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	<title>Comments for Texas Term Broker</title>
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	<description>Texas Life &#38; Health Insurance</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:22:48 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Comment on Whitney Houston Life Insurance by Derrick</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/whitney-houston-life-insurance/#comment-1656</link>
		<dc:creator>Derrick</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:22:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/?p=1685#comment-1656</guid>
		<description>The Houston family is preparing for what could be a major payday. TMZ reports that the family is selling Whitney Houston&#039;s funeral footage to &quot;help maximize the estate for the benefit of Bobbi Kristina.&quot; [TMZ]


    In other Whitney news, the hotel room where she suddenly died has been stripped to keep looters from making quick cash. Everything from bed sheets, towels and even trash has ben removed from the room. It will supposedly be disposed of discreetly. [TMZ]


    Could it be too early to auction off Whitney Houston items? A black velvet dress and earrings she wore during the Bodyguard will go to the highest bidder next month. The auction is expected to bring in a pretty penny.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Houston family is preparing for what could be a major payday. TMZ reports that the family is selling Whitney Houston&#8217;s funeral footage to &#8220;help maximize the estate for the benefit of Bobbi Kristina.&#8221; [TMZ]</p>
<p>    In other Whitney news, the hotel room where she suddenly died has been stripped to keep looters from making quick cash. Everything from bed sheets, towels and even trash has ben removed from the room. It will supposedly be disposed of discreetly. [TMZ]</p>
<p>    Could it be too early to auction off Whitney Houston items? A black velvet dress and earrings she wore during the Bodyguard will go to the highest bidder next month. The auction is expected to bring in a pretty penny.</p>
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		<title>Comment on More Texans forsaking life insurance coverage by Zeliboban</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/texas-life-insurance-news/#comment-1654</link>
		<dc:creator>Zeliboban</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:26:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/wp2/?p=1#comment-1654</guid>
		<description>You will find men and women who are convinced they might be at the same time new to find life insurance, but in fact, it is the most desirable opportunity to do it right. Firstly, as you are much more youthful that monthly payments usually are a great deal decreased, mainly because that you are currently more probably not going statistically talking to expire in comparison to for anyone old. As soon as you special a fabulous life insurance, you’re able to think free from harm which usually nothing at all poor would eventually people who you exit at the rear of. To illustrate, suppose your partner will quickly keep on being being be home more mother and you will be the only breadwinner in the household. Generally if the insurance holder is used up just before the terminate of one’s term, the insurance plan the loss help could be spent on the inheritor. Generally if the insurance holder will never expire cheerful and content woman, don’t that insurance holder neither of the two that heirs have any monetary recompense.

The original the main ageda is almost always to keep up to this point through paying off the monthly payments. As soon as you carry getting some scheme, fall past due through expense often times will be the insurance plan is lost without the need of instantly to mend that monthly payments spent. Although particular person may not a particular earner, how does one cope if he or she no longer is near to keep up with the youngsters along with the place. When you buy insurance, you might also need to be certain that you might be ordering enough. That is perfect for those individuals who require klassische Risikolebensversicherung berechnung within a short time period. You’ll be able to spend bare minimum premium in policy month after month, monthly or maybe once a year period. Utilizing term life insurance regarding 52 Fifty nine season olds, obviously buying a Thirty year term insurance could get tricky, yet buying a 10 to 20 season term holds attainable.

Bear in mind that quite insurance provides a various scheme matched against healthier and much more youthful consumers. These fees can even range regardless if you are healthful, a fabulous smoke enthusiast, or maybe have a nice sickness prefer fire troubles, weight problems, or maybe diabetic issues. Anyway, you will find the insurance policy which have very affordable monthly payments and will eventually suit your need to have absolutely. There’s a chance you’re contemplating burial prices that could be fairly high priced. Also, there are other reasons such as program for one’s families you’ll be forsaking. It is usually approximately safe guarding a possible. You’ll be able to offer debt safeguard for one’s special loved one utilizing term life insurance. Any time buying life insurance, it is advisable to think about the quality of policy.

It’s always created to do great things for any families since unkomplizierten Risikolebensversicherung Vergleich finden safe guards that salary of a fabulous wife supplement. If the wife becomes deceased, everyone even so wishes which usually profit to keep on to have the very same property and drive to the same school. Term insurance is obviously less expensive full life simply because it insures you’ll can aquire a certain quantity of your and a certain quantity of, these types of elements allow it to faster and easier in the insurance enterprise to work through raise the risk elements and for that reason that premium collectively bill you. Simplest way to make it happen is almost always to evaluate term life insurance fees. Term life insurance guidelines could very well be rated or maybe been reduced for many points. diabetic issues and excess weight are only a pair of the most common points.

For this reason ,, with some other possibilities, you mustn’t ignore to figure for you to acquire term life insurance policy for your organisation. Assets regarding financial products are helpful especially if you fail to have an set up credit worthiness and investments however. The insurance scheme can help you acquire guarantee for a financial loan that will help mature your organisation together with the expected money for the duration of the country’s vital time frame. If a company user corp seller abruptly is used up, what happens compared to that management then. Often, her distribute could be went by for you to her relative which could possibly or maybe may not focused on improving the company increase.

Term life insurance scheme can be with profiting from a organisation’s accounts receivable insurance agencies consider it as a fabulous being qualified resource regarding credit. Term life produces by far the most value for your money. There is absolutely no some other process to discuss the idea, citizens are hurting to get by through this economic depression and everybody is looking to get means to shrink his / her resources. For many of us twenty years is enough opportunity to manage to get thier money the best way and receive some bucks behind them. For lots of people the most impressive method of insurance might be term insurance.

The specific situation many individuals produce might be taking your time ordering rentablen Risikolebensversicherung Test beglaubigen as they want to hold back until they’ve already boys and girls maybe a property that belongs to them. Even so, the buying price of term insurance is usually for you’re plus your medical as soon as you make use of. We can pretty much delay creating. The specific situation being mindful of this technique just can’t say for sure just what yourself could be as in 2 to 5 a long time with at this point. Let’s suppose you in turn become diabetes or maybe obtain wide range of excess weight. They didn’t like to sign up for a fabulous life scheme even though they are that is likely to lead to some thing poor transpiring for. Receiving a particular insurance is amongst the cleverest the things which you can try, in case you have a nice families.

