What is Life Insurance

Life insurance is a protection against financial loss that would result from the premature death of an insured. The named beneficiary receives the proceeds and is thereby safeguarded from the financial impact of the death of the insured. The death benefit is paid by a life insurer in consideration for premium payments made by the insured.

The goal of life insurance is to provide a measure of financial security for your family after you die. So, before purchasing a life insurance policy, consider your financial situation and the standard of living you want to maintain for your dependents or survivors. For example, who will be responsible for your funeral costs and final medical bills? Would your family have to relocate? Will there be adequate funds for future or ongoing expenses such as daycare, mortgage payments and college? It is prudent to re-evaluate your life insurance policies annually or when you experience a major life event like marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, or purchase of a major item such as a house or business.

Life insurance is a contract between an individual with an insurable interest and a life insurance company to transfer the financial risk of a premature death to the insurer in exchange for a specified amount of premium. The three main components of the life insurance contract are a death benefit, a premium payment and, in the case of permanent life insurance, a cash value account.

Why Life Insurance

Insurance is important because it protects a person or entity from extreme financial loss or responsibility due to an unfortunate emergency, accident or negative unforeseen event. There are many different kinds of insurance, some of which cover a person and some of which cover businesses and other entities.
We prioritize insurance planning is a must because it is protection to the life cover risk. It will help you understand whether you are under-insured or over-insured and the existing policies can be earmarked in the financial planning structure.

Life insurance is important to people who want to protect their family from financial distress after their death. It can be used to provide financial security for loved ones.

Top Ten Reasons You Need Life Lnsurance.

when you sit down with an expert who has your best interests in mind, you may find that life insurance is something you not only need, but truly want, as well — to protect your family, dependents, business and legacy.



1. You never know.

Dying suddenly — in an accident, by unexpected illness or even of natural causes — can happen at any time. Life insurance helps your loved ones pay the mortgage, bills, even college costs, after you’re gone. It also provides tax-free cash to pay estate and death duties. Nothing can replace you in their hearts, but planning ahead with life insurance can make things easier for those you leave behind.

2. Funerals are expensive.

In some cases, upwards of $7,000 to $10,000 — and we’re not talking about extravagant funeral services. This is the average cost of a burial ceremony that will be faced by your loved ones.  At an already difficult and emotional time, your life insurance can cover these expenses without financial hardship or further stress.

3. Protect those you love.

In your life, you work hard to make sure those you love — spouse, partner, children, family members — are taken care of. It’s just as important to consider providing financial support for the future living costs of surviving dependents. After all, they will have to go on without you. Make sure they’re protected, too.

4. Death shouldn’t mean debt.

Life Insurance can help your dependents cover any financial responsibilities that are left after your death. Debt can be a tremendous burden, on top of the already emotional toll your absence creates in their lives.

5. Anything can happen.

If you develop a serious illness, you may not be able to get life insurance to the extent you need it — or at all. If you have a terminal illness, life insurance can provide you with financial support. Life insurance can also be used in case of emergencies by requesting a withdrawal or loan.

6. Take care of business.

Life Insurance isn’t just for individuals. It can protect a business from financial loss, liabilities or instability in the case of the death of a business owner/partner. Whether providing necessary short-term cash or keeping operations going until things settle, life insurance can be invaluable in maintaining the business you’ve worked so hard to build.

7. Supplement your retirement.

You can use life insurance to make sure your retirement savings lasts as long as you do. An annuity is like a do-it-yourself pension plan — you put an amount of money into a life insurance product and in return you get a guaranteed stream of income month after month, for as long as you live.

8. It makes financial sense.

Life insurance is considered a financial asset, which can help increase your credit and help you to get a loan or health insurance. Many policies have cash value, which even in case of bankruptcy cannot be touched by creditors.

9. Give to charity.

Life Insurance can enable you to leaving a lasting gift to a favorite cause or charity that is much larger than you would otherwise set aside for donation.

