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Many financial experts consider life insurance to be the cornerstone of sound financial planning.
Changes in the federal death tax rules between now and January 1, 2011 will likely lessen the impact of this tax on some people, but some states are offsetting those federal decreases with increases in their state-level death taxes. Pay final expenses Life insurance can pay your funeral and burial costs, probate and other estate administration costs, debts and medical expenses not covered by health insurance. Life Insurance Savings: 5 Ways to Save in 2008
By Alexei Timchuk
 Happy New Year! Now that 2007 is over, it is time to think of the resolutions you want to make for 2008. According to USA.gov, the five most popular New Years resolutions were as follows: 1) lose weight, 2) pay off debt, 3) save money, 4) get a better job, and 5) get fit. Maybe your resolution made the top 5? If your resolution is to save money this year, or you need to save to pay off your debt, one way to save that you might not be aware of is finding savings on your life insurance policy.
There are five basic ways to save on your life insurance policy: (i) shop around and compare multiple quotes; (ii) select the term length that is appropriate for you; (iii) buy only the amount of coverage you need; (iv) check for price breaks; and (v) buy when youre young.
Shopping Online and Comparing Multiple Quotes
The amount you pay for term life protection depends on the amount and term-length of your policy, your health and age, and the insurance company you select. To find the best price though, make sure to shop and compare quotes from multiple companies. As you will learn, the cost of the same policy can vary by hundreds of dollars among different insurance companies. Just as your needs are always changing, so are term life insurance rates.
Selecting the Appropriate Length of Coverage
Everyone has different life insurance needs; therefore, there isnt a one size fits all solution when it comes to term life insurance. While it may make sense for people in their 30s and 40s to secure a 20-year term length, a 10-year term might be more appropriate for someone nearing retirement. Individuals who have 30-year mortgages for example, might consider a 30-year term life policy to ensure that the home is protected throughout the life of the loan.
Determining the Right Amount of Coverage
In shopping for term life insurance, many agents may try to sell you more coverage than you need. Understand that the purpose of life insurance is to replace financial loss, and what most people should be looking for is income replacement for their beneficiaries. Financial planners recommend a policy amount at least equal to 6-10 times your annual gross income.
Checking for Price Breaks: Paying Less for More
Insurance companies are known to offer price breaks at certain coverage amounts (e.g., $500,000 vs. $750,000). Many people can actually pay less money for more coverage. Check how little your prices increase when you when you change your coverage to $250,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000.
Buying When Youre Young
While your financial needs may be lower at a younger age, the rates are also substantially cheaper when youre young. The best advice is to lock in as much protection at a young age while your health and prices are still good to avoid paying substantially more when a shorter-term policy expires.
Even if saving money wasnt your top resolution for 2008, saving money on your life insurance policy is easy enough that you can achieve two New Years resolutions this year.
For more information visit the site devoted to Insurance where you will find interesting articles and news related to online insurance. A Crash Course On Life Insurance
By Jim Pretin
 Life insurance is a means for providing financial protection for your family in the event of your death. A life insurance contract is relatively straightforward; you agree to pay a premium at regular intervals, and the insurance company agrees to pay a certain sum of money to your beneficiary upon your death.
There are three parties to a life insurance contract. First, there is the insured. This is the person whose life is being insured under the policy. Next, there is the insurer. The insurer is the insurance company who underwrites the risk. And third, there is the owner. The owner and insured are not necessarily one and the same. Someone can buy a life insurance policy to insure the life of someone else, such as their spouse.
The person who buys the policy is the owner, and the person whose life the policy is based on is the insured. When the owner and the insured are different people, premium payments are the responsibility of the owner.
Every life insurance contract also has a beneficiary. This is the person who receives the proceeds from the policy in the event of the death of the insured, and is assigned by the owner. There are two types. An irrevocable beneficiary can not be changed unless the beneficiary gives his or her permission; if it is revocable, the owner can change it at any time.
The policy is subject to certain terms and conditions. There are usually certain exclusions that apply, depending on the person being insured. But with almost every policy, death as the result of suicide during the first two years of the policy term is excluded from coverage.
Also, during the first two years of the policy, often referred to as the contestable period, the insurance company retains the right to not immediately pay out, even if the death is caused by a condition that is covered in the policy. The company can order an investigation into the death of the insured, to make sure that the death was not deliberate or the result of homicide.