Most often, you will be paying a selected service charge along with matter some thing happen to you’ll, that inheritor, or greater consultants, commonly men and women yourself will receive that expense. Any time thinking about the level of insurance you should have, work out how much money all your family will be needing if you are income is lost. This should begin with paying down many of the biggest bills such as loan, by leaving enough to hide many of the ongoing prices. An individual precise stops is a committing suicide condition. Just as before, lingo range depending on how committing suicide is defined in order to get turned out, and what happens when you do plan to obliterate your family.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You will find men and women who are convinced they might be at the same time new to find life insurance, but in fact, it is the most desirable opportunity to do it right. Firstly, as you are much more youthful that monthly payments usually are a great deal decreased, mainly because that you are currently more probably not going statistically talking to expire in comparison to for anyone old. As soon as you special a fabulous life insurance, you’re able to think free from harm which usually nothing at all poor would eventually people who you exit at the rear of. To illustrate, suppose your partner will quickly keep on being being be home more mother and you will be the only breadwinner in the household. Generally if the insurance holder is used up just before the terminate of one’s term, the insurance plan the loss help could be spent on the inheritor. Generally if the insurance holder will never expire cheerful and content woman, don’t that insurance holder neither of the two that heirs have any monetary recompense.</p>
<p>The original the main ageda is almost always to keep up to this point through paying off the monthly payments. As soon as you carry getting some scheme, fall past due through expense often times will be the insurance plan is lost without the need of instantly to mend that monthly payments spent. Although particular person may not a particular earner, how does one cope if he or she no longer is near to keep up with the youngsters along with the place. When you buy insurance, you might also need to be certain that you might be ordering enough. That is perfect for those individuals who require klassische Risikolebensversicherung berechnung within a short time period. You’ll be able to spend bare minimum premium in policy month after month, monthly or maybe once a year period. Utilizing term life insurance regarding 52 Fifty nine season olds, obviously buying a Thirty year term insurance could get tricky, yet buying a 10 to 20 season term holds attainable.</p>
<p>Bear in mind that quite insurance provides a various scheme matched against healthier and much more youthful consumers. These fees can even range regardless if you are healthful, a fabulous smoke enthusiast, or maybe have a nice sickness prefer fire troubles, weight problems, or maybe diabetic issues. Anyway, you will find the insurance policy which have very affordable monthly payments and will eventually suit your need to have absolutely. There’s a chance you’re contemplating burial prices that could be fairly high priced. Also, there are other reasons such as program for one’s families you’ll be forsaking. It is usually approximately safe guarding a possible. You’ll be able to offer debt safeguard for one’s special loved one utilizing term life insurance. Any time buying life insurance, it is advisable to think about the quality of policy.</p>
<p>It’s always created to do great things for any families since unkomplizierten Risikolebensversicherung Vergleich finden safe guards that salary of a fabulous wife supplement. If the wife becomes deceased, everyone even so wishes which usually profit to keep on to have the very same property and drive to the same school. Term insurance is obviously less expensive full life simply because it insures you’ll can aquire a certain quantity of your and a certain quantity of, these types of elements allow it to faster and easier in the insurance enterprise to work through raise the risk elements and for that reason that premium collectively bill you. Simplest way to make it happen is almost always to evaluate term life insurance fees. Term life insurance guidelines could very well be rated or maybe been reduced for many points. diabetic issues and excess weight are only a pair of the most common points.</p>
<p>For this reason ,, with some other possibilities, you mustn’t ignore to figure for you to acquire term life insurance policy for your organisation. Assets regarding financial products are helpful especially if you fail to have an set up credit worthiness and investments however. The insurance scheme can help you acquire guarantee for a financial loan that will help mature your organisation together with the expected money for the duration of the country’s vital time frame. If a company user corp seller abruptly is used up, what happens compared to that management then. Often, her distribute could be went by for you to her relative which could possibly or maybe may not focused on improving the company increase.</p>
<p>Term life insurance scheme can be with profiting from a organisation’s accounts receivable insurance agencies consider it as a fabulous being qualified resource regarding credit. Term life produces by far the most value for your money. There is absolutely no some other process to discuss the idea, citizens are hurting to get by through this economic depression and everybody is looking to get means to shrink his / her resources. For many of us twenty years is enough opportunity to manage to get thier money the best way and receive some bucks behind them. For lots of people the most impressive method of insurance might be term insurance.</p>
<p>The specific situation many individuals produce might be taking your time ordering rentablen Risikolebensversicherung Test beglaubigen as they want to hold back until they’ve already boys and girls maybe a property that belongs to them. Even so, the buying price of term insurance is usually for you’re plus your medical as soon as you make use of. We can pretty much delay creating. The specific situation being mindful of this technique just can’t say for sure just what yourself could be as in 2 to 5 a long time with at this point. Let’s suppose you in turn become diabetes or maybe obtain wide range of excess weight. They didn’t like to sign up for a fabulous life scheme even though they are that is likely to lead to some thing poor transpiring for. Receiving a particular insurance is amongst the cleverest the things which you can try, in case you have a nice families.</p>
<p>Most often, you will be paying a selected service charge along with matter some thing happen to you’ll, that inheritor, or greater consultants, commonly men and women yourself will receive that expense. Any time thinking about the level of insurance you should have, work out how much money all your family will be needing if you are income is lost. This should begin with paying down many of the biggest bills such as loan, by leaving enough to hide many of the ongoing prices. An individual precise stops is a committing suicide condition. Just as before, lingo range depending on how committing suicide is defined in order to get turned out, and what happens when you do plan to obliterate your family.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Would You Buy a Life-Insurance Policy From This Machine? by Waynick</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/would-you-buy-a-life-insurance-texas-policy-from-this-machine/#comment-1651</link>
		<dc:creator>Waynick</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:55:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/?p=176#comment-1651</guid>
		<description>How much life insurance coverage I need to buy was something that really wasn’t important to me until I got married.

My first policy was a $250,000 30 year term life insurance policy and I thought that was plenty.  It was not until we had our first son that I quickly realized that was not nearly enough.

After his birth, I decided to increase it substantially.   That was over two years ago.  With us in the process of building our first home and a second son on the way, I’m left wondering even with that increase if I really have bought enough life insurance.

Update: We now have our third son and I have increased the amount of life insurance I have on myself.  Check the end of the post to find what I’ve increased my term life insurance to and my rationale.

