy would leave you with an extra £3,000 in your pocket. Not bad for a few hours research especially when considering the possibility of online research which lends itself to easy and accurate comparison; all crucial factors to making the best choice.