Life Insurance and Estate Planning Instant Life Insurance QuoteState:AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDist.ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNY Non-BusNY BusinessNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingGuamPuerto RicoVirgin IslandsAmer. SamoaBirthdate:JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 191019111912191319141915191619171918191919201921192219231924192519261927192819291930193119321933193419351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008Gender:MaleFemaleSmoker/Tobacco:NoYesHealth Class:Preferred PlusPreferredRegular PlusRegularType of Insurance:1 Year Level Term5 Year Level Term10 Year Level Term15 Year Level Term20 Year Level Term25 Year Level Term30 Year Level Term35 Year Level Term40 Year Level TermTo Age 65 LevelTo Age 70 LevelTo Age 75 LevelTo Age 80 LevelTo Age 85 LevelTo Age 90 LevelTo Age 95 LevelTo Age 100 LevelTo Age 105 LevelTo Age 110 LevelOther Term10, 20, 30 Year TermAll Level Term Product Categories10 Year Return of Premium15 Year Return of Premium20 Year Return of Premium25 Year Return of Premium30 Year Return of PremiumTo age 65 Return of PremiumTo age 70 Return of PremiumTo age 75 Return of PremiumOther Return of Premium15, 20, 30 Year with ROPReturn of Premium ProductsTo Age 121 Level (No Lapse U/L)To Age 121 Level - Pay to 100To Age 121 Level - Pay to 65To Age 121 Level - 20 PayTo Age 121 Level - 10 PayTo Age 121 Level - Single PayFace Amount:$10,000$25,000$50,000$75,000$100,000$125,000$150,000$175,000$200,000$225,000$250,000$300,000$350,000$400,000$450,000$500,000$550,000$600,000$650,000$700,000$750,000$800,000$900,000$1,000,000$1,100,000$1,250,000$1,500,000$1,750,000$2,000,000$2,500,000$3,000,000$4,000,000$5,000,000$6,000,000$7,000,000$8,000,000$9,000,000$10,000,000Your Name:Phone Number:E-mail Address:Life insurance coverage is the fact that most versatile of investment of minimal-risk product which works best for clients in nearly any wealth category and existence stage. In the past, it’s been an essential component in lots of a properly-performed estate plan, also it remains probably the most relevant, secure possibilities. However, with last year’s restored estate tax exemption, agents must still adjust their scope and sales hype if this involves offering this time around-honored solution.The way the forex market change within the short- and lengthy-term? Which financial planning problems is it more beneficial suitable for solve? John Titus, advanced marketing attorney at Saybrus Partners, a Hartford, Conn.-based wealth management firm, weighs in at in regarding how to get the most from the merchandise this year and beyond.Why is life insurance coverage a highly effective wealth transfer vehicle?For just one, after dying, its benefits are immediate. Second, and much more important, its smart an advantage that’s generally tax-liberated to the beneficiary and may usually be produced estate tax-free if required. Thus, the policy’s internal rate of return on its rates is fairly attractive. And, in present day economic atmosphere, another reason life insurance coverage is really good at this context is the fact that its benefits aren’t always correlated to the market conditions. When dying benefits are compensated, for instance, the present status from the stock exchange isn’t a factor.How have recent estate tax rules influenced or transformed the requirement for life insurance coverage inside a well-rounded estate plan?The current temporary rise in the estate tax exemption implies that less individuals will be influenced by tax rules. Much less sometime ago, a husband and wife with combined assets of $5 million could have been facing a $1.5 million federal estate tax liability. For deaths this year and 2012, that same couple doesn’t have federal estate tax liability. Obviously, the question pending over all this is the way forward for the estate tax exemption, that is slated revisit $a million in 2013. Count me among individuals who think it’ll stay at current levels for that expected future.When the exemption remains at $5 as well as $3.5 million, estate proprietors will turn to life insurance coverage like a strategy to cope with other, non-estate tax-related financial targets and challenges. These challenges include business succession planning, using needless IRAs and deferred annuity and taking advantage of life insurance coverage like a supplemental retirement earnings vehicle, amongst others.Would you expect the forex market to alter within the next 5 years? If that’s the case, how?I actually do think you will see significant market uncertainty as well as unpredictability for that expected future. Nonetheless, I believe that federal estate and gift tax exemptions will stay at relatively high levels.Because the federal budget reduces, federal grants or loans towards the states will even likely shrink, putting more financial pressure on condition budgets. Consequently, I believe that condition inheritance taxes will most likely remain in place as well as return in states which have removed them. Many states are needed to balance their budgets, and condition inheritance taxes will most likely be a welcoming supply of revenue later on. Because of this, estate proprietors will need to keep close track of this problem. I believe it is more probably that tax rates will rise soon which life insurance coverage