I know many struggle with this same decision so I wanted to shed some light how much life insurance is enough.
First things first, life insurance is for one purpose: income replacement.  While there are times where life insurance can aid in more complex estate planning strategies, a majority of the time it’s purchased to take care of your family once you’re gone.  My reasoning for purchasing life insurance is that I want to leave my wife and kids without any debt and the ability for my wife to not worry about finances in the event of my unexpected passing.
</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How much life insurance coverage I need to buy was something that really wasn’t important to me until I got married.</p>
<p>My first policy was a $250,000 30 year term life insurance policy and I thought that was plenty.  It was not until we had our first son that I quickly realized that was not nearly enough.</p>
<p>After his birth, I decided to increase it substantially.   That was over two years ago.  With us in the process of building our first home and a second son on the way, I’m left wondering even with that increase if I really have bought enough life insurance.</p>
<p>Update: We now have our third son and I have increased the amount of life insurance I have on myself.  Check the end of the post to find what I’ve increased my term life insurance to and my rationale.</p>
<p>I know many struggle with this same decision so I wanted to shed some light how much life insurance is enough.<br />
First things first, life insurance is for one purpose: income replacement.  While there are times where life insurance can aid in more complex estate planning strategies, a majority of the time it’s purchased to take care of your family once you’re gone.  My reasoning for purchasing life insurance is that I want to leave my wife and kids without any debt and the ability for my wife to not worry about finances in the event of my unexpected passing.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Build your financial foundation with life insurance. by Lamkins</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/build-your-financial-foundation-with-life-insurance/#comment-1650</link>
		<dc:creator>Lamkins</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:01:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/?p=939#comment-1650</guid>
		<description>What if today was your last day? Would your loved ones know what to do? Having life insurance is important not just for yourself but for your family as well. Learn about life insurance and how you can protect yourself and your family. Determine how much insurance is right for you and your family, what type of life insurance best meets your needs, and start saving now.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What if today was your last day? Would your loved ones know what to do? Having life insurance is important not just for yourself but for your family as well. Learn about life insurance and how you can protect yourself and your family. Determine how much insurance is right for you and your family, what type of life insurance best meets your needs, and start saving now.</p>
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		<title>Comment on More Texans forsaking life insurance coverage by Odessa</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/texas-life-insurance-news/#comment-1643</link>
		<dc:creator>Odessa</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:42:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/wp2/?p=1#comment-1643</guid>
		<description>Never ever lie on your term life insurance software programs. Necessary . conceal may be or some other negative conditions or conditions may cause your profess to become denied if something happens to you, due to the fact insurance providers do look into if claims are distrustful. Your family group could miss out on the money while it is cover expenses if you are not up-front side with the insurance company. If you wish to the purchase of a life insurance coverage the first time, make sure that you make the most efficient decision by speaking to a financial expert. The an individual can guide you to gauge the amount of protection that you simply need to have, as well as improve you to definitely kitchen area updated your coverage as your needs grow or change. By following the guidelines in this post the hard subject of a life insurance policy will be to a certain simpler. Planning to by no means be a pleasant topic but by deal with it accurately you can remove some pressure from both yourself and also the humans you may leave behind. These guidelines ought to have assisted to one to are much more refined.

In the world of life insurance, there are plenty of excellent sources available to both new and experienced purchasers alike. There are several online stores, at the-strategy guides, audiobooks, and other sources on the market. This set of tips includes some of the finest assistance for assisting you buy the most effective policy for you and your family group.

Calculate the number of a life insurance policy that youll want all on your own. The company you might be paying for with will number this out in your, but they will grant you overpriced numbers. The a lesser amount of you purchase, the less youll pay, so urged that you create a practical amount. Consider the kinds of term life insurance available for sale prior to making a choice on which to purchase. Most insurance policies concentrate on Term Life or Complete Lifestyle and knowing the real difference is vital. Be aware that with both of these types of routine, they can be designed to your specific would like and circumstances. Do your research.

Once you have your life insurance coverage in place, be sure that all these influenced by the policy have an understanding of it. Supply the successor with the information on amount insured, in which the routine documents is located and the contact details for just a personal financial agent they will certainly contact to generate a profess once the might need arises. Life insurance policies are more cost effective the quicker they are begun. Even design no one that GREAT SITE immediately hinges on your earnings, if what situation is inclined many years in the future, then term life insurance is something you should look at. For example, if you dont have children thus far but anticipate to have a kid only one daytime, investing in a life insurance policy now will be more affordable than investing later.

Dont purchase more life insurance coverage than you really might need. You want to ” invest ” in just enough to ones households would like. Paying excessive a life insurance policy means that you land acquiring a good deal more in premiums. Be sure, still, that you do not skimp over your insurance coverage and end up receiving a policy that wont existing to get your family unit.

Really dont purchase a lot more life insurance coverage than is critical to get your familys would like. The higher your coverage is, the larger your premiums is certainly. 1 million buck insurance policy sounds nice, but chances are youll never Best Site even need to funds it out. Conserve on your the price and just pick a policy that addresses your needs.

If you are even on a restricted spending budget or if you have made medical concerns that prevent you from getting common life insurance coverage, you can sign up to term life insurance coverage. Its very simple to meet the criteria for term life insurance insurance protection and your monthly installments needs tiny. You are still attaining good protection with term life insurance insurance coverage.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Never ever lie on your term life insurance software programs. Necessary . conceal may be or some other negative conditions or conditions may cause your profess to become denied if something happens to you, due to the fact insurance providers do look into if claims are distrustful. Your family group could miss out on the money while it is cover expenses if you are not up-front side with the insurance company. If you wish to the purchase of a life insurance coverage the first time, make sure that you make the most efficient decision by speaking to a financial expert. The an individual can guide you to gauge the amount of protection that you simply need to have, as well as improve you to definitely kitchen area updated your coverage as your needs grow or change. By following the guidelines in this post the hard subject of a life insurance policy will be to a certain simpler. Planning to by no means be a pleasant topic but by deal with it accurately you can remove some pressure from both yourself and also the humans you may leave behind. These guidelines ought to have assisted to one to are much more refined.</p>
<p>In the world of life insurance, there are plenty of excellent sources available to both new and experienced purchasers alike. There are several online stores, at the-strategy guides, audiobooks, and other sources on the market. This set of tips includes some of the finest assistance for assisting you buy the most effective policy for you and your family group.</p>
<p>Calculate the number of a life insurance policy that youll want all on your own. The company you might be paying for with will number this out in your, but they will grant you overpriced numbers. The a lesser amount of you purchase, the less youll pay, so urged that you create a practical amount. Consider the kinds of term life insurance available for sale prior to making a choice on which to purchase. Most insurance policies concentrate on Term Life or Complete Lifestyle and knowing the real difference is vital. Be aware that with both of these types of routine, they can be designed to your specific would like and circumstances. Do your research.</p>
<p>Once you have your life insurance coverage in place, be sure that all these influenced by the policy have an understanding of it. Supply the successor with the information on amount insured, in which the routine documents is located and the contact details for just a personal financial agent they will certainly contact to generate a profess once the might need arises. Life insurance policies are more cost effective the quicker they are begun. Even design no one that GREAT SITE immediately hinges on your earnings, if what situation is inclined many years in the future, then term life insurance is something you should look at. For example, if you dont have children thus far but anticipate to have a kid only one daytime, investing in a life insurance policy now will be more affordable than investing later.</p>
<p>Dont purchase more life insurance coverage than you really might need. You want to ” invest ” in just enough to ones households would like. Paying excessive a life insurance policy means that you land acquiring a good deal more in premiums. Be sure, still, that you do not skimp over your insurance coverage and end up receiving a policy that wont existing to get your family unit.</p>
<p>Really dont purchase a lot more life insurance coverage than is critical to get your familys would like. The higher your coverage is, the larger your premiums is certainly. 1 million buck insurance policy sounds nice, but chances are youll never Best Site even need to funds it out. Conserve on your the price and just pick a policy that addresses your needs.</p>
<p>If you are even on a restricted spending budget or if you have made medical concerns that prevent you from getting common life insurance coverage, you can sign up to term life insurance coverage. Its very simple to meet the criteria for term life insurance insurance protection and your monthly installments needs tiny. You are still attaining good protection with term life insurance insurance coverage.</p>
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		<title>Comment on 10 Of the Best Features of Life Insurance that are overlooked by Helen</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/10-of-the-best-features-of-life-insurance-that-are-overlooked/#comment-1642</link>
		<dc:creator>Helen</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:02:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/?p=1613#comment-1642</guid>
		<description>While many policyholders struggle to figure out how much life insurance they need, many of those with existing coverage simply don’t understand the important features of the policies they own. I find it valuable to emphasize these 10 commonly overlooked features of life insurance plans with policyholders when communicating with them about their benefits:

