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F & Q

Contact Jerline Bell, Insurance Professional. at 214-395-3727

How much do you need?

Questions To Ask Yourself:

*How much of the family income do I provide? If I were to die early, how would my survivors, especially my children, get by? Does anyone else depend on me financially, such as a parent, grandparent, brother or sister?

*Do I have children for whom I'd like to set aside money to finish their education in the event of my death?

*How will my family pay final expenses and repay debt after my death?

*Do I have family members or organizations to whom I would like to leave money?

*Will there be estate taxes to pay after my death?

*How will inflation affect future needs?

As you figure out what you have to meet these needs, count the life insurance you have now, including any group insurance where you work or veteran's insurance. Don't forget Social Security and pension plan survivor's benefits. Add other assets you have: Savings, Investments, Real Estate and Personal Property. Which assets would your family sell or cash in to pay expenses after your death?

Contact Jerline Bell, Insurance Professional at 214-395-3727

The Amount of Insurance

Questions To Ask Yourself:

*How much of the family income do I provide? If I were to die early, how would my survivors, especially my children, get by? Does anyone else depend on me financially, such as a parent, grandparent, brother or sister?

*Do I have children for whom I'd like to set aside money to finish their education in the event of my death?

*How will my family pay final expenses and repay debt after my death?

*Do I have family members or organizations to whom I would like to leave money?

*Will there be estate taxes to pay after my death?

*How will inflation affect future needs?

As you figure out what you have to meet these needs, count the life insurance you have now, including any group insurance where you work or veteran's insurance. Don't forget Social Security and pension plan survivor's benefits. Add other assets you have: Savings, Investments, Real Estate and Personal Property. Which assets would your family sell or cash in to pay expenses after your death?

Contact Jerline Bell, Insurance Professional at 214-395-3727

The Right Type of Insurance

ALL POLICIES are not the same. Some give coverage for your lifetime and others cover you for a specific number of years. Some build up cash values and others do not. Some policies combine different kinds of insurance, and others let you change from one kind of insurance to another. Some policies may offer other benefits while you are still living. Your choice should be based on your needs and what you can afford.

There are two basic types of life insurance: Term Insurance and Cash Value Insurance. Term Insurance generally has lower premiums in the early years, but does not build up cash values that you can use in the future. You may combine cash value life insurance with term insurance for the period of your greatest need for life insurance to replace income.

TERM Insurance covers you for a term of one or more years. It pays a death benefit only if you die in that term. Term insurance generally offers the largest insurance protection for your premium dollar. It generally does not build up cash value.

You can renew most term insurance policies for one or more terms even if your health has changed. Each time you renew the policy for a new term, premiums may be higher. Ask what the premiums will be if you continue to renew the policy. Also ask if you will lose the right to renew the policy at some age.

For a higher premium, some companies will give you the right to keep the policy in force for a guaranteed period at the same price each year. At the end of that time you may need to pass a physical examination to continue coverage, and premiums may increase.

You may be able to trade many term insurance policies for a cash value policy during a conversion period -- even if you are not in good health. Premiums for the new policy will be higher than you have been paying for the term insurance.

CASH VALUE Life Insurance is a type of insurance where the premiums charged are higher at the beginning than they would be for the same amount of term insurance. The part of the premium that is not used for the cost of insurance is invested by the company and builds up a cash value that may be used in a variety of ways. You may borrow against a policy's cash value by taking a policy loan. If you don't pay back the loan and the interest on it, the amount you owe will be subtracted from the benefits when you die, or from the cash value if you stop paying premiums and take out the remaining cash value.

You can also use your cash value to keep insurance protection for a limited time or to buy a reduced amount without having to pay more premiums. You also can use the cash value to increase your income in retirement or to help pay for needs such as a child's tuition without canceling the policy. However, to build up this cash value, you must pay higher premiums in the earlier years of the policy. Cash value life insurance may be one of several types: whole life, universal life and variable life are all types of cash value insurance.

WHOLE Life Insurance covers you for as long as you live if your premiums are paid. You generally pay the same amount in premiums for as long as you live. When you first take out the policy, premiums can be several times higher than you would pay initially for the same amount of term insurance. But they are smaller than the premiums you would eventually pay if you were to keep renewing a term policy until your later years.

Some Whole Life policies let you pay premiums for a shorter period such as 20 years, or until age 65. Premiums for these policies are higher since the premium payments are made during a shorter period.

UNIVERSAL Life Insurance is a kind of flexible policy that lets you vary your premium payments. You can also adjust the face amount of your coverage. Increases may require proof that you qualify for the new death benefit. The premiums you pay (less expense charges) go into a policy account that earns interest. Charges are deducted from the account.


Contact Jerline Bell, Insurance Professional at 214-395-3727