Month: October, 2009
Life Settlements for Younger People
| October 20, 2009 | 2:20 pm | Finances | No comments

Can Younger People Sell Life Insurance Policies (life settlements)?

Most of the time we hear about senior citizens selling life insurance policies for cash. This would mean a life settlement minimum age of 70, or sometimes down to age 60. But is this age carved in stone, or can younger people take advantage of this solution too?

Understand that when an investor purchases a policy they eventually want to get a return. It may seem sort of grim to talk about, but they do collect when the insured person passes away. In return, that insured person accepts a cash settlement of money they can use now, while they are still alive.

If they purchase a life insurance policy from a much younger person, it can be much harder for them to know how much money to offer. The fact is, the older a person is, the more accurate mortality predictions will be. It is hard to imagine how medical advances or some of the diseases of old age will affect the life span of a 30 year old. This makes it very tough to estimate the value of a policy while an insured person is still fairly young.

So while I have heard of cash settlments made for the life insurance policy of a 55 year old (rarely), I have not really heard of any 30 year old people selling policies. That does not mean it could not happen, especially if the health status of a younger person made it likely they would not survive into old age. And again, though it seems ghoulish to contemplate, a younger person with a serious health problem may be able to use the cash now for medical treatment, living expenses, etc.

Get life settlement quotes from a qualified company. An advisor will be able to answer your questions on a case by case basics. It is important for you to understand how these plans work, and if it is the right choice for you.

Retirement Annuities – What’s to Like About Safe Money?
| October 2, 2009 | 2:18 pm | Finances | 1 Comment

Fixed Annuities for Retirement – Safe Money Solutions?

I have been reading a lot of articles about retirement annuities, both by those who really like the products, and by other financial experts who are not fans. It is important to find the middle ground when researching fixed annuities, because many writers have biases. Those who like stocks, for instance, will be likely to highlight the disadvantages, while broker types will be bigger fans of fixed annuities.

Who Do Fixed Annuities Serve Best?

It will always be the premise of any articles I write that no one solution is the best answer for everybody. But you do have lots of choices. Here are some things to think about if you are considering annuities for retirement planning.

  • Would You Like a Guaranteed Income?
  • Will You Benefit from Tax Deferred Accumulation?
  • Can you Commit to Putting Money Aside for Years?
  • Would you be willing to sacrifice some upside for the guarantee of less risk?

So fixed retirement annuities tend to work well for people who can commit to leaving their money in the account. Most plans have penalties for early cashouts, unless it is for one of the reasons specified in the contract. Some examples of these exceptions to the penalty might be a severe illness or confinement to a nursing home. And the tax advantages may evaporate if you need to take your money out before retirement age.

But do not overlook the chance to guarantee that your money will not evaporate. In addition, the tax deferred accumulation can really help you grow savings.

Learn More About Retirement Annuities

This article is not really meant to discuss every detail of these types of savings.  You can find a lot more information online.

Visit Here: Explain Fixed Annuities or here: Free Online Annuity Quotes

Immediate vs Deferred Annuities

There are 2 ways to build your cash account. An immediate contract means that you deposit a lump sum, and payouts can start right away. Deferred contracts mean that the cash will grow over a period of years. Sometimes these are funded with a lump sum, but often they are funded with periodic contributions made over a period of years.

Why Are Fixed Annuities Safe?

They will either have a fixed payout, or they will be pegged to a market index. It is easy enough to understand a fixed payout of say, 6%. This amount will be returned in up market years and down market years. Equity indexed contracts, on the other hand, will have returns pegged to a major market index like the S&P500. In up years, the owner will earn  some percentage of the gains. In down years, the cash account is guaranteed not to lose money, and may even be guaranteed to have a small gain (i.e. 2 – 3%).

So annuities can be atractive when compared to lower paying bank savings accounts or riskier stocks. So what’s the catch? Well, again, you need to think in the long term. You often have to commit to keep your money locked up for several years. You can find a variety of terms from a few years, to over a decade though. Of course, the longer you will commit your money, the more favorable terms you will get.

Who Sells Annuities?

Fixed annuity products come from insurance companies. Indeed, they combine features of investments with other features of insurance. For instance, if you choose a contract with a guaranteed payout of 10 years or a lfetime, that may come from an insurance feature, or the cash value of your account.

What are Life Settlements For Seniors
| October 1, 2009 | 4:14 pm | Finances | 3 Comments

Can you Get Paid Cash for Life Insurance Policies with a Life Settlement?

Life settlements are growing in popularity. Most of the time an investor will pay cash for a permmanent life insurance policy. They hope to pay less than the face value of the policy, and make a profit when the insured person does pass away. In return, the insured person (or company) will get paid now, rather than have to wait for a death. This can benefit some companies, with unwanted key man or business owners policies, and it can also benefit seniors who may find better uses for money while they are alive.

