You’ve more than likely heard of life insurance, but you might not have all the details about it, and you might not quite know what it can do or even why you need it. Let’s look at why life insurance is such a crucial part of life itself and how it can come with a range of tax benefits that might make it more tempting to put in place. Read on to find out more.
What Is Life Insurance?
What is life insurance? It should be a simple enough question, but there are many nuances when it comes to this kind of insurance, and it’s wise to know as much about it as possible before you sign up for any particular policy. In essence, life insurance is a contract between a person and their chosen insurance company, where the individual pays (usually) monthly premiums. In return, the insurance company would pay a lump sum – known as a death benefit – to the beneficiaries the insured specified in the policy.
The money the beneficiaries receive will depend on how much the policy is for. Still, the minimum amount to choose should be enough to pay off any outstanding debts (including a mortgage, if need be) and leave some left over to help cover other expenses like funeral costs and everyday living.
There are a few different types of life insurance policies, including life term insurance, whole life insurance, universal life insurance, and variable life insurance, and each type has various pros and cons, so it’s a good idea to speak to the experts who can help guide you in the right direction.
Tax Benefits Of Life Insurance
One of the most significant advantages of life insurance is that it has various tax benefits attached to it, including both during the policyholder’s lifetime and when they die. Some of the tax benefits are as follows:
Tax-Free Death Benefit
Life insurance’s main tax advantage is that the death benefit paid to the beneficiaries is generally tax-free, so you can rest assured that a big tax bill won’t reduce the money your loved ones receive after you pass away.
Of course, there will always be exceptions, one of which is if the insurance was bought through an employer, but if you choose wisely and have a good policy such as Capital Assurance Vie, all should be well.
Tax-Deferred Cash Value Growth
For policies like universal life and whole life insurance, some of the premiums paid will go towards building some cash value within the policy, and there won’t be any tax owed on that cash value as long as the funds remain in the policy.
If that sounds complicated, don’t worry – it just means that your money can grow faster than other types of investments, and you won’t have to pay tax when it does grow, so you can keep more of it and reap higher rewards.
Tax-Free Policy Loans And Withdrawals
Again, this will depend on your policy type and where you’re based, but in some cases, you can access the life insurance policy’s cash value through a policy loan or withdrawal. In most cases, the money you borrow won’t be subject to income tax as long as you’re still paying the policy at the same time.
However, it’s essential to know that if the loans are still outstanding when you die, that might mean your beneficiaries get less when the policy is paid out, so working out a repayment plan is a vital part of borrowing the money.
Estate Tax Planning
Life insurance can also play a big part in estate planning because it’s a way to pay off debts, taxes, and other expenses. Because the death benefit assets aren’t included in the estate’s taxable assets, the policyholder can pass on assets to their chosen beneficiaries without paying tax on them.
In the end, life insurance is a hugely vital policy to have in place, whether you want to provide for your loved ones after your death, reduce your estate’s taxes, or have peace of mind that everything’s covered. It’s wise to speak to experts and get all the facts before deciding because some policies won’t be suitable, and it will depend on your ultimate plans as to which one will be best.