  1. Waiver of premium. This feature pays the premium of a policy if a serious illness or injury causes the policyholder to become disabled.

  2. Accelerated death benefit. This feature allows policyholders to receive cash advances against the death benefit of their policies if they’re diagnosed with a terminal illness. Many people with this benefit use the money to help pay for treatment and other expenses when they have only a short time to live.

  3. Guaranteed purchase option. With this feature, policyholders can purchase coverage at designated future dates or life events without proving they’re in good health.

  4. Long-term care riders. Some life products include this option, which allows individuals to use the benefits of their policies to pay for long-term care in exchange for a reduced life benefit.

  5. Spouse or child term riders. Life policies with this feature allow policyholders to purchase term life insurance for their spouses or dependent children, up to age 26. This option can be a more affordable way to purchase coverage for those who can’t afford separate policies.

  6. Cash value plans. This type of policy pays out upon a policyholder’s death and also accumulates value during their lifetime. Individuals can use the cash value as a fund from which they can borrow and use to pay the policy premiums later.

  7. Mortgage protection. Some term life plans are designed to provide mortgage protection for homeowners, typically paying a decreasing benefit that corresponds to the outstanding balance of the mortgage.

  8. Cash withdrawals and loans. Many universal and whole life policies allow policyholders to withdraw or borrow money, using the cash value of the policy as collateral. Interest rates tend to be relatively low. Individuals can also use the cash value of their life policies to pay their premiums if they need or want to stop paying premiums for a period of time. Policyholders must pay back the loan, or your beneficiaries will receive a reduced death benefit.

  9. Survivor support services. Some life policies offer services that provide objective financial and legal assistance to beneficiaries.

10. Employee assistance programs. This feature makes resources available to policyholders when they have problems that can affect their personal and professional lives. Resources are usually free and help address issues such as substance abuse, stress, marital problems, legal concerns and major life events.

Advantages of voluntary

LIMRA research shows that 57% of people who are under-insured prefer to buy life insurance face to face. And 18% of them prefer to purchase at the workplace.2 Voluntary life insurance can be an important part of a company benefits package and can help meet the needs of employers and employees. This coverage can be sold as a complement to company-provided life insurance or as a standalone offering. Because it’s typically employee-paid, voluntary benefits allow employers to expand their benefits packages at little to no additional cost. Some other features of voluntary coverage include:

• Portability. With individual policies, the employee, not the employer, owns the policy, which means workers can keep their policies if they leave their jobs.

• Simplified underwriting. Both guaranteed issue (no health questions for underwriting) and simplified issue (minimal health questions for underwriting) are available, if participation and eligibility guidelines are met.

• Variety of life insurance plans. Employees now have choices in plans to meet their individual needs when it comes to protecting their families and building cash value.

Voluntary life coverage, when offered in conjunction with one-to-one benefits counseling sessions, can be an especially effective combination in an employee benefits plan. In fact, almost 60% of employers believe one-to-one benefits counseling sessions can strongly improve employees’ understanding of their benefits and their coverage needs. And 55% of employers rely solely on this type of benefits communication and education method.3 Companies that work with insurers to improve benefits education can boost participation in their programs, which helps ensure employees have the coverage they need to protect their families and their lifestyles.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While many policyholders struggle to figure out how much life insurance they need, many of those with existing coverage simply don’t understand the important features of the policies they own. I find it valuable to emphasize these 10 commonly overlooked features of life insurance plans with policyholders when communicating with them about their benefits:</p>
<p>  1. Waiver of premium. This feature pays the premium of a policy if a serious illness or injury causes the policyholder to become disabled.</p>
<p>  2. Accelerated death benefit. This feature allows policyholders to receive cash advances against the death benefit of their policies if they’re diagnosed with a terminal illness. Many people with this benefit use the money to help pay for treatment and other expenses when they have only a short time to live.</p>
<p>  3. Guaranteed purchase option. With this feature, policyholders can purchase coverage at designated future dates or life events without proving they’re in good health.</p>
<p>  4. Long-term care riders. Some life products include this option, which allows individuals to use the benefits of their policies to pay for long-term care in exchange for a reduced life benefit.</p>
<p>  5. Spouse or child term riders. Life policies with this feature allow policyholders to purchase term life insurance for their spouses or dependent children, up to age 26. This option can be a more affordable way to purchase coverage for those who can’t afford separate policies.</p>
<p>  6. Cash value plans. This type of policy pays out upon a policyholder’s death and also accumulates value during their lifetime. Individuals can use the cash value as a fund from which they can borrow and use to pay the policy premiums later.</p>
<p>  7. Mortgage protection. Some term life plans are designed to provide mortgage protection for homeowners, typically paying a decreasing benefit that corresponds to the outstanding balance of the mortgage.</p>
<p>  8. Cash withdrawals and loans. Many universal and whole life policies allow policyholders to withdraw or borrow money, using the cash value of the policy as collateral. Interest rates tend to be relatively low. Individuals can also use the cash value of their life policies to pay their premiums if they need or want to stop paying premiums for a period of time. Policyholders must pay back the loan, or your beneficiaries will receive a reduced death benefit.</p>
<p>  9. Survivor support services. Some life policies offer services that provide objective financial and legal assistance to beneficiaries.</p>
<p>10. Employee assistance programs. This feature makes resources available to policyholders when they have problems that can affect their personal and professional lives. Resources are usually free and help address issues such as substance abuse, stress, marital problems, legal concerns and major life events.</p>
<p>Advantages of voluntary</p>
<p>LIMRA research shows that 57% of people who are under-insured prefer to buy life insurance face to face. And 18% of them prefer to purchase at the workplace.2 Voluntary life insurance can be an important part of a company benefits package and can help meet the needs of employers and employees. This coverage can be sold as a complement to company-provided life insurance or as a standalone offering. Because it’s typically employee-paid, voluntary benefits allow employers to expand their benefits packages at little to no additional cost. Some other features of voluntary coverage include:</p>
<p>• Portability. With individual policies, the employee, not the employer, owns the policy, which means workers can keep their policies if they leave their jobs.</p>
<p>• Simplified underwriting. Both guaranteed issue (no health questions for underwriting) and simplified issue (minimal health questions for underwriting) are available, if participation and eligibility guidelines are met.</p>
<p>• Variety of life insurance plans. Employees now have choices in plans to meet their individual needs when it comes to protecting their families and building cash value.</p>
<p>Voluntary life coverage, when offered in conjunction with one-to-one benefits counseling sessions, can be an especially effective combination in an employee benefits plan. In fact, almost 60% of employers believe one-to-one benefits counseling sessions can strongly improve employees’ understanding of their benefits and their coverage needs. And 55% of employers rely solely on this type of benefits communication and education method.3 Companies that work with insurers to improve benefits education can boost participation in their programs, which helps ensure employees have the coverage they need to protect their families and their lifestyles.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Life Insurance and Estate Planning by Ryan</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/life-insurance-and-estate-planning/#comment-1641</link>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:43:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/?p=1628#comment-1641</guid>
		<description>Whitney Houston&#039;s career is getting a post-mortem boost, but it isn&#039;t likely to be as big as the one that enriched the King of Pop&#039;s estate after his death.

