How to Construct a Tax Shelter by Means of Life Insurance Contracts
How to Construct a Tax Shelter by Means of Life Insurance Contracts
The majority of people think of life insurance for a necessary evil, but with careful preparation, life insurance contracts can create beneficial tax shelters. Universal life insurance and whole have three elements - - life protection, administrative charges and cash-value. Term life insurance has only the first two elements. In the past, clients have been encouraged by many financial planners to purchase term life insurance instead, and avoid whole life insurance. The hypothesis is that, by investing the difference in price, the customer will come out ahead. This guidance does not take into account the tax benefits of whole and universal life insurance contracts. Heres the way to use life insurance contracts as tax shelters.
Understand that whole and universal life insurance is substantially more costly than term insurance. A portion of the higher premiums construct cash value in the coverage which grows every year mainly because of the guaranteed interest that gathers in the theory. This interest grows taxfree as long as it stays in the policy.
Understand that term insurance is substantially more affordable, especially if the insured is young, . however, it becomes increasingly expensive while the insured grows older. Buying a 10- or 20-year level-term policy helps mitigate this increase in price, but any edge in the savings needs a very disciplined savings plan to invest the difference regularly. Studies show that a lot of people don't follow a disciplined savings plan successfully over several years, especially should they have to set up the savings plan themselves and store a set amount from their current revenue.
Consider the tax benefits of the complete or universal life insurance coverage. The death benefit is typically taxfree for the beneficiary, just because it is using a term life policy. The money value grows through the annual addition of the compounding of interest, together with the cash part of the coverage to the theory, which grows taxfree in the coverage. Most whole and universal life insurance enable the insured to take the surrender value after some years of accretion. These withdrawals are considered by the IRS as a return of funds, making the money borrowed taxfree, even though the sums taken exceed the rates paid in.
Realize the benefit of withdrawing money taxfree in the whole or universal life plan has several advantages. Any amount withdrawn that surpasses the premium payments is treated as financing from the policy and does not enhance the coverage holders taxable revenue. Such loans would not have to be paid back throughout the life of the policy holder. They are subtracted from the death benefit once the policy holder dies., however, the gains are not taxed. Furthermore, the coverage owner may be able to prevent the estate tax by excluding the value of the coverage from her estate with careful tax preparation. www.universallifeinsurers.com