like a supplemental retirement earnings vehicle could play an progressively natural part for the reason that regard.Is life insurance coverage equally suited to clients with all of amounts of wealth?The fast response is yes. When the federal estate tax exemption amount stays in the $5 million level or near to it, then certainly less estate proprietors will need to bother about federal estate taxes. I see pointless why our prime-internet-worth estate owner won’t still turn to life insurance coverage to supply the liquidity required to pay future estate taxes, even when the total amount needed is less.For individuals who’ll not need to bother about federal estate taxes, you will find other non-estate-tax-related financial issues that life insurance coverage could be a solution. Again, using life insurance coverage like a supplemental retirement earnings vehicle might be quite attractive within an atmosphere of rising tax rates.What’s the No. 1 question you listen to clients about integrating life insurance coverage to their estate plan? How can you answer it?Most likely probably the most comon question nowadays is, “So why do I want life insurance coverage basically don’t have any estate tax problem?” I answer this in a few various ways. First, the financial agent and also the client must have attorney at law about the way forward for federal and condition estate taxes. The customer might not have an problem today, but might have one later on.When the client and agent agree that there’s no federal estate tax problem, then your agent should discuss other financial planning problems that would use life insurance coverage included in a general strategy.
10 Of the Best Features of Life Insurance that are overlooked Instant Life Insurance QuoteState:AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDist.ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNY Non-BusNY BusinessNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingGuamPuerto RicoVirgin IslandsAmer. SamoaBirthdate:JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 191019111912191319141915191619171918191919201921192219231924192519261927192819291930193119321933193419351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008Gender:MaleFemaleSmoker/Tobacco:NoYesHealth Class:Preferred PlusPreferredRegular PlusRegularType of Insurance:1 Year Level Term5 Year Level Term10 Year Level Term15 Year Level Term20 Year Level Term25 Year Level Term30 Year Level Term35 Year Level Term40 Year Level TermTo Age 65 LevelTo Age 70 LevelTo Age 75 LevelTo Age 80 LevelTo Age 85 LevelTo Age 90 LevelTo Age 95 LevelTo Age 100 LevelTo Age 105 LevelTo Age 110 LevelOther Term10, 20, 30 Year TermAll Level Term Product Categories10 Year Return of Premium15 Year Return of Premium20 Year Return of Premium25 Year Return of Premium30 Year Return of PremiumTo age 65 Return of PremiumTo age 70 Return of PremiumTo age 75 Return of PremiumOther Return of Premium15, 20, 30 Year with ROPReturn of Premium ProductsTo Age 121 Level (No Lapse U/L)To Age 121 Level - Pay to 100To Age 121 Level - Pay to 65To Age 121 Level - 20 PayTo Age 121 Level - 10 PayTo Age 121 Level - Single PayFace Amount:$10,000$25,000$50,000$75,000$100,000$125,000$150,000$175,000$200,000$225,000$250,000$300,000$350,000$400,000$450,000$500,000$550,000$600,000$650,000$700,000$750,000$800,000$900,000$1,000,000$1,100,000$1,250,000$1,500,000$1,750,000$2,000,000$2,500,000$3,000,000$4,000,000$5,000,000$6,000,000$7,000,000$8,000,000$9,000,000$10,000,000Your Name:Phone Number:E-mail Address:Buying life insurance coverage is among the most significant financial choices customers make. Yet they frequently know hardly any concerning the options that come with their plans, so that they neglect to make the most of them.Listed here are 10 of the very generally overlooked options that come with life insurance coverage plans and why they are vital that you you like a insurance holder.Waiver of premium. This feature pays the premium of the policy should you become seriously ill or disabled.Faster dying benefit. This feature enables you to definitely receive payday loans from the dying advantage of your policy if you are identified having a terminal illness. Lots of people with this particular benefit make use of the money to assist purchase treatment along with other expenses whether they have only a short while to reside.Guaranteed purchase option. With this particular feature, you can buy coverage at designated future dates or existence occasions without showing you are in good condition.Lengthy-term care riders. Some existence items include this method, which enables you to employ the advantages of your policy to cover lengthy-term care in return for a lower existence benefit.Spouse or child term riders. Existence guidelines with this particular feature permit you to purchase term life insurance coverage for the spouse or dependent child, as much as age 26. This method could be a less expensive method to purchase coverage if you cannot afford separate guidelines.Cash value plans. This kind of policy pays out upon your dying as well as builds up value throughout your daily life. You should use the money value like a tax-protected investment, like a fund from which you’ll borrow and employ to pay for a policy rates later.Mortgage protection. This feature, typically available on term existence guidelines, pays your mortgage should you