The amount paid to the beneficiary is called the face amount. The maturity date is reached upon either the date when the insured deceases or reaches a certain age. Life insurance is most often used to provide income protection to the spouse of the deceased.
Regardless of the reason for buying the insurance, the owner (if not the same person as the insured), must have an insurable interest. In other words, the owner of the contract must have a reason for wanting to insure the life of that person, otherwise the contract is void.
When the person covered by the policy dies, the insurance company requires proof of death before paying the claim. A notarized death certificate is the most commonly accepted form of proof. The benefit is paid out either as a lump sum or as an annuity that is paid out over time.
Any annuity can be a good way to receive the benefits. It is possible for the beneficiary to set up a lifetime annuity, which would guarantee that person a certain amount of monthly income for the rest of his or her life.
There are two basic types of life insurance, temporary and permanent. Temporary insurance is known as term life. An example of a term policy would be a 20-year term life, which means that the policy will pay a death benefit if the person dies within the next twenty years.
Permanent insurance includes whole life and universal life. Whole life provides for a payout no matter when the person dies, but premiums have to continue to be paid, usually right up until the insured reaches the age of 100. Universal policies are somewhat similar, but they allow for greater premium flexibility. Universal insurance is somewhat complicated; you should talk to an agent before buying it.
I hope this information has helped you become acquainted with life insurance. You should sit down with your spouse and talk about buying a policy. Then, call an agent who works for an insurance company with a strong financial rating and make an appointment to discuss your objectives. Use the information that was presented here to help you make intelligent choices so your family will be protected in the event that something happens to you.
Jim Pretin is the owner of http://www.forms4free.com, a service that helps programmers make an HTML form Life Insurance Life Insurance Written In Trust Saves Millions
By Catherine Harvey
 Taking out a life insurance policy shows consideration and love to your nearest and dearest. It means you have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that, as much as possible, life for them will go on without added financial burden.
However, many people are making the mistake of not writing these life insurance policies in trust. This means that any life insurance payouts will be added to the inheritance of your family and could take them above the nil rate band for inheritance tax.
If a life insurance policy is written in trust this will enable the sum to be excluded from the overall estate of the policy holder, freeing it from inheritance tax liability. It also has the ability to speed up payouts, whether or not it would be liable for the extortionate tax.
Recent changes in the law mean that assets worth 300,000 pounds for individuals and 600,000 pounds for couples are the limit before any tax liabilities. Any assets over that amount would be subject to inheritance tax at a rate of 40%.
The latest figures to be released show that over the course of one year, 11,000 insurance policies worth a total of 597 pounds million were subject to inheritance tax. Had all these policies been written in trust, you can be quite sure that inheritance tax would not have been applicable on any of them.
Will reading and distribution of assets can be a notoriously lengthy procedure. This can be put a huge financial strain on the family. With life insurance policies that are written in trust would be paid out immediately, making things a whole lot easier.
Not putting life insurance policies in trust is costing customers millions of pounds every year in unnecessary inheritance tax. Apparently, only 10% of people write their life insurance in trust. Even if you already have a life insurance policy in place, it is possible to easily put it in trust.
Whether you purchase your life insurance over the net, over the phone or through a shop, they should all come with the chance of writing in trust. It seems odd that so few people take up this opportunity. Maybe it is a case of not getting the right advice?
Life insurance comparison websites abound but there is concern that they are not serving the customer well. It has been found that many people will take out the cheapest life insurance but this doesn't necessarily mean that is the one that is most suitable to their circumstances.
The British Insurance Brokers Association have called for the Financial Services Authority to overhaul regulations regarding these insurance comparison sites. They believe that when people check out these sites, they barely take notice of the policy details, just the price. They even take this price comparison as 'advice'. This is a good case of cheapest not always meaning best.
Whatever happened to people taking responsibility for themselves? Surely, if they take out a policy without concerning themselves with the details, they are throwing their money away. Many people take out a life insurance policy with their mortgage as is necessary but instead of shopping around will go with the mortgage providers own insurance simply because it is easier.
Take control, by all means shop around to get the best life insurance deal, but don't take one purely on the cost of the policy because it may not help very much right at the time when it is most needed.
Legal expert Catherine Harvey looks at how we can benefit from life insurance policies written in trust. To find out more please visit http://www.theidol.com/ Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
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