Like the late Michael Jackson, Houston was in the midst of an attempted career revival. She was found dead at age 48 on Saturday in her Los Angeles hotel room on the eve of the Grammys, a stage she once ruled.

It could be weeks before the coroner&#039;s office completes toxicology tests that could establish the cause of death.

In an outpouring of grief - and a desire to remember her soaring voice and upbeat personality - Houston&#039;s fans have propelled her decades-old recordings to the top of sales charts on iTunes and Amazon.com. Twitter recorded more than 2.5 million Tweets about her within two hours of her death.

Not unlike Jackson&#039;s posthumous star turn in the movie &quot;This Is It,&quot; Houston will star in a film that is set for release this fall. In addition, dozens of t he six-time Grammy-winner&#039;s unreleased recordings may someday be released to a public grieving her loss.

&quot;It really is a finite universe of celebrities that are able to transcend their own death to create commercial opportunities,&quot; said David Reeder, vice president at GreenLight, a subsidiary of Corbis Images that helps license the images and work of late icons such as Albert Einstein and Johnny Cash. &quot;People want to remember her back in 1986 at her peak, when nobody was doing it better than she was.&quot;

As a former model who crossed racial barriers, Houston&#039;s image might find a home with a fashion brand, much like Elizabeth Taylor, who continues to grace fragrances, or Audrey Hepburn, who has been given numerous tributes by clothing companies long after her passing.

If Houston breaks into Forbes&#039; list of top-earning dead celebrities in 2012, she will likely get in &quot;towards the bottom end&quot; with single-digit millions of dollars, Reeder said. Michael Jackson domi nated the list in 2010 and 2011, after his death three years ago.

Mark Roesler, chief executive of CMG Worldwide, a company that collects licensing revenue for the estates of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and others, said fans will be looking to fill the hole Houston left behind on the eve of music&#039;s biggest night.

&quot;For all those reasons, it creates a situation where people feel like something&#039;s been taken away from them,&quot; he said.

There are no signs that Houston made savvy investments like &quot;the gloved one.&quot; Jackson had a 50 percent stake of one of the world&#039;s largest music publishing catalogs, Sony/ATV. Houston was known for her voice, but not for songwriting, which can generate lucrative revenue from years of radio play.

Consider that many of her top-selling songs were written by others. &quot;I Will Always Love You&quot; was a song that Dolly Parton wrote and sang in 1974. &quot;I Wanna Dance With Somebody&quot; (1987) was written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam and &quot;Didn&#039;t We Almost Have It All&quot; (1987) was written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings, according to the National Music Publishers Association.

Houston&#039;s image took a hit after her appearances in the Bravo reality TV show &quot;Being Bobby Brown&quot; in 2005. To many, the documentary series with her ex-husband was a cautionary tale about a drug-fueled lifestyle that damaged her voice and ruined her career.

A hard-partying existence contributed to her failure to fulfill a $100 million recording deal she signed with Arista, now part of Sony Music Entertainment, in 2001. At the time she was reported to have owed the label six new albums and two greatest hits compilations. Since then, only four have come out, including a greatest hits collection that was not released in the United States.

It&#039;s unclear if any posthumous releases would be part of that recording deal or if the agreement is still in force. A spokeswoman for Sony Music and for her longtime producer, Clive Dav is, declined to comment. Houston&#039;s publicist did not respond to requests for comment.

Lawyer Bryan Blaney, who represented Houston in a recent fight with her stepmother over the proceeds of a $1 million life insurance policy she took out on her father, said he did not handle her financial affairs. He said that if the singer did not have a will, the proceeds of any continuing revenues would go to her 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.

Whatever the case, as the remembrances of Houston continue, her estate will likely be flush with a stream of money that had slowed to a trickle in recent years.

Although she sold 22.6 million albums in the U.S. in her lifetime - half of those through the best-selling 1992 soundtrack to &quot;The Bodyguard&quot; - her latest release, &quot;I Look To You,&quot; sold just 978,000 since its debut in 2009, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

It&#039;s not clear whether Houston had debts, but she lost homes in New Jersey and Georgia to foreclosure several years ago, and some reports said she had recently tried to borrow small amounts of money from friends.

Renewed interest in Houston may continue for some time.

Later this year, the singer will appear in the film, &quot;Sparkle,&quot; in which she plays a mother concerned about the influence of fame and drugs on her three daughters, who form a singing group.

Houston sings a gospel song on camera and a duet with co-star Jordin Sparks over the credits in the film, which began shooting in October. The movie and a soundtrack are set for wide release in August through Sony Corp.&#039;s TriStar Pictures.