die.Cash distributions and financial loans. Many universal and whole existence guidelines permit you to withdraw or take a loan, while using cash worth of a policy as collateral. Rates of interest are usually relatively low. You may also make use of the cash worth of your existence policy to pay for your rates if you want or wish to stop having to pay rates for some time. You are obligated to pay the borrowed funds or perhaps your receivers will get a lower dying benefit.Survivor support services. Some existence guidelines offer services that offer objective financial and legal help receivers.Worker assistance programs. This feature makes assets open to you for issues that can impact your individual and professional existence. Assets are often free and help address issues for example drug abuse, stress, marital problems, legal concerns and major existence occasions.“Customers need to know their life insurance coverage guidelines so that they don’t overlook important features that may be important to their livelihoods,” states Shaun Koll, assistant v . p . of product for Colonial Existence & Accident Insurance Provider. “Make certain you’ve got a copy of the policy, you know in which you ensure that it stays which another person in the household also knows in which you ensure that it stays. You could request a duplicate of the policy out of your insurance provider if you want it. Additionally, evaluate your insurance policy every so often to make certain it’s right for your stage in existence.” Texas Life insurance
Life insurance for kids: Long term benefits come from early investmentNovember 25, 2011 Instant Life Insurance QuoteState:AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDist.ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNY Non-BusNY BusinessNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingGuamPuerto RicoVirgin IslandsAmer. SamoaBirthdate:JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 191019111912191319141915191619171918191919201921192219231924192519261927192819291930193119321933193419351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008Gender:MaleFemaleSmoker/Tobacco:NoYesHealth Class:Preferred PlusPreferredRegular PlusRegularType of Insurance:1 Year Level Term5 Year Level Term10 Year Level Term15 Year Level Term20 Year Level Term25 Year Level Term30 Year Level Term35 Year Level Term40 Year Level TermTo Age 65 LevelTo Age 70 LevelTo Age 75 LevelTo Age 80 LevelTo Age 85 LevelTo Age 90 LevelTo Age 95 LevelTo Age 100 LevelTo Age 105 LevelTo Age 110 LevelOther Term10, 20, 30 Year TermAll Level Term Product Categories10 Year Return of Premium15 Year Return of Premium20 Year Return of Premium25 Year Return of Premium30 Year Return of PremiumTo age 65 Return of PremiumTo age 70 Return of PremiumTo age 75 Return of PremiumOther Return of Premium15, 20, 30 Year with ROPReturn of Premium ProductsTo Age 121 Level (No Lapse U/L)To Age 121 Level - Pay to 100To Age 121 Level - Pay to 65To Age 121 Level - 20 PayTo Age 121 Level - 10 PayTo Age 121 Level - Single PayFace Amount:$10,000$25,000$50,000$75,000$100,000$125,000$150,000$175,000$200,000$225,000$250,000$300,000$350,000$400,000$450,000$500,000$550,000$600,000$650,000$700,000$750,000$800,000$900,000$1,000,000$1,100,000$1,250,000$1,500,000$1,750,000$2,000,000$2,500,000$3,000,000$4,000,000$5,000,000$6,000,000$7,000,000$8,000,000$9,000,000$10,000,000Your Name:Phone Number:E-mail Address:Being protective goes hands-in-hands with motherhood. From hands sanitizer gel to bike headgear to high-tech child car seats, moms and fathers will visit the finishes of the world to have their children safe, seem and happy. But eventually, the scrapes and bruises no more require a healing hug, working out wheels appear the bike and also the day comes when they are driving to college - not only senior high school, but college. You may be surprised, but you will find actions you are able to take since will safeguard them then - as well as beyond.It isn’t uncommon for brand new parents to think about adding life insurance coverage coverage towards the other guidelines they carry, like vehicle and medical health insurance. It’s really a difficult factor to consider, but it is an additional protection which will make sure that kids and also the making it through spouse is going to be taken proper care of in case that certain parent dies. However, you will find other ways a life insurance coverage policy can really make a difference for the child.May possibly not be something which immediately involves mind, but getting a life insurance coverage insurance policy for your kids might have lasting benefits for his or her financial future. However, doing this when they’re still youthful couldn’t only equal to financial savings within the long-term, but better protection of the assets because they themselves reach a time where they’ll think about a family that belongs to them.In practical terms, giving your kids the gift of the life insurance coverage policy safeguards them from medical underwriting and costs. You will be creating the policy early enough which costs is going to be lower, especially in the initial stage, also it can help with keeping them workable further in the future, with respect to the plan.Through the years, a life insurance coverage policy may become a significant part of the children’s financial protection. And when they are in the right