In the old days, people would just let a life insurance policy lapse by not paying the premiums, or they would surrender it back to the insurer for the cash value. The cash value is usually very small in comparison to the death benefit (face value) of the policy. This gives people another option.

What Policies Can Be Sold?

Of course, this varies, but here are some general guidelines.

  • Investors are usually looking for an older person. Some set the minimum age at 70, though some will accept younger people.
  • This policy must be whole life, universal life, or term life with an option to convert to a permanent policy. The term policy must have some time left on the contract.

Is this a Good Idea?

On the surface, the whole thing may sound a bit ghoulish. But if an older person has an unwanted policy, or the need for money now outweighs the need for money later, this can work out to the benefit of the insured person. Many beneficiaries of the policy, being close heirs to the older person, are actually relieved that they can find a solution to help out mom or dad with money while they are still alive.

How to Sell A Life Insurance Policy

If you are interested in getting more information, you need to find a life settlement broker or company. This is usually a life insurance agent who has been certified to handle this type of transaction, though a regular agent may help you find the right person to talk to.

Online Life Settlement Solutions

Visit here: Senior Life Settlement Quotes

Understanding Medicare Health Insurance Choices
| October 1, 2009 | 3:52 pm | Health | 1 Comment

When I speak to seniors, and their caregivers, about Medicare Health Insurance, I am always surprised by how little they understand about this vital benefit.  For example, many seniors do not realize that they have to pay a premium for Medicare Part B. It is usually deducted from a retired person’s social security check, and they have either forgotten about it, or just never knew it.

Are So Many Medicare Health Choices Making Any Choice Very Confusing?

Of course, health, must be a major concern of older people. And this generation of older people seem to have more choices than any previous one. But somehow, clear explanations about Medicare health insurance are not getting communicated to the people who need to make these choices.  Here is a basic outline of Medicare Health Plans.

  • Original Medicare is usually Medicare Part A (Hospital) and Medicare Part B (Medical). Most American seniors are entitled to Medicare Part A with no additional premium, but do pay a premium for Part B. Again, this premium usually is taken out of social security benefits. The premium is actually very modest even though it can seem like a sizable precenta
  • Medicare Part D is the newest plan, and it is prescription coverage. These plans come from private insurers, though they are, of course, subsidized with tax money. Different plans, with different levels of coverage are available.
  • Medicare Advantage (MA)  Plans used to be called Medicare Part C. MA plans bundle up original Medicare with extra coverage. Sometimes they also include prescription coverage, but sometimes they do not, and a Part D plan must be purchased on its own. Some require an additional premium (to the Part B premium), some do not require one, and some even cause a portion of the Part B premium to be refunded. Medicare Advantage plans, like original Medicare, will be subsidized by taxes even though they come from private insurers.
  • Medicare Supplements are different than MA plans. They are purchased to supplement the coverage of original Medicare, and are not bundled with it. The come from private insurers, and while original Medicare is tax subsidized, Medicare Supplements are not.

If you want to learn more about Medicare Health Insurance Choices, visit here: Medicare Supplements vs Medicare Advantage vs Medicare Prescription

You can also get some expert help: Medicare Health Insurance Quotes and Plans in Your Local Zip Code.

Why Do Seniors Buy Life Insurance?
| October 1, 2009 | 3:31 pm | Finances | 1 Comment

Is Life Insurance For Older People?

Many people associate life insurance with term products purchased for young and growing families. Certainly, those types of younger parents with kids and a mortgage would want to consider protecting their future in case one breadwinner dies. But many of us did not outgrown our need for a policy just because our children are older, our mortgage is getting paid off, and we celebrated a few more happy birthdays.

What are Some Reasons That Seniors Need Policies?

People in middle age, and even typical retirement age, are still a very active group these days. In fact, we have some good news about increased life spans, and also, increased productive life spans. As long as people still have productive work to do and obligations to handle, there is still time to consider making sure that lives are covered.

Many seniors need life insurance.

We also have more good news. Because Americans are living longer, than they were even a decade ago, top insurers are more willing to extend affordable policies to these people.

  • Business owners and key men (top professionals in their company) are very important to their enterprise. Many companies insure those people’s lives, and in fact, may need to in order to obtain business financing. I have seen many examples of small, medium sized, or large companies that needed to insure older people in order to protect themselves, and possibly a lender.
  • Seniors with less assets may just want to purchase a smaller plan in order to make sure that their heirs have no trouble coming up with cash to handle expenses after they pass away. Examples of these expenses could be funerals, travel, and settling debts.
  • Life insurance policies do not usually get taxed, so this can be a good way to transfer wealth to the next generation. This also works for business owners, who will not have all of his or her heirs inherit a company. The other beneficiaries can get a cash settlement from insurance.

Find Policies at Older Ages

    So you can see that there are many reasons for older people to purchase policies. We can help you find more information.