&quot;She was on top of her game,&quot; said executive producer Howard Rosenman, who saw a rough cut of the movie on Friday, a day before the singer&#039;s death. &quot;She was really coming back.&quot;</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Whitney Houston&#8217;s career is getting a post-mortem boost, but it isn&#8217;t likely to be as big as the one that enriched the King of Pop&#8217;s estate after his death.</p>
<p>Like the late Michael Jackson, Houston was in the midst of an attempted career revival. She was found dead at age 48 on Saturday in her Los Angeles hotel room on the eve of the Grammys, a stage she once ruled.</p>
<p>It could be weeks before the coroner&#8217;s office completes toxicology tests that could establish the cause of death.</p>
<p>In an outpouring of grief &#8211; and a desire to remember her soaring voice and upbeat personality &#8211; Houston&#8217;s fans have propelled her decades-old recordings to the top of sales charts on iTunes and Amazon.com. Twitter recorded more than 2.5 million Tweets about her within two hours of her death.</p>
<p>Not unlike Jackson&#8217;s posthumous star turn in the movie &#8220;This Is It,&#8221; Houston will star in a film that is set for release this fall. In addition, dozens of t he six-time Grammy-winner&#8217;s unreleased recordings may someday be released to a public grieving her loss.</p>
<p>&#8220;It really is a finite universe of celebrities that are able to transcend their own death to create commercial opportunities,&#8221; said David Reeder, vice president at GreenLight, a subsidiary of Corbis Images that helps license the images and work of late icons such as Albert Einstein and Johnny Cash. &#8220;People want to remember her back in 1986 at her peak, when nobody was doing it better than she was.&#8221;</p>
<p>As a former model who crossed racial barriers, Houston&#8217;s image might find a home with a fashion brand, much like Elizabeth Taylor, who continues to grace fragrances, or Audrey Hepburn, who has been given numerous tributes by clothing companies long after her passing.</p>
<p>If Houston breaks into Forbes&#8217; list of top-earning dead celebrities in 2012, she will likely get in &#8220;towards the bottom end&#8221; with single-digit millions of dollars, Reeder said. Michael Jackson domi nated the list in 2010 and 2011, after his death three years ago.</p>
<p>Mark Roesler, chief executive of CMG Worldwide, a company that collects licensing revenue for the estates of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and others, said fans will be looking to fill the hole Houston left behind on the eve of music&#8217;s biggest night.</p>
<p>&#8220;For all those reasons, it creates a situation where people feel like something&#8217;s been taken away from them,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>There are no signs that Houston made savvy investments like &#8220;the gloved one.&#8221; Jackson had a 50 percent stake of one of the world&#8217;s largest music publishing catalogs, Sony/ATV. Houston was known for her voice, but not for songwriting, which can generate lucrative revenue from years of radio play.</p>
<p>Consider that many of her top-selling songs were written by others. &#8220;I Will Always Love You&#8221; was a song that Dolly Parton wrote and sang in 1974. &#8220;I Wanna Dance With Somebody&#8221; (1987) was written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam and &#8220;Didn&#8217;t We Almost Have It All&#8221; (1987) was written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings, according to the National Music Publishers Association.</p>
<p>Houston&#8217;s image took a hit after her appearances in the Bravo reality TV show &#8220;Being Bobby Brown&#8221; in 2005. To many, the documentary series with her ex-husband was a cautionary tale about a drug-fueled lifestyle that damaged her voice and ruined her career.</p>
<p>A hard-partying existence contributed to her failure to fulfill a $100 million recording deal she signed with Arista, now part of Sony Music Entertainment, in 2001. At the time she was reported to have owed the label six new albums and two greatest hits compilations. Since then, only four have come out, including a greatest hits collection that was not released in the United States.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s unclear if any posthumous releases would be part of that recording deal or if the agreement is still in force. A spokeswoman for Sony Music and for her longtime producer, Clive Dav is, declined to comment. Houston&#8217;s publicist did not respond to requests for comment.</p>
<p>Lawyer Bryan Blaney, who represented Houston in a recent fight with her stepmother over the proceeds of a $1 million life insurance policy she took out on her father, said he did not handle her financial affairs. He said that if the singer did not have a will, the proceeds of any continuing revenues would go to her 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.</p>
<p>Whatever the case, as the remembrances of Houston continue, her estate will likely be flush with a stream of money that had slowed to a trickle in recent years.</p>
<p>Although she sold 22.6 million albums in the U.S. in her lifetime &#8211; half of those through the best-selling 1992 soundtrack to &#8220;The Bodyguard&#8221; &#8211; her latest release, &#8220;I Look To You,&#8221; sold just 978,000 since its debut in 2009, according to Nielsen SoundScan.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not clear whether Houston had debts, but she lost homes in New Jersey and Georgia to foreclosure several years ago, and some reports said she had recently tried to borrow small amounts of money from friends.</p>
<p>Renewed interest in Houston may continue for some time.</p>
<p>Later this year, the singer will appear in the film, &#8220;Sparkle,&#8221; in which she plays a mother concerned about the influence of fame and drugs on her three daughters, who form a singing group.</p>
<p>Houston sings a gospel song on camera and a duet with co-star Jordin Sparks over the credits in the film, which began shooting in October. The movie and a soundtrack are set for wide release in August through Sony Corp.&#8217;s TriStar Pictures.</p>
<p>&#8220;She was on top of her game,&#8221; said executive producer Howard Rosenman, who saw a rough cut of the movie on Friday, a day before the singer&#8217;s death. &#8220;She was really coming back.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Comment on 10 Of the Best Features of Life Insurance that are overlooked by Duschie</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/10-of-the-best-features-of-life-insurance-that-are-overlooked/#comment-1640</link>
		<dc:creator>Duschie</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:48:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/?p=1613#comment-1640</guid>
		<description>As long as you pay the premiums and the coverage is in force, it pays to your beneficiaries the face amount or death benefit. The death benefit is not taxed. Many life insurance policies also have a accelerated death benefit feature included, which can be requested while you are still living and gives a percentage of the death benefit upon diagnosis of a terminal illness. A straight life insurance policy covers death due to accident or illness. However, there are also accident only life insurance policies that are much cheaper to purchase.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As long as you pay the premiums and the coverage is in force, it pays to your beneficiaries the face amount or death benefit. The death benefit is not taxed. Many life insurance policies also have a accelerated death benefit feature included, which can be requested while you are still living and gives a percentage of the death benefit upon diagnosis of a terminal illness. A straight life insurance policy covers death due to accident or illness. However, there are also accident only life insurance policies that are much cheaper to purchase.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Texas Life Insurance by William</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/texas-life-insurance-2/#comment-1637</link>
		<dc:creator>William</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:02:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/?p=552#comment-1637</guid>
		<description>In 1991, NBA All-Star Earvin &quot;Magic&quot; Johnson was diagnosed with HIV after a routine life insurance examination. Since then, Johnson has dedicated his life to promoting awareness about the deadly disease.

