People all over the world have life insurance. It’s like a safety plan, whether it’s a lifelong one or just for a certain time. It’s there to help the people you care about if something happens to you.
But as time goes on and your family members can stand on their own financially, you might not need these plans as much. In such situations, you might think about things like viatical settlements or other life settlement options. It’s like changing your financial plan to fit your current needs.
Why Early Sale Can Be Beneficial
When a policyholder’s family members no longer rely on the insurance, they may explore viatical settlements or other life settlement options. For example, if a policyholder’s child is financially independent but the policyholder’s own life expectancy is shortening due to a terminal illness, they might prefer a lump sum payout from their insurance provider rather than keeping the policy. This payout can help cover medical expenses.
The Settlement Options
Many people know about companies that buy life insurance policies for a lump sum of cash, and they can be curious about how it works. They might wonder about taxes and how much money they’ll get.
Selling a life insurance policy is a choice some find appealing, but it’s not for everyone. To make the best decision, it’s essential to understand how it works. Even if you no longer need your policy, there are things to consider before selling it to a life settlement company.
Reasons to Sell a Life Insurance Policy for Cash
There are several reasons why someone might consider selling their life insurance policy for cash:
- The policyholder no longer needs the policy, especially if their dependents are financially independent.
- If the policyholder needs extra money for medical bills, selling the policy for a lump sum might be the right choice.
- Policyholders might want to sell their policy to have more money for retirement.
Alternatives to Selling
For those looking to part with their permanent life insurance policy, here are some alternatives:
Sell Your Life Insurance Policy for Cash: This option is suitable for policy owners who no longer need their life insurance and require cash in the short term. You can use a brokerage service like Moss Life Settlement voice.
Let Your Policy Lapse: By stopping premium payments, your policy will eventually lapse. This doesn’t provide a payout but stops further premium payments.
Surrender Your Policy for Its Cash Value: Surrendering your policy can result in the return of the excess premiums you’ve paid over time in some cases.
It’s essential to consider that choosing these options means giving up the death benefit that would go to your family. So, you need to weigh whether a cash payout is worth losing eligibility for death benefits. A cash payout through a life settlement may be more valuable to some, while others might prefer to keep their policy. Either way, selling a life insurance policy is a significant decision, and the payout from a brokerage settlement will be less than the policy’s face value.
Options if You Sell Your Policy
Traditional Life Settlement: In this option, policyholders sell their life insurance policy with a death benefit of at least $100,000. The policyholder must be 65 years of age or older and have a life expectancy of around 15 years.
Viatical Settlement: A viatical settlement involves policyholders with a terminal illness who can prove their diagnosis. The life expectancy requirement is typically around two years but can be up to four.
Sales of Term Life Insurance Policies: While it’s more common to sell permanent life insurance, settlement brokerage can also help policy owners sell their term insurance policies. The payout’s value depends on the policy’s term length, typically ranging from 5 to 40 years.
The Settlement Process
There are two ways to approach a life insurance settlement: using a broker or going to a provider (direct buyer) yourself. The process is quite similar in either case.
The Main Steps are:
Application or Qualifying Information Gathering: The policyholder provides basic information about their health and life insurance policy.
Documentation: The brokerage company uses the provided information to obtain the policy and health underwriting data needed for policy valuation.
Review: The company determines the policy’s worth.
Offer: The policyholder receives a payout offer, which they can decline at any time.
Closing Package: Official documents from the purchasing provider for the sale are signed.
Payout: The payment from the sale is wired in a lump sum to the seller’s account.
Conclusion
Decisions involving your life insurance policy may take time. Choices like selling your policy can be tough. However, brokers and providers are available to assist policyholders considering this option, and there are resources to help you learn about life policy settlements. Don’t miss out on the potential value of your life insurance policy. Discover your policy’s worth today.