10. Peace of mind, plain and simple.

No amount of money can ever replace a person. But more than anything, life insurance can help provide protection for the uncertainties in life.

At Futurity First, our community-based agent representatives can help you find the right insurance solutions. Even if you already have life insurance, it’s important to make sure it’s up-to-date.

Types of Life Insurance

There are two basic types of life insurance policies viz. Traditional Whole Life and Term Life Insurance. A whole life is a policy you pay till death of the policy holder and term life is a policy for a fixed amount of time.

1. Term insurance

Term plans — are the most basic form of life insurance. They provide life cover with no savings / profits component. They are the most affordable form of life insurance as premiums are cheaper compared to other life insurance plans. Online term insurance plans provide pure risk cover, which explains the lower premiums. A fixed sum of money - the sum assured – is paid to the beneficiaries if the policyholder expires over the policy term. If the policyholder survives, there is no pay out.

2. Endowment plans

Endowment plans differ from term plans in one critical aspect i.e. maturity benefit. Unlike term plans which pay out the sum assured, along with profits, only in case of an eventuality over the policy term, endowment planspay out the sum assured under both scenarios – death and survival. However, endowment plans charge higher fees / expenses – reflected in premiums – for paying out sum assured, along with profits, in either scenario – death or maturity. The profits are an outcome of premiums being invested in asset markets – equities and debt.

3. Unit linked insurance plans (ULIP)

ULIPs are a variant of the traditional endowment plan.They pay out the sum assured (or the investment portfolio if its higher) on death/maturity. ULIPs differ from traditional endowment plans in certain areas. As the name suggests, performance of ULIP is linked to markets. Individuals can choose the allocation for investments in stock/debt markets. The value of the investment portfolio is captured by the NAV (net asset value). To that end, there are many similarities between ULIPs and mutual funds. ULIPs differ in one area, they are a combination of investment and insurance, while mutual funds are a pure investment avenue

4. Whole life policy

A whole life insurance policy covers a policyholder over his life. The main feature of a whole life policy is that the validity of the policy is not defined so the individual enjoys the life cover throughout his life. The policyholder pays regular premiums until his death, upon which the corpus is paid out to the family. The policy expiresonly in case of an eventuality as there is no pre-defined policy tenure.

5. Money back policy

A money back policy is a variant of the endowment plan. It gives periodic payments over the policy term. To that end, a portion of the sum assured is paid out at regular intervals. If the policy holder survives the term, he gets the balance sum assured. In case of death over the policy term, the beneficiary gets the full sum assured.

Benefits of Life Insurance

Life insurance offers several advantages not available from any other financial instrument. Life insurance enjoys favorable tax treatment unlike any other financial instrument. Death benefits are generally income-tax-free to the beneficiary.

  • Life insurance provides an infusion of cash for dealing with the adverse financial consequences of the insured's death.
  • Life insurance enjoys favorable tax treatment unlike any other financial instrument.
    • Death benefits are generally income-tax-free to the beneficiary.
    • Death benefits may be estate-tax free if the policy is owned properly.
    • Cash values grow tax deferred during the insured's lifetime.
    • Cash value withdrawals are treated on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis, therefore cash value withdrawals up to the total premiums paid are generally income-tax free.
    • Policy loans are income tax free.
    • A life insurance policy may be exhanged for another life insurance policy (or for an annuity) without incurring current taxation.

      Note: All of the above statements are generally true; however the tax benefits of life insurance have certain limitations which under the wrong set of circumstances can cause the tax benefits mentioned to be lost.  Please discuss with your insurance and tax advisor.

  • Many life insurance policies are exceptionally flexible in terms of adjusting to the policyholder’s needs.  The death benefit may be decreased at any time and the premiums may be easily reduced, skipped or increased.
  • A cash value life insurance policy may be thought of as a tax-favored repository of easily accessible funds if the need arises; yet, the assets backing these funds are generally held in longer-term investments, thereby earning a higher return.



Need A Helping Hand