Ordinary whole life insurance policies offer a range of options and features to suit different needs and preferences.
One of the key features of ordinary whole life insurance is its guaranteed death benefit, which is paid out to beneficiaries upon the policyholder's death, regardless of the policy's cash value.
Policyholders can also borrow against the policy's cash value, which can be a useful financial tool in times of need.
The policy's cash value grows over time, and policyholders can withdraw from it or use it to pay premiums.
Ordinary whole life insurance policies often have a level premium, meaning the policyholder pays the same premium amount every year for the life of the policy.
This can provide a sense of financial stability and predictability.
The policy's cash value can also be used to pay off policy loans, which can help reduce the policy's death benefit.
Policyholders can also choose to add riders to their policy, such as a waiver of premium rider, which can waive future premium payments if the policyholder becomes disabled.
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What is Ordinary Whole Life Insurance?
Ordinary whole life insurance is a type of coverage that provides a guaranteed death benefit for the insured's lifetime, as long as premiums are paid.
This type of insurance accumulates a cash value over time, which the policyholder can borrow against or withdraw.
The premiums for ordinary whole life insurance are typically fixed and level, meaning they don't increase over time.
Ordinary whole life insurance can be a good option for those who want a guaranteed death benefit and a savings component, as it can provide a guaranteed cash value accumulation.
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Choosing the Right Policy
Choosing the right policy is crucial to getting the most out of your ordinary whole life insurance.
Ordinary whole life insurance provides a guaranteed death benefit and a guaranteed cash value component.
The cash value component can be used to pay premiums, supplement retirement income, or take loans against the policy.
The death benefit is typically 10 to 20 times the annual premium.
You should consider your financial goals, risk tolerance, and budget when selecting a policy.
Factors to consider include your age, health, and lifestyle, as well as the policy's premium costs, coverage limits, and cash value growth.
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Policy Details
Ordinary whole life insurance policies can be customized to meet individual needs, with some policies allowing policyholders to choose from a range of premium payment periods.
The premium payment period can vary from 10 to 20 years, depending on the policy.
Policyholders can also choose to pay premiums for a shorter period, such as 5 years, but this typically increases the premium amount.
Policyholders can borrow against the cash value of their policy, but interest rates and fees may apply.
Policyholders can also use the cash value to pay premiums, which can be a helpful option in times of financial need.
Policyholders typically have the option to cancel their policy and receive the cash value, but this may require a medical exam.
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Policy Costs
Whole life insurance premiums are much higher than term life insurance premiums because the coverage typically lasts your lifetime, and the policy grows cash value.
A 20-year-old woman can expect to pay $3,173 per year for a whole life policy, compared to $177 per year for a 20-year term policy.
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The cost of whole life insurance increases significantly with age. By the time you're 60, a woman can expect to pay $14,375 per year, while a man can expect to pay $16,698 per year.
Here's a breakdown of the average annual premiums for term and whole life policies by age and gender:
Alternatives and Considerations
If you need lifelong coverage but want more flexibility than whole life provides, consider other types of permanent life insurance. These options often have varying costs and features depending on the type of coverage you buy and the performance of your cash value.
Term life insurance is temporary, offering coverage for a set number of years, like 10, 15 or 20. If you still need life insurance, you can purchase a new policy, though you can expect to pay higher rates.
You can explore alternative permanent life insurance options, such as universal life insurance, variable life insurance or variable universal life insurance, and indexed universal life insurance. These options may lead to great savings or unexpected expenses.
Here are some alternatives to term and whole life insurance:
- Universal life insurance.
- Variable life insurance or variable universal life insurance.
- Indexed universal life insurance.
Major Differences Between
When choosing between term life and whole life insurance, it's essential to understand the major differences between these two types of policies.
Term life insurance offers a range of policy lengths, typically from 1 to 30 years, allowing you to choose the coverage that suits your needs.
One of the key differences between term life and whole life insurance is the presence of a cash value. Whole life insurance policies build a cash value over time, which grows at a guaranteed rate set by the insurer.
Whole life insurance premiums typically stay level throughout the length of the policy, just like term life insurance.
However, whole life insurance policies often come with dividends, which may be available through participating policies.
Term life insurance, on the other hand, does not offer dividends.
The death benefit for both term life and whole life insurance is typically level, but there are some exceptions.
Here's a comparison of the two:
It's worth noting that graded death benefit policies, such as guaranteed issue life insurance, typically have a waiting period where the full death benefit won't be paid out if you die within the first few years of taking out the policy.
Alternatives
If you're looking for alternatives to term and whole life insurance, there are options available that offer more flexibility.
Universal life insurance is one such option that can provide lifelong coverage with varying costs and features.
Variable life insurance or variable universal life insurance are other types of permanent life insurance that can also offer more flexibility.
Indexed universal life insurance is another option that can provide lifelong coverage with varying costs and features, depending on the performance of your cash value.
Most term life insurance policies are temporary, which means your coverage expires once your term is up. You can purchase a new policy, but expect to pay higher rates.
Here are some alternatives to term and whole life insurance:
- Universal life insurance
- Variable life insurance or variable universal life insurance
- Indexed universal life insurance
These options often have varying costs and features, which can lead to great savings or unexpected expenses.
Policy Accumulation
One portion of the premium goes toward the policy's death benefit, while another portion is allotted to the policy's cash value.
A whole life insurance policy accumulates cash value over time as the policyholder pays premiums.
The cash value amount can increase over the life of the policy at a fixed rate.
A guaranteed cash value is the amount accessible during the life of the policyholder.
Not all cash value features of whole life insurance policies are guaranteed, so be sure to read the conditions of the policy.
The cash value component of a whole life insurance policy is a feature the policyholder can access while living.
Sources
- https://www.dfs.ny.gov/faqs/consumer_faqs/life_insurance
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/07-life/life-ins-guide.cfm
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/term-vs-whole-life-insurance
- https://www.ailife.com/articles/what-is-a-whole-life-insurance-guaranteed-cash-value.html
- https://www.iii.org/article/how-choose-right-type-life-insurance
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