Life insurance is a valuable tool to protect your family's financial future. In New York, there are several ways to make money in the life insurance sector. You can become a licensed life insurance agent, earning an average of $79,730 per year. The process involves completing a pre-license course, passing the New York Life Insurance Licensing Exam, submitting an application, and awaiting results. Alternatively, you can invest in life insurance products that accumulate cash value over time, such as whole life or universal life policies. These policies not only provide financial protection for your family but also allow you to access the cash value during your lifetime. Additionally, you can explore options like annuities, which provide a steady stream of income during retirement, or consider selling your policy to a third party in what is known as a life settlement.
What You'll Learn
Permanent whole life insurance
One of the key advantages of permanent whole life insurance is the stability it offers. The payments or premiums you make into the policy remain consistent and never increase, allowing you to plan your finances effectively. This is especially beneficial if you start the policy at a younger age, as the premiums are generally lower the earlier you begin.
The cash value of your policy accumulates over time, providing a source of funds that you can withdraw or borrow against. This accumulation is guaranteed to grow, and it is eligible for dividends every year. Additionally, the growth of the cash value is tax-deferred, providing further financial benefits.
While permanent whole life insurance offers numerous benefits, it is important to consider your specific needs and circumstances when deciding on any insurance policy. Consulting with a financial professional or insurance agent can help you determine if this type of insurance aligns with your short-term and long-term goals. They can guide you in finding the right balance between financial protection and accumulation, ensuring that your loved ones are taken care of and helping you build wealth for future generations.
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Variable universal life insurance
VUL offers increased flexibility and growth potential compared to other life insurance options, but it also comes with certain risks. Policyholders can access their cash value by making a withdrawal or borrowing funds. The cash value of a VUL policy can be invested in the market through subaccounts, which operate like mutual funds. This exposure to market fluctuations can lead to high returns but also carries the risk of substantial losses.
One of the key advantages of VUL is the control it gives you over your cash value investments. You can choose the subaccounts that align with your risk tolerance and investment objectives. If your investments perform well, you can achieve higher growth rates compared to other types of permanent life insurance. Additionally, since VUL is a form of universal life insurance, you have the flexibility to adjust your premium payments to fit your budget.
However, there are also risks and drawbacks associated with VUL. The return on your cash value investment is not guaranteed, and you may lose money if your investments perform poorly. In such cases, you would need to increase your premium payments to maintain your life insurance protection. VUL policies can also charge high fees due to the combination of life insurance and investment components. Additionally, VUL policies may include a surrender charge, where you owe a penalty if you cancel the policy within a certain period, typically 15 years.
VUL is suitable for individuals seeking permanent life insurance protection, comfortable with a higher risk tolerance for investing, and preferring to manage their investments independently. It may be worth considering if you have already maximized your other retirement accounts and are looking for additional tax-deferred investment growth opportunities.
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Universal life insurance
One of the key advantages of universal life insurance is the potential to build cash value over time. This cash value can be accessed during your lifetime, providing a source of money for significant expenses such as a down payment on a home or college tuition. The policy can be customised to accumulate cash value, which may increase over time. However, accessing the cash value will reduce the available cash surrender value and the death benefit.
Compared to term life insurance, universal life insurance offers a middle ground between the simplicity of term life and the permanent benefits of whole life insurance. It can often provide coverage for a longer period than a temporary term life policy, but it is essential to maintain sufficient cash value in the policy to prevent it from lapsing. Universal life insurance also carries greater risk due to the potential depletion of cash value, which can result in the policy lapsing if premium payments or withdrawals exceed the available funds.
Overall, universal life insurance is a versatile option that allows individuals to customise their policy based on their current and future needs. It offers the dual benefit of financial protection for loved ones and the potential for cash value accumulation, making it a valuable tool for long-term financial planning.
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Term life insurance
Features of Term Life Insurance
One of the unique features of term life insurance is the option to choose from multiple lock-in periods. You can keep premiums level for 10, 15, or 20 years or go for a year-to-year option with increasing premiums. The earlier you start, the lower the premiums will be. Additionally, term life insurance is convertible, which means you can convert it to a permanent policy if your needs change. This provides flexibility and ensures that you can extend your coverage by changing to a long-term protection plan.
Customizable Benefits
The temporary nature of term life insurance allows individuals to match the length of their policy with key milestones, such as paying off a mortgage or funding a child's college education. This ensures that they have adequate protection during these critical periods. Many people also choose to combine term life insurance with permanent life insurance to maintain some coverage for their lifetime while benefiting from the affordability of term insurance.
End of the Term
At the end of the term, you may have the option to renew your policy and continue your coverage. However, it's important to note that your premiums will likely increase since the original term has ended. This is where the two types of coverage—yearly renewable term and level premium term—differ. With yearly renewable term, premiums start lower but increase annually, while level premium term keeps premiums the same for the initial period, after which they increase.
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Riders
- Guaranteed Insurability Rider: This rider allows you to purchase additional insurance coverage within a stated period without the need for a further medical examination. This is most beneficial when there has been a significant change in your life circumstances, such as the birth of a child or an increase in income.
- Accidental Death Rider: An accidental death rider pays out an additional amount of the death benefit if the insured dies as a result of an accident. This is normally equivalent to the face amount of the original policy, which doubles the benefit.
- Waiver of Premium Rider: Under this rider, future premiums are waived if the insured becomes permanently disabled or loses their income as a result of injury or illness prior to a specified age. This can be particularly valuable when the premium on the policy is high.
- Family Income Benefit Rider: This rider provides a steady flow of income to family members in the event of the insured's death. When buying this rider, you need to determine the number of years your family will receive the benefit.
- Accelerated Death Benefit Rider: Under this rider, an insured person can use the death benefits if diagnosed with a terminal illness that will considerably shorten their lifespan. Insurers advance a percentage of the death benefit of the base policy to the insured.
- Long-Term Care Rider: This rider offers monthly payments if the insured has to stay at a nursing home or receive home care.
- Return of Premium Rider: Under this rider, you pay a marginal premium and at the end of the term, your premiums are returned to you in full. In the event of death, your beneficiaries will receive the paid premium amount.
- Income Rider: This rider allows the policyholder's nominee to receive a specific amount as a fixed income in the event of the policyholder's death during the duration of the plan.
- Critical Illness Rider: This rider provides additional coverage and financial protection against the possibility of any critical illness. This covers critical illnesses that are defined and listed in the policy documents of respective insurers.
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Frequently asked questions
Life insurance agents in New York earn an average of $79,730 per year.
With a New York life insurance license, you can only sell life insurance policies and retirement plans/annuities. To sell other types of insurance, you need a securities license on top of your life insurance license.
Yes, if your life insurance policy has a cash value, there are several ways to access it while you are still alive. However, term life policies do not include cash value.
You can use the cash value to pay your premiums, make a partial withdrawal, borrow against the policy, surrender the policy, or sell it to a third party.
The right amount of life insurance coverage depends on your budget, family situation, needs, and future goals.