Security for an uncertain future: A guide to annuities< Annuities offer senior citizens and other long-term financial planners a chance to collect regular payments — sometimes for the remainder of their lives. An annuity is essentially a contract with an insurer. You pay a premium (or several premiums) upfront in exchange for the promise of a … Read more
Crawford Frazer Have you ever thought about all the money you put into a life insurance policy and wondered whether it was worthwhile? You may, for example, have wanted to provide security for your children, but now they’re financially successful, with families of their own. Or maybe you’re struggling financially and you need money to … Read more
Amy Higgins Term life insurance requires you to make a bet. You choose a term (20 years, for example) and pay your premiums. If you die during the term, your beneficiaries get the payout. If not, the policy expires. Permanent life insurance (also known as whole life insurance), on the other hand, provides a sense of … Read more
Whether you’re working a great job on Wall Street, tweeting away as a social media consultant or still “getting your life together” while living in your parents’ basement, as a single 20-something, you probably feel like you have most of your life way ahead of you. So why bother with life insurance? Experts disagree about whether … Read more
Tamara E. Holmes While life insurance is designed to protect your loved ones when you die, long-term care insurance provides money to help you maintain a good quality of life while you’re alive. But with the rising costs of long-term care insurance, some Americans with limited money may be contemplating which of the two they’d be better … Read more
Myles Kantor Life insurance typically springs to mind for couples with kids. But life insurance still may be something that single people should consider, particularly in light of the fact that about half of American adults aren’t hitched. So, why should a single person who doesn’t plan to get married buy life insurance? “There are many … Read more
Mark Henricks Choosing what type of life insurance policy you want to buy isn’t easy – especially now that you have more options than ever. The fastest-growing type of life insurance is known as indexed universal life (IUL). Sales of IUL policies climbed 39 percent in the third quarter of 2012, according to LIMRA, a marketing and research … Read more
Chris Kissell If you are single and childless, chances are you have skipped buying life insurance. But you may want to think again. Scratch below the surface, and you’ll see that life insurance often is as valuable for singles as it is for people with spouses and children. “Life insurance ensures that the people you care … Read more
Most of us equate summer sun with summer fun. Endless hours spent outdoors swimming, picnicking, bicycling or just spending quality time with family and friends play a large part in our summer traditions. But beware: prolonged exposure to summertime heat can also bring danger! How Hot Weather Affects Your Body In excessively high temperatures, your … Read more
When it comes to buying individual life and health insurance, pre-existing and chronic health conditions like cancer, heart disease, emphysema—even pregnancy—can have a significant impact on your premiums. How Rates are Determined Insurers look at a variety of factors when determining the risk to insure you. That is, life and health insurance companies pay close … Read more