Dr. Joan Schaefer, chief medical officer of Nebraska&#039;s Health and Human Services System, learned she was in the early stages of a rare developmental liver disease called congenital hepatic fibrosis due to the lab results of a simple life insurance medical exam. At the time of the discovery, she had otherwise believed she was healthy and was in the middle of training for a marathon. In 2008, Schaefer underwent an emergency liver transplant to correct the condition.

From a paramedical examiner&#039;s standpoint, it is very common to come across a client who did not know there was a problem with their health until they saw the results of the examination. </description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In 1991, NBA All-Star Earvin &#8220;Magic&#8221; Johnson was diagnosed with HIV after a routine life insurance examination. Since then, Johnson has dedicated his life to promoting awareness about the deadly disease.</p>
<p>Dr. Joan Schaefer, chief medical officer of Nebraska&#8217;s Health and Human Services System, learned she was in the early stages of a rare developmental liver disease called congenital hepatic fibrosis due to the lab results of a simple life insurance medical exam. At the time of the discovery, she had otherwise believed she was healthy and was in the middle of training for a marathon. In 2008, Schaefer underwent an emergency liver transplant to correct the condition.</p>
<p>From a paramedical examiner&#8217;s standpoint, it is very common to come across a client who did not know there was a problem with their health until they saw the results of the examination.</p>
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		<title>Comment on Life Insurance and Estate Planning by Cathy</title>
		<link>http://www.texastermbroker.com/uncategorized/life-insurance-and-estate-planning/#comment-1636</link>
		<dc:creator>Cathy</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:55:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.texastermbroker.com/?p=1628#comment-1636</guid>
		<description>Life insurance is present in almost every estate plan and serves as a source of support, education-expense coverage and liquidity to pay death taxes, pay expenses, fund business buy-sell agreements and sometimes to fund retirement plans.

For small estates, the amount of applicable exclusion ($2 million per person per estate), death taxes are not a significant consideration. For this reason, insurance ownership as a tax-savings device is not critical. The main item that policy owners should be aware of is to ensure that the beneficiaries are well provided for by the chosen insurance policy.

For larger estates with more assets than the amount of the applicable exclusion of $2 million, life insurance is an essential component of the estate plan.

Tax Implications of Life Insurance and Your Estate
Proceeds from life insurance that are received by the beneficiaries upon the death of the insured are generally income tax-free. However, there are three circumstances that cause life insurance to be included in the decedent&#039;s estate:

    The proceeds are paid to the executor of the decedent&#039;s estate.
    The decedent at death possessed an incident of ownership in the policy.
    There is a transfer of ownership within three years of death (three-year rule must be observed).

An incident of ownership includes the right to assign, to terminate, to name beneficiaries, to change beneficiaries and to borrow against the cash reserves.

Planning Objectives for Insurance
Life insurance has many uses in an estate plan, including estate liquidity, debt repayment, income replacement and wealth accumulation. There are many different types of policies to consider, at different price levels, which are beyond the scope of this article. Policies can be owned in many ways, as outlined below. (To read more about different types of available life insurance, check out Buying Life Insurance: Term Versus Permanent, Permanent Life Policies: Whole Vs. Universal and Variable Vs. Variable Universal Life Insurance.)

Types of Insurance
First-to-Die Life Insurance Policy
Also known as joint whole life insurance, this is a group insurance policy where benefits are paid out to the surviving insured upon the death of one of the insured group members. The insurance policy can be designed as either a whole life or universal life policy. A first-to-die policy can reduce taxes upon the death of the first spouse if the unlimited marital deduction is not fully used.

Survivorship Life Insurance Policy
Survivorship life insurance, also know as second-to-die, is similar to joint life in that the policy insures two or more people. However, survivorship life pays out upon the last death instead of the first one. Because the benefit is not paid until the last insured dies, the life expectancy is greater and therefore the premium is lower. Survivorship policies are typically either whole or universal life policies and are usually written to insure husband and wife or a parent and child.

The proceeds of the policy can be used to cover estate taxes, to provide for heirs or to make a charitable contribution. The premium on a second-to-die policy is generally lower than for separate policies because the premium is based on a joint age and the insurance company&#039;s administrative expenses are lower with one policy. 

Types of Life Insurance Trust Arrangements
Revocable Life Insurance Trust
In this arrangement the grantor names the trust as beneficiary of life insurance policies, retaining the right to revoke the trust and other rights of ownership.

This is often recommended for younger families with relatively modest assets but substantial life insurance policies.

Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust
The purpose of this arrangement is to exclude life insurance proceeds from the estate of the first spouse to die and from the estate of the surviving spouse. The spouse may be the life income beneficiary, but may not have any right to or power over trust principal except per the discretion of the trustees.

Ownership Considerations
The big question with regard to insurance in estate planning is who should own the policy. The following are some advantages and disadvantages of ownership scenarios:

    If a life insurance policy is owned by the insured, the advantage is that he has continued control of the policy and any ownership in the associated cash values of a permanent policy. However, the death benefit of this policy would be subject to estate tax and the three-year inclusion would apply if it&#039;s transferred out of the estate.
    If the spouse of the insured owns the policy, you could argue that the insured does have some indirect control of the policy and any associated cash value. The downside is that the replacement cost of the policy would be included in the estate of the spouse, and if the spouse dies before the insured, it&#039;s possible that the policy might revert to the insured and be included in his or her estate.
    If the children of the insured owned the policy, the advantage is that the death benefit would be included in the children&#039;s estate, not the parent&#039;s. But here again, the insured has zero control over the policy, and if the children are minors it would require the costly appointment of legal guardians before benefits can be paid.
    The policy might also be owned by a revocable trust, where the insured might still control the policy and the death proceeds are shielded from potential creditors of the insured. But, because the insured has an incident of ownership through the revocable trust, the death benefit is indeclinable in the insured&#039;s gross estate and could be accessible to the estate&#039;s creditors.
    If the policy is instead owned by an irrevocable trust as mentioned above, there is no inclusion in the gross estate, and there is an embedded mechanism via the trust language for continuation of the policy if the insured becomes incompetent. The downside is that the insured does not regain any control over the policy and cannot revoke the trust.

(Read Shifting Life Insurance Ownership to find out how to reduce your taxable estate and leave more to your heirs.)

Naming Beneficiaries for Life Insurance
If an individual is named as beneficiary of a policy, while cheap to execute since a trust was not used, it could lead to some challenges. The biggest problem with this strategy is that the decedent cannot exert any control over the death proceeds. The individual that inherits the death benefits can use the money for any reason, even if the money was earmarked to pay estate taxes or settlement costs. If the beneficiary is a minor, the challenges will likely escalate.