age to achieve the discussion about how exactly to become financially responsible, it’s really a useful example, among other training like creating a good credit score and wise investing habits.Some insurance coverage allows your son or daughter to create changes his or her existence progresses, providing them with the opportunity to increase coverage because they undergo life’s milestone occasions, like marriage, getting a home loan to purchase a home and getting children that belongs to them. Rates will increase with added coverage, however the added costs connected with medical underwriting is going to be removed.Searching for the kids is definitely an instinct which will never fade. Because they grow, you’ll help guide them on the right track in existence, but sooner or later, they will be off by themselves. Providing them with lengthy-term protection when they are youthful will make sure that you are assisting to be careful on their behalf, lengthy after they have left the nest.
What to ask before buying a traditional plan Instant Life Insurance QuoteState:AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDist.ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNY Non-BusNY BusinessNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingGuamPuerto RicoVirgin IslandsAmer. SamoaBirthdate:JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 191019111912191319141915191619171918191919201921192219231924192519261927192819291930193119321933193419351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008Gender:MaleFemaleSmoker/Tobacco:NoYesHealth Class:Preferred PlusPreferredRegular PlusRegularType of Insurance:1 Year Level Term5 Year Level Term10 Year Level Term15 Year Level Term20 Year Level Term25 Year Level Term30 Year Level Term35 Year Level Term40 Year Level TermTo Age 65 LevelTo Age 70 LevelTo Age 75 LevelTo Age 80 LevelTo Age 85 LevelTo Age 90 LevelTo Age 95 LevelTo Age 100 LevelTo Age 105 LevelTo Age 110 LevelOther Term10, 20, 30 Year TermAll Level Term Product Categories10 Year Return of Premium15 Year Return of Premium20 Year Return of Premium25 Year Return of Premium30 Year Return of PremiumTo age 65 Return of PremiumTo age 70 Return of PremiumTo age 75 Return of PremiumOther Return of Premium15, 20, 30 Year with ROPReturn of Premium ProductsTo Age 121 Level (No Lapse U/L)To Age 121 Level - Pay to 100To Age 121 Level - Pay to 65To Age 121 Level - 20 PayTo Age 121 Level - 10 PayTo Age 121 Level - Single PayFace Amount:$10,000$25,000$50,000$75,000$100,000$125,000$150,000$175,000$200,000$225,000$250,000$300,000$350,000$400,000$450,000$500,000$550,000$600,000$650,000$700,000$750,000$800,000$900,000$1,000,000$1,100,000$1,250,000$1,500,000$1,750,000$2,000,000$2,500,000$3,000,000$4,000,000$5,000,000$6,000,000$7,000,000$8,000,000$9,000,000$10,000,000Your Name:Phone Number:E-mail Address:Nowadays when a life insurance agent comes to sell you a policy, the spiel is remarkably different. He no longer quotes the highs of the stock market or sells you the dream of quick money through equity investing. He instead assures the safety of your capital and guarantees your return. This change mirrors the changing trend in the life insurance sector, where traditional plans are making a comeback and leaving the once popular unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips) behind.Jayachandran/MintOwing to last year’s reforms and volatility in the stock markets, insurers have once again turned their focus on traditional plans. Unlike a Ulip where investments are market-linked and costs are transparent, traditional plans work on the principle of give and get— you pay x every year and you will get 15x+y in 15 years is how most traditional plans are structured. But over a period of 15 years, this 15x+y usually translates into a paltry return. Even the bonuses that most traditional plans offer are seldom able to improve the returns. So before you succumb to a traditional plan, here are four key questions you need to ask.What you give and get?This is an important parameter to consider.Comparison: First, it enables comparison. Says Rituraj Bhattacharya, head (market management?), Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd: “The way to compare traditional plans is to look at the guaranteed sum which is typically the sum assured. For this sum how much premium do you have to pay over a given term is how one can compare products.â€Costs: The give-and-get equation gives you a sense of the costs. Let’s understand through an example. Take a traditional endowment plan for a 30-year-old for a term of 20 years with a sum assured of Rs. 10 lakh on an annual premium of Rs. 46,931. The guaranteed payout under this plan is the sum assured and the non-guaranteed component is the bonuses which are at the discretion of the company. Compare this with a term plan which will charge an annual premium of around Rs. 2,000 for the sum assured mentioned above over the same term. In other words, you pay Rs. 44,931 extra to guarantee that sum assured on maturity.Rate of return: The give-and-get equation of a traditional plan helps you understand the returns from the policy, too. Use a financial calculator that gives you the internal rate of return from the net or swing the numbers past your financial planner and you will understand the delusion guaranteed return is. In the above example, the return on your investment is just 0.66%.What are the additional benefits?But you also get bonuses, the agent will argue. Typically, in a traditional insurance plan there are three kinds of bonuses: cash, reversionary and terminal. The premiums that you pay get invested in a life fund which is kind of a perpetual fund that an insurance company has. Says Bhattacharya: “The insurer meets all his liabilities of paying claims or maturity through this fund. So depending upon the interest rate scenario and surpluses that this life fund has, a company may declare a bonus.