Life insurance can be very complicated and confusing. It’s also an area where mistakes can be made very easily.
A recent study that looked at the life insurance purchased by 94 ultra-wealthy business owners with a net worth of $30 million or more showed that roughly 40% of them didn’t have the appropriate level or type of life insurance—or it wasn’t properly structured to meet their needs and goals.
A recent Forbes article, “How The Ultra-Wealthy Avoid Life Insurance Missteps,” says that there were several reasons for these results. The most common mistake made by more than 80% of the business owners was buying more life insurance than actually was necessary. Also, for 60% of these uber-wealthy business owners, their life insurance wasn’t effectively integrated with their estate plans.
For example, if the policies are not held in irrevocable trusts, then the proceeds are included in the estate values and are subject to estate taxes. About 75% of these surveyed business owners had policies that were simply wrong for their specific situations. Each of us should have the type of life insurance that addresses the particular needs of our individual situations.
While the study was just exploratory, it demonstrates the need for working with a highly experienced and reputable life insurance specialist. Choose to be like one of the remaining 60% of successful business owners in the study who have the right amount of the right kind of life insurance that is properly structured.
The results of the research also suggest the practicality of a second opinion. If you have questions or uncertainty about the appropriateness of a life insurance policy, there’s no harm in getting a second opinion. Whether you are ultra-wealthy or an ordinary purchaser of life insurance, there’s the possibility of making costly mistakes or not being able to get the desired results.
We all should be discerning when talking with a life insurance specialist, as not all have our best interests in mind. Don’t forget to speak with your estate planning attorney to make sure that the insurance you have is properly structured.
Reference: Forbes (June 7, 2016) “How The Ultra-Wealthy Avoid Life Insurance Missteps”
#estateplanning #EstateTax #LifeInsurance #TaxPlanning
Author Bio
Kim Hegwood
Managing Attorney
Kim Hegwood is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Your Legacy Legal Care®, a Houston-based estate planning and elder law firm she established in 1998. A graduate of South Texas College of Law, Kim was inspired to focus her practice on elder law and estate planning after watching her own grandparents struggle with the challenges of aging. With nearly 30 years of experience, she helps families with wills, trusts, powers of attorney, Medicaid planning, and asset protection.
Kim is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and her firm has been named Best Trust & Estate Law Firm by the Houston Chronicle. A mother of three, she spends her free time with her children and grandchildren and volunteers with several local charities.
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