Perhaps your life circumstances have changed, and you no longer need your life insurance policy. Various factors might influence your choice, but you should weigh all your alternatives before relinquishing your life insurance policy. If you terminate your life insurance policy, you will be paid the cash surrender value.
When should you request the cash surrender value?
First, it’s important to understand what cash surrender value is. It’s rather straightforward since it’s the total amount of subscription payments you’ve made so far. Your insurance carrier will almost certainly waive some surrender costs.
However, if you give them enough notice, you can typically work out a termination period during which you make your premium installments. This then covers the surrender fee, but it is entirely up to you how you handle this and if you prefer obtaining today’s surrender value of life insurance, less the costs.
However, before you even contemplate receiving your surrender value from your insurance carrier, you should examine how losing your death benefit may affect your dependents. Assuming you’re okay with this, here are some more reasons you may want to think about your cash surrender value:
- Life changes and you are not eligible for a life settlement.
- A policy that is relatively new
- Face value is low.
Life changes and you are not eligible for a life settlement.
Life conditions, of course, change. Perhaps you purchased a universal or whole life insurance policy to ensure that your family could pay the mortgage and educational expenses after you died. You now discover that everything has been paid off and that everyone in your family is self-sufficient. When you combine this with a terminal disease and financial difficulty, suspending your premium payments may be a viable alternative.
It’s worth mentioning that if you have a permanent life insurance policy, you may be able to sell it. Before making any judgments, double-check the data and the criteria. This is because, in most cases, customers get 6 to 8 times their cash surrender value when they make a life settlement. It would be best if you qualified, and not everyone does. For example, if you are under 70 and in excellent health, it is doubtful that any investors would wish to purchase your life insurance policy.
A policy that is relatively new
You won’t have much cash value if your permanent life insurance policy is less than two years old. This restricts your other alternatives and precludes you from pursuing a life settlement.
Face value is low.
Another important factor that life settlement businesses consider is the amount of your death benefit cash payment. They are unlikely to be interested if the price is less than $200,000.
Before receiving your cash surrender value, there are other options.
As previously said, there are choices before proceeding with your insurance provider and collecting your surrender value, which is explained below. These, however, are only available with a permanent life insurance policy:
- Borrow
- Draw
- Benefits for accelerated death
- Life settlement tax
Borrow
Your cash worth gives you a pool of funds that you may borrow against. You may also borrow against your death benefit, in which case your cash worth is guaranteed.
Withdraw
Another alternative is to withdraw funds immediately from your cash worth. Because of how a permanent life insurance policy is structured, a portion of your premium payments has been added to your cash value. Some life insurance plans will also invest the money on your behalf, allowing you to earn interest.
Death benefit accelerated
Not to mention the value of your death benefit. Depending on its form and age, you may also utilize the face value of your life insurance policy. You are receiving part of your final installments ahead of schedule.
Life insurance settlement
Last but not least, as previously said, you may sell your life insurance policy via a life settlement procedure. Of course, you must fulfill the requirements, but this may be an excellent method to obtain more than your cash surrender value. This is because investors want to pay you for you to obtain your ultimate death benefit.
Tax
Although each circumstance will be somewhat different, it is important to mention taxes. As a result, you should clarify the specifics with your insurance provider and potentially a financial counselor. The basic structure is that everything up to the number of your premium payments is tax-free. Any sum beyond that is normally taxed, such as when you take out a loan on your life insurance policy.
Key Takeaways Regarding Cash Surrender Value
The choice to surrender or sell your life insurance policy is made individually. You’ll need to crunch the figures, examine the eligibility requirements, and double-check the structure of your life insurance policy. Some may have limitations, for example. However, you may have additional perks to assist you financially before making any important judgments. Regardless, there are ways to utilize your life insurance coverage to benefit you now rather than later.