â€Cash bonus: Once the company declares a bonus it becomes guaranteed. If you choose to have it as cash, it is called cash bonus.Reversionary bonus: The guaranteed bonus can also get added to your sum assured. This is called the reversionary bonus.But you must be careful with reversionary bonuses since they can significantly impact your returns. There are two kinds of reversionary bonuses: simple and compound. As the name suggests, a simple reversionary bonus is a percentage of the basic sum assured that once declared becomes a guaranteed payout, but a compound reversionary bonus is a percentage of the overall sum assured. Here’s an example: a 6% simple reversionary bonus on a sum assured of Rs. 100 will bump up the sum assured to Rs. 106 in the first year and Rs. 112 in year two. However, a compound reversionary bonus will bump up the sum assured to Rs. 106 in year one and Rs. 112.36 in year two. But Kapil Mehta, managing director, SecureNow Insurance Broker Pvt. Ltd, has a word of caution: “The rate at which a simple reversionary bonus is paid out creates an optical illusion because the rates are more than the rate of a compound reversionary bonus. However, in the long term and with the power of compounding, a compound reversionary bonus tends to give you better returns.â€Terminal bonus: This is again totally at the discretion of the company and is paid at the end. Says V. Viswanand, director and head (products and persistency management), Max New York Life Insurance Co. Ltd: “One also needs to look at liquidity in a policy. A cash bonus is a good idea in that sense because it gives you the freedom to have the money at your disposal anytime you want.â€Bonus rates: You should also have an idea about the bonus rates that the company has been declaring. Most companies will have some historical data of their bonus rates, which can access through the insurer’s website or the agent.Says Bhattacharya: “Typically, a company does not have a lot of volatility in bonus rates. Since the bonus rates depend on the surpluses in life fund, interest rate is only one factor that determines that surplus. Hence, most companies will maintain a stable bonus rate structure.â€Adds Kapil Mehta, CEO, SecureNow, an insurance broking firm: “Bonus rates get declared as a percentage of the sum assured and so it becomes very difficult to get a sense of returns. However, on an average, the returns from the bonus are not more than 4%.â€What happens if you surrender policy?That’s usually far and the last thing in your mind when you are buying the policy. But it’s a relevant question nevertheless. Typically, traditional plans are front-loaded—a large chunk of the costs are deducted in the initial years—and so in the first three years, most traditional policies don’t have a surrender value. If you choose to surrender your policy within this period, you get nothing back.After three years, the policy usually assumes a surrender value. Most insurers will offer two options: a minimum guaranteed surrender value—which is a regulatory requirement—and a non-guaranteed surrender value. The guaranteed surrender value is a fixed percentage of your premiums—around 30-35% of all the premiums paid minus the first year’s premium.The non-guaranteed surrender value is arrived at more scientifically and indicates the value of your investments. The non-guaranteed surrender value depends upon the sum assured, bonus, policy term and the number of premiums paid. Since the non-guaranteed surrender value is a better reflection of your investments, it is usually higher than the minimum guaranteed surrender value. Usually in the industry, it is the minimum guaranteed surrender value that is paid out, but some insurers offer the higher of the two surrender payouts. Choose the latter option.What happens if you stop paying premiums?How a skipped premium will impact your benefit is also important to understand. Typically, if you skip paying a premium in the first three years of the policy, it will lapse and you will get no benefits. Some insurers may choose to pay you a discretionary sum.However, if you skip paying a premium after three years, your policy will continue to exist but with reduced benefits. After three years, your policy assumes a cash or surrender value. Depending on this value, the insurer may settle for a reduced sum assured or may offer an extended term cover of the same sum assured for a number of years. Your policy will no longer enjoy any variable benefits.You also need to understand the revival norms of the policy. Says Viswanand: “Some insurers allow a period of five years to renew ones policy, while others may offer only two-three years. Typically, reinstatement norms are same for all the policies of an insurer.â€If you manage to get an answer for each of these questions, you would understand your benefits and policy clearly.SOURCE