Life Insurance: Essential to Financial Planning

Now is a great time to review your life insurance policies and determine if you have enough coverage. When someone we know passes, often, we are reminded how precious life is and how financial stability can rapidly change. In some instances, they did not have enough life insurance coverage. 

In addition to reviewing assets and recommending strategies to build wealth, financial planning also considers all aspects of risk, including death. Depending on your situation, your financial professional may recommend life insurance during financial planning. Here are common reasons to include life insurance in financial planning:

Provide for loved ones- Families with young children need to plan for the loss of income if a parent dies and the loss of a working spouse. Even if no children live at home, there may be an economic loss if someone is dependent on their partner's income. A premature death can result in loss of assets and hinder any financial plan.

Estate Planning- If you have a large estate and want to ensure that your beneficiaries don't have to liquidate assets to pay estate taxes, life insurance can be used for this purpose. Using life insurance to pay estate taxes involves working with your attorney and tax professional to determine if this is appropriate for your life insurance policy proceeds.

Business Succession Planning- If you are a business owner and plan to pass on the business to a family member or other key employees, life insurance may be part of the new owners' purchase plan. Life insurance, a part of the succession plan, involves a tax professional and an attorney to ensure the outcome benefits all parties involved. Using life insurance as part of the business succession often becomes part of the business owner's retirement plan.

College funding- If you're a parent or grandparent, life insurance can provide part or all of the education funding for the insured (child) without tax consequences (assuming interest is applied to cash value). Contact your financial professional to discuss this in detail since a policy loan is required.

If the child doesn't use it for education funding, you have given them life insurance for themselves or their beneficiaries. Check with the carrier to determine the requirements of the life insurance policy being given to the child since parents or grandparents are unable to own the policy once the child has become an adult.

Consult a financial professional- It is not only young families that need protection but also individuals with debt, businesses relying on crucial workers, and investors who plan to protect their assets.

Review your life insurance policies at least bi-annually at your financial planning meeting to check beneficiary information for name changes, etc. Be sure to tell your family about your life insurance policies and where to locate them in case of your death.  

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