More Life Insurance Artitcles

All About Life Insurance Settlements
Life insurance settlements refer to the amount of money your beneficiary receives after you die. The life insurance company pays the settlement based on the amount you have paid for with the premiums of the policy. Life insurance settlements are...Read More

Life Insurance: A Product That Cannot Be Bought When Needed
All people have certain needs that must be satisfied. Some of these things include food, clothing, shelter, medicine, etc. Food is needed by the body in order for it to function well. These foods can give nutrition that can enhance the body's...Read More

Life Insurance Coverage
The subject of life insurance can be a confusing one and we spend a lot of time discussing various ways to buy life insurance. How much do I need? How much will it cost? Will my beneficiaries have enogh to live comfortably? What is the difference...Read More

Why You Should Be Buying Last To Die Life Insurance
It seems a grissly subject but it's going to happen eventually so we'd best be prepared. So what is last to die life insurance? Sometimes called second to die life insurance, or joint and last survivor insurance, it insures two people (the...Read More

Tell The Insurers Everything When You Apply For Life And Critical Illness Insurance

The Best Way to Find the Most Affordable Life Insurance to Fit Your Needs

Tracing Lost Life Insurance

Life Insurance Premiums are set to Rise for Overweight Policy Holders

Life Insurance Agent Opportunities

Life Insurance and Life Assurance are Not the Same!

The average man in the street assumes that Life Insurance and Life Assurance are names for the same form of insurance. How wrong they are! But don't hang your head in shame, many financial commentators get it wrong too! Life Insurance and Life Assurance perform different financial roles and are poles apart in cost - so it helps to surf for the correct product.

Life Insurance provides you with insurance cover for a specific period of time (known as the policy's "term"). Then, if you were to die whilst the policy is in force, the insurance company pays out a tax-free sum. If you survive to the end of the term, the policy is finished and has no residual value whatsoever. It only has a value if there is a claim - in that context it's just like your car insurance!

Life Assurance is different. It is a hybrid mix of investment and insurance. A Life Assurance policy pays out a sum equal to the higher of either a guaranteed minimum underwritten by the policy's insurance provisions or its investment valuation. The value of the investment element is then a reliant on the Insurance Company's investment performance and length of time you have been paying the premiums.

Each year the insurance company adds an annual bonus to the guaranteed value of your life assurance policy and there is normally an extra "terminal bonus" at the end. Therefore, as the years go by your life assurance policy increases in value as the investment bonuses accumulate. The value of these bonuses are then determined by the insurance company's investment performance. Once investment value has been assigned to the policy, you can cash it in with the insurance company. However, most people get a far better price for their life assurance policy by selling it to a specialist investment broker rather than cashing it in with the insurance company.

If you were to die during a Life Assurance policy's term, the policy pays out the higher of either the guaranteed minimum sum or the accumulated value of the annual investment bonuses. However, if you are still living when the policy terminates, you usually get a bigger payout. This is because with most insurance companies, an additional terminal bonus is awarded.

There is a also a specialised form of life assurance called "Whole of Life". These policies remain in force for as long as you live and as such, have no preset term.

There is also a practical difference for the internet user. Whereas you can buy life insurance online, the Financial Services Authority view life assurance as fundamentally an investment product. As such they believe it is best suited to being sold by a Financial Adviser with advice based on the Advisors full understanding of your personal details. Therefore, you will be unable to buy life assurance online. However, you can use the internet to find a suitable financial adviser with whom you can meet and discuss your requirements.

What are Life Insurance polices and Life Assurance policies used for?

Life Insurance is usually a focal point of the family's financial protection. It is ideally suited to ensure that known debts such as a mortgage, are repaid in full in the event of the policyholders death.

When it comes to providing a lump sum for general use in the event that the policyholder were to die whilst the policy was in force, either life insurance or life assurance can be used. The differences are that with life insurance the size of payout would be preset whereas with life assurance it would depend on the guaranteed minimum and the insurance company's investment performance. But remember, at the end of the policy's term life insurance is worthless, whereas life assurance should payout a sizeable investment sum. In this context Life Assurance seems far more worthwhile but in practice more people elect for life insurance. Why? It's a matter of cost. Life Insurance is considerably cheaper than Life Assurance. Furthermore, in recent years, investment returns on Life Assurance policies have fallen significantly and many insurance companies have placed penalties for cashing in policies early. This has adversely affected the resale value of Life Assurance policies.

Finally, if you want a product to provide a lump sum on your death whenever that is with a minimum payout guaranteed, you'll probably elect for Whole of Life insurance. It's really a form of lifetime investment with the benefit of a guaranteed minimum. They're particularly useful for Inheritance Tax Planning.

Michael Challiner has 15 years experience in financial services marketing at senior level. Michael now works as the editor of Brokers Online Life Insurance

Futher reading Life Insurance Topics
Futher reading Specialist Life Insurance Site

How Do You Find the Best Rates on Life Insurance

Life Pro Life Insurance Producer Articles

Life Insurance And Marriage What To Do When You Say quot I Do quot

Universal Term Life Insurance Guide 101

Life Insurance Do You Need It

Getting the Best Life Insurance Quote

Life Insurance 66 Of Applicants Face Loaded Premiums

Buy Term Life Insurance Online – Some Tips to Make You Smart
The cyber world has really helped the consumer when it comes to purchasing term life insurance. Buying term life insurance online has many advantages. Term life insurance is the simplest form of life insurance. There is no cash value to deal with...Read More

Choosing Life Insurance
Take your time in taking decisions, chalk out which one is best suited for you and your family from the policies made available by different insurance companies. Look into your age, condition of health, income, health habits, marital status,...Read More

Getting the Best Life Insurance Quote
Your life insurance quote is primarily dependant on a number of personal factors, namely your health, family history, lifestyle and age. It’s not possible to physically change any of these factors and you definitely shouldn’t lie about any of them...Read More

Term Life Insurance News Guide 101
Perhaps the most simple, convenient and affordable form of insurance that exists for a specified tenure is Term life insurance. Term life insurance is insurance for a short period of time and is deemed to be pure protection, as it builds no cash...Read More

That Terrible Life Insurance Agent
Oh, it's that life insurance agent...I don't want to see her. You've had a hard day at work. One employee arrived late while you had a long line of customers waiting to pay for their goods. You had to jump in and assist to get things running...Read More

10 Pay Life Insurance At A Glance
The 10 pay life insurance policy is getting more and more popular every day. What is a 10 pay life insurance policy anyway? How does this type of life insurance work?... Ten payment life insurance is a whole life policy in which all the premiums...Read More

Finding fast life insurance
Since the widespread growth of internet usage and database building it’s never been easier or quicker to find fast life insurance. There was a time not long ago that the project could drag out forever. The process began with phone colds and lots of...Read More

Life Insurance: 4 Important Considerations
Do you know if you need life insurance? To be sure your loved ones are taken care of, there are a few questions you need to answer to determine your level of need. What expenses will you leave behind? If something happened to you today, how...Read More

Life Insurance: Getting Better Rates by Refinancing
Your life insurance needs naturally change over time. Children grow up and move on, financial situations change and families grow. If your lifestyle has changed, it’s probably time to “refinance” your term life insurance policies. By periodically...Read More

Life insurance the universe and everything

Life Insurance

Life Insurance Bargain Time

Health Insurance A Necessity Of Life

Low Cost Life Insurance

More Life Insurance Artitcles