If an estate is named beneficiary of the policy, the death benefits are indeclinable in the decedent&#039;s gross estate and are subject to the claims of the estate&#039;s creditors, and this will no doubt increase probate costs. If, however, the beneficiary is an irrevocable trust, the trustee can be given broad powers to distribute or withhold benefits available to the insured&#039;s estate, the assets are protected from creditors and oversight of the trust&#039;s assets can be assigned to professional money managers.

Individuals should consult an experienced financial planner to determine their needs for life insurance and the types of policies that are suitable for their estate planning needs.

</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Life insurance is present in almost every estate plan and serves as a source of support, education-expense coverage and liquidity to pay death taxes, pay expenses, fund business buy-sell agreements and sometimes to fund retirement plans.</p>
<p>For small estates, the amount of applicable exclusion ($2 million per person per estate), death taxes are not a significant consideration. For this reason, insurance ownership as a tax-savings device is not critical. The main item that policy owners should be aware of is to ensure that the beneficiaries are well provided for by the chosen insurance policy.</p>
<p>For larger estates with more assets than the amount of the applicable exclusion of $2 million, life insurance is an essential component of the estate plan.</p>
<p>Tax Implications of Life Insurance and Your Estate<br />
Proceeds from life insurance that are received by the beneficiaries upon the death of the insured are generally income tax-free. However, there are three circumstances that cause life insurance to be included in the decedent&#8217;s estate:</p>
<p>    The proceeds are paid to the executor of the decedent&#8217;s estate.<br />
    The decedent at death possessed an incident of ownership in the policy.<br />
    There is a transfer of ownership within three years of death (three-year rule must be observed).</p>
<p>An incident of ownership includes the right to assign, to terminate, to name beneficiaries, to change beneficiaries and to borrow against the cash reserves.</p>
<p>Planning Objectives for Insurance<br />
Life insurance has many uses in an estate plan, including estate liquidity, debt repayment, income replacement and wealth accumulation. There are many different types of policies to consider, at different price levels, which are beyond the scope of this article. Policies can be owned in many ways, as outlined below. (To read more about different types of available life insurance, check out Buying Life Insurance: Term Versus Permanent, Permanent Life Policies: Whole Vs. Universal and Variable Vs. Variable Universal Life Insurance.)</p>
<p>Types of Insurance<br />
First-to-Die Life Insurance Policy<br />
Also known as joint whole life insurance, this is a group insurance policy where benefits are paid out to the surviving insured upon the death of one of the insured group members. The insurance policy can be designed as either a whole life or universal life policy. A first-to-die policy can reduce taxes upon the death of the first spouse if the unlimited marital deduction is not fully used.</p>
<p>Survivorship Life Insurance Policy<br />
Survivorship life insurance, also know as second-to-die, is similar to joint life in that the policy insures two or more people. However, survivorship life pays out upon the last death instead of the first one. Because the benefit is not paid until the last insured dies, the life expectancy is greater and therefore the premium is lower. Survivorship policies are typically either whole or universal life policies and are usually written to insure husband and wife or a parent and child.</p>
<p>The proceeds of the policy can be used to cover estate taxes, to provide for heirs or to make a charitable contribution. The premium on a second-to-die policy is generally lower than for separate policies because the premium is based on a joint age and the insurance company&#8217;s administrative expenses are lower with one policy. </p>
<p>Types of Life Insurance Trust Arrangements<br />
Revocable Life Insurance Trust<br />
In this arrangement the grantor names the trust as beneficiary of life insurance policies, retaining the right to revoke the trust and other rights of ownership.</p>
<p>This is often recommended for younger families with relatively modest assets but substantial life insurance policies.</p>
<p>Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust<br />
The purpose of this arrangement is to exclude life insurance proceeds from the estate of the first spouse to die and from the estate of the surviving spouse. The spouse may be the life income beneficiary, but may not have any right to or power over trust principal except per the discretion of the trustees.</p>
<p>Ownership Considerations<br />
The big question with regard to insurance in estate planning is who should own the policy. The following are some advantages and disadvantages of ownership scenarios:</p>
<p>    If a life insurance policy is owned by the insured, the advantage is that he has continued control of the policy and any ownership in the associated cash values of a permanent policy. However, the death benefit of this policy would be subject to estate tax and the three-year inclusion would apply if it&#8217;s transferred out of the estate.<br />
    If the spouse of the insured owns the policy, you could argue that the insured does have some indirect control of the policy and any associated cash value. The downside is that the replacement cost of the policy would be included in the estate of the spouse, and if the spouse dies before the insured, it&#8217;s possible that the policy might revert to the insured and be included in his or her estate.<br />
    If the children of the insured owned the policy, the advantage is that the death benefit would be included in the children&#8217;s estate, not the parent&#8217;s. But here again, the insured has zero control over the policy, and if the children are minors it would require the costly appointment of legal guardians before benefits can be paid.<br />
    The policy might also be owned by a revocable trust, where the insured might still control the policy and the death proceeds are shielded from potential creditors of the insured. But, because the insured has an incident of ownership through the revocable trust, the death benefit is indeclinable in the insured&#8217;s gross estate and could be accessible to the estate&#8217;s creditors.<br />
    If the policy is instead owned by an irrevocable trust as mentioned above, there is no inclusion in the gross estate, and there is an embedded mechanism via the trust language for continuation of the policy if the insured becomes incompetent. The downside is that the insured does not regain any control over the policy and cannot revoke the trust.</p>
<p>(Read Shifting Life Insurance Ownership to find out how to reduce your taxable estate and leave more to your heirs.)</p>
<p>Naming Beneficiaries for Life Insurance<br />
If an individual is named as beneficiary of a policy, while cheap to execute since a trust was not used, it could lead to some challenges. The biggest problem with this strategy is that the decedent cannot exert any control over the death proceeds. The individual that inherits the death benefits can use the money for any reason, even if the money was earmarked to pay estate taxes or settlement costs. If the beneficiary is a minor, the challenges will likely escalate.</p>
<p>If an estate is named beneficiary of the policy, the death benefits are indeclinable in the decedent&#8217;s gross estate and are subject to the claims of the estate&#8217;s creditors, and this will no doubt increase probate costs. If, however, the beneficiary is an irrevocable trust, the trustee can be given broad powers to distribute or withhold benefits available to the insured&#8217;s estate, the assets are protected from creditors and oversight of the trust&#8217;s assets can be assigned to professional money managers.</p>
<p>Individuals should consult an experienced financial planner to determine their needs for life insurance and the types of policies that are suitable for their estate planning needs.</p>
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