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Has Purchasing Life Insurance Changed Since 2020?
During this stressful and challenging time, many are wondering what effect COVID-19 could have on their life insurance. Some may be worried that the insurance companies would make changes to their existing policy due to coronavirus concerns, resulting in an increase in their premiums or a restriction to their coverage. It should be reassuring to all that insurance companies are generally not able to change the contractual provisions of the insurance policies that are in force.
Now May Be a Good Time to Review your Estate Plan
It has long been an accepted strategy to provide sufficient estate liquidity to pay taxes due at death from the proceeds of a life insurance policy. In Canada we are fortunate to have permanent life insurance policies that insure an individual for their entire life with a premium that is guaranteed not to increase. It is feasible to be able to use these policies in an effective estate plan.
Shielding Your Family From Your Creditors With Life Insurance
Naming a beneficiary of a life insurance policy provides a significant benefit in planning and protecting one’s estate. With a named beneficiary, the death benefit is paid directly to the beneficiary and is received tax-free. It bypasses the policyowner’s estate and is not subject to probate or any other administrative fees.
Estate Planning for Blended Families
In today’s family, it is not unusual for spouses to enter a marriage with children from previous relationships. Parents work hard at getting these children to functionally blend together to create a happy family environment. Often overlooked is what happens on the death of one of the parents. In most cases, special consideration for estate planning is needed to avoid relationship loss and possibly legal action.
Typically spouses leave everything to each other and when the surviving spouse dies, the remainder is divided amongst the children. The problem? Even with the best of intentions, there is no guarantee that the surviving spouse will not remarry and inadvertently disinherit the deceased’s children.
A Lifetime Gift for Your Grandchildren The Cascading Life Insurance Strategy
If you are a grandparent wishing to provide an asset for your grandchildren without compromising your own financial security, you may want to consider an estate planning application known as Cascading Life Insurance.
1 in 3 Canadians Will Become Disabled Before the Age of 65
Having a source to replace your earned income in the event of an illness or accident is vital considering that on average, 1 in 3 Canadians will become disabled for a period of more than 90 days at least once before the age of 65. For those that are disabled for more than 90 days the average length of that disability is 2.9 years.
If you are one of the approximately 10 million Canadians covered under a group Long Term Disability plan (LTD) it’s important to understand what your coverage provides. Don’t wait until after you’re disabled to read the employee handbook because you could have a few surprises!
Get Your Corporate Dollars Doing Double Duty
Owners of very successful private corporations are well aware of the importance of cash flow. Many are protective of how they allocate corporate capital so that business ventures are adequately funded and investment opportunities are not missed.
The Immediate Financing Arrangement offers an opportunity to provide life insurance coverage and accumulate wealth on a tax-advantaged basis without impairing corporate cash flow.
Why you should buy mortgage insurance through your life insurance advisor
Mortgage life insurance from the major banks can be significantly more expensive when compared to life insurance from an insurance advisor. As well, there are additional advantages to buying life insurance through your advisor including the ability to choose your beneficiary, flexibility and more. See our infographic to learn more about the differences between mortgage life insurance through the bank versus your insurance advisor!
Having Your Cake and Eating it Too
Investing in an uncertain stock market is not for the faint of heart. However, fortunately for Canadians, Segregated Fund products offered by many life insurance companies provide a safety net for nervous investors.
Fund products present some interesting opportunities for people looking to get more security in their investment portfolios without sacrificing their potential for growth.
Pay Attention to your Beneficiary
Naming a beneficiary is a valuable feature of life insurance and segregated funds policies so it is important to carefully choose your beneficiaries.